Chapter 40: Wei Jiao's Reading

The area outside the Academy grew lively once again.

The elders of the departing families arrived at the gates at the appointed time to collect their kin.

Leaning against a carriage and chewing on a piece of dry grass, Mo Zheng watched as a young girl was the first to run out, covering her face in tears. The girl then delivered a sharp slap to a maidservant who had been slow to welcome her, before climbing into the carriage in a fit of sobbing. The carriage then sped off toward the capital in a frantic rush.

Witnessing this scene, the servants of the other families grew more alert, and the expressions of the elders became tense.

"She must have failed the selection."

"That is the daughter of Duke Ding'an."

"The Duke's daughter actually failed?"

"Miss Yang's scholarship was mediocre and her temperament was arrogant; it's no surprise she didn't make the cut."

"Sigh, you don't understand. The status of Duke Ding'an's house is different..."

"How is it different? They are already nobility by merit of being adopted."

"Ahem, stop talking. My child is coming out. Sigh, though she isn't crying, her complexion makes it clear she failed."

As the young ladies continued to emerge, some wore grim expressions, some looked numb, and others were beaming with smiles. Amidst the clamor, they boarded their respective carriages and departed.

The number of carriages left in front of the Academy dwindled, but the faces of those waiting were filled with joy, indicating that they had passed the selection.

As another female figure appeared, the onlookers couldn't help but lean forward, eager to see who it was.

Mo Zheng spat out the dry grass in her mouth and gave a light flick of the whip, sending the horse trotting forward to graze on fodder.

"Make way, make way! My lady is coming out!"

The surrounding people and carriages parted, watching as a rented carriage, bearing no family crest, drove past.

The young lady walking out simultaneously quickened her pace.

"A-Sheng!"

Yang Luo practically leaped in front of Mo Zheng, her face beaming with joy.

Without waiting for her to speak further, Mo Zheng bowed deeply. "Congratulations, Miss, on your name appearing on the Golden List."

This was indeed the first time in both her past and present lives that she had made the list and been seen by others. Although she was using someone else's name, she had finally stepped into the light.

Yang Luo broke into a smile.

Countless gazes fell upon them from all directions, and someone stepped forward to ask, "May I ask the lady's honorable name?"

Yang Luo responded politely, "A native of Fuzhou," and without saying more, she boarded the carriage.

At the same time, other women emerged behind her. The ten of them walked together, and upon seeing Yang Luo board her carriage, their expressions became complicated.

"Why did Miss Liu run off so quickly?" one lady remarked.

The successful candidates had stayed behind to listen to the instructors' instructions regarding school life. After the session ended, they were supposed to get to know one another as classmates, but the moment they turned around, Miss Liu had already bolted.

Jiang Rui said indifferently, "Perhaps Miss Liu has no desire to associate with us."

The other ladies looked thoughtfully at the unremarkable carriage as it was driven away by a young male servant.

...

After the successful candidates and the Princess's procession had departed, the Imperial Guards followed suit, and silence returned to the gates of the Academy.

However, the silence did not last long, as another troop of riders in black arrived at a gallop.

Someone dismounted and knelt first. Wei Jiao leaped down and walked toward the gate. The Embroidered Uniform Guards stood in formation before the Academy, appearing like a curtain of night drawn prematurely.

The duty instructor saw this scene and frowned slightly, but seeing Wei Jiao approach, he said nothing and averted his gaze.

At this moment, the students within the Academy had also finished their studies. Some were practicing swordsmanship in the courtyards, while others gathered to discuss poetry and philosophy. The atmosphere was lively and cheerful, but it froze instantly when Wei Jiao arrived.

All eyes fell upon Wei Jiao.

When the Imperial Academy was established, the Embroidered Uniform Guards had already been formed. In less than half a year, Wei Jiao's arrogance and brutality had become known to the world.

People had originally thought such a person would have no intersection with them, but unexpectedly, during a major lecture, Wei Jiao had wandered in accompanied by a group of guards. The hall had erupted in an uproar, with many fearing the guards were there to raid the Academy.

To everyone's surprise, Wei Jiao had said with a grin that he had come to study.

The students were even more shocked, yet the Chancellor had not driven him away, only ordering him to disperse his guards.

"I just wanted my teacher to see how much prestige I have gained now," Wei Jiao had said with a smile to the Chancellor, and he had complied, ordering the guards to withdraw.

That word, "teacher," had shocked the students once again.

Wei Jiao was actually the Chancellor's disciple?

Then more news spread: when the Emperor had first summoned the great scholars to the capital to debate the scriptures, Wei Jiao had also attended, specifically to seek out Wang Zaitian as his master. And Wang Zaitian had indeed accepted him.

"He only guides his studies; he has not officially taken him as a disciple," those in the know repeatedly clarified.

This news allowed the students to breathe a slight sigh of relief, but they still felt uneasy, especially since Wei Jiao appeared in the Academy every few intervals.

"Education knows no class, education knows no class," they could only tell themselves.

Wei Jiao seemed accustomed to the students' stares. Without a second glance, he crossed the courtyard, entered the wind-and-rain corridor, and headed straight for the Library.

"Wei Jiao."

A voice drifted from in front of the Library.

Wei Jiao looked up to see Ling Yu standing atop the steps.

Ling Yu frowned and said, "The month is almost over, and you only come once."

Wei Jiao took a few strides up the steps to the Library entrance.

"Scholar, reading books incessantly is studying, but reading once a month—is that not also studying?" He let out a sneer. "As long as one has the heart for learning, even if they don't touch a book for a day, they are still a student."

"Your heart is not in the books," Ling Yu replied. "No matter how much you read, it is not studying."

Wei Jiao suddenly lunged closer. Though they were of similar age, he was taller, and he looked down into Ling Yu's eyes. "Scholar, tell me, if a person loses their eyes, can they still read?"

It was an unmistakable threat. Ling Yu's expression shifted slightly.

"Enough, what is all this quarreling about?"

An aged voice drifted down from above the Library. The Chancellor, Wang Zaitian, poked his head out from the third floor, clutching a scroll.

"Will you let people study or not?"

Ling Yu kept a stiff face and said nothing. Wei Jiao smiled at Wang Zaitian, his eyes bright and spirited.

"Teacher, I have come to study."

Wang Zaitian's expression was indifferent. "The West Wing on the second floor, as usual." Having said that, he withdrew, fearing he might delay his reading.

Wei Jiao bumped his shoulder against Ling Yu's as he walked inside.

...

As night gradually fell, a bright light shone from a small room on the second floor of the West Wing.

A bookshelf stood against the wall, though it was currently half-empty; the books had been moved onto the desk.

Wei Jiao leaned back, one elbow pressing down on a book while the other hand flipped through the pages, his gaze sweeping across them.

"What absolute nonsense," he muttered.

He gripped a page, and with a sharp *rip*, the page was torn out and tossed to the floor with a flick of his hand.

Dozens of pages already lay scattered on the ground.

"Propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame... where is any of that? It's all a lie."

With another *rip*, another page was torn away and drifted to the floor.

As the night deepened, the books on the desk grew fewer, and the pile of scattered pages on the floor grew thicker.

Wei Jiao gripped the last page in his hand, sat up straight, and stretched his arms. As he extended them, the paper in his hand was torn into long strips.

"Hypocrites."

"Beasts in human skin."

"Self-deception."

"Pretense."

"False benevolence."

Amidst the dancing scraps of paper, Wei Jiao lay down, stretched languidly among the sea of pages, and closed his eyes.

"All of them are animals."

...

When dawn broke, Ling Yu pushed open the door to the West Wing. Wei Jiao had left at some unknown time, leaving behind nothing but a floor covered in scattered pages.

"He is simply inhuman!" Ling Yu cursed through gritted teeth, his heart aching for the books. He then shouted toward the upper floor, "Teacher!"

Wang Zaitian poked his head out from the stairs.

"Is this studying?" Ling Yu said with resentment. "It has been so many years; why do you allow him to act this way? Can you not forbid him from coming here to study?"

"What is the purpose of studying? To cultivate oneself, to gain wisdom, to find joy in life," Wang Zaitian said, looking at Ling Yu. "You find joy through loving books; that is studying. He finds peace through hating books; since he also gains something, how can it not be called studying?"

Ling Yu fell silent for a moment, then bowed to Wang Zaitian. "Thank you for your teaching, sir."

Wang Zaitian smiled. "Go on, go on, go study." Thinking of something, he added, "Have the students transcribe more books to replenish this place."

Ling Yu sighed and took one last look at the disarray of the West Wing.

"It isn't easy for you either, Teacher. You have no choice but to keep a student forced upon you by the Emperor," he said, looking up at Wang Zaitian with a sudden smile. "And even more pitifully, the one you wish to take as a disciple refuses to study with you."

Wang Zaitian raised his hand and threw a scroll down at him.

"Get lost."

Ling Yu caught the book accurately and walked out with a smile.

Standing on the stairs, Wang Zaitian watched his disciple's retreating figure and shook his head gently.

"For some people, studying is a luxury they cannot afford."

(End of Chapter)