APSIL -Chapter 78 The Torch of Knowledge… Passed Down by the Eunuchs?

Consort Yu’s account was simple and straightforward. Zhang Shou quickly pieced together the story.

It had happened shortly after the current Emperor had begun ruling personally, while he was still young.

Back then, the Emperor was fond of traveling incognito with his much older cousin, Duke Zhao Zhu Jing.

After both Consort Yu and the Duchess of Zhao became pregnant, the two men happily accompanied them on a pilgrimage to offer incense. At the time, the Zhu family already had two sons, while the Emperor already had a prince and a princess.

Unfortunately, a rebellion broke out during the journey.

Without hesitation, the two pregnant women ordered all their guards to remain behind and protect their husbands.

Then they fled together…

Only to encounter Zhang Shou’s mother—the formidable Widow Zhang.

Whether the rebels had been distracted by the larger party…

Or whether the three women themselves were simply astonishingly capable…

Or whether the rebels had simply been incompetent…

In any case, the three women escaped alive.

They hid in Widow Zhang’s humble home.

Widow Zhang even fetched the village midwife from next door.

Amid the chaos, all three women gave birth.

Consort Yu and Zhu Ying’s mother each delivered a healthy daughter.

Widow Zhang, however, suffered both premature labor and a difficult birth.

After risking everything to bring her son into the world…

She ultimately died.

As Zhang Shou silently reflected on the story, his emotions became complicated.

Yet strangely…

He also felt lighter.

An orphan from birth…

Some people would call that an ill-fated destiny, claiming he had been born under a star that doomed both parents.

He didn’t care.

He would honor the memory of the unfortunate scholar who had been his father.

He would worship the brave widow who had been his birth mother.

And he would continue to care devotedly for Madam Wu, the woman who had actually raised him and whom he had always regarded as his true mother.

Honestly…

As long as there wasn’t some hidden bombshell lurking behind his origins…

He was perfectly satisfied.

“A-Shou?”

The gentle call brought him back to reality.

Looking up, he saw Consort Yu watching him with surprising caution.

He smiled.

“Please forgive me, Your Highness.”

“I couldn’t help imagining how dangerous everything must have been back then.”

“My mother was incredibly resilient… incredibly strong.”

“But having such a remarkable mother places a great burden on me as her son.”

“I’m afraid I may never be worthy of the life she sacrificed herself to give me.”

If he had truly been Widow Zhang’s biological son…

Perhaps he would now be demanding justice.

Seeking imperial commendations.

Asking for memorial arches to honor her.

But Zhang Shou was different.

What that woman would have wanted…

Was simply for her son to live safely and happily.

The rest could wait.

Consort Yu froze.

So did Ge Yong, who unconsciously tugged at his beard.

“When I first learned that the Duke of Zhao had secretly supported my mother and me all these years, I found it rather puzzling.”

“I even asked Yingying about it, but she didn’t know either.”

“Now, everything finally makes sense.”

“I’ve lived peacefully and happily all these years, just like the retired soldiers from the village whom the Duke also looked after.”

“I’m already content.”

“Of course…”

“I do have one regret.”

He paused before turning toward Ge Yong.

“I can read.”

“I’ve studied.”

“I couldn’t spend my entire life unchanged in that village like everyone else.”

“I always wanted to leave.”

“Unfortunately, Mother wouldn’t allow it, and the villagers all kept an eye on me.”

“So the only thing I could do was teach the children, helping them see beyond the fields and farms.”

“But I’ve always wanted to travel.”

“To see the world.”

“And now…”

“…that wish is finally coming true.”

He looked back at Consort Yu.

“Your Highness.”

“Teacher.”

“The post of National Academy Doctor is too great an honor for me.”

“I’m not worried about criticism.”

“My ambitions simply lie elsewhere.”

“And besides…”

“Other than the classics and mathematical works my teacher passed down to me, I’ve encountered many rather… unconventional ideas.”

“If I actually taught those…”

“The Imperial Academy would descend into complete chaos.”

Just as Ge Yong was about to respond…

A leisurely voice drifted up from the staircase.

“Chaos…”

“…is still better than stagnant silence.”

Everyone turned.

Chu Kuan slowly climbed the stairs.

“When the Founding Emperor still lived, the Imperial Academy flourished.”

“It had Schools of Mathematics, Natural Studies, Civil Engineering, Shipbuilding…”

“Every discipline imaginable.”

“The Founding Emperor often said…”

“‘If a pond becomes stagnant, throw in a catfish.'”

“But look at today’s Academy.”

“It has become almost entirely occupied by pedants obsessed with examination essays.”

“It’s lifeless.”

Zhang Shou almost laughed.

The Founding Emperor even knew about the catfish effect?

But if the Imperial Academy had once resembled a modern university…

How had it regressed so badly?

He noticed Chu Kuan had come alone.

Everyone else had mysteriously vanished.

He didn’t need to think hard.

Someone had deliberately created an opportunity for him to meet Consort Yu privately.

Seeing that Consort Yu remained calm while Chang Ning stood nearby wearing an obsequious smile, Zhang Shou realized immediately that Chu Kuan ranked far above Chang Ning.

After a moment’s thought, he used the same form of address Zhu Ying had used.

“Eunuch Chu…”

“May I ask…”

“Do those Schools of Mathematics, Natural Studies, Civil Engineering, and Shipbuilding still exist within the Academy?”

Chu Kuan smiled faintly.

“They existed during the reigns of the Founding Emperor and Emperor Taizong.”

“They produced many outstanding talents.”

“But the Founding Emperor abdicated too early.”

“Emperor Taizong died too young.”

“In his later years, his sons fought over the succession.”

“The realm fell into turmoil.”

“When Emperor Gaozong ascended the throne as a child…”

“Both the Empress and his birth mother, Consort Jing, died early.”

“Even the eunuchs closest to him had been planted there by certain officials.”

“The two Academy tutors who had educated him were framed.”

“The young Emperor was gradually led astray.”

“Later…”

“Merchant ships returning from overseas claimed those barbarian lands possessed bizarre customs and knew nothing of propriety.”

“They insisted the Great Ming far surpassed them.”

“So certain people argued there was no need to admit foreign scholars or foreign books.”

“The Academy graduates trained in those disciplines were gradually pushed aside.”

“Then Emperor Shizong inherited the throne.”

“He was sickly.”

“Power again fell into others’ hands.”

“He obeyed the Grand Secretariat in nearly everything.”

“He barely understood the Founding Emperor’s vision.”

“Those schools slowly became names in title only.”

“They scarcely had any students left.”

“The Founding Emperor once erected iron monuments throughout the empire encouraging maritime trade and education.”

“And yet now…”

“There are still people who, for personal gain, clamor for banning foreign books and foreign peoples.”

“Emperor Yingzong wished to restore the Founding Emperor’s greatness.”

“But he was already over fifty when he ascended the throne.”

“He lacked the strength.”

“When he died…”

“The Crown Prince suddenly passed away.”

“The princes fought once again.”

“Only after His Majesty Ruizong raised an army and seized the realm…”

“…and employed scholars like Grand Tutor Ge and Minister Qi…”

“…did things begin to improve.”

He paused.

His expression turned cold.

“But…”

“He died too early.”

“When they determined his posthumous temple name…”

“They called him Ruizong.”

“They claimed Rui was an exalted title.”

“‘Profound wisdom.'”

“‘Far-reaching foresight.'”

“‘Insight into subtle truths.'”

“‘Comprehensive understanding.'”

“But throughout history…”

“How many emperors named Ruizong ever ended well?”

“His Majesty Ruizong made only one mistake.”

“He trusted those who surrendered.”

“He should have killed every last one of them!”

“The Empress Dowager nearly fought them to the death.”

“But we persuaded her otherwise.”

“We feared repeating Emperor Gaozong’s tragedy.”

“So we compromised.”

“We allowed her to govern from behind the curtain.”

“And still…”

“She was constantly obstructed.”

“No sooner had the Emperor begun ruling personally than Prince Ye rebelled.”

“What a coincidence.”

He snorted.

Finally, Chu Kuan sighed deeply.

“The disciplines Emperor Taizong preserved…”

“…now survive only in books.”

“And the people who still understand those books…”

“…are almost all inside the Inner Academy of the Imperial Palace.”

“What a pity.”

“Emperor Taizong pitied the people.”

“He refused to rely too heavily upon eunuchs whose bodies had been damaged.”

“Otherwise…”

“The palace could have passed this knowledge from generation to generation.”

“If only there had been enough of us…”

“…we wouldn’t be left today with so few remaining sparks.”

Zhang Shou was absolutely certain…

If he weren’t forcing himself to keep a straight face…

His expression would have been priceless.

Was Chu Kuan seriously claiming…

All the civil officials were corrupt…while only the eunuchs had remained loyal guardians of civilization?

Surely I didn’t misunderstand that?

Seeing Ge Yong wearing a thoroughly unconvinced expression, Zhang Shou knew there was probably some truth to Chu Kuan’s words…

Just heavily embellished in favor of the eunuchs.

Still…

Now that Chu Kuan had spoken so frankly…

If Zhang Shou continued refusing the appointment as National Academy Doctor…

He would almost certainly end up offending the wrong people.

After a moment’s hesitation, he tested the waters.

“So…”

“My role as National Academy Doctor…”

“…is to become the catfish that stirs up the stagnant pond called the Imperial Academy?”

Chu Kuan smiled.

“Not quite.”

“You’re Grand Tutor Ge’s prized disciple.”

“His Majesty naturally hopes you’ll revive the Academy.”

Hearing such righteous nonsense, Zhang Shou finally gave up trying to maintain a polite expression.

His face plainly said: Do you really expect me to believe that?

Ge Yong was even more direct.

He scowled.

“Chu Kuan.”

“Enough with the pretty speeches.”

“Get to the point.”

Glancing at Consort Yu, who sat silently lost in thought, Chu Kuan replied earnestly, “Grand Tutor Ge.”

“His Majesty truly did say exactly that.”

“Think about Zhang Chen, Third Young Master Lu, and the others.”

“What reputations did they have before?”

“And what are they like now?”

“If Zhang Shou can straighten out that crowd…”

“What ordinary students could possibly trouble him?”

“His Majesty further decreed…”

“The School of Mathematics and similar departments…”

“…may recruit their own Academy students independently.”

At those final words…

Zhang Shou’s eyes lit up instantly.

Without hesitation, he asked, “Is that truly so?”

Seeing his obvious interest, Chu Kuan smiled.

“An Emperor’s word is law.”

“Naturally it’s true.”

“No restrictions on age?”

“No restrictions on family background?”

“Of course.”

“His Majesty wants results.”

“Heroes are judged by ability, not origin.”

“Excellent.”

Zhang Shou smiled.

“In that case…”

“I’ll trouble Eunuch Chu to find all the people who blocked my teacher’s residence yesterday.”

“I happened to give each of them a book.”

“I think they’ll make excellent candidates.”

Seeing Chu Kuan’s expression freeze in confusion, Zhang Shou continued smiling.

“If those people can pass my entrance examination…”

“…then together with Third Young Master Lu…”

“…my first class will be complete.”

You want me to become a teacher?

Fine.

First… go find me some students.

After all, every single one of the people in Qingyun Hall was dumped on me by Miss Zhu.

Aside from Third Young Master Lu…

Almost none of them could actually learn mathematics.