The Confucian scholar straightened his clothes and composed himself, abandoning his earlier wild manner. He bowed to Wang Yang with clasped hands. "I am fortunate to have received your instruction! I am Yu Yuling of Xinye, courtesy name Zijie. May I ask your honored name?"
The Xinye Yu Clan was a prominent gentry clan of Jingzhou. Together with the Yuyang Le Clan, the Niyang Liu Clan, and the Nanyang Zong Clan, it was known as one of the "Four Clans of Jingzhou." Though it could not compare with first-rank clans such as the Wang, Xie, Liu, and He, it stood at the very pinnacle in Jingzhou.
The four great clans enjoyed comparable reputations in Jingzhou, but in terms of connections at court and family influence, the Yu Clan was unquestionably the foremost.
Of the Commandery Academy's forty-three students, only Yu Yuling dared block its main entrance in broad daylight. His classmates all thought he relied on the Yu Clan's gilded nameplate behind him, which gave him nothing to fear. They had no idea that his father had repeatedly warned him not to meddle in the academy's current crisis.
Yu Yuling had simply moved into the Commandery Academy, seemingly ready to break with his family.
Thus, his boldness in blocking the gate had nothing to do with relying on his family background. It came solely from his wild, unrestrained nature and the hot blood in his heart.
Wang Yang knew nothing of the Xinye Yu Clan's background, but he did know that, in this era, the vast majority of those admitted to a commandery academy were not children of ordinary families. He did not return the bow, merely nodding slightly. "Wang Yang of Langya, courtesy name Zhi Yan."
The seven or eight students eavesdropping behind the gate instantly erupted. "Prince of Langya? He belongs to the Langya Wang Clan?!"
"The Wang Clan of Langya! Did I hear that right?!"
"Which branch of the Wang Clan?"
Yu Yuling had no interest in those questions. He merely asked, "May I ask who your teacher is, Young Master Wang...?"
Asking about his teacher rather than his family branch was certainly true to a scholar's nature. But my teachers are people from the twenty-first century. Even if I told you, you wouldn't know them.
Wang Yang did not invent a name. Instead, he said, "That is not something I can disclose to outsiders." He took out the letter he had prepared beforehand. "Can you pass this on for me now?"
Yu Yuling hesitated for a few seconds, then sighed and accepted the letter. With a "Please wait," he stepped through the gate. After barely two steps, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and said solemnly:
"Since Xie Shi submitted a memorial requesting the restoration of the National Academy in Taiyuan Year 9 under Emperor Xiaowu of Jin, the Jingzhou Commandery Academy has stood for one hundred and nine years. Wars have raged throughout that century, yet Jingzhou's scholarly traditions have endured, nurturing generations of scholars, thanks to this institution. The pursuit of learning must not be monopolized! The New Text Book of Documents must never be abolished! I ask you to consider this carefully, Young Master Wang!"
With that, he saluted Wang Yang with clasped fists and hurried away.
Wang Yang pondered Yu Yuling's words, only to feel lost in a fog. Consider it carefully? Consider what?
Inside the Commandery Academy's study, an old man and a young woman were talking.
The old man was in his fifties or sixties, with gray hair and a gray beard and a refined, scholarly bearing. He was Liu Zhao, the academy's Libationer.
The younger person was a beautiful girl endowed with natural grace and intelligence: Xie Xinghan, known as "Little Xie Daoyun." She sat opposite Liu Zhao with an apologetic expression, speaking quietly.
Liu Zhao had studied under Xie Xinghan's grandfather, Xie Zhuang, and shared an old friendship with her father, Xie Fei. Thus, after she arrived in Jingzhou, he had looked after her in many ways. Now that the Commandery Academy faced a crisis, Xie Xinghan had also been racking her brains and running from place to place on its behalf.
Seeing the girl before him weighed down by the matter, her brows knitted with worry, Liu Zhao could not help feeling guilty. He consoled her:
"My dear niece, you need not blame yourself. Abbess Hui Xu has kept clear of worldly affairs for a long time, so it is only understandable that she is unwilling to intervene. I will find a way to handle this. Get some proper rest, and stop exhausting yourself."
"Have you thought of a good solution, Uncle? Has there been word from the Prince of Jingling?" At the thought that the Prince of Jingling might be willing to help, Xie Xinghan's spirits lifted.
"I intend to bring the Jingzhou Gentry Clans together and go to the Prince's Residence to present our appeal openly. If His Highness refuses to see us, we will wait outside until he comes out. We can forgo the Provincial Government's funding and cover all the academy's expenses ourselves! As long as the Commandery Academy can remain, I am willing to concede anything except our annual recommendation quota for the Academy of State Sons!"
"You must not do that!" Xie Xinghan said anxiously. "With the Prince of Badong's temper, it would have the opposite effect!"
The Prince of Badong already favored the Wang Academy, which was controlled by the gentry clans from the Capital who had accompanied him to take up his post in Jingzhou.
Thus, besides the fact that the Wang Academy had been founded by the Prince of Yuzhang, the Prince of Badong's favoritism might also reflect an intention to support the Capital's gentry clans.
If Liu Zhao really rallied the province's gentry clans to make a scene, would that not amount to openly setting himself against the prince?
"I know, but this is the only course left when there is no way out. Besides, I am doing this not only for the Prince to see, but for Liu Tan as well. Whether he is pursuing a scholarly dispute or seeking official standing and prestige, I will make him see the resolve of Jingzhou's scholar-officials to preserve our academy and carry on its teaching! If they still insist on closing it in the end..."
Liu Zhao drew a breath, his gaze resolute.
"Then let the Prince send in the troops! I, Liu Zhao, will sit right here! I will live or die with the Commandery Academy!"
An ordinary woman might have urged Liu Zhao not to act rashly, or offered words of comfort. But Xie Xinghan was every bit as stubborn as he was, and admired just as deeply the resolve to be shattered jade rather than an intact tile.
She said solemnly, "Since Xing Han has taken this matter on, I will see it through to the end. I am acquainted with Liu Tan's younger brother, Liu Cheng. I will ask him to persuade his elder brother. There is also Master Yu Yi. He has the widest network of connections in Jingzhou and some influence in the Capital as well. If he is willing to speak up, even if the Prince refuses to listen, he will have to think three times before acting. That could buy us time."
"Youjian... I have always regarded him as a friend." Liu Zhao shook his head, disappointment filling his face. "Even setting aside the fact that his second son studies at the Commandery Academy, as a leader of Jingzhou's gentry clans, he has absolutely no reason to stand by with his hands tucked into his sleeves."
Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrived. Liu Zhao had barely mentioned Yu Yi's second son when Yu Yuling's voice sounded outside the door.
"Teacher, your student has something to report."
Xie Xinghan did not wish to meet an outside visitor and looked toward Liu Zhao. He nodded, and she moved behind a lacquer-painted screen.
Once she had settled into her seat, Liu Zhao called the visitor in.
"Someone wishes to see you, Teacher. This is his letter." Yu Yuling presented it with his head drooping.
Liu Zhao accepted the letter and said in surprise, "You actually agreed to announce someone? That is a rare thing indeed. I told you long ago that since the Wang Academy has come prepared, simply barring the way will not stop them."
"When there is work to be done, the disciple should bear the labor. Your student is incompetent and can only keep those straw-filled sacks of rotten cotton away from you. But this man is different."
Seeing Yu Yuling's miserable expression, Liu Zhao guessed roughly what had happened. He spoke as he read the letter:
"I told you long ago: beyond every great man stands another, and beyond every sky lies another sky. A little setback will do you good. After you questioned Officer Wu into speechlessness, your tail was sticking all the way up into the heavens. Now you know what formidable means?"
"I thought that since he dared come here, he must have studied the Book of Documents, so I asked him about the Analects and the Spring and Autumn Annals instead. But he... could he have mastered two classics?" Yu Yuling muttered.
The Five Classics were vast and profound; mastering even one was enough to make a name in the world. The Analects was not among the Five Classics, so Yu Yuling suspected that this young gentleman might have mastered both the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Book of Documents.
Liu Zhao heard none of Yu Yuling's words. One glance at the writing on the letter had made him forget everything around him.
Receiving no response from his teacher, Yu Yuling raised his head and stared in astonishment. His teacher held the letter, his pupils trembling violently and his hands shaking slightly!
Note: ① Some screens were made of silk, hazy and half-transparent like those often seen in television dramas, while others completely blocked the view. Readers who have trouble picturing someone hiding behind a screen can look up the lacquer-painted wooden screen unearthed from Sima Jinlong's tomb in Northern Wei.
② Some of you may be feeling a little dizzy reading about the Prince of Badong, the Prince of Jingling, and the Prince of Yuzhang. The protagonist, newly arrived here, feels much the same. There is no need to rush; these connections will gradually become clear.
Before you continue