160 Is the Master of Tang Empire Extraordinary? (2/2)
An old woman in a blue coat, holding a bamboo broom in her hand, regarded the debating people as idiots and said, ”What a boring discussion. First come first served. Why do you make it so complicated? Cao Zhifeng, you have gone to Chang'an City to see your Prince every day and sorrowfully cry on your way back to the Academy. You think he is the hope for developing your Yan Kingdom, but it has nothing to do with the Academy. I can't listen to you anymore. I'm leaving.”
The honored female professor of Mathematics in the Academy went away. And so did several professors who dedicated to academic services and were unwilling to be troubled by trivial matters. Therefore, the debate in the room was getting fiercer. Many instructors thought that the imperial court's proposal really could make everyone satisfied. In that case, why not choose this? Was it necessary for Ning Que to offend all forces?
When Vice Professor Cao Zhifeng got angry and passionate again, the door was suddenly pushed open with a squeak. All the instructors looked back in surprise, only to see a tender face stretching in after a short moment and a pair of black moving eyes.
The little boy came in; fresh, lovely with a bit of bashfulness. He looked at the instructors and asked softly in a mosquito-like voice, ”My young master has something to ask you. So I carry the message for him.”
The instructors in the room knew the identity of this little boy, so they asked gently, ”What's your master's question?”
”My young master got up early this morning and found that there were still many unrelated people staying at the Academy. He was really angered by.” The little boy opened his eyes wide and looked at the crowd in the room to say, ”He would like to ask you why the notice has not been posted after a night. What are those unrelated people doing here? Do you want him to treat them?”
Listening to these words, the instructors looked at each other and did not know how to answer. They all knew that Second Brother from the Second floor of the Academy was a bit slow-witted in reality. But they never thought that he would call the Prince and Master Yan Se as unrelated people.
Professor Cao Zhifeng glanced at the little boy and said, ”We haven't decided the person entering the Second floor, so naturally we haven't yet posted the notice.”
He thought that such an answer would make the other party unhappy. So he had already made his preparation to explain it in detail. However, he did not realize that the young boy was so shy that he lowered his head as he went out, just after hearing the answer.
...
...
The instructors' debate in the room was resumed. But after a short time, the door squeaked again.
There was sweat on the little boy's pink face. He obviously ran there and back very anxiously. The boy looked at the instructors and said, ”My master asked, what do you mean by saying 'we haven't decided the person entering the Second floor'?”
Professor Cao Zhifeng unhappily said, ”We mean what we mean, we haven't decided the person. Ning Que actually was able to defeat Prince Long Qing and first reached the top. A lot of people have doubts about that and suspected about someone cheating in the Back Mountain. If people are doubtful, how can we decide it?”
The little boy confusedly looked at Cao Zhifeng and woke up after a long time. He said okay and turned away to leave, not making entirely clear whether he actually understood the words of Vice Professor Cao Zhifeng.
It was quiet in the room and the instructors did not argue again. Because they strongly felt that it would not be long before the Second Brother's little helper came back and continue asking stupid questions.
...
...
Just then, the door was pushed open with a squeak.
The little boy widened his eyes and looked at Vice Professor Cao Zhifeng, asking, ”Young master asked, who's doubtful?”
Professor Cao Zhifeng was stunned for a moment, looking at the little boy's confused yet fresh and lovely face. It was impossible for Cao Zhifeng to tell lies or speak about those people outside the Academy. So the professor moved his sleeves and frowned saying, ”I'm doubtful.”
”Oh,” the little boy was about to turn away to leave. Suddenly, he thought of the latter half of what the young master said to him in the mountain and quickly turned around, embarrassedly scratching his head. He asked, ”May I have your name?”
”I'm Cao Zhifeng.” Vice Professor Cao Zhifeng unhappily said, ”Why ask this?”
The little boy took it for granted and said, ”Because my young master wondered about who was doubtful.”
After finishing this sentence, the little boy turned around and ran to the Back Mountain again.
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...
Just then, the door was again pushed open with a squeak.
The breathless little boy placed a hand on the door frame for support and looked at Cao Zhifeng. He said, ”Young... young master said...”
Cao Zhifeng could not help laughing and shook his head to say, ”What did your young master say again?”
The little boy swallowed saliva and looked at the professor. He seriously said, ”My young master said 'The Academy enrolls talents from all over the world, regardless of the nationality. Cao Zhifeng, you're one of the Yans, so I don't blame you for supporting Long Qing. But you should remember that you are a professor of the Etiquette course. How is it you have the first class for the Academy students? What's the Etiquette of the Academy?'”
The little boy repeated the words fast and smoothly, raising eyebrows on his little pink face from time to time to show the indifference and displeasure. He was obviously doing it in imitation of Second Brother, producing a very funny and cute scene, making the instructors in the room laugh a lot. Cao Zhifeng did not laugh but instantly concealed a smile, and suppressed his anger to ask, ”What does Second Brother mean?”
”Cao Zhifeng, you've talked about it in the study room. The Academy's Etiquette is the rule. The rule is set by the person who has the strength.”
The little boy looked at him and earnestly said, ”The Headmaster of the Academy and our eldest Brother traveled to another country. In the Academy, I am currently the only one who has the strength to set the rule. Therefore, whether you're doubtful or not, you must listen to me and immediately post the notice.”
Vice Professor Cao Zhifeng blanked out for a while and angrily waved his Academy's gown to protest. ”What an overbearing behavior. How would we convince the public?”
The little boy did not know that this was the true sentiment, even though it was a formal question. When he was ready to leave, he suddenly raised his small hand and said with joy while applauding, ”Young master is really clever. He had guessed what you would say, so let me answer you. ”
Vice Professor Cao Zhifeng looked very embarrassed.
The little boy looked at him and pretended to seriously say, ”I don't need to convince them. I just need them to obey.”
Some instructors could not bear to look at Professor Cao's embarrassed look at this time and then added, ”Even if this matter has nothing to do with His Majesty, Master Yan Se and West-Hill, we have to respect Ning Que's own choice.”
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...
Once again the wooden door was pushed open. The little boy, whose clothes had gotten all wet by the sweat, lifted his sleeves to wipe his forehead, taking a long time to calm down. He looked up at the people in the room and retold the conclusion of Second Brother for the last time.
”Respect Ning Que's own choice? Why should I respect him? As for the Master of our Tang Empire... ”
Here, the little boy deliberately made a long pause and lifted up his slightly sharp jaw to show a supercilious look against the roof. Then he clumsily uttered a groan from his little nose. All in all, he had cutely copied the look of that proud man on the mountain.
”Is he amazing?”
...
...
Above the cliff on the Academy's Back Mountain, there was a pine tree showing its welcome with stretched branches and white clouds flowing around. The whole picture looked like an earthly paradise.
Two people stood beside the cliff.
One of them wore a very dirty and tattered robe.
The other person wore a very weird old hat.
The Academy's Second Brother turned around and looked blankly at the Minister of Offerings Yan Se in Haotian South School. Second Brother said, ”You actually dare to ask the Academy for my instructor's student. Not to mention you, even the Haotian hierarch of West-Hill doesn't have the qualification.”
Yan Se showed a weird smile and looked at him to say, ”Second Brother continues to be the world's proudest, with such a harsh tone. But I'm older than you. I won't fight with you, lest someone say I bully you. But I really want to take away this Ning Que kid. Even if the Headmaster of the Academy were here, I would still insist on it. If you want me to remain without a successor, I have to be ruthless.”
Second Brother looked at him and slightly laughed. He said, ”No more excuses. If you're not confused, you should remember my position is higher than yours based on the Headmaster's or Pipi's. If you want to grab my student, you must fight with me.”
”If I say no fights, then there won't be a fight.”
Yan Se looked at the hat above his head and mockingly said, ”The Academy's Back Mountain is your domain. I'm not so stupid to fight with you. Anyway, if I don't start, you have no reason to fight with me. As for the matter about Ning Que, after all, it all depends on his attitude. In the future, me and my brother can promise him to be the Nation Master of Tang, which is better than staying inside the mountain every day and being bullied by those Senior Brothers.”
Second Brother showed a supercilious look towards the sky and then laughed. ”Master of the Tang Empire... is amazing? You're still bullied every day by the imperial family and those old men in West-Hill. The Nation Master of Tang is not a master at all, just purely a wife who doesn't dare to cry when being wronged.”