Fengcheng Flying General

Chapter 2

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Chapter 2: The Prime Minister's Young Master

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Junyu has been at Qiansi Academy for over a year.

The sixth day of the third lunar month this year is the major exam held every three years. Passing this exam will allow the children to advance to higher grades. Meng Yuanjing and Zhu Yu are both 13 years old and will soon be able to start school after this exam. Junyu, although not yet 12, has outstanding grades and will also be able to start school after this exam.

The morning sun gradually shone through the gaps in the trees onto the faces of the two children sitting quietly under the tree.

There was a short period of free time before breakfast, followed by a one-hour morning martial arts lesson. This was the happiest time of Junyu's day; she often chatted or read with Meng Yuanjing under the ancient pine trees in the square.

This ancient pine tree is lush and verdant, its branches and leaves forming a canopy that resembles a huge green house. Everyone says it is the feng shui tree of Qiansi Academy.

The warm sunshine, the gentle breeze, the fragrance of flowers, the beautiful trees, the sound of students reading aloud, the friendly companions, the loving look in Mei Mei's eyes... Junyu loves almost everything about the academy. Since her mother passed away, she has almost completely regarded this place as her home.

Meng Yuanjing looked at the scroll of "Wu Zi's Art of War" in her hand and said, "Junyu, the big exam is in three days. Are you all ready?"

Before Junyu could answer, Qin Xiaolou ran over and said, "Junyu, your master's wife wants to see you."

"Oh?" Junyu immediately stood up.

"What kind of special tutoring is your master's wife going to give you this time?" A voice filled with jealousy and malice drifted over, and soon Zhu Yu, dressed in brocade robes and wearing a jade pendant, and several young men behind him had already surrounded them.

Zhu Yu, dressed in a brand-new silk robe, with a red jade pendant tied at one waist and a gleaming sword hanging from the other, looked at the crowd and proudly raised the sword: "Little pauper, you've never seen such a treasure before, have you? This sword is called 'Zhaodan,' forged by Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. My father gave it to me to take the imperial examination..."

Junyu didn't even glance at him, and just kept walking forward.

Zhu Yu was furious and swung his sword at Jun Yu's robe. Even though Jun Yu dodged extremely quickly, the hem of his blue robe was still torn open by the extremely sharp blade, leaving a long gash.

Zhu Yu and her companions burst into laughter when they saw her looking somewhat disheveled from not being able to dodge in time.

Before Zhu Yu's laughter had even faded, Jun Yu suddenly rushed forward and punched him hard in the chest.

Zhu Yu was so struck that he stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

His followers immediately surrounded him, and Meng Yuanjing and Qin Xiaolou quickly stepped to stand beside Junyu.

Perhaps because it was the first time Zhu Yu had been hit, she hadn't reacted yet. She just stared blankly at the sad and angry eyes opposite her, without moving.

"Young Master..."

A page called his name timidly, and he snapped out of his daze. He winked at his companions and waved to Junyu, "You little pauper, don't come up on stage to compete with me on the sixth day of the third month wearing that tattered robe..."

Junyu glanced at him arrogantly: "Zhu Yu, don't worry, I'll definitely beat you to a pulp that day..."

"What are you bragging about, you poor little devil?" Zhu Yu cursed, but Jun Yu and Meng Yuanjing had already walked away.

Mei Mei's study.

Mei Mei watched Junyu walk in dejectedly, then looked at her torn blue robe and asked in surprise, "Junyu, did you get into a fight?"

Junyu whispered, "This is the dress my mother sewed for me before she died... I... I..."

Seeing that Junyu had lowered her head and her eyes were almost red, Mei Mei smiled and patted her shoulder: "Junyu, change it off, I'll mend it for you."

Junyu then raised her head and smiled sheepishly.

Mei Mei saw her smile, looked at the two bundles on the desk, opened one of them, and inside was a simple, ancient sword about two feet long.

"This sword is called Niejing. It was forged by Ji Kang of the Jin Dynasty. You must take good care of it."

"Will you take me?" Junyu looked at Mei Mei, hesitating and not daring to reach out to take her.

Mei Mei smiled and handed the sword to her: "This sword originally belonged to your mother. Junyu, no matter what happens in the future, you must be strong and grow up entirely on your own."

Junyu nodded, accepted the package, bowed to Meimei, and took his leave.

Outside, Meng Yuanjing was waiting for her. With class still a while away, the two went to Junyu's small house.

Although Junyu always wore that old blue robe and no relatives ever visited her, Meng Yuanjing always envied her for having a private room. Even someone as arrogant as Zhu Yu, who once threw a tantrum and demanded his father, the Prime Minister, intervene, was not allowed a private room by Master Zhu. Master Zhu always said that everyone came to the academy to study, not to be pampered young masters.

However, the teacher's wife gave Junyu a small attic, even though it was much simpler than their dormitory.

Junyu told him that he needed a small room to work in because he often had to help his master's wife copy some books and boxing manuals.

This became another reason for Zhu Yu to mock her. Zhu Yu would often call out to her in a grand manner, "You little poor devil, we're here to study at the academy, but you're here to be a servant. Haha, only servants live in the woodshed."

Even Meng Yuanjing had long seen through his blatant jealousy. If Junyu hadn't always been number one in the exams, and if their policy advisor, Young Master Nongying, hadn't praised Junyu so ostentatiously, Zhu Yu wouldn't have acted this way.

The two children opened the bundle on the table. Meng Yuanjing, overjoyed, picked up the sword and exclaimed, "What kind of sword is this? It looks much better than Zhu Yu's! Haha..."

In fact, Meng Yuanjing didn't know how good the sword was. Seeing Zhu Yu's arrogance, which stirred his youthful spirit, and seeing that Jun Yu also had a long sword, he intuitively felt that it must be better than Zhu Yu's.

"It's called 'Niejing'. Do you think it's really better than Zhu Yu's?"

Meng Yuanjing examined the sword with obvious delight: "'Niejing'? This is Niejing? I heard my uncle say that it was forged by Ji Kang of the Jin Dynasty. There was also another one called 'Zhuifei,' so together they are called 'Niejing Zhuifei.' One was in Ji Kang's possession, and the other was given to his best friend Ruan Ji. This sword is definitely much better than Zhu Yu's..."

Meng Yuanjing wanted to ask more questions, but the first bell for the assembly rang, and the two quickly ran out.

The academy's regular courses included classics, history, literature, philology, arithmetic, and calendar systems. It also taught the eight-legged essay and examination poems, which were designed for the imperial examinations. In addition to these courses, the academy had an important course: military strategy, taught by the scholar known as "Young Master Nongying."

Young Master Nongying is only 25 years old and only started teaching at Qiansi Academy last year. He passed the imperial examination at the age of 16, served in the Hanlin Academy for a year, and was appointed Prefect of Jiangsu. The following year, he was promoted all the way to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, a second-rank official. He was a prodigy with a bright future ahead of him. However, for some unknown reason, he suddenly resigned from his post last year and returned to his hometown, and then went to Qiansi Academy. Unlike Mr. Zhu's dignified and simple demeanor, Young Master Nongying is handsome and elegant, with a refined and graceful demeanor. When he lectures on policy, he draws on a wide range of sources and speaks with humor, which makes him far superior to the serious and rigid teachers. He is very popular with his students.

The classroom was quiet, and even Zhu Yu, who was usually very arrogant, was very respectful.

A copy of "The Art of War by Wu Zi" was handed out to everyone on their desks, and everyone started flipping through the book. Meng Yuanjing nudged Junyu and whispered, "You read it this morning."

Junyu, however, looked utterly disappointed. She quietly said dejectedly, "The Art of War by Wu Zi has a total of 48 chapters, but it is said that most of them have been lost. The copy I read this morning only had 10 chapters. I thought you must have the complete version, sir..."

Meng Yuanjing quickly opened his own book, and sure enough, there were only 10 articles.

Just as Junyu was about to say something more, Mr. Nongying looked over, and she quickly shut up.

Mr. Nongying was also flipping through a book, which looked very worn. He put it down and spoke again: "You must remember that the purpose of studying military strategy is not to talk about it on paper, but to cultivate a noble spirit and quietly observe the unwritten book. Zhao Kuo was full of knowledge, but he was defeated at Changping; Ma Su, who advocated 'winning hearts and minds is the best strategy, and attacking cities is the second best strategy,' ultimately died in the Battle of Jieting. The Han general Huo Qubing did not read much, but when he fought, he used his strategies and tactics to win battles from afar... The way of using troops lies in two things: virtue and breadth of vision. Only with a broad mind can one see the world... Wu Qi is a very special example in this regard. Who would like to talk about Wu Qi?"

Zhu Yu raised his hand high, “When Wu Qi’s mother passed away, he did not attend the funeral, which was unfilial; he wanted to become the general of Lu and lead troops to fight against Qi, but because his wife was from Qi, he was afraid that the ruler of Lu would suspect him, so he killed his own wife, which was heartless; but such a wicked and heartless person was a military genius…”

Mr. Nongying nodded. "Junyu, what are your thoughts?"

Junyu closed his book, stood up, and said loudly, "Historical records state that Wu Qi shared food and clothing with the lowest-ranking soldiers, and even sucked the sores on their wounds. As for such a famous general, I think the veracity of the popular rumor that he killed his wife to gain the position is debatable. Many Confucian scholars have therefore heavily criticized Wu Qi's character, but when the country is in trouble, what can they do besides shamefully surrender or meaninglessly commit suicide?" Mr. Nongying laughed and picked up the very old military book on the table: "Junyu, this is the only complete copy of 'Wu Qi's Art of War' in the world, so I'll reward you with it."

Junyu's eyes lit up. When she was very young, her mother told her stories of many famous generals, the one she admired most was Wu Qi. These were words her mother had often spoken, so Junyu remembered them very well. When she came to the academy, among the books she carried with her was the ten-chapter "Wu Qi's Art of War," which she had read countless times and dreamed of obtaining the long-lost complete version. Today, her wish had finally come true. She stepped forward and took the book with both hands, her hands trembling slightly.

After class, Zhu Yu angrily blocked Jun Yu in the square: "I don't know how Mr. Nongying could have listened to your twisted theories. The Records of the Grand Historian records that Wu Qi killed his wife to become a general, and you can still distort and spread falsehoods..."

“My mother said that history books are written by people, so who can guarantee that there are no biases or mistakes?”

"Your mother said, everything is said by your mother. Your deadbeat mother doesn't know that you're living off others, eating and sleeping for free, like a little beggar..."

Seeing Junyu's face turn pale with anger, Zhu Yu laughed loudly and was about to leave when he suddenly heard a voice call out, "Yu'er..."

Junyu looked over and saw Mr. Zhu personally accompanying an obese old man as they walked towards the opposite side of the square.

Zhu Yu was overjoyed and ran forward: "Father, you've come..."

Only then did Junyu realize that the fat old man was the current prime minister.

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Chapter 3: The Former Dynasty's Top Scholar

Prime Minister Zhu's eldest son died young, and he only had Zhu Yu when he was nearly fifty. Therefore, although Zhu Yu was born to a concubine, he was showered with love and affection from a young age. Less than a year after his legitimate son's death, his first wife also passed away from excessive grief. Zhu Yu's mother immediately rose to the position of principal wife because of her son, and Zhu Yu's status in the Prime Minister's household became even more prestigious. Although Prime Minister Zhu loved him, he did not spoil him. From a young age, he hired renowned teachers to carefully cultivate him, and his literary and martial talents far surpassed those of his peers. Therefore, Zhu Yu had a very high opinion of himself even at a young age!

"Who are these two children?" Prime Minister Zhu looked Meng Yuanjing and Junyu up and down. When he looked at them, he completely lost the kind of kind gaze he had given Zhu Yu.

"Meng Yuanjing, Shi Daming's nephew; Junyu, a student at the academy, they are classmates with Zhu Yu..."

"Shi Daming? The current leader of the martial arts alliance, Shi Daming?" Prime Minister Zhu looked at Meng Yuanjing thoughtfully.

Mr. Zhu nodded and looked at the two children: "By the way, Yuanjing, your uncle brought you a gift..."

Meng Yuanjing accepted the gift, glanced at Junyu, and the two immediately bowed and took their leave.

Meng Yuanjing, holding his bundle, asked listlessly, "Why didn't my uncle come?"

Meng Yuanjing lost his father at a young age and received meticulous care from his uncle. In his heart, his uncle was just like a father. This was his first major exam at the academy. Many of his classmates' fathers and elders came, but his uncle did not. Therefore, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Junyu smiled and comforted him, "No one's coming to see me either."

Meng Yuanjing was still sullen: "I need to go back and practice. I'll come and wake you up tomorrow morning."

Junyu also hurried back to his hut to prepare for the policy discussion the next morning.

Today is the policy essay exam, presided over by Young Master Nongying.

Junyu and Meng Yuanjing hurried toward the school, while Zhu Yu and his followers walked toward them from the opposite side.

As they approached the school gate, they encountered Young Master Nongying.

"Greetings, sir!" The three children bowed respectfully.

Young Master Nongying nodded indifferently as usual. He glanced at Junyu, a hint of a smile flashing in his cold eyes. He took out a very fine calligraphy brush and handed it over: "Junyu, here you go."

Zhu Yu sneered, wanting to say something but ultimately not daring to, and strode into the classroom. Meng Yuanjing also walked ahead. The fact that Young Master Nongying had a good look on Jun Yu did not mean that he would favor him as well. In fact, he had almost never seen Young Master Nongying smile outside of class.

Junyu took the brush and bowed deeply to Young Master Nongying. Her brush was already worn down, something even Meimei hadn't noticed, but Young Master Nongying had. Almost from the first moment Junyu saw Young Master Nongying, she saw a very kind and warm feeling on his cold face.

An hour later, all the essay exam papers had been collected. Immediately, Young Master Nongying and a group of teachers, including Mr. Zhu, personally took charge of grading the papers, with the results to be announced before dinner.

That evening, Junyu and Meng Yuanjing wolfed down their dinner and hurried to the school. Zhu Yu walked past them without uttering a single sarcastic remark, even seemingly oblivious to their presence. However, his expression was anything but relaxed, because his father, the Prime Minister, was already approaching from a distance, accompanied by Mr. Zhu.

Young Master Nongying sat upright on the podium, while a teacher was posting a red notice on it. Before he finished, a group of teenagers had already crowded around. Seeing Junyu enter, Young Master Nongying smiled at her, while Qin Xiaolou loudly announced, "Junyu is first... I knew this would happen..."

Junyu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Zhu Yu squeezed through the crowd, turned and walked away without looking at anyone. Meng Yuanjing's name was fourth; his strongest skill was martial arts, so he seemed quite satisfied with the result, grinning at Junyu. Junyu looked up and saw that Zhu Yu was second in line.

Mr. Zhu and Prime Minister Zhu have arrived, and the children quickly dispersed, chattering amongst themselves.

Upon seeing Prime Minister Zhu, all the teachers bowed in unison. Young Master Nongying merely turned aside, offered no greeting, packed his things, and turned to leave. Watching his departing figure, Prime Minister Zhu gazed thoughtfully at Teacher Zhu: "Your academy is truly a place where hidden talents abound. The former third-place scholar, Hua Nongying, is actually teaching here."

Mr. Zhu smiled but said nothing. Prime Minister Zhu's gaze had already shifted to the red list on the stage. His expression flickered for a moment but then returned to calm: "First place in Hua Nong Film Review? That kid named Junyu?"

“All the exam papers were reviewed and approved by five gentlemen together,” Mr. Zhu said calmly.

Prime Minister Zhu said nothing more, and then looked meaningfully in the direction where Young Master Nongying had left. By then, Young Master Nongying's figure could no longer be seen.

The martial arts competition on the second day was divided into five rounds. The first round was a contest of fist and foot techniques; the second round was horsemanship; the third round was shooting; the fourth round was broadsword; and the fifth round was swordsmanship. Each person could participate in the first four events, and winning any three events would allow them to advance to the fifth round. Junyu, Meng Yuanjing, and Zhu Yu all advanced with four consecutive wins, and with Sun Jia added to the mix, only four people remained for the fifth round.

According to the academy's tradition, this project is a draw.

The result of the draw was that Junyu would be paired with Zhu Yu, and Meng Yuanjing with Sun Jia.