Published at 31st of January 2021 10:48:31 AM
Chapter 21
Chapter 21 Autumn End, Winter Start (1)
After the cold dew of the ninth month, the speed at which the temperature dropped by became more obvious . When the heavy rains came down, Jiangning City seemed to be enveloped in mist . The rains of late autumn were not as noisy as the summer . They carried the incoming cold of winter and permeated into people’s clothes .
When Ning Yi walked across the wooden bridge opposite the alley, he patted off the water that stuck to his robes . On rainy days like this, long robes were inconvenient to wear . In comparison, Xiao Chan, who was running behind him, was much better off . When the rains came, she did not wear a dress, but a water green upper blouse with long pants . She still wore her buns in her hair and light blue embroidered slippers on her feet . Just now, she had fallen behind when buying something and was now flying forward, avoiding the puddles in the street with an umbrella held above her .
“Guye, Guye, wait for me . ”
“What is it?”
“I bought something . ” Xiao Chan took out a small book when she ran in front of Ning Yi . “I saw this had just been released when passing by the store just now . Guye probably hasn’t read it so I bought it . ”
This was a plain language novel which had been just released on the market . This novel was called “Fantasy of the Ghost Fox . ” A novel like this was commonly seen in this era . The writing was relatively easy to understand . The books would be historical stories, legends, or even love stories . There were many stories about loves stories involving ghosts and spirits . When stories became popular, the storytellers would narrate them at teahouses and wine shops . Ning Yi had read many of these novels recently . Xiao Chan would note it down, and would buy them when she saw new ones appear .
These kinds of novels could not compare to modern stories in terms of entertainment value . But one would pick the tallest from the shortest bunch . When he was bored, he would flip through a book . These was in the medieval language and could help him assimilate into this time . Ning Yi took the book with a smile and flipped through as Xiao Chan followed him and talked .
“That person at noon was horrid . Xiao Chan wanted to go and curse him . ”
“En . ”
“He knows nothing and just speculates blindly . He dares to boast that he is a talent . People like him cannot even qualify in the county level exam and become a distinguished talent” .
“En . ”
“Guye, Xiao Chan is feeling injustice on your behalf . That person spoke badly of you . ”
“So what?”
“How can it be nothing? This person … hmph, alright, alright, I know that Guye does not care about the words of these mediocre people . But Xiao Chan is discomforted hearing them, they insult Guye . If Guye wrote a poem to scold him, Xiao Chan would take it and hit him over the head with it!”
“Ha, he doesn’t even know me . ” Ning Yi flipped a page in the novel . “I was sitting next to him . ”
“That’s why I am this angry …”
It had been almost a month since that poetry conference on Midautumn’s night . The discussion around the Prelude to the Water Melody had changed constantly . In the first ten days, the praise regarding this poem reached a peak . The discussion and curiosity regarding Ning Yi was highest during that time . Afterwards … the discussion quickly declined, and started to develop in special directions .
The attention on this topic in the streets was time-sensitive . For the common people, they might care about what happened during the poetry conferences in the days after the festival . Then other topic would grow more popular than this matter . Life was busy and hurried . When people stopped mentioning the matter, he would hear less discussion concerning it .
More admiration and doubts started to gather among the different groups of scholars . The effects of the Prelude to the Water Melody started to ripple outwards through the conversation and letters among these scholars . However, the suspicions regarding Ning Yi was limited to Jiangning . For example, when a scholar in Dongjing heard the Prelude to the Water Melody, his admiration would not decrease greatly . He would not care too much about who Ning Yi actually was or if he really wrote this poem — he was too far away .
The Wu Dynasty was similar to the Song Dynasty . The study of Confucianism was at its peak, and the influence of scholars in society was enormous . This enormity was only large compared to the previous thousand years . Even in this dynasty which had the highest number of scholars ever in history, the ratio was minuscule compared to the era that Ning Yi had lived it . Due to this, in less than a month, he felt the matter start to quiet down . Of course there were still incidents like at noon today when he accidentally heard some scholars voices their doubts as he ate lunch outside .
After telling Elder Qin and Elder Kang of his thinking that day, perhaps Elder Kang felt that his actions in encouraging the matter at Midautumn were extraneous . He had went around on Ning Yi’s behalf afterwards . Ning Yi heard that those students who wanted to find Ning Yi and learn from him were scolded by their teachers . In the last month, there had been many more invitations to gathering but Ning Yi ignored all of them . There were only three groups who really came to learn from him . One of them had missed him . When the other two groups came and saw Ning Yi explaining the Analects of Confucius to the children, they first found a topic to discuss like “They frequently say that half of the Analects of Confucius is enough to govern the world . I hear Brother Ning explain today so you must be skilled in this . How to explain xxx?”
This was a common way of thinking . These people would try to find a topic of discussion based on what the other said . Ning Yi had read through the four books and other books to prepare . Being influenced by the information explosion of the modern era, it was not difficult to speak of a section and focus on the main point to make people think . Even if he went off the main path, the others could not easily make an argument on the spot . These people had naturally prepared other questions before they visited, including obscure ones . But with Ning Yi’s mannerisms and mood, he could lead these scholars, and even women like Nie Yun Zhu to where he wanted . Those people had no chance to raise other questions as Ning Yi would leave quickly after an answer concerning the Analects of Confucius, . These people just felt that he was widely read or profound . When they thought after the matter, they found they weren’t able to ask most of their questions .
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Other than group challenges like this, other people would come in private . One person called Li Pin would come over daily . He appeared greatly interested in the stories Ning Yi told and came over to listen everyday . A few days ago, after the lesson finished, he asked Ning Yi questions, primarily regarding the viewpoint of those stories . He wanted to learn from Ning Yi . In truth, all the questions were regarding the meaning of the Analects . He had no intentions of challenging Ning Yi so Ning Yi spoke for an hour with him . After this, the other did not visit again .
In Ning Yi’s viewpoint, as long as no one could prove that he was ignorant in scholarly matters, the doubts about the Prelude to the Water Melody could not become a stain on him . If he really needed fame one day, it would be easy to prove himself . There was no need to act on something he could do at anytime . He did not keep a matter like this in mind .
Among the stories spreading outside, there were also rumors that Ning Yi had stolen a Taoist’s poem . Not many believed it . Naturally, no one could figure out where the rumor came from . Ning Yi had predicted this would occur and only dismissed it with a laugh after hearing about it .
On the matter of chalk, Kang Xian had produced a batch of chalk half a month after that day . The quality wasn’t bad . The transformation from the white board to the black board only took another ten or so days . Lessons became much more convenient though the effects could not be seen immediately . His teaching process was still the same: read the books, explain the meanings, tell stories . Even so, the growth of enthusiasm the children had towards learning was obvious .
This kind of lively atmosphere in the classroom was most likely rare in this time . Students liked it but teachers shook their heads at this . Su Chong Hua had mentioned the matter subtly to him . After Ning Yi discussed the possible benefits of this kind of teaching, Su Chong Hua stopped . Firstly, Ning Yi had a reputation as a talented scholar . With the halo of the Prelude to the Water Melody, Su Chong Hua could not manage him . Secondly, the school had not shown any effects all this time . In the worst case scenario, this would be it . It would be good to see the effects of this method .
Ning Yi taught class in the morning, and in the afternoon, walked around or went to Elder Qin to play a match — of course, only when it wasn’t raining .
Xiao Chan still followed him most the time . She also came to the school to listen to the lessons — she liked Ning Yi’s stories which contained all kinds of strange things . When she returned, she could show off to her friends . Ning Yi felt that Su Tan Er was the one who made Xiao Chan follow him so closely . He could understand, especially after he wrote the Prelude to the Water Melody, and did not mind this .
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Of course, he was puzzled what reason his wife had found to explain how he was able to write that poem . In the first few days, the other had looked appraisingly at him during mealtime . Then the gaze changed and she focused back on her work and travelling around in her carriage . During mealtimes, she returned to her usual attitude when talking, and did not showing any intentions to dig . Ning Yi was slightly interested in this . What reason had she found to accept and understand this … he really did not know …
Ning Yi would occasionally search for information regarding martial arts or internal arts . The Su Family had a group of guards . Supposedly, some of them were very good, but they were at the same level as the techniques of modern soldiers . They could break stones with their heads . As to the more magical inner arts, they should exist in this time based on the rumors he heard . Some experts from the major sects might know the internal arts but it would be difficult to learn them .
Ning Yi just started to gather information regarding this — he was most interested in this . Being an official, being a businessman, being a rebel . Those were all occupations that he once held in the modern times, and were just interactions between people . Only martial arts were novel to him . If possible, he really wanted to learn about the internal arts — he only hoped that they were not fake like in the modern era . He was not greedy . He just wanted to jump three meters high from the ground . Of course, he would not mind six meters .
He needed a healthy body to practice martial arts . Thinking about getting a great warrior to teach him was not a reliable idea right now . It was better to work slowly and steadily . So on mornings without rain, he would exercise, and multiply the degree of intensity based on the maximum effect he desired . Sit-ups, push-ups, endurance running . A few days ago, when he passed the building where Nie Yun Zhu lived, the woman had been standing there and waiting for him . When he ran close, she bowed . “Young Master Ning . ”
Ning Yi was sweating heavily and panting . He forced out a smile and waved his smile . Before she could say “hi,” he … ran away …
He left Nie Yun Zhu standing behind him for a long time .
She … had struggled to decide to come out and greet him …