My lord, spare his life!

Because Zhang Yang had to go out to attend the opening ceremony, the young man in mourning clothes could finally catch his breath and didn't have to go on a long walk with her. Not only was he not taken along, but Zhang Dami was also left behind to look after the house. "Looking after the house" really just meant watching over the chickens and ducks that were no longer even chicks or ducklings. The young man in mourning clothes sat on the porch, staring blankly at the chickens and ducks.

The prefectural government was strange in every way.

The most typical examples are these chickens and ducks.

The young man in mourning clothes strongly suspected that they had the bloodline of star beasts.

Even though the young man in mourning had never raised chickens or ducks before, he knew that domestic chickens took about three months to reach market weight, and native ducks took even longer, usually four or five months. Zhang Dami's chickens and ducks, however, were different; according to other subordinates, they had only taken a little over a month to raise.

In just over a month, it has already grown to the size of an adult.

Zhang Dami was kept behind today to collect eggs.

Yes, a precocious duck laid an egg, which was almost trampled by a passing official. Zhang Yang then punished Zhang Dami by making her stay behind and keep an eye on the chickens and ducks' rear ends. If the first egg-laying attempt was difficult and one duck died, she would settle a score with Zhang Dami!

Zhang Dami turned her head away in dissatisfaction.

Zhang Yang slapped its head back.

"What's with the tantrum? You're still not convinced? As a chicken/duck herder, your most important job is to take good care of these mother hens and ducks. Like in the previous situation, if that egg had been stepped on, would it have been just one egg that was lost? It would have been the hen that laid the egg, the eggs laid by those hen, countless hen and countless eggs that were lost! You'll get a major demerit for this, understand?"

Zhang Dami tilted her head, clearly not understanding.

Zhang Yang took a deep breath and sighed.

"A stupid tiger cannot be taught, a rotten tiger cannot be carved!"

I suddenly felt a bit empathetic towards Fan Shuyan.

Zhang Dami: "..."

Zhang Yang pulled out a gold brick, expressionless: "Big Mimi, if you don't understand the principles I'm telling you, I also know a bit of martial arts."

Upon seeing the gold bricks, Zhang Dami lowered her head and tucked her tail between her legs.

Zhang Yangxin patted its head with satisfaction.

"Mmm, good girl, Big Meow~"

Zhang Dami received praise but wasn't very happy.

These chickens and ducks lay their eggs wherever they please, and they all like to hide to lay them, which makes Zhang Dami's job of collecting eggs more difficult. It carefully searches everywhere, and when it finds an egg, it carefully picks it up and puts it away.

More than an hour later, the bamboo basket was piled high with eggs.

Zhang Dami was so tired that she lay on the ground, not wanting to move.

"Mi-kun, it's time to eat."

Upon hearing this sound, Zhang Dami's round ears perked up.

Before long, a cook carrying a large basket of chicken, duck, fish, and meat came into view. The cook bowed to the young man in mourning before putting down the basket. The young man said, "It's the busiest time for the kitchen staff now, so leave the task of feeding Mimi to me."

The cook hesitated: "How can I trouble my lord with such dirty work?"

The young man in mourning clothes said, "It's alright, I'm free anyway. Feeding Mimi too much might even win me favor with the Lord."

The cook suddenly realized, her smile revealing a hint of knowing ambiguity.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, sir."

The young man in mourning clothes smiled shyly, pursing his lips. After the cook had gone far away, he sat back down and dragged the basket full of fresh meat to his side. The meat had been washed clean, and water droplets clung to its surface.

That beast certainly knows how to enjoy life.

Star beasts are generally intelligent and can understand human speech. The young man in mourning felt contempt and disgust for Zhang Dami, but dared not voice it to her face. If he angered this beast, even with Zhang Yang's order not to harm anyone, Zhang Dami might still unleash her beastly nature and attack him.

"Mi-kun—"

Zhang Dami walked over to the young man in mourning clothes and sat down.

She looked like she was waiting for him to serve her.

The young man in mourning clothes was not angry; he picked up a piece of meat from the basket.

He thought to himself: "This thief Zhang is so tyrannical and extravagant!"

Even ordinary wealthy families couldn't eat like this every day.

Zhang Dami doesn't eat offal; the processed offal is either used as ingredients for the communal kitchen's three meals a day or distributed to the kitchen's servants. The young man in mourning clothes immediately recognized the meat, cut into bite-sized pieces by the cook, as river deer meat. Zhang Dami's diet, besides ordinary chicken, duck, fish, and wild animals that Zhang Yang occasionally hunts in the deep mountains, also includes fresh wild game that the prefectural government regularly purchases from outside.

The cost of just raising Zhang Dami, a single worm, is equivalent to the annual salary of several subordinate officials. This is an animal, not a living person; who knows, one day she might kill someone and feed them to wolves.

The young man in mourning clothes was fed a piece, and Zhang Dami ate a piece.

Before long, the basket of fresh meat was empty.

The young man in mourning clothes then took out the radish and apricot kernels from the bottom of the container. The radish was enormous, entirely orange-red, and about the size of an adult's arm. The apricot kernels were reddish-brown, and a distinct fruity aroma could be smelled from them. The young man in mourning clothes wasn't unfamiliar with radishes and apricot kernels, but such delicacies were only found in ancient texts of imagination. Even if they existed in reality, they would most likely be tributes to the royal family of a great kingdom.

Lost in thought, he keenly sensed Zhang Dami eyeing him intently, her gaze seemingly suspecting he would secretly steal her dessert. The young man in mourning clothes twitched his lips, suppressing his disgust and regret, and handed over the apricot. Unexpectedly, Zhang Dami stretched out her large, fat paw and placed it on the back of his hand, her nails earnestly tracing patterns on the apricot peel.

The young man in mourning asked, "You don't eat the fruit peel?"

Zhang Dami snorted.

It seems to be saying that the noble mountain king does not eat fruit peels.

The young man in mourning clicked his tongue, pulled out a dagger, and shaved the apricot fruit clean. He then broke it in two by hand and removed the pit. Only then did the noble Mimi allow the fruit to enter her mouth. The radish was peeled and chopped in the same way. The young man in mourning did everything dutifully and without complaint.

Eat this meal, and forget all other thoughts!

"Today, as the Prefect, I am honored to open this academy. The establishment of this academy is entirely due to the efforts of you all and the collective strength of our community. May the sound of reading fill our ears from now on, may the academy's students be found all over the world, may outstanding talents emerge in every generation, and may all students study diligently, practice righteousness, and bring glory to their families..."

Fan You's written speech was too long; it took fifteen minutes to read through. Even the person reading it would get sleepy, let alone the listener. Zhang Yang could only pick and choose, deleting some awkward and obscure parts, and quickly shortened the length to two sentences.

This private school was small, with just over thirty students. There were four instructors, including the headmaster, and three servants. The headmaster, being the husband of a wealthy merchant, was deeply in love with his wife and did not want to be separated from her for long. Therefore, he conceived the idea of ​​reopening the private school in Weiyin County. He went out to inquire and find a suitable location the day after he arrived.

However, the city's population had exploded, and he couldn't afford to rent houses in good locations. He had no choice but to ask Du Guan for help: "Yuan Yi, how about... I visit some local wealthy families and gentry?"

In the past, private schools also received a lot of financial aid; otherwise, the tuition fees paid by students alone would not have been enough to cover the school's expenses.

Du Guandao: [Wait a moment.]

Where in Weiyin County are there still wealthy households and gentry?

The local bullies were all eliminated by the prefect, and the rest were no longer a threat.

Du Guan mentioned her husband's idea of ​​reopening the school to Zhang Yang, who readily agreed and even allocated a large plot of land free of charge to build the private school. Not only that, Zhang Yang also personally funded all the timber and labor, and the laborers were treated the same as other paid laborers: "From now on, the students of the academy will receive a subsidy from the prefectural government, exempting them from tuition fees."

Du Guan: [Wouldn't that be a public school?]

Zhang Yang: [Whether it's a public school or a private academy, the purpose is to cultivate talent and build a better future for Tianyue. Why make such a distinction? Our family isn't starving; why haggle over such a small amount of money? Talk to your husband and ask him to find more excellent lecturers—those with good teaching skills and, even more importantly, good moral character. As long as the academy's lecturers are registered with the prefectural government, they'll receive a monthly salary similar to that of prefectural officials. What do you think?]

When Du Guan brought the news home, her husband was stunned by this unexpected windfall. First, he was overjoyed, then hesitant and apprehensive, unable to immediately agree: "I haven't accomplished much these past years, so the Prefect's high regard for me must be because of Yuan Yi. Could this cause trouble for Yuan Yi?"

Du Guandao: [No.]

Her husband then relaxed.

Du Guan: [The Prefect must have his own considerations.]

Her husband asked: "Considerations? Could you elaborate?"

Du Guan: [The prefectural government pays the tuition fees for the students, but think about it, would wealthy families be unable to afford even that? Given the Prefect's past acts of generosity, she doesn't seem to have such a compassionate heart. Who do you think truly feels the tuition fees are a burden?]

Her husband suddenly understood: "I see."

His private school also accepted students from commoner backgrounds, but the number was limited.

They could only accept more students from well-off families, relying on parental financial assistance to make up for the shortfall. Now, with the county government's financial support, they no longer need to worry about that; as long as a student has talent and aptitude, they can be admitted. Understanding this, he clapped his hands in delight, saying, "[The Prefect truly cherishes Yuanyuan like his own child.]"

This opening ceremony marked the first time he had met Zhang Yang.

My first impression of him was that he was exceptionally charming and a womanizer.

My second impression was that she had no airs of a high-ranking official. She could call out the names of several students without missing a single one and knew their family circumstances. It should be noted that one of the students' mothers was a conscripted laborer who had sprained her ankle a few days ago while lifting heavy objects.

After the magistrate greeted the child, his second question was about the child's mother's foot. His third question was about whether the family had any problems making a living and whether they were short of food or clothing. Finally, he said a few words to the child to study hard and become a pillar of society.

Zhang Yang was not satisfied with the number of new students.

"The academy still needs to expand and increase enrollment. Lecturers need to be selected in advance. However, no child in Yin County can be illiterate." Zhang Yang paused for a moment and said, "If any child is of school age but does not go to school, I will send people to arrest their parents, brothers, grandparents and other relatives."

Hitting children doesn't work; it's ineffective.

But there are no such concerns when hitting adults.

This will ensure that the school enrollment rate for children skyrockets.

The curator, who was standing by, was taken aback upon hearing this: "Your Excellency is unaware that children in ordinary families know how to help their elders when they are two or three years old, and can do some manual labor when they are four or five. If we send them all to school, the family will be missing half a laborer."

Zhang Yang retorted, "Even young children are exploited because their families are poor; without the whole family working, they will go hungry. Under my rule, how could any children live such a hard life? In the future, as long as the parents work, they can support the whole family!"

Do things appropriate for your age.

Minors should be confined to schools and suffer.

Zhang Yang recalled the murmurs of certain observation samples—

No one can avoid the hardship of studying!

Upon hearing this, the curator's eyes flickered slightly. This magistrate's words were simple yet deeply moving, and even he couldn't help but be touched.

Having such a studious ruler is a blessing for the people of Heaven.

The curator could easily foresee how strong the academic atmosphere would be throughout Tianyue in the years to come. Given time, it might become another sacred place of learning, a place that students from all over the world aspire to visit. Composing himself, the curator bowed respectfully to Zhang Yang: "Your Excellency is truly virtuous!"

Zhang Yang: "..."

I find it somewhat inexplicable.

She was already kind, so why suddenly say she was extremely kind?

However, considering that the director was a local resident, she didn't argue and chose to accept it in silence. The opening ceremony of the new academy was very simple. The director was an unknown outsider with no local reputation, so naturally no local gentry came to congratulate him.

This saved a lot of time on small talk.

Zhang Yang had met with all the other lecturers and also looked at the servants and menial laborers hired by the private school. Her recruitment list then included the profile pictures of these individuals. She briefly reviewed their [loyalty] and [morality] indicators and found that they were all above average.

Hmm, that's alright.

She gave him a few simple words of warning and then released him.

After the opening ceremony, the curator treated the guests who had witnessed the event to a simple but not shabby meal. Zhang Yang, as the prefect, was seated at the head of the table. All the guests received the same food; there was no special treatment given to Zhang Yang because he had contributed money and effort and was the prefect.

"Wow, this soup is so delicious!"

Zhang Yang picked up the soup bowl, scooped a spoonful, and put it in his mouth.

In an instant, her peach blossom eyes lit up.

Curator: "This is a type of mushroom called 'Polygonum multiflorum'. It tastes extremely delicious when cooked in soup, but improper handling can easily cause physical discomfort."

Zhang Yang offered another bite.

Several reminders also silently popped up in the system logs.

You smell a strange sandalwood scent.

You have received a bowl of mushroom soup with added ingredients.

You have been given the 'Hallucinogenic' debuff.

You have been given the "Poisoned" debuff.

You have gained the "Bleeding" debuff.

You have received the "Weakness" debuff.

[Sandalwood and Boletus luridus have a hallucinogenic debuff, and they are undergoing some kind of uncontrollable chemical reaction.]

Zhang Yang: "..."

Oh dear, her health bar is dropping.

Zhang Yang finished her bowl of mushroom soup expressionlessly, looking like she wanted more. The curator, quick to notice, immediately told a maid to refill her bowl. Zhang Yang waved her hand in refusal, casually pointing, "No need for that. I see... Yuan Yi's bowl hasn't been touched yet, give it to me."

curator:"……"

Du Guan did not refuse.

Zhang Yang took the soup bowl in his hand and took a small sip.

You have received a normal bowl of fresh mushroom soup.

Zhang Yang suddenly stood up straight, holding a spoon in his right hand. Under the questioning and worried gazes of the guests, he walked confidently to the table and scooped a spoonful of mushroom soup from each of their bowls.

curator:"……"

He secretly glanced at his wife.

Du Guan: "..."

She had heard Fan You mention more than once that the Prefect sometimes acted inhumanly, and she had also seen Zhang Yang suddenly do some inexplicable things, but this was the first time she had ever seen Zhang Yang openly snatch mushroom soup from someone else's bowl. And he even scooped a spoonful from everyone's bowl!

Yuan Xie offered his own soup.

"If Your Excellency is not satisfied, you may have another bowl."

Zhang Yang turned his head and saw a mushroom-headed person talking to him. On the mushroom-headed person's head, there were about a hundred mushrooms with heads of Yuan Xie dancing, twisting their hips so much they looked like they were twisting pretzel. Their dance was alluring and quite enchanting.

She said, "Youzheng dances very well."

Yuan Xie chuckled and continued, "I'm not good at dancing."

Then, Zhang Yang saw the bowl Yuan Xie was holding speak: "You're poisoned, and you're still flirting with people?"

The table next to it also started to chatter.

"My diaphragm cap hurts a little."

Chopsticks: "Help! This person is sucking on my leg!"

Spoon: "Oh my god, what stinky breath!"

Zhang Yang looked at Yuan Xie expressionlessly. As the mushroom spoke, Yuan Xie began to release countless spores, each spore as round and shiny as a golden bead.

A natural, gentle smile appeared on Zhang Yang's otherwise expressionless face. Her laughter was even: "Hahaha, interesting!"

Just as the observed samples indicated, fungal poisoning is interesting.

The game also depicts the state of being poisoned by mushrooms, with various chaotic visual phenomena. However, observations from real-life cases of mushroom poisoning have shown that the actual experience is far more complex and interesting than what's portrayed in the game, and can even be life-threatening.

Little did others know, she appeared to be bleeding from all seven orifices.

The laughter suddenly turned harsh and shrill.

Everyone realized something was wrong when they saw the situation.

Just then, someone shouted.

"The Lord has been poisoned!"

He shouted as he ran outside.

Upon seeing this, the curator's legs went weak and his mind went blank.

He instinctively turned to his wife, Du Guan, for help.

The Prefect was poisoned during his banquet, and no matter who the poisoner was, he couldn't escape responsibility. He didn't even dare to imagine the terrible consequences if anything happened to him! What should he do?

Du Guan calmly said, "First, appease the guests."

The curator subconsciously composed himself and hurriedly stood up.

An absurd idea popped into my mind.

If the Lord is poisoned, shouldn't we first seek a physician to detoxify him?

Is Yuan Yi hiding something from me?

Or was she absolutely certain that the Lord would be alright?

He had only taken two steps when the ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled violently, and a tremendous rumble echoed in the distance, like an earth dragon turning over! In the distance, he could vaguely see flames shooting into the sky, and a pillar of starlight descended from the heavens. When the pillar of light dissipated, a colossal star beast, its shoulder height comparable to a city wall, rose from the ground. Even from this distance, the ferocious, bloodthirsty light emanating from its eyes could be seen—it was coming from the direction of the temporary prefectural government!

That star beast is the Lord's mount!

What's going on?

What alarmed him even more was the sound of shouts of battle echoing through the city.

Within moments, flames shot up from streets everywhere.

It's obvious—

These lights are in response to some kind of action!

mutiny!

Someone has launched a mutiny!

Before the curator had even stepped out the door, he caught a glimpse of a guest suddenly leaping up, kicking over a table, and drawing a gleaming, sharp broadsword.

more than one!

Five or six traitors were hidden among the guests!

Their goals were very aligned—

"Zhang, you thief, prepare to die!"

Their target was Zhang Yang.

At this moment, the curator's heart sank.

They were worried about Zhang Yang, and also about the inexplicably out-of-control Star Beast Da Mi.

The destructive power of a star beast going out of control can be greater than that of a star beast under normal circumstances. Ancient records describe a star beast that went out of control and burned up its life essence, destroying half a city in a quarter of an hour!

The next breath—

Just moments ago, Zhang Yang was bleeding from all seven orifices and could barely stand with Yuan Xie's support. His hands and feet were twitching, but he had recovered. With a single kick, he sent the leading rebel flying, his chest bones cracking, flying several feet backward, his health bar instantly emptying and turning gray.

??|??w?`)