Chapter 134 — Respectfully Inviting Imperial Preceptor Jingping
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
" That secretary retorted in anger, "You are a chancellor, so you think yourself in the right. Then tell us, what should be done? " "What should be done? " Chancellor Bashan laughed heartily and said in a stern voice, "Whatever we do is better than what you secretaries do! You secretaries spend every day minding that one building of tattered books, claiming to research Daoist arts and divine powers—what have you produced in all these years, not a damn thing! If you had any real ability and could research a divine power to counter the Innate Grand Mystery Art, our students would not be stuck in this embarrassment, without a single recourse against a man blocking their gate! " In the Imperial Academy Hall, the secretaries burst into fury and shouted back one after another, "The arts and divine powers we researched were passed on to you, weren't they?
It is you directors and chancellors who are incompetent, unable to teach a single good student!
" "Well said!
And what about the Imperial Medical Hall—what good are they? Day in and day out they teach the students to refine pills and gather herbs, and do none of the real work. Every little while one student is poisoned and spits blood, another is poisoned and his face turns black! And they still have the face to collect their salaries! " The physicians of the Imperial Medical Hall were also directors. Hearing this, they flew into a rage.
Physician You shook with anger and said in a quavering voice, "If not for our Imperial Medical Hall saving the dying and healing the wounded, a good half of these students would have died from poisoning or qi deviation alone! You secretaries are useless—we asked you to compile the pill formulas and prescriptions of the various teachings, and you delayed again and again. The Empress Dowager's illness was cured by a mere boy.
Why don't you just die? " "Old wretch, it is you who should die first! Your Imperial Medical Hall could not cure the Empress Dowager; a mere boy cured her. Why don't you pluck out an eyelash and hang yourself with it?
" . . . The people in the Imperial Academy Hall fell into a chaotic brawl of quarreling, and the longer they quarreled, the hotter their tempers blazed. The several disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping watched them, exchanging bewildered looks. After a moment, Chancellor Bashan suddenly laughed and said, "Enough, enough, stop quarreling.
If we can't come up with a plan, isn't there still the one in charge here? Grand Chancellor, what do you say? " Everyone looked toward the young grandmaster on the sage's seat.
The young grandmaster rubbed his temples, clearly given a headache by their bickering, and said, "The disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping are not academy students, after all.
If they were to go out and defeat the Daoist sect's Daozi, the Daoist sect would seize the opportunity to rebel. If so, their rebellion would have a just name, and the empire would be thrown onto the defensive.
Therefore, invite Imperial Preceptor Jingping to come. " Everyone was taken aback, puzzled by his meaning. Even the disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping wore confused expressions.
"The Daoist sect are all stiff-necked people. " The young grandmaster rose to his feet and smiled. "They recognize only what is set in stone; if you try to deceive them with tricks, it will never pass. Since that is so, let us meet them with real swords and real spears. It has been a long time since Imperial Preceptor Jingping last lectured at our academy, has it not? In the old days he came often, teaching Dao arts, sword techniques, and divine powers.
Some of the students can even be counted as his half-disciples. You few, go back and invite Imperial Preceptor Jingping to come and give instruction to the academy students.
" The several disciples of Imperial Preceptor Jingping were startled, then bowed in assent, left the hall one after another, boarded the tower ship, and departed.