The cold wind swept over the mountain peaks, rustling through the forest, making the withered branches wail mournfully.
On the path paved with blue flagstones, Xu Qi An turned his head to look at Xu Xinnian, his cousin whose stunning appearance could inspire jealousy. With his robes and black hair dancing in the wind, he resembled an immortal descended to the mortal realm.
Pointing at a distant waterfall, Xu Xinnian said, “This is where a senior from the academy attained enlightenment. There’s a stone tablet by the waterfall that records that senior’s life story.”
In the water-scarce winter, the waterfall was thin and weak, listlessly plunging into the crystal-clear pond below.
Beside the pond stood a tablet and a bronze statue of a man sitting cross-legged in meditation. The inscription recounted the life of a scholar named Qian Zhong, who lived six hundred years ago, active during the early years of the Great Feng Dynasty.
Back then, the emperor of the previous dynasty was incompetent, officials were corrupt, powerful clans exploited the common people, and rebellions erupted across the Central Plains. The imperial court of the Great Zhou Dynasty had been engaged in a protracted war with various rebel forces for over a decade, leaving the common people in dire straits.
Qian Zhong, at the Erudite Rank of the second grade, traveled for three years, witnessing firsthand the suffering of the people. Filled with righteous anger, he brought the people’s grievances to the Great Zhou capital and used his mortal body to shatter what little national fortune the Great Zhou had left.
Subsequently, the Great Feng Dynasty was established, quelling the wars and bringing peace to the realm.
“Is the Erudite Rank really that powerful?” Xu Qi An asked skeptically. “I don’t see the word ‘awesome’ written all over our three Erudites.”
Xu Xinnian didn’t understand the term “awesome,” but it was vulgar. Remembering that his elder brother had just composed poetry and achieved merit, he refrained from mocking him and replied:
“Who told you our teachers are at the Erudite Rank of the second grade? They’re only at the Gentleman Rank of the fourth grade.”
Xu Qi An was incredulous. “And they still have the nerve to call themselves Erudites?”
Xu Xinnian crouched by the pond, washed his hands, and explained, “The term ‘Erudite’ has two meanings. One refers to scholars with profound knowledge and reputation; the other specifically denotes the second grade of the Confucian path. The Erudites in our academy are of the former kind.”
To shatter a nation’s fortune with people’s grievances, even when the dynasty was in decline, was still beyond human capabilities. Just how powerful was the Erudite Rank of the second grade in the Confucian path? And what about the first grade?
Xu Qi An fell into deep thought. After a while, he asked with a hint of reverence, “Does the Cloud Deer Academy have any Erudites of the second grade?”
Xu Xinnian shook his head regretfully, “In the past two hundred years, the highest we’ve produced is the third grade. The third grade of the Erudite Rank is called the Life-Establishing Realm. I only learned this from our teacher when we sent off Cultivator Ziyang the other day. The principal of our academy is at the third grade Life-Establishing Realm.”
Xu Qi An’s tone immediately lightened, casually commenting, “Not bad.”
The personalities of those three old gentlemen seemed somewhat exaggerated and frivolous, lacking a bit of steadiness and seriousness. Xu Qi An shared his assessment with Xu Xinnian.
The Second Young Master pondered for a moment: “They weren’t like this before. After the Gentleman Rank comes the Life-Establishing Realm of the third grade… It might have something to do with that realm.
“Yes, Cultivator Ziyang used to be the same, but recently he suddenly changed his demeanor, as if he became a different person. I heard from our teacher that Cultivator Ziyang is just half a step away from the Life-Establishing Realm.”
The brothers wandered through the academy, with Xu Xinnian showing him some famous historical sites. As an academy with a rich history of 1,200 years, if it weren’t for the usual prohibition on outsiders entering to avoid disturbing the students, Clear Cloud Mountain would undoubtedly become a tourist attraction teeming with visitors.
“Elder Brother…” As they walked, Xu Xinnian suddenly called out in a low voice.
Xu Qi An stopped and looked at him.
Xu Xinnian glanced at him, then turned away, pretending to look at the scenery around them: “I thought for a long time yesterday. If it weren’t for you, Father would have been executed, and the women would have been sent to the courtesan houses.
“If it weren’t for you, Sister Lingyue would have been in danger yesterday, possibly falling victim to that Zhou fellow.
“If it weren’t for you, the Xu family might still be basking in the relief of a narrow escape, only to be suddenly exterminated one day.”
After saying this, he strode forward. When he was about ten meters away, he silently said: Thank you!
…
At the Hall of the Lesser Sage.
Xu Qi An followed his cousin up the steps, passing the incense burner to enter the hall. Seven-meter-high red-lacquered pillars supported the dome. The Lesser Sage enshrined in the hall was the founder of the Cloud Deer Academy.
In the slender flames of the candles, the Lesser Sage wore a cyan-colored double-breasted Confucian robe and a tall scholar’s hat. One hand was behind his back, the other rested on his waist, his gaze fixed in the distance.
Beside the Lesser Sage stood a graceful and beautiful white deer, its white fur faintly showing cloud patterns.
Xu Xinnian pointed at the white deer and said, “This is the origin of the Cloud Deer Academy’s name.”
Xu Qi An remarked, “Scholars sure have refined tastes, using a white deer as a mount.”
Xu Xinnian glanced at his cousin and corrected him, “It’s not a mount, it’s his wife.”
“!!!” Xu Qi An reassessed the Lesser Sage, muttering, “Well, not much difference.”
He didn’t dare to say out loud that either way, it involves riding…
Xu Xinnian, as if knowing what his cousin was thinking, said, “According to the academy’s ‘Cloud Deer Chronicles,’ this white deer was originally a spirit beast. It listened to the classics under the Sage, later transformed into human form, and stayed by the Lesser Sage’s side. The man and the spirit grew up together, developed deep feelings, and became husband and wife.
“A romance between a human and a spirit was not accepted by society at that time… and still isn’t now. But when the Sage learned of it, instead of separating them, he approved of their marriage. The Sage said: ‘Great love knows no boundaries.’ This shows that as long as there is love, humans and spirits can live together in harmony.”
Throughout history, romances between humans and spirits have always had nicknames, such as the Undead Knight, the Grassroots Hero, or the Unity of Heaven and Man. So, what was this Lesser Sage’s nickname?
Calling a deer a horse… or a stallion? Xu Qi An cupped his hands towards the statue of the Lesser Sage.
While Xu Xinnian was respectfully performing the disciple’s salute to the Lesser Sage, Xu Qi An’s gaze swept across the hall and noticed two man-high stone tablets standing on either side of the hall.
One was blank, while the other was inscribed with characters.
He walked up to the tablet and read aloud: “Die with honor to repay the emperor’s grace, leaving a legacy for a thousand ages — Cheng Hui.”
The calligraphy was neat, neither flamboyant nor careless, exuding an air of upright dignity befitting a gentleman.
“This was left here by the Lesser Sage of the Imperial Academy,” Xu Xinnian said, walking over to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his cousin in front of the tablet.
“The Lesser Sage of the Imperial Academy… Come to think of it, I’ve never been clear about the details of the grudge between the Imperial Academy and the Cloud Deer Academy,” Xu Qi An said with great interest, his eyes practically screaming “gossip.”
Xu Xinnian looked around cautiously, and seeing no one nearby, he finally spoke in a low voice: “This goes back to the struggle for the imperial succession two hundred years ago.”
“Struggle for the imperial succession?” Although Xu Qi An was no history expert, he understood what this meant.
The Crown Prince is the foundation of the nation!
A struggle for the imperial succession meant a contest for the position of Crown Prince.
“It was during Emperor Renzong’s reign. The position of Crown Prince had been vacant for over a decade, and two princes were the strongest contenders. One was the eldest legitimate son, the other was a prince born to a favored concubine. That concubine was exceptionally charming and greatly favored by Emperor Renzong.
“Emperor Renzong intended to name the son of the concubine as Crown Prince, which at the time met with opposition from the entire court. Emperor Renzong issued multiple edicts, but they were all rejected by the cabinet. The scholars of the Cloud Deer Academy led the opposition from the entire court.
“Appointing the eldest and legitimate son over the younger or illegitimate one has been the rule since ancient times, and even the emperor couldn’t violate it. Elder Brother, you’re right, ritual and propriety are indeed the dragon-slaying sword often used by scholars.
“In this struggle for succession, neither side was willing to yield. The deadlock lasted for six full years. During this period, the Prime Minister of the cabinet changed four times, and officials in the imperial court came and went in batches. In the capital and provinces, over two hundred officials were involved.”