inspire-indiana Chapter 178 Shuangqing Academy
Chapter 178 Shuangqing Academy
The brothers of Black Wind Village led by Wang Sanhu were conquered by Lu Linlang.
The problems of these people were not serious, and they were running for their lives because they had offended someone. After Lu Linlang verified their identities one by one, she allowed them to live a clean life.
When these people heard that they would be able to eat the Lu family's food in the future and have enough to eat like everyone else, they were no longer willing to do their previous backbreaking work and all agreed to stay.
Lu Linlang left these people behind because she was thinking of the academy. The academy was built halfway up the mountain, and what it needed most were people to protect the academy. People like them who had fighting experience were just right to do the job of defending the academy. Moreover, if these people were to wander around outside, sooner or later they would be killed, and then it would be too late to stop them.
Wang Sanhu was a little surprised when he heard that Lu Linlang arranged them to protect the academy. In their opinion, only scholars were qualified to enter a place like an academy. Who were they? Bandits with a reputation worse than that of small-time scoundrels, yet they could protect scholars.
This made them feel proud but also a little nervous. Would those teachers look down on people like them?
Their doubts were soon answered because the teachers that Lu Linlang had invited arrived.
A rain fell in Chongshui, which made the people of the entire Chongshui County active again. The famine in other places was also lifted. Lu Linlang also began to notify the teachers that the academy would open and recruit students in the spring of next year.
However, I didn’t expect that the teachers were so enthusiastic about teaching that they all arrived before the New Year.
This time, ten teachers came, three of whom were from the Gu family, and the other seven were recommended by others. These teachers were not only highly knowledgeable, but also quite friendly. When they saw the village children reciting poems, they kindly asked them if they knew the meaning of the poems.
Among them, there were both Juren and Jinshi. Originally, I thought they would only be willing to teach those students who were at least Tongsheng or above, but they were generous in teaching and even taught the children in the village carefully.
"Miss Lu, even three-year-old children here can recite poetry. It's true that every generation has its own talented people. The rest of us are already dead trees. I hope that the old tree will sprout new buds and let these children become the hope of my Daqi. This is the paradise we imagine."
"Yes, the peach and plum trees are silent, yet they attract people. With such a virtuous person like Miss Lu here, it's no wonder that Xishan Village has become a place that everyone aspires to visit. Not only them, but even I myself am truly proud to live in such a beautiful place with such outstanding people and beautiful scenery."
"We have long been fascinated by this place, but unfortunately the visit was postponed due to the natural disaster this year. Otherwise, we could have enjoyed the beautiful scenery for another year."
"Thank you for your praise, Masters! It is an honor for me, Lu Linlang, and for Xishan Village, that you are here. However, I hope to bring honor to more students. How about I take you all on a tour of the academy on the mountain? As the saying goes, ninety-nine steps are not as good as the last one, so I have had nine hundred and ninety-nine steps prepared for our mountaineering ladder. As for the last step, I hope you can guide me.
The mountain road has nine hundred and ninety-nine steps, and life has so many nine-year periods. I only hope that the time you spend in our academy will be longer than nine years, so that future students can be proud of your teachings.
Lu Linlang led them up the stairs. Some teachers were so curious that they counted them and found that there were indeed 999 steps. The last step was just where they could see the gate of the academy, but the academy had not yet been named.
Lu Linlang did not ask the emperor for a nomination. She had already thought about it before. The name of the academy should be jointly proposed by the first group of teachers who came to the academy to teach. This would show that the academy is just a place for scholars to study, without any more political factors involved. Here, one only needs to study and not think about anything else.
"Miss Lu, I don't know what the academy is called. Could you give it a name?"
"The academy has not yet been named. I would like to ask the teachers to help me think of a name. I hope that this name will reflect your expectations for the academy in the future and also be the first teaching to the students."
"So that's how it is. Since Miss Lu has said so, we can't just wait for her to do everything. So let's think about it and ask Miss Lu to consider it."
Several teachers stood in front of the mountain gate of the academy and looked down. They could see the entire Chongshui County. What was even more wonderful was that plum blossoms and bamboos were planted on both sides of the mountain road. The rain a few days ago came at the right time, and the road was full of plum blossoms on both sides. It seemed as if one could smell the fragrance of plum blossoms here.
Bamboo is a major feature of Xishan Village. It is noble in nature, evergreen all year round, and stands upright in the sky. Plum blossoms represent pride and perseverance, which are all symbols of literati.
Plum blossoms and bamboos, someone immediately thought of something, they looked at each other at the same time, and said a common name in their minds.
"Shuangqing Academy!"
Seeing that others had the same idea as themselves, they all laughed. It seemed that everyone had no objection to the name of the academy.
"Shuangqing Academy, good! Innocent and clear, these are the highest realms that scholars pursue throughout their lives, and also the goals of scholars who become officials. Plum and bamboo, Shuangqing, this just happens to imply the integrity of plum blossoms and bamboos. Scholars should also have such integrity."
Seeing that they had the same idea, Lu Linlang also applauded.
"This isn't just our idea. I'm afraid the girl has long been planning to call it this. The plum and bamboo trees on both sides of the mountain road imply this meaning. I think this is also the girl's idea."
"Nothing can be hidden from everyone. Yes, I also think that this academy is an academy for scholars. Scholars do not just seek to become officials. A higher pursuit is to use their pens to speak for the people. How can a canal be so clear? It comes from a source of living water. Only when the source of the academy is pure, the students it teaches will also be pure. So, I ask all teachers, do not be stingy with your talents. Teach the academy and its students to become true scholars, rather than villains who curry favor with the powerful."
"Well, Miss Lu is truly a heroine. I used to think you were only good in other areas, but I never expected that your true thoughts are similar to ours. Only when the academy is clean can the students be clean. Miss Lu taught me this truth today, and I will teach my students in the future."
The teachers were moved when they heard her inner confession. After the academy was built, Miss Lu could have used the emperor's personal nomination to make a name for herself, but she did the opposite and built the academy truly for scholars.
She also advocated that all the children in Xishan Village should go to school, which shows that she is a talented person with foresight, strategy, patriotism and the ability to teach the world. However, she has too many outstanding abilities, and she deliberately hides them, so people don't know that she is actually a talented woman.