Chapter 1008
: The Imperial Academy's Strategy
Chapter 1008: The Imperial Academy's Strategy
Rongguo Mansion,
In the pear garden,
Wang Xifeng, with a beaming face and still a gorgeous face, left the hall, followed by Ping'er, whose face was rosy. When she arrived in the yard and didn't see Lai Wang, she raised her eyebrows and called out,
"Laiwang, where have you been, you little dog slave?"
Hearing grandma's call, Lai Wang, who had just arrived at the gate, ran quickly into the yard and yawned.
"Please forgive me, Grandma. I was delayed in the front yard with the account book. I am late."
He knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and explained for a long time before he stopped.
"Okay, get up, and remember the account books of the front yard for the past few days."
Without even glancing at them, Wang Xifeng asked directly about the account books in the front yard. She had been fooling around with Jia Lian in the room these days. For three days in a row, Lai Wang had been temporarily in charge of the affairs of the outer yard. The daily account books could not be delayed at all.
"To answer grandma, the expenses for the front yard were all done according to grandma's rules. I have been keeping an eye on it. The gentlemen in the account office must not fool around. In addition, the fortress outside the city has been built, and only the houses inside the fortress are left to be built. The account books for the expenses have also been sent, and I dare not touch them."
After Lai Wang finished speaking, he took out the account book from his bosom and handed it to his grandmother. Wang Xifeng was a little surprised. The construction was so fast, could it be that they cut corners?
He reached out and took the account book, looked through it roughly, and finally turned directly to the last page, which wrote the general ledger. How could so little of the 78,000 taels of silver be spent?
"Last time, didn't the East Palace Manager Yu say that it would take 100,000 taels of silver to build the fort? How come the changes are so big and the amount is much less?"
Although Wang Xifeng asked about the affairs of the manor, she didn't know how it was built. Before she could even move her hand, Jia Lian came back. Three days of nonsense had passed. She had never expected that the manor's fortress would be built so quickly. He really had a good eye.
"To answer your question, I don't know, but I heard from many of the guys who came back that although the fortress has been built at the manor, the houses of the farmers who moved to Rongguo Mansion have not been built yet, so these expenses have not been counted."
Perhaps it was a reminder, Wang Xifeng's eyes lit up instantly, but she had just been looking at it anxiously and missed these.
"Well, that's true. Let's leave the account books behind first. The house hasn't been built yet, so it's not considered complete. At least we should give the farmers a place to lie down."
"Grandma is so kind and righteous. It is their good fortune that those farmers can be remembered by you. I will pass on the message right away."
Lai Wang quickly flattered him and then left.
As soon as the people left, the courtyard seemed much quieter. Ping'er saw that there was no one around, so she followed closely and said,
"Grandma, I haven't been to Rongqing Hall to pay my respects these days,"
"Yeah, that's true. I'll go right away."
"Yes, grandma,"
Wang Xifeng's expression moved and she walked towards Rongqing Hall.
But these few days,
Rongqing Hall was still as lively as before, except that Jia Baoyu had come less often since he went to study at the Imperial College, and Grandmother Jia's smile had also shrunk a lot.
Fortunately, every evening, after classes at the Imperial College were over, Jia Baoyu would go to Rongqing Hall on time to eat, and Sanchun would usually accompany him there, as it had almost become a routine.
But speaking of the west wing of the Imperial College,
It was the teaching house planned by the chief academic officer Kong Jingyuan for the supplementary students. There were eighty people in total. They studied here, and the academic official Guo Wen personally taught them.
"Today's homework is to solve the eight-part essay. Remember everything."
Academician Guo Wen looked at the many students admitted to the West Dormitory with a stern face. Most of them were illegitimate children of noble families, and there were very few children from poor families. It was understandable that if there were no recommendation quotas, the tuition fee of 4,000 taels for admission would be too much for ordinary people to afford.
"Yes, Master,"
Many students picked up paper and pens, including Jia Baoyu and Jia Lan, the dormitory supervisor who sat at the back. They also took out paper and pens and looked at the academician with firm eyes.
"Okay, in that case, today's eight-part essay topic is, Wukong Questions and Answers! You need to write down the introduction, the continuation, and the beginning of the lecture in detail, and then study it carefully and write out the eight-part essay. This is your homework for the next few days. Have you memorized it?"
Guo Wen looked at the sky outside with a stern face. It was getting late. Teaching these supplementary students was really exhausting.
"Yes, Master, I'll remember it,"
"Okay, now that you have memorized it, get ready to go home. Tomorrow's morning reading will be changed to the Analects of Confucius. Some people can't even remember the words of the saints. There will be a random inspection in the afternoon."
Academician Guo Wen waved his sleeves and scolded, then collected the books and walked out of the West Dormitory. The remaining students all shrank their heads, especially Jia Baoyu, who looked troubled. The eight-part essay seemed simple, but for some reason, he himself had no idea where to start. The so-called opening and closing of the topic seemed simple, but the opening alone stumped countless people.
It seemed like the same thing. The other students also had sad faces. They looked at the questions in their hands. Wukong asked and answered. Could this be a Buddhist or Taoist idiom? But the Master was a saint and a great scholar, so how could there be such a question and answer?
Jia Lan, who was sitting at the back, also frowned. Wukong asked and answered. Wukong seemed to be a Buddhist name, but it would not stay here. It should be Wu and Kong. Question and answer, naturally, is a question and an answer. So if you have doubts, ask them, so that you can solve them. Thinking of this, his eyes lit up. He had the solution.
Then he looked up at the others, all of whom were sitting there with sad faces, thinking about how to solve the problem. No one was moving. Jia Lan raised the corner of his mouth, but sat there, took out the Analects of Confucius, and read it carefully. Perhaps, the topic was in it. The academician would not mention the Analects of Confucius for no reason.
After a long while, seeing that it was getting darker and darker in the west house, the first one who couldn't stand it was Song Xingjun, the illegitimate son of the Marquis Chengyi. He looked around and happened to see his good friend Yue Muning of the Marquis Changyong sitting to the side behind him.
"Ahem, Brother Yue, Brother Yue,"
A gentle call attracted many people around to look over. Song Xingjun was a little embarrassed, but when he looked outside, it was getting dark. Servants had already come in and lit candles and lanterns around the cell. It seemed that he should go back.
"Well, Brother Song, what's the matter?"
Yue Mu Ning looked up blankly, the pen in his hand still in his hand, not knowing what he was writing.
"It's getting late, it's time to go back for dinner, are you going?"
Seeing Yue Mu Ning standing there like a fool, unmoved, Song Xingjun could no longer wait, packed up his cloth bag, put it on his back, and glared at Brother Yue. The latter then reacted and looked out the window. It was indeed already dark, but no one in the dormitory had left first. Looking at the test questions on the table, he had no idea at all. How could he feel like going back to eat? He waved his hand and replied;
"Brother Song, if you are hungry first, go back first. I still need to think about it. The academician will probably ask some questions tomorrow."
Seeing Yue Mu Ning was unmoved, it was Song Xingjun's turn to be dumbfounded. If everyone else stayed, and he was the only one to leave, what if the academician was hiding outside? Wouldn't he be the one who stood out? He stretched his head and looked outside. None of the students from the East and North dormitories came out. This would be difficult to do.
At this time, he suddenly noticed something strange behind him. He turned around and saw that it seemed to be Jia Baoyu from Rongguo Mansion. He was not a stranger. He thought there was a chance and asked;
"Brother Jia, Brother Jia, how about we two go first?"
Jia Baoyu, who was already feeling very uncomfortable, looked up at the person who turned around and spoke in front of him. He seemed to have some impression of him.
"This, isn't it a bad idea? Look around, no one is standing up."
Jia Baoyu, who had been wanting to leave for a long time, looked around. He didn't know whether they were really studying or pretending. Anyway, no one was moving. If he stood up, would it be bad?
"Well, Brother Jia, it's because everyone has the same idea as you that we don't dare to stand up. If you and I go out first and take the lead, perhaps many people will follow us out. At that time, it won't seem that you and I are walking faster. Otherwise, you and I should stand up and deliberately pack the cloth bags to show them."
Song Xingjun was not a fool. If it was really just the two of them going out, it would be a bit awkward. It would be better to get everyone to follow so that they could have an explanation. Although Jia Baoyu was tempted, he couldn't save his face. While he was hesitating,
Song Xingjun stood up first, and deliberately took out the cloth bag and threw it on the table, making a banging sound.
"Brother Jia, pack up and let's go back."
The voice was quite loud, which sounded extremely harsh in the quiet West House. This movement attracted most of the students in the house. Jia Baoyu blushed immediately. He wanted to say something but didn't know how. Thinking about his hunger, he had to get up and pack up. This movement attracted several people, including Yue Mu Ning from the Changyong Earl's Mansion. After packing up, several people left the West House Academy one after another and headed towards the gate of the Imperial College. They walked in a hurry and did not find anything wrong in the courtyard. They just waited to leave the inner gate of the Imperial College, got on their own carriages, and left.
Little did they know that all of this was seen clearly by the Academician Guo Wen, who was standing under the eaves of the east side of the West Building. He sighed quietly, and asked the Dean Jiang Wen who was accompanying him in confusion:
"Why do you sigh, sir?"
"If you forget your principles when you see profit, and sacrifice yourself for profit, how can you achieve great things?"
Guo Wen shook his head. He had already clearly determined the schedule of the Imperial College and did not stop the students from leaving. Unexpectedly, many people deliberately stayed and pretended to study. However, he looked around at the back window and found that only a few people were really studying. The others were just filling in the numbers. How could they learn? Especially the ones in front, although they left quickly, it was a pity.
Jiang Wen smiled, it turned out to be because of this matter, and advised;
"It is human nature to avoid harm and pursue profit. Who dares to say that I can really be the first one to go? The bastard from the Marquis of Chengyi's mansion is brave and resourceful. It is a pity that the legitimate son of the Rongguo Mansion either agreed directly or refused immediately. It is a pity that if it were not for the bastard's words of provocation, he would not dare to act. And even if he was provoked, he should not have agreed so quickly. He is cowardly and unwise."
Although Jiang Wen didn't say much, he had a bad impression of the eldest son of Rongguo Mansion. He was fooled by a few words. It was not only unwise,
"Oh, you actually have such an opinion. You know that Rongguo Mansion is no longer what it used to be. It has already shown signs of revival."
Guo Wen smiled, waved his hand, and carried him behind his back. The two of them followed the path to the school and prepared to go to the south house. In the dimness of the night, they felt quite contented. Jiang Wen nodded and responded;
"Your Excellency is right. The grace of the Emperor in the Rongguo Mansion is very rare. Unfortunately, the direct descendants of the family have not done much. If they abide by the rules and accumulate wealth, it would be fine. Unfortunately, the current situation in the court is treacherous. Even if the Jia family wants to ignore it, it is impossible. If no one takes the lead, the consequences are unpredictable."
Jiang Wen followed behind him, his eyes flickering. They say that the nobles are one family, but that is just talk. When it comes to a critical moment, it is nothing more than cleaning up the snow in front of each door, not caring about the frost on other people's roofs. The opportunity for civil servants may be right in front of them. Guo Wen heard these words, his eyes flickered. Although that is what he said, there is a saying that a lean camel is bigger than a horse, especially these seemingly ordinary nobles, who knows who is behind them.
Furthermore, you, a minister, are aware of all these things. Who is behind this? I am worried that the civil servants may be ready to make a move.
"I didn't hear what you said. The Imperial College has always been a place for teaching and educating people. There are some things that you can never interfere with. As the academician of the Imperial College, I am only responsible for the affairs here. The rest is their own fate. Go back."
"Yes, my lord,"
Jiang Wen stopped, bowed, and watched the academician leave, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. How long will he stay in the Imperial College?
In the west house,
Seeing that someone was taking the lead, many students simply stopped pretending, packed up their cloth bags, and left together. In the blink of an eye, most people had left. Finally, Jia Lan packed up his homework, returned to the back room of the West House, put down his things, and then hurriedly left the Imperial College and returned to Rongguo Mansion.
Every day,
He didn't have to go to Rongqing Hall to pay respects to the old lady, he just had to go back to the West Garden to have a meal. But his mother mentioned that she would be living in the East Palace after a while, and he didn't know what it would be like there.
After thinking for a while,
He walked out of the prison gate and saw a carriage parked outside the yard. He stepped onto it and the coachman whipped the horse and the carriage started to move slowly.
In the car, the servant Qing'er was already there, helping to carry things.
"Master, take everything. Grandma prepared a small banquet for you today."
Qing'er was overjoyed and worked carefully in the East Palace. Unexpectedly, he was favored by the grandmother and arranged to serve beside Lang'er. It was such a blessing.
"Well, my mother is doing fine."
Jia Lan hesitated for a moment, then asked, not knowing if it was an illusion, but the people in Rongguo Mansion looked at him with fear, could it be the official position that his mother was referring to?
"To reply to your question, everything is fine with grandma. However, there is one thing. Grandma said that she will move to the backyard of the East Palace in three days. She asked me where you want to study, whether you want to stay in Rongguo Mansion or go to the backyard of the East Palace. There is also a middle courtyard in the East Palace, which you can choose from."
Qing'er sat down carefully and kept talking. He didn't know how the grandmother arranged it. Jia Lan was a little surprised when he heard it. How could it be so fast? If he could live alone, it would be fine.
"Well, then let's go to the Central Courtyard of the East Palace. After all, the family tree has been drawn and the family has been divided. It's not good to live in the West Palace. There is no reason not to go home. Now that I am an official, if there are some things and colleagues come to visit, it is easier to receive them in my own courtyard, right?"
"Yes, sir, I understand and will make arrangements for you. Although there are not many servants in the East Palace, it is quiet. The courtyard in the middle courtyard is close to the courtyard built in the West Palace, so it may be a bit noisy."
Qing'er was careful. Since the young master had chosen the land, he would tell his grandmother.
"It doesn't matter. I will go to the Imperial College during the day. I may not go at night. If I have to be on night duty, I will sleep in the Imperial College."
Jia Lan didn't feel it was noisy, nor did he know what he felt. When he heard that he could leave Rongguo Mansion, he felt relieved. Perhaps these were the mysteries that his mentor had mentioned. He didn't know how Master Zhao was doing. This examination would not be easy.
Thinking of Mr. Zhao from Rongguo Mansion, who was also his mentor, he was nowhere to be found now, and the Marquis had not returned to Beijing. Suddenly, Jia Lan shook his head, how could he think of these things? Some things can only be understood but not expressed in words.
"Report, Lord, General Hu's scouts are reporting."
North of Weizhou in the south of Beijing, in the camp of the army heading south,
This time, Zhang Jinyu led the King of Jin and others to build a bonfire in the open space in front of the big tent. Then, he asked the soldiers to kill a yellow sheep, put it on top of the bonfire, and roll it.
Just after he had finished setting up the yellow sheep grill, he heard the guard come to report. Zhang Jinyu raised his head, touched the blood on his hands, and waved.
"Let him come over,"
"Yes, Lord Marquis,"
The guards withdrew, and soon, the scouts came running over and knelt on the ground.
"My Lord, General Hu sent me to report that Linzhou City has also been on fire. The White Lotus Sect has 50,000 elite soldiers who have already headed south. The direction they are heading seems to be to Lingnan. Their exact destination is unknown. General Hu, please ask if we should send scouts to follow them?"
Zhang Jinyu was confused after hearing the scout's report. The White Lotus Sect also retreated southward, and they were 50,000 elite soldiers at once. He didn't know where south of Linzhou was.
"Since we are leaving, then let's go. If Linzhou City is burned, there is no need to keep anyone here. Let General Hu investigate and confirm the situation of Linyuefu City. If it is also burned, turn back immediately."
"Yes, Lord Marquis,"
The messenger hurried back.
Only the yellow sheep on the bonfire was left, making crackling sounds. He casually picked up a wooden stick wrapped in brocade, dipped it in some oil and brushed it with a layer of oil. Instantly, the flames licked it, emitting an enticing aroma. He turned around and sat on the stool, looking at King Jin's slightly questioning face, feeling a little amused.
"Your Highness, what is the land south of Linzhou City?"
"Well, it should be Chizhou City in Qiongshan County, but it is very far away from Linzhou City, and there are mountains and hills blocking the way, so it is extremely difficult to travel. If you don't have a guide to lead you, you will die if you accidentally enter a place filled with miasma."
The King of Jin was puzzled. The enemy army actually had 50,000 elite soldiers hidden in Linzhou. Why didn't they stay there or go north? Why did they go into the miasma-ridden area of Lingnan?
Not to mention that Prince Jin was confused, Zhang Jinyu was also stunned when he heard it. It was such a cruel, miasma-filled forest. Let alone an army of 500,000, even if 500,000 were not well managed, they might not be able to get out?
(End of this chapter)