The capital was full of flowers, and breakfast stalls were everywhere on the streets. Xu Qi'an was satisfying his hunger at a breakfast stall two streets away from the county yamen.

The stall owner was a skinny middle-aged man with dark skin, wearing a black apron and always humble and smiling to everyone.

His cooking was good, and Xu Qi'an was satisfied with the food, but the only downside was that the people of Great Feng's capital loved sweet food. Soy milk was fine, but even the tofu pudding was sweetened.

Xu Qi'an didn't plan to compromise in this city full of heretics, so he told the stall owner not to add sugar and instead put soy sauce, lard, scallions, and garlic.

In addition, there were four fried dough sticks, six meat buns, two steamed buns, a bowl of porridge, and three side dishes.

After finishing his meal, Xu Qi'an was ready to pay.

"Sir, you're too polite. It's my honor that you come here for breakfast." The stall owner looked at Xu Qi'an's uniform and refused to take his money.

He looked at the empty plates left by Xu Qi'an, and his eyes were full of heartache.

"Really not taking it?"

The stall owner swallowed and thought that Xu Qi'an had eaten enough for four or five people. His small business was already struggling to make ends meet, and he had to work hard every day to make a living.

But he still didn't dare to take it...really didn't dare.

"No need, no need. I'll sit here for a while to digest. You can go and don't bother me." Xu Qi'an waved his hand to shoo away the stall owner.

The stall owner left obediently.

"The Great Feng dynasty's system has long-standing problems. If the officials don't reform, the people's lives will never improve." Xu Qi'an watched the busy figure of the stall owner and thought of the pitiful look he had when he was reluctant to take the money just now, like a beggar.

"Throughout history, the ones who have harmed the common people the most are always the invisible flies that the big shots can't see."

He took out ten wen from his pocket and left it on the table before leaving in silence.

"Finally left..." The stall owner breathed a sigh of relief and came over to clean up the dishes.

What bad luck! He was so annoyed.

When he came to the table, the stall owner was stunned to see a stack of copper coins on the table. The constable not only paid but also gave him more.

The stall owner hurriedly ran out a few steps, but he could only see the faint official uniform disappearing into the crowd.

He opened his mouth, and his throat seemed to be blocked by something.

For so many years, it was the first time he had encountered an official who paid for his meal.

...

After finishing his morning shift, Xu Qi'an asked for leave from County Magistrate Zhu in the back hall, and the old Zhu readily agreed.

Hastily returning to the Xu family's residence, Xu Qi'an pushed open Xu Xinnian's door. The two brothers nodded at each other tacitly, and Xu Xinnian brought out a set of moon-white Confucian robes with light grey cloud patterns.

Xu Qi'an glanced at the sky-blue robe with dark cloud patterns on his younger brother and suggested, "This one looks good on you. Let's swap."

Xu Xinnian sneered, as if saying, "What nonsense are you thinking?"

For a martial artist in the refinement stage, the scholar's Confucian robe was too loose, and his well-developed muscles would make the robe bulge.

But for a scholar, the aesthetic was "flowing sleeves and flying clothes."

The two brothers left the Xu family's residence and spent three liang of silver to rent two yellow steeds, galloping out of the capital.

Their destination was the famous Yunlu Academy on the Clear Cloud Mountain, sixty li away from the capital!Clear Cloud Mountain was not originally called Clear Cloud Mountain, but since the establishment of Yunlu Academy, the sound of reading has been endless and the clear air has been swirling, so it was renamed "Clear Cloud Mountain".

The two of them drove side by side on the official road. After an hour, Xu Qi'an looked far away and vaguely saw the outline of Clear Cloud Mountain and the small buildings of the academy that were as small as beans.

"Cijiu, I've always been curious," Xu Qi'an slowed down his horse, and when his cousin also pulled the reins, the two horses changed from running to trotting.

"Do you think the Saint is a first-grade?"

Xu Qi'an was extremely curious about the various systems in this world, but unfortunately lacked channels to learn about them.

Xu Xinnian arrogantly raised his chin, "Do you think I would know?"

If you don't know, then you don't know. Why do you have such a proud expression... Xu Qi'an rolled his eyes and continued, "Do you know how long the Saint lived?"

Xu Xinnian nodded, "He lived to be 82 years old."

The great Saint, the founder of Confucianism and Taoism, even if he didn't have a first-grade ranking, only lived to be 82 years old?

Well, for ordinary people in this era, that's considered a long life, but the martial arts in this world are extraordinary.

Even the Saint cannot live a long life?

Hmm, I can't make a hasty conclusion. After all, I have too little information...

"Yunlu Academy does not accept outsiders, it's a rule, even I can't get the teachers to agree," Xu Xinnian said.

"Do you have confidence, big brother?"

Xu Qi'an shook his head, "Nothing is impossible."

They decided to send their female relatives to Yunlu Academy before taking action, so even if they were really retaliated against by the Household Department's servants, Yunlu Academy could still protect the Xu family's female relatives.

The tax and silver case almost made me a dead man. Is this matter really that hard to resolve... sigh, if I can't handle it, it will be another crisis of extermination... Xu Qi'an urged his horse and left Xu Xinnian behind in the dust.

Xu Xinnian was not convinced, waved his whip, and started a race with his cousin.

...

Clear Cloud Mountain is neither majestic nor beautiful. If it weren't for the clear air, it would be no different from an ordinary mountain.

There are courtyards, pavilions, squares, waterfalls in the mountain... The small paths paved with bluestones are like spider webs, connecting these places together.

In a pavilion on the cliff, in a second-floor elegant room, there was no wall on the side facing the cliff. Standing at the corridor, you could overlook the vast plain and the silhouette of distant mountains.

Li Mubai, who swore never to play chess again, held a book and stood on the corridor, listening to his two friends arguing fiercely behind him.

"I made a mistake in this move. I want to start over, I don't care."

"Chess is played without regrets, that's the rule."

"The Saint said, 'To know one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue.'"

"Is that what the Saint meant?"

"Isn't it?"

"You old thief, do you want to argue with me about Tao? That's fine, only one of us will leave here alive today."

"I'm not someone who's been sheltered all my life."

Li Mubai shook his head, "Two stinky chess baskets."

One of the two behind him was the military strategist Zhang Shen, and the other was an old man wearing a black robe with a long beard down to his chest.

Chen Tai, also known as Youping, is one of the four great scholars of Yunlu Academy.

The four great scholars each have their own characteristics. Li Mubai is good at chess, Zhang Shen is proficient in military strategy, Yang Gong, who served as the Qingzhou Governor, is good at studying, and this Chen Youping has the talent to govern the country. His book "The Strategy of Governing the Country" is highly sought after in the Great Feng officialdom.Li Mubai turned and left the corridor, returning to his elegant room and interrupting the two arguing:

"Where's the Dean?"

"The Princess is here, and the Dean is accompanying her," Zhang Shen replied absentmindedly, his gaze fixed on the chessboard.

Li Mubai nodded in response.

Chen Tai sighed, "In three months, it will be the Spring Examination, but the students of the academy have no interest in studying. I went to the dormitory last night, and there were few students studying by the light of a few lamps."

"The only things illuminated by those lamps are the chessboards..." he said, reaching out to mess up the pieces on the board in frustration. "Playing games is a waste of time."

"You shameless old thief!" Zhang Shen exclaimed in anger. "If you lose, it's a waste of time, but if you win, you're showing off. You're just like Li Mubai, unable to handle it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Li Mubai retorted, getting angry.

At this point, the three scholars fell into silence.

The path to officialdom was difficult for the students of Yunlu Academy. Even if they passed the imperial examinations, it was difficult to climb the ranks in the bureaucracy. They were often sent to remote and impoverished areas or left to rot in some obscure corner.

This dealt a heavy blow to the enthusiasm of the students for the imperial examinations.

After a moment of silence in the elegant room, Zhang Shen said in a serious tone, "This situation cannot continue. We must find a way to rekindle the students' enthusiasm for the imperial examinations."

Chen Tai nodded solemnly, "Even if it's a struggle, we must persevere. Yunlu Academy cannot cut off the path to officialdom."

Li Mubai pondered, "Let's hold a lecture to encourage learning and have the academy take the lead."

Zhang Shen twirled a chess piece in his hand, "The Dean has been holding lectures every year, but it's always been a flash in the pan. It won't have much effect."

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Chen Tai stroked his beard and frowned, "We need a new and innovative way to motivate the students to study hard and value the Spring Examination."

"What about writing articles?" he suggested.

"That's too much effort for too little reward," Li Mubai shook his head.

"Then we'll have to rely on poetry," Zhang Shen drank some tea and said, "Poetry has always been able to move people's hearts. Writing a powerful poem would have a much greater effect than a lecture."

After speaking, the three scholars looked at each other and shook their heads in unison.

The poetry and literature of the Great Feng had been in decline for a long time.

PS: Since starting this book, the thing that has taken up the most time is typing? No, it's reading your comments on the previous chapter. They're so amazing that they give me goosebumps. I'm proud to have readers like you, who are all top-quality products of the nine-year compulsory education chain. Also, all you funny and mischievous readers, use your recommendation tickets to slap my face. The new book needs recommendation tickets.