Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 24 Human Relationships and Causes
"get out of class is over."

I completed my morning class with ease once again.

This time we talked about the European continent. Tomorrow we will talk about the story of a student named Edison who lost an ear because of his research on physics.

There are plenty of these fabricated, true-or-false, little stories about encouraging students to study. Luckily, the content was readily available; otherwise, given his moral compass, he really wouldn't have been able to come up with so many of them.

I never expected that I would be able to shine after time travel; it was something I never imagined.

After completing the promotion of Cuju (ancient Chinese football), Xu Xuan only has this one job left for now.

The next official task is to help the college recruit students from non-aristocratic families, which will inevitably lead to another bloody battle.

The academies were forced to develop under the pressure of the imperial examination system, while the aristocratic families, wanting to consolidate their power, were unwilling to accept it.

The conflict of interests is unsolvable.

Xu Xuan's attitude towards this was that the forty taels of monthly salary given by Madam Yin was very appealing, the building in the Third Courtyard was very comfortable, and the Dragon Scale Moon Inkstone was beautiful no matter how you looked at it.

As for the resistance from the aristocratic families, it was actually meaningless.

The imperial examination system was a means for the imperial power to break the monopoly of powerful families on officialdom.

By adopting the principle of selecting officials based solely on merit and regardless of their social background, a large number of scholars from commoner families had the opportunity to enter officialdom.

Chongqi Academy is remarkable for being able to admit only children of aristocratic families and has persisted for so long, but as time goes by, it has developed a significant talent shortage.

The student at Jintian Academy was just the beginning; more geniuses from humble backgrounds will emerge and eventually become part of a new power distribution, forming academic cliques.

Xu Xuan, who had never worried about these things, spent the rest of his time studying and cultivating.

By auditing classes with other professors, I can make up for some of my shortcomings.

Xu Xuan's memories from his previous life were already stretched thin in the academy. If it weren't for his mastery of disguise, his ability to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, and some of his tactical ideas, he probably would have been exposed long ago.

After sitting in on classes with the students for the past month, I feel like I might have been held back before.

If this condition had existed before, one might have already passed the imperial examination in the last autumn.

The same ancient saying is explained in such a profound and insightful way by Chongqi Academy that it is easy to understand and the direction of the solution is very clear.

"Brother Zimei, who was in charge of education, was famous back then for his... [illegible], if it's him this time..."

"The Imperial Academy, huh? It's nothing more than that."

"As for whether the Chamberlain will convey the Emperor's decree, that is not a consideration."

Every subject teacher exudes strong confidence when analyzing specific problems; this is the difference in perspective brought about by connections and status.

A renowned teacher is not only one with talent and learning, but also one with the ability to pave the way for students.

The cultural heritage of Jiangnan is truly well-deserved.

As for his spiritual practice, he made no progress whatsoever.

No matter how much one progresses in their cultivation, they still need that initial pure land. Xu Xuan lingered outside the door for a long time but could not enter.

The Buddha shows no mercy; if your heart is not sincere, you will not be allowed to cultivate.

He was far less magnanimous than the Taoist patriarch, who was said to have no restrictions on those with talent in Taoist cultivation.

That day, Xu Xuan reluctantly left Shi Kuang's music theory class.

To be honest, if you were to take this course blindfolded, you'd find it to be really high-level.

To be able to master something as subjective as conveying emotions through music is truly remarkable.

“Teacher Xu, Teacher Xu, wait, there is a letter for you.”

After being at the academy for more than a month, I suddenly found myself connected with the outside world. It was a very subtle feeling.

There's always a sense of dislocation, like a day in the mountains is like a thousand years in the world.

Xu Xuan frowned slightly as he looked at the handwriting on the envelope.

The characters are very neat and upright, clearly the work of someone who has been writing for decades but doesn't have much talent.

What drew his attention even more was the grief and panic conveyed in the words he sensed.

"Master Li." Xu Xuan, back in the Third Affiliated Hospital, tore open the envelope.

Ah, this.
Things are different and people are different.

Master Li had only one son, who perfectly inherited his father's talent and ability, but was also a scholar who had no hope of passing the imperial examinations.

Unlike his father, he was unwilling to be unable to realize his ambitions because of his pursuit of fame and fortune, so he traveled around to study and try to find opportunities for advancement.

In reality, it's about finding powerful and influential people to serve.

The imperial examination was the primary way to enter officialdom, but not the only way.

Everyone at Jintian Academy knows how persistent this young master is.

Unfortunately, this study tour went awry; they were ambushed and killed on the official road outside Qiantang County.

None of the entire convoy survived.

Master Li, a white-haired man burying his black-haired son, was naturally heartbroken, but what made it even more sorrowful was that he had brought his young grandson with him on this study tour.

The scholar's death and the official road ambush were two incidents that nearly caused a major upheaval.

The county government naturally attached great importance to this, and even the prefect sent people to investigate.

This matter will be reported to the Secretariat and the Ministry of Justice, so a result is necessary.

However, after a large number of people were dispatched, they only brought back some of the carcasses that had been eaten by wild animals.

Fortunately, the child's body was not found in the convoy.

So Master Li began sending out letters to request help.

Hmm. The subconscious meaning is that they still hope someone will put more pressure on them to send more people to search outside the county.

It's understandable that the family members involved were emotionally devastated.

The magistrate did arrange for people to search outside the city, out of respect for the old scholar and because of the impact of the scholar's incident, but it was impossible for him to keep people outside the city indefinitely.

After all, the lives of his men matter too, and it is truly dangerous outside the city.

Leaving aside lawless tyrants, it's quite normal for a giant insect or python to suddenly appear in the mountains and forests.

The reason why so many famous figures and extraordinary individuals in this era have been rumored to have killed tigers or encountered ghosts is that such creatures truly exist in the wild, and their species are extremely diverse.

Unable to solve the case and under pressure from their superiors, the county magistrate and others had no choice but to find other ways to get by.

Even if this year's "merits, demerits, conduct, and abilities" are completely classified as inferior, there are still differences between inferior grades.

If the case of eliminating thieves and robbers is solved, it can salvage some of the prefectural officials' reputation.

So they stopped the search, planning to replace the missing bandits with a few, and that would be the end of it.

Master Li's influence in the county was not enough to affect other people's careers.

But if the case is closed, the grandson will be lost forever.

He, as a mere academy headmaster, simply couldn't muster enough manpower; even if he poured all his wealth into it, it wouldn't be enough.

The letter Xu Xuan received requested that he contact Professor Sheng of the Ming Law School to put in a good word for him.

If a renowned legal expert like Professor Sheng, who is well-known both in and out of the government, were to make a call, the scale and intensity of the search would be incomparable to what it was before.

"Ah, Master Li thinks too highly of me."

Xu Xuan's time teaching at the academy was so short. Although he managed to get by quite well through some maneuvering, how could he possibly have any close interaction with such a big shot?

Moreover, it was a retired vice minister being allowed to interfere in local affairs.

If you happen to encounter a strong opponent, you might end up humiliated and ruin your reputation.

Of course, the magistrate of Qiantang County was definitely not that kind of person.

But why should Professor Sheng step in?

Xu Xuan pondered for a moment. Since no one else could give him this face, he might as well go down the mountain himself.

(End of this chapter)