Teacher Yu must be the only person in the world brazen enough to talk about a dead person, especially one such as the Crown Prince, under the current circumstances. This seemingly idle old man is very well updated with the news from the Capital.
Jing Rong said in a straightforward manner, "Is Teacher not afraid that I'll leak your words out? This is a life-or-death matter. If your statement is passed on to the Emperor, you will not be able to retain your Mingshan Academy anymore."
However, Teacher Yu has never been afraid of dying. Many of his students were still serving the royal court. It would not be a wise choice for the Emperor to punish him. It would trigger a rebellion or a mass resignation, hindering the work at the royal court. Eventually, the Emperor would be the one to bear the consequences! There's a saying; 'You can kill a loyal official, or punish a careless one, but you can never offend a cunning official.' This statement was best to describe cunning officials like Teacher Yu, who was influential, yet, did not directly work for the royal court.
He spread out his hands as he replied, "The Emperor is nowhere near us. What we are talking about has nothing to do with Ole' Eight."
Eighth Brother? He's definitely talking about the Qi Zhen Emperor! Other than the late Emperor, Teacher Yu was the only person who would dare to address the Emperor this way.
Jing Rong gave a chuckle. 'This old man is so adorable. His grey beard, fluttering in the wind, makes him look especially adorable.'
At this moment, a boy ran hurriedly from the study hall. "Teacher, something happened!" he yelled.
Irritated, Teacher Yu threw a glimpse at the boy before he reprimanded, "Look at you. It's fine for you to be impetuous on normal days. But you're reckless even when we have a guest. Are you asking for a beating?"
"No, Teacher. I mean…"
"What are you trying to say? Why are you stammering?"
"That… something happened in the study hall."
Teacher Yu seemed to be a person who did not speak hastily. However, he was gently annoyed at this point. He slapped his fan on his thigh as he asked, "What exactly happened?"
The boy, feeling uncomfortable, threw an anxious glimpse at Jing Rong, before he spoke, "It was Teacher Ji. He was having an argument with Lin Shu at the study hall."
Perplexed, Teacher Yu asked, "An argument?"
"It happened when Teacher Fang finished his lecture. Saying that he wished to learn from Teacher Ji, Lin Shu commenced an argument with Teacher Ji, putting Teacher Ji in a difficult situation. I happened to pass by and witnessed the scene. Therefore, I promptly came to inform Teacher Yu."
He wished to learn from Ji Yunshu? That sounds interesting!
Lin Shu's impulsiveness and relentlessness were well known in the Academy. If the situation failed to go his way, he would possibly react physically and hurt the delicate Teacher Ji. Teacher Yu would have no way to compensate the Prince if anything happened to Teacher Ji.
Worried about the situation, Teacher Yu supported himself with his palms on his knees, intending to head to the scene. But, he was immediately halted by Jing Rong.
"Teacher doesn't have to be worried about such a petty issue. It's a good thing for them to learn from each other. The only bad thing about Teacher Ji is a lack of reading. It's her gain that your student wants to learn from her."
"You don't know how impulsive Lin Shu is. I'll not be able to reimburse your loss if he accidentally injured him…"
Smiling, Jing Rong replied, "Please don't be fooled by Teacher Ji's skinny figure. Don't worry, she is very headstrong. You will not have to reimburse anything even if she broke an arm, a leg, or her neck. You only have to enjoy the tea and the conversation with me."
If the Prince said so, there was nothing for Teacher Yu to argue about. Cradling his head with his hands, he ordered the boy, "It's fine. Return to the study hall and tell them to do whatever they like. Don't disturb me with such petty matters." The boy bowed before he left the scene.
The moment the boy stepped out, Teacher Yu seemed to be abruptly reminded of something. His small eyes widened as he dwelled in his deep thought. Eventually, he spoke out of realization, "A while ago, one of my students sent me a letter, saying that there was a teacher surnamed Ji who solved a mysterious missing person's case in the Capital. Later, the teacher was assigned the 'Lin Capital Case'. He even solved the trouble they faced during their journey from Qujiang to the Capital. Could he be…"
In fact, Teacher Yu knew the answer.
Jing Rong replied with a faint smile but offered no words. He lifted the cup before him and took a sip out of it. In the meantime, Teacher Yu, who was sitting in front of Jing Rong, nodded before he resumed to wave the fan in his hand.
……
In the study hall, the group of scholars continued to mock Tang Si, saying that 'a lack of talent is the best value a lady can carry'. Ji Yunshu restrained the enraged Tang Si and walked toward Lin Shu. Her crescent eyes were like a clear spring pool, tranquil and bewitching. However, at this moment, they shone with a fierce frostiness, able to pierce through one's heart with a single glare.
She locked eyes with Lin Shu, "The quote 'a lack of talent is the best value a lady can carry' is a groundless statement made by bookmen like you who know nothing else but reading."
"A groundless statement?" Lin Shu scoffed.
"Not every lady stays in their rooms all day. Not every lady spends their day sewing, playing musical instruments and drawing. Nor does every lady dedicate their lives to serving their husbands and nurturing their children. There are no regulations as to what ladies should do. Neither is it regulated that every man must ride on the battlefield and glory in their horsemanship. A lady can ride a horse and travel across the wilderness just as well as men."
Ji Yunshu's statement triggered an eruption of scornful laughter.
Ridiculous! A lady can do what a man does? That was an absolute joke for the sanctimonious male scholars.
Lin Shu lifted his chin to stare at Ji Yunshu in disdain. He reminded Ji Yunshu of Ji Yuanzhi's attitude when he wrecked her courtyard. He shrugged and scoffed, "Apparently you're someone who's merely good at talking. If you were able to make that statement, why don't you enlighten us with your knowledge? When had a lady successfully defeated a man? When has a lady successfully done what a man could do? Since ancient times, has any book or saint said that ladies are equal to men?" He was relentless!
All the attention in the room were focused on the two of them and a majority of them were solely prying. 'Mingshan Academy' had always been their badge of pride. They always believed that they were superior to others and that it was their right to be prideful.
On the other hand, looking at Teacher Ji's slight figure; her head did not seem to be capable of fitting much knowledge. If he really did start debating with Lin Shu, he would definitely fail as badly as an egg trying to hurt a stone.
Ji Yunshu didn't wish to turn a sacred place of learning into a mess, so she continued to restrain herself, suppressing her temper. The disdainful smirk on Lin Shu's face widened as he saw Ji Yunshu remain silent. With his hands on his waist, he mocked her blatantly. "Teacher Ji can't answer my questions? I thought you had a bellyful of knowledge. It seems that you really can only flap your mouth."
Lin Shu's words had now forced Ji Yunshu into a corner. She gently lifted her chin and straightened her back while her gaze was slowly filled by a tinge of ferociousness.
"Fine. I'll give you a lecture if you are interested. But, it's better for you to grab your brush and jot it down. What I'm going to say later can never be found in your textbooks of poems and morals."
Never be found in the textbooks? Did you make this up?