I imitate others' cultivation, and I will never reason with you.

Chapter 185: The Problem of the Academy

"I clearly saw her resisting!" Cui Yurong was so angry that she was about to take out the will-o'-the-wisp and press it on the man's forehead.

Ruan Xing stopped her and shook her head slightly.

She asked the girl, "We are from the Imperial Master's Palace. Don't be afraid. Tell us the truth about what happened to you."

Hearing the words "National Master Palace", Zhao Zhibing's cheeks twitched, and he squinted his eyes and threatened: "Tell me honestly whether you wanted to come here!"

The Palace of the Imperial Master is mysterious. Apart from the Imperial Master and the little Taoist boy who occasionally comes out to buy things, it is rare to see anyone coming out of it. Naturally, the outside world does not know who are in the Palace of the Imperial Master. Thinking of the Three Lives Fairy who is highly praised by His Majesty and the Imperial Master, Zhao Zhibing thought to himself that these three people might really have come out of the Palace of the Imperial Master.

So the arrogance on his face was somewhat restrained.

However, ever since the Imperial Master showed up on the day of forcing the emperor to abdicate, he has never appeared in public again.

It seems that he is still the same as before and will not interfere in government affairs. These female Taoists are unlikely to kill him.

"Yes, I came here by myself..." the girl sobbed, and hurriedly argued, "I accidentally stained the book distributed by the school with ink, and it was unusable. The headmaster said that I did not appreciate the kindness of His Majesty, and wanted to expel me from the school and ask me to pay for the book. I begged hard, and the headmaster said that since I didn't do it on purpose, he would help me get a new book, and told me to come to him quietly when everyone was in class, otherwise if others saw him changing my book alone, they would be dissatisfied... So I came here by myself, but I didn't expect..."

She was pale and grabbed her collar in panic, like a poor little animal.

Books are valuable, and there is no monopoly on knowledge in the Xumi Realm. However, based on the cost of paper and ink alone, a low-quality thread-bound book with a hundred pages would cost seven or eight hundred coins.

In order to show that he valued the girls' school, Xu Can provided the school with the best books, each of which cost more than two or three taels of silver. The girl was naturally worried and afraid, because these books were loaned to them by the school, and they had to be returned after graduation in half a year. Her family was poor, and her family would have to go without food or drink for three or four months to compensate for the three taels of silver.

Ruan Xing saw the book that was pressed under her, pulled it out, and opened it. It really looked like it had been spilled by ink, with several pages stuck together and the words on it could not be seen clearly.

"Did you hear that? She came here on her own. Being able to marry me is the blessing she has earned in several lifetimes. Maybe she entered the school just to get in touch with me and then climb up the social ladder to enjoy wealth and glory!" Zhao Zhibing said with contempt.

"No, I don't. I went to school just to avoid getting married! I want to learn skills to support myself!" the girl cried.

In order not to get married? This girl is young but her mind is clear. Ruan Xing raised her eyebrows and said to Zhao Zhibing, "Are you from an aristocratic family?"

Zhao Zhibing's face froze. He didn't know what Ruan Xing meant by asking this question suddenly, but after a pause he replied, "No, my ancestors were farmers in the suburbs of Beijing."

If he was from a noble family, he would not have come to San Sheng Academy. Nowadays, aristocratic officials and scholars all look down on girls' schools. Anyone who does not follow suit will be ostracized.

Ruan Xing understood what was going on after a quick thought.

I didn't expect that such a situation would happen even though half of the nobles in the capital had been killed.

The funeral homes and cemeteries were almost full of corpses.

However, if all of them were killed, the capital would be paralyzed, and this can only be changed slowly over the next two years.

Ruan Xing nodded and said, "So you studied for the imperial examination just to enter the palace and get close to the emperor? I guess the emperor saw that you have a fair complexion and good looks, so he chose you as the top scholar? He also let you enter the cabinet and become the principal of the academy. It seems that you are very favored by the emperor because of your service to him."

Zhao Zhibing's face turned pale with anger, and he pointed at Ruan Xing's shaking hand, "Nonsense!"

"If you hadn't sold hooks to get to where you are today, how could you be so sensitive to others?" Ruan Xing smiled, "Why are you so excited? Did I hit the nail on the head?"

"I didn't! I am an upright official!" Zhao Zhibing was so anxious that he jumped up and down.

"You'd let the little girl go to your room when no one is around?" Ruan Xing shook his head and said to Cui Yurong, "Take him to Xu Can and ask him to think about how to explain it to me. I'll go to the palace to find you later."

"It's better to kill such a scum." Cui Yurong said indignantly.

The fairy thought that Cui Yurong was not allowed to kill him because it would be difficult to do it in front of her, so she said, "Don't worry about me. I don't have to save everyone."

Ruan Xing shook his head and said, "Killing him would be too easy for him. You go first."

Cui Yurong followed the order, picked up the screaming Zhao Zhibing, and used the ghost escape technique to disappear into the air.

Then Ruan Xing looked at the fairy and said, "Take this girl back to the Imperial Master Palace to have her spirit bones tested."

"You're not going to keep her here to study?" The fairy was puzzled.

"After what happened today, the rumors in the school will ruin her." Ruan Xing asked the girl, "What's your name?"

It is easy for a teenage girl to become depressed when faced with misunderstandings and suspicions from others.

Even if she were allowed to continue studying in the academy, it would not be a good way out for her. After graduation, her classmates would still be the ones working with her in the Tax Bureau, and this would be a lifelong companion.

The girl whispered, "Zheng Fuci."

"What a grand name." Ruan Xing praised, and then asked: "Are you willing to enter the Imperial Master's Palace? Although you can't be an official, you can still support yourself."

"I do!" The girl's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "You must be the fairy messenger of the Three Lives Fairy. Thank you for saving my life. Fuci will serve the fairy and all the fairy messengers well in the Imperial Master Palace in the future!"

Goose……

Ruan Xing touched the back of his head and did not answer the girl. Instead, he signaled the fairy to take the person away quickly.

Regarding the matter of the Three Lives Fairy, I must go and question Xu Can later!

The fairy waved her hands and flew out with Zheng Fuci. The girl exclaimed softly and quickly covered her mouth with her hands, saying admiringly: "The fairy is so powerful!"

Because the story of the Three Lives Fairy became widely known during these three months, people gradually came to accept the existence of miraculous things in the world.

For an immortal, isn’t it normal for him to be able to fly?
As for why I have never heard of it before?
Because the immortals are mysterious! They don't want the world to know! If Ziwei Star hadn't been in trouble this time, the immortals wouldn't have come out to save the world!
At this point, everyone praised, "No wonder the Imperial Palace has stood for a thousand years and has such a lofty status. It turns out that there really are immortals in the world!"

In every household, more people are worshipping the Three Lives Fairy.

However, Ruan Xing has never felt any mysterious power like incense.

I guess this setting doesn't exist in this world at all.

When ordinary people offer sacrifices, they can only seek peace of mind for themselves.

A melodious bell sounded, dong——

The academy began to get lively. After class, some students stayed in the classroom, frowning and reading in a low voice, while some students went out in groups to exercise. The rockery, streams, gardens and trees in the mansion had not been demolished. Where had the students seen these things before? They were very novel, and they didn't feel bored after visiting them several times a day.

Seeing that there was nothing else unusual in the girls' school, Ruan Xing hid his figure and flew to the palace on his sword.

Inside the palace, because Cui Yurong had gone over to say hello in advance so that Xu Can could be prepared, he was now waiting in the hall with Sun Xian.

Zhao Zhibing seemed to have been beaten up. He was lying on the side with his hands and feet tied and his face bruised.

Seeing Ruan Xing, Xu Can smiled and bowed, "Disciple greets the Sect Master."

"What's the matter? Have you thought about what to say?" 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 was not cut out to be a powerful official, so he was never able to have the best of both worlds in some areas.

"Master Rong, the establishment of the school is a big problem. At first, we wanted to let some educated women do it, but these women are all daughters of the noble families. They would rather work in the Household Tax Bureau. If they can't be officials, they are not willing to be clerks. The teachers and the headmasters of the school are hard-working and have no real power. The interests of the noble families are paramount, so of course they are even more unwilling to do this thankless job.

So... they could only select officials of low rank and power who were willing to go. Zhao Zhibing was one of them. He only wrote a few articles in the cabinet and had no real work to do. But he was well educated and was the top scorer in the palace examination five years ago. He was the highest rank among the officials willing to go to the academy, so he was appointed as the headmaster."

Sun Xian was also in a difficult situation. These officials who came from humble backgrounds were actually the ones who were most likely to look down on the poor, because they came from the bottom of society. Once they left the bottom, they would immediately be separated from their original class.

Among the few minor officials who were willing to go to the academy, some wanted to curry favor with the Prime Minister so as to be transferred in the future, some wanted to feel superior, some wanted to use their positions to seek personal gain, and some were supported by the nobles and wanted to make trouble, but there was absolutely not one who wanted to teach well.

It's just an errand.

Ruan Xing frowned and said, "Just to teach them how to read and do accounting, do we need to send someone like the top scholar?"

"But Sansheng Academy is an institution under the imperial court. How can we do this without an official position?"

Sun Xian was even more puzzled. If they didn't let the officials teach them how to be officials, then who should teach them? Should they let people who had never been officials teach them?
The candidates who failed the exam in previous years may not all have good character. They may have studied for many years but failed to get admitted, while these women were able to take the position after only studying for half a year. This will arouse their dissatisfaction and cause trouble in the school.

Ruan Xing lowered his eyes and thought for a while, then suddenly asked, "Did the Imperial Master's Palace recruit any retired officials in the past few years?"

Sun Xian was stunned. "Yes, there are three. They have already started practicing. I have been busy with government affairs recently and have not taken care of them."

Sun Xian's heart suddenly raised, could it be that these people are also the remnants of Liuyang Study? These people don't even know the name of Liuyang Study...

Ruan Xing didn't know what he was thinking, but she suddenly remembered that these people didn't want to kill them. "Let them go to the academy to teach. The first one who agrees and is active will be rewarded with a Rejuvenating Pill. Tell them to teach well. If they teach well, there will be other rewards here."

The rejuvenating pill can make people look refreshed and healthy, as if they are 10 or 20 years younger.

These old ministers are now gray-haired and have wrinkled skin. All they want is to become immortals. Seeing such miraculous effects, they might think they have regained their youth.

But in fact, it is just a pill to maintain a youthful appearance.

After hearing this, Sun Xian thought that this was a good idea. The old ministers had already retired and had enjoyed wealth and glory. They had lost their ambitions after spending so many years in office. The most important thing now was how to prolong their lifespan.

Besides, they are old and probably don't have such bad thoughts.

"Does the sect leader still allow them to practice?" Sun Xian asked.

"If they want to practice, they can practice, but I can't provide them with foundation-building pills." Ruan Xing said, "Besides, I killed the emperor, and the dynasty's luck is almost destroyed. The remaining luck will also dissipate in three to five years. Without luck, it is impossible for them to practice to perfection before their lifespan ends. It will be enough to cheat them with the Rejuvenating Pill."

The Rejuvenating Pill is a low-level pill, and one pill is worth less than ten lower-grade spirit stones. Now that Ruan Xing is rich and powerful, he naturally doesn't care about this little thing.

After these old ministers have taught a batch of students, a few of them can be retained to continue their studies and teach at the school, so that the girls' school can be maintained in circulation.

"Yes, Sect Master, then he..." Sun Xian looked at Zhao Zhibing on the ground, seeming to be hesitant to speak.

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

This matter is mainly Xu Can's responsibility. If he had taken relevant supervisory measures, this would not have happened.

Xu Can was quick-witted and said, "Divide by a chariot, draw by five horses, and slow slicing, take turns!"

This guy is pretty cruel.

Ruan Xing couldn't help but laugh. "There's no need to go through so much trouble. Just castrate him and let him return to the cabinet to continue his official duties. However, the execution must be public."

Even if this kind of person were to die, he would not think that he was wrong.

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

Xu Can said: "The Sect Master is still wise."

Castration is a physical examination for eunuchs when they enter the palace, but it is a bit crueler than being castrated. After the eunuchs are cut off, they are branded with irons to stop the bleeding, and most of them will die from infection after being tortured.

However, with Ruan Xing's instructions, Xu Can had to rescue the man even if he had to give him healing pills.

The Qianmian people would tattoo their faces with the crimes they had committed as well as their names and hometowns. This way, anyone who saw them on the street would know what crime they had committed that led to their castration, as well as their names and hometowns.

I don’t know whether it will be more painful to be alive or dead when Zhao Zhibing wakes up.

However, Ruan Xing guessed that people like him would not seek death even if living was uncomfortable.

Soon, his sentence was decided.

The Caishikou, which used to be bustling with people, now has a new and interesting show.

It was always beheading in the past, and it is still beheading now, but it is not the same head.

Zhao Zhibing was tied naked to the rack and was first tattooed with words by a minor official from Guizhou.

Thanks to the popularity of knowledge in Liuyang Bookstore in the Xumi Realm, most of the people in the audience could read, and soon someone read it out.

"Oh, I was wondering why they had tattoos before the execution. Today's is different. It's castration!"