APSIL -Chapter 128 A Face-Slapping Sword?

The unsheathed sword that had been solemnly delivered in a gift box was ultimately inspected from beginning to end by the Grand Madam.

After confirming that it had not been poisoned, that no hidden mechanisms such as poisoned needles had been installed, and that there were no other hidden dangers, it was at least, on the surface, simply an exceptionally sharp sword capable of cutting hair with a mere touch.

Soon afterward, a skilled craftsman was summoned into the Zhao State Duke’s Residence late at night, trembling with nervousness at first, only to become overjoyed after receiving the generous order. He immediately stayed overnight in the guest quarters and worked through the night to craft a scabbard for the sword.

When Zhang Shou finished his morning lesson at Half-Mountain Hall the next day, then spent the afternoon watching Zhang Chen compile the results of the elective course selections—watching a group of people noisily decide which teachers to invite, how to invite them, and how to arrange classrooms—he was finally dragged away from his temporary dormitory at the Imperial Academy by A-Liu, who had gone to ask Xu Heizi for the room on his behalf.

Only after returning to the Zhao State Duke’s Residence did he receive the expected “gift.”

It was the treasured sword from before, now fitted with a simple scabbard.

At first glance, it seemed as though all its sharpness and brilliance had been concealed.

However, when Zhu Ying handed the sword to him, she still seemed somewhat dissatisfied.

“This scabbard is too plain. I still prefer the style with gold and jade decorations. But Grandmother said that gold would make you look too vulgar. I also felt that decorating the scabbard with only jade would be too inconspicuous and would waste your good looks. Using jade as a sword tassel is also troublesome because it could easily crack, so in the end I had to give up.”

Zhang Shou, however, was extremely satisfied with this plain sword without gold or jade ornaments.

When he went to the Imperial Academy again on the third day, the students of Half-Mountain Hall were all sharp-eyed people. They immediately noticed that their teacher had acquired a new accessory.

Most people could still hold back their curiosity, but the Fourth Prince, who had grown up spoiled by the emperor and had a particularly lively personality, could not help asking before class began: “Teacher, why did you suddenly decide to wear a sword? I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else in the Imperial Academy carrying one.”

Zhang Shou had brought the sword out precisely because he intended to make it known.

At this moment, he swept his gaze across everyone and smiled.

“In our dynasty, carrying a sword is a privilege of officials and scholars with academic honors. Students of the Imperial Academy naturally qualify as well. However, as time has passed, more and more scholars have become unable to even lift a chicken. Among common people, there is even a saying mocking scholars as ‘useless except for reading.’ As a result, fewer and fewer people carry swords.”

He paused before continuing with a smile.

“In the past, scholars could command armies when they mounted a horse and govern the people when they dismounted. They could become generals or ministers.”

“Lou Shide was a successful jinshi candidate who later took the brave warrior examination. Li Qinglian was a scholar who traveled the world with a sword. Xin Qiji abandoned his writing brush and joined the army, determined to recover the northern territories. Even during the early years of our dynasty, there were many such predecessors.”

“But nowadays, more and more people only know how to bury themselves in books, lack physical strength, and cannot even distinguish the grains they eat.”

Hearing this, two Imperial Academy scholars who had quietly arrived at the doorway intending to find fault with him immediately darkened in expression.

They were precisely the kind of people Zhang Shou had just described.

Without hesitation, they turned around and left with a flick of their sleeves.

Meanwhile, the supervisor of the Discipline Office, Xu Heizi, happened to arrive from the opposite direction. Since he had just come and had no idea what Zhang Shou had said inside, he hesitated briefly before quietly stepping forward and standing in a corner behind the door to listen.

The Fourth Prince, however, did not notice the extra listener outside.

His eyes shone brightly as he asked: “Teacher, are you wearing a sword to imitate those predecessors?”

Zhang Shou liked this straightforward and impulsive little prince very much. Hearing his question, he laughed.

“This sword was specially sent to me by someone. It was wrapped in an exquisite brocade box, but it had no scabbard.”

“I thought that perhaps the person wanted to tell me that a person should be like a sword—moving forward without hesitation, sharp and unstoppable.”

“So I specially had a scabbard made and now carry it with me.”

The Third Prince and Fourth Prince were still too young to understand the hidden meaning behind Zhang Shou’s words.

But many of the students understood.

As for those who did not, their classmates quickly whispered explanations to them.

Before long, all the students in Half-Mountain Hall understood the message Zhang Shou was conveying.

And immediately, they all developed the mentality of people eager to watch a storm unfold.

Someone had actually sent a sword without a scabbard to threaten this newly appointed Imperial Academy scholar!

Yet Zhang Shou had not only ignored the threat, he had even added a scabbard and worn it openly.

This was a challenge!

Lu Sanlang, who had managed to obtain permission to sit in on classes at Half-Mountain Hall, had his eyes flickering with excitement.

He endured it again and again. Only when Zhang Shou lightly tapped the copper bell on the desk, signaling the start of class, did he reluctantly close his mouth.

However, his mind was already racing.

He planned to find Zhang Chen later and see whether the two of them could work together to uncover the identity of the person who had dared to send a sword as a threat.

Since both the emperor and Elder Ge had praised him so much, he had to do something meaningful.

After all, the credit of capturing and killing rebels in the bamboo forest was fake. He and Zhang Chen together had not actually accomplished anything!

That day’s history lesson followed naturally from the Fourth Prince’s earlier question.

Zhang Shou used Lou Shide as an example and talked about the turbulent life of this jinshi-born prime minister.

However, he placed particular emphasis on the famous story behind the phrase “letting spit dry on one’s own face”—meaning enduring humiliation without anger.

By the time the history lesson ended, Zhang Shou had unknowingly gone overtime.

But seeing that no one seemed bothered, he simply continued and began another class on natural studies.

As before, he explained several natural phenomena in simple and understandable ways, had several students come forward to perform experiments, and only then ended the morning’s lessons.

However, when he announced the lunch break and walked out of Half-Mountain Hall, a voice suddenly called from behind him.

“Teacher!”

Zhang Shou turned around.

He saw the Fourth Prince hurriedly running out.

“Teacher, why did Lou Shide have to let someone spit on his face and not react?”

“Confucius said: ‘Repay resentment with justice, and repay virtue with virtue!’”

Zhang Shou immediately laughed.

He had known this would happen.

Although he did not deliberately teach the Four Books and Five Classics in Half-Mountain Hall, the emperor would certainly have arranged for someone else to teach the two princes those subjects.

Perhaps before officially entering the Imperial Academy, the brothers had already learned quite a lot.

At that moment, the Third Prince also hurried out.

However, instead of asking a question, he quietly tugged at his younger brother’s sleeve.

Earlier in class, Zhang Shou had actually been waiting for someone to ask about this idiom.

He had not expected the question to be delayed until after class.

Looking up, he saw several students standing near the entrance of Half-Mountain Hall. They had originally intended to go find food nearby but were now secretly listening.

Therefore, he simply answered directly.

“Because Lou Shide encountered the most difficult emperor to serve in history.”

“And that emperor was also the only female emperor in history.”

“She was talented at employing people, but she was also suspicious by nature. Among civil officials and military generals, very few managed to have a peaceful ending.”

“Especially those commanders who could stand on their own, such as Pei Xingjian, Wang Fangyi, and Heichi Changzhi. One by one, they were either demoted or died.”

“Only Lou Shide managed to retire safely.”

Seeing that the Fourth Prince still looked confused, Zhang Shou smiled gently.

“To put it simply, Lou Shide did not have a wise and generous ruler like Your Highness’s father.”

“So if he had not known how to endure and judge the situation, but instead acted arrogantly because of his great wealth and power, he would have died long ago.”

“Therefore, the phrase ‘letting spit dry on one’s own face’ does not describe merely a person’s virtue of tolerance.”

“It praises the wisdom of understanding circumstances and adapting accordingly.”

Inside Half-Mountain Hall, Lu Sanlang’s eyes flickered after hearing these words.

He waited until the Third Prince and Fourth Prince had left, surrounded by their guards and attendants.

Because of their young age and the large difference between them and the other students, the two princes did not stay for the strange and varied elective classes held in the afternoon.

According to what Lu Sanlang had heard, this was because the Empress Dowager insisted on it, forcing the emperor to compromise.

Only after most students had either thoughtfully or casually departed did Lu Sanlang quietly slip out.

But the moment he left Half-Mountain Hall, he ran straight into Xu Heizi, who was slowly walking around from the side of the building.

The two met face-to-face.

Lu Sanlang awkwardly cupped his hands as a greeting.

He had only hoped to quickly avoid this unpleasant fellow.

But after Xu Heizi nodded slightly and walked away, Lu Sanlang noticed something strange.

The man’s walking posture seemed somewhat unnatural.

It was only after Lu Sanlang found Zhang Shou’s temporary dormitory at the Imperial Academy that he suddenly understood.

Could it be…

Xu Heizi had been standing there the entire morning, secretly listening to Zhang Shou’s lessons?

When he arrived at Zhang Shou’s dormitory and prepared to knock, Lu Sanlang felt a little emotional.

He had given up his luxurious home and chosen to squeeze into the Imperial Academy dormitory because he did not want to face his father’s expression every day.

But what about Zhang Shou?

The Zhao State Duke’s Residence had practically already treated him as half a son-in-law.

Zhu Ying clearly liked him immensely.

Yet this man was actually willing to live in the Imperial Academy.

Comparing people to each other truly could make one miserable…

However, just as Lu Sanlang placed two fingers on the door and was about to knock, the door suddenly opened.

Startled, he nearly knocked his fingers directly into Zhang Shou’s head.

Fortunately, he pulled back quickly enough.

Zhang Shou had only heard unusual noises outside and opened the door to check.

He had not expected Lu Sanlang to suddenly appear.

Seeing the little fatty staring at him wide-eyed, Zhang Shou smiled and asked: “Are you here to freeload lunch?”

“What a sharp nose you have!”

“Eh?”

Lu Sanlang hurriedly sniffed several times.

When he smelled the unmistakable aroma drifting out from inside the dormitory, he immediately put on a flattering expression.

“It just happened to be a coincidence.”

“Little Teacher, you really know how to live. You actually cook delicious food yourself in the dormitory…”

Zhang Shou was already immune to Lu Sanlang’s flattery.

He simply said: “Even if I wanted to cook, I’d need ingredients.”

“Since you’re already here, you can share. Come in and close the door.”

“Yes, yes!”

Lu Sanlang immediately smiled and followed Zhang Shou inside, closing the door behind him.

Once he saw the room clearly, his eyes widened.

In the center of the room was a copper hot pot.

Around it were plates arranged like pearls on a string, filled with all kinds of vegetables and meat.

“Little Teacher… you’re actually eating hot pot in the middle of the day?”

“Yingying specially asked A-Liu to send it over.”

“That kid didn’t even show his face. He found a servant to deliver everything to my dormitory and disappeared somewhere.”

“I couldn’t possibly eat all this alone, and wasting such good ingredients would be a crime.”

“Since you happened to come by, I’ll let you benefit from it.”

As Zhang Shou spoke, he casually added: “Besides, I happen to have something I want to ask you.”

While Lu Sanlang was counting how many three-layer or four-layer food containers would have been needed to carry all the dishes on the table—and wondering how A-Liu had managed to bring everything over—he also found himself thinking about something else.

That Zhu family young lady, with such a fiery temper, actually had such a thoughtful side.

Although he had never truly pursued Zhu Ying and had only pretended for appearances, he still somehow felt a little sour inside.

Miss Zhu was already exceptional… but why had no other young lady with discerning eyes recognized my own virtues?

I may be a little fat, but I am still a talented little fatty personally praised by the emperor…