Chapter 197: Chapter 140: Storytelling_1
Translator: 549690339
Seeing the confused expressions of the others, Ning Caichen was also puzzled and immediately turned to Xu Yang, introducing him to the crowd, “Gentlemen, this is Brother Li, who has traveled here with me.”
At this sight, everyone was taken aback, only then did they notice another person in the hall.
No, it would be more accurate to say that a person had appeared out of nowhere!
This left everyone rooted in place, unsure of how to proceed.
Until now, they had only seen Ning Caichen alone.
When did this person come in, and how had they not noticed at all?
The crowd was alarmed at first but soon strangely relaxed.
Only the three maidens turned pale, dropping their heads, sitting silently, daring not to speak.
However, the scholars did not notice this.
The warm-hearted Feng Sheng stood up and said, “So this is Brother Li, my apologies, my apologies.”
After speaking, he sat down and said to everyone, “To think that a trip out has led to a night at an ancient monastery, a chance encounter with all the gentlemen here, and even three young ladies, truly is a delight of life. Tonight, we must drink joyfully and sing merrily.”
After saying this, he poured himself a cup of fine wine.
In the hands of the others were also cups, which clearly showed that they were drinking earlier. Feng Sheng went on to top each off.
Last of all, he offered two cups to Ning Caichen and Xu Yang, “Brother Ning, Brother Li, please!”
Seeing this man’s wild and somewhat dissolute demeanor, though not disagreeable, Ning Caichen did not refuse and took the wine cup, toasting and drinking it all in one go.
“What a generous drinker, Brother Ning.”
With a smile, Feng Sheng then asked, “What place does Brother Ning hail from, and what brings you to stay here?”
Ning Caichen made no attempt to conceal it, “I am a man of Jiangzhe, from Jiaxing. I wished to study at the Guo Bei Academy, but due to excessive expenses on the road, my funds are nearly exhausted. I could not afford the cost of staying in the city, and having heard that there was a temple here generously offering lodging, I decided to come.”
“Guo Bei Academy?”
These words provoked a variety of reactions from the people present.
“Brother Ning is seeking to study at Guo Bei Academy?”
Feng Sheng smiled and exclaimed, “I’ve heard that Guo Bei Academy admits all comers without discrimination, even women are allowed to enroll and study. Many beauties from Jiangnan, including the Qinhuai Eight Beauties, have forsaken the brothel to immerse themselves there. If given the chance, I’d like to witness it myself.”
At this, a scholar by the name of Xie also laughed and said, “Brother Feng truly is a romantic and unrestrained, an exemplar for our kind!”
Another voice chimed in, “But I’ve heard that the headmaster of the Guo Bei Academy is quite domineering and overbearing, extremely unorthodox!”
“It’s beyond unorthodox, it’s downright rebellious!”
A young man dressed in silk spoke coldly.
“There are already rumors circulating that Li Liuxian looks down on everyone and harbors disloyal intentions, thinking of rebellion. Back in North City, he already dominated the local area, declaring himself king, completely disregarding the government, driving countless families to ruin.”
“In recent years, he has expanded his reach to various places in Jiangzhe and across Jiangnan, establishing branches everywhere. There are Taoist Temples, martial arts schools, merchant guilds, escort agencies, cloth workshops, granaries, pharmacies – he wants to control everything, leaving no room for others.”
“Now, it’s not just Jiangzhe and Jiangnan, but likely the entire southern region, the land of seven provinces, that he’s tainted with his influence!”
“His ‘academy’ is only a school in name but is in fact a local military stronghold. Its nine main departments carry out administrative duties akin to the Three Departments and Six Ministries of the imperial government, and he has a private army and manufactures armor and weapons. He even collects taxes – the duties of the imperial government are performed by him, rightful or not. If this isn’t treason, what is?”
“Today’s seven provinces of the south are no longer the empire’s; they belong to Li Liuxian, to the Guo Bei Academy. Countless people have been oppressed by his tyranny and even had their families wiped out.”
“His actions are no different from those of a bandit. From antiquity, it has been said that in literature there is no first, and in martial arts there is no second – our history has always featured a contention of a hundred schools of thought. Yet he insists on being unrivaled, denouncing other academies as fallacious and heretical if they do not join Guo Bei.”
“The Taoism and Buddhism sects, if their temples and Taoist temples do not merge into the Guo Bei Academy’s dominion, then he would destroy their establishments or force them to flee far away.”
“Furthermore, he seizes lands across the world, swallowing up others’ businesses. He no longer resorts to cunning schemes, but directly uses brute force to expropriate. Countless people driven to death and despair by him, their homes destroyed, left destitute and displaced!”
“A traitor, a villain, every person under heaven wishes to devour his flesh alive!”
“Bang!!!”
The more the richly-dressed Young Master Chu spoke, the more agitated he became, until he finally smashed his wine cup to pieces.
“This…”
Seeing his manner, the others looked at each other in astonishment, not knowing what to do.
But Young Master Chu paid them no heed and turned his gaze towards Ning Caichen, “So I advise you not to go to that Guo Bei Academy. Such a tainted place is not worthy of the name of an academy. Going there would only make you an accomplice to a tiger’s deeds!”
“This…”
“Brother Chu is drunk!”
“Please excuse him, Brother Ning.”
Hearing this, a few hurried to smooth things over.
However, Young Master Chu was not looking to save face, “I’m not drunk, I’m very clear-headed. Others may fear Li Liuxian, but I, Chu Jiangliu, certainly do not.”
“To cause his downfall, first let him be mad with power. With Li Liuxian’s current conduct, he’s the maddest of the mad, the craziest of the crazy. No one in the world can stand him; his downfall is but a moment away!”
“With the new emperor on the throne, bringing reform to the bureaucracy and reordering the Qiankun, and with the support of the Holy Monk of Cihang leading Buddhism, we will surely see the prosperous era of restoration under Emperor Xian Zong revitalized, sweeping away all rebel forces and bringing peace to the ten directions!”
“So, Brother Ning, I urge you, do not make a misstep or board the ship of that villain. Otherwise, you’ll be implicated and die a regretful death in his pernicious wake… Here, Brother Feng, fill another cup, and let’s drink together.”
Young Master Chu’s face was flushed, whether with drunkenness or sobriety, it was hard to tell.
Seeing this, the people found it inappropriate to comment further.
Only one person took things seriously.
That was…
“Brother, your words are mistaken!”
Ning Caichen stood up and addressed Young Master Chu, “Although the Gaobei Academy is indeed somewhat overbearing and despotic, in these chaotic times, such draconian measures are needed to cleanse the Qiankun and purify the heavens!”
“Today, with the Three Teaching Sect’s various divisions, despite all claiming to be orthodox and prestigious, they still hold sectarian biases and rivalries, incessantly fighting. Much of the world’s chaos stems from this!”
“Guo Bei Academy has consolidated all Taoist Unity, dispelling the world’s conflicts. It implements practical education to benefit the livelihood and development of the people; the citizens live peacefully and joyously, and the nation grows stronger by the day, sweeping away the previous air of decline.”
“With such deeds, how can it be considered treasonous?”
“This is the master of the righteous path!”
Ning Caichen looked at Young Master Chu, “Since ancient times, those who win the hearts of the people conquer the world. Those who lose governance and virtue should naturally be replaced, just like the cycle of life and death. This is the law of nature and the way of heaven. Where does the talk of usurpation come from?”
“You…!”
Hearing these words, Young Master Chu’s fury intensified. He slammed his cup down and cursed, “Good, it turns out you’re also a rebel! Before even entering Guo Bei Academy, you’ve been bewitched by their heretical rhetoric. You cannot be spared!”
With that, he moved to draw his sword.
“Brother Chu, Brother Chu!”
“No, no!”
Seeing this, several people hurriedly restrained him.
But Ning Caichen showed no fear, “I may be untalented and too weak to truss a chicken, but I am not intimidated by a threatening sword. If you wish to kill, then come. But does Brother Chu realize the consequences of your family history?”
“You… Hmph!”
At this moment, Young Master Chu also calmed down, looking at the undaunted Ning Caichen, he resentfully pushed his precious sword back in its sheath, “Rebel, do not be so arrogant. The new emperor has initiated a new era, and the Holy Monk has returned. The imperial court will surely re-establish order and purge the disloyal. When the time comes, you will regret it!”
After speaking, he sat down sulkily and paid no further attention to Ning Caichen.
The other scholars, seeing this, felt helpless and could only persuade Ning Caichen to sit down.
Such scenes have become increasingly common in Jiangnan in recent years.
The clash, conflict, and influence of new and old ideologies are reflected in every aspect.
This includes the concepts, discourse, position, and side-taking of scholars and literati.
By extrapolating from the particular to the general, one can understand the dramatic changes in the seven southern provinces over the past few years.
The new regime and the old, two powers, each with its own following, and stakes intertwined.
Thus, the arguments are the least of concerns, as outright brawls and fights to the death are all too common.
This is the sweeping trend, the onslaught of waves, the collapse of old forces and old rules, and the establishment of new forces and new orders.
Bloodshed and slaughter are inevitable!
In response to this, several scholars who had not yet taken sides could not say much, only trying their best to appease both parties to avoid bloodshed right then and there.
Feng Sheng didn’t dare to propose more toasts and could only change the subject, asking Ning Caichen, “Brother Ning, you reside in Jiaxing. Shouldn’t you be seeking education in Jinhua within Jiangzhe Province? How did you come to this land of Guangling?”
“The land of Guangling?”
“What Guangling land?”
These words left Ning Caichen utterly astonished, “Isn’t this Suzhou Mansion?”
“Suzhou Mansion?”
“What Suzhou Mansion?”
Feng Sheng was also surprised, “This is Guangling County, I’m from Guangling. I went on a trip recently, intoxicated by the mountains and waters, lost track of time, and roamed indiscriminately, ending up at this temple. How could I possibly run from Guangling to Suzhou?”
“Wrong, isn’t this Hangzhou?”
“Nonsense, this is clearly Jiangning!”
“Gentlemen, do not jest with me; this is clearly Jinyang.”
“This… this… this…”
Hearing their conversation, the faces of the other scholars also changed, looking at each other in dismay, extremely shocked.
“It’s wrong, there’s something wrong with this place!”
Young Master Chu also sensed something amiss. He stood up abruptly and drew his precious sword, looking around at everyone with a mix of shock and anger, his complexion pale and his heart in a panic.
How had he ended up here, and why was he making merry with these strangers whose origins and identities he did not know?
This was not his usual behavior!
Why was he acting so contrary to common sense and his own awareness, and yet completely oblivious to it?
What on earth was going on?
Ning Caichen was also unsettled, feeling that strange sensation growing stronger in his heart, and so he approached Xu Yang, “Brother Li, something… seems a bit off.”
“Is that so?”
Xu Yang responded with a smile upon hearing this, “Where do you think it’s wrong?”
“This…”
“You!!!”
Before Ning Caichen could speak, Young Master Chu turned and rushed at him, his sword pointing straight at him, his face a blend of shock and anger as he demanded, “Are you a human or a ghost?”
“What are you doing?”
This action startled Ning Caichen, who then stood up in anger, “If you have a grievance, come at me, and do not involve others.”
“Shut up!”
Young Master Chu shouted furiously, staring intently at Xu Yang, pointing at Ning Caichen, “When he came in, we only saw him alone, we didn’t see you at all. How did you come in, or rather, what exactly are you?”
“Me?”
“I am a storyteller and a writer.”
Seeing this, Xu Yang responded with a smile, “Now, I have a story, would you like to hear it?”
“This…”
His words seemed magical – regardless of what everyone was thinking, willing or not, at that moment they all obediently sat down, including Young Master Chu with his unsheathed sword.
The crowd listened, and he began his story.
“Once upon a time, there was a mountain, and on that mountain, there was a tree…”