APSIL -Chapter 120 The Misbehaving Students’ Persuasion Campaign

“Quick! Go! Bite it! Yes, just like that! Bite it! Bite it as hard as you can!”

Amidst the hoarse, excited shouting, two richly dressed young noblemen waved their fists from time to time, sometimes pacing around the railing. Their expressions were so intensely focused that they looked as though they wished they could transform into vicious dogs and jump straight into the fighting arena.

When the match finally ended, the victorious dog barked proudly while its owner cheered loudly. The defeated side cursed unwillingly, and the surrounding spectators erupted into cheers and jeers.

After everyone returned to their seats and prepared for the next round, the winner who had just taken the victory accepted a handkerchief from a servant and wiped his hands before smugly saying:

“Go study at Banshan Hall? What a joke. I’d rather give up my status as a student of the Imperial Academy than suffer through that kind of torture! Do you really think I’m like those two idiots, Lu Sanlang and Zhang Chen? They have perfectly good days to enjoy, yet they actually went to suffer under someone else’s control?”

“Who did you say was an idiot?”

The boastful young man instantly froze as if someone had grabbed him by the throat.

The others also dared not pretend they had nothing to do with it. They all turned their heads and saw a cold-faced figure walking toward them.

It was none other than Zhang Chen.

As for Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu beside him, they were naturally ignored as nothing more than his two followers.

Some people who understood the situation immediately put on smiling faces and stepped forward.

“Ah, Little Duke Zhang, what a rare guest. Have you come to watch the dog fights today?”

Zhang Chen normally was not someone skilled at socializing, but he also understood the saying that one should not strike someone who smiles at him.

However, after hearing someone insult him behind his back, even his usually decent temper could not hold.

He casually pushed aside the person trying to flatter him, walked forward, and suddenly kicked away the chair of the young man who had called him an idiot.

The person sitting on it fell backward, landing flat on the ground.

Only then did Zhang Chen clap his hands and say: “A bunch of useless people wasting food, and you still think you’re enjoying yourselves?”

If Zhang Shou were here, he would definitely have found Zhang Chen’s words hilarious.

Because they were almost identical to the words he had once used to provoke the spoiled young masters in Cuiyun Pavilion.

And sure enough, Zhang Chen’s words immediately ignited everyone’s anger.

A hot-tempered young man immediately shot back: “At least we’re not following behind a rival and wagging our tails like a dog—”

“Ah!”

Before he could finish speaking, the person who insulted Zhang Chen suddenly flew up into the air.

His arms and legs flailed wildly before he crashed onto the ground, face down, with his backside raised.

He immediately began crying out in pain.

Although Zhang Chen knew that A-Liu would be accompanying them today, personally witnessing that young man’s ghost-like movements still made him secretly wary.

But at the same time, he could not help feeling satisfied.

“Whatever this young master does is none of your business, Zhong Fifteen!”

Zhang Chen sneered.

“Besides, there are plenty of flowers in this world. Is Zhu Ying the only beautiful woman around?”

He was not some shameless person.

Since Zhu Ying already had someone she liked, why would he continue following her?

Of course, he absolutely was not saying this because he feared Zhang Shou…

Definitely not.

Zhang Chen walked forward and kicked the fallen young man again before sweeping his gaze across everyone.

Seeing that everyone had finally become silent, he coldly said: “Banshan Hall will begin classes tomorrow. I don’t care who the previous hall leader was. From now on, I am the hall leader.”

“Anyone who refuses to attend, I will personally go to your homes and tell your elders.”

“Little Teacher Zhang has been granted an imperial ruler by His Majesty. When punishments are carried out, Zhang Wu, Zhang Lu, and I will take turns wielding it.”

At this point, a cruel smile appeared on Zhang Chen’s face.

“So don’t let yourselves fall into my hands. Otherwise, don’t blame me for beating your palms until they swell.”

The former leader of Beijing’s spoiled young noble circle, Zhang Chen, had actually become the hall leader of Banshan Hall in the Imperial Academy?

And he had even learned the ultimate weapon of reporting people to their parents?

Was there any way for them to survive?

That Doctor Zhang had actually entrusted the imperial punishment ruler—such a terrifying weapon—to Zhang Chen and those two?

At this moment, countless eyeballs nearly fell out inside the dog-fighting arena.

Everyone felt that the world had become completely absurd.

Many of them wanted to die.

Especially those who had always been at odds with Zhang Chen.

They began considering whether they should return home and cry in front of their beloved elders, throwing tantrums and begging.

Even giving up their status as Imperial Academy students sounded better than suffering in Banshan Hall.

But then Zhang Wu, who had previously looked like nothing more than a follower, suddenly smiled faintly.

“Before His Majesty entrusted the two princes to Little Teacher Zhang, he reportedly specifically mentioned something.”

“He does not require the two princes to master both literature and martial arts, but at the very least, they cannot pick up bad habits from certain people.”

“So those who truly feel unable to endure studying may indeed choose not to attend Banshan Hall.”

“As long as you give up your status as Imperial Academy students, you may continue fooling around however you wish.”

“However—”

This time, Zhang Lu took over.

The sly young man gave a sinister smile.

“Anyone who withdraws from the Imperial Academy will have their names publicly posted before the Meridian Gate.”

“They will never receive hereditary privileges and will be permanently recorded in a separate register.”

That was truly ruthless.

No matter how much their families spoiled them, their elders absolutely could not tolerate seeing their names hung up as objects of public shame.

No one expected that the emperor would suddenly turn his blade toward the spoiled young nobles.

For a moment, everyone looked at one another and completely abandoned the idea of escaping.

But Zhang Chen’s next words completely destroyed their remaining schemes.

“Oh, one more thing.”

“Teacher Zhang is someone who responds well to kindness but not force. His backing is extremely strong.”

“So it’s best not to play any ridiculous tricks.”

“First think carefully whether you can handle Zhu Ying.”

“Then think carefully whether you can handle Teacher Ge.”

After leaving those words behind, Zhang Chen turned around and walked away without looking back.

As he walked, he said to Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu beside him: “Move faster. We still have several places to visit today. Don’t let that Lu Sanlang guy get ahead of us.”

“That guy clearly wants to study at Jiuzhang Hall, yet he still wants to interfere with our Banshan Hall matters. He’s too greedy!”

Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu exchanged amused looks when they heard him say they had several places to visit.

But the spoiled young nobles who had just been threatened by Zhang Chen were completely stunned.

Listening to their conversation, it seemed that these three Zhang family youths were one group, while Lu Sanlang was another.

The two groups were actually going around Beijing like they were campaigning, planning to sweep up every noble youth who held the title of Imperial Academy student but did nothing productive?

The two people who had just been knocked down earlier groaned painfully on the ground.

Meanwhile, among the silent crowd, someone finally gathered enough courage to speak.

“Zhang Chen, Lu Sanlang was personally praised by His Majesty as a genius.”

“But you’re not him!”

“Do you really think you can understand those things that make people sleepy just by hearing them?”

Zhang Chen suddenly stopped walking.

Then he turned his head and angrily said: “Idiot.”

“From now on, matters in Banshan Hall cannot be interfered with by the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Academy, the Vice Grand Secretary, or even those Imperial Academy doctors.”

“We finally have the chance to make our own decisions.”

“If we can choose what we want to learn, who would still want to waste time memorizing endless sayings from Confucius?”

“Who would still want to study those incomprehensible heavenly texts?”

When Zhang Chen’s group disappeared from sight, the spoiled young noblemen looked at one another.

Gradually, some of them revealed expressions of realization.

If they could really choose what they wanted to study themselves, then perhaps staying in the Imperial Academy for a while was not such a bad idea after all.

If Lu Sanlang knew that Zhang Chen relied on such simple and direct methods—beating and scolding—to persuade people, he would certainly proudly declare that his own method was like a gentle spring breeze, quietly nourishing everything.

At this moment, however, Lu Sanlang was sitting in a private room upstairs at Zhigong Tower, inviting several noble youths over for tea.

There were no public court cases being handled at the Shuntian Prefecture office that day, so this once-bustling street entrance was unusually quiet.

With a pleasant smile, Lu Sanlang poured tea for the invited young nobles.

Only after setting down the teapot did he slowly say: “Everyone, think about it carefully.”

“His Majesty is already furious. If you continue acting like spoiled brats in the future, do you really think you’ll have a good ending?”

“No.”

“Not only will there be no good ending, even your own families will eventually look at you with disgust and disappointment.”

“Since that is the case, why not try living a different kind of life?”

Although Lu Sanlang had many enemies, and his appearance was not particularly impressive, his intelligence meant that he actually had quite a good reputation among the spoiled young noble circle.

At this moment, under his gentle smile, among those invited, only one person quietly muttered: “But we don’t have your talent, Third Brother Lu.”

Nowadays, whenever Lu Sanlang heard someone mention his talent, his eyes would become even narrower from smiling.

This time was no exception.

He raised his teacup toward the person, accepting the disguised compliment, then spoke earnestly: “That is exactly why I am going to Jiuzhang Hall.”

“If you are interested, copy the questions posted around the streets and bring them home to try solving them.”

“If you aren’t interested, then go to Banshan Hall.”

“Little Teacher Zhang said that when Taizu named it Banshan Hall, he was not mocking us.”

“He meant that all scholars are merely halfway up the mountain of knowledge.”

“Those who laugh at Banshan Hall are actually the ones who only understand half of everything.”

“Everyone has their own unique strengths.”

“So in the future, Banshan Hall’s courses will be divided into elective and compulsory subjects.”

“Just like the imperial examinations require the Four Books and Five Classics, but candidates only need to specialize in certain areas.”

Seeing everyone’s eyes brighten, Lu Sanlang poured another round of tea for them.

Then he continued enthusiastically: “Furthermore, aside from me—the unfortunate person whose father does not appreciate him—you don’t even need to live in the Imperial Academy dormitories.”

“Every seven days will count as one week.”

“You will attend classes for five consecutive days, then have two days off.”

“As for the daily lessons, combined they will not exceed two hours.”

“Two classes every morning, each lasting half an hour.”

“Two classes every afternoon, each lasting half an hour.”

“And there will even be breaks between classes.”

The Imperial Academy normally only allowed rest every ten days.

And each rest period lasted only one day.

As for daily lessons?

Four hours every day!

Especially in Banshan Hall, many strict teachers would supervise students as they repeatedly recited texts, shaking their heads back and forth until their brains felt numb.

Hearing such wonderful news, the noble youths who had already prepared themselves to reluctantly endure Imperial Academy life suddenly became excited.

But Lu Sanlang’s next words made them even happier.

“Furthermore, Little Teacher Zhang said that we cannot become those weak scholars who cannot even lift a chicken.”

“We must have physical training every day.”

“The Six Arts of a gentleman—ritual, music, archery, chariot driving, calligraphy, and mathematics—we should all learn them!”

“Of course, we don’t need to learn how to drive chariots anymore.”

“But riding horses must be properly learned.”

“If you cannot learn horse riding or archery, that’s fine.”

“Can you play cuju or pitch-pot?”

“Can’t play those either?”

“Then you can play cricket, table tennis, volleyball…”

“Don’t look at me.”

“I don’t even know what half of those things are.”

“Anyway, the point is that he won’t make you sit there reading dead books all day!”

Lu Sanlang spoke confidently and endlessly.

But inside, he was secretly thinking:

As for activities like horse riding and archery, I respectfully decline.

Where would I get that kind of stamina?

Later, I’ll have to discuss this with Little Teacher Zhang.

Banshan Hall needs to accommodate these spoiled noble youths.

But Jiuzhang Hall absolutely cannot have such things.

There are only so many hours in a day.

Saving that time to read more mathematical texts and solve more problems would be much better, wouldn’t it?

Meanwhile, although Zhang Chen was using intimidation and Lu Sanlang was using persuasion, both groups had the same goal.

They were transforming the once infamous spoiled noble students of the capital into the first batch of students under Zhang Shou’s new educational system.

And whether those young masters liked it or not…

Their days of carefree idleness were coming to an end.