Inner Academy and Outer Academy

After moving away from the crowd, Nie Renxiong took a half-crushed cigar case from his breast pocket. Only two cigars inside were still relatively intact. He offered one to Chen Xu.

"I don't smoke that stuff."

"Ah, a man has to have some hobbies in life. Me, I just like this." Nie Renxiong took out a cigar cutter and carefully clipped off the cigar's tip.

Only then did he remember that the matchbox he carried with him had been gloriously sacrificed in the battle just now.

He held it beneath his nose and took a few light whiffs to ease his craving. Nie Renxiong said, "A scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days apart. With Deputy Pavilion Master Chen's strength, not to mention becoming a commandery's deputy pavilion master, even applying to become a prefecture city's pavilion master would be more than enough.

"If Deputy Pavilion Master Chen is willing, I can submit a memorial to the court and have you serve as acting pavilion master. Within three years at most, you can become the official pavilion master.

"With Deputy Pavilion Master Chen's age and strength, entering the capital to serve as a first- or second-rank high official in the future would be easy. Decades from now, being granted land and territory would not be impossible either."

"I wonder whether a pavilion master receives more abundant resources, or whether there are more resources within National University?" Chen Xu asked.

"In terms of total resources, National University's share certainly far exceeds that of a single prefecture city.

"However, ninety percent of its resources are invested in the small handful at the very top. Only the resources obtained by those people can surpass those of a prefecture city's pavilion master."

At the mention of National University, Nie Renxiong looked