"…That's all for today. I want to tell you something. Last day, I witnessed a beheading in the east of the city and met an old man named Qian Xiwen. I knew about him because of what Ru You told me the day before… that's why I decided to go see him. I wasn't very familiar with Qian Xiwen before, although we had met a few times. He was a man who understood power and human nature very well. In the Hangzhou area a few years ago, he could make a decisive statement if anything happened. Today, I want to tell you about this old man."

The shadows of the trees swayed, and the sound of insects chirped leisurely. In the academy's classroom, the voice of a young teacher was heard. Of course, it was supposed to be a lecture, but it had become a storytelling session as usual. At this time, there were dozens of students of all ages in the classroom, and outside the windows, there were also five or six students gathered, some leaning on the windowsill, some squatting on the ground counting pebbles, but all listening to what was being said inside.

Since the Ning Liheng incident caused several conflicts in the academy, the students had split into several factions, including those who wanted to get rid of the teacher, those who were close to and wanted to protect the teacher, and, of course, the more numerous neutral faction. Regardless of their likes or dislikes, after the news spread that Mr. Ning's lectures were interesting, many people were willing to come to Class C to listen to a lesson on the *Records of the Grand Historian*.

If it were a traditional school, students would probably be beaten to death by the teacher for running around so freely. But now in the Wen Lie Academy, there were not many teachers who really dared to discipline the students. At this time, about forty or so pro-Ning and neutral students gathered in Class C every day for the *Records of the Grand Historian* class. As for those who were squatting outside the window looking malicious, they were mostly those who wanted to make trouble, the anti-Ning faction. They said they were listening for information with the idea of "know yourself and know your enemy," but after all, they were just children aged eight or nine to fifteen or sixteen. They found Ning Yi's stories interesting and listened with relish, only to show a disdainful expression after listening.

However, the story told today made the atmosphere inside and outside the classroom a little strange.

"The Qian family was originally a prominent family in Hangzhou. Their family has produced many high-ranking officials. There is also a very interesting little story about Qian Xiwen… A few months ago, when I first came to Hangzhou, I visited him at the Qian residence with a letter from an elder. I encountered two young men chasing each other and picked up a red coral brush holder… As a result, I received ten *guan* of money, but not flying tickets, but copper coins strung together, a full ten *guan*. It was very hard for me to carry. I later asked and learned that the coral brush holder was Qian Xiwen's favorite item…"

The story about Qian Xiwen began with the coral brush holder and gradually talked about the famine a few years ago, the Liqiu Poetry Society, and so on. A slight commotion arose in the classroom for a while. The students in the classroom were all children, but they could generally understand the position of the story. They supported Ning Yi because they felt that Ning Yi had already joined the rebel army. At this time, talking about Qian Xiwen made some of the children begin to waver.

As the story was being told, two academy teachers walked over to the corridor outside at some point. Probably feeling that the atmosphere inside was strange, they stood there and listened for a few sentences, and then showed surprised expressions on their faces: "Is this man crazy?"

"I don't think so… Is he fearless because he has something to rely on…"

The two listened in surprise for a while, and then another teacher came over. After listening for a few sentences, he also looked at his two companions in astonishment. They were all Confucian scholars from Hangzhou and naturally knew Qian Xiwen's name. But to talk about such a thing in Fang La's territory at this time, wouldn't that be courting death?

While they were surprised, a young man in a black short shirt walked over towards them, seemingly strolling casually, looking left and right. Although he was an unfamiliar face, there were guards outside the academy at this time. Anyone who could come in at this time, looking at his energy, would probably know that the man in front of them was a martial artist, and 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 frightened, took several steps back, and then seemed to discuss with his companions whether to leave.

The three Confucian scholars looked at each other, lowered their heads and left. The young man glanced at the backs of the three, and then glanced sideways at Ning Yi's classroom. He thought for a moment, and then sat down on the railing of the corridor a *zhang* away from the classroom, picked a blade of grass and put it in his mouth, as if he was resting here. From this distance, he could not see the movements in the classroom, but he could clearly hear the words from both sides. Soon, the young man understood what the other party was talking about.

"The so-called upholding the Dao is to die for you at the right time. That's what the old man said. There are many smart people in this world. As for me, I also think that if he wanted to do more things, he didn't have to die here, he didn't have to come back. This old man is also a smart man, but what he fears is that when everyone is being a smart person, there will be no suitable examples to cite when people talk about righteousness and martyrdom. Everyone will say, although you teachers are talking about integrity, loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness all the time, why did everyone run away when the other party attacked? He stayed, and everyone will say, there is a Qian Xiwen, who did such a thing here. The things he has done in his scholarship all his life are not fake."

"He and his family died yesterday." The teacher named Ning Yi paused: "I hope everyone can remember such a story, remember that there was such a person. That's all for today's lesson. If you have any thoughts, you can say them now."

Before he could even finish speaking, a child raised his hand and stood up indignantly: "Mr. Ning, are you saying that the imperial court is the good guys? Are you saying that we are the bad guys?" Then someone echoed. Ning Yi in front looked at them calmly, and only spoke after the commotion in the classroom subsided.

"Good people, bad people, it's not that simple. I can't tell you who is a good person and who is a bad person. I only tell you how to be a person. Today, your parents let you come to this school to learn the Four Books and Five Classics, to read history. Why? Those people in the imperial court, haven't they spent a lifetime reading these. You stand in different places, but you learn the same things. I want to tell you that what you want to learn is all in what this old man did. I am your teacher, and I think you should learn well, so you shouldn't miss him."

"As for good and bad, right and wrong, it's not that if one person stands in a good place, the other person must stand in a bad place. Corrupt officials oppress and exploit the people, and the Flower and Stone Gang causes the people to live in dire straits. You rise up and kill them, this is a good thing. You study, and what the books should teach you, at least what I want to teach you, is also such a thing. What the old man did is also a good thing. I tell you about his affairs to let you remember that there was an old man, he studied Confucianism, he had his own Dao, and he did such a thing, to such an extent. In the future, you must also have your own persistence, don't lose to him… Will you lose to him?"

Children and teenagers are, after all, full of enthusiasm. After Ning Yi asked this sentence, everyone shouted: "Of course not!" The voices rose and fell for a while, and even a few children outside the window were about to be infected. But naturally there were still people who wanted to ask about simple right and wrong. Ning Yi paused for a while and looked at everyone.

"If you were children born in a time of peace, I shouldn't tell you these things, Tian Yuchang, Chen Qiu… Some of you are still too young, I shouldn't teach you too complicated right and wrong too early, you may not understand. But you are not children born in a time of peace, most of you should have experienced it, there is fighting, your fathers are fighting, just like Yu Sihe, you have been on the battlefield, haven't you."

One of the teenagers, about fifteen or sixteen years old, raised his head.

"Then you should know that the battle is far from over. I hope you will not go to the battlefield again, but you are children of military families, you have to be prepared. There are many corrupt officials in the imperial court, there are many hopeless people who only care about fighting for power and ignoring 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 the part of the corrupt officials who only care about exploiting the people, even if it's just a part."

"Since you are studying here, and call me teacher, I hope you all become like that old man. You must have faith in your life. When you pick up the knife, you must remember why you picked it up. Corrupt officials are immoral, so you kill officials and rebel, the world is糜烂, you right the wrongs. You must remember that you picked up the knife to make what you see around you better."

"Those who grew up in times of peace, they enter school to learn how to be officials, or to learn a few words, so that they can copy and write and have a skill in the future. You enter school, your parents say it's to make you successful, but I don't want this success to just be learning to plot against each other and be an official. If you learn faith, then it is meaningful, and that is the real learning of what is said in these classics and histories."

After saying this, there was some silence in the classroom. Naturally, some of the children vaguely understood, but the younger ones could only memorize it blindly at most. Many years later, they may remember that someone said such things, but now, they can only look at their companions around them, feeling a little confused. One of the nine-year-old children raised his hand and said timidly: "Then… Teacher, did we kill that old man wrongly?"

"No mistake." Ning Yi shook his head, "You will have to learn in the future to respect the enemy, learn from the enemy, but don't try to sympathize with them, especially like this, he will never surrender, so you can only kill him. There is an enemy on the battlefield, he is highly skilled in martial arts, and everyone thinks he is great. You also say, he is really great. When it comes to fighting, if you also think, he is really great, and you can't bear to kill him, then you are dead. You must have your own persistence. The more powerful the enemy is, the more lofty he is, the more you should put in twelve points of effort to kill them. But… if you have time, you can go and bury the old man's body, and offer him incense or something."

The children, after all, could not feel such complex views of good and evil. The younger children now basically felt that the old man was a good person, and it was a pity that he died. Hearing Ning Yi talk about burial and incense, they nodded at this time.

Outside, on the railing of the corridor, the young man in black spat out the grass stem in his mouth, frowned, and left in a leisurely manner…

*****************

School

There were no major events in the academy. Ning Yi's lecture on Qian Xiwen caused a stir throughout the academy in the following day or two. People lamented Qian Xiwen's tragic death on the one hand, and on the other hand, it aroused various discussions about Ning Yi. Some admired his courage, some thought he was tired of living, but they were somewhat surprised at which side he was standing on in the second half of his speech.

In such an atmosphere, besides interacting with a group of students, Ning Yi became the most isolated person in the academy. Some admired him, but did not dare to interact with him much, some were unhappy with him, but just quietly watched what kind of end he would get. As for outside the academy, his lecture on this day also had a certain impact to a greater or lesser extent.

The remains of the Qian family were subsequently formally placed in a coffin. The matter was handled by a general named Yu Kaitai, who was the father of Yu Sihe. He did not know Ning Yi's background, but just felt that "that teacher taught my son very well." There were also a few people who listened to those words and felt that this teacher's heart was punishable, but afterwards, they did not make too many rash moves, as if someone was secretly preventing their actions.

Then, from the sixth day of the eighth month, there was a series of auspicious days. The city of Hangzhou was in an uproar, including the Green Forest Assembly, which was composed of a large group of Green Forest heroes, preparing to elect Fang La as the leader of the Tiannan martial arts world, and to elect a vice leader by the way. Because it received official support, it was done with great fanfare. Then there were parades, carnivals, and "tributes from all over the world" sent from various uprising sites and mountain villages. In the end, there was Fang La's enthronement ceremony.

In fact, all of this had been determined half a month ago. The team in the imperial court was almost formed, and the news had already been spread, but it was not until this time that it was officially announced to the world, the establishment of the Yongle Dynasty.

**************

Um, I want to recommend a movie to everyone, *Seediq Bale*. It is not necessary to watch the cut version in the cinema. You have to watch the upper and lower parts of the online version for a total of more than four hours, which are *Flag of the Sun* and *Rainbow Bridge*. I find it difficult to speak on the specific aspects of the movie, due to the fact that there are just too many. Movies of the same ilk would probably include the likes of *Braveheart* and others, but when I used to watch *Braveheart*, I felt nothing besides looking at Sophie Marceau’s nudity – in fact, Sophie Marceau’s nudity isn’t even that good. *Seediq Bale*, however, is a true epic, telling of true classics in resistance and pride; resistance, and pride.

This movie didn’t do well at the box office, which is probably because the officially released version was cut down so much. However, if I go to the cinema in a few days, I’m determined to buy a ticket, even though there’s no need for me to go inside and watch it… These past years I haven’t seen any films like it, save for *The Message* which also moved me. However, at the end of the day, *The Message* isn’t that similar to it. *The Message* is also a great work, and a great work regarding the war of resistance against Japan. At one point I felt that domestically produced patriotic films had found a way out. In contrast, *Seediq Bale* can’t be watched as a war of resistance against Japan. Although it’s also about resisting Japan, it should only be regarded as an epic film which tells of resistance and pride. (To be continued. Please vote for recommendations and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

Support (wanben shenzhan) and share this site with those little partners who need it! Leave a message if you can't find a book!