Chapter 533 The Academy is Fully Activated
"I'm leaving now, I'll come find you again next time!"
Liu Ju waved to Chen Ajiao and climbed down the ladder that had been lowered from the wall.
Chen Ajiao patted the sawdust off her clothes. She never imagined that one day she would be doing woodworking with a child.
I must say, despite his young age, Liu Xiaozhu has quite good skills; no wonder he's a disciple of the Mohist school.
After a jumble of random thoughts, Chen Ajiao came to her senses and looked at the Changmen Palace, which had suddenly fallen silent without the children's chatter. The smile on her face vanished, replaced by a deeper sense of loneliness.
On the other side, Liu Che led his men to turn Weiyang Palace upside down, anxiously searching for Liu Ju's figure.
Gao Jianli and his companions disregarded the rules of the imperial palace and used their lightness skills to search around.
Then, Liu Ju, who was dragging a small ladder, was grabbed by the collar by Gao Jianli, who descended from the sky.
"gentlemen!"
Liu Ju looked up in surprise, his face still covered in dust.
Gao Jianli frowned as he wiped his face and asked in a deep voice, "Where did you run off to?"
Liu Ju's eyes darted around, and he pulled over the ladder he had made to change the subject: "Look! What do you think of the ladder I made?"
Gao Jianli stared at him quietly. Seeing that he blinked but didn't say anything, he didn't press him for details. He picked him up and was about to leave.
Liu Ju skillfully wrapped his arms around Gao Jianli's neck, not forgetting to shout, "My ladder! Take it with you, sir!"
So, Liu Che, who was frantically searching for his son, saw Gao Jianli appear, holding his son in his left arm and carrying a wooden ladder in his right.
"Ju'er!"
Liu Che went up to him, examined him carefully, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Liu Ju had no wounds, just some wood chips and dust. Then, a surge of anger rose within him.
"Where did you run off to? Why didn't you let anyone follow you?"
Before Liu Che could finish his question, Liu Ju, who had been put down by Gao Jianli, strode forward with his short legs, grabbed Liu Che's leg, and looked up at him pitifully.
"I miss my father. Does my father miss me?"
"Don't think that I'll forgive you just because you said that." Liu Che tried his best to remain angry.
Liu Ju continued, his small mouth pursed, and his eyes welled up with tears: "Father, don't you miss your son?"
"..." Liu Che's heart trembled, and he gritted his teeth to hug him. "Keep making trouble. You'll get what's coming to you sooner or later."
Liu Ju, his little face hidden in Liu Che's arms, revealed a sly smile. Clearly, the storm had passed. He hugged Liu Che's neck and nuzzled against him, saying, "Father is the best—"
Liu Che tried hard to restrain himself but couldn't suppress the smile on his face. He gently patted his head and hugged him tighter: "It's good that you know."
Gao Jianli, standing nearby, couldn't bear to watch. How could he possibly say anything to him? When it comes to indulgence, wasn't Emperor Wu of Han (Liu Che) the one who indulged Liu Ju the most?
"Ju'er!"
Upon receiving the news, Empress Wei Zifu rushed over in a panic, her hair disheveled. Disregarding all etiquette, she snatched her son from Liu Che's arms and examined him carefully several times.
"Mother, I'm alright."
Liu Ju smiled sweetly, and then Wei Zifu, relieved, gave him two light slaps on his bottom.
"Mother!"
"Calling me won't do any good! Who gave you permission to run around like that! How old are you!"
Empress Wei Zifu was fierce, and Liu Ju couldn't help but shrink back, looking pleadingly at Emperor Wu of Han for help. Emperor Wu looked up at the sky and the ground, refusing to look at him; he couldn't bring himself to do such a thing. But he wouldn't stop the Empress from doing it either; Ju'er needed to learn a lesson.
"Mommy, I'm almost two years old now, you can't spank me anymore!"
Liu argued vehemently, but Wei Zifu remained unmoved. She held him tightly in her arms and gave him another slap, saying, "If you run off again, I'll beat you whether you're twenty or two hundred years old!"
Helpless, Liu Ju could only rub his face against her like a kitten, apologizing, "I was wrong, I really know I was wrong, Mother—"
Liu Che was itching to touch her, seeing her pleading and apologizing so sweetly. If he were to do it himself, would Ju'er be acting like that with him?
Suddenly having a bad feeling, Liu Ju looked around suspiciously, then tried to change the subject: "Ju'er is hungry, Mother, shall we go back for dinner?"
Thinking that he must be hungry after running around outside for so long, Wei Zifu felt a pang of pity and carried him to have a meal. Liu Che, who was following behind, clenched his fist with a hint of regret.
Next time, next time, let him, the father, do the spanking.
Unfortunately, for a long time, Liu Che did not have this opportunity.
After making a mistake and going missing once, Liu Ju learned his lesson. Although he still had some minor mishaps afterward, they were all within everyone's tolerance.
He never disappeared from thin air like that again, but his friendship with Chen Ajiao in Changmen Palace was quietly preserved.
It can only be said that after the genius baby learned his lesson, he became more skilled with practice and was never caught again.
...
In the following years, Liu Ju continued to study under various tutors, encouraged Li Si to improve the laws of the Han Dynasty, helped Zhang Liang and Han Xin to communicate amicably, and occasionally worked with the Mohists to tinker with some small gadgets that would benefit the country and its people.
His horse stance was still a bit unsteady, but he had already collected a complete set of miniature weapons, making Liu Che envious. He also learned the Swift Step technique the fastest, to the point that Dao Zhi now walked with his head held high in front of everyone else—no wonder, since he was the one who taught him the most effective techniques!
Liu Ju lived a wonderful and exciting life, and Liu Che was no less so, living a very fulfilling life!
On the one hand, we must manage the progress of the Han Dynasty, whose path and direction have changed due to the assistance of many schools of thought; on the other hand, we must rack our brains and find ways to open more academies as soon as possible to help the Jixia Academy fully open.
Fortunately, after some probing by the system, Liu Che found another way: by having Liu Ju first come into contact with various schools of thought and promote the core of those schools of thought to the outside world, he successfully opened up other academies through a two-pronged approach.
Although the pace was slow, the visits to each company were coming one after another, and the results were visible, which satisfied Liu Che.
...
In the first year of the Yuan Shou era, Liu Che's fingertip hovered above the "open" button on the virtual projection. His Adam's apple bobbed with tension. He subconsciously lowered his head, his gaze sweeping over his 7-year-old son, Liu Ju, beside him.
Seeing him looking up at the eaves of the Jixia Academy, with the jade crown in his hair reflecting a warm light in the twilight, Liu Che suddenly relaxed.
Looking at the "Master Academy Opening" task on the system screen, which was already completed and awaiting confirmation, I felt completely at ease.
This was the last academy to be opened, so on this day, Liu Che specially brought Liu Ju to the Jixia Academy to witness with the people from other academies what the fully opened Jixia Academy would be like.
Meeting Liu Ju's gaze as he looked up, Liu Che smiled with relief, and without further hesitation, clicked "Activate".
[Distinguished Scholar Academy Now Open]
[In progress... All schools of thought academies are now open, and the academy system is fully activated]
Welcome to Jixia Academy!
As the system notification dropped, the people standing in the square of Jixia Academy noticed that the wood, stone and blue bricks inside the academy seemed to be flowing like living things, and blue light veins seeped out from the gray brick seams, like a galaxy emerging from the depths of the earth, dreamlike and illusory.
Liu Che instinctively shielded Liu Ju behind him, only to see the flowing light surge across the threshold like a tide, weaving cloud patterns beneath their feet. Suddenly, a purple-gold haze rose from the roof of the entire academy, the carved beams and painted rafters unfolded in the halo, and magnificent buildings rose from the ground. The auspicious beasts on the eaves even came to life, raising their heads and emitting clear, melodious cries.
The various academies, which were originally isolated and could only be accessed through the marks on the stone tablets, now emerged from their respective small spaces, taking root and sprouting within the expanded academies, and changing along with the changes in the academies.
The pine trees of the Confucian Apricot Altar suddenly grew ten feet tall, their branches bursting with snow-white blossoms; strings of lamps hung from the eaves of the Taoist Pavilion of Leisure, each reflecting the yin-yang symbol; Legalist texts flew into the walls of the building like incantations, flashing with golden light...
The most impressive feature is the Trial Tower rising from the ground in the center of the academy. The tower is made of nine-colored glazed tiles, and each window on each floor emits a different light.
From the system's prompts, Liu Che learned that this was a training ground specifically prepared for the students of the academy, with each level increasing in difficulty. However, each level he cleared would yield generous rewards.
This was a pleasant surprise for Liu Che, who had already defeated the Xiongnu and dealt with the small tribes and states on the border. He was just looking for a place to test the learning outcomes of each group!
"Father, look!"
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