Chapter 672
Even More Ruthless
Chapter 672 Even More Ruthless
The shouts echoed out in waves.
They were already standing opposite Ranxiangju, and soon the scholars gathered outside the residence received the news, exclaiming in amazement, "Master Songshan is indeed a man of profound learning! It hasn't been long, and Shuhaige has already conceded defeat. It seems that the Nine-Turn Lotus Lantern poetry contest is ultimately..."
Since Shuhai Pavilion has already bowed down to Mr. Songshan, there's no need to go to Shuhai Pavilion's poetry competition.
If you want to become famous for your poetry, you can leave a poem on the poetry wall at the front gate of the garden party.
Why go through all that trouble?
When Mr. Songshan first heard this, he was also surprised, but then he stroked his beard and said lightly, "There is a sequence to learning, and those who are enlightened are first. In the future, there will inevitably be times when I will seek guidance from Shuhaige."
Everyone sighed, "A master is a master indeed. Even his humble words are so pleasing to the ear. You really have to admire him."
Qin Siyuan asked quietly, "Then why would the Book Sea Pavilion, which made such a commotion, easily admit defeat? I'm afraid it was Seventh Miss and the others..."
He simply couldn't bring himself to say anything about using treacherous schemes or forcibly seizing property.
But if that were truly the case, it would be utterly unbecoming of a gentleman.
Mr. Songshan said, "You must have heard the saying, 'Too much rigidity leads to breakage.'"
Qin Siyuan lowered his head and said, "Yes."
Mr. Songshan asked, "Do you know why Confucius killed Shao Zhengmao back then?"
Qin Siyuan said, "Because Shao Zhengmao holds a high position and is cunning and eloquent, the sooner Confucius kills him, the sooner he can stop him from harming the world and people's hearts."
Mr. Matsuyama nodded. "You understand, so why don't you understand now?"
Qin Siyuan didn't say anything more.
However, still feeling somewhat uneasy, he went to Ranxiang Residence to look for Qin Yuan.
Qin Yuan was questioning the guards that Gu Baozhu had sent back.
Qin Yuan asked, "Did all those burly men get involved?"
The guard said, "Yes, they're all in cahoots, helping to rebuke the owner and manager of Shuhai Pavilion. They're the ones shouting the loudest outside that Shuhai Pavilion has to admit defeat."
Qin Yuan nodded: "They want to publicly associate themselves with the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion so that they can later frame the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion for something unjust."
The guard said, "...Then..."
"Ignore them, let them add firewood if they want."
Qin Siyuan couldn't help but interject, "Little sister, we need to think of a solution quickly. How can we just sit and wait for the fire to reach the roof?"
Qin Yuan laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? Master Songshan is a man of exceptional knowledge. You know it, I know it, and now everyone outside knows it. It's not surprising that even bandits and scoundrels are impressed by his scholarship."
Ugh.
Qin Siyuan shook his head.
Now it's not just Mr. Matsuyama acting strangely, even his usually composed and steady younger sister is acting strangely.
Then Qin Yuan instructed: "When you go out later, have people spread the word that the people of Shuhai Pavilion were completely impressed by Mr. Songshan's words and were willing to admit defeat."
The guard smiled and said, "Yes!"
Qin Siyuan: "..."
Qin Yuan continued, "Send someone to Shuhai Pavilion to invite people to Ranxiang Residence to listen to Mr. Songshan's lecture. Tell them that after listening to the lecture, the owner of Shuhai Pavilion wants to become Mr. Songshan's student. Tell them to come to Ranxiang Residence to visit the garden. If they guess the riddles correctly, they will not only receive exquisite and generous prizes, but also have the opportunity to ask Mr. Songshan for advice in person."
Moreover, the poems left on the poetry wall in front of the garden party could be compiled into a book, printed and sold by the Marquis of Dingbei's residence, and might even catch the Emperor's eye.
Qin Siyuan: "..." Good grief!
Mr. Songshan and Gu Baozhu combined are no match for the younger sister's ruthlessness—oh, no, her cunning.
The guard thought for a moment and then said, "I don't know what that scholar Lin was thinking. The owner of Shuhai Pavilion didn't give him a good look either, yet he kept smiling obsequiously at him. It's really..."
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "Ignore him."
Lin Ziqi is adept at scheming; seeing no hope here, he plans to make a name for himself in the poetry collection of Shuhaige.
The guard replied, "I'll go take care of it right away."
After saying that, he hurriedly left.
The people of Shuhaige were all trapped near Ranxiangju and couldn't move, which was the perfect opportunity for him to scale walls and rush to Shuhaige to take them out.
Qin Siyuan stood there blankly for a while, then asked Qin Yuan, "Isn't our targeting of Shuhai Pavilion... a little... insufficient...?"
Qin Yuan didn't take it to heart.
Sooner or later, all students who bury themselves in studying the classics will experience this.
"You'll know what this is once you enter officialdom. No official in the same court is free from factional strife, and since there's factional strife, no one will be without using underhanded tactics. When scholars get bad, they can be far worse than others."
He paused, then continued, "We're all in business, so naturally we each rely on our own abilities. If we let them succeed today, who knows how they'll trample on us. With such womanly compassion, how will you maintain your position in the court in the future?"
Qin Siyuan sighed: "Then it would be better to be transferred to a civilian post as an official who is close to the people."
Qin Yuan laughed heartily, overjoyed: "I should have let you travel more before taking the imperial examination. It's a pity that opportunities don't wait for anyone. You're in the prime now, so you should prepare well for the spring examination."
You don't need to be so rigid.
Is Mr. Songshan highly learned? Does what he said make a lot of sense?
The owner of Shuhaige was only a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in his time, and his knowledge has been wasted over the years. Compared to Mr. Songshan's scholarship, it is like comparing a small hill to Mount Tai.
"I'm not saying this to be rude, but even if he came to Mr. Matsuyama's door begging, he might not be willing to guide his studies..."
Qin Siyuan thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps I'm overthinking it."
Qin Yuan said seriously, "Let me tell you the truth, once you become a local official, you will know how treacherous the world is."
Officials in this dynasty always brought many assistants with them when they took office, and even the gatekeepers were subject to strict rules.
Do you know why?
According to the rules of this dynasty, officials at the county, prefecture, and county levels are appointed and dismissed by the imperial court, and are not allowed to serve in their place of origin, nor are they allowed to go to the countryside for inspections without a reason.
The clerks and runners in the government are the real power base. They are local bullies who have been operating for generations. If you want to implement government orders, you need their support. There is no link in the chain where they don't skim money.
The local gentry were all formidable individuals.
As the saying goes, public opinion resides in schools, but in the southern prefectures and counties where many scholars were trained, the local officials had to cultivate good relations with these scholars to avoid being slandered by them through public opinion.
Qin Siyuan was puzzled: "Isn't it said that scholars are not allowed to discuss matters? This is a rule set by Emperor Taizu."
Qin Yuan scoffed and said, "You bury yourself in your studies and ignore everything outside the window. After passing the county-level exam, you take the provincial-level exam, and after that, you go to the Imperial Academy to study. Then you take the metropolitan-level exam. Your academic journey is smooth sailing. But you should know that most county-level scholars never pass the provincial-level exam and always have to plan their future."
In Fujian and other places, scholars were as numerous as hairs on a cow. Rumors circulated that these scholars controlled the government offices, referring to their corrupt practices. Even the officials couldn't do anything about them.
Qin Siyuan was astonished.
Qin Yuan waved her hand, her expression playful and expectant, and said, "Let's not talk about that. I wonder when the owner of Shuhai Pavilion will be able to return to Shuhai Pavilion. Thank you for coming to my door to create momentum for me."
Qin Siyuan: ...