The eighth month of the lunar calendar was the autumn harvest season. Outside Hangzhou, the rice fields that had not been affected by the flames of war had turned golden. Farmers, soldiers, and refugees busied themselves in the day. Even at night, the bustling scene outside the city did not calm down. Groups of soldiers camped in the fields, watching over and patrolling the fields.
The rice fields that were about to be harvested had already been divided up by the many troops who attacked the city. The grains and rice had mostly become the common property of the Revolutionary Army, but in reality, they were still distributed according to their own strength. As long as Fang La's strength was the largest, the rest of the people would naturally be divided according to their own strength. As for the fields that still belonged to some of the local good people in Hangzhou, they already had other owners by this time.
If it was just for harvesting, the more people there were, the better. But since it was for everyone to divide the profits, the more participants, the better. It was inevitable that these people would have conflicts during the day. At night, it was also common for other troops or civilians to steal the harvest during the night. Before this time, torches would spread in the fields and on the ridges of the fields, and shouts of killing would shake the heavens. The colorful scene decorated the outer circle of Hangzhou, and people would not sleep at all.
There was order and distribution of profits outside the city, and everyone in the city had their own things to do. The Saint Duke rank was imminent, and the streets and alleys in the city were already bustling. The bloodiest and most chaotic situation had ended, and the outline of a new order was gradually forming. As long as they had connections, they were also busy for their own interests.
Some shops opened their doors, and the Jianghu people who used to roam the streets or rob people held a hero meeting. In the restaurants and tea houses, people of different statuses and temperaments could often be seen gathering together, discussing and bragging about themselves. Some people with connections and abilities were able to obtain official positions under the command of the generals. Scholars who knew a little about writing, but had never been recognized before, began to tentatively send in their name cards, asking for protection or some small and large errands.
There were always a lot of people. There were many people who did not think highly of Fang La's future, but there were also people who had the ambition to be conferred a marquis and were willing to take the risk. This was how society worked. As long as there was communication and a certain trend, a framework would always be built naturally. Fang La's small society was pieced together to form its framework and embryonic form. At this moment, both the inside and outside of the city seemed to be in full swing.
In these few days, Wenlie Academy was still relatively peaceful. It was in the morning, and the sunlight of the end of autumn shone through the gaps between the trees, mixed with the lazy chirping of cicadas. It was the time for lessons in the Academy. Ning Yi closed the "Records of the Grand Historian" in his hands, packed it up, and prepared to leave.
At this time, the Academy was still in a situation where there were fewer students and more teachers. Although it was divided into four classes, there were less than a hundred students and thirty or forty teachers. Even if a portion of them belonged to the privileged class and didn't need to come over, the number of teachers was still seriously excessive. Every morning, Ning Yi would teach Class C the Records of the Grand Historian for an hour. After that, he would go to the Mountain Elder to collect a portion of rice and go back to accompany Xiaochan.
The current Mountain Elder of Wenlie Academy was surnamed Feng, and his name was Feng Yongli. His name was rather tacky, but he was a good person. It was said that he had also studied when he was young, but his family was poor, so he did not participate in the imperial examinations. His knowledge was naturally not deep, but he had been in the army when Fang La first started the war, so he was quite qualified.
There were also several powerful civil officials in Fang La's army, including Zu Shiyuan and Lou Minzhong. At that time, Feng Yongli had been working under Lou Minzhong to copy some notices and letters. When Hangzhou was conquered, he became the Mountain Elder of the Academy. At this time, the Feng family was also plundering and pursuing profits outside, but at least in the Academy, he did give preferential treatment to the scholars. Due to his maintenance, the Academy had been relatively harmonious recently.
At this time, there were seven people gathered in the teaching lounge, and most of them were teachers who had just finished their classes. Some were drinking tea and studying classics, while others were whispering at the side. They were all people who had come to the Academy for protection after the fall of Hangzhou, so they had a similar mentality. At this time, some of them were talking about the war in Jiaxing.
"I heard that the war in the north is in a stalemate. The imperial court has sent General Tong Guan to the south. The Fang Seven Buddhas have surrounded Jiaxing, but they have not been able to conquer it for a long time. It's hard to say who will win …"
"I heard that Tong Shumi is a divine commander of troops. I thought he would lead the army to the north to attack Liao, but this time … cough, this time, the Sheng Duke has attracted him with great momentum. I'm afraid this war will not be easy to fight."
"It's hard to say. Nowadays, there are constant uprisings in the north and the south. Song Jiang of Liangshan, Wang Qing of Huaixi, and Tian Hu of Hebei are all difficult to deal with, especially … this time, the Sheng Duke has come to Hangzhou. In the past month, there have been many uprisings nearby. Although Tong Guan has come to the south, here … the momentum is also strong."
"But I think … this time, the Sheng Duke is a little too hasty. If he attracts General Tong Guan …"
"Brother Tian, you're wrong. We attracted Tong Guan because of Hangzhou. As long as he enters Hangzhou, the imperial court will keep an eye on this place, whether or not he becomes the Emperor. It's also because of this that the Sheng Duke has to become the Emperor. He … we, the Sheng Duke, can only establish our name. Only then can we attract more people to join us. Only then will we have a better chance of winning against Tong Guan."
The few of them spoke in low voices, but they were not too shy. It was because the atmosphere had been relatively relaxed these days. Although Ning Yi did not have much contact with these people these days, everyone knew that he had only come here after the fall of the enemy. What they were talking about now, on one hand, was related to their own interests. On the other hand, scholars inevitably had the habit of giving advice. At this time, hiding in a corner and discussing in private, they more or less felt that they were people who could see the direction in this chaotic world. When Ning Yi put away his things and prepared to leave, one of them spoke to him.
"Liheng is leaving?"
"Yes, Mr. Liu."
"Don't stand on ceremony. Since we're all here, we're colleagues. If Liheng has time, he might as well stay and chat with us. The world is difficult. Anyway, there's tea here. "
"There are people waiting at home. It's not good to stay. If I have time in the future, I'll ask for your advice. Excuse me. "
"It's okay …"
The middle-aged man who wanted to keep Ning Yi was called Liu Xiyang. He used to be a great Confucian scholar in Hangzhou. Now in the Academy, he and another great Confucian scholar named Wang Zhizhen were the most famous in terms of knowledge. However, Wang Zhizhen was relatively rigid, while Liu Xiyang was more flexible. Originally, the local Confucian scholars in Hangzhou were not well received. If the Confucian scholars who came with Fang La's army saw them, they would not dare to say anything even if they mocked them. Only Liu Xiyang was quite fierce.
Among his students, one was the son of Liu Zan, one of Fang La's eight cavalrymen. Although the student did not like his teacher, Liu Zan hoped that his son could become a scholar. A few days ago, Liu Zan came over once. Liu Xiyang casually mentioned that the child was quite talented in understanding the Four Books. Liu Zan inquired about Liu Xiyang's reputation and found out that he was a great Confucian scholar with real standards. Liu Xiyang was also from the same family, so he quickly let the child call him uncle. Today in the lounge, it was also he who first talked about the situation in the north. Otherwise, the others would not have dared to talk.
After saying this, Ning Yi was about to leave. It was also at this time that a Confucian scholar in his thirties, dressed neatly and luxuriously, came in from the door and glanced around with a gloomy face. The voices in the lounge stopped when the man came in. His eyes lingered on Ning Yi for a moment, and then he asked, "Who is Ning Liheng?"
Ning Yi glanced at him, cupped his hands and said, "I am."
"I am Qu Weiqing." The man cupped his hands and raised his chin. Actually, Ning Yi knew this man's name before. He was one of the literati who followed Fang La's army into the city. He was originally an advisor under Wen Kerang. After entering the city, he was registered in the Academy and did not need to teach. He came here every few days. Due to his lack of literary talent, he looked down on the Hangzhou literati who relied on him for protection. Sometimes he would talk to someone and make sarcastic remarks. A few days ago, Liu Xiyang took Liu Zan's son as his nephew. When Qu Weiqing came, the two had a conflict. Because of this, Liu Xiyang became the leader of the Hangzhou Sect in the Academy.
Everyone thought that he was here to cause trouble for Liu Xiyang. Unexpectedly, he was here for Ning Yi. For a moment, they did not understand the situation. Qu Weiqing said, "You teach the Records of the Grand Historian? Why don't you learn it by heart? Instead, you talk nonsense in slang in every class? The opening chapter of the Records of the Five Emperors is so solemn and vast. You talk like a storyteller without any respect. Do you have a clear conscience? "
Ning Yi blinked his eyes and frowned slightly.
"The words of the sages are so profound. After reading it a thousand times, the meaning will appear. As a teacher, I should guide my students to study and understand instead of paraphrasing them with superficial words. You are so young. I'm afraid you haven't even finished reading the Four Books and Five Classics. Using the playfulness of a child, you made the classroom look like a storyteller in a teahouse. Others may have tolerated you, but I was entrusted by General Wen. I will not turn a blind eye. Let me ask you: The ploughman gets ninety-one percent, the official earns a high salary. Pass the city and ridicule but do not levy taxes. Ze Liang is not forbidden. Sinners are not punished. Where did this sentence come from? What does it mean? "
Ning Yi rubbed his forehead. "I don't know."
Hearing Ning Yi's straightforward answer, Qu Weiqing was slightly stunned. He had thought that Ning Yi would at least be able to answer this question. But whether he could answer it or not, he was prepared to say something. After a slight hesitation, he asked a few more questions. Then he talked about how to teach and how to be a teacher. After talking for a while, he said, "Now that our Yong Le Dynasty is flourishing, we are in need of talents. You are still young and if you are willing to learn, you might be able to make a name for yourself. I am not a Mountain Elder, so I don't want to punish you. But if you dare to teach like this again, I will not tolerate you. I will definitely expel you from the Academy. Take care. "
He spoke for a long time, but Ning Yi's expression was calm. He did not refute him. When he finished, he modestly cupped his hands to bid farewell and walked away. Qu Weiqing was stunned for a long time. He looked at the others in the room and then turned to leave. After he left, the few people here began to whisper again. This time, it was naturally targeted at Ning Yi.
In the past, Qu Weiqing would not go so far when he caught people and ridiculed them. But when these scholars heard it, although they did not refute him, they still showed their disapproval on their faces. Even if they had to hold it in, they had to fight for it. But today, Ning Yi did not know anything and said it so directly. Everyone felt that this kind of scholar was really losing face. In fact, some people had also felt Ning Yi's teaching method in the past few days.
"I heard that those children like to tell stories in the classroom …"
"He deliberately fawns over these students. Where is the dignity of a teacher …"
"He doesn't even know the language of Meng Zizhong …"
"Brother Liu invited him to chat. Even if he came, I am afraid that he would not be able to say anything insightful …"
"Alas, we are all from Hangzhou. In this kind of environment, we should unite."
As Liu Xiyang spoke, it didn't take long for the other teachers to finish their classes. More people knew about what had just happened, and when they talked about Ning Yi, they were filled with disdain. In fact, no one knew much about this young man. In the past few days, Ning Yi was like air in the Academy. No one paid attention to him. Moreover, he did not have a good mouth, so his knowledge was naturally not good. At this time, it was confirmed. At this time, someone said doubtfully, "From what you have said, it is clear that Ning Liheng is playing with him. Why do you think that he does not know the Four Books …"
This person was the only person who had greeted Ning Yi a few days ago. His name was Yan Deming, and he was quite knowledgeable in Hangzhou. When he said so, Liu Xiyang asked, "Deming, why do you say so?"
Yan Deming said, "Before the earthquake in Hangzhou, Ning Liheng had written a poem at the Liqiu Poetry Competition. It shocked everyone. But later, many things happened, so this matter did not spread. The opening line of the poem is, 'The Southeast is prosperous, the capital of the Three Wu Kingdoms, Qiantang has been prosperous since ancient times …' "Yan Deming picked up a pen and paper and wrote out the poem," Gazing at the Tides ", sentence by sentence. When Liu Xiyang and the others saw it, they were stunned. Yan Deming said," To be able to write such a poem, how could it be like what you said? This Ning Yi was originally the number one scholar of Jiangning, how could he not know the Four Books and Five Classics? I'm afraid he didn't want to cause trouble, and he was extremely disdainful of Qu Weiqing, so he deliberately did it. "
After he said so, everyone was skeptical. Then they suddenly understood. Of course, at this time, they had some new understanding of Ning Yi, but they did not feel that it was too exaggerated. Hangzhou had fallen. After all, knowledge was not so amazing here. Regardless of whether it was the number one scholar in Jiangning or Hangzhou, they were trapped here like ordinary people and had to rely on the Academy for protection. Thinking of Ning Yi's low-key behavior these days, they guessed that he must have encountered a lot of depressing things, just like everyone else. For a moment, this was what everyone in the Academy knew about him.
Two or three days later, a series of events occurred, allowing everyone to understand that Ning Yi's current situation was far different from what they had imagined …
*****
Speaking of which, the reason why Qu Weiqing suddenly found trouble with Ning Yi was not because of some high-sounding reason.
As a scholar who had followed Fang La's revolutionary army into the city, some of them, like him, did not take the errands in the Academy seriously. Some preferred to get close to the families of the generals. For example, Guo Peiying, whom he knew, used to be an advisor. After being appointed in the Academy, she devoted herself to teaching. Guo Peiying attached more importance to long-term interests. Once the Yongle Dynasty gained a firm foothold, these children would probably become members of the royal family in the future. It was indeed a good job to be their teacher.
Qu Weiqing also knew that. However, compared to becoming a teacher of the royal family, he preferred to become a member of the royal family directly. At present, the power of the imperial court had not been finalized. He had a bright future working for Wen Kerang, so he might have a direct career in the future.
Of course, it was not necessary to put all his eggs in one basket. Therefore, he would occasionally come to the Academy to satirize those great scholars as a hobby. As for those great scholars, he did not feel much. Being knowledgeable didn't mean that he could tame these children who came from the countryside and had even seen blood. The old way of disciplining students didn't work here. Because some of these students were already 14 or 15 years old. They were tall and strong and had even killed people with their own hands. They had not grown into real playboys. If their families asked them to study and said that they would have a promising future, they dared not refuse. However, they had no respect for their teachers.
The more knowledgeable the great scholars were, the more they couldn't adapt to this. The Emperor of Heaven, Earth, and Master had told them for a long time, and they believed that they would never flatter their students. Comparatively speaking, people like Guo Peiying, even if she was not knowledgeable, at least would not put on airs when teaching students, and it was easier for her to win the favor of students. The reason why Guo Peiying suddenly came to Ning Yi today was that she suddenly heard some words among the students and told them to Qu Weiqing.
Those words were basically about the new "Mr. Ning". In just a few days, some people said that his lectures were interesting, fascinating, and much more interesting than all the teachers in the Academy. The two of them called in the students and asked them carefully. Only then did they know that the young Mr. Ning had no moral integrity at all. It sounded like he had won the favor of the students with the attitude of a storyteller.
Of course, if he were to listen in person, perhaps he would know that Ning Yi's teaching was not as simple as he thought. After being a teacher in Jiangning for so long, when he lectured, although his ideas were bold and imaginative, he still had to focus on the topic. Of course, at this time, for Qu Weiqing and the others, there was no need to pay too much attention to a young man. Since they had an impression of him, they would just take it as it was.
Everyone had no enmity with each other, but when such a person suddenly appeared, and as teachers, they were so far behind in terms of "likability", they felt as if someone had reached out to take eggs from their basket. Guo Peiying was more particular, so Qu Weiqing directly scolded her. The next day, out of curiosity, he asked the mountain elder about it. The result was quite interesting. Ning Liheng's identity was actually a prisoner.
The Mountain Elder did not know much about this, and there were some things that Feng Yongli could not find out from the higher-ups. However, he knew that Ning Yi lived behind the Academy, and there was even a servant girl following him. Both of them were prisoners, and he did not know how they would be dealt with. But since this was the case, Qu Weiqing felt more relaxed. That morning, he dragged Guo Peiying to listen to Ning Yi's lecture. He felt that since Ning Yi was a prisoner, his attitude yesterday was too impolite to him. If he did not change today, he would teach him a lesson.
The two of them went to the side of the classroom and listened for a while. In the living room, Ning Liheng was indeed still telling a story. The story was coming to an end, and when there was a slight pause, Qu Weiqing wanted to rush in. At this moment, a student in the living room stood up and asked a question in a low, muffled voice.
"Hey, Mister Ning, I went back to ask my father yesterday. He said that you helped the soldiers defeat thousands of us in Huzhou. Is there such a thing? "
Qu Weiqing and Guo Peiying were both stunned, and the classroom was also slightly quiet. Then, someone shouted, "You are a bad person!?"
Then, another child said, "I also asked, and said Mister Ning's name. Uncle said that Mister Ning led a group of remnant soldiers in Huzhou and defeated the five troops led by An Xifu. Just by relying on Mister Ning, he defeated the three troops of General Lu Qiao, General Yao Yi, and General Xue Dounan. General Yao and General Xue were both killed by Mister Ning. General Yao always went against Uncle, and Uncle said that it was good that he died. Uncle also said that Mister Ning knows martial arts and is very powerful. People in Jianghu call you the Bloody Butcher. Mister, do you dare to fight with Qi Dazhuang … He always says that he is the best in the world and bullies us … "
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