[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-assuming-the-langya-surname":3,"chapter-assuming-the-langya-surname-assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-41":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The False Clan of Langya",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2273837,4442,"Chapter 41","assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-41",41,"\u003Cp>\"On the fifteenth day of the fourth month, Qiu Bai, is your clan brother well?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At noon I received a letter from Prince Jingling, stating that county schools fall under the jurisdiction of provincial officials, and all matters are decided by the provincial inspector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the Prince is a high minister, he cannot usurp provincial affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prince greatly admires your talent; he keeps your book, *Minister Yinzhen*, on his desk and reads it morning and night, continually praising it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I now sincerely invite you to come to the capital and join the Western Mansion as an advisor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also says that if you are unwilling to serve as a member of the princely court, you may instead take the position of Doctor at the National Academy...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao read this and flew into a rage: \"I, Liu Zhao, am petitioning the Prince for the sake of Jingzhou’s scholarly lineage—not for my own personal gain! Everyone says Prince Jingling is virtuous; is this what virtue looks like?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is this nonsense about “county schools fall under provincial jurisdiction, decided by the provincial inspector”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Inspector of Jingzhou, Prince Badong, is Prince Jingling’s fourth younger brother!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Prince Badong is hot-tempered, if Prince Jingling merely speaks a word, would Prince Badong dare refuse him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you don’t want to help, just say so—why use such flimsy excuses to evade?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servant, seeing his master trembling with rage, rushed to support him, but Liu Zhao waved him off and continued reading the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still clung to a sliver of hope; after all, Prince Jingling was famed for his wisdom and love of learning, and known for rescuing the desperate and aiding the needy. Logically, this was merely a matter of one word—he would not refuse so bluntly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then Liu Zhao was utterly disappointed. The rest of the letter was nothing but Qiu Qiu’s paraphrased praise and recruitment words from Prince Jingling, urging Liu Zhao to set out for the capital at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To an ordinary man, such a letter would bring joy. But Liu Zhao grew angrier the more he thought about it—he felt insulted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had lowered himself, abandoned his pride, written to Prince Jingling begging for help—to save the century-old county school, to save the Jingzhou scholarly tradition. And what did Prince Jingling offer? A government post! Was the implication that Liu Zhao cared not for the school’s survival, but only for his own salary and honor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Liu Zhao’s hands shook and his vision blurred with rage, a servant ran up to report: “Master! Master! Young Master Wang has returned!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao quickly calmed himself, murmuring silently: “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. Learning comes first. Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. Learning comes first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wang Yang arrived, Liu Zhao had already steadied his mind, prepared paper and ink, and half-jokingly, half-seriously said: “Zhiyan, you cannot sleep too early tonight—you must write until Hai Shi (9 to 11 PM).”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You sleep at Hai Shi. Tonight I intend to press forward in one burst and finish the draft!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang swore solemnly. Since he had promised to take Ah Wu into the city tomorrow, he must clear all his work today!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao felt joy descend from heaven and clapped his hands:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good! Since Zhiyan is so diligent, how can I sleep alone?! Come! Let’s begin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yang: I understand the meaning—but why does it feel off?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yuling, seeing their fervor, caught fire too: “I won’t sleep either! I’ll serve Teacher and Brother Wang until dawn!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhao waved him off: “No need for you to serve—go home quickly. What kind of arrangement is this, staying here all the time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yuling resented his father’s indifference toward the county school and snapped: “I won’t go back! I don’t even want to set foot in that house!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of talk is this? Confucius said: ‘When serving parents, gently advise them; if your intentions are not heeded, still show respect and do not defy them, toil without resentment.’ Though your advice failed, you must not harbor resentment. I allowed you to stay temporarily at the county school to embody the principle: ‘A light stick, endure it; a heavy stick, flee.’ Now your father’s anger has surely cooled—you must return and fulfill your duty as a son. Besides, you’re about to be graded; if this incident causes you to be condemned by public opinion, that will be my fault as your teacher.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Public opinion” refers to local scholarly evaluations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Wei and Jin dynasties, public opinion was a vital component of the Nine-Rank System for official selection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the Southern Dynasties, the Nine-Rank System had grown rigid, and public opinion’s influence had weakened—but it remained significant. Even officials who incurred public condemnation faced penalties; the most severe could be “permanently barred from office.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Yu Yuling still reluctant, Liu Zhao said sternly: “If you still recognize me as your teacher, go home at once!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yuling sighed, bowed to his teacher, and said: “Your student obeys.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tall, slender man in a pale blue robe was practicing the Five Animals Play, slowly extending his arms, and asked calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was Yu Yi, the most esteemed member of the Xinye Yu clan and leader of the Jingzhou gentry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.” Yu Yuling, seeing his father’s detached demeanor, felt a tightness in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go read in your room. You enter the National Academy in October.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yuling clenched his fists, hesitated, then said: “I won’t go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yi paused his movements, lowered his shoulders, and continued practicing: “You studied at the county school for three years—you were meant to enter the National Academy upon graduation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know, but if the county school is abolished, I will remain in Jingzhou and help my teacher rebuild it. The school is not restored, I will not leave Jingzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yi halted his arms, settled his stance, and looked at Yu Yuling: “You enter the National Academy through family privilege, not through county school recommendation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, but since I graduated from the county school, I cannot stand by and watch it be destroyed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What can you do?” Yu Yi frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I lack strength, so I cannot prevent it—only rebuild it after its destruction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your teacher dares not claim he can rebuild it—how can you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am young. I will strive to become a great Confucian scholar in twenty years, then do all I can—and leave the rest to Heaven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yi let out a light laugh: “Confucians speak of ruler and subject, father and son. Can a son ignore his father’s words?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yuling paused, then knelt down and replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The *Classic of Filial Piety* says: ‘A father who has a filial son who challenges him will not fall into unrighteousness.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yi bent down, his gaze piercing his son:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you are saying you are the filial challenger, and I am the unrighteous father?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yuling held back again and again—but finally could not, and shouted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To our Jingzhou gentry, you are their leader. To my teacher, you are his friend. To me, you are my father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the Jingzhou scholarly lineage faces disaster! My teacher is in distress! I am in urgent need!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet you stand idle, coldly watching, refusing even one word or syllable!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In public duty and private kinship, you cannot be called ‘righteous’!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yi said nothing. He stared at his son for several seconds, then let out a cold laugh and swept his sleeve away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yuling stared at his father’s retreating back for a while, then sighed, stood up, and decided to return to the county school. At the gate, he saw his elder brother Yu Qianlou hurrying over with several attendants:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ajie! You just came home—do you mean to leave again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Qianlou was twelve years older than Yu Yuling and currently held the post of Jingzhou Registrar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been calm and steady since childhood, renowned for filial piety and fraternal duty, and had long managed household affairs in place of their father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In earlier years, when Yu Yi traveled widely, the burden of raising and educating Yu Yuling fell upon his elder brother. Indeed, Yu Yuling had spent more time with his brother than with his father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his brother, Yu Yuling’s throat tightened, his voice hoarse: “Father hates me so much—why should I stay here to annoy him?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1398,"2026-06-19T23:36:03.373Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a9eb13882e8fac97814aea3e0063d4215b484989a786a559f310417888d66d0b","assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-42","assuming-the-langya-surname-chapter-40",62,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-false-clan-of-langya-cover.jpg"]