Chapter 33: 033 Such Exalted Seniority

Fei Yuanlu, courtesy name Xueqing, sobriquet Wuxue, head of the Pearl-Containing Academy, compiler of the *Fei Clan Genealogy*, eldest legitimate son of the renowned official Fei Yaonian, and grandnephew of Fei Hong, the youngest top imperial examination scholar of the Great Ming.

This gentleman, now past sixty, holds the xiucai degree and is an Imperial Academy student by privilege; he excels in poetry and is the author of *Collected Works of the Elegant Beauty Garden*.

The next clan head will be none other than Fei Yuanlu!

Fei Yuanlu was painting in the headmaster's office when the door was suddenly pushed open and Pang Chunlai stormed in, pulling Xu Ying along with him in a fury.

Setting down his brush, Fei Yuanlu wiped his hands with a silk kerchief and asked with a smile, "What wind blows today, to have swept Weiran all the way up the mountain?"

"A foul wind!" Pang Chunlai snapped.

Fei Yuanlu paused briefly, his smile unchanged. "Do tell, then — who has angered Weiran so?"

Pointing at Xu Ying, Pang Chunlai raged, "That clan brother of yours has driven my student mad! Such a fine child — just this morning he was studying the classics with me, and in the blink of an eye he's become this!"

Fei Yuanlu's smile finally faded as he carefully observed Xu Ying's condition.

Xu Ying's gaze was vacant, as though he could see nothing, while his mouth ceaselessly recited the *Analects*: "The Master said, 'The gentleman is steadfast but not rigid.' Steadfast — upright and unwavering..."

The more Pang Chunlai listened, the more heartbroken he grew, until two murky tears rolled down his cheeks. Choking, he said, "This child comes from a poor family, is naturally intelligent, and, rarer still, never ceases striving to better himself. Even in his madness, he keeps reciting the *Collected Annotations on the Analects*. This time, I must seek justice for him no matter what!"

"No rush, no rush — let me take a look first," Fei Yuanlu said soothingly.

Pang Chunlai sat down, leaning on his cane, and closed his eyes to rest, calming his agitated emotions.

Fei Yuanlu asked, "What is your name?"

Xu Ying continued reciting the *Collected Annotations on the Analects*: "The Master said, 'Those whose ways differ do not counsel one another.' Wei — in the departing tone. Differ — as in the divergence between good and evil, righteousness and depravity..."

Fei Yuanlu grasped Xu Ying's wrist and began taking his pulse with full concentration.

After a long while, Fei Yuanlu sighed, "Alas, this child suffers from a hysterical disorder, likely brought on by excessive fright."

"Is there a way to treat it?" Pang Chunlai asked urgently.

Fei Yuanlu asked, "Apart from ceaselessly reciting texts, does he also speak wildly or strike people in fits of madness?"

Pang Chunlai replied, "No wild talk, but he did beat up that clan brother of yours."

Fei Yuanlu tried to pry open Xu Ying's eyelids to examine his pupils closely, but the moment he reached out, Xu Ying recoiled in fright, retreating repeatedly.

Fei Yuanlu had no choice but to follow him, leaning in close to inspect carefully. He then returned to his desk, wrote out a prescription, and summoned his personal attendant, saying, "Take this prescription to Hekou Town to have it filled. We're short a few medicinal ingredients here on Pearl-Containing Mountain."

"Can he be cured?" Pang Chunlai asked.

"That depends on his own fortune," Fei Yuanlu said, taking out a wooden case and producing a set of acupuncture needles. "Brother Weiran, help me hold him still."

Pang Chunlai rose and embraced Xu Ying, patting him gently on the back and soothing him in a soft voice: "Don't be afraid, child."

Perhaps because he felt close to Pang Chunlai, Xu Ying immediately quieted down, even ceasing his recitation of the *Analects*, and obediently let Fei Yuanlu insert the needles.

As he applied the needles, Fei Yuanlu said, "Let this child stay on the mountain for now. I'll give him acupuncture once in the morning and once in the evening. Keeping him from going down the mountain will also spare him further fright — no one here dares disturb us."

"Dong dong dong!"

Someone knocked on the door and said, "Headmaster, several schoolchildren seek an audience."

Fei Yuanlu said, "Have them wait."

The person knocking suddenly cried out in alarm, "How did you get here? No entry without permission!"

From outside the door came Fei Ruhe's shout: "Sir, Fei Yuanjian's parents are here — most likely to make trouble for Xu Ying... They're here, they're here, they've entered the courtyard!"

Fei Yuanlu continued applying the needles unhurriedly and instructed, "Drive them out. No clamoring in the courtyard!"

In the courtyard.

Fei Yuanjian's father, Fei Songnian, and his mother, Lady Zhang, burst in riding sedan chairs, followed by over a dozen household slaves.

Having received the headmaster's order, several servants stepped forward to block them.

"Set down the chairs!"

Fei Songnian and his wife, Lady Zhang, soon descended from the sedan chairs, with four household slaves hastening to support them.

Fei Songnian's seniority in the clan was very high — he was the nephew of Fei Hong, the renowned official of the Zhengde and Jiajing reigns. His body had swollen into a perfect ball, and he panted after just two steps; one had to pity the sedan chair bearers who had carried him up the mountain.

Lady Zhang, however, was remarkably well-preserved — past fifty yet showing no signs of age. She was Fei Songnian's second wife.

Fei Songnian's first wife had borne four daughters in succession, and his concubine had also borne three daughters, with not a single male child among them. It was his second wife, Lady Zhang, who, after many years of marriage without conceiving, suddenly bore a son when Fei Songnian was nearing sixty.

"Is that little brat who beat my son hiding inside?" Lady Zhang demanded.

Fei Yuanlu's servant said, "The headmaster has ordered that no idle persons shall disturb him."

Lady Zhang flew into a rage: "I am an idle person? Even your headmaster, face to face, would have to call me aunt!"

The servant said nothing, merely having the menials block the doorway.

Lady Zhang commanded her household slaves: "Men! Beat these wretches out!"

The household slaves glanced left and right — no one dared make a move. This was, after all, the Pearl-Containing Academy.

"What use are you?"

Lady Zhang trembled with fury, snatched a club from one of the household slaves' hands, and personally advanced to strike the academy menials.

She was, after all, the headmaster's aunt; the menials dared not strike back and could only shield their heads and endure it where they stood.

Lady Zhang seized the chance to slip past the menials and, club in hand, charged toward the headmaster's office.

"Madam, please turn back!" Zhao Han, who had only just arrived, immediately stepped forward to fill the gap.

Lady Zhang demanded, "Which branch and which household are you from, that you dare block my way!"

"Goose Lake," Zhao Han said.

Lady Zhang sneered, "From the Goose Lake side — even the most senior there is my nephew! What generation character are you?"

Zhao Han said nothing.

Fei Ruhe thought for a moment, then came to stand beside Zhao Han and cupped his hands in salute. "Greetings, Great-Grandaunt."

Academy menials could be struck at will, but it was awkward to lay hands on a descendant of the Fei clan — his elders would surely come and raise a ruckus.

Lady Zhang's gaze swept past Zhao Han and Fei Ruhe as she shouted toward the headmaster's office: "Fei Yuanlu, I am your aunt! Come out at once and uphold justice — your youngest uncle has nearly been beaten to death!"

"Drive them out!"

From inside the room came Fei Yuanlu's furious voice.

Fei Yuanjian's father, Fei Songnian, seemed to have a slightly better grasp of reason. He rolled over like a ball and tried to persuade his wife: "The doctor already said, Ji'an'er only has external injuries, his head wasn't damaged under his hat. Whatever you have to say, say it calmly..."

"Bullshit!"

Lady Zhang grabbed her husband by the ear and berated him like a grandson: "Our son bled so much, he was nearly beaten to death, and you tell me to be calm? You show me how to be calm!"

"Calm yourself, madam, calm yourself!"

Fei Songnian, already nearly eighty, turned out to be henpecked. His ear twisted as he begged for mercy, and when he saw the academy servants stifling their laughter, he felt his dignity vanish. He broke free and snapped: "This is outrageous, utterly disgraceful, an insult to all refinement!"

Lady Zhang scolded her husband: "Useless old thing, all you know is throwing your weight around with me. Now call your nephew out here!"

Fei Songnian had no choice but to shout toward the headmaster's room: "Worthy nephew, come out and speak."

Fei Yuanlu, still applying needles inside, mocked: "Uncle truly has a manly spirit. I wonder, is he emulating Fang Xuanling, or following in the footsteps of Qi Wuyi?"

Fei Songnian stammered, unable to speak, his old face burning bright red with shame.

Suddenly, Pang Chunlai pushed the door open and stepped out, then closed it behind him. He walked up to Fei Songnian and held out the water-soaked Collected Commentaries on the Four Books: "Does the honored sir recognize this book?"

Fei Songnian cupped his hands and said: "Of course I recognize it. This is Master Zhu's personally annotated Collected Commentaries on the Four Books."

Pang Chunlai said: "I have a student, from a poor family, for whom buying books is no easy matter. He is often bullied by your son, and today your son destroyed his book. May I ask, does the honored sir remember the Fei Family Precepts?"

"I... I remember." Sweat began beading on Fei Songnian's forehead.

Pang Chunlai asked: "Do the Fei Family Precepts instruct the clan's sons to oppress neighbors and humiliate fellow students?"

Fei Songnian had no words to reply.

Pang Chunlai asked again: "Do the Fei Family Precepts instruct the clan's sons to destroy the books of the sages?"

Lady Zhang suddenly bellowed: "You old pedant, don't give me that nonsense. My son—"

Smack!

Fei Songnian suddenly spun around and slapped his wife across the face, shouting: "Shut your mouth!"

Lady Zhang stood stunned by the blow, then burst into wailing, throwing a fit: "Oh, Fei Songnian, you wretch! I, a young lady of a great clan, humbled myself to marry down to you as your second wife, and past forty I still bore you a son. Today our son was nearly beaten to death, and instead of seeking justice for him, you turn around and hit me? Do you have no conscience? Are you even a man!"

Fei Songnian, utterly mortified and caught in the middle, could only plead: "Madam, let us go home and talk first."

"I don't care, I must vent this spite today!" Lady Zhang would not let it go.

Fei Songnian lowered his voice: "This is the Pearl-Containing Academy, and our Ji'an'er is in the wrong. He destroyed the books of the sages and worthies — even if we took this to the ancestral hall, we'd have no case. Listen to me, stop making a scene. There will be plenty of time to vent your anger. Are you afraid of some mud-legged peasants from the countryside?"

Lady Zhang saw the sense in this, but she would not lose face even in defeat. Pointing at the headmaster's room, she said: "Fine, Fei Yuanlu, siding with outsiders to bully your elders. Hmph, just you wait, I'll come back another day to settle accounts with you!"

Watching the two old folk leave so briskly and decisively, Zhao Han felt something was very wrong.

Zhao Han said quietly to Pang Chunlai: "Sir, I fear they mean to move against Xu Ying's family."

Pang Chunlai thought for a moment, then said: "Help your teacher to the Fei ancestral hall!"

(End of Chapter)