Liang Shanbo: The Poor Scholar-Emperor

Chapter 102 I, Liang Shanbo, will become the new ruler of the world.

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai left Meng Wenlang's study and headed towards Jiazhai Lecture Hall.

Inside the lecture hall, Mr. Tao Yan was holding a book and giving a lecture.

The two walked to the doorway, stood outside the threshold, looked at each other, and then Liang Shanbo raised his hand and gently knocked on the door frame.

The lecture abruptly stopped. Tao Yan looked towards the door and saw Liang Shanbo and Zhu Jiuling. A smile appeared on his face. He greatly admired Liang Shanbo's talent, and at this moment, he nodded slightly and smiled, saying, "Come in."

Under the watchful eyes of Tao Yan and all the classmates, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai entered the lecture hall together. More than twenty pairs of eyes fell on the two of them, many of them questioning.

The two walked along the aisle to the back row.

Two low desks were set up side by side in the back row. The front desk was where Sun Yuangui used to sit, but now a new student was watching them with curious eyes.

Zhu Yingtai knelt down on her cushion, and Liang Shanbo sat down beside her.

Tao Yan continued lecturing.

What he taught today was still Du Yu's commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, following the usual rules and procedures. He would recite a passage from the classics, then a corresponding passage from the Zuo Zhuan, and then explain it according to Du Yu's commentary. Occasionally, he would interject a few of his own opinions, but there was nothing particularly unique about it. It was nothing more than reciting the text verbatim.

As they were discussing the fifth year of Duke Xi's reign in the Spring and Autumn Annals, Tao Yan read aloud: "In the spring of the fifth year, the Duke of Jin killed his heir apparent, Shen Sheng." After reading the corresponding passage from the Zuo Zhuan, he then read Du Yu's commentary: "He mentions the Duke of Jin because he disliked using slander. The spring is mentioned in the text, indicating that he was informed."

He continued his lecture.

Prince Chong'er was forced to flee, beginning his nineteen-year exile in Pucheng. When Chong'er passed through Wei, Duke Wen of Wei treated him with disrespect. In Wulu, he begged for food from a wild man, who gave him a clod of earth. Zifan said, "This is a gift from Heaven." Chong'er went to Qi, where Duke Huan of Qi married him and gave him twenty chariots. The prince was content, but his followers thought it was not advisable. Before leaving, they consulted under a mulberry tree.

Zhu Yingtai was taken aback upon hearing this.

Fleeing, going into exile, bidding farewell to their homeland, heading to an unknown distance.

She turned and glanced at Liang Shanbo. Liang Shanbo sensed her gaze and looked back at her. Their eyes met, and they understood each other perfectly.

Tomorrow they will set off, leaving the school where they have lived for more than two years, to seek refuge with the Xie family of Chenjun. The road ahead is equally uncertain, and the future is equally fraught with uncertainty.

During his exile, Chong'er passed through one state after another. Some treated him with courtesy, some treated him coldly, some gave him gifts, and some drove him away.

The people he met and the events he experienced, seemingly by chance, were in fact all preparations for his future return to his homeland. Without nineteen years of trials and tribulations, there would have been no Duke Wen of Jin.

So, what will their future hold?

Tao Yan and his classmates were unaware that this was the last time Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai would attend a lecture in the Jia Zhai lecture hall.

They will not be giving lectures this afternoon.

They will be leaving Wansong Academy tomorrow morning.

After breakfast, Liang Shanbo and Gu Jun headed to the back of the mountain as usual.

Passing through the back gate of the school, the snow on the field had not yet completely melted, and it covered the withered grass in patches.

As you step onto the winding mountain path, you see snow still clinging to the pine branches, quietly melting in the winter sun, with drops of water trickling down the needles.

On the mountain path, the remaining snow and damp moss were mixed together, making it slippery to walk on, so one had to be careful with every step.

They arrived at Songzha and the two pushed open the door to enter.

Meng Wenlang sat by the window.

The charcoal fire in the brazier burned just right, filling the small room with warmth.

The two knelt down opposite Meng Wenlang, their expressions composed and respectful.

Last December, Wang Shu listened to his teacher's last lesson in this pine-covered area.

At that time, Liang Shanbo sat beside Wang Shu, feeling an indescribable sense of melancholy. He had already secretly planned to leave Wansong Academy this winter and bid farewell to Mr. Meng, thinking that he would most likely be sitting in the pine forest at that time, listening to Mr. Meng give him his last lesson.

Now, that day has finally arrived.

This was his last class at Wansong Academy, and the last time he listened to Mr. Meng's lectures before graduating.

Meng Wenlang took out a map scroll from beside him and slowly unfolded it on the low table.

The map depicts the landscape of the land, clearly showing the boundaries between the Han and non-Han peoples. The Yangtze River stretches across the middle, with the vast lands of the nomadic tribes to the north and the isolated Jiangzuo court to the south. Luoyang, Chang'an, Jiankang, Guangling, Pengcheng, and Xiangyang all lie quietly on the map.

Rivers are like threads, mountains like dots, cities like beans; at a glance, one can see the whole world.

Meng Wenlang lightly tapped the location of Luoyang on the map: "In the fifth year of Yongjia, Liu Yao of the Xiongnu captured Luoyang. Emperor Huai was taken prisoner, and less than one in ten of the people of the Central Plains survived. Shanbo, your great-grandfather fled south with his family during that catastrophe, wandering from place to place."

For decades afterward, the north fell to the nomadic barbarians, while the Jiangnan region remained isolated. The imperial court repeatedly considered launching a northern expedition; Zu Ti led his troops across the river, Yin Hao launched an expedition to the Central Plains, and Huan Wen launched three campaigns, all of which ultimately failed, a truly regrettable situation.

Meng Wenlang's finger traced the map from Luoyang southwards, across the Yangtze River, stopping at Jiankang, then moving westwards to point at Xiangyang.

Then, he looked up at Liang Shanbo and said, "Now, in the north, Qin ruler Fu Jian is on the throne. He once appointed Wang Meng as his prime minister, who rectified officialdom, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, and the country is becoming increasingly powerful. This year alone, Qin has destroyed the Liang Zhang clan and gained control of the Hexi region. The Tuoba clan of the Dai state is also being attacked by Qin troops. The unification of the north is probably not far off."

His finger slowly traced a circle on the map, encompassing the entire north, and he continued, "As for Jiangzuo, Xie Anshi is now in charge of the central government, and the Xie clan of Chenjun is gaining momentum. However, the Wang clan of Langya, the Xi clan of Gaoping, the Wang clan of Taiyuan, the Yu clan of Yingchuan, and the Huan clan of Longkang are all deeply entrenched and engaged in fierce competition, a situation that has not arisen overnight. With barbarian cavalry in the north and powerful clans in the court, we are facing a predicament both internally and externally."

He then looked at Liang Shanbo with a solemn expression: "Shanbo, where do you consider yourself to be from? Shanyin? Kuaiji? Or Jiangzuo?"

Liang Shanbo pondered for a moment, about to answer, when Meng Wenlang continued, "You can only do what you consider to be from. If you consider yourself only from Shanyin, you can only do what Shanyin does, since Shanyin has already been divided up by a few prominent families. If you consider yourself only from Kuaiji, Kuaiji is nothing more than a small place filled with powerful clans."

Meng Wenlang's finger lightly traced the Jiangzuo region on the map: "If you consider yourself a Jiangzuo native, Jiangzuo has already been completely divided up by powerful clans. The Wang, Xie, Xi, Yu, and Huan families each have their own territories and their own power. If a poor family wants to rise above others in Jiangzuo, they can only rely on these powerful clans, becoming their protégés and former subordinates."

His finger moved away from Jiangzuo, drawing a larger circle that encompassed the entire map, and his voice suddenly rose several decibels: "But what if you consider yourself one of the people of the world?"

He spoke with lightning speed: "The world is vast, where can't we act? In the north there are barbarians, but the north also has vast rivers and mountains. In Jingzhou there is the Huan family, but Jingzhou also has the advantage of thoroughfares. In Bashu there are formidable passes, but Bashu also has fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles."

Jiangzuo is merely a corner of the world. If you only focus on Jiangzuo, you can only do things that happen there. In the end, Jiangzuo's affairs are nothing more than a few powerful families dividing up a pie. The pie is only so big; if you want a piece, it's as difficult as climbing to heaven. But if you broaden your horizons to the whole world, the world is vast, and opportunities are everywhere.

He withdrew his hand, sat up straight again, and looked calmly at Liang Shanbo: "The reason I am giving you this last lesson today is to make you understand that vision determines pattern, and pattern determines the way out. If a poor family does not broaden its horizons beyond Jiangzuo, it can only become an appendage of powerful families."

But if you broaden your horizons, you'll see that the world isn't limited to Jiangzuo. Your great-grandfather's migration from Guanzhong to the south was out of necessity. But you don't have to be confined to Jiangzuo your whole life, nor do you have to be subservient to powerful clans. Your path lies elsewhere.

As your teacher, I hope that one day you can contribute to my Northern Expedition in Jiangzuo, become a person capable of great things, and stand upright between heaven and earth.

Liang Shanbo looked at the map before him, at the mountains and cities, and at the vast land beyond the Yangtze River. His gaze swept westward from Jiankang, across the Yangtze River, across Xiangyang, across Luoyang, across Chang'an, and all the way to the far reaches of the land.

Meng Wenlang had no idea that his disciple Liang Shanbo was harboring another secret and unspeakable ambition at that moment.

"Since I have transmigrated into this life, possessing both literary and martial talents, the ability to memorize anything at a glance, and extraordinary martial prowess, why can't I take over this wretched Eastern Jin Dynasty, which has been divided up by powerful clans and is now confined to a corner of the country?"

My teacher taught me to broaden my horizons beyond Jiangzuo, and so I have. My teacher taught me to be a citizen of the world, and so I have become a citizen of the world!

In my past life, Liu Yu was able to usurp the throne from the Jin Dynasty, so why can't I? Liu Yu's origins were even more humble than mine. In his early years, he made a living by farming, chopping wood, fishing, and selling straw sandals. Later, he joined the army, became a soldier in the Northern Army, and carved out his own empire with every sword and spear. If he could do it, why can't I, Liang Shanbo?

This world does not belong to the Sima family, nor to the Wang, Xie, Xi, Yu, and Huan families. This world belongs to all people; the capable should rule it, and the virtuous should protect it. If I can conquer this world and usher in a new era, then I will have truly lived a worthwhile life!

Of course, Liang Shanbo would never say these words aloud.

He knelt, his gaze deep, as if he were looking through the map before him and seeing sights that ordinary people could not see.

Meng Wenlang looked at his disciple, at the light gleaming in his eyes. He didn't know what his disciple was thinking at that moment, but he felt that the disciple was unusually silent and profound.

Meng Wenlang slowly rolled up the map and placed it beside him, his voice returning to its usual gentle tone: "This lesson ends here."

Liang Shanbo bowed deeply to Meng Wenlang: "Disciple Shanbo is deeply grateful for your teachings over the past three years."

He didn't say anything more.

Those words about the world and the future were kept in his heart. He had taken in the last lesson his teacher taught him. However, his understanding was not entirely the same as what his teacher expected. His teacher hoped he would become an asset to the Northern Expedition, a pillar of the court. But he wanted to become the new ruler of this world!

The final lesson has come to an end.

Liang Shanbo and Gu Jun stood up, bowed to Meng Wenlang, and then left Songzha.

Gu Jun said to Liang Shanbo with emotion, "Junior Brother Liang, last December, Senior Brother Wang listened to his last lesson in this pine-covered courtyard and then left. Next month, I will also graduate. Like Senior Brother Wang, I have studied at Wansong Academy for five years. I just didn't expect that you would graduate before me, and so suddenly."

He glanced back at the pine fence: "The three of us have all graduated, and now the teacher will have no students left to accompany him."

Liang Shanbo smiled slightly: "Senior brother, there's no need to worry. Our teacher has been teaching at this academy for over ten years and has taken on more than a dozen disciples. One by one, those senior brothers have left, and naturally, new disciples have come to join the school. After you and I leave, our teacher will take on new disciples next year. The torch is passed on, generation after generation, and this is the principle our teacher has taught us."

Gu Jun remained silent, carefully considering these words, and then smiled.

He bowed respectfully to Liang Shanbo: "Brother, take care on your journey. May your future be bright and your journey be smooth sailing. When we meet again in our official careers, let us continue our friendship from this time of pine forest."

Liang Shanbo returned the bow formally: "Take care, Senior Brother Gu. We'll meet again someday."

The two straightened up, smiled at each other, and then walked side by side down the mountain through the remaining snow.

Behind them, the wind chimes under the pine eaves tinkled in the wind.

The sound of pine trees rustling in the wind reached my ears.

The sound of wind chimes and the rustling of pine trees intertwined, as if playing a farewell song for those about to depart.