Chapter 10 Leaving the Palace to Attend Lessons: "The capital's prisons are not short of a mere hundred people!"

"But which of you took it out to be repaired!"

Cui Xiangzhu asked each person in turn, "Was it you! Was it you!"

This is terrible! His Majesty only went out these past few days without taking it with him. How could it have been lost?

Despite the winter heat, Cui Xiangzhu's forehead was covered in sweat. "Quick! Forget about all that, go find it for our family! That mushroom has an orange-red cap, it's poisonous!"

"Yes! We'll go right away."

Oh dear! He must report this to the Emperor immediately, lest he lose his head!

This was the first time Yao Ruyi had openly transformed into human form in broad daylight in the palace. He changed his clothes to resemble those of the gardeners in the courtyard, so that he shouldn't be discovered in the palace.

Following the footsteps of the group of gardeners to the outermost edge of the palace, Yao Ruyi slipped away from the back of the procession. He then boarded a vegetable farmer's cart and secretly changed the style of his clothes back to their original form. In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he was out of the palace.

"Fresh meat buns!"

"Young master, please come into our shop and have a look. All the fabrics we use are the finest in the capital!"

"Mom! This brother is so handsome!"

...

Wherever Yao Ruyi went, he was greeted with smiles, and he smiled back. Even though he didn't know any of these people.

"Young master, are you going to see Mr. Li Wenjing?"

Yao Ruyi nodded, "That great scholar? I'm just about to go there."

The man chuckled, "I noticed you haven't bought anything or shopped around on this trip; you're obviously going to a lecture. But brother, why didn't you even bring a notebook?"

Yao Ruyi gave an awkward laugh, "I forgot to bring it."

"That's right. Seeing how richly you're dressed, your servants must have helped you with such a small task."

The two stood there chatting for a while before Yao Ruyi asked, "Aren't you leaving?"

The man, carrying a large bag of books, scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry, Brother Yao, I had arranged to go with two classmates, so I came down a little early. I'll wait for them here."

Yao Ruyi nodded, "Then I'll go first—"

Before he could finish speaking, a wooden door behind the other person creaked open and was pushed open. The man's eyes lit up, and he shouted excitedly, "Brother Yao!"

It is high and tensile.

Yao Ruyi never expected to see these two people again. These were the first two friends he made after taking human form. "Brother Gao, Brother Zhang!"

The two men paused in their tracks upon seeing Yao Ruyi dressed in a white gauze robe, a stark contrast to her previous coarse white clothes. "Brother Yao, are you also going to Mr. Li's place for a lecture?"

Zhang Li wanted to go up and hug her, but in the end he just patted Yao Ruyi on the shoulder.

"Um."

"That would be great, we can go together."

The first person to speak to Yao Ruyi was named Xun Yang. He was surprised that these three people knew each other. After glancing briefly at Yao Ruyi's clothes, he shook his head and smiled sheepishly, "I'm afraid I couldn't afford this fabric even if I didn't eat or drink for the next two years."

Gao Qi asked, "Brother Yao, have you found your family in the capital?"

Yao Ruyi thought for a while. His Majesty could be considered his benefactor and friend, although this friendship was one-sided. But he could hardly be called family. "No."

"This can't be rushed, let's take it slowly."

"That's right, that's right. Maybe once you pass the imperial examination and become famous, your family will be able to find you."

Yao Ruyi smiled in agreement, he didn't know why he suddenly wanted to look for his family in the capital.

"Here, I'll share some of my toilet paper with you."

"I have one too, and I even have an extra pen."

"Thanks!"

The scholars in the capital all knew that Mr. Li Wenjing was a former top scholar who had retired from the imperial examinations. He was indifferent to worldly fame and fortune, and lived a solitary life in the mountains, studying the Book of Poetry and Confucianism. He was a figure revered by all the scholars in the Yun Kingdom.

After Li Wenjing appeared in the capital, she claimed that she lived in a courtyard in the suburbs, which scholars in the capital usually had to walk for an hour to reach.

Before the group even reached the courtyard on the outskirts, the number of scholars around them gradually increased. There were young masters from noble families dressed in brocade and fine silk, but most of them were dressed in coarse white clothes, just like Yao Ruyi before them, and each of them carried a book in their hands as they walked and read.

People like them, who talked and chatted as they walked, were a minority.

Yao Ruyi felt something was amiss. The scholars in the city were all so diligent; they must have studied hard for over a decade. He, on the other hand, hadn't even finished a single proper book. There was so much he needed to learn.

"Brother Yao?"

To enter Mr. Li Wenjing's courtyard, one must leave their name with the servant at the gate, which would also facilitate the master's future instruction. They were in line, with dozens of people ahead of them. Xunyang noticed Yao Ruyi's distressed expression and asked curiously, "Brother Yao, why do you look so distressed?"

Yao Ruyi pursed her lips, "I feel the competition is very fierce."

Xunyang chuckled. "This has been the case since ancient times," he said, putting his arm around Yao Ruyi's shoulder. "Could it be that you really have been studying at home for over a decade without ever coming out?"

He didn't expect Yao Ruyi to actually nod, and slowly swallowed. "Then, then Brother Yao should really take a look. The imperial examinations have never been an easy thing."

The remaining three exchanged a glance and gave a bitter smile. Even though it was difficult, it was their only way out.

"This way! Write your names here, and then collect a book from here."

The servant at the door had a hint of disdain on his face. He had just shoved the book into Gao Qi's arms with a cold expression, but when he turned to Yao Ruyi behind him, he smiled broadly and said, "Come, come! Young master, quickly put it away."

Glancing at Yao Ruyi's attire out of the corner of his eye, the servant noticed that he wasn't wearing a jade pendant at his waist. He hesitated, "Does the young master intend to stay in the capital for an extended period?"

"Um."

His smile immediately returned to normal. "Then it really is true that I was not destined to be with you before, young master."

He eagerly handed the book to Yao Ruyi with both hands, saying, "Young master, you must take a good look at this. This is the culmination of our teacher's lifelong research and study, and now it is dedicated to the students of Dayun."

"Thanks."

Yao Ruyi was happy but only smiled. However, as soon as the servant finished speaking, the dozens of people around him cheered and jumped for joy, "Can we...can we all take it?"

"This is something Mr. Li has come to understand over decades. Does that mean I can pass the imperial examination and enter officialdom just by reading it!"

"Hurry up! Sign it quickly!"

"Me too! I want one too!"

"Classmates, please leave some space for us at the back!"

...

The scholars, who had just been pretending to be calm and refined, now seemed like bees to honey, and almost knocked over the servant at the door.

Gao Qi was initially dissatisfied with the servant's attitude, but now, hearing what he said, he couldn't care less about anything else. He quickly hid the book in his arms like a treasure, saying, "Come on, I see everyone over there!"

All four of them entered, their expressions filled with barely concealed excitement. "Great!"

The courtyard was extremely spacious; even with hundreds of scholars flooding in, it only occupied a small portion of the space.

In the inner courtyard, where the shadows of branches danced in the breeze, the snow had been swept clean, and an elderly man dressed in cotton and linen clothes lingered under the tree with a scroll in his hand.

His silver hair was tied up, and the frostbite on his hands was unattended, making it a little difficult for him to hold the book.

"Is there anything Mr. Li hasn't prepared for?"

The newcomer had a loud voice and, as he spoke, stood in front of Li Wenjing with the air of someone in a superior position.

The plump old man wrapped in a cotton coat felt a tremor in his heart. "Young Master Liang, I... I only know how to pass on some experience in studying. I am not good at this kind of governance."

Liang Chengfeng snorted coldly, "Mr. Li, just say what's written in the book."

"Can……"

Meeting Shangliang Chengfeng's gaze, Li Wenjing shrank back even further, "Yes, yes."

"It's getting late. Mr. Li's students are already waiting. Go quickly."

"I will go right away."

After passing through the covered bridge and courtyard, the old man stood unsteadily in front of the students.

"This student greets Mr. Li!"

"Greetings, Mr. Li!"

"Mr. Li's virtue is truly admirable! I am ashamed to admit my inferiority!"

...

Li Wenjing waved her hand, her lips moved a few times but she didn't say anything in the end, "Come, let me tell you a story."

"Throughout history, the way emperors have governed and managed their countries has always been based on Confucianism. The late emperor..."

In a two-story building behind, Liang Chengfeng sat and chatted with someone, his gaze sweeping across the shadows of the trees to the courtyard in front of the hall where people were giving lectures.

A smile played in his eyes as he reached for the teacup on the table. The gold filigree on the cup shimmered in the sunlight. Liang Chengfeng, finding the tea too hot, blew on it. Watching the steam mingle with the clouds in the sky, he thought, "In the end, this world can be changed by me."

"Young master will eventually get what he wants."

The sound of everyone reading aloud continued from early morning until noon. The teacup went cold and then hot again. When Liang Chengfeng touched the teacup again, he said in an unhappy tone, "Go and change it."

The servant boy immediately responded and took the teacup away in a few steps.

"Why did it stop?"

Liang Chengfeng asked, the sound of reading had been lingering in his ears, making him drowsy, and now that it had suddenly stopped, he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

"My lord! My lord! It's... it's Lord Xu Yixu who has brought his men."

"Xu Yi?"

"Indeed, Lord Xu brought a group of Imperial Guards. He claimed that someone submitted a memorial stating that someone was teaching heretical books in a courtyard in the suburbs!"

Liang Chengfeng's face hardened, and he smashed the hot tea that the servant had just brought over. "Damn it! Investigate! I want to see who ruined my plans!"

His breathing was heavy. He didn't even glance at the servant who had just been splashed with tea. He turned and walked to the deepest part of the courtyard, disappearing through a small door.

The stacks of books were collected by the Imperial Guards and thrown into a corner, soon forming a small mountain.

"Squat down! Take all these scholars back! And make sure you don't lose a single book."

"yes!"

The group of scholars who had just been reading with Li Wenjing were all dumbfounded.

"What's going on?!"

"Mr. Li! Sir!"

"My lord! It's all a misunderstanding! We are all students of Mr. Li, and we have been taught by him here. We have not done anything against the laws and ethics of heaven, my lord!"

...

Cries of injustice echoed everywhere. Xu Yi glanced at the crowd, stepped forward, and forcefully pulled the book from the man's arms. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he casually flipped through it. "If the ruler is cruel and capricious, you may seek a wise ruler yourselves."

"I would like to ask, who is this so-called enlightened ruler?"

After Xu Yi finished reading, his sharp gaze fell on the scholars who were squatting in a group on the snow, each of them with a guilty conscience and doubt on their faces.

The scholar, who had just been protesting his innocence, froze. That sentence was written on a note. He had assumed it was from Mr. Li, who had taken a liking to him and had specially given it to him. "Sir! Sir!"

"My lord, my lord, you have wronged me! I only came here to learn, I had no ill intentions!"

"grown ups!"

Xu Yi ignored all of this, clutching the scroll in his hand without uttering a word. When His Majesty summoned him just now, he never imagined he would see such an unappealing thing—how dare those people use such a heretical book to gather students from the capital!

No wonder His Majesty is reviled by the people!

He had just flipped through a few pages, and among the articles, there was always a letter between them, just like Li Wenjing's casual conversation with a friend, implying that the emperor was cruel and incompetent and had no ability to govern the country.

"Take them all back with you!"

"The capital's prisons are not short of a mere hundred people!"