My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 271 Li Rusong Disrupts Class

"What? Dr. Kong is leaving?"

Upon hearing the news, Shen Li hurriedly entered the school building of the Five Classics Doctor and saw Kong Shanglun packing his bags.

When the Ministry of Personnel announced the appointment of the magistrate of Qufu County, Kong Shanglun accepted it without hesitation.

Shen Li asked, "Dr. Kong, given your special status, why did you choose to serve as a county magistrate in Qufu? Isn't it your ambition to stay at the Imperial Academy and teach?"

Kong Shanglun sighed and said:
"The Great Sage Confucius was the teacher of all Confucian scholars, yet he failed to educate the Confucius family in Qufu. This is a disgrace to us Confucian scholars."

“I went to Qufu as a disciple of the Confucian school to persuade the Duke Yansheng to do good.”

Hearing this, Shen Li had nothing to say and could only say:
"If Dr. Kong needs anything, he can speak with me."

Kong Shanglun bowed to Shen Li again and then said:

"I am very grateful for the care I have received at the Imperial Academy these past few days. Qufu is not some kind of dangerous place, so thank you for your kindness, Director Shen."

Shen Li admired Kong Shanglun's spirit and was willing to wade into the muddy waters of Qufu.

After Kong Shanglun left, Shen Li said with self-reproach:

"I am no match for him!"

But just as Shen Li finished his lament, the military supervisor next door sent an official over to ask Shen Li for manpower.

With Kong Shanglun leaving the Imperial Academy, the Military Academy is short one instructor, which is causing Shen Li even more headaches, as the already insufficient manpower is becoming even more strained.

Su Zilin was the first to impeach the Confucius family in Qufu, and Kong Shanglun's appointment in Qufu was definitely related to him.

Gritting his teeth, determined to settle scores, Shen Li first appeased the officials of the Military Affairs Bureau, then charged straight towards the newspaper office!
The memorial entitled "Petitioning for Strict Reforms to Demonstrate the Supreme Virtue of the Descendants of Confucius" was passed, and Kong Shanglun, a disciple of Confucius from the south, was appointed magistrate of Qufu County.

After arriving in Qufu, Kong Shanglun actively investigated the sacrificial fields and returned the land that had been seized by the Kong family of Qufu.

During Kong Shanglun's ten years of governance in Qufu, some members of the Kong clan there broke the law, and Kong Shanglun punished them severely according to the law. Before each punishment, Kong Shanglun would gather all members of the Kong clan in the Confucius Temple to give a lecture, urging them to do good.

Kong Shanglun's lectures were always extremely long, with the longest lasting six hours.

The descendants of the Confucius family in Qufu, fearing being lectured by Kong Shanglun, became increasingly restrained in their behavior, and Qufu was greatly brought into order.

The dynasty's fate remains unchanged.

[Prestige +200.]

[Remaining Prestige: 2270.]

Good heavens, who is this Kong Shanglun? He can keep the Confucius family in Qufu from breaking the law just by lecturing?

But what's with lecturing for six hours straight?

Su Ze thought about the scene and sat upright in the Confucius Temple listening to Kong Shanglun lecture for twelve hours straight. It seemed like it was indeed very torturous.

Moreover, if even one member of the tribe makes a mistake, the entire tribe must endure such torment.

If one were a high-ranking member of the Confucius family in Qufu, one would absolutely have to restrain one's children from such torment.

Kong Shanglun is quite a talent, managing to keep Qufu stable for ten years.

Just as Su Ze put down the portable Ming Dynasty newspaper, Shen Li rushed into the newspaper office.

After hearing Shen Li's purpose, Su Ze smiled and said:

“Brother Zhonghua (Shen Li’s courtesy name), the Imperial Academy is short-staffed. You should report this to His Majesty and the Cabinet. Why did you come to me?”

Shen Li said:

"Brother Zilin, you are the head instructor of the Martial Arts Academy. Isn't it your responsibility to address the shortage of instructors at the academy?"

Su Ze then remembered that he actually did have a position as a martial arts instructor.

However, his position as instructor was just like that of the editor-in-chief of a newspaper; he simply went to the martial arts academy to give classes on a regular basis.

On the contrary, the daily management of the Military Academy was actually handled by Shen Li, the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy.

As for the other two leaders of the Military Supervisory Commission, the head of the commissioner was His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the deputy head was Duke Dingguo, Xu Wenbi, so there was no need to expect them to be in charge.

Shen Li continued:

"And you should also pay close attention to the matter of martial arts instruction, Brother Zilin."

"what happened?"

Shen Li said:

"The classes at the Imperial Academy are fine; these martial arts students don't dare to misbehave at the Imperial Academy's professors. But it's a different story when the instructors teach."

Su Ze's expression turned serious.

As previously agreed, the curriculum of the Military Academy is based on intellectual education with moral education as a supplement.

In other words, the priority was to impart military skills, with Confucian classics as a secondary consideration.

The instructors responsible for teaching military techniques were outstanding officers that Su Ze had obtained from Qi Jiguang. These officers were carefully selected; they not only had to be literate, but also knowledgeable about the latest firearms tactics.

The teaching material was "New Book of Effective Tactics" written by Qi Jiguang. This book was different from the one in the previous life. Inspired by Su Ze, Qi Jiguang paid more attention to the application of firearms, and especially conducted special research on practical artillery techniques.

In addition, the three departments of the Military Academy were 'Infantry Department', 'Cavalry Department', and 'Artillery Department'. The Infantry Department students had to learn battle formations and drills, the Cavalry Department students had to learn horsemanship, and the Artillery Department students also had to learn arithmetic.

According to Su Ze's original intention, as a specialized school for training officers, the most important thing for the Military Academy was military courses.

Now that Shen Li says there's a problem with the instructors' courses at the Martial Arts Academy, Su Ze naturally becomes serious.

Shen Li said:

“The students of the Military Academy were either descendants of nobles or heirs of garrison officers, and they looked down on the instructors of the Military Academy.”

"These instructors are heroes who fight on the front lines, but in the capital they are just ordinary officers, so naturally they dare not offend these students."

“Especially the courses on military strategy, I once secretly listened in. The students were making a ruckus, and the instructors just read from the textbook and left.”

Su Ze slammed his hand on the table and said:
"That's unreasonable!"

Su Ze hadn't expected these martial arts students to be so arrogant, but upon closer reflection, it made sense. These people were the reincarnation winners of the Ming Dynasty system, so it was no wonder they looked down on the instructors under Qi Jiguang who had been promoted through military merit.

When Su Ze got angry, even Shen Li felt the pressure and instinctively shrank his neck.

This feels like we've encountered the Grand Secretary's wrath.

Unexpectedly, Su Zilin, who is usually so gentle and kind, can be so terrifying when he gets angry.

Su Ze suppressed his anger and then said:
"Brother Zhonghua, do you know who the student who led the disturbance is?"

Su Ze knew his students very well; to get all the students to cause a ruckus in class, there had to be a few troublemakers who would lead the charge.

Since the goal is to rectify the order of the military supervision bureau, it is natural to start with these troublemakers.

Shen Li said:

“I also sent people to inquire at the military command. The one who led the disturbance was Li Rusong, the son of Li Chengliang, the general of Liaoyang.”

"Li Rusong? Isn't his father still alive?"

According to the rules of the Military Academy, those who could attend classes there were either sons of noble families without inheritance rights, or sons of garrison officers waiting to inherit their fathers' positions. The General of Liaoyang was merely a military rank and not considered a noble.

But Li Chengliang didn't die, so how did his son end up in the military prison?

Shen Li said:

"Brother Zilin, you may not know this, but after Li Chengliang's great victory in Liaoyang last time, His Majesty has already reinstated him to his original position."

"His Majesty bestowed further rewards, but Li Chengliang refused to accept them. He only begged His Majesty to send his eldest son, Li Rusong, to study at the Military Academy."

"His Majesty was very pleased to hear this. He not only gave Li Chengliang double the reward, but also made an exception and allowed his son Li Rusong to study at the Military Academy."

But upon closer reflection, Li Chengliang was indeed a clever man.

According to current regulations, Japanese military officers who wish to inherit their positions need to have the "educational qualifications" of the Military Supervisor.

Since that's the case, Li Chengliang sent his eldest son to the Military Academy for further training. That way, if he were to die in battle, his eldest son could immediately inherit the title without having to wait until he finished the Military Academy's courses.

In addition, Li Chengliang probably also saw the potential of the military academy.

The head of the Military Academy was the emperor, the deputy head was Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi, and the instructor was Su Ze.

This all demonstrates that the Military Academy was of a very high level. Sending his son to study at the Military Academy also shows that Li Chengliang was keeping up with the imperial court and taking the initiative to send his son to study and improve.

However, Li Chengliang seemed to misunderstand his son. Like his father, his son was a troublemaker, and now the matter had escalated to the military prison.

"Please come with me to the Military Academy."

Since the problem has already arisen, it must be resolved immediately. There's no time like the present, so Su Ze immediately got up and pulled Shen Li to the Martial Arts Academy.

Shen Li was now confused. Hadn't she come to complain to Su Ze about the lack of teachers at the Imperial Academy?
How did it suddenly turn into a crackdown on the Military Confederation?
And Su Ze only took the two of them with him?

Shouldn't we be submitting a memorial to the court now, at least to bring the Duke of Dingguo into the discussion?
-
Military Supervisor, Cavalry Department, Military Strategy Department.

Today's lesson is a practical simulation exercise, a course designed by Su Ze. It mainly involves reviewing classic battles, then examining the strengths and weaknesses of both sides throughout the entire war, and finally summarizing the experiences and lessons learned.

The instructor was Chen Liang, a centurion under Qi Jiguang.

However, Chen Liang was no ordinary centurion. He had always served as Qi Jiguang's personal guard and had followed Qi Jiguang since Qi Jiguang was fighting against Japanese pirates in Zhejiang.

Chen Liang was originally a miner, and he only became a centurion after accumulating merits.

However, in the Ming Dynasty, military merits such as centurions could not be inherited except for those at the level of Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou. Therefore, the students below the podium looked down on Chen Liang, the instructor.

Chen Liang followed Qi Jiguang in fighting against Japanese pirates. Later, because of Hu Zongxian's affair, he witnessed Qi Jiguang sitting on the sidelines for several years and gained a clear understanding of the ways of officialdom.

He also knew that these students were not people he could afford to offend, so he simply pretended to be dead and did his course as usual, no matter how much trouble they caused.

Chen Liang unfolded his prepared lesson plan, entered the noisy classroom, cleared his throat, and began to lecture:
"Today we're talking about the Battle of Taozhai in the thirty-fourth year of the late emperor's reign. This battle was fought by Commander Yu and Commander Qi together. In this raid, the elite cavalry killed three hundred Japanese pirates, making it a great cavalry victory in the war against the Japanese pirates."

But just as Chen Liang began his lecture today, someone suddenly stood up.

Seeing the person stand up, Chen Liang felt a headache coming on.

Li Rusong was only twenty years old, yet he was the tallest among all the members of the group.

He was known for his bold and generous style, and was highly respected in the military academy.

Currently, the military academy is divided into two groups: one is the noble group led by Zhu Shikun, the second son of the Duke of Cheng.

He doesn't usually follow the rules of the Armed Police Station and often violates them by drinking and partying outside the station.

For Zhu Shikun, their purpose was very clear: they were here to make friends and expand their network for their family, not to actually attend classes.

However, they would not cause trouble in the classroom. After all, they were sons of noble families, well-informed, and knew that the emperor valued the Military Academy. If they caused trouble in the Military Academy and the emperor found out, it would only implicate their families.

They didn't cause trouble in class; instead, they simply stopped attending classes altogether.

The other faction, led by Li Rusong, consisted of the sons of military officers waiting to inherit their positions.

These people harbor resentment.

Originally, they could have inherited their fathers' military positions simply by making some connections with the Ministry of War, but now they are required to stay at the Military Academy for two years of study.

However, they dared not vent their resentment on the emperor and the court, so they vented it in the classroom.

Li Rusong opened his mouth and said:
"Instructor, every class is filled with these old cases. These are battles from over a decade ago. Why are you bringing them up again?"

"Yeah yeah!"

Everyone booed.

Chen Liang forced a smile and said:
"The course materials were all prepared by Dean Su Hanlin. If student Li is not satisfied with the course, he can give feedback to Su Hanlin."

Li Rusong shrank back slightly when Su Ze was mentioned.

Before coming to the capital, Su Ze's name appeared higher than several Grand Secretaries on the list of people his father told him he must never offend.

Although Li Rusong didn't understand, he still remembered his father's instructions: don't offend the people on the list, but you can offend the rest.
Chen Liang brought up Su Ze, and Li Rusong didn't dare to confront him directly, but he said:

"Instructor Chen, why don't we have a free discussion and talk about the latest battle situation?"

"Let me go first. I'll talk about the Battle of Liaoyang not long ago."

"During the Battle of Liaoyang, I served as my father's vanguard, venturing deep into the forest to pursue the Jurchens. Three of our horses died from exhaustion!"

Immediately afterwards, Li Rusong's followers also started shouting, making the classroom scene even more chaotic.

Helpless, Chen Liang simply closed the lecture notes since the students were unwilling to listen. He just needed to get through this lesson.

Just as Li Rusong was speaking eloquently, recounting his brilliant performance in the Battle of Liaoyang, the classroom door suddenly opened.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Liang saw two people dressed in the robes of mid-level civil officials walk into the classroom.

The students of the Martial Arts Academy present quickly recognized that the person walking at the front, dressed in the robes of a fifth-rank civil official, was none other than Su Ze, the Dean of Academic Affairs of the Martial Arts Academy.

Su Ze first walked to the edge of the podium, bowed to Chen Liang, and said:
"Instructor Chen, I'm sorry to disturb your class."

Chen Liang saw that Su Ze was about to kneel down, but Su Ze stopped him.

Unfortunately, Chen Liang wasn't very well-read and couldn't offer many flattering words, but Su Ze listened with a smile until he finished speaking before saying:
“This matter is all my fault. As the dean of studies, I failed to properly enforce discipline in the martial arts department. It was my negligence and dereliction of duty that led me to submit this petition to His Majesty for punishment.”

Then Su Ze turned around and looked at the martial arts students present.

Su Ze said:

"Where is the cavalry squad leader?"

The classroom was completely silent. After a long while, a martial arts student cautiously spoke up:

"Reporting to Lord Su, Squad Leader Zhu has requested leave."

Su Ze remembered that the cavalry course leader was Zhu Shikun, the second son of the Duke of Cheng, and understood that the so-called leave request was actually truancy.

Su Ze said to the martial arts student who had just spoken:

"Li Rusong, go and blow the assembly bugle. Anyone who fails to assemble within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn will be court-martialed!"

(End of this chapter)