Chapter 784 First Day of School
At 3:45 AM, the sun had already risen.
Fifty-four people walked in through the main gate and went directly into the square.
The square was empty, with nothing there. In the southeast, there was a high platform with tables, chairs, and a screen, which looked quite elegant.
Pang Jie looked at the servant behind him: "Go and bring down a chair for me to sit on."
Just as the servant was about to make a move, a group of people walked out from behind the screen.
The man at the head was none other than the only prince of the Great Yu Dynasty, Prince Qin. He was dressed in a brocade robe with python patterns and held a fan in his hand, looking very dashing.
As soon as he came out, the people below bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."
"No need for formalities." King Qin gestured with his hand. "At Xiao Qin University, I am the headmaster. When you see me in the future, just call me Headmaster Qin."
Many of the people below were acquainted with the King of Qin and often played cockfighting and dog racing together, so they immediately started laughing and joking.
"Then we've met the headmaster."
"This Xiao Qin Academy is Qin Shanzhang's academy, so it's like his own territory."
"Your Highness is the headmaster now, how about I become the deputy headmaster? I'll run errands for Your Highness."
"Then I'll be in charge of serving tea and water to the headmaster."
"..."
As usual, a group of spoiled young men joked around while subtly flattering the King of Qin.
Cheng Wanwan stood behind the King of Qin, her gaze slowly sweeping across the faces of each student. The ordinary scholars stood reservedly at the back, while the sons of noble families of lower status remained silent. Only the sons of marquises and generals jumped out to chat with the King of Qin, almost as if they were about to come up on stage and put their arms around each other's shoulders.
And the King of Qin...
She looked at the King of Qin's profile, and there he was, looking completely blissful.
He thought it was just a casual get-together where everyone could say whatever they wanted, but this was the first day of school...
How could the emperor, a man so diligent and hardworking, have such a younger brother?
"Cough cough!" Dr. Tao coughed violently, which drew the attention of the King of Qin. Then he whispered, "Your Highness, let's not forget our important business."
The King of Qin rolled his eyes at him: "Do I need you to remind me?"
Dr. Tao: "..."
Okay, he was the one who talked too much. He should just keep quiet.
"Quiet down!" the King of Qin ordered. "Stop laughing and joking around. Line up neatly."
The people below, to the best of respect for the King of Qin, quickly lined up in a row according to their status and rank.
"You all see the Xiao Qin Academy, right? It's the largest academy in the capital, and it boasts Confucian scholars who rival even the Imperial Academy. Your ability to study here is a testament to your ancestors' virtue, so each of you must cherish this hard-won opportunity," the King of Qin declared loudly. "The Xiao Qin Academy holds monthly examinations. The person who tops the list for twelve consecutive months will be directly recommended for an official position. If no one can reach that level, then one person will be selected from the top five..."
There were fifty-four people in total, but only one could enter the court as an official. It sounds difficult, but compared to the fierce competition of the imperial examinations, it was actually very easy.
Just as a glimmer of hope rose in Peng Wang's heart, the spoiled brats below spoke up.
"What will the monthly performance review assess?"
"Then it must be testing horse racing, drinking, cockfighting, or cricket fighting."
"Hahaha, then I, Pang Jie, am guaranteed to be number one. When it comes to these things, none of you here can compare to me."
"Brother Pang, you're only good at cricket fighting; you're not so good at anything else."
“That’s right.” King Qin joined the conversation. “Pang Jie, take this opportunity to tell everyone where you caught the crickets. I’ll have someone catch a few for me later.”
Peng Wangxin felt a chill in his heart. Hadn't they agreed to learn a foreign language? Why did things suddenly change?
The dozen or so scholars below also changed their expressions. This King of Qin was too unreliable; what was written on the recruitment list was completely different from what was actually happening...
Dr. Tao opened his mouth, but ultimately chose to remain silent.
The other Confucian scholars exchanged glances, shook their heads secretly, and decided to remain silent.
Cheng Wanwan sighed. It seemed that she would have to play the villain after all.
Her gaze fell on the student named Pang Jie. If she remembered correctly, the person who injured Yu Zhan's finger during the imperial examination was this young master Pang.
If we hadn't run into Young Master Pang, it would have been fine. But since we've already run into her, we might as well take this Young Master Pang down with us.
However, now is not the time.
Cheng Wanwan took a step forward and walked to the very front of the platform.
Because she was dressed so plainly, the students present only noticed that Mrs. Sui had also come after she came out.
The giggling and laughing subsided a bit, and everyone looked at her curiously.
"Headmaster," Cheng Wanwan said calmly, "this is a school, a place for imparting knowledge, teaching skills, and resolving doubts. As the leader of a school, shouldn't the headmaster set an example?"
Her voice was as calm as water, revealing no emotion, yet it inexplicably filled the King of Qin with a sense of shame.
The reason he founded the school was inspired by Madam Sui, who also wanted to build a career in the Great Yu Dynasty. How could he have lost his temper and joined these bastards just because he heard them talking about crickets?
He's the headmaster now, and these bastards are students. It does seem a bit inappropriate for the headmaster to talk about these things with the students...
"May I ask the headmaster, do you still remember what our school teaches?" Cheng Wanwan looked up at him. "If you have forgotten, Dr. Tao can give a lecture."
"Of course I remember," the King of Qin said sheepishly. "The Xiao Qin Academy mainly teaches foreign languages, including those of the countries of Seso, Banni, Laki, Asab, and so on—a total of ten languages. However, in the first year, only three languages are taught. Graduates can be sent by the court to study in those countries..."
Cheng Wanwan smiled faintly: "Then why doesn't the headmaster talk about the students' responsibilities again?"
The King of Qin stroked his chin: "The duty of a student is, of course, to study hard, isn't that right?"
“That’s right.” Cheng Wanwan nodded. “Xiao Qin Academy is a place for learning, not a place for enjoyment. So, is it appropriate for students to bring servants to school?”
The students below, except for those from poor families, almost all brought at least two or three servants. People like Pang Jie and Li Jian brought as many as six attendants. If they were studying seriously, they didn't need so many people to serve them; one page was more than enough.
"What's wrong with bringing attendants to school?" Pang Jie said with dissatisfaction. "Don't the princes and princesses in the palace also bring maids and eunuchs with them when they go to school?"
“Brother Pang, please understand. Madam Sui was born a peasant. People from remote mountain villages would never have the money to buy servants, and they don’t understand the significance of having servants.”
"Besides, our headmaster also brought his entourage. Since the headmaster sets an example, we should certainly follow his lead."
"We only listen to the headmaster."
"That's right!"
Cheng Wanwan quietly looked at the King of Qin.
The King of Qin felt uneasy under the woman's gaze. For some reason, he always felt inferior to others.
He avoided Cheng Wanwan's gaze, walked to the front, and said coldly, "Madam Sui is a teacher at Xiao Qin Academy. Anyone who dares to be disrespectful again will be asked to leave by me... I, the headmaster, will ask them to leave! Since you say you want to take the headmaster as your role model, very well, then now, all of you, leave!"
He turned around and dismissed his two attendants.
The students below were stunned.
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