"… That's all for today. I want to say something to everyone. Yesterday, I went to the east side of the city to watch a beheading and met an old man. This old man's name is Qian Xiwen. I know about him because earlier … the day before yesterday, Ru You told me about those things. That's why I wanted to go and take a look. I wasn't very familiar with Qian Xiwen before. Of course, I've met him a few times. He's a person who understands politics and human nature very well. A few years ago, if anything happened in the Hangzhou area, one word from him would have a decisive effect. Today, I want to tell everyone about this old man. "
The shade of the trees swayed. Amidst the leisurely chirping of insects, the voice of a young teacher rang out in the classroom of the academy. Of course, although it was said to be a lecture, at this time, it had already become a routine of storytelling. At this time, there were dozens of students in the classroom. Behind the window outside the classroom, there were actually five or six students gathered there. Some were lying on the windowsill, some were squatting on the ground and counting stones, but they were all listening to what was being said inside.
Ever since there had been a few conflicts in the academy because of Teacher Ning Liheng, the students had already split into several factions. Among them, there were those who wanted to get rid of this teacher, those who were close to him, and those who wanted to protect him. Naturally, most of them were the indifferent neutral faction. Regardless of their likes or dislikes, when the news of Teacher Ning's interesting lectures spread out, many people were willing to come to Class C to listen to the "Records of the Grand Historian" class.
If it was a traditional school in the past, students who wanted to run around freely would probably be beaten to death by the teachers. But in today's Wenlie Academy, there were naturally only a few teachers who truly dared to control the students. At this time, when it was time for Class C's "Records of the Grand Historian" class, there would be approximately forty or so students from the Peace Preserving Faction and the Neutral Faction gathered in the class. As for those squatting outside the window who seemed to harbor ill intentions, they were most likely the anti-Ning faction who wanted to pick a fight. They claimed that they were here to find out the truth of the matter by knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy. However, they were, after all, around eight to sixteen years old. When they found Ning Yi's stories interesting, they often listened with great interest. Only after listening would they show disdain.
However, the story he told today made the atmosphere inside and outside the classroom a little strange.
"The Qian family used to be a prominent family in Hangzhou. Their family had produced many high-ranking officials. There's a very interesting little story about Qian Xiwen … A few months ago, when I just arrived in Hangzhou, I went to the Qian Mansion to visit him with a letter from my elders. I met two young men who were chasing after me, and then I picked up a red coral pen case … Because of that, I got ten strings of coins, but it wasn't a flying ticket. It was a total of ten strings of coins, and I had a hard time carrying it. Later, when I asked, I found out that this coral pen case was Qian Xiwen's favorite utensil … "
It was about Qian Xiwen, starting with the coral brush case, and then gradually talking about the famine a few years ago, the Beginning of the Autumn Poetry Meeting, and so on. There was a slight commotion in the classroom. All the students in the classroom were children, but they could mostly understand the standpoint of the story. They protected Ning Yi because they thought Ning Yi had already joined the Revolutionary Army. At this time, when Qian Xiwen was mentioned, some of the children began to waver.
As the story continued, two teachers from the academy walked over from the corridor outside. They probably felt that the atmosphere inside was strange, so they stood there and listened for a while. Only then did a surprised look appear on their faces. "Is this person crazy?"
"I don't think so … He's fearless …"
The two of them listened for a while in surprise. Then another teacher came over and listened for a while. He also looked at his two companions in surprise. They were originally Confucian scholars from Hangzhou, so they naturally knew Qian Xiwen's name. But at this time, talking about such things in Fang La's territory, wasn't it courting death?
While they were surprised, a young man in a black short-sleeved shirt walked over from one side of the corridor. He seemed to be strolling around. Although they had never seen him before, there were guards outside the academy at this time. Those who could come in at this time could tell from his spirit that he was a martial artist, most likely a general in Fang La's army. Because as soon as he appeared, one of the children playing outside the classroom was obviously startled. He took a few steps back and then seemed to be discussing with his companions whether they should leave.
The three Confucian scholars looked at each other and left with their heads lowered. The young man looked at their backs and then glanced sideways at Ning Yi's classroom. He thought for a while and then sat down on the railing of the corridor ten feet away from the classroom. He pulled out a straw and put it in his mouth, as if he was taking a rest there. At this distance, he couldn't see what was going on in the classroom, but he could hear clearly the conversation between the two sides. Soon, the young man also understood what the other side was talking about.
"The so-called defense is to die at the right time for you to see. That's what the old man said. There are many smart people in this world. For example, I also feel that if he wanted to do more things, he actually didn't have to die here, and he didn't have to come back. This old man is also a smart person, but what he is afraid of is that when everyone is smart like this, when others talk about being loyal to righteousness, they can't give a suitable example. Everybody will say, although you teachers are always talking about moral integrity, about loyalty, filial piety and chastity, why is it that when the enemy attacked, everybody ran away, and he stayed? Everybody will say, there is a Qian Xiwen here, who did this kind of thing. What he did in his whole life in learning is not fake. "
"He and his family died yesterday," Wang Yao said. The teacher named Ning Yi paused. "I hope you can remember this story and remember that there was such a person. That's all for today. If you have any thoughts, you can say them now. "
Before he could finish speaking, a child raised his hand and stood up indignantly. "Mister Ning, are you saying that the Imperial Court is the good guy? Are you saying that we are the bad guys? "Someone else echoed. Ning Yi watched indifferently from the front. He waited until the noise in the classroom died down before he opened his mouth.
"Good guys, bad guys, it's not that simple. I can't tell you who is good and who is bad, I can only tell you how to behave. Today, your parents let you come to this school to learn the Four Books and Five Classics, to read books, to read history. Why? Didn't those people in the imperial court spend their entire lives reading these things? You stand in different places, but you learn the same things. I want to tell you that what you need to learn is in the work of this old man. I am your teacher, and I feel that if you really want to learn well, you shouldn't miss out on him. "
"About good and bad, right and wrong, it doesn't mean that one person stands in a good place, another person stands in a bad place. Corrupt officials levied taxes and collected exorbitant taxes. Hua Shi Gang made life difficult for the people. Get up and kill them. This is a good thing. You should study. What the books teach you, or at least what I want to teach you is the same thing. What that old man did is also a good thing. I'm telling you about him to let you remember that there is an old man who studies Confucianism, and he has his own Dao. He did such things and did such things to such an extent. In the future, you must have your own perseverance and not lose to him … Will you lose to him? "
Children and teenagers were hot-blooded after all. When Ning Yi asked this question, everyone immediately shouted, "Of course not!" This voice rose and fell, and even the children outside the window were infected. But naturally, there were still people who wanted to ask about simple right and wrong. Ning Yi paused for a moment and looked at the crowd.
"If you were children born in a peaceful era, I shouldn't be telling you these things. Tian Yuchang, Chen Qiu … Some of you are still too young. I shouldn't be teaching you too complicated right and wrong too early. You might not understand. But you are not children born in a peaceful era. Most of you should have experienced war. Your father is fighting a war. Just like Yu Sihe, you have already been to the battlefield, right? "
Among them, a teenager about 15 or 16 years old raised his head.
"Then you should know that the war is far from over. I hope you won't go to the battlefield again. But you are children of generals, so you must be prepared. There are many corrupt officials in the imperial court. There are many hopeless people who only care about power and don't care about the lives of the people. But there are also some people who are the same as this old man. I don't want you to become a corrupt official who only cares about plundering the people's wealth, even if it's only a small part of them. "
"Since you are studying here, call me Mister. I hope you will all become like that old man. In this life, you must have faith. When you pick up a knife, you must remember why you picked it up. Corrupt officials are tyrannical, so you kill officials and rebel. When the world is rotten, you set things right. You must remember that you picked up a knife to make the people around you better. "
"Those who grew up in a peaceful era, they go to school to learn how to be an official, or to learn how to read. In the future, they will have a skill in copying and writing. When you go to school, your parents say that it is for you to have a future, but I don't want you to only learn how to fight and scheme, become an official, and curry favor. If you learn faith, then it will be meaningful. Only then will you truly learn what is written in this collection of classics and history. "
After he said this, the classroom became silent. Naturally, some of the children vaguely understood, but they were too young. At most, they could only muddle-headedly memorize it. Many years later, they might remember that someone had said something like this, but now, they could only look at their companions around them, feeling slightly lost. One of the nine-year-old children raised his hand and said timidly, "Then … Mister, did we kill the wrong person when we killed that old man?"
"We didn't kill the wrong person." Ning Yi shook his head. "In the future, you must learn to respect and learn from your enemies, but don't try to sympathize with them, especially when they are like this. He will never surrender, so you can only kill him. On the battlefield, there is an enemy who is highly skilled in martial arts. Everyone thinks that he is powerful, and you also say that he is really powerful. When it is time to fight, if you also think that he is really good, but if you kill him, you will not have the heart to do so, then you will die. You must have your own persistence. The more powerful and tall the enemy is, the more you should use 120% of your strength to kill them. But … if you have time, you can go and bury the old man's body, and burn incense for him or something. "
After all, the children could not feel such a complicated concept of good and evil. Now, the young children basically thought that the old man was a good person, and it was a pity that he died. When they heard Ning Yi mention burying the old man, they nodded at this time.
On the railing of the corridor outside, the young man in black who was sitting spat out the grass in his mouth, frowned, and then walked away at a leisurely pace …
*****
There was no major event in the Academy. Ning Yi's lecture on Qian Xiwen shocked the whole Academy in the following days. On the one hand, people sighed at the tragic and stirring death of Qian Xiwen, on the other hand, it also caused various discussions about Ning Yi. Some people admired his courage, and some people thought that he was tired of living. But when they heard the second half of his speech, they were somewhat surprised and wondered which side he was on.
In such an atmosphere, except for some interaction with a group of students, Ning Yi became the most isolated person in the Academy. Some people admired him, but did not dare to have much contact with him. Some people were not happy with him, but just quietly watched what would happen to him. As for outside the Academy, his lecture on this day had more or less caused a certain impact.
The remains of the Qian Family were then buried in a relatively official way. The person in charge of this matter was a general named Yu Kaitai, who was Yu Sihe's father. He did not know the background of Ning Yi, but only thought that the teacher taught his son very well. There were also a few people who thought that the teacher should be punished after hearing his words. But after that, they did not do anything reckless, as if someone secretly stopped them.
Then, from the sixth of August, there was a series of good and auspicious days. The city of Hangzhou was in an uproar, including the Greenwood Assembly, which was composed of a large group of heroes from the Greenwood Forest. They were preparing to elect Fang La as the leader of the Tiannan Wulin and a deputy leader. Because of the official support, it was quite a big event. Then, there were parades, carnivals, and the "tribute from all over the world" sent by various rebellions and strongholds, and so on. In the end, it was Fang La's coronation ceremony.
In fact, all of this had been confirmed half a month ago. The formation of the imperial court was almost complete, and the news had long been publicized. It was only now that the establishment of the Yongle Dynasty was officially announced to the world.
*****
Well, I would like to recommend a movie, "Seidekbal". There is no need to watch the abridged version in the cinema. You should watch the two movies on the Internet, which are more than four hours long. They are "Flag of the Sun" and "Rainbow Bridge". It is difficult for me to say what I think of this movie, because there are too many of them. Maybe there are similar movies like "Braveheart", but I have no feelings for "Braveheart" except for Sophie Marceau's nude body — in fact, Sophie Marceau's nude body is not beautiful. But "Seddiqui Balai" is a true epic film, a true classic about resistance and pride, resistance and pride.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
