Tie Ci was also thoroughly electrified by his touch, feeling numb and tingly all over. She thought irritably that this person had started off so serious and proper, but turned out to be quite the yandere after all.

She chuckled softly and wiped her mouth, “No, look at this pastry crust – doesn’t it look just like the silver you lent me last night?”

Rong Pu clearly didn’t understand this kind of joke and looked at her somewhat bewildered, but Tie Ci had already turned around to go back to catch up on sleep.

This kind of intimidation tactic couldn’t scare her. She was a woman who possessed three palaces and six courtyards after all!

Before class, Tie Ci called over Chi Xue and gave her some quiet instructions before heading to the lecture hall.

The next several days passed without incident. Tie Ci was waiting for a certain verification. During the day she attended classes as usual. The academy students’ attitude toward her had changed from collective bullying to keeping a respectful distance. She didn’t mind this either. After listening to lectures, she would spend an hour with Wei Xing, bringing along a pile of snacks he liked, playing many games and doing exercises with him. She didn’t go to the bathhouse for bathing. In the deep of night when all was quiet, she would jump into Fragrant Lake instead. Speaking of luck, the academy night patrols had never come to inspect the shores of Fragrant Lake during her bathing times.

When awakened at night by snoring sounds, she would suddenly think of the lamplight in that small building that night, think of the person who had looked back at her with his face upturned in the lamplight, think of that glossy, bright swan, wonder what he was having for his midnight snack tonight. Thinking and thinking, she would get hungry, then fall asleep to the rumbling sounds of her own stomach.

This day she went to attend practical affairs class. Tie Ci had known beforehand that the academy also had something called “internships,” generally applicable to students who had been studying at the academy for three years already. It was roughly a projection of court nobles’ children’s “training” experiences. Academy students could choose their own internship directions – going to county offices to copy documents, going to patrol inspection offices to help capture criminals, going to major medicine halls and charity halls to help out, going to various departments to gain practical experience… When Tie Ci stepped into the lecture hall, she discovered everyone was discussing animatedly with an unusual atmosphere. After asking the little round-faced student, she learned that two senior students from a previous batch of interns had returned, and today the instructor teaching practical affairs wanted them to tell their junior students about their internship experiences so everyone could discuss the advantages and disadvantages together.

The academy advocated free scholarship. In earlier years, it had even raised the banner of “establishing learning not for imperial examinations, but only to select talented people for the common folk.” It opposed rigid studying and deadly adherence to texts, advocating respect for teachers and the Way, and academic innovation. Therefore, while it naturally produced talented people whose literary accomplishments left lasting fragrance, it also inevitably produced quite a few radically rebellious thinkers, making it both valued and feared by the court for a time.

After He Zi withdrew, the court continuously infiltrated over several decades, gradually changing some of the academy’s atmosphere. For example, the Classics Department specially established for imperial examinations became the most important subject, rote memorization became increasingly praised, they introduced 108 different fancy methods of memorization by heart, teachers like Master Yao appeared, and campus bullies like Ma De who relied on great family connections and silver to disturb the academy’s atmosphere also emerged.

But this practical affairs program, though it had gone through various ups and downs, was never cancelled. Although fewer and fewer students volunteered to participate in internships each year – most had lofty aspirations, burying themselves in books, single-mindedly wanting to leap through the dragon gate of imperial examinations and unwilling to waste time on local trivial matters – there were still ultimately some students who had no interest in or hope for imperial examinations who chose to enter local administrative departments to experience the lives of all trades and all social strata.

Standing on the podium were two students. One had ordinary features and a somewhat timid temperament, standing on the platform with an embarrassed smile, occasionally wiping away sweat. The other had handsome features and quite an imposing bearing, standing with his limbs sprawling, looking at people with excessive eye whites, always seeming like he was rolling his eyes for no reason.

Somehow, Tie Ci always felt this latter one looked somewhat familiar, yet couldn’t remember where she had seen him.

She had decent talent in all areas, but had always been somewhat face-blind.

The teaching assistant for practical affairs introduced the two senior students. One had just returned from an internship in Dongming County under Daming Prefecture. Under the instructor’s urging, he stammered for a long time, saying he had stayed at the county office workshop for a while, then went to the River Administration Office. He spoke of how amiable the county magistrate was, how kindly the river administration official treated people, how generous the compensation was, how often he received thanks from fishermen, and so on. Everyone listened with considerable yearning.

Someone quietly said, “I’ve seen that senior student before. His family was poor, and he used to dress quite shabbily. Now he’s dressed quite neatly.”

Tie Ci looked at that student’s bright and fresh appearance, which didn’t quite match his temperament, and remembering something, she asked, “May I ask, senior student, within Dongming County there are tributaries of the Jing River. That section of waterway has rapid currents and is prone to silting. Due to terrain factors, water levels rise high during the rainy season. When the Cloud Canal was originally built, they specifically raised the embankments along Dongming County’s Sanbai River and required annual reinforcement. Last summer had much rain – what were the water levels like? Were the embankments reinforced? How many river workers were dispatched, and how long did the project take?”

That student was stunned for a moment, then said, “This… I wasn’t at the embankment at that time… but quite a few river workers went, the workshop also allocated silver for it, the river administration official personally supervised… the specific time… I also…”

“The River Administration Office oversees fisheries and fishing taxes, measures water domains, and manages fishing profits. If so, senior student, do you know how many fishermen there are locally? How extensive are the water domains? What are the fishing tax quotas?”

“This… this belongs to internal important matters… I… I had no way to know…”

Tie Ci smiled and elegantly raised her hand, indicating “I have nothing more to ask.”

If this one could pass the examinations in the future, she’d take his surname.

The practical affairs instructor also frowned, but couldn’t really say anything. How much effort one put into internships depended on each individual. There were plenty who just went through the motions, after all, internship returns did come with recommendation quotas.

It was the second one’s turn. That person claimed his surname was Mu, completely unaffected by the previous one’s embarrassment, quite eloquent. He said he hadn’t gone to the county office, but had gone deep into the mountains to recruit and pacify a group of bandits. That group of bandits had previously robbed passing merchants and common people, disturbing the peace so much that people couldn’t live in tranquility. Because the mountains were continuous and the bandits appeared and disappeared like ghosts, even recruitment and pacification had no way to proceed. After he went to the county office, he took on this important assignment, personally went into the mountains, searched for several days before finding those people, only to discover they were just a group of ragged mountain folk. Those people in the mountains actually also supported a group of elderly, weak, women and children. To feed those old, weak, sick and disabled, they had become bandits. They were very wary of outsiders, but very respectful toward learned people, because the deep mountains lacked a teacher. To gain their trust, he taught those children to read.

Hearing this, Tie Ci was admiring. This one could also be considered brave and resourceful – a single scholar daring to go alone into the mountains to recruit bandits was worthy of commendation.

However, immediately afterward, that praiseworthy senior student’s tone shifted, speaking about those little brats in the mountains – how poor, dirty, and stupid they were. They couldn’t memorize the Three Character Classic even after being taught three times. How materially deprived the deep mountains were, how poor and bitter the people’s lives were, how boring their days were, yet these people still refused to come out of the mountains…

He spoke about those people’s poverty and bitterness very vividly, with animated expressions. The academy students, especially those from Class A, mostly came from wealthy families, so it was like opening up a new world for them. They listened with gasps and exclamations of amazement. Some sensitive ones even wiped away tears.

Tie Ci folded her arms and watched coolly, thinking of the classmate she had seen fishing rice from the water basin in the dining hall when she first arrived. Those people had been fishing for rice for more than just one day, yet these young masters with overflowing sympathy seemed never to have noticed.

Probably the tears at this moment all belonged to crocodiles – flowing when needed to show that they still worried about the country and people, and that would be enough.

That scholar, seeing everyone’s enthusiastic response, became quite pleased with himself. Scanning around, he saw only Tie Ci with an indifferent expression, looking out the window, and immediately felt uncomfortable.

When he looked carefully and saw Tie Ci’s appearance clearly, this discomfort became even more obvious.

For certain reasons, he had no good feelings toward all outstandingly handsome men!

He stopped talking and looked at Tie Ci sideways, saying, “This junior student, you seem quite dismissive of my training experience?”

The lecture hall immediately became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone involuntarily held their breath, looking at this senior student, then at Tie Ci.

Sigh, this senior student had just returned to the academy and didn’t yet know this one’s fierce reputation. Ma De was still in prison. It was said his maternal relatives had spent much silver trying to fish him out, and said that once he got out, they’d give Ye Shiba something to see. But for some unknown reason, while silver had always opened all paths in the past, this time it hit walls everywhere, as if those official gentlemen had suddenly brushed away the blinding silver light and raised the banner of upright integrity, fluttering in the wind, though no one knew who they were performing for.

“I feel regret about senior student’s training experience,” Tie Ci said slowly. “I thought I’d hear a moving and tragic story, but who knew the second half would have such a rotten ending. The character setting completely collapsed.”

Everyone heard but didn’t understand, looking completely confused, but knowing that Ye Shiba was dissing someone again was enough.

That Senior Student Mu’s expression immediately became fierce. When this person wore scholarly robes he still seemed quite dignified, but once his expression changed, it revealed the cruelty and arrogance in his bones. He didn’t look like a scholar, but rather like a person with real power over life and death. “I personally infiltrated the mountain stronghold and recruited bandits, returning peace to the people. Such achievements – are you worthy to slander them?”

“I only see your calculating mind, disgust, coldness, and self-centeredness,” Tie Ci said. “Although you’ve dressed up your motives in very noble and dignified terms, I suspect that once the other party accepts recruitment, their fate probably won’t be too good.”

Senior Student Mu burst into startled laughter, a cold light flashing in his eyes. “How dare you say such treasonous words! Recruitment is the royal… the court’s benevolent policy. You say the outcome after recruitment won’t be good – are you sympathizing with bandits!”

The teaching assistant had been standing to the side, and now vaguely felt something was wrong. If this topic continued, it might cause trouble. He hurriedly tried to mediate: “Just now you mentioned those mountain people were extremely poor, which I found quite touching. This is actually one of the important topics in policy essays and practical affairs. So let me test you all – how to help those poor people so that there will be no starving people in the world? Ah, let me say in advance, this is not a quiz.”

Ever since the betting spread throughout the academy and Tie Ci had already gotten two “excellent” marks, “quizzes” had become a sensitive term. The academy’s teachers had reached a tacit understanding and recently consistently refused to give quizzes, afraid that if Tie Ci happened to get an “excellent” in their class, the whole academy would lose money and they’d have to bear unnecessary psychological burden.

For the students, they both wanted and feared quizzes – wanting another chance to win money themselves, yet fearing another chance to lose money themselves. So every time teachers entered, they would look with burning eyes, and hearing the special emphasis on “no quiz” they’d let out long sighs of relief, not knowing whether to feel glad or disappointed.

Senior Student Mu laughed when he heard this question and said proudly, “How could I not answer better than an armchair scholar who’s never seen the world? But let me say this first – if he can’t answer, he should get out.”

Everyone showed complex expressions.

According to what they knew, anyone who wanted Ye Shiba to get out, whether teachers or students, never had a good ending.

Tie Ci smiled: “Fine. If I can’t answer, I’ll get out. If your answer isn’t as good as mine…”

Qi Yuansi, sitting on the other side of the lecture hall, immediately looked uncomfortable.

The discussion about shit uncontrollably floated into his mind.

“…then every time you see him in the future, you bow and call him ‘big brother’ once.” Tie Ci pointed at Qi Yuansi.

Qi Yuansi: “…!!!”

Master, what did I do to offend you!

Tie Ci smiled at him.

That guy surnamed Mu was clearly the stubborn, self-important, and arrogant type. Having to bow and call you big brother every time he saw you in the future would definitely make him hate you thoroughly.

Consider this my gratitude for the non-marriage favor.

Senior Student Mu didn’t care about having to call anyone big brother anyway, since he wouldn’t lose.

“I’ll speak first,” he said. “To provide relief to the poor, first we must know how many poor people there are. We should initially grade the people’s poverty levels, then select capable officials to give different assistance to different grades of poor people. For example, ‘the extremely poor should receive relief rice, the moderately poor should receive relief money, the slightly poor should receive loans.’ Second, providing relief to the poor should mainly rely on local government offices, but should also instruct wealthy households to donate to the poor. Furthermore, whenever there are floods or droughts that harm countless people, court disaster relief is imperative. Besides this, giving money and clothes in winter and spring, caring for the old, weak, and orphaned, those with too many children can receive assistance, those lacking labor can be exempted from corvée…”

He spoke eloquently for a while, and everyone nodded. Indeed, these were well-organized and practical words.

After finishing, he looked at Tie Ci, feeling he had covered all current government measures for relieving the poor, and wanted to see what new things this kid could come up with.

Tie Ci rested her hands on her knees and smiled: “I’d like to ask senior student a few questions.”

“Senior student also said earlier that the deep mountains are hard to enter, the people extremely poor, the great mountains block the roads, making it difficult for people inside to get out and people outside to get in. I imagine that even making registration lists and statistics, those mountain people would be very difficult to include in the rosters. Even if included in rosters, donations from all parties would be very difficult to deliver. And you also said the poorest are exactly those people – so what about them?”

“The court distributing money and silver – if there are lazy people who depend on this relief, not engaging in production, and after using up the silver they just wait for the next wave of money and rice grants. Must they be supported by grants their whole lives? If the court someday faces internal troubles and external threats and money becomes tight, will these people who have been fed until they’re too lazy to even turn their necks just starve to death?”

“Making rosters requires statistics, and statistics are done by people. As long as people do it, there’s possibility for problems. If someone colludes with roster officials, wealthy households pretend to be poor, or if those roster officials use this as a means of profit, extorting common people, actually making poor households poorer, wouldn’t this be doing bad things with good intentions?”

…

After several questions were thrown down, that Senior Student Mu was obviously stunned. After a long while he sneered: “What you’ve raised are merely inevitable side effects in the court’s relief measures. What does this have to do with the strategies I proposed? Any benevolent policy inevitably has drawbacks – how can we give up eating for fear of choking?”

“Without solving the drawbacks, benevolent policy can also become tyrannical policy. While giving up eating for fear of choking is inadvisable, knowingly consuming poison and still swallowing it with a straight neck – is that very smart?” Tie Ci smiled. “Are you finished? If you’re finished, it’s my turn.”

“To get rich, first build roads. Roads are the sinews and arteries of economic operation. The court provides funding, mobilizes wealthy households to build roads and bridges. If they can’t get out, then open up roads to let them come out.”

“Not just building roads and bridges, but also education, medicine halls, commerce – all aspects of people’s livelihood infrastructure are of utmost importance. All local academies, large and small private schools – if they could all give appropriate care to impoverished students in poor areas, allowing them to enter with lowered standards, having one more learned person means one more possibility of escaping poverty.”

“Teaching a man to fish is better than giving him fish. Giving money can solve temporary difficulties but cannot solve lifelong poverty. When you went to those deep mountains, you only saw the people’s poverty there. Did you think about how to help them escape poverty? Did you discover what they could sell for money, what resources could be utilized? You taught children to read – did you teach those adults about information from outside the mountains, teach them how to walk out of the great mountains, what kind of surplus goods to use in trade for supplies? Did you pay attention to each household’s reasons for poverty and apply targeted policies accordingly? Did you tell them what was needed outside the mountains, tell them what would be most suitable for them to do?”

“Perhaps you don’t understand these things, so truly knowledgeable people should be sent. Just as mobilizing wealthy households can’t just take money from people’s pockets for nothing – they must also be given necessary honors and titles as well as commercial tax reductions. The personnel sent should also try to avoid your type of boastful young master, selecting more people with technical knowledge and practical experience, and give appropriate support and commendation after task completion.”

“This is actually a huge proposition concerning national economy and people’s livelihood. There’s much that can be done and it’s very complex. I can only speak about the most basic aspects. Doing these things is definitely not the work of a single day, requiring large amounts of time and manpower. We might as well train more practical talents, then send them to various places, rewarding them according to actual achievements. The academy’s internship training measures are very good, but unfortunately they’ve ultimately become mere formality. The smooth development of anything requires complete systems and supervision…”

Suddenly applause came from the back of the lecture hall.

Tie Ci stopped and looked back, only to see that at some point a large crowd of people had gathered at the side door of the lecture hall.

Most were familiar instructors and teaching assistants, crowding around a middle-aged handsome man, and it was this person who was applauding.

The middle-aged handsome man had delicate features and a gentle temperament, wearing a washed-out spring robe and thousand-layer cloth shoes with fine stitching. Everything about him was comfortable and proper, the only flaw being his somewhat touching hairline.

Tie Ci suddenly remembered the three regrets of Leap Carp Academy: “The Director’s hairline, the Supervisor’s waistline, and the koi in Dancing Rain Pond that can’t be eaten.”

Looking at everyone’s attitudes and postures, the applauding handsome man should be the Director.

Director Zhu Yi applauded while sighing admiringly to his subordinates around him: “Truly spoken!”

He also said: “I went out to lecture for a few days, and the academy produced such talent. What an unexpected joy.”

Then someone quietly whispered in his ear, probably spreading news of Tie Ci’s glorious achievements at the academy during this period. The Director listened and listened, his eyebrows slightly raised, looking at Tie Ci with surprise. Suddenly he said: “You solved that pack of wolves behind the mountain?”

Tie Ci was about to say it wasn’t her who solved it, when she heard him say very happily: “Where’s the wolf meat? Is it still there? Was it dragged back? If it was dragged back, we could give the students extra meals!”

Tie Ci and all the students: “…”

We don’t really want to eat wolf meat, thank you.

The Director, hearing that the wolf meat wasn’t dragged back and calculating that by now it would have long rotted, sighed with great regret, then said to the instructors and administrators behind him: “What Ye Shiba just mentioned about the academy internship drawbacks hits the nail on the head. The practical affairs course and training were personally arranged by our old teacher with much effort. Now they’re gradually becoming neglected. How can this not disappoint our teacher’s painstaking care? I hope you gentlemen won’t treat this lightly. Go back and quickly work out proper procedures.”

Everyone bowed to accept the order. The Director also said to the students in the lecture hall: “Study literature and martial arts, sell to the imperial family. But selling to the imperial family ultimately still means laboring for the people of Great Qian. Without understanding practical affairs or knowing people’s conditions, how can one be a parent to the people? And how can one protect the people of a territory, ensuring the elderly have support, the young have care, achieving peace under one’s governance? In the future the academy will encourage students to travel everywhere, lecturing and training. If any of you are interested, you can register with the practical affairs teaching assistant, and the academy will naturally have appropriate commendations and support.”

Everyone couldn’t help but be somewhat moved. Young people always have more hot blood, and haven’t yet been influenced by officialdom’s winds and clouds to develop slick hearts. At this time they still wanted more to do practical things, and immediately some people stood up.

But the Director added: “The practical affairs teaching assistant also holds county office duties and isn’t often at the academy… How about this, you can also register with Ye Shiba.”

Tie Ci was startled.

The Director’s tone was understated: “In the future the academy will establish a Practical Affairs Society, selecting personnel for training in various places. Those with excellent results will receive rewards like examination exemptions, bonus points, recommendations… Who should be given such important authority… hmm…”

Including the instructors, everyone listened somewhat nervously, constantly glancing toward Tie Ci.

Guess who this Senior Student Mu is?