Chapter 67: Aspiring to the Position of Imperial Preceptor

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Chapter 67: Aspiring to the Position of Imperial Preceptor

Chen Yuan’s connection to the investigation at Shishi Academy could hardly be presented as “Mayor Yu’s lover” or some other case of pulling strings. Instead, he was brought in under the banner of the renowned “Chen the Half-Immortal” of Jincheng City, participating in the investigation into the problems at Shishi Academy in his capacity as someone who dealt in supernatural matters. Chen Yuan couldn’t help feeling that metaphysics practitioners in this world were incredibly fortunate.

It was true that, in the world he had once lived in, feng shui masters were sometimes hired by the government to design buildings and the like. But that kind of work could never be openly acknowledged. Even if a feng shui master actually accomplished something, his name couldn’t be publicized too widely, or the government department involved would inevitably be labeled as engaging in feudal superstition. In this world, although feudal superstition was likewise discouraged, a careful distinction was made between metaphysics and feudal superstition. Masters whose abilities had been genuinely proven could be hired by government departments. In fact, the highest honor in the metaphysics community of Huaxia was to be hired by the country to divine matters of national importance, earning the title of National Affairs Metaphysics Consultant. It was essentially the equivalent of being the Imperial Preceptor in ancient times.

For Chen Yuan, who was accustomed to the suppression of metaphysics in his former world, all of this was difficult to imagine. Yet he was gradually becoming accustomed to this system, and he had even begun to entertain the thought of seeing whether he might one day become an “Imperial Preceptor” himself. It wasn’t that he craved such a lofty honor. Rather, reaching that position would inevitably give him access to more masters and experts, as well as more resources related to metaphysics. After all, the country had quite a collection of secret metaphysical texts passed down and preserved since the Ming dynasty. For someone who studied metaphysics, the temptation of gaining access to such resources was self-evident.

Of course, reaching that point required many conditions to be met. After all, this “Imperial Preceptor” was also something of a peripheral position within officialdom. If someone were a true reclusive master who had withdrawn from worldly affairs, they would actually have no chance of attaining it. Their ties with the government would simply not be close enough, and there would be many things the government would not even dare tell them. Most metaphysical schools, after all, emphasized withdrawing from the world and keeping their distance from worldly affairs. When it came to matters like these, they simply had little sense of their importance. Or rather, in their view, these things simply weren’t important at all.

Chen Yuan figured that, one way or another, he was somewhat connected to Yu Shenliu, so in this regard, he had a natural advantage. As for the requirements for becoming a National Affairs Metaphysics Consultant, they were nothing more than having good character, being patriotic, and possessing outstanding abilities. In all these respects, Chen Yuan felt he had a decent chance.

In a way, this was also why Chen Yuan was so willing to participate in the many metaphysics-related matters handled by the Jincheng City government. You needed motivation to pursue a dream, after all. With this motivation driving him forward, Chen Yuan endured all sorts of teasing and flirtatious advances from Yu Shenliu, and somehow became even more composed than before.

“Our academy is one of the most prestigious schools in Xishu Province, and indeed one of the oldest thousand-year-old institutions in the entire country.” The headmaster of Shishi Academy led Chen Yuan and Yu Shenliu along the school grounds, introducing the academy as they walked. “We have more than a thousand students. In recent years, our students have repeatedly achieved excellent results in the metropolitan examinations, for example…”

Yu Shenliu appeared to be listening attentively to the introduction, but his attention was actually focused on Chen Yuan. The last time they had been at Zhuowen Academy, it was Chen Yuan who had noticed the feng shui problem with the Second Teaching Building. He wondered if the same thing might be happening here, with the school’s feng shui affecting the situation.

Chen Yuan was naturally examining the surrounding feng shui as well. However, unlike Yu Shenliu, Chen Yuan didn’t think the problem at Shishi Academy had much to do with feng shui. Compared with Zhuowen Academy, Shishi Academy was simply far too old. In other words, the academy’s feng shui should have been adjusted countless times over the course of its long history, meaning it ought to be in an exceptionally favorable state. Moreover, the buildings here were all ancient structures, so they couldn’t have been haphazardly modified the way the buildings at Zhuowen Academy had been. Therefore, there shouldn’t be any problem with the feng shui at Shishi Academy.

Besides, even if there were a problem with the feng shui, how could feng shui possibly affect the issue of Pen Fairy? It wasn’t impossible, but the likelihood was simply too low.

Chen Yuan looked around. In fact, judging from the areas they had already walked through, the feng shui at Shishi Academy really was impeccable. The possibility of a feng shui-related problem could basically be ruled out. So, if it wasn’t the feng shui, what else could be wrong?

There was simply too little information to analyze at the moment, so Chen Yuan said nothing. He merely looked around, listening to the headmaster explain the situation at the academy while slowly searching for clues.

However, the headmaster had been talking for ages and did nothing but praise the academy’s various merits. After all that talking, he still hadn’t mentioned a word about the issue of Fuji at Shishi Academy.

Everyone understood why Yu Shenliu and Chen Yuan had come. Although they had ostensibly come to conduct an inspection, it was obvious that they were here to investigate the issue of Fuji at Shishi Academy. Who knew what the headmaster was thinking? He insisted on avoiding the subject. But no matter how much he tried to avoid it, could he really get away with it? Obviously not.

After listening to the headmaster ramble on for so long without hearing anything he actually wanted to know, Yu Shenliu realized that the man was trying to brush them off. In fact, this was also because Yu Shenliu had only recently gained real authority. Although he had resolved the problems at Zhuowen Academy, he had yet to establish enough authority to command respect. The headmaster was essentially testing him.

In Huaxia, whether they were called the more traditional “headmasters” or the more Western-style “principals,” school heads technically fell under the jurisdiction of the education bureaus. But because of the importance placed on education, their status and standing were quite high. In fact, there were many times when the government couldn’t necessarily exercise much authority over them. If that weren’t the case, would the headmaster of Shishi Academy really have dared to so blatantly test Yu Shenliu?

Unfortunately for him, Yu Shenliu saw through his calculations perfectly. He merely gave the man a particularly mild smile. Just as the headmaster was beginning to assume that Mayor Yu was probably not a very forceful person, Yu Shenliu suddenly asked:

“Shishi Academy certainly has many fine traditions. Besides the ones you just mentioned, I’ve heard that Shishi Academy has another very famous tradition: practicing Fuji? Or, as it’s sometimes called, Pen Fairy?”

The headmaster’s expression stiffened slightly. He had mentally prepared himself for this, however, so he wasn’t overly awkward. Since Yu Shenliu had asked, he might as well answer.

“Er, well, the Six Arts of the Gentleman have always been an important part of education in Huaxia. Fuji originally developed from the Book of Changes . It belongs to traditional culture, and it is also part of metaphysical culture…” As he said “metaphysical,” the headmaster’s eyes deliberately drifted toward Chen Yuan. “So we have no reason to prevent everyone from practicing Fuji. After all, when scholars gathered in ancient times, practicing Fuji was itself considered an elegant pastime.”

No matter how eloquently the headmaster dressed it up, Yu Shenliu simply held firm to his position. Still smiling, he replied, “Fuji is Fuji, and feudal superstition is feudal superstition. As a learned man, Headmaster, you should be able to tell the difference clearly, shouldn’t you? As the saying goes, ‘Do good deeds and don’t worry about what comes next.’ When scholars practiced Fuji in ancient times, it never ended with someone losing their life.”

The headmaster sheepishly wiped a hand across his forehead, pretending to wipe away sweat, his eyes sliding off to the side.

At that moment, Chen Yuan spoke up. “I need to meet some of the students and get a better understanding of the situation.”

He couldn’t be bothered with however much back-and-forth there was between the headmaster and Yu Shenliu. Since they had come here to solve a problem, he only needed to do what he was good at. If he needed something, he could simply say so. Yu Shenliu would help him get it done in the end anyway. After all, if not for Yu Shenliu, would Chen Yuan have come all this way to get involved in this mess? Wouldn’t it have been better to take on something less troublesome?

After Chen Yuan finished speaking, Yu Shenliu silently fixed his gaze on the headmaster. The meaning was obvious. Since Master Chen had made the request, the academy should at least make the necessary arrangements, shouldn’t it?

The headmaster felt a chill run down his back under that stare. Shifting uncomfortably, he finally spoke with some reluctance. “All right. Let’s go to the Xuepeng first.”

Chen Yuan was still somewhat unaccustomed to this terminology, but he had lived in this world for quite some time now, so it no longer struck him as particularly strange. Since the headmaster had agreed to let them meet the students, Chen Yuan was confident that he could learn more about Shishi Academy’s Fuji practices from them.

The key was simple. Since the students at Shishi Academy practiced Fuji, they clearly had a certain degree of faith in metaphysics. And the Master Chen known as “Chen the Half-Immortal” had already gained some reputation in Jincheng. Surely, they would consider him fairly trustworthy, right?

Make full use of his identity to learn as much as possible, and ultimately figure out what exactly was going on at Shishi Academy. That was what Chen Yuan intended to do.

The head of the Xuepeng was called the Xuekui, meaning its foremost or outstanding member. The Xuekui of Shishi Academy was a tall girl with her hair tied into two braids.

At that moment, several people were sitting around a table in the Xuepeng’s office, talking.

The headmaster introduced Chen Yuan to the Xuekui. She immediately showed a hint of surprise and said, “Are you the Master Chen from Songxian Bridge?”

Compared with Yu Shenliu beside him, she was clearly more interested in Chen Yuan. After all, because Huaxia had retained many customs from the Ming dynasty, scholars enjoyed a relatively high social standing. Students did not have to concern themselves with what government officials thought, and Yu Shenliu had no authority over them anyway.

Chen Yuan, of course, would never call himself a master, so he merely gave a slight nod in greeting.

The Xuekui, however, was extremely enthusiastic. She had originally been sitting beside Chen Yuan, but now she stood up, picked up her chair, moved it a little closer to him, and sat back down. Ignoring Yu Shenliu’s displeased expression, she leaned toward Chen Yuan and said, “Master Chen, please ask me anything you want. If there’s anything I can help with, I definitely won’t refuse. But I do have a question, Master Chen… If I wanted to ask you to perform a divination for me, would I have to take a number at your shop?”

She was clearly trying to establish a connection. Judging by this, the Xuekui really was quite enthusiastic about metaphysics. That also suggested just how prevalent the practice of Fuji must be at Shishi Academy.

Chen Yuan answered calmly, “Normally, yes, you’d have to come to my shop. But if you’d like me to tell your fortune or something like that, I happen to have some time today. I can do it here.”

“Then I’ll ask you after we’re done here. Go ahead and ask your questions first!” Having gotten Chen Yuan’s promise, the Xuekui immediately broke into a smile. She patted her chest confidently. “When it comes to anything going on at the academy, I can tell you pretty much everything. There’s practically nothing that can be kept from me. And if there really is something even I don’t know about, then Shishi Academy is probably in trouble.”

Trying to get close to him? And why does she have to sit so close?

Listening to the two of them talk, Yu Shenliu stared fixedly at the distance between Chen Yuan and the Xuekui, unable to stop himself from pouting.

Normally, he was the only one who could get Chen Yuan to help him with a character reading or tell his fortune outside of working hours, unless it was Huo Shu or Huo Jian. Yet this Xuekui had only just met Chen Yuan, and she had already gotten him to make an exception for her. And she was doing it right in the middle of an investigation, no less. No wonder they called it using one’s position for personal gain. Now even some little student leader from an academy could take advantage of Chen Yuan like this.

Forget it, forget it. No matter what, Yuanyuan was only doing this to help him deal with this miserable assignment from above. It wasn’t as if he would have anything to do with this Xuekui afterward.

Yu Shenliu consoled himself silently.

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