Every day of life begins in the early morning. In the sixth month in Guanzhong, before the sun has even risen, sultry humid air waves spread across the flat ground. The ancient bell of the academy still rang according to its usual rhythm—clanging away. Although it had only been established for a short time, Yushan Academy already possessed a certain simple antiquity and tranquility.
It wouldn’t change in the slightest because of any one person joining. Sitting for long periods in summer was already a burdensome task. After each class ended, the benches would become damp, so someone needed to wipe them down with clean water every day. Originally there were duty students, but after Dan Ying arrived, wiping the desks and chairs for the lower grades became his monopoly.
Yesterday was because when he was getting food, he accidentally bumped Li You’s elbow right on the numb tendon, causing him to tip a basin of thin porridge onto Li An’s head in front of him. Although it was an accident, he was still punished with wiping the entire classroom for three days.
As for the previous time, when he was carrying water, the hook on the shoulder pole suddenly slipped from the water bucket. When it swung up, it happened to catch on Meng Butong’s buttocks. It seemed somewhat serious—Meng Butong lay flat on his bed for two days before he could get up. After that, every time he saw Dan Ying, he would cover his buttocks and hide far away.
As for Li Tai’s experience in martial arts class, it was enough to make speakers sorrowful and listeners weep. Originally he had assembled a large group of experts, preparing to give the new student a proper lesson. Who knew that a quarter hour later, all the experts were lying on the ground piled in a heap, with Li Tai at the very bottom.
After wringing out the cloth, he hung it on the rope in the corner. Dan Ying straightened his waist, picked up the wooden bucket, poured the dirty water into a pool, then prepared to go to the river water at the entrance to wash the bucket. This too was required.
Actually, he liked doing chores. Sometimes if he didn’t do some work for a day, his whole body felt uncomfortable. In a classroom, he was the oldest by age. A group of half-grown boys aged eleven or twelve worshipped him greatly. Dan Ying powerfully protected them, not only beating those upper-grade bullies until they fled in disgrace, but also always rushing to do chores. If such a person didn’t become the leader, who would?
So Dan Ying’s book bag never lacked various pastries. These were all specially brought for him by lower-grade students when they went home, each one acting like they were committing theft. The academy didn’t allow students to bring food from home—it would often be confiscated. Those enforcing this regulation were those upper-grade profligates, very impartial and incorruptible. As for where the confiscated pastries and delicacies went, the academy never inquired.
No one dared search Dan Ying’s book bag. After the fellow who searched out pastries last time got his hand caught by the door handle, no one searched his bag anymore. So in the entire academy, only he could bring food from home to the academy. His underlings naturally all sought him out—even if they had to lose half, Dan Ying viewed this as completely natural. His father, and his father’s father, were great bandits who divvied up spoils on the spot. How could he himself be an exception?
After suffering a great loss, Li Tai learned to be very clever. He specially invited Dan Ying to attempt the maze as atonement for laughing at others. He would issue an invitation every seven days. After each invitation, he would also present large bottles of medicinal ointment and have Meng Butong specially apply the medicine. It was medicinal wine specially made by Master Sun. To make the medicine’s efficacy spread out, it needed vigorous rubbing. Meng Butong was very energetic about it, sometimes even rubbing while gritting his teeth. Although he knew these two harbored ill intentions, Dan Ying was still very willing to accept the invitations.
All of this fell into Yun Ye’s eyes. He didn’t stop it. Dan Ying needed collective life. This kid’s values were seriously skewed. Correcting them would be very difficult. Only time might perhaps slowly smooth over the injuries he had suffered.
Yun Ye currently had no time to consider Dan Ying’s education problem. He had a person to receive, a very important person—someone recommended jointly by the thirty-one households of the Yun family manor, said to be a remarkable person. According to reports, he lacked nothing in benevolence, filial piety, or talent and learning, and was rare material worth cultivating.
The Yun family’s tenant farmers were now all people whose eyes had grown on their foreheads. When they encountered outsiders, they were too lazy to even greet them. Yet unexpectedly, there was such a person who actually won their unanimous favor, and they even had family members specially petition Old Madam. The favor couldn’t be considered insignificant.
The tenant farmers’ request was hard to refuse. As long as the Yun family didn’t want to gain a reputation for looking down on tenant farmers, Yun Ye had to see this fellow and couldn’t be discourteous. To enter the academy to study, there were those who knelt for long periods at the entrance, those who made a fuss and joked around, and as for those who pulled strings and used connections—those were all regular channels. Taking the tenant farmer route—this person was the first.
A refined young man, his blue hemp garment had already been washed white by water. The cuffs had long since become frayed. On his feet he wore a pair of straw sandals. Although crude, the pattern on them looked better than others’ straw sandals. His hair was combed meticulously, tied with a piece of hemp cloth that appeared to have been temporarily torn from his clothing. If Yun Ye now lifted up his garment, he would surely see a certain area missing a large piece.
What most drew Yun Ye’s attention were those eyes, spinning all around in their sockets, rarely stopping in any fixed position. This was not a person content with his lot. Yun Ye’s water cup had already been refilled eight times by this fellow after standing up. Basically, as soon as he took a sip, he would refill it once.
During this time, Yun Ye hadn’t said a single word. Not that he didn’t want to speak, but he didn’t know where to begin. The answer sheet the academy used to examine new students was still completely blank. In other words, this fellow knew nothing. Why then was it so difficult to speak words of refusal?
At the very bottom of the paper, only one maxim was written: “Heaven’s movement is vigorous and strong. The gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement!”
“Do you know the meaning of these words?” After careful consideration, Yun Ye spoke.
“This junior student knows something. It means that when Heaven does base things, we should consider it farting. Of course we should cover our mouths and noses, not breathe, and endure for a while, then it will pass. What does Master think of this junior student’s answer?” The young man looked at Yun Ye expectantly.
Yun Ye’s complexion turned somewhat green. He looked at that line of calligraphy that possessed some technique, then looked at the young man’s hopeful face, forcibly restraining his temperament to ask again: “Have you attended school? Who was your teacher? I want to meet this person.”
“This junior student has never attended school. These words—this junior student heard them from Young Master Zhang’s mouth, felt they were very imposing, so memorized them. Not understanding the meaning within, I went to ask Young Master Zhang, and Young Master Zhang explained it to this junior student like this. This junior student keeps it in mind and dares not forget.” While speaking, he even cupped his hands toward outside the door, as if thanking that bastard from the Zhang family.
“You’re not from a good family?” Yun Ye asked him again. Sons of good families in the Great Tang wouldn’t be deceived to such an extent. That Young Master Zhang dared to so insult learning for only one reason—the young man was registered in the base registers.
Unexpectedly, the young man pulled a household registration document from his clothing. His face flushed bright red as he said loudly: “This junior student is from a good family! From one month ago I am! My mother too, from one month ago she is! This is the document given by the Chang’an County Office.”
Yun Ye heard the implication in his words. Without speaking, he took the document. Opening it to look, sure enough, this was a manumission document that had only taken effect one month ago. But the terms above greatly shocked Yun Ye.
For a lame slave mother worth only eight hundred wen, the young man Qu Zhuo had worked at grain merchant Zhang’s family for a full ten years. Who knew why Qu Zhuo had signed such a contract back then? From the contract, it appeared that at age eight he should have been from a good family at that time, not a slave.
His background was very worthy of sympathy, but his learning fell far short of the academy’s admission standards. If he softened momentarily and accepted him, it would be the greatest injustice to other students who tested in.
“Qu Zhuo, your learning is far too inadequate. The academy has no way to admit you, and you’ve also missed the examination time, so you should go back. Build a good foundation in your studies and come again.”
Yun Ye couldn’t bear to see Qu Zhuo’s disappointed appearance, so he specially lowered his head. His circumstances and perseverance had to some extent already caused Yun Ye to develop some favorable feelings toward him.
He didn’t hear disappointed sighs, nor did he hear weeping. There was only a cheer. Yun Ye looked up in astonishment to discover Qu Zhuo laughing with happiness. There was no dejection, just pure cheering, laughing.
Perhaps noticing Yun Ye’s strange expression, Qu Zhuo said loudly: “Master, Yushan Academy is the Great Tang’s finest academy, an imperial academy. You said the reason I was refused was insufficient learning, is that so or not?”
“Indeed so. It’s precisely that your learning doesn’t meet the standard, not because of other reasons.” Yun Ye suddenly realized he understood why he was cheering, and couldn’t help laughing as well.
“Don’t laugh at me, Master. I don’t recognize many characters. My writing too was traced from stone tablets. I know my learning is insufficient, so this junior student didn’t come to be a student. I want to be a menial laborer at the academy. What does Master think?”
These words made Yun Ye want to vomit blood. He had been completely led around by this fellow who knew absolutely nothing. Constantly calling himself “this junior student” made Yun Ye thoroughly believe this fellow wanted to be a student. Who knew he only wanted to be a menial laborer? If he didn’t qualify as a student, surely he qualified as a menial laborer?
Having refused someone once, it was difficult to refuse a second time. Especially since this fellow had brought out even the job-seeking experience from the modern workplace. Yun Ye really wanted to see just how far such a prodigy would go in the academy.
In any case, the academy was now full of prodigies. One carrying a water bucket had just passed by. Under the waterfall there was another one fiddling with iron implements. In the library there was one who never left except for eating, sleeping, and attending class. In the sand field there were always two idiots fighting. At Sun Simiao’s place there was someone who always liked throwing iron, copper, and even silver borrowed from Yuchi into sulfuric acid just to see what changes would occur.
Meng Butong spent all day observing the sky, fantasizing that one day he would fly up. Jin Zhu constantly dragged Huang Shu around everywhere looking for ancient tombs. Lishi sat in the room with dragon bones thinking about the past and future. Zhao Yanling spent all day weighing water with scales. The Gongshu family used firewood sticks to construct small palaces.
As for the madman who carried a parachute and jumped down from cliffs, stuck needles in his own body, and gave eloquent speeches to large trees—at the academy these were already nothing to speak of.
Qu Zhuo bent his waist, hunched his back, shrank his neck—completely the image of a servant—yet his eyes greedily stared at the bookshelves. Yun Ye smiled gently. There were already quite a few prodigies. What’s one more?