Nanshan New Students

Compared to the prosperous north and southeast, the southwest region where the Mount Shu is located is somewhat remote, and the Confucian path is not particularly flourishing. Across the vast southwestern land, there are only a few famous academies, and Nanshan Academy is one of them. Although it has never produced a zhuangyuan (top scholar) or bangyan (second-place scholar) in history, it has produced a tanhua (third-place scholar).

It's just a pity that the tanhua later ended up in prison, and Nanshan Academy lost a piece of its glory.

However, this place is still the first choice for the children of officials and wealthy families in Yanjiao City.

Today, Nanshan Academy welcomed a new student.

"Fellow students, let us welcome student Chu Liang to our Gengzi Class."

The old teacher stood at the front. With a wave of his hand, a handsome young man in fine clothes walked in from outside the door, attracting everyone's attention in the classroom.

He had clear eyes and brows, and an extraordinary handsomeness. Wearing the same scholar's robe, he seemed more detached than the others. Following the teacher's call, he entered the classroom and slightly nodded to the people below.

Behind him followed a bookboy with thick eyebrows, large eyes, bronze skin, and wearing a blue robe and a small hat. He was carrying a heavy book basket and seemed a bit sulky.

"Chu Liang, find an empty seat and sit down. We are about to start today's lesson," the teacher said after letting him make an appearance.

"Yes." Chu Liang bowed to the teacher, then walked forward.

There were about twenty boys and ten girls in the class, each with their own desk. He looked around and sat in an empty seat at the back. To his right was Li Jue, who seemed a bit distracted.

Just as he was about to sit down, he heard the old teacher scold again, "Bookboys, don't come inside. Just wait outside. If you have a desire to learn, you can listen quietly by the window, but don't make noise and disturb the class."

"Oh..." The bookboy behind Chu Liang stopped, put down the book basket, and then dejectedly walked out of the classroom.

This bookboy was none other than Lin Bei.

He came outside the classroom, stood by the window, and looked inside. He happened to meet Chu Liang's gaze, still looking somewhat resentful.

Why are we both here at the academy, but you're a student and I'm a bookboy? He silently conveyed his indignation with his eyes.

Perhaps it's just a difference in temperament. Roles don't distinguish between noble and humble, Chu Liang responded with his eyes.

I don't understand, Lin Bei was still unconvinced.

Alright, the identity of a bookboy makes it easier to gather information. You might as well go and inquire more within your circle. Maybe you can find some information about this strange case, Chu Liang replied again.

Only then did Lin Bei give up and turn to mingle with his own bookboy circle.

The students at Nanshan Academy were all children of local wealthy families or officials, so they naturally brought bookboys and servants. It was impossible for all of them to follow their masters into the classroom. There was a special outer room in the courtyard for them to rest, and if they wanted to learn, they could listen by the window. As long as they didn't make loud noise, they generally wouldn't be disciplined.

A class at Nanshan Academy was quite long. After the first class, the surrounding students were a bit sleepy, but Chu Liang was still full of interest. He had been an excellent student before and was quite nostalgic for the classroom environment.

His former teacher had said that he was simply not focused. If he could focus his mind on studying, no one could surpass him, and his achievements would be limitless. It was just a pity that he had too many interests back then, spending energy on various sports, chess and cards, and various games, all of which he did very well.

That's why he only ranked third in the entire province.

Li Jue next to him must not have slept well the previous night, as he had fallen asleep on his desk early in the class. Chu Liang didn't need to worry about him, so he looked around to see if he could strike up a conversation with someone.

Just then, the female student to his left, who had small freckles on her face, looked at him with sparkling eyes and asked curiously, "Student Chu Liang, where are you from?"

Everyone was naturally curious about a good-looking transfer student.

"I'm from Xingzhou City," Chu Liang said, giving the information he had prepared in advance.

"Xingzhou City? Then why did you come to Nanshan Academy?"

"Because of family reasons, the whole family moved here, so I had to come here too," Chu Liang smiled.

"Hehe, Nanshan Academy is pretty good. It's one of the best in the southwest region," the little girl said with a chuckle, seeing him smile.

"That's what I thought before I came. Coming to Nanshan Academy might be a good idea." Chu Liang said, seemingly with some worry, "It's just that after coming here, I suddenly feel a bit worried..."

"Worried about what?" the little girl quickly asked.

"I heard that this academy has been haunted recently?" Chu Liang whispered.

"Ah..." The little girl's face immediately turned serious. She looked around and also lowered her voice, "There is such a thing, but you don't need to be afraid. Only those few bad guys..."

"Li Chunxia!" A shout suddenly rang out from the side. "Are you being a blabbermouth again?"

The little girl who was talking to Chu Liang shivered and quickly shook her head, not daring to speak again.

It turned out that a muscular, strong young man not far ahead had stood up. He looked over with an unfriendly expression, seemingly very sensitive to the content of their whispers. He had heard them even from several rows away.

The strong young man then pointed at Chu Liang: "Newcomer, if you want to study well here, don't go around asking about things you shouldn't. Did you hear me?"

Facing this aggressive warning, Chu Liang smiled and nodded, not saying anything, as if nothing had happened.

At this moment, a gentle voice came from behind: "Yan Xiaohu, what are you being fierce about again?"

"Teacher Song..." The strong young man named Yan Xiaohu immediately became obedient upon hearing this voice and turned around to sit properly.

A woman wearing a plain blue long dress and a green short-sleeved cardigan walked in. She was tall and slender, even a bit thin. Her hair was simply tied up, revealing her earlobes and neck, which were as white as jade porcelain. Her skin was like sheep fat, her features were simple and clean, and her eyes were deep black and bright.

Although she had a stern face and her makeup and expression were deliberately made to look mature, it was still obvious at a glance that she was not old at all.

"Is this also a teacher at the academy?" Chu Liang was surprised.

This woman looked too young.

Teacher Song walked in from outside the door, went to Li Jue's side, gently nudged him, and woke him up. Only then did she slowly walk up to the podium and say softly, "Let's start class."

Li Jue looked at this female teacher and was uncharacteristically energetic.

Compared to the previous old teacher who tried his best to wake everyone up with a loud voice but failed... her voice was gentle and soft, even whisper-like. However, the students below, both male and female, were all energetic, and not a single person was sleepy anymore.

"Do we have a new student today?" Teacher Song looked at Chu Liang and spoke first: "Then let me introduce myself. My name is Song Qingyi, and I am the poetry and literature instructor at Nanshan Academy."

Chu Liang met her gentle eyes and felt a subtle sense of strangeness.

Although Song Qingyi was young, her foundation was deep. She taught the class in a way that was easy to understand and quite interesting.

After class, it was lunchtime.

On the way to lunch, Chu Liang finally met up with Lin Bei.

"How was the scouting?" Chu Liang asked.

"I've found out everything." Lin Bei said with an excited look: "That Teacher Song is named Song Qingyi, from Jiangnan. She also just arrived at Nanshan Academy a few days ago. She's eighteen or nineteen years old, about the same age as us... and she's unmarried!"

Chu Liang: "?"