Volume 5: Fellow Traveler Chapter 759: Backfire
After the young teacher finished his lecture and walked away without looking back, it was a long while before the classroom was filled with discussions. Although there were similar young students in Jiuzhang Hall and Banshan Hall who came to serve as substitute teachers, most of them just read from the book, that is, they were talking about things like "The Analects of Confucius" from various bookstores.
But today, this young teacher only spent half a class explaining several dialogues in the Analects in a simple and easy-to-understand way, and then he talked about Guanzi. Although most students in the intermediate class have never even heard of this book, and don't know who the so-called Guanzi is, this does not prevent them from sincerely admiring this peer.
At their age, they certainly dreamed of wearing splendid silk and eating delicious food in the future, but their fathers, brothers and elders all taught them from their own actual experience that this was completely a foolish dream. With their background, if they could become shopkeepers and accountants in the future, that would be the best!
They felt that the two funding options Zhang Shou mentioned had opened a window for them. And the gap between the rich and the poor that the young teacher mentioned was something they had never thought about before.
The teacher even told them that it was not because the poor were not smart or hardworking, but because the rich occupied too many resources and were unwilling to give up even a little bit, so some people rose up in rebellion when they could no longer tolerate it! It turned out that some people were not born to be in the clouds, and some were born to struggle in the mud.
The fourth prince never expected that this young eunuch, who was definitely from the Palace of Heavenly Purity, had no intention of flirting with him at all. He just left after class, as if he didn't know him! This time, the naughty boy couldn't stand it anymore.
Just as Zhang Shou said, the Fourth Prince is a very difficult person to serve. If you treat him like a son of a rich family and flatter him, he will think you are a person without integrity and have other desires, and will not bother to pay attention to you. But if you ignore him arrogantly, he will think you look down on him and don't take him seriously...
Only if you treat him as an ordinary person, like Zhang Shou in the past, Xiao Huasheng and Xiao Cheng now, then he will feel comfortable and happy and treat you as his own.
Therefore, Zhang Shou deliberately misled Luo Sanhe - and Luo Sanhe was not so happy in the first place because he suspected that he was recommended by Chu Kuan. He was only moved by the attitude of the Crown Prince in the East Palace, so he took the task of assisting the Fourth Prince. It was inevitable that he misunderstood Zhang Shou's coldness as arrogance.
This is taking things even further.
So, the Fourth Prince, whose mentality exploded, left the classroom angrily as soon as he realized what was happening. Seeing this, Peanut didn't have time to tell Xiao Cheng and immediately ran after him. Fortunately, he was fast and soon saw the naughty kid standing outside a window of a school hall.
He knew that this was the place where Zhang Shou had just moved in a few days ago, and where he lived, prepared lessons, and graded homework in the public school. Although grading homework was often done by outstanding students such as Lu Sanlang and Ji Jiu, and if these people were studying in the Eastern Palace, other students would take turns to take their place. However, Zhang Shou did not have exclusive use of this school hall.
Just like Lu Wan and Liu Zhiyuan shared the public hall, Zhang Shou also had another old scholar named Gu. However, he didn't seem to see him coming today. This old scholar was one of the masters of the advanced class. His research on zhihuzheya far surpassed that on numbers, but he had an easygoing personality and didn't seem to have any conflicts with Zhang Shou.
So, Xiao Huasheng tiptoed over and put his hand on the Fourth Prince's shoulder. He frowned when he saw him suddenly turn around with a vigilant look on his face and then made a gesture to him to keep quiet.
Who are you trying to eavesdrop on Zhang Shou talking to?
However, he pricked up his ears and listened for a long time, but there was no sound of conversation inside, as if there was no one in the room at all. He waited patiently for a while, and found that it was still quiet, so he became impatient. Even more impatient than him was the naughty child who had just signaled him to be quiet.
The fourth prince came to the door and rushed in after the initial hesitation. Peanut was stunned. He didn't want to learn from the fourth prince's rashness, but he was worried that people would do something irrational in a hurry. He didn't know who else was in the room besides Zhang Shou, so he could only quickly chase after him.
As soon as he entered the room, he found that Zhang Shou was not there. The person occupying the desk of Master Gu was the young teacher named Luo who came to teach them today. The fourth prince rushed to the other party and slapped the desk hard without any courtesy.
Hearing this loud noise, Peanut felt his scalp tingling. He had heard Zhang Shou warn him countless times that the Fourth Prince was a bad-tempered kid, impulsive and reckless, and often acted without thinking. But after spending so much time with him, he found that he at least did not have the bad habits of those noble dandies in operas, and he did not put on airs... But what happened today?
But when Peanut heard what the Fourth Prince shouted, he was stunned.
"Why are you coming here instead of staying in the Qianqing Palace and doing your job?"
Since Luo Sanhe could say such words in front of Zhang Shou, and even when he met Chu Kuan in person, he gritted his teeth and refused to beg for mercy. Rather than saying that he had a backbone, it would be better to say that he was a eunuch with a temper - although the word temper was a bit of a luxury for a eunuch. However, at this moment, he was not intimidated by the Fourth Prince's momentum at all, but instead sneered fearlessly.
"Who wants you, the Fourth Prince, to stay in this public school?"
Seeing that the Fourth Prince's face had immediately turned stiff due to his pressure, Luo Sanhe coldly told the Third Prince what he had been told to tell the Fourth Prince, forgetting Zhang Shou's previous instructions to keep things a secret and act cool - although his attitude was already very cool. After saying what he had to say, he laughed like a broken jar.
"I'm not a nice person. I just offended Eunuch Chu before. I'm just a newcomer to the Qianqing Palace. I don't know anything. It was the same when I was in the inner school. Besides being able to read, I met the current seal holder, Eunuch Qian, by chance. So even though I'm a rigid person, I managed to finish the course and finally entered the Silijian as a promissory note. I don't have any other strengths."
"I don't know what the Crown Prince likes about me, but I think that instead of being a nuisance to you, the Fourth Prince, I might as well be a tutor at the public school for a few days. You, the Fourth Prince, just go and fight with Master Zhang, and I will stay here. When I return to the palace, I will go and apologize to the Emperor and the Crown Prince. You can just pretend that nothing happened and that you have never met me. How about that?"
"Anyway, Fourth Prince, you didn't have anyone from the palace to bother you, so you lived a good life."
Since he found out that the person who gave the lecture today was actually a eunuch in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and that Renren dared to confront the Fourth Prince without any fear, this overturned the impression that Xiaohuasheng had of eunuchs because of operas. Although Renren and the Fourth Prince were in conflict, he was not so worried.
He slipped out quietly with just one thought, intending to wait outside the door. As soon as he went out, he found Zhang Shou standing outside with a half-smile on his face, and Xiao Cheng standing beside him.
Realizing that Xiao Cheng was actually the one who informed Zhang Shou, Xiao Huasheng was a little confused. However, when he was about to say something, he saw Zhang Shou just shaking his hand at him and then pointing at his ear.
Was he asked to keep quiet and eavesdrop with Zhang Shouxiao? Peanut was stunned for a moment, but finally obeyed.
In the academy, the Fourth Prince, who had just been bullied by Luo Sanhe, finally regained his spirits. Of course, he was more motivated, but he was also very angry. At this moment, he glared at Luo Sanhe and shouted angrily, "How dare you! Father and the Crown Prince asked you to follow me. Who told you to be a teacher on your own initiative?"
"When I go to Tongzhou, you have to go with me!"
Seeing a subtle expression on Luo Sanhe's face, as if saying, I knew you only care about yourself and not others... The Fourth Prince felt even more furious.
"Students who can attend the intermediate class in this public school naturally have teachers and are taken care of by people like Lu Jijiu and Liu Laoshang Department. How much do you think you understand about the sufferings of the people? Besides, even if the students here have difficulties at home, they can all be solved."
"Let's not talk about the teachers. Before, Xiao Huasheng, Xiao Cheng and I helped Chen San and three other classmates in the class. We also broke the conspiracy of the cousin of Master Kong. Where were you at that time? You think you can be a good teacher in the public school. You think too highly of yourself. These specious truths are not suitable for telling them at all!"
"What if they misunderstand? What if they feel it is unfair and become hostile to the rich and powerful and do something irreparable? Were you taught these things when you first started learning the Analects of Confucius in the study hall of the Imperial Household Department?" After a series of rhetorical questions, seeing that Luo Sanhe was speechless for a moment and the Fourth Prince had successfully gained the upper hand, he became even more confident.
"You think you are saying something shocking, but you are just trying to attract attention! If you have the guts, go and say it in front of Mr. Kong and the other cabinet ministers, or in the court! I think you have become stupid because of reading too much, and Third Brother asked you to remind me. I think I should correct you! Humph, the teacher once said that we should integrate knowledge and action. Do you understand what this means?"
Zhang Shou, who was outside the door, heard that the Fourth Prince was actually teaching Luo Sanhe a lesson. He couldn't help but laugh, and was very satisfied with the result. Regardless of Chu Kuan's intention in inserting such a person through the Third Prince, his response was effective.
That is to let the Fourth Prince, who has already been working in the market, give this young man a good beating! Otherwise, no matter whether Luo Sanhe stays by the Fourth Prince's side or stays in the public school in the future, based on his personality, it will be easy for him to cause a lot of trouble!
Therefore, when he saw that the time was almost right, he coughed heavily and then walked into the school hall calmly. At first glance, he saw that the Fourth Prince was arrogant, while Luo Sanhe seemed a little unprepared, especially after meeting his gaze, he actually looked a little embarrassed and angry. He immediately ignored Luo Sanhe and smiled faintly at the Fourth Prince.
"Zheng Yan, you are still confidently telling others that knowledge and action should be integrated? Action is worse than words. I think your bickering skills have improved."
The fourth prince only dared to show off in front of Luo Sanhe, a eunuch from the Qianqing Palace, but not in front of Zhang Shou. He still remembered the pain from his buttocks and palms. But he didn't want to show weakness in front of Luo Sanhe, so he snorted in dissatisfaction: "Who made him look down on me first!"
"Teacher, you didn't hear it just now. What he said was not nice!" The Fourth Prince was not sure whether Zhang Shou was outside just now or heard their conversation. Anyway, he repeated it with exaggeration and then showed an indignant expression.
"Teacher, please judge for yourself. What he meant by these words is that he thinks I will never listen to his suggestions, so instead of hating each other, why don't we just do our own things? He is willing to go against his father and the third brother, the crown prince, to stay away from me. Why? Am I born to be a troublemaker and incapable of doing good things?"
"He doesn't even think about it. There are so many capable people in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and the Imperial Household Department. Anyone who comes to help me would be the best helper. Why would I want a rookie like him? Maybe it's because he offended Chu Kuan in the past, so the third prince sent him here, not to let him look after me, but to let me protect him, so that he won't die without knowing how one day! The third prince is so kind!"
The more the kid spoke, the more reasonable he became. The more reasonable he became, the more convincing he became. Seeing Luo Sanhe dumbfounded, he was obviously fooled by him. The fourth prince couldn't help but feel proud. But just as he was about to use his eloquence to further consolidate his victory, he suddenly felt a chill on his body. So, although he saw Zhang Shou was still smiling, he quickly shut up.
It’s better to quit while he’s ahead… Otherwise, if he makes the teacher angry, he’ll be in real trouble!
Zhang Shou looked at Luo Sanhe's face, which was pale and blue, and his eyes were uncertain. It was obvious that he was really considering the real purpose of this mission because of the Fourth Prince's words. He almost wanted to shed a handful of sympathy tears for this simple guy. Even a naughty kid like the Fourth Prince could fool people to this extent. How did this guy get into the Imperial Household Department?
However, since his goal had been exceeded, he pretended not to notice the change in Luo Sanhe's expression and instead scolded the Fourth Prince - the main idea was simple, once a teacher, always a father, and since Luo Sanhe had already obtained his permission to be a teacher, it was a big mistake for the Fourth Prince to come to the school and bang the table and make trouble!
Of course, he didn't force the Fourth Prince to apologize, but he emphasized again the fact that the person was sent by the Third Prince. Seeing that the Fourth Prince was finally honest, he said calmly: "Luo Sanhe continues to teach, and will go to Tongzhou with Zheng Yan later."
