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

Inside the Chuigong Hall, the smell of gunpowder was so strong it was almost explosive.

The defeat of Censor-in-Chief Tang Jie and Vice Minister of Personnel Zhang Min did not deter these high-ranking officials; instead, it fueled their shared anger and indignation.

If word got out that a commoner had managed to verbally rebuke two high-ranking officials in the imperial palace, where would the scholars and officials put their faces?

The crowd parted, and an elderly man in a scarlet robe, with white hair and beard, slowly emerged. His steps were steady, and with each step he took, the surrounding officials consciously made way for him, their eyes filled with awe.

Jia An, a Hanlin Academician.

He stood in the center of the hall, like a towering mountain representing the orthodoxy of the Song Dynasty's civil officials, pressing down on the young man in blue robes before him.

"Based on seniority?"

Jia An sneered, his voice old yet deep, echoing in the hall: "I passed the imperial examination in the second year of the Qingli era, and have been in the Hanlin Academy for thirty years, drafting countless imperial edicts and annotating numerous classics."

"You're just a nobody who hasn't even passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations. How many books have you read? How many characters do you know? How dare you presume to discuss governing the country before the Emperor?!"

These words carry immense weight. In the Song Dynasty, academic qualifications were everything. Without passing the imperial examinations, even breathing was considered wrong in the officialdom.

The surrounding officials nodded in agreement, their faces beaming with pride. The old fox was indeed cunning; Scholar Jia had struck right at the young man's Achilles' heel – his humble origins.

Jiang Lin laughed.

He was not intimidated by the overwhelming aura; instead, he reached out and gently flicked away non-existent dust from his sleeve.

"Lord Jia asked me how many books I've read?"

Jiang Lin raised his head, his eyes clear and bright. "No matter how many books you read, if they go down the wrong path, you're nothing more than a walking encyclopedia."

"You—! You rude brat!" Jia An was so angry that his beard trembled, and he pointed at Jiang Lin, about to curse.

"Rude?" Jiang Lin's smile vanished, his voice turning cold as he interrupted him. "Lord Jia has served in the Hanlin Academy for thirty years; his seniority is indeed profound. But I would like to ask you—"

Jiang Lin extended a finger, pointing it directly at Jia An's nose:

"In these thirty years, how many top scholars (Zhuangyuan) and third-place scholars (Tanhua) have you produced for the Song Dynasty?"

Jia An was taken aback, and subconsciously said, "As a member of the Hanlin Academy, my duty is to compile books and write articles..."

"Your duty is to educate the people!" Jiang Lin pressed on, "But I've seen the literary world become increasingly decadent over the past thirty years, the Imperial Academy style of writing has become rampant, and mountains of works filled with pointless lamentations have been piled up! Is this your achievement in educating the people?"

"In contrast, I, Jiang Lin, am just a commoner, and I have only been running a school in Runzhou for three years."

Jiang Lin held up three fingers and said proudly:

"In this imperial examination, the top three scholars, the first and third place winners, all came from my school!"

"Lord Jia, are your thirty years of experience really less valuable than my three years of 'rural schooling'?"

"If that's the case, isn't the food at the Hanlin Academy a bit too delicious?"

"puff--"

Someone couldn't help but laugh out loud, then quickly covered their mouth.

Jia An's face flushed red. He pointed at Jiang Lin and stammered "you, you, you" for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal. Facts speak louder than words; in the face of absolute achievements, seniority is a joke.

"Step down."

Jiang Lin waved his sleeve as if shooing away flies, "You're getting old, so don't go out looking for trouble."

Jia An's vision went black, and he staggered back two steps. If someone hadn't been there to support him, he would have almost fainted on the spot.

In the first round, the Hanlin Academy was defeated.

But this was just the beginning. No sooner had Jia An stepped down than another powerful figure took his place.

"Stop your arrogance, you madman!"

Liu Chang, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, strode forward. He was the leader of all the academies in the land, possessing profound knowledge and being most skilled in debating the interpretations of the classics.

"Jiang Lin, you judge heroes by success or failure; that's the narrow-minded view of a merchant!"

Liu Chang's gaze was sharp. "The way to govern a country lies in understanding principles. Let me ask you, what is the meaning of the saying in the Analects: 'To learn and at due times to practice what one has learned'?"

This tests your basic skills.

Jiang Lin looked at the head of the Imperial Academy and activated the system in his mind: [Search the collected commentaries on the Analects and annotations by famous scholars throughout history.]

A massive amount of information flooded into my mind instantly.

Jiang Lin said calmly, "Does Lord Liu wish to hear Zhu Xi's commentary, or Zheng Xuan's? Or perhaps he would like to hear my 'wild fox Zen'?"

"Hmph, whatever!"

"Learning is enlightenment; practice is like birds flying in formation." Jiang Lin spoke fluently, quoting classics and even reciting the most obscure commentaries, leaving Liu Chang stunned.

After reciting it, Jiang Lin changed the subject:

"However, Lord Liu."

Jiang Lin looked at Liu Chang with a mocking gaze, "Rote memorization is the skill of a three-year-old. As the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, in charge of education throughout the land, is all you can do to test your knowledge of recitation?"

"you……"

"The key to learning and practicing what you've learned lies in 'practice,' in putting it into practice!"

Jiang Lin raised his voice, "You've taught at the Imperial Academy for so many years, how many of your students know how much grain an acre of land can produce? How many know how to repair the Yellow River dike? How many know what the soldiers on the border eat?"

"They can recite the Four Books and Five Classics fluently, yet they can't even distinguish between leeks and wheat seedlings! Is this the 'pillars of the nation' you've taught?"

"What use is the Song Dynasty to keep this bunch of useless people around, besides wasting food?!"

Liu Chang's face turned deathly pale, and he was drenched in cold sweat. This wasn't a debate on the classics; it was practically digging up the ancestral graves of the Imperial Academy!

"Good! Well said!"

Emperor Renzong, seated on the dragon throne, couldn't help but inwardly applaud. He had long disliked the group of arrogant but incompetent Confucian scholars at the Imperial Academy, and Jiang Lin's words today had truly struck a chord with him.

After defeating two high-ranking officials in succession, the atmosphere in the imperial court completely exploded.

Those officials who usually prided themselves on their integrity now felt an unprecedented sense of crisis. This Jiang Lin wasn't just sharp-tongued; he was a real fighter!

"Gentlemen! This boy is spreading heresy and undermining the foundation of the nation! Let's all attack!"

Someone shouted, "If we can't beat them one-on-one, then let's gang up on them!"

In an instant, seven or eight officials, including the Vice Minister of Rites, the Censorate officials, and even the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, rushed forward and surrounded Jiang Lin.

"Jiang Lin! What are your thoughts on the 'distinction between Chinese and barbarians'?"

"Jiang Lin! If we encounter floods or droughts, how should we provide relief?"

"Jiang Lin! What objections do you have to the current criminal law?"

The questions came one after another, like a storm, giving Jiang Lin no chance to catch his breath. This was not only a test of his knowledge, but also a test of his reaction and his mindset.

However, Jiang Lin, at the eye of the storm, grew stronger with each battle. With his back to Danxi and facing the pack of wolves, he remained as calm as if he were admiring flowers in his own backyard.

[System prompt: Enable 'High-speed logical operation' mode.]

In Jiang Lin's mind, countless data and information were rapidly circulating.

"The distinction between Chinese and barbarians? Cultural identity is above bloodline! If the Great Song Dynasty could have all nations paying tribute, what difference would there be between Chinese and barbarians?"

"Flood and drought relief? Work relief instead! Giving money and food only breeds laziness; building bridges and roads is the long-term solution!"

"Criminal law? Severe punishments are used in times of chaos, while benevolent governance is employed in times of prosperity! The Song Dynasty is currently plagued by corruption; we must use harsh laws to govern officials and lenient policies to treat the people!"

He debated with a group of scholars, every word he uttered hitting the nail on the head, and every point he made was thought-provoking.

Half an hour later.

Seven or eight officials, their faces flushed and breathless, some even questioning their existence after being confronted, retreated, covering their faces. In the vast Chui Gong Hall, not a single person could subdue this scholar in plain clothes!

Jiang Lin stood in the center of the hall, looking around, and waved his sleeves lightly, as if he had just brushed away the dust.

"My lords."

Jiang Lin's lips curled into a slight smile, his eyes looking down dismissively. "Who else?"

The court was deathly silent. No one dared to speak.

Emperor Renzong sat on the dragon throne, gazing at the proudly standing figure, his eyes growing ever brighter. This was the man he had sought! This was the raging dragon capable of stirring up the stagnant waters of the Song Dynasty!

"Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."

Wang Deyong, the Vice Minister of Revenue who had been observing from the sidelines, finally made his move.

He slowly stepped out of the line, not as furious as the others, but with a sinister smile.

"Mr. Jiang is indeed erudite and eloquent. It seems we cannot win an argument with you on academic matters."

Wang Deyong walked up to Jiang Lin, his eyes like those of a venomous snake:

"However, Mr. Jiang, although you are eloquent, there are some things in this world that cannot be cleared up with words alone."

"Since you like to investigate other people's backgrounds, why don't we investigate yours too?"

Wang Deyong pulled a memorial from his sleeve, held it high, and spoke in a chilling voice:

"I, your subject, wish to impeach Jiang Lin!"

"This man opened an academy in Runzhou, ostensibly for education, but in reality for making money! As far as I know, his academy's annual income is as high as 100,000 strings of cash! And the source of this income is unclear!"

"Where did a schoolteacher get so much money? Is it tuition fees, or... embezzled funds?!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

One hundred thousand strings of cash! That's an astronomical figure! If the previous attacks were academic disputes, then Wang De's latest move is a direct attack on character and the law.

Everyone looked at Jiang Lin, waiting to see him panic.

However, Jiang Lin laughed. His laugh was even brighter, even more… dangerous, than before.

He looked at Wang Deyong as if he were looking at a fool who had willingly jumped into a pit.

"Lord Wang, are you sure you want to talk to me about 'money'?"

"That's perfect. Let's settle the score."

"Not only should we settle accounts with you, but we should also find out... whose money did your cousin, who works in Luoyang, use to buy that royal garden called 'Xijing'?"