The students in the lecture hall were all curious about the woman outside, but although Master Li was a little shocked, he continued to lecture in the classroom while shaking his head.
Li Jiujiang winked at Xia Linan, motioning him to go out and see what was going on.
Xia Linan pretended not to see it and let Li Jiujiang scratch his head anxiously.
When the noise outside the hall grew louder, a young girl in her teens walked into the lecture hall.
She was wearing a lavender straight-collared, long-sleeved shirt on the upper body and a moon-white horse-faced skirt on the lower body.
Her long, jet-black hair, like a waterfall, fell on her shoulders and was casually tied up on one side with a golden hoop. She had a plain, fair face, delicate and graceful features, a pretty figure, and a unique temperament all over her body.
The students in the hall suddenly became agitated.
"Whose girl is this? How dare she be so bold?"
"She's really good-looking."
“…”
Bang!
Master Li slammed the ruler down on the desk. "I'm giving a lecture. Anyone who doesn't like it, get out!"
He acted as if he hadn't noticed the woman at all. He said sternly to the stunned Li Jiujiang, "Jiujiang, stand up. Tell me where I was just now."
Seeing Li Jiujiang's embarrassed expression, the Master said to Xia Lin'an, "Lin'an, then please stand up and tell me what you heard me say just now."
Xia Lin'an's face remained calm as he slowly stood up and said, "Sun Tzu said: 'Warfare is a matter of great importance to a nation; it is a matter of life and death, a matter of survival and destruction. It must be carefully considered.'"
"Therefore, we must examine it with five things, and compare them with strategies to find out its true meaning: one is the Way, two is Heaven, three is Earth, four is the General, and five is the Law."
"Tao is the way to bring the people and their rulers into harmony, so that they can die together and live together without fearing danger. Heaven is the yin and yang, cold and heat, and the seasons."
"Territory is about distance, danger, ease, width, and narrowness, and about life and death. A general is about wisdom, trustworthiness, benevolence, courage, and strictness. Laws are about rules and regulations, official procedures, and the use of the master. All these five things must be known to every general. Those who understand them will win, while those who do not will not. Therefore, compare them with strategy and seek the truth: Which leader is righteous? Which general is capable? Who has the support of heaven and earth? Which law is enforced? Which army is stronger? Which soldiers are more well-trained? Who has clear rewards and punishments? By this, I can know victory and defeat.
"If a general listens to my advice, he will win if he uses it, so keep him. If a general does not listen to my advice, he will lose if he uses it, so get rid of him."
"The Master is lecturing on Sun Tzu's Art of War today, and he's talking about this line: If a general follows my advice, he will surely win if he uses it, so keep him. If a general doesn't follow my advice, he will surely lose if he uses it, so get rid of him."
Xia Lin'an calmly recited everything the Master had said that day without missing a single word.
"Good, this boy is teachable!" Master Li stroked his beard and looked at Xia Linan with eyes full of satisfaction.
"Lin'an, please come to the podium and read the rest of the text to everyone on behalf of the Master, okay?"
Master Li walked up to Xia Linan and motioned him to go to the podium.
Xia Linan didn't refuse. He stood up on the podium with his chubby body and read aloud, "Calculate the benefits of listening, and then create momentum to support it. Momentum is the power to control according to the benefits."
"Warfare is the art of deception."
"So, when you are capable, pretend to be incapable; when you are using something, pretend not to be using it; when something is near, pretend it is far away; when something is far away, pretend it is near; use advantage to lure them, seize them when they are in disorder, prepare for them when they are strong, avoid them when they are strong, frustrate them when they are angry, make them arrogant when they are humble, tire them when they are idle, and separate them when they are close. Attack them when they are unprepared and take them by surprise. This is the key to victory in military affairs, and it cannot be announced in advance."
"Those who plan for victory before the battle have calculated more; those who plan for defeat before the battle have calculated less. Those who plan more will win, those who plan less will lose, and what about those who plan nothing at all? From this perspective, victory and defeat are clear."
Lin'an finished reading it in one breath, and everyone in the lecture hall couldn't help but applaud.
The young girl who entered the lecture hall couldn't help but smile, "Senior, you are really amazing!"
Master Li smiled broadly, "Lin'an, who taught you to read these?"
"My mother!"
Master Li nodded and said to the students in the audience, "You should all be as diligent and studious as Lin'an."
"yes!"
......
After school, Xia Linan packed up his belongings and was about to go to the lecture hall next door to pick up his two younger brothers to return to Luyuan.
As soon as he walked out of the door, he looked up and saw a pretty girl with delicate features and a sweet smile, her gentle eyes surrounding him.
She met Xia Linan's puzzled gaze and said, "Senior Xia, can I get to know you? My last name is Zhang, and my given name is Yuru."
"Xia Lin'an!" Xia Lin'an bowed, his chubby face expressionless. "I'm going to pick up my two brothers from school. We'll talk when we have time!"
Zhang Yuru watched Xia Linan move his fat body past her with some effort without even looking back.
Just as Zhang Yuru was puzzled, Li Jiujiang appeared out of nowhere and said, "My name is Li Jiujiang, and I'm his younger brother!"
"Oh, so you're the young master of the Duke's Mansion." Zhang Yuru smiled. "You're quite good-looking, no wonder he's willing to take you in as his younger brother."
After saying that, Zhang Yuru didn't wait for Li Jiujiang to reply, and ran after Xia Linan.
"Hey, Fatty...Brother Lin'an, wait for me..." Zhang Yuru inexplicably felt that Xia Lin'an was fat and made people feel safe.
"I heard that Zhang Yuru is the eldest daughter of Commander Zhang Qi, and that Lushan Academy was founded by her grandfather, Prime Minister Zhang, after he resigned from office."
"No wonder even the dean of the academy has to listen to her."
"Yes, I heard that she will be studying in the same class with the young master and the fat boy from now on."
"Tsk tsk, isn't that beautiful? She's the only woman in the entire academy."
"You won't be the only woman anymore!"
"Why?"
"There are several princesses and grandchildren in the palace who want to come to our Lushan Academy. Since the dean has agreed to Zhang Yuru's request, we naturally cannot refuse the palace's face."
"Who would have thought that Lushan Academy would be even more popular among the royal family and nobles than the Imperial College?"
"Haha, don't tell me those princesses are here just to be classmates with the young master."
"I think ninety-nine percent of them came to Lushan Academy for the handsome young master."
The students who were leaving school one after another were talking about it.
Xia Linan met up with his two younger brothers, Xia Yongan and Xia Pingan, and the three of them listened to all the students' discussions.
"Brother, is that Zhang Yuru pursuing you?" Xia Yongan reached out and pulled Xia Linan's sleeve, looking up and asked.
"Don't talk nonsense!" Xia Lin'an said seriously, "A woman's reputation is very important. Second brother, please don't say such things casually."
"I understand, big brother." Yongan answered obediently.
"Let's go, let's go home quickly, mother must be waiting anxiously."
"Brother, why did you blush just now?" Xia Pingan beside him suddenly asked.
Blushing?
No way.
"This... maybe it's because I walked too fast and I have a fever." Xia Linan explained.
But why explain it to a little kid?
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