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

Zhang Zai: "..."

Chen Dong: "..."

All the students looked at Jiang Lin as if he were crazy.

Openly poaching someone's partner in front of so many of us? Have they no shame?

Zhang Zai was both amused and exasperated, and could only bow again, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Headmaster. I am Zhang Zai, a student of the Imperial Academy, and I have no plans to transfer schools for the time being."

"It's alright, the doors of my academy are always open for you." Jiang Lin said nonchalantly, then changed the subject and looked at Chen Dong again, "So? What's your opinion? Are you going to listen to this Zhang student, or are you going to be cowards?"

With Zhang Zai's words as a way out, if Chen Dong still refused, it would seem that he lacked even the insight and responsibility of an ordinary classmate.

He gritted his teeth and forced out two words: "Fine, let's compete!"

He already had a plan in mind.

While they weren't particularly skilled at disaster relief, they weren't entirely without options. They could consult officials in the Ministry of Revenue, review disaster relief strategies from previous dynasties, or even contact wealthy merchants in the capital to raise funds and supplies.

They have connections, resources, and the support of the entire Imperial Academy and the literati.

And Jiang Lin? He only has a small, dilapidated courtyard, a bunch of smelly, spoiled brats, and a madman who only knows how to play with gunpowder. What does he have to fight us with?

In verbal debate, we will surely win! In martial arts debate, we may not necessarily lose!

"Good! You've got guts!" Jiang Lin clapped his hands. "Then it's settled. Three days from now, at the Imperial Academy, the literary debate. After that, at the refugee camp outside the city, the martial debate begins. At that point, no one can back out!"

"It's a deal!" Chen Dong snorted coldly, then turned and left with a group of imperial students.

They came in full force, but left in a rather disheveled state.

After they left, Qian Duoduo approached with a worried expression.

"Headmaster, you're being too impulsive! Comparing disaster relief to the Imperial Academy? We...we have no experience in that area at all! Besides, our manpower and resources are nowhere near theirs!"

Su Shi also walked in from outside. He had been listening the whole time, and now his brows were furrowed.

"Jiang Lin and Chen Dong are backed by the entire conservative scholar-official class. Disaster relief involves the Ministry of Revenue and the Three Departments, and the relationships are very complicated. If they just cause us any trouble, we will be unable to move an inch."

Jiang Lin laughed.

"Who said I was going to confront them head-on?"

He walked to the center of the courtyard and looked at the group of privileged young men who had just finished a day's "work" and were dragging their tired bodies back in twos and threes.

They all exuded an indescribable stench, their faces and hands were covered in mud, and their eyes were filled with exhaustion and numbness.

Upon seeing Jiang Lin, they instinctively straightened up, a hint of fear in their eyes.

"Headmaster..." Zhou Yuan called out weakly.

"You all did a great job." Jiang Lin nodded, surprisingly offering a word of praise.

Then, he changed the subject.

"You don't need to scoop out your excrement anymore."

Upon hearing this, the young men's eyes lit up instantly, and they almost burst into tears of joy.

Finally... finally, are these nightmarish days going to end?

"Starting tomorrow, you will have new lessons," Jiang Lin said slowly, looking at them.

"I want you to go and measure the land."

"Measuring the land?" Han Zhen asked, somewhat puzzled.

"That's right." Jiang Lin took out a simple map of the outskirts of Bianjing from his pocket and spread it out on the stone table.

"This area outside the city, designated as a disaster relief camp by the government, is about ten miles in circumference. I need you to take three days to measure it inch by inch. Mark out the high ground, the low ground, the areas near water sources, and the areas with soft soil."

"Then, based on your measurements, make me a campsite planning map. It should clearly show where to build shelters, where to dig drainage ditches, where to set up soup kitchens, and where to build temporary isolation wards."

"Three days later, this picture will be our pledge of allegiance to the Imperial Academy's 'Martial Debate' group."

Jiang Lin's gaze swept over the crowd.

"Did you understand?"

Measuring the land? Creating planning maps?

What kind of unheard-of homework is this?

Zhou Yuan and the others looked at each other, their minds completely blank. They had barely even touched a ruler a few times, let alone measured a ten-mile radius of land.

"Headmaster, this...we don't know how," a timid young master said in a low voice.

"If you don't know how, then learn it," Jiang Lin's answer was simple and direct. "Shen Kuo!"

"Here!" Shen Kuo sprang out of his small workshop like a spring, holding a half-piece of wood that he had chewed into pits and dents, seemingly studying the material of movable type.

"Teach them how to use a bow and ruler, how to measure angles and elevation differences. Within three days, I need to see an accurate map that can be used directly for construction," Jiang Ling instructed.

"No problem! I guarantee I'll complete the task!" Shen Kuo perked up immediately when he heard it was a technical job, his eyes lighting up.

He gathered the group of young men together and began his "first lesson in the study of natural philosophy".

"The principle behind this measurement is quite simple; it's an application of the Pythagorean theorem. You've all learned about the 3-4-5 right triangle, right? Now, we'll apply it in practice..."

As Shen Kuo spoke, he drew diagrams on the ground and demonstrated various strange and unusual tools. These included a level and a star-gazing board, all concocted by him.

The group of privileged youths were completely bewildered, but dared not disobey.

Jiang Lin then called Su Shi and Zhao Lingjun aside.

"Zizhan, how are your preparations for the debate in three days?" Jiang Lin asked.

Su Shi smiled confidently: "Don't worry. The debate on 'national wealth and people's wealth' has been discussed by many great Confucian scholars since the Han Dynasty's 'Discourses on Salt and Iron.' Chen Dong and his ilk are merely parroting others' ideas, either emphasizing 'competing with the people for profit' or advocating 'keeping wealth among the people.' I am confident that I can refute them completely in terms of classical interpretation."

"No." Jiang Lin shook his head.

"Huh?" Su Shi was stunned. "Why?"

"If you argue with them about the meaning of the scriptures, you've already lost," Jiang Lin said, looking at him and emphasizing each word. "Because once you start quoting scriptures and citing classical texts, you're essentially admitting to their rules. Even if you win the argument, they can still accuse you of being heretical. If you lose, it's utter ruin."

Su Shi frowned; he hadn't expected Jiang Lin to say that. In his view, wasn't a debate simply a contest of who had read more books and who could explain their reasoning more thoroughly?

"Then... how should I defend myself?"

"It's simple." Jiang Lin's lips curled into a sly smile. "Don't reason with them, settle accounts with them."

"Settle accounts?" Su Shi and Zhao Lingjun both looked puzzled.

"Yes, let's settle the accounts." Jiang Lin took a small abacus from Qian Duoduo and handed it to Su Shi.

"You don't need to bring anything to the debate in three days, just bring this."