Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 568: The mission was officially announced.

Qiantang, Jintian Academy.

The Holy Father walked in as if he were coming home, and even the gatekeeper bowed to Young Master Xu, showing his loyalty.

When my classmate Zao was studying the Way of Confucianism and chivalry here, I took the opportunity to come here many times.

Relying on their local prestige and the means of spending money, they could be said to be loyal to the emperor and of the same ilk.

Smiling, she greeted passing professors and acquaintances before skillfully making her way to the innermost room.

Pushing open the door, he greeted everyone with a hearty laugh, like old friends meeting for the first time.

"Hahahaha"

"Since you have invited me, how could I dare not come?"

Xu Xuan smiled brightly, clearly in a very good mood.

Baoan Hall is currently advancing at high speed, and everyone has a mission. One of his missions is to build a good relationship with this Confucian knight.

If only this Wu County could be... oh my god...
Oh, it's already been covered by the devil's hand, so we can cover it up a bit more.

In the past, this old man always disliked me for being too cunning, so why did he take the initiative to invite me today?

The old man gave a forced smile, as if to say, "If it weren't for something important, why would I contact you, you thieving monk who made me take the blame?"

He didn't really want to have much interaction with Xu Xuan, but this guy was just too good at taking advantage of people.

To this day, the legend of that dinner party of three is still circulating in Wu County, and has even reached Yangzhou, with many people writing to inquire about it.

It's not surprising that this is a top-tier folk tale; what's surprising is that the version is iterating too quickly.

The version where they hit it off immediately and became close friends despite their age difference is considered quite friendly; the version where the mantle is passed down to Qiantang is a respectful one.

The rest, like "Instructor Xu's writing startled even ghosts and gods," and "Yu Dingguo shed tears at Wangjiang Tower," are of unknown origin.

Even after Song Youde took office as the prefect of Wu County, he often shed tears after drinking, and he always seemed deeply moved when he mentioned his relationship with Yu Gong.

The toxicity of this kind of opportunistic marketing is too great, and these two scoundrels aren't even bad people.

Song Youde's work in Qiantang was indeed remarkable, surpassing 99% of the officials in the Jin Dynasty in terms of merits, demerits, and abilities.

After taking office as the governor of Wu Commandery, he immediately organized the suppression of the bandits on Taihu Lake, achieving remarkable results and eradicating this stubborn problem in just over a month.

To achieve this without expending a large amount of money and grain or affecting people's livelihoods is truly commendable.

If he were to deny that he was acquainted with Song Youde, then this fat man would be dragged into the abyss and devoured by others in the officialdom in an instant.

The situation with the thief monk in front of us isn't that dangerous, but at least he's a righteous person.

The two had quite a lot in common.

Jianye Town is a dragon vein, outside the city a demon is slain, and the academy is used for westward study tours, etc.

Although the Jianye incident trapped the dignified Confucian knight in Wu County and prevented him from leaving, his courage and sense of responsibility in stepping forward to participate in the great cause and effect of the five dynasties' imperial aura at that moment are still beyond question.

What this guy did wasn't bad; in fact, you could say he was public-spirited and eager to be the first.

The methods used are truly more wicked than any evil path, and they seem to disregard the consequences of a catastrophic situation.

However, in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, it is top-notch.

I happened to have a rather tricky matter on my hands, and after thinking it over, asking Xu Xuan for help was indeed the best solution.

Yu Gong is a person who cares a lot about his reputation and doesn't want to owe favors.

So they planned to use an exchange to get the thief monk to do it.

"You have Zhanlu in your hands?"

Xu Xuan smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

I had to subtly probe the old man quite a bit to get the sword from the stone tablet, so he must have guessed what was going on.

Moreover, the theft of the "Stele of General Zhou, the General Who Pacifies the West" from the Xiaohou Hall was quite a scandal in official circles.

The magistrate of Yangxian County was almost dismissed because the death of General Pingxi was influenced by infighting in the imperial court, which can be considered a dark chapter in folk history.

Now that the inscriptions on the tombstones behind them have been lost, doesn't that make people wonder?

By exposing half of the magistrate's buttocks, the county magistrate has completely lost face.

Yu Gong didn't care how the stone tablet ended up in Xu Xuan's hands, and said directly, "Help me solve a problem, and I'll tell you how to get the sword."

The Father immediately overturned his previous denial and instantly agreed to the exchange.

"Oh dear, Mr. Yu, what you're saying means that even if you don't tell me how to get the sword, we'll still help you solve your problem."

"What kind of relationship do we have? We've drunk together and fought demons together."

What a righteous and chivalrous Xu Mengchang! The old man was speechless yet wanted to laugh. His eloquent speech was truly worthy of someone from a Buddhist temple.

Then we started talking about business.

"One of my students recently encountered a tricky situation."

"You have students?!" Xu Xuan's exaggerated reaction caused a moment of silence.

The old man's face darkened instantly. "I am, after all, a renowned Confucian knight-errant, known far and wide. From the highest court to the lowest outlaws, everyone respects me and calls me 'Master Yu'."

He's a first-rate person in terms of both scholarship and character, so how could a student of his surprise you so much?

Xu Xuan quickly smiled apologetically, admitting that he was indeed quite surprised.

Before Xu appeared out of nowhere, Old Man Yu was the biggest troublemaker in Kyushu.

He is a figure of extravagance who stands above Bai Lu Shen Shanzhang, Jing Gui Shen Shi Kuang, Chong Qi Da Xue Shi, Yu Shi Fu Tian Chou, and others.

He instigated the Imperial Guard to "escort" him out of the capital, and even stationed a special force to "protect" the national treasure near Wu County. The demons, monsters, and cunning people he offended were countless, and those seeking revenge could stretch from Jiangnan to Taiyuan Prefecture.

Anyone who could even remotely imagine being associated with this would be doomed, yet a student is still alive. This student is incredibly lucky.

Yu Gong sighed, thinking that he should have stabbed that bastard to death with a spear outside Jianye City back then.

After much deliberation, I was still annoyed by this bastard's incompetence and got down to business with a dark face.

His disciple recently encountered a rather tricky situation.

In the thirty-seventh year of the Wenhe era, a large number of officials were promoted and transferred, and this student was the newly appointed governor of Dongye County.

The previous prefect was demoted and sent to a small place in Jingzhou to serve as a county magistrate.

The reason for his demotion was that a snake demon was causing trouble in the country, affecting people's livelihoods.

"A snake demon?" Xu Xuan perked up at the mention of this, as he was an expert at handling snake demons.

Originally, there was a Yongling Mountain in Dongye County, which was dozens of miles high. In the cave in the northwest of the mountain, there was a large snake, which was seven or eight zhang long and more than ten wei in circumference.

A gust of wind rose and devoured the cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep that people were grazing. It swallowed chickens and geese whole and even swallowed men and women alive. It was extremely ferocious.

Local families contributed one or two coins to hire a Buddhist monk to exorcise the demon, but the bald man beat them until they were as badly damaged as a rotten watermelon.

They then invited a Taoist priest, a highly skilled Taoist, to fight him until nightfall. Strangely, the clouds parted, and the man had already drowned in a mountain stream.

Even wealthy and powerful families were helpless against it, and many officials of Dongye Commandery and its subordinate counties were also bitten to death by it.

So people used cattle and sheep as sacrifices, but they still did not receive blessings.

The giant snake sometimes appeared in people's dreams, and sometimes it would inform shamans and sorcerers, saying that it wanted to eat girls aged twelve or thirteen. The former prefect, as well as the local military commander and county magistrate, were all very troubled by this matter.

at last.
Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan understood the outcome.

If the safety of the entire prefecture could be ensured by eating just one person, everyone would surely compromise.

Just like the Seven Wonders Mountain in Journey to the West and the water managed by Ximen Bao, these are old traditions.

Sure enough, Yu Gong's eyes flashed with a fierce light, but he suppressed his anger and continued speaking.

The locals searched together for house slaves and girls from criminal families, raised them first, and then sent them to the entrance of the Great Serpent Cave when the sacrificial ceremony was held in early August.

The giant snake devoured the little girl as soon as it emerged from its hole. This continued for many years, claiming the lives of nine little girls in total.

However, the matter was eventually exposed, which angered Yangzhou and the imperial court.

Emperor Jin was in a period of heightened sensitivity and immediately overturned the table.

This prefect is utterly incompetent; why did he have to expose this?!

It's not a big problem if we can't get rid of the demon.

He only occasionally takes advantage of young girls; he can support them in an entire county, let alone an entire prefecture.

Your incompetent performance has greatly disappointed me!
Therefore, the Jia family and other forces joined forces to impeach the prefect, and Jia Chong suggested that Yu Gong's disciple take over.

The key to governing a country lies in acquiring talented people; the key to securing peace and stability lies first and foremost in selecting virtuous and capable individuals. Now, there is a disciple of Master Yu who possesses high moral character and exceptional talent, truly a pillar of the nation. I dare not fail to recommend him.

The ministers concurred, praising the disciple for being taught by Yu Gong, upholding his teachings, being well-versed in classics and history, knowledgeable in laws and regulations, capable of governing the country with his literary skills and defending it with his military prowess.

The emperor's anger turned to joy, and he praised Yu Gong's disciple, saying that he was sure to be extraordinary.

The appointment was made on the same day it was recommended, approved on the same day, and delivered by fast horse. The person was packed up and sent to his post in just a few days.

Xu Xuan chuckled upon hearing this; sure enough, good things never came his way, only a whole host of bad things.

Yu Gong was furious; he should have given those scoundrels a good beating back then. They were useless at doing serious work, but they were experts at kicking someone when they were down.

However, he supported the students going to Dongye County; anyone else would not care about the snake demon eating people.

The problem now is that Old Man Yu is stuck in Wu County and cannot go out without being summoned, so he can't help anyone.

"It just so happens that you are a monk, so you have many tricks up your sleeve and many fellow disciples."

"A mere snake demon is no match for you."

Xu Xuan naturally wouldn't refuse; this was a good thing.

Yu Gong finally issued the task.

The old man exuded an aura of righteousness without the slightest flaw, and his heart was as steady as Mount Tai, making him unshakeable. We can start with the students.

With my own methods, this is no easy feat!

Jiejiejiejie
Looking at Xu Xuan's somewhat excited eyes, Yu Gong suddenly felt a pang of regret. Had he entrusted himself to the wrong person?

But we had no choice.

The thief monk may have a flexible bottom line, but he's not a bad person at heart. Even if he's bad, he shouldn't be that bad.

Next came the task of breaking the monument and retrieving the sword.

Yu Gong clearly stated that Zao Tongxue was not the destined sword master of Zhanlu, and their destinies were not alike.

Officials wore military uniforms, and the king held the Zhanlu sword.

Divine weapons not only represent benevolence, but also the way of the ruler, foreshadowing the rise and fall of the nation.

However, Zao is a special case; he possesses both righteousness and a fierce willingness to sacrifice himself for justice, which is why I feel a sense of resonance with him.

Benevolence is the heart of humanity; righteousness is the path of humanity.

In Confucianism, benevolence and righteousness are a unified whole. Benevolence is an inner virtue, while righteousness is an outward expression; together, they constitute a complete moral character.

Therefore, it can also be used if you are holding Zhanlu, which can be considered a special kind of supplement.

(End of this chapter)