Chapter 161: Scholar Ma, Without A Hundred Taboos!
Rongyuan Orphanage.
Chen Shun’an did not alarm the steward couple, quietly entered the courtyard, and observed the surroundings.
In the small courtyard, more than ten robust teenagers, under the training of the instructor hired by the Li Family, were enthusiastically practicing standing meditation and refining their qi and blood.
Stone locks of various sizes were scattered on the ground, sandbags hung from the plum blossom stakes around, and the weapon rack was fully equipped with basic weapons such as sabers, spears, swords, and halberds.
Not far away, there were even several steeds galloping around the training ground equipped with red bullseye arrow targets.
And these teenagers, after this period of nourishing food supplements and martial arts practice and tempering, though not yet with strong muscles and bones.
But their spirit and energy had undergone a world of change from their previous frail, monster-like appearance.
A robust teenager tensed his waist, hugged a five-hundred-jin stone lock with both hands, stood steady as Mount Tai, and suddenly threw it flying more than ten zhang away.
A fair-skinned girl drew her bow and nocked an arrow, glanced sideways with one eye, and the arrow flew like a white rainbow piercing the sun, hitting the bullseye of the target dozens of steps away.
“Brother Dabiao has such great strength! Is this innate superhuman strength? It looks like he’s almost gathered force and become an entry-level martial artist?”
“Sister Xiaohua is so talented, hitting the target from a hundred paces is nothing compared to this, truly a divine archer!”
Rongyuan Orphanage still has some hidden gems.
Such as Niu Dabiao and Du Xiaohua.
Chen Shun’an did not disturb the group of teenagers practicing martial arts, quickly walked a few steps, and arrived at a bamboo hut schoolhouse.
The sound of reading drifted out feebly.
Scholar Ma held a ruler, dressed in coarse cloth clothes washed exceptionally clean, blowing his nose and glaring, cursing loudly.
“Utterly foolish, rotten wood cannot be carved!”
“Can’t even memorize the simplest《Thousand Character Classic》, how to talk about the imperial examination to become a pupil?”
“《In Praise of Chen Shun’an’s Merit in Repairing the House and Relieving Orphans》? What kind of article is this, utter nonsense! At such a young age, full of flattery and sycophancy, simply, simply, simply going to infuriate Ma Mou to death!!”
Chen Shun’an had just paced to the outside of the schoolhouse when he heard Scholar Ma spouting classical Chinese, still sharply critiquing a certain naughty child’s record praising his merits.
He couldn’t help but shrink his neck, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Scholar Ma was cursing when he seemed to notice something, looked up, and saw Chen Shun’an’s sheepish expression.
Walking out of the schoolhouse, Scholar Ma’s expression softened, patted the dust off his shoulders, and solemnly bowed to Chen Shun’an.
Chen Shun’an was somewhat flattered and hurriedly supported Scholar Ma.
“Scholar Ma, no need for this. Chen Mou cannot accept it.”
“This bow of mine is for your merit in repairing the house, relieving orphans, and teaching these orphans martial arts and literacy. If even you cannot accept it, no one in the world can.”
“Scholar Ma is too serious. Chen Mou is not some great virtuous person who seeks no reward; I also have my own demands and plans.”
“A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. Even sages have desires for beauty, let alone ordinary mortals?”
Hearing this, Chen Shun’an shook his head, dropped the topic, and instead asked,
“Scholar Ma, how many pupils can understand your teachings and have hope for the imperial examination?”
Chen Shun’an indeed had his own selfish motives.
Since he knew the secret of the Sacred Dynasty’s imperial examination, he wanted to use the orphans of Rongyuan Orphanage as a test field to see if anyone could enter officialdom through the imperial examination and go through it for him.
Support confidants, advance into the court, and see what those officials at the end of the imperial examination path really are.
Who knew that upon hearing this, Scholar Ma showed an expression of hating iron for not becoming steel, and said,
“Not a single one!”
“All blockheads, obstinately stubborn!”
Chen Shun’an felt somewhat awkward and coughed.
Was it possible that it wasn’t them being too dull.
But rather the Four Books and Five Classics you taught were too obscure and beyond syllabus.
Moreover, if nothing unexpected, he Chen Shun’an was also one of the blockheads in Scholar Ma’s mouth.
After all, even the current Chen Shun’an had many unsolved parts in the Daoist Scriptures and Military Strategies that Scholar Ma spoke of.
Let alone these orphans who were illiterate and from humble origins.
“To pass the civil exam and enter officialdom in the Sacred Dynasty is truly one in ten thousand, and one must possess some special talent.”
Chen Shun’an looked regretful.
“However, there is one female infant who is quite strange. She cries nonstop usually, but upon hearing Ma Mou teach and chant scriptures, she stops crying and becomes obedient, lying in the bamboo basket, even forgetting to eat or sleep, unaware of hunger or thirst.”
As Scholar Ma spoke, he walked back to the school.
Then he actually carried out a female infant still in swaddling clothes.
Lips red and teeth white, those eyes like pearls, as if two black mercury beads nurtured in quicksilver, making one unable to help but feel pity at first sight.
It was precisely the female infant abandoned in the wall cabinet that day, whose parents were originally from a loyal and good family, forced to ruin by Fragrant Heart Clearing Paste.
Chen Shun’an was somewhat amused and said, “This female infant wouldn’t be some immortal reincarnated, having broken through the prenatal confusion, actually able to understand your teaching and chanting?”
“Who knows, maybe the Wen Qu Star reincarnated!”
Scholar Ma had no children under his knee, had moistened each other with his plain wife for many years, and at this time treated this female infant with affection as if his own.
“Right.”
Scholar Ma seemed to remember something, put the female infant back in the school, frowned deeply with a pensive expression, took out a bond from his bosom, and said,
“Brother Shun An, perhaps help me deliberate. Some days ago, County Magistrate Wang for some reason suddenly recommended Ma Mou to serve as the ‘Qianning Envoy’ at the Hall of Translations, specifically in charge of reception, lodging, daily life translation, and such during the Qianning Envoy Mission Visit the Sacred Dynasty.
He even said he would recommend me to study at Yue Shan Daoist Academy, and in the future become his staff.
Chen Shun’an was stunned and said, “Isn’t this a good thing? No, how did County Magistrate Wang come to value you so much?”
Chen Shun’an didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence.
He became the shopkeeper of Crouching Tiger Well.
Scholar Ma also became the ‘Qianning Envoy’.
Although an insignificant envoy using a chicken feather as an arrow, at the critical moment of the Qianning Envoy Mission Visit the Sacred Dynasty, it was truly like barefoot stepping on a live wire—shaking up again.
Even more effective than the words of many capital officials!
“It’s a long story.”
Scholar Ma looked around and, seeing no one nearby, took out a translated imperial edict, lowered his voice, and said,
“Two months ago, I tampered with an imperial edict. That County Magistrate Wang somehow got hold of it, saw my translated imperial edict, then praised it lavishly, amazed as if heavenly, and thus guaranteed and promoted me.”
Chen Shun’an took the imperial edict and looked, quickly discovering something wrong.
The imperial edict translated by Scholar Ma actually contained the Qianning Country monarch advising His Majesty the Emperor to order the destruction of Fragrant Heart Clearing Paste.
Chen Shun’an stared at Scholar Ma in shock as if seeing a ghost and said,
“You actually dared to tamper with an imperial edict? Do you know that Fragrant Heart Clearing Paste and Hibiscus Paste Fire were originally smuggled from Qianning Country!”
“Didn’t know before, now I do!”
Scholar Ma slapped his thigh, wrung his hands in regret, full of remorse, and said,
“After my classmate Shen Mochuan discovered I tampered with the imperial edict, he wanted to retrieve it! But it was too late; the translated imperial edict had already been sent to the palace and presented on the dragon desk!”
Scholar Ma looked utterly dejected and said,
“Ma Mou is dead for sure. And dying without value, lifting a rock to smash my own foot! Perhaps even becoming a tool for some people’s ulterior motives…”
Qianning Country smuggling Hibiscus Paste Fire was no longer a secret.
Probably many officials already knew.
But strangely, from top to bottom at the Hall of Translations, even officials like County Magistrate Wang, all seemed to unanimously overlook the tampered content of this imperial edict.
Allowing it to be sent into the palace and receive the imperial gaze.
Scholar Ma was not stupid and guessed that his rash action had produced some consequences he hadn’t anticipated.
Chen Shun’an listened for a while, his thoughts turning, and said,
“Then Scholar Ma, what do you intend to do now?”
“I don’t know.”
Scholar Ma shook his head and said, “This Qianning Envoy title has already fallen on Ma Mou’s head; can’t remove it.”
“But that recommendation to study at Yue Shan Daoist Academy and become County Magistrate Wang’s staff, I absolutely will not go.”
At this point, a trace of barely perceptible hatred flashed in Scholar Ma’s eyes, and he said coldly,
“Government achieved through bribery; County Magistrate Wang sells official posts daily, accepts bribes, is a corrupt official! Before my father died, he warned me to be upright and pure; how could I mingle with the filthy!”
“I don’t even want to be an official bought with money, let alone his staff!”
Hearing this, Chen Shun’an nodded, already having a plan in mind, and said,
“This so-called ‘Qianning Envoy’ is probably just a scapegoat. The Qianning Envoy Mission Visit the Sacred Dynasty is clearly up to no good; perhaps one day the two countries will completely fall out, even break into war.
Then this ‘Qianning Envoy’ would be the primary candidate to be sacrificed.”
Chen Shun’an’s words were sharp and straightforward, hitting the nail on the head.
Making Scholar Ma’s face turn pale.
Scholar Ma was not afraid of death, but afraid of dying meaningless, light as a feather.
But Chen Shun’an also had some slight doubts in his heart.
Since Scholar Ma had become the pawn to be pushed out, why did County Magistrate Wang still recommend him to study at Yue Shan Daoist Academy and recruit him as staff?
Shouldn’t he promptly cut ties and draw a clear line?
Why pull it onto himself?
At this time, Scholar Ma couldn’t help but say with grief, “Using me to sacrifice is fine, but my lifelong learning from poring over books has no place to display, what a pity.”
“Even implicating my wife, who has suffered with me all her life, and in the end still to be implicated.”
“Not that bad, perhaps there’s still a turning point.” Chen Shun’an suddenly said.
Scholar Ma wiped his tears and looked puzzled.
Chen Shun’an said solemnly, “As envoy it’s heavy, as official it’s light. Your Qianning Envoy is precisely a hot potato, so before the Qianning Envoy Mission enters the capital and the two countries completely fall out, no one dares to harm or trouble you.”
“You mean…” Scholar Ma seemed to understand.
Chen Shun’an nodded and said, “Nothing more than fox borrowing tiger’s might, using a chicken feather as an arrow! Before the Grand Canal freezes this year, Brother Ma can be unrestrained and rampage in the Capital City!”
The Qianning Envoy Mission would arrive in the Capital City at the latest by year’s end, before the Grand Canal froze.
Most likely docking at Banye Ferry Crossing in Wuqing County and coming ashore.
During this period, Scholar Ma was like carrying an amnesty gold medal; whoever dares to block would die together!
……
Leaving Rongyuan Orphanage.
Chen Shun’an took Niu Dabiao and Du Xiaohua with him.
Now Crouching Tiger Well was in ruins waiting to be revived, with positions vacant; he could just place his confidants there.
Before leaving, the steward Zhou Daquan was still uneasy, rubbed his hands, and asked softly,
“Master Chen, these two children are not well-known; sending them to work at your well like this would seem like nepotism? If it spreads out, it won’t sound good.”
Chen Shun’an waved his hand nonchalantly with a smile,
“Nepotism? This is promoting the worthy without avoiding relatives!”
