Chapter 185: The Academy's Dilemma

"I clearly saw her resisting!" Cui Yurong, overcome with rage, was about to pull out Ghost Fire to press against the man's forehead.

Ruan Xing stopped her, however, and shook her head slightly.

She asked the young girl, "We are from the National Teacher Palace. Don't be afraid; tell us exactly what happened to you."

Hearing the words "National Teacher Palace," Zhao Zhibing's cheek twitched. He narrowed his eyes and threatened, "Speak honestly, did you come here of your own accord!"

The National Teacher Palace was mysterious; aside from the National Preceptor and the occasional young Daoist boy who came out to purchase supplies, one rarely saw anyone emerge from within. The outside world naturally did not know who was inside the National Teacher Palace. Thinking of the Three Lives Fairy, whom the Emperor and the National Preceptor highly revered, Zhao Zhibing thought to himself that these three might truly be from the National Teacher Palace.

Consequently, the arrogance on his face subsided somewhat.

However, ever since the National Preceptor appeared on the day of the forced abdication, she had not shown herself in public again.

It seemed that, as before, she would not casually interfere in government affairs, and these few female Daoists were unlikely to kill him.

"I—I came here myself..." the young girl sobbed, then hurriedly and eagerly argued, "I accidentally stained the book issued by the Academy with ink and couldn't use it anymore. The Headmaster said I didn't cherish the Emperor's grace and wanted to expel me from the Academy, and also demanded I pay for the book. I begged bitterly, and the Headmaster said that, seeing as I didn't mean it, he would help me exchange it for a new one. He told me to come find him quietly while everyone else was in class, otherwise, if others saw him exchanging a book for me alone, it would make them feel dissatisfied... So I came here myself, but I didn't expect..."

Her face was pale, and she clutched her collar in panic, like a pitiful little beast.

Books were precious. While there was no monopoly on knowledge in the Xumi Realm, the cost of paper and ink alone meant a low-quality, thread-bound, hundred-page book cost seven or eight hundred wen.

To show how much he valued the Women's School, Xu Can ensured the books used by the Academy were of the highest quality, with each one worth more than two or three taels of Silver. The young girl was naturally worried and afraid; these books were considered borrowed from the Academy and had to be returned after graduation in half a year. Her family was poor, and three taels of Silver would require her family to go without food or drink for three or four months to pay it back.

Ruan Xing saw the book pressed beneath her, pulled it out, and flipped it open. It was indeed as if ink had been spilled over it; several pages were stuck together, and the characters on them were illegible.

"Heard that? She came here herself. Being able to latch onto me is a blessing she cultivated over several lifetimes. Perhaps she entered the Academy just to get close to me and climb the social ladder to enjoy wealth and glory!" Zhao Zhibing said with utter disdain.

"That's not true, I didn't! I entered the Academy just so I wouldn't have to marry! I want to learn skills to support myself!" the young girl cried.

To avoid marriage? This girl was young but her thinking was quite clear. Ruan Xing raised an eyebrow and asked Zhao Zhibing, "Are you from a noble family?"

Zhao Zhibing's expression stiffened. He didn't know what Ruan Xing meant by such a sudden question, but after a brief pause, he replied, "No, my ancestors were farmers on the outskirts of the Capital."

If he were from a noble family, he wouldn't have come to the Three Lives Academy. The current noble officials and scholars all looked down upon the Women's School; if anyone didn't join in the disdain, they would be ostracized.

Ruan Xing understood the situation after a moment's thought.

She hadn't expected that even after half the noble families in the Capital had been killed, such a situation would still occur.

The corpses in the Righteousness Manor and the graveyards were almost piled full.

However, if they were all killed, the Capital would fall into a state of paralysis; it could only be changed slowly over the next two years.

Ruan Xing nodded and said knowingly, "So you studied for the imperial examinations just to enter the palace, get close to the Emperor, and climb the social ladder? I suppose the Emperor saw your fair complexion and good looks, which is why he named you the top scholar? And then had you enter the Cabinet and become the Academy Headmaster. It seems you serve the Emperor well and have gained his favor."

Zhao Zhibing was so angry his face turned white. He pointed at Ruan Xing, his hand trembling incessantly, "Nonsense!"

"If you hadn't sold your body to achieve your current status, why would you be so sensitive about others?" Ruan Xing smiled. "Why so agitated? Did I hit a nerve?"

"I did not! I am an upright official!" Zhao Zhibing jumped in his anxiety.

"Would an upright official have a young girl come to his room when no one is around?" Ruan Xing shook her head and said to Cui Yurong, "Take him to find Xu Can and have him think about how to explain this to me. I'll go to the Imperial Palace to meet you all later."

"A piece of human trash like this, it would be better to just kill him," Cui Yurong said indignantly.

The Immortal thought that not letting Cui Yurong kill him was because it was inconvenient to act in front of her, so she spoke up, "No need to consider me; I am not someone who saves just anyone."

Ruan Xing shook her head and said, "Killing him is letting him off too easily. You go ahead first."

Cui Yurong accepted the order, grabbed the screeching Zhao Zhibing, and used the Ghost Escape Technique to vanish into thin air.

Afterward, Ruan Xing looked at the Immortal, "Take this girl back to the National Teacher Palace to test her Spirit Bone."

"Not leaving her here to study?" the Immortal asked, puzzled.

"After today's incident, the gossip inside the Academy will ruin her." Ruan Xing asked the young girl, "What is your name?"

For a teenage girl, facing the misunderstandings and suspicions of others, it was very easy to lose hope.

Even if she were allowed to stay in the Academy to study, it was no longer a good path for her. After graduation, she would still be working alongside her former classmates in the Household Tax Division, and this would follow her for the rest of her life, inescapable.

The young girl whispered, "Zhengfuci."

"What a grand name," Ruan Xing praised, then asked, "Are you willing to enter the National Teacher Palace? Although you cannot become an official, you will be able to support yourself."

"I am willing!" The young girl's eyes lit up, and she said with some excitement, "You must be an Immortal Envoy beside the Three Lives Fairy. Thank you for saving my life. From now on, in the National Teacher Palace, I will surely serve the Fairy and all the Immortal Envoys well!"

Uh...

Ruan Xing scratched the back of her head. She didn't answer the girl but instead signaled for the Immortal to take her away quickly.

Regarding this "Three Lives Fairy" business, she would definitely have to go and hold Xu Can accountable later!

The Immortal waved her sleeve and flew off with Zhengfuci. After a small gasp of surprise, the young girl hurriedly covered her mouth with her hands and said with reverence, "The Immortal Envoy is so powerful!"

Because the story of the Three Lives Fairy had been widely circulated over these three months, the public had gradually accepted the phenomenon that miraculous things existed in the world.

Immortals, isn't it normal for them to fly? As for why they had never heard of them before? Because Immortals are mysterious! They do not wish for the world to know! If it weren't for the Purple Star being in danger this time, and the Fairy coming out to save the world, it wouldn't have spread! From then on, everyone praised, "No wonder the National Teacher Palace has stood for a thousand years with such a lofty status; it turns out there really are Immortals in the world!"

In every household, more and more people began to worship the Three Lives Fairy.

However, Ruan Xing had never felt any mysterious power like Incense Fire.

She guessed that this world simply didn't have that setting.

When the common people worshiped, they could only find peace of mind for themselves.

A melodious bell rang out, Dong—

The Academy began to bustle with activity. After class, some students remained in the classrooms, frowning and reading in low voices, while others went out in groups to stretch their bodies. The rockeries, flowing water, gardens, and trees from the original Marquis's mansion had not been dismantled. Where had the students ever seen such things before? They were very novel, and they didn't feel bored even after wandering through them several times a day.

Seeing there were no other anomalies in the Women's School, Ruan Xing concealed her figure and flew her Sword toward the Imperial Palace.

In the Imperial Palace, because Cui Yurong had gone ahead to give notice so Xu Can could prepare, he was now waiting in the hall with Sun Xian.

Zhao Zhibing, meanwhile, seemed to have been beaten up; he was lying to one side with a bruised and swollen face, his hands and feet bound.

Seeing Ruan Xing, Xu Can raised a smiling face and bowed in salute, "Disciple greets the Sect Master."

"What happened? Have you thought about how to explain this?" Ruan Xing frowned.

Xu Can looked at Sun Xian beside him.

Sun Xian sighed.

He hadn't handled government affairs for many years, and he wasn't the type to be a powerful minister in the past, so there were some areas where he could never achieve the best of both worlds.

"Sect Master, please allow me to report: with the establishment of the Academy, the instructors and Headmasters appointed are a major difficulty. At first, the idea was to have knowledgeable women do it, but such women are all wives and daughters of noble families. They would rather become officials in the Household Tax Division; if they cannot become officials, they are unwilling to become clerks. Moreover, the instructors and Headmasters of the Academy are both arduous and lack real power. The noble families put their own interests first, so naturally, they are even less willing to do this thankless task."

"Therefore... one could only choose from among the officials those of low rank who had no power and were willing to go. Zhao Zhibing was precisely one of them. In the Cabinet, he did nothing more than write a few essays and had no real work to do, but his scholarship was quite good; he was the top scholar of the palace examination five years ago. Among the officials willing to go to the academy, he held the highest rank, so he was appointed as the headmaster."

Sun Xian was also in a difficult position. These officials from humble backgrounds were actually the most prone to looking down on the poor, because they themselves had come from the bottom; once they detached themselves from the bottom, they would immediately draw a line between themselves and their original class.

Among the few minor officials willing to go to the academy, some were thinking of currying favor with the Chief Councilor for future promotion, some wanted to find a sense of superiority, some wanted to use the convenience of their position for personal gain, and some were supported by noble families to go and cause trouble, but there was absolutely not one who thought in their heart about teaching well.

This was just a chore.

Ruan Xing frowned and said, "Just to teach them how to read and do accounts, does it require sending someone like a top scholar?"

"But the Three Lives Academy is an institution belonging to the imperial court; how could it work without an official position?"

Sun Xian was even more confused. If officials were not allowed to go and teach them how to be officials, then who should teach? Should people who have never been officials teach? The scholars who failed the examinations in previous years might not all have good character either; perhaps after they had studied for many years without passing, these women would be able to take office after only half a year of study, which would further incite their dissatisfaction and cause them to make trouble at the academy.

Ruan Xing lowered her eyes in contemplation. After thinking for a while, she suddenly asked, "In the National Teacher Palace, have there been any retired veteran officials recruited in the past few years?"

Sun Xian was taken aback. "There are three. They have already begun to cultivate, but I have been busy with court affairs during this time and haven't managed them."

Sun Xian's heart suddenly jumped. Could it be that these people were also considered remnants of the Six Suns Study? These few people didn't even know the name of the Six Suns Study...

Ruan Xing did not know what he was thinking, but she suddenly remembered these people and did not want to kill them. "Let them go to the academy to teach. The first one who agrees and is proactive will be rewarded with a Beauty-Restoring Pill. Tell them to teach well; if they teach well, there will be no shortage of other rewards here."

The Beauty-Restoring Pill can make people feel refreshed and look healthy, appearing as if they were ten or twenty years younger.

These veteran officials were old and withered, and in their hearts, they were all seeking immortality. Seeing such a miraculous effect, they might just think they had regained their youth.

But in reality, it was just a pill that maintained a youthful appearance.

Sun Xian thought about it after hearing this; this was indeed a good method. The veteran officials had already retired, had enjoyed wealth and glory, and had lost their ambition after being worn down in official positions for many years. Now, the most important thing for them was how to extend their lifespan.

Moreover, they were elderly and physically frail, so they probably didn't have those kinds of rotten thoughts.

"Does the Sect Master still allow them to cultivate?" Sun Xian asked.

"They can cultivate if they want, but it is impossible for me to provide them with Foundation Establishment Pills," Ruan Xing said. "Besides, the Emperor has been killed by me, and the dynasty's fortune has been ruined. The remainder will dissipate completely in three to five years. Without fortune, it is impossible for them to cultivate to Qi Refining Perfection before their lifespan ends. Just use the Beauty-Restoring Pills to fool them."

The Beauty-Restoring Pill is a low-grade Pill, and one costs less than ten Low-grade Spirit Stones. Now that Ruan Xing was wealthy and powerful, she naturally did not care about such a small amount.

After these veteran officials have taught a batch, a few can be kept for further training and retained to teach at the school, so that the Women's School can be maintained in a cycle.

"Yes, Sect Master. Then he..." Sun Xian looked at Zhao Zhibing on the ground, hesitating to speak.

"What do you think?" Ruan Xing asked Xu Can.

This matter was mainly Xu Can's responsibility. If he had been able to implement proper supervisory measures, this incident would not have happened.

Xu Can thought quickly and said, "Dismemberment by chariots, five-horse tearing, slow slicing—let's do them all in turns!"

This kid was quite ruthless.

Ruan Xing couldn't help but laugh. "There's no need for such trouble. Castration and facial tattooing, then let him return to the Cabinet to continue being an official. However, the punishment must be carried out publicly."

Even if such a person were to die, he would not think he was wrong.

She wanted him to live and suffer the malice of the human world.

Xu Can said, "The Sect Master is still the most brilliant."

Castration is the physical examination for eunuchs entering the palace, but it is more cruel than what eunuchs undergo; after cutting, a branding iron is used to stop the bleeding, and most people die of infection after the punishment.

However, with Ruan Xing's orders, even if Xu Can had to feed him Healing Pills, he would have to save the person.

Facial tattooing is to tattoo words on the face, tattooing the crimes he committed as well as his name and place of origin on his face, so that anyone walking on the street would know that this person had once been castrated for committing a crime, and would also know this person's name and where they were from.

It was hard to say whether it would be more uncomfortable for Zhao Zhibing to be alive or dead after he woke up.

However, Ruan Xing guessed that a person like him would not seek his own death even if it were uncomfortable to be alive.

Soon, his sentence was decided.

In the vegetable market, which was usually bustling with people, there was an extra novel program.

In the past, it was always beheading, and now it was also beheading, but not the same kind of head.

Zhao Zhibing was tied to the execution rack completely naked, and first, the words were tattooed by the petty official in charge of facial tattooing.

Thanks to the popularity of knowledge from the Six Suns Study in the Xumi Realm, the majority of the people under the stage were literate, and soon someone read it out.

"Yo, I was wondering why they were tattooing before the execution; today is unusual, it's castration!"