Because the other teachers were either out enjoying the spring scenery or burning incense, none of them came back for lunch. However, quite a few students ate in the cafeteria.

Ruan Fang brought over a jar of wine so that her two close friends, Yu Jie and Shan Jindou, could have a few drinks.

Since Shan Jindou had important business to discuss in the afternoon, and Yu Jie didn't like drinking, the two of them didn't drink much.

The group ate and chatted, and eventually the topic turned to Wufang Academy.

The number of students at Wufang Academy is now close to four hundred, which Shan Jindou finds incredible. In his memory, most schools and academies only have a few dozen students, and some even only have a few.

After talking with Ruan Fang and Yu Jie, Shan Jindou finally understood what was going on. It was mainly because Wufang Academy had many first-class teachers, and students from all over the country came here because of its reputation.

The number of students coming to the academy to study has increased, but there are only five teachers in the academy. They usually have a heavy teaching load and work very hard.

Mr. Wu, Mr. Fang, and Mr. Fang are all quite old, and Ruan Fang is worried that they might overwork themselves and cause health problems.

Therefore, Ruan Fang wanted to find a few more teachers, but the prerequisite was that they must be renowned teachers with both virtue and talent, only in this way could they teach outstanding students.

When he heard that Ruan Fang wanted to find several renowned teachers with both virtue and talent, Shan Jindou suddenly thought of someone and said:

"I wonder if Headmaster Ruan has ever heard of Sima Gang? Would you consider him a renowned teacher?"

"Of course I know Sima Gang. He is a learned and talented man who served in the Hanlin Academy when he was young. Later, he offended powerful people with an article and was framed and dismissed from office and returned home."

Years later, with the help of a friend, Sima Gang was exonerated. However, he no longer wished to serve in the court, so he set up a school in his hometown, teaching the ignorant and living a peaceful life.

Dan Jindou nodded and said, "Master Ruan is right. Mr. Sima is from Haizhou. In recent years, his village has been plagued by pirates and frequently attacked. Most of the villagers have fled, and he has no more books to teach."

Although several academies wanted to invite him to join them, he refused, unwilling to leave his homeland.

"Manager Shan's idea is to invite Mr. Sima to teach at Wufang Academy, but didn't you say that Mr. Sima is unwilling to leave his hometown and has refused invitations from other academies?"

Dan Jindou smiled and said:

"If Wufang Academy invites Mr. Sima, that's another matter. Several famous teachers at Wufang Academy are renowned throughout the world. Perhaps Mr. Sima knows them. Moreover, Shuixian Village is a place of outstanding people and talents. No one in the world doesn't know about Shuixian Village."

General Li Guang, a dragon among men and the future emperor of the Great Northern Dynasty, is currently in Shuixian Village, a place right under the emperor's nose. Who wouldn't yearn for such a place?

If Headmaster Ruan were to extend the invitation now, I believe Mr. Sima would reconsider. Moreover, Mr. Sima has several close friends, all exceptional talents of our time. If Headmaster Ruan could employ them, I believe Wufang Academy would surely become the foremost academy in the land.

Dan Jindou's words stirred Ruan Fang's blood, and she stood up excitedly.

"I haven't yet asked where Manager Shan lives?"

"Mr. Shan is from Haizhou and does business in the mainland all year round. He does not live in Haizhou for long."

"I see. Haizhou is a coastal prefecture. I've heard that the area is plagued by pirates year-round, and the lives of the people there are difficult."

Upon hearing this, Shan Jindou sighed and said:

"For over a century, pirates have plagued the coastal areas of our Great Northern Dynasty. This has been the case since the previous dynasty. Their evil footprints are left along the coastline stretching from Bozhou in the north to Fuzhou in the south, a distance of several thousand miles."

At first, they only robbed fishing boats and merchant ships, but later they landed on land to rob, and especially in recent years, they have been breaking into villages, burning, killing, and looting in broad daylight. Some remote fishing villages have long been deserted.

Ruan Fang and Yu Jie were shocked to hear this; they had not expected that banditry was so rampant in the coastal areas.

"With pirates running rampant, is the government really doing nothing about it?"

"How can we not care? It is extremely difficult to suppress bandits at sea, unlike bandits on land who have their own strongholds. Once the bandit strongholds are destroyed, the bandit suppression is basically successful."

Pirates are highly mobile; they rob and then flee, and by the time the authorities arrive, they are long gone.

These pirate ships were incredibly fast; the government ships simply couldn't catch up. Even if they did, they couldn't do anything to them. These pirates were not only powerful but also ruthless.

I once heard that five or six pirates entered the village to rob it, and encountered more than thirty government officials. Under normal circumstances, it should not be difficult for so many government officials to capture a few robbers.

However, after their encounter, a fierce battle ensued, and the final outcome was unexpected: more than thirty officials were all killed by these pirates, with none surviving.

And these few pirates were able to escape unscathed. From then on, the pirates became even more unscrupulous. They were not afraid of the government officials at all; on the contrary, it was the government officials who feared them.

"How could this happen? I never imagined things would get so serious," Ruan Fang exclaimed.

"There are bandits on land and pirates at sea. People are used to it. It's just that the harm caused by pirates is not great and does not attract people's attention."

But things are different now. Most of the people who fled from the eastern regions to the interior are from coastal areas. If they can make a living, who would leave their hometown?

As soon as Shan Jindou finished speaking, several children eating nearby burst into tears, appearing very sad.

"What's wrong with them? Why are they crying?" Shan Jindou was very surprised when he saw this.

Ruan Fang sighed and said:

"Manager Shan may not know this, but these children are from Qianzhou. They wandered here a year ago and were taken in by the academy, where they study."

These children have tragic pasts. Their parents were killed by pirates while fishing at sea, leaving them orphans. When Manager Shan mentioned this, it reminded them of their own lives, hence their weeping.

"I see. Qianzhou and Haizhou are several hundred miles apart, which shows how widespread the pirates' harm is. If the pirates are not eliminated, the people along the coast will never have a peaceful day." Manager Shan couldn't help but sigh.

At this moment, Ruan Fang began to get a little nervous, and she said:

"Manager Shan, Mr. Sima lives in a rural area of ​​Haizhou, where pirates often cause trouble. Isn't it very dangerous?"

“Mr. Sima is upright and straightforward, unlike ordinary people who would immediately hide when faced with danger. But Mr. Sima cannot do that, so his situation will be even more dangerous. Therefore, Headmaster Ruan should invite Mr. Sima over as soon as possible to prevent any unforeseen events.”

As soon as Shan Jindou finished speaking, Yu Jie stood up and said:

"Professor Ruan, there is no need to worry. Leave the matter of inviting Mr. Sima to Wufang Academy to me. I will definitely invite Mr. Sima."