APSIL -Chapter 81 I Want to Be a Hall Prefect!

After a simple family dinner, Zhang Shou did not do as Madam Wu urged and go to bed early. Instead, he had A-Liu accompany him as he headed for Cuiyun Retreat.

He knew exactly what spoiled young nobles were like—after all, he’d once been one himself, back when he hadn’t known the height of heaven or the depth of earth. So he was convinced that while he was around, those boys would behave themselves to some extent. But if he wasn’t? Then chaos would reign.

Fortunately, Cuiyun Retreat lay deep within the bamboo grove, far from the village, so no one would know what happened there. Before leaving for the capital, he hadn’t even asked anyone in the village to check on the place. He figured there’d be no point.

Could Old Yang possibly keep Lu Sanlang and Zhang Chen under control?

Now, following A-Liu along the narrow path leading toward Stillwater Pavilion, Zhang Shou walked beneath a pale moon that was no longer full, a sizeable piece already missing. Moonlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, and together with the lantern in A-Liu’s hand, it was just enough to illuminate the road.

When the outlines of the bamboo cottages finally appeared ahead, A-Liu suddenly turned around.

Under the lantern’s glow, his otherwise ordinary face looked strangely elusive, almost like an actor standing beneath stage lights.

“Young Master, should I put out the lantern?”

The unexpected question made Zhang Shou chuckle.

For some reason, he suddenly felt like a teacher making surprise dormitory inspections in the middle of the night.

“No need. I’m not here to catch anyone red-handed. Just taking a look and telling them a few things. As long as they haven’t burned the place down, they can—”

Just then, a hoarse voice suddenly roared through the night.

“Fire!”

…

Please don’t tell me I really jinxed it again!

This was the second time!

Zhang Shou froze in disbelief.

The next instant, A-Liu shot forward like a rabbit—

Taking the lantern with him.

Only after a long pause did Zhang Shou realize what had happened. Stumbling through the darkness, he hurried after him, but there was no chance of catching up.

By the time he reached Stillwater Pavilion, the smell of smoke hit him square in the face.

Damn.

There were no fire hoses in this era. Once a fire started, it often spread until everything nearby was reduced to ashes.

Those little idiots… don’t tell me they’ve actually managed to set all these bamboo houses—and maybe even the whole bamboo forest—on fire?

But when he reached the noisy crowd, he saw no flames.

Instead, thick smoke billowed from inside one of the houses, accompanied by violent coughing.

He immediately pushed through the crowd.

Those shoved aside were about to complain, but the moment they recognized him, every one of them shut up.

The quick-witted Zhang Lu shouted, “Little Teacher’s here!”

Instantly, the crowd parted.

A clear path opened before him.

Rushing to the front, Zhang Shou found two soot-covered figures on the ground coughing their lungs out.

It was Zhang Chen and Lu Sanlang.

Knowing how much the two hated each other, Zhang Shou became even more confused.

Looking toward the smoke-filled room, he saw A-Liu emerge from the doorway with a black cloth covering his face, carrying a basin that still emitted thick smoke.

“What on earth happened here?”

Lu Sanlang looked up and saw Zhang Shou. He wanted to explain, but his throat refused to cooperate.

Before he could force out a word, Zhang Shou scolded, “Were you trying to burn the house down? Do you know most people in burning buildings don’t die from the flames—they die from smoke inhalation? It’s not even cold enough to need a fire yet!”

Neither Lu Sanlang nor Zhang Chen could answer.

Instead, Zhang Lu eagerly spoke up.

“Little Teacher! Brother Chen and Fatty Lu were betting on reciting books! Whoever couldn’t recite had to burn the book and drink the ashes mixed with water! They were just fooling around!”

A betting game involving books?

The truth was completely different.

They had actually been gambling at madiao. The loser had to eat the playing tiles.

When Zhang Chen lost, he refused to honor the wager.

Lu Sanlang promptly set the tiles on fire.

Zhang Chen, furious, dumped liquor onto the flames.

One thing led to another…and they somehow ended up with today’s near-fire disaster.

Zhang Wu opened his mouth, intending to expose the truth.

Before he could speak, however, Zhang Shou calmly stepped forward.

Using the stick of A-Liu’s lantern, he stirred through the ashes.

Several half-burned madiao tiles emerged.

Realizing there was no need to offend anyone now, Zhang Wu wisely closed his mouth.

Holding up the charred remnants, Zhang Shou chuckled.

“This is the first time I’ve learned that madiao tiles count as books.”

His gaze swept across everyone’s varying expressions before settling on Lu Sanlang.

“Lu Sanlang, I was only gone for two days. I left Cuiyun Retreat in your hands.”

“And this is how you manage it? By playing gambling games?”

“No! No!”

Lu Sanlang leaped to his feet.

“Zhang Chen refused to obey the rules, so I had no choice but to gamble with him—”

Zhang Chen exploded.

What do you mean I refused to obey? Why should I obey you?

Unfortunately, his voice still hadn’t recovered, so all he could do was glare furiously.

You cheated! Then you tried to force me to drink water mixed with burned madiao ashes! And now you’re blaming me?

Before Zhang Chen could squeeze out a single word, Zhang Shou said calmly, “The weather’s getting colder. Even though you’ve repaired Cuiyun Retreat, once winter comes it’ll be too cold to stay in this bamboo grove.”

“So…”

“It’s time for all of you to return to the capital.”

Lu Sanlang’s face changed immediately.

Everyone knew he was thriving here.

Without hesitation, he blurted, “How can that be?!”

Almost simultaneously—

“How can that be?!”

Zhang Chen objected just as loudly.

Zhang Shou found the synchronized protest rather amusing.

A moment later, however, the two glared at one another again.

Lu Sanlang angrily called Zhang Chen a parrot.

Zhang Chen shouted back that Lu Sanlang had copied him.

Seeing they were about to grab each other’s collars, Zhang Shou barked, “Enough!”

“The two of you who don’t want to return to the capital—stand over there.”

“The rest of you. Speak one by one.”

Everyone knew Lu Sanlang genuinely enjoyed life here.

But Zhang Chen?

No one had expected the most notorious young noble among them to reject returning to his carefree days in the capital.

The group exchanged uncertain looks.

They already knew marrying Miss Zhu was hopeless.

But compared to how disdainfully Zhu Ying had once treated them, they’d at least managed to cling to the Zhao Duke’s household now.

And none of them wanted to lose the prestige of being associated with a disciple of Master Ge.

Otherwise, why would those few who’d sneaked back to the capital to help Ge Yong print books have hurried back afterward?

As silence filled the air, Zhang Shou noticed Zhang Wu looking as though he wanted to speak.

One glance from Zhang Shou silenced the first person ever to throw himself at his feet.

Only then did Zhang Shou continue leisurely, “I’m not saying that returning to the capital means you’re no longer disciples of the Ge School.”

“I almost forgot.”

“The reward for helping capture those rebels has finally come through.”

“I’ve been appointed to a small post.”

“I’m now a Doctor of the Imperial Academy.”

“As for your rewards, you’ll probably have to return to the capital before they’re distributed.”

“I heard from my teacher that all of you are Imperial Academy students.”

“In that case…”

“Once you’re back, attend classes properly at the Imperial Academy.”

“As for Zhang Chen and Lu Sanlang…”

“They can stay here at Cuiyun Retreat and enjoy the cold northwest wind.”

Originally, he hadn’t wanted these students.

Now he’d changed his mind.

Keeping this group of well-connected young nobles around would at least give him a foundation to build on.

A small post? Doctor of the Imperial Academy?

The young nobles nearly dropped to their knees.

According to the rules established by the Founding Emperor, sons of officials and meritorious families whose elders held sufficiently high rank were entitled to enroll in the Imperial Academy.

The catch?

They had to attend.

The rules weren’t enforced quite as strictly anymore.

Like them, students often skipped classes, disappearing for days at a time.

But they were still Imperial Academy students.

Whenever they wanted to indulge themselves, they always avoided one kind of person—

The Academy Doctors.

Just as Hall Prefect Xie Wanquan could openly berate Zhang Chen for being ignorant, these boys had all received their fair share of harsh lectures.

And after being scolded, they had no choice but to endure it.

None dared complain to their families afterward.

Because everyone who became an Academy Doctor was a rising literary talent favored by Grand Secretaries and Ministers—

Future high officials.

If their elders heard they’d been reprimanded…

They’d simply praise the doctor for doing a good job.

Amid the atmosphere of utter shock, Lu Sanlang suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

Grinning ingratiatingly, he hurried forward.

“Little Teacher entering the Imperial Academy—that’s setting things right at the source!”

“I’ll definitely attend every day!”

“But…”

“You’ll need one or two trustworthy assistants.”

“I want to be the Hall Prefect.”

“What do you think?”

Hearing those last words, Zhang Shou couldn’t help smiling.

It reminded him of students volunteering to become class monitor back in his previous life.

Acting as though it were nothing unusual, he replied, “Fine.”

“So long as you take first place in the Arithmetic examination on the first day of class…”

“I’ll make you Hall Prefect.”

Lu Sanlang might not excel at anything else—

But mathematics?

He was genuinely talented.

Could he actually become Hall Prefect?

The real question was—

The Imperial Academy’s six halls were already full.

Which hall would Zhang Shou teach?

And in which hall would Lu Sanlang become prefect?

Once again, the surrounding students collectively inhaled sharply.

At just seventeen years old, Xie Wanquan was already the youngest Hall Prefect in the Academy’s history.

And now…

Lu Sanlang—the very symbol of idle, useless noble sons in the capital—

Might actually break that record?

Then, almost everyone realized something else.

Forget Lu Sanlang.

The true record-breaker was Zhang Shou himself.

He had just become the youngest Doctor of the Imperial Academy in history.

As far as anyone remembered, the youngest serving Academy Doctor until now had been at least twenty-four or twenty-five years old.