My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 217 Confrontation
Madam Dou's face turned red with anger.

This was the first time she had ever been so angry; she was so angry that she didn't know how to scold the brat in front of her.

Li Jiancheng raised his head and said seriously, "My mother taught me to care for my younger brothers and treat them all equally, but even my mother can't do that now, so how can I follow her example?!"

"What difference is there between bringing someone to life and not asking questions, and killing them?"

"I hope Mother will grant my request!"

Li Jiancheng was unusually tough today; even though Madam Dou was so angry, he did not back down.

Madam Dou took a deep breath, gradually calming herself down. She looked at Li Jiancheng in front of her with complicated emotions, and then said, "Go and call Yuanji over."

"Here!"

Li Jiancheng stood up, walked to the door, and asked someone to call the fourth brother over.

At that moment, the fourth brother was crying to his wet nurse about being bullied. When he suddenly learned that his mother wanted him to come over, he was even more afraid, but he still dared not disobey. A moment later, Li Yuanji appeared pitifully outside the door.

Li Jiancheng pulled him in, and they knelt together before Madam Dou.

Madam Dou stared at Li Yuanji for a long time before asking, "What trouble have you gotten into today?"

"I was disrespectful to my second brother, and my third brother scolded me."

Li Yuanji was extremely reserved in front of Madam Dou, showing none of the behavior one would expect in public.

Madam Dou said slowly, "We are all siblings from the same mother, how can we not get along? From now on, do not disrespect your brothers. Listen to them and study hard."

Li Yuanji looked up in surprise. Madam Dou had never liked him and rarely disciplined him. When he did something wrong, it was always his elder brother who would take care of him. Madam Dou almost never interfered.

Li Jiancheng nudged him, and Li Yuanji reacted, quickly agreeing.

Madam Dou gave a few more instructions before letting Li Jiancheng leave with his younger brother.

When the two brothers went outside, Li Yuanji was still somewhat bewildered.

Li Jiancheng patted his head and said earnestly, "Don't blame your third brother. He's only angry because he cares about you. Go back and study hard, okay?"

"understood"

Li Xuanba naturally stayed with Liu Chounu, Sanshi, and the others.

They hadn't seen each other for a long time and had so much to talk about.

Li Xuanba recounted his amusing experiences at the Imperial Academy with a smile.

“My classmates at the Imperial Academy hadn’t studied for a long time and had forgotten what they learned in their early education. After Yang Jijiu took office, he was extremely strict and put them through many tests. Those who failed the tests were dismissed.”

"They asked me for help, but I didn't tell them the answer directly. I just gave them a hint with gestures. Yang Jijiu probably knew it too, but he didn't pay attention. Because of this, everyone liked me very much and took good care of me on a daily basis."

"They brought me many gifts, but I didn't accept them. Later, when I was exercising in the yard, they saw me and started giving me things to use for exercising, which filled my little yard again."

"Although they were not good at reading, they were all skilled in riding and archery and had practiced martial arts. They gave me a lot of guidance and sent warriors to spar with me."

Li Xuanba's classmates were mostly from the Guanlong Group, with only a few from the south. The second-generation nobles from the Guanlong Group were not very good at studying, but they were skilled in horseback riding and archery, which were their ancestral skills.

The people of the south looked down on them because of this. They thought that these noble families from the Guanlong Group all claimed to be descendants of famous scholars and powerful clans, but they were all fake. When asked about their ancestors, they said they were ancient Confucian scholars or pre-Qin sages, but when they opened their mouths, they didn't know any nonsense. They were good at riding horses and fighting, but what kind of descendants of sages were they?
Of course, these nobles of the Guanlong Group don't care about such things. If they say they are their descendants, then they are their descendants, and they are not imposters. If you think that we Guanlong warriors are all fake noble families, then you can ask our leader first.

Take, for example, the saints of today.

The sage's family, however, recognized themselves as the fifteenth-generation descendants of Yang Zhen, the Grand Commandant of the Han Dynasty. People like Yang Biao and Yang Xiu, who ate chicken ribs, were their ancestors; they were legitimate members of the Hongnong Yang clan, definitely not the barbarians of the Six Garrisons as some treacherous villains claimed.
If you don't believe me, you can ask Yang Xuangan, a descendant of the authentic Hongnong Yang clan who has a family genealogy, and ask him if he also thinks the sage is a forgery and whether he acknowledges the sage as a member of the same clan.

These second-generation rich kids were not surprised at all by Li Xuanba's exercise in the courtyard. They did not think it was an insult to culture. They even thought that Li Xuanba had embarked on the right path and should exercise like this. Why should he read some useless books?
Therefore, the current situation of the Sui Dynasty is actually quite interesting.

The highest institution for the study of Confucian classics was inhabited by children of military families, many of whom were old Xianbei, or at least carried Xianbei blood, and were not particularly interested in Confucian classics. Meanwhile, the 'genius' aristocratic families who had previously chosen officials based on their lineage were now unable to enter this highest institution, no matter how talented they were in Confucian studies, because they lacked the necessary official positions. Unwilling to attend the Four Schools of Learning, they were forced to take the imperial examinations.
Liu Chounu and Sanshi couldn't understand some of the anecdotes Li Xuanba was telling, but that didn't stop them from sitting down and listening with amusement.

After explaining his situation, Li Xuanba asked, "Why didn't Master Liu come along?"

"The elder Master Liu, who is in charge of the young master, is ill, so the younger Master Liu is staying with him in Loufan, preparing to recover before coming back."

"I see."

Li Xuanba did not rush back to the Imperial Academy, but stayed in the mansion for a whole day.

The next day, the family gathered again and had a meal together.

Then, Li Xuanba took Liu Chounu with him and headed to the Imperial Academy.

San Shi originally wanted to go along, but the Imperial Academy did not allow female relatives to enter. Although many young masters did not care much about this rule, Li Xuanba was still willing to abide by it.

When Li Xuanba arrived at the courtyard, someone was already waiting for him.

These days, Li Xuanba is busier than the doctors. If anyone has any questions, they come to him. Few people go to the doctors. Li Xuanba is alright, though, because he has become familiar with them. Sometimes, when he encounters problems in classical studies, he goes to the doctors for advice.

Among so many doctoral teaching assistants, Li Xuanba was closest to one named Lu Shida.

This teaching assistant was very approachable and enthusiastic towards the students. He was quite humorous during his lectures, and the students were able to listen attentively. Many students felt that he should be the one to pursue a doctorate.

After finishing today's class, Li Xuanba went to Assistant Teacher Lu again and asked him to help him resolve his confusion.

Lu Shida held Li Xuanba's article, read it for a long time, and then looked at the other person with a smile.

"Xuanba, it was fine when you came to ask me questions in the past, but now that your mentor has returned, why are you coming to me again? Do you want to switch your allegiance to me?"

"If you have this idea, I would be very happy to accept it. I don't have a single disciple yet, but if you come, I'll make you the senior disciple."

Li Xuanba knew the other party was joking, so he said seriously, "My teacher is staying in Loufan because of some matters and hasn't arrived yet. Even if he does arrive, it won't stop me from asking you questions. My teacher has always supported his disciples in learning different kinds of knowledge for their own use."

Lu Shida invited Li Xuanba to sit down to the side.

"Actually, you shouldn't be asking me about the content of Mao's poem."

"Why? The PhDs all say that you are the most skilled in Mao's poetry."

Lu Shida said with a smile, "The Mao Poems are recognized by both the North and the South, but precisely because they are recognized by both, the differences in the annotations are enormous, beyond your imagination. You originally studied the annotations of the Northern school, so how can I, a Southerner, answer your questions?"

"Whether in the North or the South, we all share the same origin. You are from the South, yet you serve as an official in the North. Can scholarship be divided by region?"

Lu Shida was somewhat surprised. "Didn't your teacher tell you that the schools of thought in the south tend to be more metaphysical, and more mystical than practical?"

"As I said, the teacher also said that the learning in the north is rigid, inflexible, and closed-minded."

"I think that academic pursuits do not necessarily have to be consistent. The academic pursuits of the North and the South each have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is really inappropriate for scholars today to divide themselves by region, denying the academic pursuits of the South if they were born in the North, and denying the academic pursuits of the North if they were born in the South."

"If we want to break down the barriers between the North and the South, we should start with the study of the classics."

Lu Shida's eyes lit up as he looked at the little baby in front of him again.

"Ambitious".

"good."

“If there ever comes a day when you wish to pursue your studies in the south, you can tell me, and I will take you there so you can avoid some detours.”

"Thank you!"

(End of this chapter)