☆ Chapter 86 Who says civil officials don't go to the battlefield?
Feng Wei was somewhat surprised.
Zhao Yunjing's article was posted in the lecture hall for ten days, and many students studied and praised it every day. One teacher even said that if the article were presented to the emperor, it would be so good that the emperor would take notice of it and directly appoint him as the top scholar.
Zhao Yunjing's writing is good, but to say that even the emperor would favor him is an exaggeration. Moreover, even if he really has the literary talent, if he is not good-looking, sickly or ugly, the emperor would be frightened when he sees him. How could he possibly become the top scholar?
I met him in person this morning. Well, he is quite good-looking, refined, polite, quick-witted, and very knowledgeable. But outside of class, he becomes very quiet and timid.
Unexpectedly, they actually dared to accept the challenge.
Feng Wei sneered: "Brother Zhao, your courage is commendable, but fists have no eyes. If you hurt your hand and can't hold a pen anymore, you'll never be able to write beautiful articles again. Then I'll be guilty of a terrible crime."
The two beaten students grabbed each of his arms and said, "Brother Zhao, a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. We are scholars, we don't play the role of street thugs. Let him be as arrogant as he wants, someone will eventually teach him a lesson!"
Hu Peiran hugged his waist: "Brother Zhao, calm down! Calm down! Think about Miss Zhou! She's so delicate! Think about Eighteenth Sister! She's so young! What will they do if something happens to you? With this kind of person, reasoning and fists are useless. We'll just throw money at them later!"
Zhao Yunjing slapped away the hands of the three men one by one and said calmly, "Scholars are indeed not scoundrels, but scholars also eat human food and drink. There is no reason for them not to fight back when others bully them. If they are trapped by their identity and dare not seek justice for themselves, then reading more books will be in vain."
Scholars dedicate their lives to learning, but what is the purpose of all that learning? To accomplish great things, to do the right things. Those who undertake great and the right things need not only intelligence but also courage; otherwise, if one day the country and the emperor need you on the battlefield, you'll only be able to feign illness and stupidity.
“But civil officials don’t go to the battlefield; we only need to offer our opinions and analyses in the court.”
"Who says civil officials don't go to the battlefield? How did the first war after the founding of our Great Liang Kingdom end? It was Lord Guo who went to the battlefield alone and walked past 30,000 enemy soldiers from the Tianlang Kingdom, thus securing the opportunity for peace talks. Afterwards, he also debated with 36 scholars from the enemy alone, and finally met directly with the emperor of the Tianlang Kingdom, ultimately leading to the signing of an agreement that the other side would not invade again for 50 years."
Feng Wei frowned: "What Lord Guo? Where did this Lord Guo come from? Peace talks? Which war has been negotiated? Our Great Liang Kingdom has never suffered a defeat!"
Zhao Yunjing looked around and saw that most of the students looked confused. He sighed softly: "Military generals do not talk about peace. Talking about peace means showing weakness, so naturally they are unwilling to mention it. At that time, most civil officials also believed that if Lord Guo took the initiative to seek peace, he would lose the integrity of a scholar and be unworthy of being a scholar who has studied the classics. So they would not mention it either."
They regarded Lord Guo as a disgrace to the Great Liang Kingdom, but they did not know that it was that fifty-year agreement that not only brought fifty years of peace to the people, but also gave our Great Liang a chance to breathe and won the most important opportunity for development.
Fifty years later, Lord Guo passed away. The Emperor of Tianlang Kingdom sent two letters: one mourning Lord Guo's passing, and the other a declaration of war.
Hu Peiran already had an image in his mind of a slender civil official who was fearless in the face of danger for the Great Liang Kingdom. But Zhao Yunjing stopped at the most crucial moment, and he immediately became anxious and asked, "What happened next? What happened after that?"
Feng Wei scoffed: "Of course we won in the end! Otherwise, we wouldn't be where we are today! Stupid!"
Feng Wei and his three supporters burst into laughter.
Zhao Yunjing looked over, his gaze indifferent, and the laughter of Feng Wei and the others gradually subsided, and the scene returned to silence.
Hu Peiran urged, "Brother Zhao, tell us quickly! The Tianlang Kingdom issued a challenge, what happened after that?"
"Three years later, the Tianlang Kingdom sent troops, and the war between the two countries broke out again. The battlefield where the two armies clashed was the same battlefield that Lord Guo had walked alone fifty years ago."
However, unlike the isolated and helpless state before, the Great Liang Kingdom's national strength had leaped forward in the past fifty years. We won this war of national protection very well. The Tianlang Kingdom signed an agreement promising not to invade again for two hundred years. This battle also demonstrated the strength of our Great Liang Kingdom to the surrounding nations, deterring them from easily attacking us.
Seeing that the onlookers breathed a sigh of relief, Zhao Yunjing continued, "I dare not say whether the generals fought bloody battles back then and were able to drive the Tianlang cavalry out of my Great Liang Kingdom and make them return the seven cities. Therefore, time cannot be reversed, and I cannot go back to the past."
Lord Guo bought fifty years of opportunity for the Great Liang Dynasty, a fact recorded in historical texts. Those interested can find the answer in the books; don't assume that battlefield affairs are none of the concern of civil officials and scholars.
He turned to look at the two students who had been beaten and said in a deep voice, "The rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every citizen. If war breaks out one day, the enemy will not care whether you are old or young, male or female, scholar or general. One blow from their blade and no one can withstand it."
Scholars, considered the pillars of the nation, will be the first to be sacrificed. If their lives are lost, what integrity can they possibly uphold? To preserve the integrity of scholars, we must first ensure the long-term peace and stability of the nation. But how can we ensure the long-term peace and stability of the nation?
There is only one path: to keep the war at bay, to be vigilant in times of peace, and to vigorously develop our national strength. And we, the subjects of Great Liang, regardless of status or rank, should all be prepared to go to the battlefield at any time.
The two students are named He Jiu and Tian An, which together make up Jiu An.
After hearing Zhao Yunjing's words, the two looked ashamed: "Brother Zhao is right. If we encounter injustice again in the future, we will never back down because of our status as scholars."
Feng Wei clapped his hands, then clicked his tongue: "I've only ever seen Brother Zhao in all the world who can link stirring up trouble with the rise and fall of the nation! You've truly broadened my horizons!"
"If Brother Feng doesn't want to fight, then he should apologize to these two classmates, and we can call it a day."
"You expect me to apologize to them? What right do they have to do so!"
Feng Wei laughed, "Since you've already come up with a reason to fight, wouldn't it be a disservice to Brother Zhao if I refused? However, just having a contest like this isn't very interesting, so let's set up a prize."
"Can."
"If I lose, I will kowtow to those two brats, admit my mistake, and leave Huilan Academy. If you lose, you will kowtow to me, admit your mistake, and leave Huilan Academy. How about this wager, Brother Zhao? Do you dare to do it?"
Just as Zhao Yunjing was about to speak, Young Master Chen stepped up from behind: "Feng Wei, you can be jealous, but don't resort to such despicable tactics. Zhao Yunjing, this Feng fellow has already used these methods to get rid of three classmates; don't fall for his tricks!"
Hearing the commotion, the teachers rushed over from the dining hall next door to stop him: "Feng Wei, don't do anything reckless! Zhao Yunjing, you are very talented, and the headmaster has high hopes for you. You just need to focus on your studies and don't need to argue with others!"
"Thank you both, but I am not trying to spite anyone. It is because my two classmates have been humiliated because of me that I cannot stand idly by, nor can I swallow this insult on their behalf."
Zhao Yunjing placed the food on the table and stepped out, saying, "Brother Feng, please!"
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