Regarding the children’s lack of etiquette, from His Majesty the Emperor of Great Sui to the assembled ministers and generals behind him, no one found it inappropriate. Instead, they all wore smiles, finding it quite amusing. The flourishing literary atmosphere of Great Sui was evident.

The group of children who had traveled from afar huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. Three small green bamboo book boxes were particularly conspicuous. A little girl in a red cotton-padded jacket was the most eye-catching, appearing very anxious. The smallest child, perhaps unfamiliar with the place and frightened by the Emperor of Great Sui’s imposing array, began to sob on the spot.

The Emperor of Great Sui, far from showing any impatience, actually turned his head to chat with the white-haired Minister of Rites.

In the end, the faraway scholars who had traveled thousands of miles to the Great Sui capital simultaneously turned to look towards the end of the street, reluctant to meet with His Majesty the Emperor.

Although the Emperor of Great Sui was neither urging nor impatient, dragging things on like this would not do. A Great Confucian, one of the three deputy principals of the New Cliff Academy, a literary luminary of the Great Sui Dynasty, had to apologize to His Majesty before stepping out of the ranks alone to remind the children that they should enter the academy.

Fortunately, there were no further twists or turns. Although the children were ignorant of courtly etiquette, they were pure and lovable, which was their strength. As Confucian disciples, their *zuoyi* and bows were quite proper, which greatly pleased the Emperor of Great Sui. He personally rewarded each of the five children with a “Righteous Qi” jade pendant and a box of Golden Dragon inksticks. After entering the academy, apart from the portrait of the Most Sage Master that must be worshipped, all the cumbersome formalities that should have taken half a day were simplified. This relieved Li Bao Ping and the other two, who had been facing a formidable task, while Xie Xi and Yu Lu took it relatively for granted, without any nervousness.

Finally, the deputy principal personally led them to their respective dormitories, explaining the course arrangements for the future. The five were assigned to different dormitories. Because the academy occupied a vast area, in addition to the terraced buildings built against the mountain, the entire Eastern Blossom Mountain had been designated as belonging to the Cliff Academy by Great Sui. Therefore, many dormitories were not too close to each other.

This academy, on which Great Sui placed high hopes, had less than two hundred students but boasted thirty highly respected and erudite *fuzi* (master/teacher).

The Minister of Rites of Great Sui personally held the position of principal, but it was a remote appointment, merely a nominal title. The chief deputy principal in charge of specific academic affairs was a former teacher at the Cliff Academy, one of the disciples of the Literary Saint, named Mao Xiao Dong. He had a wine-soaked nose and was ninety years old, but his complexion was good, looking only fifty or sixty.

The old man did not appear to greet them this time, on the grounds that he had to teach in the classroom and could not delay the students’ normal studies. The Emperor of Great Sui naturally had no objections.

Legend has it that this deputy principal wore a redwood ruler engraved with the words “Rules” on his waist. It is said that someone once saw in small seal script the characters “Bu Yu” (not exceed) were carved before the character “Ju” (矩-rule).

This time, Great Sui’s successful absorption of the remaining embers of the Cliff Academy was unexpected. First of all, the Emperor of Great Li’s willingness to let them go was crucial, otherwise, everything would be out of the question. Whether the ambitious and talented emperor felt guilty towards Qi Jing Chun, or had other plans, the Great Sui court and the public believed that taking over the academy was a good thing. However, the teachers and students of the Cliff Academy, initially more than forty in total, were ultimately able to leave the territory of Great Li smoothly, and this old man deserved the greatest credit. The journey was not smooth sailing, but rather fraught with danger.

If the new Cliff Academy, after Great Sui invested so much manpower, material resources, and financial resources, still seemed to be “lacking only the East Wind” due to the absence of the academy’s founder, Qi Jing Chun, and the lack of a sufficiently “orthodox” figure.

Then, from this day on, with the arrival of the five faraway students, it could be said that “the East Wind has entered Eastern Blossom Mountain.”

Halfway up Eastern Blossom Mountain, there was a Hall of Literary Rectitude, with an image of the Confucian Most Sage Master hanging in the center. On the left and right sides were two solemn old men whose names were deliberately concealed. On the right was the portrait of Qi Jing Chun, the first principal of the Cliff Academy. Inside the hall, an old man with a redwood ruler hanging from his waist respectfully offered three sticks of incense to the three sages. While holding the incense, the old man lowered his head and silently said, “Literature carries the Way, the flame is passed on.”

The old Cliff Academy, under the leadership of Qi Jing Chun, had a rule: manage, but don’t provide meals.

Therefore, in the Great Li era, many impoverished scholars from the north who were able to study at the academy would help the academy copy scriptures in order to earn food expenses.

In the current Great Sui Cliff Academy, this rule has not been abolished, but there are many more loopholes. First, most of the current students at the academy were local scholars from Great Sui, and because they were the first batch, Great Sui chose them locally, so they were almost all from Great Sui aristocratic families. These people were not short of money. Second, the new academy favored students. Just the various academy gifts, including books, ink, brushes, Confucian robes, and clothing, were an amazing fortune.

Li Huai was the youngest in the group. After arriving at his dormitory, because his roommates were still in class and had not returned, the child stood alone in the empty room. Li Huai, who had just cried once at the foot of the mountain, suddenly squatted on the ground and sobbed. He felt that he had no parents and no friends. How could there be such a pitiful child in the world? Pitifully, he smeared his new clothes with snot and tears, again and again.

Finally, Li Huai cried as he opened his book box and put on his straw sandals, feeling a little more at ease. But then he was afraid that wearing straw sandals would make people look down on him, so he put on his new boots again. Repeating this process, the lonely child cried and cried, thinking of the young fellow villager he had decided to call “Little Shishu (Junior Uncle-Master)” but ultimately did not have time to say, thinking of all the good things about Chen Ping An again and again.

Lin Shou Yi put away his book box and went out for a walk alone. The handsome young man with a cold expression walked with firm steps and eventually found a towering library, which still smelled faintly of wood since it was newly built.

Along the way, he could hear the familiar sound of reading aloud, much more than in the small town school he used to attend.

Lin Shou Yi took a deep breath and walked towards the library.

He heard that here, reading ten thousand volumes of books would not cost a single copper coin.

Lin Shou Yi suddenly felt a little sad. If that money-grubber stayed with them, it would be like earning money.
Li Baoping sat in the deserted schoolhouse. After opening her book chest, she found the letter that Little Martial Uncle had written to her. The letter contained much, saying that he was going home and would help her send a message of safety to her family, assuring her eldest brother that she had been obedient and endured hardship on this journey. He mentioned that he had punched a hole in the gold-refined copper coin and strung it with a red thread, telling her to always wear it around her neck and not lose it. In case she urgently needed a large sum of money, she could exchange it for silver.

The letter also said that he had prepared a jade hairpin for her, Lin Shouyi, and Li Huai, each as a farewell gift, engraved with “Baoping,” “Shouyi,” and “Huaiyin” respectively. He hadn’t been of much help along the way, so this was just a small token of his feelings. He told her not to dislike them, and if she thought they weren’t pretty, she could just hide them away.

Li Huai was timid, so she should spend more time with him and not let him be bullied in the academy. Lin Shouyi was aloof, so she should chat with him more often and not let their relationship remain so distant. Yu Lu’s fist techniques were formidable, and Xie Shi was actually a celestial being from the mountain. If there were any conflicts, Baoping, she absolutely must not rush to the front alone. She could ask them two for help, without feeling embarrassed. Even if she owed them a favor, Little Martial Uncle would repay it for her in the future.

The whetstone called Dragon-Slaying Platform, Little Martial Uncle had left it in her book chest, but she must remember to find a place with fewer people when sharpening her knife in the future, so as not to scare her classmates. Also, she must remember to carefully keep that silver small gourd…

The letter concluded by saying that this Little Martial Uncle was leaving without saying goodbye and not entering the academy with them, and wanted to say sorry to them. He had traveled so far but failed to see it through to the end, and he had not been a good Little Martial Uncle. He wished them all well in the future, to study hard, and when they became successful, Little Martial Uncle could brag to others, saying that he knew Li Baoping, knew Li Huai, and knew Lin Shouyi, that he, Chen Pingan, knew them all.

The letter contained so many fragmented details, but every single word was written meticulously and rigidly, neither clever nor ethereal.

Just like the character and temperament of that Mud Bottle Alley boy.

Right was right, and wrong was wrong. Good things should be cherished, and no amount of cherishing was too much.

As she read, tears fell “patta patta” onto the letter, like an autumn rain of sorrow.

Not big, not small, but truly heartbreaking.

The stubborn little girl kept telling herself, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, Little Martial Uncle will be heartbroken if he sees this.”

On the wide streets of the Great Sui capital, a white-robed youth kept smiling and asking incessantly, “Since you were so reluctant to leave, why did you sneak away like this?”

Clearly, he was rubbing salt into the wound.

After that long look back, Chen Pingan did not continue, but kept a straight face and walked back.

Cui Chan asked, “Aren’t you afraid that they’ll be bullied in the academy without you, their Little Martial Uncle? There won’t be anyone to stand up for them then.”

Chen Pingan remained silent.

The Great Sui capital was too large, and the two finally managed to get out of the city gate before the night curfew. Cui Chan held a pot of wine in his hand, drinking as he walked, taking only a small sip each time. Even after leaving the city, the pot was not yet empty.

A team of elite cavalry charged out of the city gate like thunder, catching up with the two on the official road. The leader was none other than the Great Sui Prince, Gao Xuan.

This time, he was not accompanied by grandmasters or celestial guardians. Gao Xuan dismounted and approached Chen Pingan, smiling angrily, “You didn’t even want the reward? Aren’t you putting me in a position of being unbenevolent and unjust?”

Chen Pingan smiled, “If possible, please take care of them for me. Consider it your reward.”

Gao Xuan shook his head, “Those are two different things. I won’t pretend to be someone I’m not when it comes to the academy, because even I can’t get involved. So I won’t agree to that. The reward I promised you must be given. If you don’t accept it, you have to take it and then throw it away.”

Gao Xuan deliberately acted fierce, “Chen Pingan, I am a proper Great Sui Prince, I have to have some face, right?”

Chen Pingan nodded and reached out his hand, “Give it to me.”

Gao Xuan laughed heartily, extended his fist, and suddenly released it, heavily patting Chen Pingan’s palm. “From now on, you are my friend, Gao Xuan! If you come to the Great Sui capital again in the future, come directly to Gao Xuan.”

Chen Pingan was a little dazed. After withdrawing his hand, he still nodded, “Okay.”

Gao Xuan no longer lingered. He remounted his horse. Looking down from his higher vantage point, Gao Xuan leaned down, smiling brightly, “The journey is long. I’ve prepared a carriage for you. It will arrive soon. If you really prefer to walk, you can sell it for money. But don’t sell it cheaply. It’s definitely worth seven or eight hundred taels of silver.”

Gao Xuan came and went in a hurry, leading the team of elite cavalry back to the city, a scene that attracted the attention of many travelers on the official road.

Chen Pingan and Cui Chan continued to move forward. Cui Chan asked, “Can’t figure out why a prince is being so polite and enthusiastic to you, Chen Pingan?”

Chen Pingan replied, “I can’t figure it out, so I won’t think about it too much.”

Cui Chan was unwilling to give up and explained on his own, “Actually, it’s not complicated. Because Gao Xuan’s identity is special, and being in a privileged position, the Yellow Court Kingdom is also a vassal of the Great Sui, and they must have spies within the Great Li. It’s not difficult for them to know the general experiences of your pilgrimage, and the identities of Baoping and the others are more important than you imagine. So he’s happy to show you some kindness, laying a long line to catch a big fish. Even if he doesn’t catch anything in the end, he won’t lose anything.”

Cui Chan curled his lips. “If the Great Li Emperor was any other monarch, if the Cliff Academy was any other academy other than Qi Jingchun’s, they would be like a piece of rotten wood struck by lightning, honestly rotting away in place. Of course, the Great Sui has the courage to take over the Cliff Academy, and that’s worthy of admiration. The Great Li Emperor’s feelings about this are also complicated. You might not believe it, but the Lu Dynasty, where Yu Lu and Xie Shi are from, was the recognized strongest power in the northern continent of Baoping before its destruction, but the Great Li Emperor only considered three as his enemies. The Lu Dynasty Emperor was not among them. On the contrary, the Great Sui Emperor Gao, whose national strength was slightly weaker, occupied a place.”

At the moment when Cui Chan was revealing these heavenly secrets, Chen Pingan was busy changing into straw sandals.

This made Cui Chan, whose seductive glances were wasted on a blind man, feel somewhat frustrated.

Cui Chan tentatively asked, “Sir, weave a pair of straw sandals for me too sometime, and a small book chest would be nice as well.”
Chen Ping’an carefully stowed away the pair of boots, hoisted the large bamboo basket back onto his shoulders, and said in an annoyed tone, “Wearing straw sandals isn’t for fun.”

Cui Chan smiled, his eyes crinkling, “I think it’s quite fun.”

Chen Ping’an walked forward along the side of the official road, looking straight ahead, and asked, “Is reading fun?”

Cui Chan hesitated for once, finally tying the wine pot around his waist, binding it together with the jade pendant, and clasping his hands behind his head, “Reading? I’ve never thought it was fun since I was little.”

They walked far, and in the twilight, borrowing the last bit of light, Chen Ping’an looked back at the towering city walls of the Great Sui capital.

Cui Chan, who had been silent the entire way, suddenly burst into laughter, “Haha, I knew you couldn’t help but look!”

Chen Ping’an ignored Cui Chan’s taunt and asked seriously, “Should I have stayed at the academy for a few days, to at least see Baoping and the others reading before leaving?”

Cui Chan was caught a little off guard by this sudden question, and after thinking for a moment, said, “Leaving early or leaving late makes no difference.”

Cui Chan noticed Chen Ping’an glancing at him, with a look of disdain that said, “Asking you is pointless, your answer is useless.”

Cui Chan was truly a little depressed, his face full of grievance, “I’m being kind enough to help the master solve his worries, is the master being like this really appropriate?”

Chen Ping’an glanced at the wine pot hanging from Cui Chan’s waist, quickly withdrew his gaze, sighed, and then quickened his pace forward, burying his head in the journey.

Cui Chan’s expression remained unchanged, but he was filled with shock. What, Chen Ping’an even has moments when he wants to drink?

Oh. So the youth already knows the taste of sorrow.

(End of this chapter)