Chapter 1105: We Must Be Scientific [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
She looked at Luan Gongyi, feeling bitter and helpless.
Now, forget about making a living; even leaving here alive is a question. Just as she was worrying about losing her head, Luan Xin looked intently at her face and, for some reason, let out a sigh: "What's your name?"
She said: [Miao Ne.]
Luan Xin then asked: "Is there writing on it?"
Since the ability for women to cultivate is a relatively recent phenomenon, most parents tend to name their daughters with connotations of "virtuous and gentle," and Miao Ne's name clearly doesn't fall into that category. Luan Xin, wanting to understand Miao Ne better, presumptuously asked another question.
Miao Ne confessed: [My courtesy name is Ximin.]
Luan Xin: [Is a gentleman slow to speak but quick to act?]
Seeing that Luan Xin didn't seem to intend to kill her, Miao Ne's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and a blush of embarrassment quietly appeared on her cheeks: "Well, it's just that I was too mischievous in school, causing trouble for the teacher several times. So when it came time to choose a courtesy name, the teacher specifically asked the headmaster for this one."
The dean Miao Ne was referring to was none other than Ning Yan.
During the Longwu County period, Ning Yan's main task was to establish and improve the rules and regulations and teaching methods of the official academy. Miao Ne was not among the first batch of students, but she enrolled around this time. At that time, she still harbored resentment, believing that the misfortunes in her family were all caused by the bandit Shen Tang. Her father's death, the dispersal of her clan, her mother's tears, and her life as a dependent—all of this was caused by that man surnamed Shen. Although she was young and ignorant, she knew that she could not reveal her identity, much less let others know her true identity.
Dean Ning is a subordinate of Shen Youli.
Therefore, while other students admired Dean Ning and seized every opportunity to get close to her, Miao Ne could only suppress her urge to approach her and watch from afar each time. Over time, Ning Yan also noticed this special little girl and mistakenly thought that Miao Ne was unsociable, so she instructed the teacher to take good care of Miao Ne.
The college operates on a boarding system.
Miao Ne can only see her family once a month.
In this environment, she was gradually influenced by her peers, playing with them and temporarily forgetting her hatred and vigilance. Dean Ning never treated the students as children, but rather as future scholars and warriors. In addition to cultural learning and cultivation guidance, he would arrange various strange tasks every now and then, including but not limited to farming in the countryside, military training, patrolling and guarding the city, and running a business. Occasionally, he would also assign them specific tasks to write reflections on.
Miao Ne's most memorable experience was searching for a beggar.
The regulations stipulate that beggars of three age groups, spanning three generations, must be identified to gain a deep understanding of why they beg and the underlying reasons for their actions. The question also addresses how students, if they were local officials, should provide assistance.
Miao Ne's homework was very perfunctory.
She believes that beggars beg because they are lazy!
If a person with intact hands and feet is not lazy, what can't they do?
If there is land, farm it; if there is no land, reclaim wasteland.
As a result, Miao Ne received her first D grade in her academic career, failing the exam. She was punished with ten strokes of the cane by the teacher and then forced to meditate under the scorching sun for three hours. At that time, she had not yet cultivated her literary energy and was not physically strong; she almost suffered heatstroke and fainted that day.
The next day, the teacher helped her ask for leave.
He personally helped Miao Ne rewrite her homework.
While other students only needed to find three suitable beggars, she had to find thirty, even stripping off her student clothes to become a beggar herself and experience what it was like to beg. Miao Ne was initially unconvinced, but after spending a few days in the beggars' den and listening to their casual conversations, she realized that things weren't so simple. Many of these beggars had suffered persecution at the hands of Miao Ne and her servants.
The land was forcibly bought and sold, leaving no land to cultivate.
The reclaimed wasteland was forcibly seized, and there was no way to complain.
The husband was tricked into gambling or borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates, causing his parents to die of grief, and his wife and daughters to be forcibly sold into slavery. These beggars said that the neighborhood used to be full of beggars. They formed gangs to protect their territory from being robbed.
There have been fewer and fewer beggars in the last two years.
Miao Ne thought the beggar had been beaten to death and secretly disposed of him.
In her mind, beggars might not be considered human.
Unexpectedly, the beggars said that the beggars had been reformed by the government. Some of the clever ones learned a trade, the hardworking ones were allocated land, and the wronged ones were gradually brought to justice. They said they should wait a little longer, and maybe their good days would come.
Miao Ne's values were completely shattered during this period.
There is a huge conflict between past perceptions and reality.
When she learned that so many people's blood and tears were connected to her surname, a strong urge to escape overwhelmed her. She tried to deceive herself, telling herself it was all fake, a lie... The teacher, unaware of the truth, thought Miao Ne's unusual behavior was due to her overly extreme teaching methods. Moved by compassion, the teacher softened his stance. Miao Ne, with the support of her and her classmates, weathered this period of transformation.
If you make a mistake, can you still ask for forgiveness?
The Master said: "To err is human, to forgive divine."
Miao Ne's eyes lit up again.
Once her pent-up frustration dissipated, she abandoned her former rules and etiquette, pursuing spontaneity and consciously shedding her old habits. However, this sudden unleashing of her true nature was too abrupt; Miao Ne became almost the most mischievous student in her class, causing her teachers considerable headaches. The teachers even asked the dean for the advice, "A gentleman is slow to speak but quick to act," hoping she could temper her personality.
Unfortunately, Miao Ne failed to live up to his teacher's expectations.
He dropped out of school as an outstanding student and became a wandering knight-errant.
The teacher assumed she was heartbroken and therefore had no interest in her studies, but in reality, Miao Ne dared not continue. Her classmates' ideal path was to enter officialdom, accepting assignments after graduation. Miao Ne couldn't do that. She couldn't even pass the background check. She didn't want to become an official; she only wanted to immerse herself in the lives of ordinary people, practicing chivalry and adventure.
I only hope to eradicate all injustices in the world and eliminate evil completely!
To atone for my sins, and for the Miao family.
Lacking experience in the ways of the world, he suffered a lot in his early years.
Now, having become a seasoned veteran, she had to return home after receiving a letter from her critically ill mother. Her maternal grandfather had passed away two years prior, and as her mother's only child, she needed to become the pillar of support her mother could rely on. To become that pillar, she needed to have a stable source of income.
This action directly led to the exposure of his identity.
Luan Xin's attitude was excessively mild: "I've seen your grades at the academy; they were quite good. Why did you drop out?"
Miao Ne remained silent on this answer.
Luan Xin didn't expect her to answer.
Miao Shu is also considered one of my students.
Miao Ne showed a moment of surprise.
She vaguely remembered Miao Shu, who was arrogant to the point of being haughty and stubborn, prone to extremism, and habitually treated others with arrogance even when interacting with her fellow clansmen. Miao Ne couldn't believe that Luan Xin and she were actually master and disciple.
"As long as you have no ill intentions, you may stay in my residence for now." Luan Xin neither ordered Miao Ne to be killed nor had her thrown out. He added, "I am not a qualified teacher, nor have I fulfilled my responsibilities as her mentor. I have only received a hollow title. Times have changed, and I never imagined you would become my daughter's first teacher. It is fate. Ah, so be it. I am on leave these few days. If you have any questions about the ways of the scholar, you can seek my help."
How did you know...?
As a dropout, Miao Ne had limited knowledge of the ways of the scholar and had no teachers from the academy to help her understand, so she could only figure out her cultivation on her own. If Luan Xin hadn't lied to her, then he had truly been a great help!
With Luan Xin's corrections, she avoided many detours in her cultivation.
After consulting Miao Ne, Luan Xin recommended her to Shen Tang. This was also the first time Miao Ne had seen her family's sworn enemy up close. Although she was an enemy, Miao Ne felt no hatred towards her. After years of wandering, she knew better than anyone what the Miao family had done wrong, even if their behavior was common in this world.
But is what's common always correct?
Miao Ne felt that the Miao family was wrong and owed too much blood debt.
This idea became clearer after meeting Shen Tang.
At that time, Shen Tang was already the ruler of a country, a figure above all others, yet his clothing and daily necessities were inconsistent with his status as a ruler, being excessively simple. Miao Ne couldn't even convince herself that Shen Tang was putting on a show. This kind of habitual frugality couldn't be faked.
After this encounter, Shen Tang did not pursue the matter with Miao Ne.
In her words, Miao's crime was wiped clean back then, and there should be no double punishment for the same crime. After careful consideration, Miao Ne did not choose to enter officialdom, thus disappointing Luan Xin's good intentions. She only maintained a one-way communication with Shen Tang in private—even a person sitting high on the throne cannot see every corner of the common people, and she was willing to be his shadow.
Just as she vowed back then.
Evil must be eradicated completely!
Therefore, not many people know about Miao Ne.
"My lord, wouldn't you say Miao Ximin is 'untainted by the mud'? It's truly unexpected that she and Miao Shu are from the same clan. Speaking of which, if Miao Shu had been in a different environment back then, perhaps her life would have taken a different turn?" Bai Su sighed deeply after hearing Shen Tang's description. Miao Shu had caused her a great deal of trouble back then, and she had a deep impression of this enemy.
"Fate is a matter of unpredictability."
Character determines destiny.
Even if Miao Shu had a chance with Miao Ne, there would be no turning back.
After a brief encounter with Miao Ne, the four of them rested for a while before heading towards Shangnan County. Their pace wasn't slow, but they slowed down upon entering the territory of Shangnan County.
There were signs of war everywhere in Shangnan County. It was unclear whether the common people had suffered or had been evacuated in advance. Shen Tang did not see many ordinary people: "Let's go to the government office first."
The four entered the country quietly without alerting anyone.
"This is... the seat of Shangnan Commandery?"
The closer they got to the capital, the scorched earth became, a landscape of pitted, barren yellow soil with not a trace of green. Shen Tang's mind flashed back to the memorial submitted by Shangnan County last year, and her heart sank: "Shao Xuan, are you sure we haven't gone the wrong way? Is this really the capital of Shangnan County?"
Bai Su nodded firmly: "It can't be wrong."
She has visited Shangnan County several times.
You're on the right track, this is it!
Looking at the endless expanse of scorched earth, Shen Tang pursed her lips and led the three forward, traversing the battlefield ruins on foot. Gong Xi Chou crossed his arms, constantly looking around. Ji Mo Qiu noticed Shen Tang's displeasure and interrupted Gong Xi Chou before he could speak. Gong Xi Chou could only suppress his impulse, his sharp eyes spotting a strange object standing ahead: "What is that?"
It was a long metal pillar reaching towards the sky.
"There's more here..."
The closer to the capital, the more of these metal pillars there are.
Very few remain intact; most are severely damaged.
At first, Gong Xichou thought it was some strange decoration, until Shen Tang discovered a special mark in an inconspicuous corner of the thing. He hoped his older brother would recognize it, but his older brother also shook his head. However, Mama understood it and explained, "It's a Mo family mark."
To be precise, it is the seal of Kita-chiu, the chief craftsman of the Imperial Workshop.
Because some members of the Mohist school had a habit of leaving marks on their works, these imprints were like personal signatures, and Shen Tang recognized the item's owner at a glance. The four of them soon discovered several more, and Gong Xi Chou exclaimed in surprise, "How strange! Why are so many odd pillars stuck here? To build houses?"
Shen Tang thought of the contents of Shangnan's battle report.
I guessed what they were for.
"These pillars are similar to the copper tiles on the roof, used for lightning protection. The battle report from Shangnan County stated that endless lightning bolts appeared on the battlefield..." Therefore, it's reasonable that extra-large lightning rods were planted all over the battlefield. Well, even in this world that doesn't follow science, there are some places where science prevails.
A short while later, shouts came from afar.
"Get away from me!"
"Who gave you permission to approach this thing?"
The rapid sound of horses' hooves was accompanied by several warning cries.
"What were you doing just now?" A group of soldiers approached, their faces urgent, clearly mistaking Shen Tang and his companions for ordinary refugees. It was understandable that they would misunderstand; Shen Tang and his group were simply dressed and travel-worn, easily blending into a crowd of refugees and wandering knights. In the blink of an eye, the distance between them closed.
Shen Tang replied, "Just curious to take a look."
The team leader clearly did not believe her explanation.
In recent days, the battlefield has been cleared and these lightning rods have been removed, and some audacious commoners have come to steal them.
They're all really fearless.
"Watch your eyes! Don't be so curious about everything, or you'll lose your life! If I find out again, it won't be as simple as just a few words." The leader of the group didn't deliberately make things difficult for them; he just pretended to drive the four away and made a few threats.
"Yes, yes, we'll be going now." Seeing that Shen Tang hadn't revealed her identity, Bai Su didn't expose her either. They could also take this opportunity to see what the soldiers were like in private and whether they had violated military discipline.
"Wait, stop first."
Just as Shen Tang and his three companions were about to turn around, they were stopped by the team leader.
"Judging from your builds, you're not ordinary people, are you?"
"They are wandering knights who have traveled here."
The team leader continued questioning, "What brings you here?"
"I received a letter from home a few days ago, and heard that there was fighting here, so I wanted to come and meet my relatives." Shen Tang lied with her eyes wide open.
"This place is deserted; you shouldn't be going this way."
Shen Tang was startled: "Is no one here?"
The captain secretly observed Shen Tang, wary of the possibility of these four suddenly attacking: "When the two armies are at war, we are ordered to transfer all the common people in the city and escort them to the nearby counties. Since you are here to find your relatives, they are probably in those places."
He kept a close eye on the direction of Shen Tang and the other three.
Left with no other choice, Shen Tang could only pretend to change course.
Simultaneously, he used a spell to secretly switch the items right under the noses of the patrolling soldiers, then summoned a bluebird to deliver a message to Qi Shan. When Qi Shan arrived after receiving the message, Shen Tang had already entered the inner city of the administrative center… no, the administrative center no longer had an inner city…
Half the city was reduced to ruins.
Only makeshift tents dot the ruins.
|ω`)
Nervous, tomorrow is the driving test (Part 1)
(We couldn't make plans last week _(:з」∠)_, so I'm going to do two more practice tests to calm my nerves.)
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