Chapter 40: Wei Jiao’s Reading
The academy courtyard gate became lively again.
The elders from home who had left calculated the time and came to the doorway to pick up people.
Mo Zheng leaned against the carriage chewing withered grass, saw a girl be the first to cover her face crying and run out, then viciously slap the maidservant who had arrived late to greet her, before crying loudly and boarding the carriage, which hurried off toward the capital city.
Seeing this scene, the servants from other families became even more alert, and the elders from home also looked nervous.
“She must have failed the selection.”
“That’s the daughter of Duke Ding’an’s family.”
“The daughter of Duke Ding’an’s family didn’t get selected?”
“Miss Yang’s learning is mediocre, her temperament arrogant, nothing strange about not getting selected.”
“Sigh, you don’t understand, Duke Ding’an’s family has a different status…”
“How is it different? They’re already picked-up nobility.”
“Cough, stop talking, my child is coming out, sigh, though she didn’t cry, her face shows she failed the selection.”
The young ladies who continuously came out afterward had some with ugly expressions, some wooden-faced, some giggling, amid the noisy sounds each boarded their carriages and left.
The carriages and horses left in front of the academy became fewer, but joy appeared on the faces of the waiting people, which meant they had been selected.
As the figure of another woman appeared, the people on site couldn’t help crowding forward, wanting to see clearly who it was.
Mo Zheng spat out the withered grass from her mouth, lightly flicked the whip, and the horse chewing fodder clip-clopped forward.
“Make way, make way, my young lady is coming out.”
The surrounding people, carriages, and horses made way, watching this carriage rented from the carriage rental company without a family name plaque sail past.
And that young lady who came out also quickened her steps at the same time.
“A Sheng!”
Yang Luo almost jumped in front of Mo Zheng, beaming with joy.
Mo Zheng didn’t wait for her to speak again, leaned forward in salute: “Congratulations, young lady, on topping the list.”
This was indeed the first time in her past and present lives she had made the list, being seen by others, though using someone else’s name, but she herself had finally stepped into the spotlight.
Yang Luo smiled.
Countless gazes from all around looked over, and some came forward to ask, “May I know the young lady’s distinguished name?”
Yang Luo politely returned the courtesy to the person, “From Fuzhou,” said no more, and directly boarded the carriage.
At the same time, the other women also came out afterward, the ten of them walking together, and seeing Yang Luo board the carriage, their expressions were somewhat complex.
“Why did Miss Liu run so fast.” One young lady said.
The selected young ladies had stayed just now, listening to the instructors explain some precautions for coming to school, and after it ended, as classmates, they should get to know each other, but as soon as they turned, that Miss Liu had run off.
Jiang Rui said faintly: “Miss Liu perhaps doesn’t want to befriend us.”
The other young ladies thoughtfully watched that unremarkable carriage, driven by a youth servant, slowly depart.
……
…….
After the selected young ladies and the princess’s imperial carriage left, the imperial guards also followed away, and the academy courtyard gate restored quiet.
But the quiet didn’t last long, as another team of black-clothed men and horses galloped over.
Someone dismounted first and knelt, Wei Jiao stepped down, walked toward the doorway, the embroidered uniform guards lined up in front of the academy, like nightfall arriving early.
The on-duty instructor had already seen this scene, frowned slightly, but seeing Wei Jiao approach, said nothing, and turned away his gaze.
At this time, the students in the academy had also finished studying, in the courtyard some practiced swordsmanship, some gathered to discuss poetry and the Dao, lively and cheerful, but when Wei Jiao arrived, it instantly froze.
All gazes fell on Wei Jiao.
When the national academy was established, the embroidered uniform guards had also been established, and Wei Jiao’s rampant cruelty became known to the world in less than half a year.
Originally thought such a person wouldn’t intersect with them, unexpectedly during a grand lecture, Wei Jiao also appeared swaying, with a group of embroidered uniform guards beside him, the whole venue in uproar, thinking the embroidered uniform guards were going to raid the national academy.
Unexpectedly Wei Jiao grinningly said he came to read.
The students were even more shocked, but the libationer didn’t drive him away, only making him disperse the embroidered uniform guards.
“I just wanted teacher to see my current prestige.”
Wei Jiao smiled at the libationer and said, and as instructed made the embroidered uniform guards exit the national academy.
This “teacher” shocked the students on site again.
Wei Jiao was actually the libationer’s disciple?
Then more news spread, originally when His Majesty first summoned the great scholars to the capital city to debate scriptures, Wei Jiao had also come, specifically to apprentice under Wang Zaitian, and Wang Zaitian had indeed taken him in.
“Just pointing him in reading, not taking a disciple.”
The informed people repeatedly explained.
This news let the students breathe a slight sigh of relief, but still felt uncomfortable inside, especially seeing Wei Jiao at the national academy every so often.
“Teach without class distinction, teach without class distinction.” Everyone could only say this.
To the students’ gazes, Wei Jiao seemed accustomed, not even glancing, passed through the courtyard, entered the covered walkway, and went straight to the library.
“Wei Jiao.”
A voice came from in front of the library.
Wei Jiao raised his eyes, saw Ling Yu standing on the steps above.
Ling Yu frowned and said: “The month is almost over, and you’ve only come once.”
Wei Jiao went up the steps in three strides and two, arriving in front of the library.
“Bookworm, reading nonstop every moment is reading, reading once a month, is that not reading?” He said, sneering, “As long as there’s a desire to learn, even not looking at a book for a day, it’s still reading.”
“Your heart is not on the books.” Ling Yu said, “Read as much as you want, it’s not reading.”
Wei Jiao suddenly approached him, though about the same age, he was a bit taller, looking down at Ling Yu’s eyes: “Bookworm, if a person loses their eyes, can they still read?”
This was undoubtedly a threat, Ling Yu’s face slightly changed.
“Enough, what are you arguing about.”
An elderly voice came from above the library, Libationer Wang Zaitian poked his head out from the third floor, clutching a scroll in hand.
“Still letting people read or not?”
Ling Yu kept a taut face and said nothing, Wei Jiao smiled at Wang Zaitian, eyes and brows flying.
“Teacher, I’m here to read.”
Wang Zaitian expression indifferent: “Still the west pavilion on the second floor.” With that he withdrew, lest delaying reading.
Wei Jiao shouldered past Ling Yu and went in.
…….
…….
Night gradually fell, in a small room on the second floor of the library the lights were bright.
A bookshelf stood by the wall, but at this time half the books on the shelf had been taken, those books placed on the desk.
Wei Jiao leaned obliquely, one elbow pressing a book, one hand flipping book pages, gaze sweeping over them.
“What utter nonsense.”
He said, hand pinching a book page, with a tearing sound, the book page was torn off, and with a fling of the hand fell to the ground.
The ground already had dozens of scattered book pages.
“Propriety, righteousness, integrity, shame—where’s the propriety, righteousness, integrity, shame, all deceit.”
With another tear, another page was ripped off, fluttering to the ground.
Night grew deeper, fewer books remained on the desk, thicker the scattered book pages on the ground.
Wei Jiao pinched the last page in hand, sat straight, stretched his arms, the book page in hand torn into strips with the stretch.
“Hypocritically righteous.”
“Deceitful person.”
“Self-deceiving.”
“Putting on airs.”
“False benevolence and false righteousness.”
Amid the flying paper strips, Wei Jiao lay down, stretched lazily in the sea of book pages, closed his eyes.
“All beasts.”
……
…….
When daylight fully brightened, Ling Yu pushed open the door to the west pavilion on the second floor, Wei Jiao had left at some unknown time, leaving only scattered book pages all over the ground.
“Simply not human!” Ling Yu gnashed his teeth and cursed, eyes full of heartache, then shouted upstairs, “Teacher!”
Wang Zaitian poked his head from the staircase.
“Is this reading?” Ling Yu said hatefully, “After so many years, why let him be like this? Can’t you forbid him from coming to read?”
“What is reading for? Cultivate virtue, gain wisdom, enjoy life.” Wang Zaitian said, looking at Ling Yu, “You through loving books have gained joy, that’s reading; he through hating books has gained calm, since he also gains something, how can it not count as reading?”
Ling Yu was silent for a moment, saluted Wang Zaitian: “Thank you, mister, for the teaching.”
Wang Zaitian smiled: “Go on, go read.” Thinking of something, instructed again, “Have the students copy more books to replenish here.”
Ling Yu sighed, glanced again at the messy west pavilion.
“Teacher, you don’t have it easy either, the student stuffed over by the emperor, you have to keep.” He said, looked up at Wang Zaitian above, suddenly smiled, “Even more pitiful is the one you took a fancy to and wanted as disciple, but who refuses to read with you.”
Wang Zaitian raised hand and hurled a scroll down.
“Get lost quick.”
Ling Yu accurately caught the thrown book, smiling as he walked out.
Wang Zaitian stood on the staircase watching his disciple’s back, gently shook his head.
“For some people, reading is a luxury.”
