Chapter 539: Building the Academy (Part Two) [Happy National Day, please give me a minimum reward!]
Jiang Sheng spotted a familiar face at the entrance of the government office.
Although the other party was a woman, she wore a Wenxin monogram.
Surprised, she still greeted him politely: "Madam Yan, what brings you to the government office today? Are you here to see Ji Shou?"
Ning Yan is Xu Jie's envoy, so why has she been lingering until today? Also, what's the deal with her literary monogram...?
Furthermore—
In today's world, there is only one way for a woman to gain literary appreciation.
Although Jiang Sheng had doubts in his heart, he did not show them on his face, lest he be misunderstood as trying to drive away guests. Ning Yan returned the bow and said, "It's not for Ji Shou, but a summons from our lord."
"My lord?"
This title contains a lot of information.
Jiang Sheng quickly figured out most of it, even guessing the channel through which Ning Yan had so quickly gathered her literary talent. He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he couldn't help but gasp – this woman was truly ruthless towards herself!
He smiled slightly: "In that case, we will be colleagues from now on. My name is Jiang Sheng, courtesy name Xiandeng."
Ning Yan said, "My given name is Ning Yan, and my courtesy name is Tu Nan."
That's how the two officially met.
This was Ning Yan's first time visiting the Longwu County government office, so Jiang Sheng, being an elder, volunteered to lead the way. This task should have been done by Kang Shi, but he had been sent out early that morning to inspect the progress of spring planting, so Ning Yan had to come by herself.
The government offices of Longwu County, to put it nicely, were minimalist; to put it bluntly, they lacked everything—simple huts built of wood, stone, and mud. Apart from a few specific buildings that were somewhat elaborately constructed, the rest were extremely sloppy…
Where is the grandeur that a prefectural government office should have?
"Longwu has just experienced the ravages of war, and the government office is still under repair. Please forgive us, Tu Nan..." Jiang Sheng tried to save face.
Ning Yan didn't care about these things. This precisely shows that Shen Tang was unconcerned with trivial matters and valued talent over wealth. It would be terrible if a place that had just experienced war had extravagant government offices.
In addition to introducing the internal workings of the government office, Jiang Sheng also introduced several of Shen Tang's main confidants. Although he did not yet know Ning Yan's abilities, her Wenxin Huaya rank was evident, and even if she was not a top-tier confidant in the future, she would not be the one who was neglected.
It's essential to get to know everyone beforehand.
I wonder what their mindset was...
He also introduced Qishan last.
Ning Yan showed little reaction to the names of others, but her expression changed when she heard "Qi Shan, courtesy name Yuanliang." Jiang Sheng couldn't help but wonder—could it be that Qi Yuanliang's entourage of offenders had expanded to include the inner quarters of the women's quarters?
He probed, "Did you know each other before?"
Or is it that Qi Shan has a grudge against Ning Yan's deceased husband?
Ning Yan brushed it off: "I met him a few times when we were young."
Zhen Qishan's maternal family was the Kang family. The Kang, Qi, and Ning families belonged to the same social circle. Even though the Qi family had long since fallen on hard times, they still occasionally maintained contact. However, what made Ning Yan, a woman from a prominent family, familiar with the name "Qishan" was because...
The two families had previously discussed marriage.
That was a very long time ago.
The Ning family valued Zhen Qishan's talent and temperament, but this young man, who had already shouldered the family's responsibilities at such a young age, had his own opinions and politely declined the Kang family's offer to act as matchmaker. Because Zhen Qishan clearly expressed his intentions, the matter was dropped.
To protect Ning Yan's reputation, few people knew about this.
Even Ning Yan herself only learned about this matter by chance from her elders after she had already made an engagement with Yan An.
Now we're going to be colleagues...
Life's encounters are unpredictable and ever-changing.
Before they could finish speaking, they had arrived outside the council chamber.
Inside, several people were talking, seemingly debating how to settle certain individuals. Before Ning Yan could figure out who they were, Jiang Sheng stepped inside and said, "My lord, guess who I brought here..."
Shen Tang guessed right away: "It must be Tu Nan."
Ning Yan lifted the hem of her dress and stepped over the threshold.
"Ning Tunan greets the lord."
The eyes of several people in the room were all on her.
Shen Tang waved his hand: "No need for so much formality. Today isn't a formal morning meeting. This is the Tu Nan I told you about. I hope you can work together harmoniously in the future."
Never start a war!
Shen Tang was very pleased. He had finally recruited a literary talent who did not require any effort from his lord. This was a good omen!
Once there's one, there's two; once there's two, there's three!
Light is just around the corner!
Ning Yan accepted the gazes of the crowd with composure, showing no stage fright, and greeted everyone one by one. When it was Qi Shan's turn, her expression showed slight surprise. Qi Shan, puzzled, said, "Young Master Qi, your appearance has changed drastically compared to when you were young..."
They can't be described as similar; they're completely unrelated.
There's no trace of its former self.
Qi Shan looked at her, puzzled: "...Have you seen me before?"
Ning Yan: "..."
She didn't answer, just smiled politely.
Knowing Qi Shan's background, Shen Tang quickly smoothed things over, gesturing for Ning Yan to come over. She didn't want to disturb Ning Yan at this time—based on Chu Yao's experience, she naturally knew that quickly developing literary talent in this way would cause physical pain and discomfort for a long time.
This is precisely the time when one needs to recuperate.
However, Ning Yan is the main character today.
"...I wonder what business it is that my lord has summoned me?"
Shen Tang pointed to the blueprints on the table and said directly, "I plan to establish an academy, and I hope you can serve as its dean. I will invite several renowned teachers to provide basic education for the students, but I cannot handle matters related to cultivation..."
Ning Yan never expected this to be the mission.
Enlightenment and education are good things, but...
"I should not refuse the important task entrusted to me by my lord, but... in terms of cultivation, experience, and seniority, everyone here is far superior to me." Ning Yan was speaking the truth. Although she had rich theoretical knowledge, she was still a novice in practice.
She could be a dean in name only, but when it came to teaching students cultivation... Ning Yan was afraid she would mislead them.
Shen Tang shook her head: "But this matter cannot be done without you."
"It has to be swallows?"
This made Ning Yan feel flattered and overwhelmed.
"Because this academy currently only has female students."
Shen Tang's words were startling, and her expression seemed genuine.
"Although they are officially taught skills like weaving and sericulture, in reality... they are all specially selected women with cultivation talent. Whether they can change their fate depends on this one chance. I think you, Tu Nan, understand."
Only after experiencing darkness can one truly appreciate the value of light.
Ning Yan suddenly opened her eyes wide, her pupils trembling slightly.
"All, all of them are..."
Shen Tang nodded emphatically.
"Yes, all of them! Excluding you, there are seventy-two people in total. Eighty percent of them are between six and sixteen years old. Their talents may not be outstanding, or even somewhat mediocre, but—if they can successfully overcome this hurdle, their lives will be completely changed. The remaining twenty percent are all over sixteen years old... It's a bit of a pity, but I don't want to give up easily... I chose the location of the academy a long time ago... in the most prime, central location!"
It was built on the street next to the government office.
Safety is guaranteed, and it is convenient for local management.
"If we disregard aesthetics and focus solely on practicality, the construction cost would be at most twenty taels..." Shen Tang's fingers deftly manipulated the abacus. "These are minor expenses; two meals a day, clothing for all four seasons, teaching materials, and the teacher's tuition..."
Chu Yao sighed: "My lord, money is not a problem."
The recent confiscation of property brought in a fortune, the public treasury is bulging, and even the lord received some. This money was used to pay off part of Xun Zhen's huge debt in installments, so this budget can still be allocated.
The problem is that the government can't find a qualified tutor!
Seriously, there wasn't a soul in sight!
Shen Tang looked at Ning Yan with bright, sparkling eyes.
"Does Tu Nan have any good recommendations?"
It would be best to poach some more people from Xu Jie's side!
\(￣︶￣*\))
It's already October 1st, and I still have a power outage... At first, I thought some brat had pulled the plug, but... I feel like I've been cursed a thousand times.
It's only holding on thanks to the phone's tiny battery...
I get anxious when the power goes out; I won't be able to sleep tonight...
(End of this chapter)
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