Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1037 Ji Rui's words were rough
"We will not meet again until we reach the Yellow Springs."

The six students from Chongqi Academy gathered in the room, the flickering candlelight reflecting their solemn expressions.

Xu Xuan told everyone the eight-character message that the Stone King had transmitted through his soul, and ordered them to ponder its profound meaning.

This can be considered a brainstorming session, since they are all people with a halo of success and unlimited potential, so they should hone their skills more now.

Xie Yu pondered for a long time, his brows furrowing more and more, before finally speaking: "These eight characters... are not ordinary verses, but come from 'Zheng Bo Ke Duan Yu Yan' in the first year of Duke Yin of Zuo Zhuan."

He gathered his thoughts and continued to explain to his classmate.

Because books are the most valuable asset of a family in this era, they are not sold off unless it is the last moment, so each family's book collection is different.

Even though the academy has a wide variety of books, it wouldn't dare say that it has everything.

Xie Yu's words were also meant to explain the situation to those who came from humble backgrounds.

"The Zuo Zhuan was written by Zuo Gong, a historian in the late Spring and Autumn Period. He was a 21st-generation descendant of Jiang Ziya, with a profound family tradition of learning, and once served as a historian in the State of Lu. Confucius compiled the Six Classics, and Zuo Qiuming wrote the Zuo Zhuan to explain the profound meaning of the Spring and Autumn Annals. He was revered as the 'Master of Literature and Sage of History' and the 'Ancestor of Classics and Historians,' and even Confucius himself called him a 'gentleman.'"

"Therefore, in terms of historical records, the authority of Zuo Zhuan is beyond doubt. Most of the Spring and Autumn period history that we scholars have read since childhood comes from this."

The story is also very simple.

The story mainly recounts the life-or-death struggle between Duke Zhuang of Zheng and his younger brother Gongshu Duan in the first year of Duke Yin of Lu's reign, for the power of the state.

Duke Zhuang of Zheng was shrewd and calculating. He deliberately indulged the ambitions of his younger brother and mother, Wu Jiang, so that when Gongshu Duan became arrogant and wanted to rebel, he could then justifiably send troops to attack him.

Afterwards, Duke Zhuang resented his mother's favoritism and moved her to Ying, vowing, "I will not see her again until I reach the Yellow Springs!"

If the story ended here, it would be nothing more than the usual power struggles and family feuds in history books, inevitably falling into clichés.

Its enduring popularity and status as a classic by Confucian scholars throughout history lies precisely in its subsequent dramatic transformation, turning hostility into harmony and becoming a model of filial piety.

Duke Zhuang of Zheng regretted it.

This is not difficult to understand.

Like a child who has lacked maternal love since childhood, no matter how resentful and resolute they appear on the surface, deep down they often yearn for that unattainable warmth and may even do more seemingly contradictory things just to gain a little recognition.

This ambitious and capable monarch, who dared to send troops against even the Zhou emperor, ultimately could not sever his attachment to his mother.

A border official named Ying Kao Shu discerned the monarch's thoughts.

He offered a clever plan: "Why should my lord worry? If we dig down to the 'Yellow Springs' and meet the Empress Dowager in the tunnel, we can fulfill our vow and reunite with our mother. Who can say that you have broken your vow?"

So, Duke Zhuang of Zheng ordered his men to dig a tunnel deep underground that gushed forth a yellowish-brown spring. In this "artificial Yellow Spring," the mother and son met, embraced each other, and wept bitterly. From then on, they reconciled and became friends again.

The vow, originally meant to be a resolute promise that they would only meet again after death, was cleverly misinterpreted as "digging a tunnel to find a spring," thus perfectly resolving a seemingly unsolvable ethical dilemma.

Xu Xuan was naturally familiar with this story and had privately lamented that even a monarch could not escape the entanglements of family ethics.

Some even speculate with a dark touch that the story's widespread circulation within the Confucian system, which values ​​filial piety, is likely due to the deliberate creation of a "moral archway" by later generations.

However, the strange changes happening underground in Xingyang forced him to overturn his previous ideas.

In retrospect, Duke Zhuang of Zheng's vow, "If we do not meet again until we reach the Yellow Springs," was probably not just a momentary outburst of anger, nor was it a mere word game that could be easily misinterpreted.

It is highly likely that it truly contains some kind of power, perhaps even triggering a connection with the netherworld...

"What a Zheng Zhuang Gong! He truly deserves to be called the fierce man who shot King Huan of Zhou through the shoulder with an arrow in the Battle of Xuge, causing the Zhou dynasty to lose all its prestige."

"There is a hidden truth about the cause and effect that connects the underworld, even in the gaps of history books. This so-called 'Ancient Yu River Road' underground in Xingyang is probably connected to the 'Que Di Ji Quan' tunnel from back then!"

Of course, the current prefect of Xingyang, Zheng Lian, is also quite bold.

They dared to dig up the ancient road on their own, and forcibly "continued" the unfinished legend on this ancient land.

However… an absurd thought involuntarily arose in Xu Xuan's mind:

What exactly is going on with these officials and powerful figures in the north? Could it be that the reincarnations of the three stars of "Sha Po Lang" who stirred up the world are not heroes or great men, but rather the magistrate of Pei County, the heir apparent of the King of Liang, and the prefect of Xingyang?

You guys are really brave!

"Aren't you...aren't you afraid of the emperor in Luoyang at all?"

Even the Holy Father would almost "praise" it.

As a control group, it can be seen that the White Lotus Sect in the North has really been "nothing" all these years. Besides taking the blame, it has probably taken credit for the big news created by these "capable officials".

Complaints aside, business can't be delayed.

The Justice Group then took over the detailed information about Zheng Lian, the prefect of Xingyang, which Qian Zhongyu had collected through family connections, and began to study it carefully.

The group spent a long time reviewing the resume, the official achievements, the network of contacts, and the personality analysis...

By all accounts, Prefect Zheng seemed like an ordinary bureaucrat who strived for stability and followed the rules of officialdom, rather than the kind of ambitious madman who dared to gamble everything.

and so……

"It was an accident."

Xie Yu's final fate was sealed.

The three heroes have always been accurate in their judgments about the political landscape and internal affairs of the human race.

They tend to believe that Zheng Lian likely triggered some unknown ancient taboo in the process of pursuing political achievements, rather than intentionally planning a disaster.

Therefore, the proposed solutions are more lenient and more in line with the rules of officialdom.

According to Qiao Feng's idea, that would be:
"We should try to establish cooperation with Prefect Zheng and even the imperial envoy sent by the court to jointly face this crisis."

"Humanitarian efforts should be the primary focus, with us providing support from the sidelines." "The most important task is to assist the government in preparing for the worst and developing a comprehensive plan for the evacuation of the people. At the same time, we should coordinate the efforts of the imperial court, the Taoist sect, the Buddhist sect, and other forces, gathering talents from all over the country to come together to save Xingyang."

"After all, the Nine Provinces are incredibly vast, with countless reclusive masters, endless mystical techniques, and the immense resources that the imperial court can mobilize to govern the world."

"As long as all parties can work together and form a joint force, the problem can be solved smoothly and the losses can be minimized."

He added solemnly at the end:
"Otherwise, if the Yellow Springs were to overflow, the 200,000 people in Xingyang County, and even countless lives around Luoyang and along the banks of the Yellow River, would suffer annihilation. No one can bear this responsibility."

Mature and prudent, with reason and evidence.

but!

"Even if it's an accident, it won't do!"

Ji Rui's judgment on the "accident" was the same as that of the three heroes, but their conclusions were completely opposite.

With a sneer, they first turned their fire on Qiao Feng, who had proposed the cooperation plan:

"Qiao Danian!"

He deliberately used Qiao Feng's rarely used real name, foreshadowing that what was about to happen was not pleasant.

"I think you've been hanging around with your old father-in-law and those 'top-class horses' for too long, and your brain has gotten all dulled. How come you've become so detached from the masses and started to blindly believe in the officialdom's procedures?"

He sprayed a wave of venom, which also mocked several well-dressed and outstanding classmates on the other side.

Zao nodded silently to the side, agreeing with Ji Rui's assessment of the situation, but feeling that his friend's way of speaking was a bit too "rough".

Ning Caichen, however, seemed unconcerned, leisurely checking and adjusting several precious strings to prevent them from snapping suddenly when the fighting got heated later.

Preparations for the war have already begun.

Qiao Feng's face twitched, but he barely managed to hold back his anger: Just get to the point, why are you calling me by my full name!
The two "top-class horses" that were named remained silent and expressionless, wanting to hear what other "brilliant ideas" this dog surnamed Ji could spew from his mouth.

Subsequently, Ji Rui, who styled himself as an "inferior horse," continued his fierce attack, his words becoming even more incisive:
"If you expose this, do you think anyone will believe you?"

"Who are you? You're just a mere scholar who passed the imperial examination!"

"Who is the other party? It's Prefect Zheng, who has been stationed in the outer prefectures of Luoyang for several years and wields real power!"

"The young masters of the Xie and Qian families might be able to act arrogantly in the Jiangnan region, but this is the North! The heart of the Central Plains, only three hundred miles from Luoyang! What prestige do you have here?!"

His words were rough, but one has to admit that he pointed out a harsh reality.

Moreover, this guy is extremely obnoxious. He was spouting Qiao Feng's name while his provocative eyes were constantly glancing at Qian Zhongyu, which was very targeted.

"Even if what we say is true, the first person to jump out and stop us will be Zheng Lian, the prefect of Xingyang!"

"How could this old codger not know the enormity of the mess he's made? He's kept it a secret until now without uttering a single word. Isn't his attitude obvious enough?"

He will never allow anyone to expose this secret!

"Even if we bypass Zheng Lian, the biggest obstacle will be that... dog... cough cough, Your Majesty in Luoyang!"

A highly disrespectful word was stopped in time, but the meaning was already conveyed.

"The sun rises day and night in Pei State, Mars guards the heart in Liang State, and then the Yellow Springs appear right under our noses in Xingyang?"

"'Heavenly Man Relationship,' my fellow students! With a series of 'divine retributions' raining down, how can this emperor possibly have a good reputation?"

"He'll suppress this news immediately!"

"Finally, even those high-ranking officials in the imperial court would not allow this matter to get out!"

"You've come into contact with many high-ranking officials, but which one of the civil and military officials in the entire court dares to step forward and shoulder the enormous responsibility of 'the lives and deaths of 200,000 people under the emperor's nose'?"

"Even if the news eventually can't be kept secret and the whole world knows, forcing the court to take action, the weighing of interests, division of responsibilities, and factional wrangling alone will take who knows how long! By the time they 'discuss' a result and send 'rescue', the grass on the graves of the people of Xingyang will be incredibly tall!"

He made a final, decisive gesture:
"So, why bother cooperating with that prefect? ​​Why wait for the imperial court to come to our aid?"

"Let's clean it up together! We'll do it ourselves!"

Ji Rui was born into a wealthy merchant family, so he was not bound by many moral constraints or reverence for authority.

Having finally studied the classics, he ended up following the path of "physical salvation" under the tutelage of "saintly fathers" like Xu Xuan.

After that, he traveled all over the country, from the highest heavens to the deepest earth, witnessing firsthand countless instances of human evil and the filth of power struggles. Recently, following Fu Tianchou, he has been able to observe the true faces of many officials up close.

After gathering all sorts of information, he has long since developed his own sharp perspective that sees through appearances to the essence of things, and has a clear understanding of the "insider" workings of officialdom and the bottom line of human nature that far surpasses that of his peers.

He originally thought that those high-ranking figures must have the sun, moon, rivers, and the world on their minds.

But after seeing and hearing it with my own eyes, I realized that many of them were just amplified versions of petty scheming, and their logic of doing things was no different from that of the scoundrels on the banks of the Qiantang River.

Therefore, his style of doing things became increasingly "distinctive", and he became increasingly audacious and disregarded conventions.

However, the truth is there.

Although Qiao Feng was kind and respected the rules, he was by no means a fool.

After hearing Ji Rui's long, though harsh, but core principles, he was not angry, but instead calmed down and reflected on them.

I realized that my previous ideas were indeed somewhat "out of touch with the masses," or rather, too idealistic.

When most scholars first enter the workforce, aren't they full of enthusiasm and genuinely believe that the laws and procedures of the court and the officialdom are designed for the well-being of the people?

After all, this seems to be the way the teachings in the classics describe things.

(End of this chapter)