Chapter 237 Meeting the Teacher, Smoke and Fire Rise...
Zhang Ting put down the small burlap sack from her shoulder, hugged her newly acquired cat son to her chest, and asked, "Where did he come from?"
"Meow~" Her heterochromatic eyes blinked gently, and she was very docile.
Zong Suyi sat up slightly, her fingers circling the cat's tail. "My aunt sent this. Go and pay your respects quickly, don't keep her waiting." Her eyes were languid, as if hooked.
Zhang Ting nodded, realizing that a big battle was inevitable tonight. She carefully placed the cat in her arms and said, "Take good care of our son. I'll come to see you and your son again tonight."
Zong Suyi blinked in bewilderment: Where did this son come from?
Zhang Ting went off in a hurry, while his teacher returned to Huzhou Prefecture. The teacher and student had been separated for half a year and had a long chat.
Finally, Zhang Shu said, "I'm getting old. You know better than I do about the political situation and the state of the world. But there's one thing you must remember, Xiaoting." She turned around and suddenly grabbed Zhang Ting's hand. Her hand was thin and sallow, with prominent veins and a few dark brown age spots, yet it was so strong.
"Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; if one's sharpness is too great, one's achievements may overshadow the ruler and endanger oneself." Beneath his graying eyebrows, his cloudy eyes were moistened.
Throughout history, how many tragic examples have been born? Aren't they enough to serve as a warning? The pinnacle of power is both exquisite honey and silent poison.
Zhang Ting stared into her teacher's eyes and grasped her hand in return, "This disciple understands."
Her three proposals blocked the aristocratic families' plans to protect and pass on their wealth, seized the land and people they had painstakingly acquired, and supported poor scholars to rival them. Those people wished they could torture her to death.
If Emperor Chengjing were to pass away one day, and the new emperor were to weaken himself and need to win over the powerful families, she would become the new emperor's way of showing his sincerity to these families.
But some things in this world always have to be done by someone. If she can end the corrupt administration ahead of schedule and bring a new dawn to the people, then she will gladly accept all the consequences.
However, she is not Shang Yang, nor will she become Shang Yang.
No matter who it is, there is only one outcome for those who oppose her: they will become mounds of earth.
But Zhang Ting is hated so much by the nobility that no one truly supports her?
Of course there were. As the land survey was carried out, the land that had been forcibly seized returned to the people, the slaves who had been privately confined were released, and the poor students who had given up the exams regained the opportunity to make a name for themselves. They spread the news and wept with joy.
Furthermore, as these systems are gradually implemented and deepened, her name will be heard by every citizen of Dayong, deeply rooted in this vast land.
There was a sudden knock on the door. "My lord, many students have come to pay their respects outside the manor."
Zhang Ting and her teacher exchanged glances, wondering if it was a student preparing for the imperial examination who had come to pay a visit to their mentor. Now that the results were in, she had no more reservations and turned around, saying, "Please let them in."
Zhang Shu waved his hand, "In that case, you may go."
She bid farewell to her teacher and arrived at the outer courtyard hall. Inside the spacious and exquisite room, more than a hundred people stood crammed together, each dressed in tattered clothes and emaciated.
"Who are you all?" she asked hesitantly.
These people looked unfamiliar, appeared to be from impoverished backgrounds, and were not even candidates for the imperial examinations.
"Thump!" One by one, the students bowed down, the dull sound like spring thunder falling to the ground.
The one in the lead even gave her the most solemn kowtow, his eyes reddening and his voice choked with emotion: "Student thanks you for your kindness, teacher. I will never forget it in this lifetime!"
The other students looked up at her, their eyes filled not with awe or fear of power, but with boundless gratitude and reverence. They were grateful that she had spoken up for them, paving a path for them to change their lives; they revered her noble character, her courage in the face of power, and her willingness to fight against the nobility.
"Students bow in gratitude to their teacher!" This heartfelt cry, echoing from countless students, was earth-shattering and deafening. Their eyes held a reverence that subtly revealed the radiance of faith.
If it weren't for the person in front of them, they would never have had a chance to turn their lives around, and would be relegated to the lowest class for generations to come.
Zhang Ting's gaze calmed down as she swept over each of the "students." Some of their faces were youthful, while others were weathered, but all of them were filled with excitement.
She said nothing, but returned the greeting with a bow, just like a true teacher.
This gesture brought tears to the eyes of countless students. How could a man of such extraordinary virtue as Lord Zhang show such respect to them, lowly commoners as insignificant as duckweed?
"The road ahead lies before us, and we shall meet again." All her hopes were contained in this sentence.
After speaking, he walked forward, his gaze sweeping over each face as if trying to imprint them into his mind.
The crowd parted to make way for her, and everyone remained kneeling in worship, watching her figure disappear into the distance, as if watching a bright moon that had illuminated their dark lives.
With the imperial examinations concluded, her students will be scattered across the world, becoming the backbone of her support.
The impoverished students who received her guidance all regarded her as a role model to be pursued and admired throughout their lives.
She was both the tutor of the emperor and the teacher of commoners, and her kindness and righteousness were unparalleled throughout history. Even years later, scholars all over the world considered it the greatest honor to meet her.
...
Zhang Ting's moves were too ruthless. Countless powerful and influential people in the capital wished they could tear her apart and eat her alive. Yet, she was deeply favored by the emperor and even held the Emperor's sword, bestowed upon her by the emperor himself, to eliminate evil and wickedness. No one dared to disobey her.
The powerful and wealthy both hated and feared her, but they could only swallow their anger and try their best to please her.
The Duke and his wife, who were imprisoned in the mansion, were filled with mixed feelings.
"Didn't they say that Zhang Ting's achievements were so great that they threatened the emperor's favor and made him unpopular?" The Duke of Zheng's husband sobbed, slumped over the table. "We were forced to cause trouble, and now look what's happened! We've offended someone. They could kill us both with a single sword stroke!"
Duke Zheng was also extremely anxious and paced around the room, cursing, "Crying, crying, crying! All you know how to do is cry! If you hadn't accepted their money, if you hadn't stirred up trouble in front of His Majesty that day, would the Duke's mansion be in this state now!"
The Duke of Zheng's husband was scolded until tears streamed down his face. He said, "My lady, how can you blame me for everything? You agreed to it in the first place. How come the blame is all placed on me after the matter was exposed?"
"You still have the nerve to talk back?" Duke Zheng stepped forward and slapped him across the face. "A wife is the head of the household. To talk back to your wife is unworthy of a husband and disrespectful to your children. Do you believe I'll divorce you today?"
The Duke of Zheng's husband's face was slapped to the side and swelled up instantly. He buried his head on the table and sobbed softly.
"You little brat raised by your stepfather, you have absolutely no manners or dignity. That's why your mother raised such a lowly wretch who caused trouble outside and brought misery to the entire Duke's mansion!" Duke Zheng's eyes were sinister as he grabbed the boy's chin and spat at him.
"How could I have married someone like you?" She tossed the man aside and ordered the servants to drag the young master out. She was going to take him to the Zhang residence—no, now the Duke of Dingguo's residence—to atone for her sins and beg for his forgiveness.
The Duke of Zheng's husband was thrown aside. When he heard his wife about to drag their son to take the blame, he was so frightened that he grabbed her leg and cried out, "My lord, my lord, please don't do this! He's my only son! You're forcing him to his death!"
"If he hadn't been so shameless, I wouldn't have ended up like this!" Duke Zheng kicked him away, refusing to listen to reason and now he had to suffer the consequences.
Just then, an ordinary-looking servant suddenly appeared and walked in slowly. "Your Excellency, you are too anxious. If you want to accomplish great things, you need to calm your mind."
The hall fell silent as the Duke of Zheng and his wife looked at the newcomers.
Isn't this the one who instigated them to attack Zhang Ting...?
With both old and new grudges combined, the couple rushed forward, determined to teach this man a lesson.
"Fine! If you hadn't spread false information back then, we wouldn't be in this mess today! And you still dare to walk right into our trap?"
"If it weren't for your wicked scheme, my son wouldn't be so disgraced to this day, causing such a scandal in the city, and unable to get married again! You shameless woman, I'll beat you to death!"
The servants scoffed. They had been paid to do the same thing, serving the emperor and acting in his loyalty. And now they were questioning her? It was utterly shameless.
However... people with no moral bottom line are easier to bribe, aren't they?
The servant beckoned, and several people emerged from the shadows, carrying several boxes. They opened them one by one, revealing dazzling gold, exquisite silks and satins, and round, full pearls that shone brightly in the room.
The Duke and Duchess of Zheng stopped in their tracks, their mouths agape as they stared at what lay before them. How much money must this be? Even all their wealth couldn't compare to a tenth of what was before them.
The urge to teach someone a lesson vanished instantly. Duke Zheng cleared his throat. "Is this your apology gift to us?"
The servant smiled and said, "That's right."
The Duke of Zheng was so happy that his mouth turned up in a smile, and he reached for the pile of treasures, but his hand was suddenly knocked away.
The servant said, "This is my sincerity in cooperating with the Duke, but the Duke should also let me see your sincerity. Isn't that right?"
Duke Zheng hesitated, "What do you want from me?"
The servant chuckled, his eyes turning deep and dark. "I've heard that your young master holds an important position in the Ministry of War. I imagine that the defense maps of the border and the capital region must be a piece of cake for you."
Duke Zheng exclaimed in astonishment: "You, you, you, you... you want me to become a traitor? This is unacceptable! No, no, absolutely not!"
Even the Duke of Zheng's husband was so shocked that his mouth was half open, and he could no longer care about anything else.
The servant approached her step by step, his eyes filled with determination. Suddenly, he sneered, "Could it be that Your Excellency, the Duke, only wants to be a prisoner of the old dynasty and not a king of the new one? You even turn a blind eye to countless beauties and endless wealth."
Upon hearing this, the Duke of Zheng fell into a long silence.
The servant smiled with satisfaction.
In the remote depths of the southern desert, in a desolate and lifeless corner, smoke rises slowly, and a towering altar stands in the center, with a large number of wild beast skeletons exposed, and a bloodthirsty aura soars into the sky.
In the mist, a pair of sinister eyes greedily gazed upon the vast land to the north.
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