While Master Qin expressed some regret over Ning Yi's decision to marry into a merchant family, seeing it as a sign of lost ambition, Ning Yi had already begun his morning at Yushan Academy, preparing to spend the entire morning teaching a group of children The Analects of Confucius.
Yushan Academy wasn't actually located on a mountain named Yushan. Instead, it was a private school founded by the Su family, which occasionally admitted outsiders with connections. However, the academy wasn't particularly large, mainly because there weren't many students. Yushan was the name of a mountain where the Su family originated.
The academy was situated on a quiet street, not far from the Su family's main residence. It was a secluded spot away from the busy commercial streets. Surrounded by grey-tiled white walls and a small bamboo grove, the academy's entrance featured a plaque inscribed with the characters "Yushan Academy," written by a renowned Confucian scholar, giving the place a scholarly air.
At present, the academy had 49 students and seven teachers, including the headmaster, Su Chonghua. Considering the student-teacher ratio, one could say the academy had ample staff. Su Chonghua himself was a member of the Su family, having passed the imperial examination at the provincial level in his younger years, though his official career had been uneventful. There were even rumors that he had made mistakes while serving as an official. Additionally, two of the teachers were elderly men who had previously served in the government and were now hired at a high salary.
Although the Su family had invested heavily in this academy, it hadn't produced any notable students. Most of the students who realized they had no hope in the imperial examination eventually took up positions in the Su family's businesses. Thus, the academy seemed more like a technical school than a traditional Confucian academy. Families that truly hoped for their children to pursue official careers through the imperial exams usually transferred them to better schools before the age of twelve.
Ning Yi had been teaching here for three days. Su Chonghua treated him well and didn't look down on him for being a son-in-law in a merchant family. After all, a man who had spent years navigating society wouldn't bother with petty arrogance. Since Ning Yi supposedly had little academic talent — or so people said — he was assigned to teach a group of sixteen children who were just starting their education. These children ranged in age from six to twelve, including two young girls with braided hair, who were relatives of the Su family and were there to learn how to read. The previous teacher had finished teaching The Classic of Filial Piety and had begun The Analects of Confucius. Ning Yi was responsible for teaching them every morning, while the afternoons were more flexible, covering subjects like ritual, music, archery, charioteering, and mathematics — with a primary focus on mathematics. The rest depended on the teacher's mood and ability.
In more prestigious schools, these subjects would be more standardized and divided into specialized areas, but Yushan Academy clearly lacked such resources. As for Ning Yi, teaching The Analects was a simple task. He couldn't recite it from memory or tell you exactly where each passage was, but reading it aloud and providing basic explanations were well within his abilities. Any modern person with a high school education could probably do the same, especially using simple language.
In ancient times, true scholars conducted deep research on the Four Books and Five Classics, and their understanding was profound. Even a courtesan's writing might humble modern professors. However, most scholars didn't have access to advanced education. They might read The Analects but couldn't find a copy of Mencius. The minimum requirement for a teacher was simply to teach literacy, and Ning Yi's predecessor did just that. He would have the children read aloud, give basic explanations, and occasionally test them by having them memorize or write passages. Those who failed would get their hands slapped.
It was a simple job! Ning Yi didn't intend to change much. For the first hour, he had the children recite The Analects aloud, which he found tedious, but the children were used to it. During the second hour, he would explain a passage, then casually digress into stories or current events, giving the children a bit of a break.
These children were easy to teach. Although Ning Yi had only been there for three days, he could already feel the absolute respect and obedience in the classroom. The children had no individuality, which made them ideal students. They cherished the opportunity to study, didn't misbehave, and even if you spanked them for minor infractions, they considered it justified — a teacher's paradise. Ning Yi enjoyed teaching them and didn't even need to prepare lesson plans. He could just wing it.
One day, Ning Yi began by explaining the passage from The Analects: "Wealth and rank are what men desire..." From there, he transitioned to a discussion about the proper ways to acquire wealth and the principles of commerce, mixing in phrases like "A gentleman loves wealth, but takes it with integrity" and offering explanations. Ning Yi had spent his previous life in this field, and even without focusing on ancient texts, he could have delivered a lecture worthy of modern graduate students.
But seeing that his audience consisted of children no older than twelve, he kept things light, offering a few examples and amusing anecdotes. This naturally led him to talk about the Pu Garden Poetry Gathering, which involved six boats tied together, and from there, he smoothly transitioned to the Battle of Red Cliff, recounting the famous tale of Zhuge Liang borrowing arrows with straw boats and the burning of Cao Cao's chained ships.
Ning Yi recounted the famous events from the Battle of Red Cliff (赤壁之战), which took place during the Three Kingdoms period. Cao Cao, leading an army of over 800,000 men, attempted to invade the southern warlords, but was met with the clever strategies of Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu. The famous incidents of the burning of the chained ships, Zhuge Liang borrowing arrows with straw boats, and Zhou Yu's "hurting himself to deceive Cao Cao" deeply fascinated the children, as these were some of the most legendary stories in Chinese history. Although these children had never heard such thrilling tales before, they were completely captivated by Ning Yi's animated storytelling.
The Battle of Red Cliff marked a significant turning point in the history of the Three Kingdoms. It was one of the largest naval battles in history and ended in a decisive victory for the alliance of Liu Bei and Sun Quan, ensuring the division of the empire into three parts. Annotation: The Battle of Red Cliff (208-209 AD) was a key event in the Three Kingdoms period and is considered one of the most famous military campaigns in Chinese history, immortalized in works like Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms (三国志) by Chen Shou.
As he narrated the events, Ning Yi noticed that the children's faces were full of excitement, their eyes wide open in awe. They had never heard stories told like this in their lessons. They whispered among themselves and occasionally called out, "Mr. Ning, Mr. Ning! What happens next?"
Just as the story reached a critical moment, where Zhou Yu's strategy of burning the chained ships was about to succeed, the excitement in the classroom was interrupted by a sudden hush. All the children noticed that the headmaster, Su Chonghua, had appeared outside the door, standing with his hands behind his back and his face expressionless. Even though his presence quieted the students, their excitement lingered on their faces.
Ning Yi didn't let this distraction affect him. He continued with the story, finishing the tale of the burning ships and concluding with the famous downfall of Cao Cao's fleet. By the time he finished, it was nearly noon, and Su Chonghua had been standing there the whole time, silently listening. It was hard to tell from his expression what he thought of Ning Yi's lesson.
After concluding the story, Ning Yi picked up a brush and wrote a favorite poem by the Tang dynasty poet Du Mu on a piece of rice paper. The poem, titled Red Cliff (赤壁), encapsulated the mood of the ancient battle:
Red Cliff
The wrecked spear has sunk in the sands, its iron not yet worn away;
I wash it and recognize the weapon of the former dynasty.
Had the east wind not favored the young Zhou Yu,
The two Qiao sisters would have been locked away in the deep towers of Bronze Bird Terrace.
Annotation: Du Mu (803–852 AD), a celebrated Tang dynasty poet, is known for his reflective and often melancholic poems. His poem Red Cliff contrasts the fleeting glories of Zhou Yu's victory with the somber reality of passing time and unfulfilled desires. The reference to "Bronze Bird Terrace" is a nod to Cao Cao's palace, where the Qiao sisters, famed beauties, would have been taken as spoils of war had the battle gone differently.
Ning Yi wrote this poem for the students to copy, thinking to himself how inconvenient it was to teach without a blackboard. As he wrote, he mused about the possibility of "inventing" something like a whiteboard, which would be more practical than using a sand table. While he finished writing, the students busily copied the poem onto their own sheets of paper.
After class, Su Chonghua approached Ning Yi. Despite having maintained a stoic expression throughout the lesson, a faint smile now appeared on his face.
"Mr. Ning, you have quite the talent. Your knowledge of the Three Kingdoms and the history of the Wei and Jin periods is truly impressive. I assume the stories you shared are derived from Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms?"
Had Master Qin been present, he might have criticized Ning Yi for telling fanciful tales, accusing him of misleading the students. After all, the historical Records of the Three Kingdoms were far less dramatic than the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. For example, the famous "borrowing arrows with straw boats" incident was actually quite different in reality. In truth, it was Sun Quan who took his boat out for reconnaissance, and when it was hit by too many arrows on one side, nearly causing it to capsize, he turned the boat around to balance the weight. But such mundane facts were far less entertaining than the stories told in popular fiction.
Ning Yi had never read the Records of the Three Kingdoms; he was drawing from the embellished versions he had seen in TV dramas and novels. Su Chonghua, having never read the original either, had listened intently to Ning Yi's story, thoroughly entertained. He now praised Ning Yi's knowledge and storytelling ability.
After offering some words of praise, Su Chonghua subtly reminded Ning Yi to maintain discipline in the classroom. While the headmaster was clearly impressed by Ning Yi's storytelling, he hinted that such tales were perhaps too lively for teaching The Analects. After all, as a teacher, Ning Yi needed to maintain authority and the proper decorum of a scholar. In his view, a classroom should not resemble a tea house where one could hear fanciful stories. Ning Yi nodded in agreement, acknowledging the advice with humility. Yet inwardly, he had no intention of changing his style.
Su Chonghua then invited Ning Yi to stay for lunch at the academy. In most households, people ate only two meals a day, and some families could barely afford that. However, the Su family was wealthy enough to afford an extra meal at noon, though it wasn't always a formal meal and sometimes consisted of simple pastries. Ning Yi politely declined the offer, deciding to head home instead. He changed his clothes and gave the wet ones to Xiao Chan, instructing her to clean them and return them to Master Qin. He didn't mention the incident of falling into the river, knowing it would only cause Xiao Chan to fuss over him with herbal remedies.
By the afternoon, Ning Yi was back by the Qinhuai River, ready for another game of Go with Master Qin.
By the afternoon, Ning Yi went to the banks of the Qinhuai River to play chess again. In fact, Old Qin was quite an eccentric. Ning Yi had long suspected that he had once been an official, and after visiting his house that morning, this belief was further solidified. Many of the furnishings and decor in the house were not something an ordinary person could possess. Coupled with his manner of speech and broad perspective, it was truly odd that someone like him would set up a chess stall by the river every day.
When Ning Yi arrived at the Qinhuai River, he found Master Qin already seated at the Go board, engaged in a match with another elderly man. The opponent, Master Kang, was around the same age as Master Qin. His family was well-off, and he carried himself with the dignity of a seasoned elder, always dressed in luxurious robes, accompanied by two servants and two maidservants wherever he went. Despite his strict demeanor and sharp tongue, his Go skills were impressive.
Every time Master Kang saw Ning Yi's unconventional playing style, he couldn't help but scold, "This is disgraceful!" "Your moves lack the refinement of a gentleman!" or "How can you use such underhanded tactics?" And yet, despite his complaints, Master Kang would always incorporate Ning Yi's strategies into his own play, adapting them slightly before applying them against Master Qin.
Master Qin, being the more skilled player, would often neutralize these "new tricks" and continue to dominate the board. Ning Yi found these sessions fascinating and had grown accustomed to the banter. Master Kang's stern lectures about morality and honor were delivered in one breath, only for him to turn around and apply those very same tactics the next time.
As Ning Yi approached the Go board, he smiled, knowing what awaited him. He had come across many different kinds of people here by the river. From the uneducated to the somewhat educated but rigid in their thinking, many lacked the flexibility of modern minds. However, those in the upper echelons, like Master Qin and Master Kang, were quick to grasp new concepts. Though Master Kang outwardly upheld traditional values like righteousness and propriety, when it came to the actual game, he was just as calculating and ruthless as anyone else.
Over the past few weeks, Master Qin and his circle of Go-playing friends had taken an interest in Ning Yi's unconventional strategies. They realized there was value in analyzing these unfamiliar moves, especially since they were unlike anything they had encountered before. Ning Yi never felt the need to hold back against the elderly masters, often provoking some lighthearted quarrels with Master Kang.
"You crafty old man!" Ning Yi would say with a grin when Master Kang criticized him yet again. "You talk about honor and propriety, but you're the first to take advantage of my tricks!"
Master Kang would retort sharply, "You insolent boy! If you weren't drinking my tea, I'd throw you out right now!" Yet, despite his words, Master Kang always ended up using the very strategies he had denounced.
Today was no different. Master Kang had brought a pot of fine tea, as was his habit. The servants prepared the tea at a small table next to the Go board, and Ning Yi helped himself to a cup without hesitation. As he took a sip, he looked over at the game.
"Hmm… it looks like Master Kang is about to lose."
Master Kang, deep in thought, furrowed his brow. "You impudent child! What do you know about winning and losing? Drinking my tea while talking nonsense..."
He raised his hand, ready to place a stone on the board. But as Ning Yi cleared his throat, Master Kang hesitated, his hand hovering in mid-air. Glancing at the board again, he withdrew his hand and continued to contemplate his next move. Ning Yi, savoring the tea, nodded approvingly. "Ah, this tea is quite valuable. What is it?"
"Of course, it's valuable, you ignorant fool," Master Kang huffed. "Have you never heard of Gu Zhu Purple Bamboo Shoot tea?"
Master Qin chuckled from the other side of the board. "Ah, yes, Gu Zhu Purple Bamboo Shoot tea—an excellent tea, though I must admit, brewing it out here on the street diminishes its flavor somewhat. Had I known Master Kang would bring such fine tea today, I would have suggested we play indoors."
Master Kang was unfazed. He finally placed his stone on the board with a satisfied look. "Tea is meant to be enjoyed, no matter the place. As long as we are in good company, drinking it while engaged in a friendly game of Go is what truly gives it value. The tea itself is just an object, after all."
Ning Yi smiled. "You're talking like a man of great importance, Master Kang."
"Nonsense! I'm no such person," Master Kang grumbled, then looked at the board and sighed, "But it seems I have lost again."
Ning Yi patted him on the shoulder, stood up, and took his cup of tea with him as he wandered off to admire the scenery along the riverbank. Behind him, Master Qin laughed heartily as he placed the final stone, securing his victory. "Master Kang, I must confess, I had intended to let you win today, seeing as you brought such wonderful tea. But after hearing your grand speech, I couldn't bring myself to go easy on you. A true friend must never lie, after all! Ha ha ha!"
Master Kang shook his head, clearly displeased with the outcome, but there was no malice between the two old men. After the match, they reviewed the game together, discussing strategies and mistakes. Despite Master Kang's grumbling, he accepted his defeat with grace.
As they reviewed the match, Master Qin recounted the amusing story of Ning Yi falling into the river earlier that day while trying to rescue the woman and getting slapped for his trouble. This naturally led to Master Kang mocking Ning Yi with undisguised glee, much to Ning Yi's annoyance.
Once the teasing died down, the conversation turned to more serious matters. Master Qin mentioned that the northern regions had once again come under attack by the Liao forces. It seemed that despite the occasional peace treaties, skirmishes along the borders were becoming more frequent.
The autumn sun was still shining brightly, but the breeze by the Qinhuai River had grown cooler. After another match, it was time for everyone to return home.
The next morning, Ning Yi woke up feeling a bit under the weather, his head slightly heavy, likely from the cold wind by the river the day before.