Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 300, Page 299: The King of Qin's Edict
The three disciples hurriedly entered the inner room.

The Lady of the Mountain Lord sat to one side, her brows lowered, no longer speaking, while the disciples were earnest and deeply affectionate.
"teacher!"

"It's all that woman's fault for being so cruel, causing the teacher to suffer such humiliation!"

The servant opened his mouth, wanting to advise everyone to stop talking. If the rumors spread, even harsher punishments awaited them!
But the lady sat there unmoved, and the servants, having finished applying the medicine, quietly withdrew with a basin of water. All that remained in the room were Mr. Yuewu and his three disciples, their anger growing louder and louder.

"I've heard that this queen's origins are unknown; she's probably some country girl who has bewitched Your Majesty with her beauty!"

"Exactly! If they really had family backing, and just wanted to recruit some people, why make such a big fuss? I heard that even teachers and students from Shanxi Academy have gone to join them!"

"Hmph, the people at that mountain stream academy are a mixed bunch. I've heard that even commoners who deliver firewood there can recite a few lines of the sages' words. Don't they know about rank and status? It's utterly absurd!"

Everyone was talking at once, filled with righteous indignation, as if they were cursing not the queen they had never met, but someone with whom they had a deep-seated hatred.

The lady sat to the side, thinking calmly: The Queen has decreed that even the Lord's personal disciples are not to be employed.

With such a bleak future, how can this not be considered a deep-seated hatred?

Let them curse all they want; the Queen won't lose a hair because of it.

It's just a pity for her children...

The lady, recalling this matter, was now preoccupied with figuring out how to make amends. She was also worried that much of her dowry had been squandered and that she could no longer offer any decent gifts.

He then pondered which trusted confidants to send to inquire about the queen's close servants, hoping to gain some leverage...

She also needed to write a letter to her maternal family, asking her sister-in-law to take her daughter to stay for ten days or half a month, until the turmoil subsided and the Queen left, and then bring her back!
As she silently pondered each and every matter on her mind, the lady felt less anxious.

When she came to her senses, she saw that the three disciples who had stammered and looked ashamed when they saw her that morning had now returned to their previous state after joining their husband in cursing the queen.

Then the mountain lord sighed:

"I never imagined the Queen had such a magnanimous heart. Now that she has been punished, she has also jeopardized your futures... Alas! I am truly ashamed before you all!"

The eldest disciple should take the lead:
"How could our revered teacher look down on us like this?!"

"Exactly!"

"All that we have learned was personally taught by our teacher! Now that our beloved teacher is in trouble, it is precisely the time for us to unite and support the academy! Why should we listen to such words from our teacher..."

The three exchanged glances, and when they looked up again, they saw Mr. Yuewu's face filled with emotion.

"With such a disciple, what more could one ask for?"

However, the words of his three disciples also reminded him that he was seriously injured and his sons were still young, so the academy still needed someone to manage it carefully.

Since disciples have always been like one's own children, and now that they have stood by him through thick and thin in his time of need, what's wrong with letting go a little and trusting them a bit more?

The mountain lord was about to speak when the lady sitting beside him sensed something ominous about what he was saying.

If these three were truly so earnest and sincere, why did two of them look ashamed and stammer when they saw her this morning?

Originally, when their husbands were busy, they, as disciples, should have done their part. Even if they didn't stay up all night with them, they should have at least come to inquire about their well-being earlier.

But now they've arrived at this time, and suddenly their fear and silence have vanished...

The lady sensed something was wrong, but gritted her teeth and said, "My lord, you are seriously ill now and should not overwork yourself. I will take care of the many complicated matters in the academy." "I usually handle the daily purchases of oil and salt, so I can manage for a few days."

The mountain lord thought about it again: That makes sense.

The academy was able to be built thanks to a significant portion of his wife's dowry. As for the daily trivial matters, he only needed to focus on reading and refined conversation, while his wife indeed took care of everything else.

So he nodded, and was about to speak again when he heard the eldest disciple respectfully say:

"That's right. Although Master's wife is a woman, she has always been virtuous! She must be just as capable as any man in handling those tax collectors, dealing with all sorts of disputes and trivial matters, as well as the complicated tasks of assessing disciples and contacting various influential figures!"

"If there is any trouble, just tell the students, and the teacher can rest assured."

The things he mentioned could be big or small, and the lady was not unfamiliar with them, but now, hearing them solemnly recount them one by one, her brow twitched.

When he raised his head, his expression was cold and stern, clearly indicating that he had sensed something was wrong.

However, at that moment, the mountain lord suddenly slapped the bed, causing a sharp pain in his back. He barely managed to suppress a groan so as not to lose face as a teacher in front of his disciples.

But his disciple's words did serve as a reminder to him.

As a woman, it is really inconvenient for her to deal with so many external affairs and be entangled with various men.

Such a troublesome matter should be left to the disciples!
They are honest and hardworking, and capable of handling many daily tasks...

"My disciple, I entrust my academy to you for the time being—"

As he said this, he completely ignored the lady's angry expression, and also failed to notice the smiles on the faces of his three disciples as they lowered their heads—

Now that I no longer have the opportunity to use my skills to serve the emperor, I must work diligently to acquire more power, wealth, and fame.

Now, we'll take care of things for our teacher for three to five days, and then, when the teacher realizes their usefulness, and after some more years...

No matter how quiet the Wutong Academy becomes, it is still an academy! If one day they become its headmasters…

However, just then, a servant rushed in, breathless, and reported:
"Mountain Lord! There's a eunuch outside the gate! He's here to deliver the King's decree!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

Even the headmaster instantly propped himself up halfway on the couch, then cried out "Ouch!" and collapsed back down.

Despite losing face, the disciples were overjoyed, their eyes gleaming with excitement, and they kept asking, "What is the King's decree?"

"His Majesty is far away in Xianyang City, how could he know about our humble Wutong Academy? Could it be that someone leaked this information to him?"

Another disciple exclaimed joyfully, "Could it be that the King cannot bear to see virtuous people humiliated, and has therefore come personally to appease us?!"

Everyone in the room was beaming with joy, but the lady sat there feeling icy cold all over, and even her fingertips trembled slightly.

Although she didn't know much about national affairs, she did know that no normal couple or man with a modicum of sense would be so forgiving and magnanimous as to appease an impudent person after they have been verbally abused by their wife!

A hen crowing at dawn! What a hen crowing at dawn!
There has never been a man who would entrust his family business to an outsider but not trust his wife!

　Here I am again!
　　Oh my god, I just remembered that today is my 10th writing anniversary!!!
　　2015.12.01-2025.12.01.

　　(End of this chapter)