Chapter 74 The remnants of the Yao family hand over Yao Jifeng, a remnant of the Yao clan.
Gu Xie was surrounded inside Lingjiu Academy.
Outside the academy, sparrows chattered and doves gathered, creating a great commotion. It even alarmed the Southern Government and Yong'an Prefecture.
"Hand over Yao Jifeng, a remnant of the Yao family!"
"Those who harbor criminals are equally guilty! Arrest Gu Xie! The Gu family has been harboring death row inmates; their conduct is so despicable, how can they be fit to be the headmaster?"
"A hen crowing at dawn disrupts our national governance, causing natural disasters and immense suffering for countless people. The fact that Gu Xie was not killed only fuels public anger!"
"Ban girls' schools! Abolish girls' private schools!"
...
The crowd surged toward the heavy vermilion gate like a tidal wave. At first, the angry crowd simply pounded on the door and knocked on the brass door knocker. But as the crowd grew larger, it became a mob with furious faces, glaring eyes, and hurling insults.
"Bang! Bang!" "Clang! Clang!"
When they wouldn't open the door, they started smashing it. Sticks pounded on the door again and again.
Gu Xie sat upright in the Mingli Hall.
The sounds of sticks and drums penetrated the door and reached the courtyard behind it.
The teacher stood below the hall for a moment, but the banging on the door became increasingly frightening. He ran back in small steps and said, "Headmaster, let's go hide in the back first."
As he spoke, he wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve; there was nowhere to hide behind him. Lingjiu Academy was located in Six-Foot Alley, a narrow alley only six feet wide, with its back gate connecting to Green Willow Alley, where the willows were in full bloom. Both alleys were completely surrounded. Fortunately, Gu Xie had deciphered something from the hexagrams and divination texts and had suspended classes early, preventing any students from being trapped at Lingjiu Academy.
The instigator was a student of the Imperial Academy, and the group of young men in blue robes, seeing the situation spiraling out of control, stood bewildered in the crowd, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
At the beginning, this was not a riot.
The Imperial Observatory's claim of a "guest star" sparked a mutiny among the civil officials, which temporarily ended with the expulsion of female students from the Imperial Academy. The students of the Imperial Academy had many differing opinions on the matter, arguing back and forth. Young people don't distinguish between men and women, only between right and wrong. While they disagreed on the expulsion of the female students, they unanimously agreed on one thing: the claim that "the natural disasters of the Great Lin Dynasty, whether the floods in Zhudong, the plagues in Li'an and Linxia, or the drought in the south after the start of summer, were all caused by women studying" was utterly absurd.
Isn't this utter nonsense?
Such a theory is more plausible: the existence of two emperors in one country brought disaster upon the heavens. After all, if the emperor is going to rebuild the Yanzhi Mountain Palace, he must be ordering the retired emperor to move out of the palace.
The Imperial Academy was not without its share of sons of officials who gained admission through the official positions of their fathers and grandfathers. These were known as "hereditary sons of the academy," and hearing rumors from their fathers would invite thunder and lightning.
The Gu family of Cangnan Hanhong Academy were found to be harboring Yao Jifeng, a death row inmate in the Cangnan Civil Disaster Case.
The black-and-white, right-and-wrong mentality of youth is both the purest and the most acute. They hesitated, they wavered. So they raised their arms and shouted, one after another responding, for the righteousness in their hearts, for the law, gathering in the narrow alley.
The results of the imperial examinations were released in April. Among the idlers wandering the capital were many who had repeatedly failed the exams, those who had lost their ambition, and those who were disheartened; there were also many impoverished people harboring resentment towards their current situation; and even more, there were plenty of frivolous idlers who seemed to thrive on chaos. The upper-class scholars from the Imperial Academy took the lead, and the rest, like starving beasts smelling blood, swarmed in, smashing, hacking, and shouting, venting their grievances and resentment with unbridled joy. It seemed as if all the suffering in their lives stemmed from the Lingjiu Academy in the Six-Foot Secluded Alley.
The latch rattled violently, as if the thugs outside would burst in at any moment.
Is it finally coming?
Gu Xie's indifferent expression towards life and death seemed out of place.
Her grandfather, Gu Changxue, was a Grand Tutor, but not an Imperial Tutor; he could be considered a regent.
The Gu family rose to prominence through scholarship, but Gu Changxue's lineage became renowned for his physiognomy. During the Rebellion of the Five Princes, Gu Changxue was recruited into the service of Emperor Xuanyuan, Xie Lin. After Emperor Xuanyuan ascended the throne, Gu Changxue did not seek any official position but returned to Cangnan alone to continue the family business and dedicate himself to teaching.
Once you get caught up in the chaos, don't expect to remain unscathed.
His only son and daughter-in-law died at the hands of the remnants of Fengde King's army, leaving behind only his two young children, the siblings Gu Xie and Gu Heng.
In Gu Xie's few remaining childhood memories, her grandfather always frowned at a pile of tortoise shells, animal bones and copper coins. She climbed onto the divination platform, and Gu Changxue read the profound meaning of that divination.
"The continuation of a broken lineage and the rise and fall of dynasties are destined to be fraught with calamity."
At that time, she did not know the meaning of those eight characters. Gu Changxue forbade her to study physiognomy, but little did he know that she was extremely talented. Before she even reached the age of coming of age, she had already divined the hexagram that would determine her destiny for the rest of her life.
The divination indicated that the dynasty she lived in was a time of revival for women's education.
The divination point points directly to Yongdu, the Eastern Palace, and also to the north.
Are there two people at the helm?
Once this era ends, the revival of women's education will not occur until a thousand years later.
She could no longer calculate a more precise time. It didn't matter; she didn't intend to live to see that dynasty a thousand years in the future.
The timing of the revival remained unclear after repeated divinations. Perhaps five, ten, or twenty years, but it wouldn't be too far off.
She sat day and night at her desk by the window, pouring her heart and soul into writing "On Women".
A major banned book. Unprecedented and unparalleled.
Still young and naive, she was unaware of the vastness of the world, disregarded the immensity of heaven and earth, and failed to understand her own insignificance, yet she was arrogant and self-important. She followed the guidance of her heart, only to be met with the arrival of a mediocre censor to investigate and the sharp criticism from others that the book was "full of misleading rumors."
If one tries to argue, the situation, as it is today, is becoming increasingly uncontrollable.
Her cries in her writing became irrefutable evidence of her violation of "feminine virtues." Soldiers surrounded the Gu family residence, intending to take Gu Xie away to the Buddhist "precept hall."
The ordination hall of a Buddhist temple has a plaque outside the front hall that reads "Hall for Proclaiming the Vinaya" and an inside plaque that reads "Land of Purity," which means to cleanse the defilements of the world and purify the mind and body.
That sounds so nice.
In reality, it meant being forced to become a monk and confined for life.
At that time, Yao Jifeng, who was serving as the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy, was traveling through his hometown of Cangnan when he visited Grand Tutor Gu at Hanhong Academy. He was at the Gu family home exchanging academic ideas with Gu Heng. When they talked about family matters and Gu Xie, Yao Jifeng had just been comforting Gu Heng, saying, "What your sister said is nothing rebellious; it's just the nature of a young man."
The next moment, the Vice Censor-in-Chief personally visited, followed by a group of soldiers, demanding that Gu Changxue hand over the person.
Yao Jifeng admitted to the "crime," acknowledging that the banned book was something he wrote casually during his studies, just to pass the time when he was bored. It was only by chance that Miss Gu read it and took it seriously.
"It was Yao's fault, Your Excellency, there is no need to be so harsh on the young lady of the Gu family."
The Vice Censor-in-Chief was in a dilemma.
At that time, printed books were not yet popular, and once the handwriting of the manuscript was compared, the lie could not be concealed.
This matter is not a big deal; simply sending Gu Xie to the Buddhist temple's ordination hall would suffice. However, it is not a small matter either. The students of Hanhong Academy have always been pillars of the court. If this young woman intends to bring disaster to the country and disrupt the government, it would be unreasonable not to punish her.
Yao Jifeng said, "I will report the matter to the Emperor when I return to Yongdu."
The censor was unwilling to offend Grand Tutor Gu. The Gu family was highly respected among scholars, with students throughout the court and the countryside. He had come to Grand Tutor Gu, acting on his duty, to discuss sending the girl to a Buddhist temple for spiritual practice, promising not to pursue the matter further—a gesture that had already saved face and leeway. However, the Gu family disregarded this courtesy, insisting on strict discipline. The situation was now difficult to resolve.
If Yao Jifeng wanted to take it on, he was naturally happy to let it go.
It's not surprising that any civil official has used their pen to criticize current affairs, satirize politics, and condemn prevailing trends.
According to his elder brother Gu Heng, Yao Jifeng would be promoted from Siye to Chancellor of the Imperial Academy after returning to Yongdu from his studies. Because of this, he received some insignificant reprimands, which delayed his promotion.
He died in the wind and snow.
She wanted to save him.
In an attempt to change Yao Jifeng's fate, she peered into the secrets of heaven countless times, only to receive the same response each time.
Indeed, in the sixteenth year of Xuanyuan's reign, a peasant uprising occurred in Cangnan, and the Yao family was sentenced to be executed along with their entire clan during the New Year's banquet at the palace. At this moment, snow is falling in Yongdu.
Gu Xie learned that when his grandfather returned to his hometown, Emperor Xuanyuan had given him a blank imperial edict.
If she alone cannot accomplish this, then what about imperial power? Between imperial power and destiny, which truly reigns supreme?
She thought that perhaps she had triumphed over fate this time.
The divination was performed again, and the results indeed changed. But soon, other things also changed. Perhaps because she had repeatedly pried into the secrets of heaven and forcibly altered the fates of others, she had incurred divine retribution, for the omen of Yao Jifeng "dying in the wind and snow" appeared in her own destiny.
She breathed a sigh of relief. That's good.
It's nothing more than one life for another.
Coincidentally, she has a close friend in Yongdu who is a few years younger than her. They are currently discussing marriage, and the friend sent her a letter with their birth dates and times, asking her to perform a divination to see if the marriage will be successful.
It's not like we'll be any different this time.
She picked up three copper coins and formed a hexagram with six lines.
That's not right. Her close friend's father was the Prefect of Yong'an at the time, and the head of the Sheng family, with whom she was engaged, was the Minister of War. They should have been destined for wealth and honor, so how could they have a lowly fate?
Or perhaps it's because I'm not skilled enough and made a mistake somewhere.
She consulted her grandfather. Gu Changxue patted her head and said, "A-Xie, you dare to presume to know the will of Heaven; you will not escape divine punishment." He confiscated all her divination tools and forbade her from consulting the oracle again.
When Li Yujing was reduced to a lowly status due to her father Li Yilian's crime, Gu Xie also calmly accepted his fate of dying in the snow.
It's just unknown which year's snowstorm caused its demise.
How is the scenery?
In the alleys in front of and behind Lingjiu Academy, the raging crowd seemed to calm down slightly. Then, even sharper screams rang out.
People from Yong'an Prefecture and the Southern Government arrived one after another.
Cheng Lingdian arrived at Liuchi Youxiang one step ahead of Gao Guan. Yong'an Prefecture was short-handed and had to evacuate the people first.
Gao Guan rode to the scene and personally led twelve guards to surround the alleys around Lingjiu Academy to arrest the ringleaders.
Upon seeing Cheng Lingdian, Gao Guan exclaimed in surprise, "Lord Cheng, memorials impeaching you are flying everywhere. Why aren't you hiding? Why are you still out doing your job?"
Cheng Lingdian, who was in a state of panic, said, "Commander Gao, please stop making sarcastic remarks. The alley is narrow, and there are too many troublemakers. The constables and soldiers can't get in, so how can we arrest people?"
The most ruthless troublemakers are also the most cunning. They may have been as fierce as bandits and pirates, but when the government troops arrive, they cower in the crowd like cowards. If you were to make an exception and release them, they would surely take advantage of the chaos and escape.
Gao Guan was also troubled.
This matter cannot be delayed. With so many people gathered in the two narrow alleys, if the officials are rashly ordered to push in and arrest them, the thieves hiding among them might incite a frenzy in the crowd, making it even more difficult to control. If a stampede occurs and people die, the blame will surely fall on him and Cheng Lingdian.
"Lord Cheng, you make the decision."
Cheng Lingdian moved to the side of Gao Guan's horse and looked up, saying, "Release the people."
Gao Guan said, "Release them? The Emperor already knows about this. How can we explain ourselves if we don't arrest them?"
Cheng Lingdian asked, "Did you see those disciples in white?"
"I spotted him. A student at the Imperial Academy."
The six-foot alleyway was filled with people in gray and white cloth clothes, with those in white standing out starkly against the backdrop.
Cheng Lingdian said, "Don't hurt anyone. Don't let any of them escape."
Arresting the students of the Imperial Academy was an attempt to downplay the seriousness of the matter and make it disappear altogether. The students of the Imperial Academy were all extremely important; they couldn't be imprisoned, nor could they be killed. They would be detained for a day or two, and once the Emperor had reprimanded the officials of the Imperial Academy, they would be taken back by the Academy.
The matter was thus resolved.
Gao Guan, mounted on his horse, looked down at the crowd of people thronging the alleyway from his vantage point. He frowned and said, "Let's do it this way."
At a command, the officials blocking the road tore open a gap and led the crowd out. In the end, only small groups of young men in white robes remained, squatting against the wall, occasionally stealing glances at their surroundings.
The gates of Lingjiu Academy slowly opened from the inside, and Gu Xie bowed to Gao Guan and Cheng Lingdian in thanks. Gao Guan dismounted and returned the bow with Cheng Lingdian.
Gu Xie said, "Thank you both."
Gao Guan said, "It's good that Headmaster is alright. The Princess is about to return to the palace. If anything happens to Headmaster, I'm afraid my head won't be up to the task." He pointed to the student in the corner, "Lord Cheng, take him away."
Cheng Lingdian said, "Take the students back to Yong'an Prefecture? Your Southern Office is closer to the Imperial Academy, isn't it?"
Gao Guan said, "The Southern Courtyard doesn't have a prison. Where are we going to lock up all these students? Are we going to put them up in the main hall of the Southern Courtyard and treat them to good food and drink?"
This was a hot potato. Neither Cheng Lingdian nor Gao Guan really wanted to take it on.
"Commander Gao! Commander Gao!" A man dressed as a clerk from the Southern Bureau ran over shouting, "There's trouble on the banks of the Xu River."
Gao Guan's head was about to explode. "Who's causing trouble now?"
The man said, "There are many people. They intercepted Miss Qin Sensen's pleasure boat at Yifeng Pavilion, and someone is about to die!"
A moment of panic flashed across Gu Xie's calm face.
Gao Guan mounted his horse and said, "Let's go. Let's go take a look."
Gu Xie ran forward and grabbed Gao Guan's saddlebags. "Lord Gao, could you please prepare a horse for me to take with me?"
After a moment of contemplation, Gao Guan called out to the front, "Bring the horse here. The headmaster should cover his face."
Thank you.
Author's note: Headmaster: Principal.
It's getting late, thank you to everyone who read this far!
I'll write the next chapter tonight, or I'll update it tomorrow morning if I don't finish it.
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