Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2800 Master Qingsong 18.0
"Incriminating evidence against other classmates?" Song Yaojia and Shen Haolin exchanged a glance, looked at Jin Miaomiao, frowned slightly, and said, "You mean, they told the dean and teachers that they saw other classmates' dealings with Wang and Dong, felt that it was wrong, and had no choice but to get involved in order to obtain evidence?"

“That’s right, my great-uncle said that’s what they said.” Jin Miaomiao spread her hands helplessly. “In our opinion, this statement is really ridiculous and cannot stand any scrutiny, but it was actually accepted back then.”

"It's not that hard to understand, right?" Song Yaojia raised an eyebrow at Shen Cha. "What do you think, Xiao Cha?"

"From the perspective of the academy, it is actually easy to understand."

"why?"

“Although these two are very hardworking and quite knowledgeable, they are indeed a major headache for the academy.” Shen Cha sighed. “Of course, the biggest headache is that they are poor and may not be able to afford the tuition.”

Jin Miaomiao was taken aback. "This is a reason?"

"It's not just a reason, it's a very important one." Shen Cha nodded. "What do you think is the most important thing in running an academy?"

"Teaching and educating people?"

"That's important, but not the most important thing." Song Yaojia nodded, then shook her head. "The most important thing is for the academy to operate sustainably for a long time. To operate sustainably, it must ensure that it receives the due revenue from the students. But..."

“It’s not easy for children from poor families like the Wang and Dong to get into a decent academy. What’s even more difficult is that they have to come up with such a huge sum of money,” Song Yaojia sighed softly. “I’ve vaguely heard my uncle mention the academy where Master Qingsong was first taught. Although it’s not as good as the academies of the Jiangnan aristocratic families, nor as good as the academies with great Confucian scholars, it’s considered quite good in their area. The academy’s environment and the teachers it has hired are quite good. But this ‘good’ needs to be maintained by the students’ money, which is a considerable expense.”

"Besides the academy fees, there are also the costs of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, which are quite considerable."

“That’s right.” Song Yaojia nodded to Shen Cha. “As soon as they enrolled, they helped their classmates with their homework to earn money, and they were also very frugal. In the eyes of the dean, these are not good qualities.”

"Then," Jin Miaomiao asked, puzzled, "why did you take them in in the first place?"

“They still have some ability, otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to pass the exam, right?” Song Yaojia smiled. “Speaking of which, this dean is not very kind. He wants poor students to enhance the reputation of the academy, but he also wants money to maintain the operation of the academy. In the end, this happened.”

“But if they pass the imperial examinations and become scholars, they won’t have to worry about tuition fees, right? They’ll receive a monthly stipend, won’t they?” “They’ve only been enrolled for about half a year. If they want to take the imperial examinations and pass with honors, it will take them at least a year or two. Where will they get the money for that?” Song Yaojia smiled. “Isn’t it normal for them to have such concerns? Small academies can hardly survive without the support of merchants.”

“That’s right.” Shen Cha nodded. “Although these academies are not large in scale, there are many places where money is needed. If you think about it carefully, the tuition fees of these students are probably not enough to cover these expenses.”

“That’s right.” Song Yaojia sighed. “There used to be a well-regarded academy in Xijing City. Many children from ordinary families studied there. The academy didn’t charge much tuition, and the headmaster didn’t accept donations from merchants. He relied entirely on his enthusiasm. As a result, although no children were in debt for tuition, the academy closed down after only two or three years.”

"why?"

“The dean is out of money, this is the only way we can go.” Song Yaojia spread his hands. “The academy where Master Qingsong was taught may be a little better than this one in Xijing City, but they are essentially the same. Naturally, they don’t have the resources to exempt poor students from tuition fees.”

"I was just saying that, there are so many academies in Jiangnan and Xijing that offer free education, why can't this one?" Jin Miaomiao blinked. "It's just that nobody supports them!"

“The academies that allow impoverished students to study for free are all run by aristocratic families. They don’t make money from the academies themselves, but have other motives. Aristocratic families cannot take the imperial examinations, so they want to cultivate their influence in the court. They need to recruit outstanding students from poor families, and free education is a powerful weapon. Those students who are determined to make a name for themselves will not refuse, especially with great scholars in charge. The temptation is very strong.” Shen Cha sighed. “As for Wang and Dong…” she raised an eyebrow, “They probably aren’t that outstanding, which is why the aristocratic families took notice of them.”

“Perhaps they both took the entrance exams for aristocratic academies long ago, but just didn’t pass,” Song Yaojia smiled. “On the other hand, besides the money, these two are inherently dishonest. Since someone reported them, the headmaster and teacher will definitely take advantage of the situation and kick them out.” He looked at Jin Miaomiao. “To put it bluntly, taking money, writing assignments for others, and cheating on quizzes in any academy would result in expulsion without any leniency. They’ve been doing this for so long, and the headmaster and teacher probably just turned a blind eye. After all, this way, they can pay their own tuition, and the headmaster won’t have to worry about not collecting money. They originally wanted to turn a blind eye, but since someone reported them, they didn’t want to cause trouble for themselves, so they cut off these troubles to avoid future problems.”

“Besides, their crimes are all supported by evidence. Even if Meng, Ao, and Tang can't produce anything, as long as other classmates testify, Wang and Dong will still be expelled.” Shen Cha sighed. “I just don’t understand why Master Qingsong would step in to protect them. You know, the isolation of Master Qingsong within the academy is partly their fault!”

“I don’t quite understand this either.” Jin Miaomiao shook her head gently. “But my advisor spoke up for them and only said one sentence on their behalf.”

"What did you say?"

“Their crime doesn’t warrant death.” Jin Miaomiao sighed and looked at Shen Cha. “You mean, although they made a mistake, it’s understandable and they shouldn’t be expelled from the academy, right?”

“Yes!” Shen Cha nodded. “Moreover, Master Qingsong has evidence of Meng, Tang, and Ao’s scheme, including witnesses and physical evidence. He’s warning those three that if they want to persist, he doesn’t mind producing the evidence and kicking them out as well.”