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

Half a day later.

A challenge signed by over a hundred students from the Imperial Academy was delivered to the gate of Jiang Lin's courtyard.

The ones who delivered the challenge were Chen Dong and Wang Fu.

The two men stood tall and proud, followed by more than a dozen imperial students, all dressed in brand-new robes and wearing square headscarves. Their imposing manner attracted the attention of the surrounding crowd.

Qian Duoduo peeked out from the door and was startled by the scene. She quickly ran back to find Jiang Lin.

"Headmaster, something terrible has happened! People from the Imperial Academy are causing trouble! They're blocking the entrance, acting like they're going to ransack the place!"

Jiang Lin was lying on a rattan chair in the courtyard, leisurely drinking tea, while Zhao Lingjun was reading to him the "experiences in cleaning latrines" he had collected that day.

"...Zhou Yuan, today I cleaned up three households and earned thirty coins. However, one of the owners refused to pay and only gave me two coins. I was furious and argued with him, but was chased by his vicious dog. My trousers were torn, and I returned home in a sorry state. Lesson learned: The rich who are heartless are no different from maggots..."

When Zhao Lingjun read this, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Jiang Lin listened to Qian Duoduo's report without even lifting his eyelids.

"What's the panic? The sky isn't going to fall," he said slowly. "Let them in."

Qian Duoduo had no choice but to bite the bullet and go out to invite Chen Dong and his group in.

As soon as Chen Dong entered the courtyard, he smelled a faint... foul odor. He subconsciously frowned, and when he saw Jiang Lin's lazy, boneless appearance, his anger flared up even more.

"Jiang Shanchang, what an arrogant attitude!" Chen Dong said coldly.

Jiang Lin lazily opened his eyes, glanced at him, and seemed to recognize him at first.

"Oh, it's you. Your father's case has been solved? He's released so quickly?"

"You!" Chen Dong was so choked that he almost couldn't breathe. Jiang Lin's words were like rubbing salt into his wounds.

Seeing this, Wang Fu quickly stepped forward, unfolded the challenge letter in his hand, and loudly proclaimed: "The Jingshi Academy now uses strange and frivolous tricks to mislead the public, disgracing scholarship and corrupting the academic atmosphere. We, the junior students of the Imperial Academy, in order to set things right and continue the sacred learning, have specially set up a platform at the Imperial Academy to publicly debate with you on the topic of 'National Wealth vs. People's Wealth'! If you dare not accept the challenge, immediately close the academy and get out of Bianjing to apologize to all the scholars in the world!"

He read it with great passion and cadence, full of a sacred sense of mission.

After reading it, he handed the challenge letter to Jiang Lin, raising his chin high.

Jiang Lin didn't even glance at the challenge letter; he simply picked up his teacup and gently blew away the foam on top.

"Debate on scriptures?" He chuckled lightly, his tone full of disdain.

"What? You're scared now?" Chen Dong immediately seized the opportunity to mock, "Isn't Jiang Shanzhang supposed to teach the knowledge of governing the country and benefiting the people? Why are you afraid when it comes to real national policies?"

"It's not that I'm afraid." Jiang Lin shook his head and put down his teacup.

He slowly stood up, walked to Chen Dong, and looked at him calmly.

"I just think it's a waste of time to argue about 'wealth' with a bunch of idiots who don't even know what 'money' is."

"What did you say?!" Wang Fu roared. "How dare you insult us?"

"An insult?" Jiang Lin laughed. "I'm just stating a fact."

He held up one finger and pointed at Chen Dong.

"I'm asking you, how many coins are in a string of cash?"

Chen Dong was taken aback, then said proudly, "Seven hundred and seventy coins! This is a fixed amount set by the imperial court; everyone knows it!"

"Very good." Jiang Lin then asked, "How much does it cost to buy a pound of cabbage at the vegetable market in the east of Bianjing? How much does a peck of rice cost at the rice shop in the west of the city? And how much does a bowl of mutton soup noodles cost at the mutton restaurant near your Imperial Academy, with how many slices of meat in it?"

"I..." Chen Dong stammered, unable to answer a single question.

How could a student of the Imperial Academy, a future pillar of the nation, care about things that only common people would bother with?

"You can't answer that." Jiang Lin's tone was calm, but to Chen Dong, it was more grating than any sarcasm.

"You don't even know what a single penny can do in the hands of ordinary people, you're completely ignorant of the prices of basic necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt, so what right do you have to talk to me about 'people's wealth'?"

"You don't even know how much tax the imperial court collects each year, how much it spends, how much of it goes into the national treasury, and how much ends up as 'ice and charcoal tributes' for officials' families. What makes you think you can talk to me about 'national wealth'?"

"Your knowledge is all confined to books and empty talk. Your 'world' is only the size of a palm. But my students' 'world'," Jiang Lin pointed to the courtyard gate, "is in every street, every outhouse in Bianjing, in every transaction of a single coin, and in the joys and sorrows of every common person."

"Debate on scriptures?" Jiang Lin shook his head, a mocking smile curving his lips.

"Can."

"However, I have one condition."

"What are the conditions?"

Chen Dong asked subconsciously, feeling that he was being completely led by Jiang Lin's rhythm.

Jiang Lin was clearly humiliating them, yet his words left them speechless. The necessities of life, taxes, and expenses—these were things that these students, who were "oblivious to the world around them and focused solely on their studies," had indeed overlooked.

But acknowledging this doesn't mean they've lost.

In Chen Dong's view, these are all "minor details," "techniques," while what they have mastered is the "way," the fundamental principle of governing the country.

Jiang Lin found his defiant look amusing. These kids had been thoroughly brainwashed by Confucian classics, always thinking they possessed the ultimate truth of the universe.

"My conditions are very simple," Jiang Lin said slowly. "Debate is fine, but it can't just be talk."

"What do you mean?" Wang Fu looked at him warily.

"That means the debate will be divided into two rounds." Jiang Lin held up two fingers. "The first round is a literary debate. It will take place at your Imperial Academy. You set the topic, and we'll debate it. You want to debate 'national wealth and people's wealth'? Fine, I'll play along to the end."

Chen Dong and Wang Fu exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of joy in each other's eyes.

They were afraid Jiang Lin wouldn't accept their challenge. As long as he dared to go on the debate, they had hundreds of ways to refute him completely using classical texts and philosophical works.

"What about the second game?" Chen Dong pressed, knowing that Jiang Lin's focus would definitely be on the later ones.

"The second round, martial arts debate." Jiang Lin grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.