The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

The wind in the main hall swirled up the scattered papers on the floor, and the rustling sound was particularly jarring in the silence.

Zhao Zhen sat slumped on the dragon throne, his aged fingertips gripping the edge of the imperial desk tightly.

That list was like a fire, burning through the peaceful and prosperous world he had painstakingly built up over the years, revealing the bottomless black hole beneath.

As Wu Chong and Cai Jing's cries faded into the distance, they were dragged out of the palace, leaving two humiliating marks on the white marble steps.

The remaining officials in the hall mostly hung their heads and shrank their necks, wishing they could hide themselves in the cracks between the floor tiles.

At this moment, Jiang Lin was still wearing a faded cloth robe, his hands tucked into his sleeves, standing at an angle.

He didn't show any fear in front of the emperor; instead, he seemed to be watching a dull opera in his own academy.

"Jiang Lin".

Zhao Zhen's voice was hoarse, as if he had a handful of sand stuck in his throat.

"This humble subject is here."

Jiang Lin bowed slightly, his tone steady and even.

"Tell me, has the Song Dynasty truly rotted to this extent in my hands?"

Zhao Zhen raised his head, and his usually gentle and refined face now showed a hint of ferocity.

This is the last struggle of a ruler who tries to maintain the status quo when faced with disillusionment.

Jiang Lin lifted his eyelids, his tone indifferent.

"Your Majesty has asked the wrong question."

"Oh?"

"This country isn't rotten in your hands, it's rotten in the hearts of those 'clever people'."

Jiang Lin took a step forward and kicked away a piece of scrap paper that had drifted to his feet.

"You value your reputation, so you advocate peace; you prioritize civil affairs over military affairs, so those self-proclaimed upright individuals have seized control of finances."

"But if the water is too clear, there will be no fish, so they stirred up the pool until it was murky, so they could find the blood-stained gold at the bottom."

Zhao Zhen remained silent.

Ouyang Xiu, who was standing next to Jiang Lin, tried to tug at Jiang Lin's sleeve to signal him to tone it down, but Jiang Lin dodged him by stepping to the side.

"Zhao Liben is nothing more than a lackey who collects money on the outside."

"What's truly terrifying are those nobles who sit in the imperial court, claiming to be working for the Song Dynasty, but in reality treating border defense as a business."

After Jiang Lin finished speaking, he stretched and his bones made a slight cracking sound.

"The matter has been investigated and the evidence is here."

"This humble citizen has only one request."

Zhao Zhen looked at him, a complex emotion appearing in his eyes.

Release Zhao Lingjun.

Jiang Lin's voice turned cold.

"She is your daughter, and also a student at my academy."

"My people shouldn't suffer this kind of injustice at home."

"presumptuous!"

Chen, who had been serving by his side, couldn't help but shout in a shrill voice.

Zhao Zhen waved his hand, signaling him to shut up.

"Granted."

Zhao Zhen closed his eyes, leaned back on the dragon throne, and appeared somewhat exhausted.

"Chen Lin, take him to Kunning Palace."

"By imperial decree, Princess Jianing is hereby granted a thousand bushels of pearls and jade, and her fiefdom is to be increased."

Jiang Lin pursed his lips and didn't reply.

Instead of giving those empty rewards, it would be more practical to allocate more funds to the academy.

But he didn't say it aloud; there were some things he had to settle with that girl later.

Following Eunuch Chen out of the main hall, the sunlight outside was somewhat dazzling.

Jiang Lin walked very fast, while Eunuch Chen jogged along the way.

"Jiang Shanchang, you really just had a brush with death."

While wiping his sweat, Eunuch Chen muttered to himself.

"The emperor may be kind, but that is, after all, the majesty of the emperor."

Jiang Lin chuckled softly.

"Heaven's might cannot save the people of the Song Dynasty; only truth can."

Eunuch Chen couldn't understand this strange talk, so he could only chuckle awkwardly.

As Jiang Lin approached the side hall of Kunning Palace, he saw a figure standing at the entrance from afar.

Niu Aihua was idly swiping the door frame with a fire poker.

Upon seeing Jiang Lin, her eyes lit up, and she casually tossed the fire poker aside.

"Headmaster! You've finally arrived!"

"If they hadn't come soon, I was really planning to take her and run out."

Niu Aihua strode over, her rough and unrefined air clashing with the grandeur of the imperial palace.

Jiang Lin nodded, his gaze falling on the tightly closed door.

"How is he?"

"I had a good cry and now I'm just sitting here in a daze."

Niu Aihua pouted.

"She's clearly a clever girl, but those men in long gowns drove her to the brink of suicide."

Jiang Lin didn't say anything more, and reached out to push open the door.

There was a faint scent of sandalwood in the room, along with the smell of leftover medicine.

Zhao Lingjun sat by the window, her once bright and beautiful face now as pale as paper.

The red mark on her neck stood out starkly against her snow-white skin.

Hearing the noise, she turned her head somewhat slowly.

The moment she saw Jiang Lin, her originally dim eyes seemed to be ignited with flames.

"Headmaster..."

She moved her lips, but the sound was so faint it was almost inaudible.

Jiang Lin slowly walked up to her and looked down at the wound.

"This time, the stab missed."

Jiang Lin pulled up a chair and sat down, his sharp tongue unchanged.

"Did you feed the dogs all the anatomy lessons you taught? If you really want to commit suicide, just cut the aorta three inches down from here, and no one can save you."

Zhao Lingjun was filled with grievances and was about to shed tears, but these words choked her back.

"Jiang Lin!"

She was so angry that she grabbed a soft pillow from the table and threw it at him.

Jiang Lin caught it steadily, casually placed it behind his back, and changed to a more comfortable sitting position.

"Alright, you still have the energy to throw things, looks like you're not going to die."

Zhao Lingjun bit her lower lip, looking at the man's lazy appearance, and the unease in her heart strangely subsided.

"Those bad guys...have they all been caught?"

"More or less. Two of the leaders have been arrested, and the lists have been submitted."

Jiang Lin pointed north.

"Your father is probably marking names one by one in his palace right now. I reckon the prisons in Bianjing will need to be expanded tonight."

Zhao Lingjun lowered his head, and tears finally streamed down his face.

"I thought I could be of help when I returned to Beijing, but I almost became a burden instead."

Jiang Lin stood up, his hand paused in mid-air for a moment, and finally gently landed on her head.

The movements were clumsy, yet they carried an undeniable force.

"Students of the academy have no burdens."

"You've passed this time. You dared to threaten the emperor with your life; you've improved quite a bit."

Zhao Lingjun raised her head and looked at him with tears streaming down her face.

"real?"

"Fake."

Jiang Lin withdrew his hand.

"Now that the matter is settled, hurry up and tidy up. This palace is a mess; staying here too long will make you stupid."

Zhao Lingjun was stunned for a moment.

"Am I still allowed to leave the palace?"

"Of course! With me protecting you, no one in this world can stop you!"

Jiang Lin walked to the window, looked at the layers upon layers of palace walls outside, and said with a wicked smile:

"Those old guys may be gone, but the mess they left behind remains. If you don't take care of this mess, do you expect me, the headmaster, to do it myself?"

"Moreover, we need to take this opportunity to fully establish the academy's reputation in Bianjing."

"I want all students in the world to know that studying is not just about becoming an official."

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

A young eunuch came running in, panting.

"May the land be long! Your Highness!"

"Something terrible has happened outside!"

"Several hundred students from the Imperial Academy are rushing to Xiangguo Temple, saying they want to invite 'Scholar Su' to uphold justice!"

"Furthermore, many wealthy and powerful families have sent their scions to our humble abode, insisting that they become your disciples!"

Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow.

"Let's go out and collect tuition fees."

He turned around and extended his hand to Zhao Lingjun.

"Can you walk, Zhao?"

Zhao Lingjun smiled and placed his hand on Jiang Lin's calloused palm.

"Headmaster, does this mean my investment has doubled?"

"It depends on your performance."

Jiang Lin led her out the door with long strides.

Watching the two figures from behind, Eunuch Chen couldn't help but sigh.

The sky over Bianjing is likely to change completely because of this young man.

Jiang Lin, however, was making plans in his mind.

How much tribute should we receive for these new lambs?

Also, Su Zizhan is still finishing up in Daming Prefecture. If he knew that he had taken on a bunch of "junior brothers" in the capital, he would probably be so angry that he would write hundreds of poems cursing him.

Thinking of this, Jiang Lin felt inexplicably relieved.

After a major calamity, one must find some fun.

Those so-called privileged children are the best whetstones.