Chapter 516

The morale of the soldiers crossing mountains and rivers is sky-high, like it’s ready to pierce the heavens!

For starters, the marching route is remarkably smooth.

What mountains and rivers could possibly block the horses on this well-packed official road?

As we stride along the well-laid path, there are times when we catch a glimpse of our command center, or more precisely, enjoy the stunning beauty of the Cheonhwa-geom.

But the soldiers’ spirits can’t be explained by that alone.

Initially, their morale is heavily influenced by their commander’s reputation.

The Tenhwa-geom, who faced formidable enemies, broke and rolled yet emerged victorious time and again.

And here are the soldiers, puffing up their chests with pride over nothing related to them.

Thus, we have a comfortable march ahead.

Our second destination, Imgi!

Imgi is the second-largest city following Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province.

If we predict the future of Qing’s hometown in a way, it will likely become a major city on the continent, nestled near the coast with well-developed roads and vast plains, making Jinan seem trivial in comparison.

But for now, it’s still just the second city after Jinan, perhaps due to national laws not favoring maritime endeavors and its distance from the Central Plain, the world’s heart.

Of course, Qing had no way of knowing any of this.

She hadn’t even heard the name of Imgi until Unyeonjeong mentioned it.

After all, Qing’s mental roots are in the borderlands among the barbarians.

In fact, the cultured folks of the Central Plain regard it as a must-visit scenic spot at least once in a lifetime.

If you have an interest in literature, even more so.

From this very area sprang the giant of the Hundreds of Schools and Thousands of Teachers, Xunzi, who argued that humans are irredeemable trash by nature and must be corrected through education.

Moreover, the acknowledged head of the Central Plain, Zhuge Liang, is also from here!

But that’s not all!

Lo and behold! The pride of the Chinese people, the embodiment of Chinese calligraphy, Wang Xizhi, is also from this town!

A great master. The best strategist. The finest calligrapher.

This place has produced all three, a true sanctuary of literature!

So the scholars of the Central Plain, claiming to read a few lines, come to this city seeking the spirit of literature that is thick in the air.

Thus, upon arriving in Imgi, the soldiers do what soldiers do.

Set up a military tent at the encampment.

And the commander does what commanders do.

Meet and receive the hospitality of the sub-mayor of Imgi!

This is a duty of the commander, not a leisure trip.

Politics is fundamentally about securing allies through relationships and neutralizing enemies.

Therefore, the Deputy Commander stationed in Imgi must maintain a good relationship with the branch responsible for this major city.

But the sub-mayor had a slightly different thought.

Sub-mayor of Imgi, Jang Cheong-baek, is a rare conscience among high officials.

He’s lived up to the name bestowed by his parents, which means to be a righteous official.

Of course, within the standards of governance, his conscience holds.

Under heaven, he hasn’t wrongfully accused the innocent for personal gain.

However, is it not a good thing when everyone benefits by offering a helping hand after receiving goodwill?

Still, someone of his standing should surely reside in a grand manor to maintain at least some semblance of dignity.

How can one build a massive estate on a mere pittance?

For the reputation of the branch is necessary for the respect of lower officials to follow along. Yeah.

But!

To be fair, this is still considered a rare conscience among high-ranking officials.

Anyway, Jang Cheong-baek is feeling quite uneasy.

Why the sudden visit from this guy?

There’s nothing to gain from a Deputy Commander who’s ultimately at another level, and instead, the soldiers stationed here will need meals along with their rations.

Isn’t this just going to hurt the city in the end?

Putting the city’s situation before his gain shows the real conscience of a righteous official.

Furthermore, word had it that this was purely for the personal elevation of the Deputy Commander’s career.

What? Escort a precious mama?

No matter the case, this is absurd, especially during the busy harvest season when the troops should be working!

It’s particularly serious for soldiers as it’s a matter of national importance.

To cause harm to the country for one’s personal gains—how could that not be infuriating?

And how does Jang Cheong-baek choose to express this discomfort?

Pouting and acting upset is the work of amateurs.

Politics prioritizes not creating enemies, so no matter how bitter it gets, can he risk turning into a foe?

Thus, Jang Cheong-baek invited Wang Sang-ryong to a chat in Wang Xizhi’s former residence.

Wang Xizhi’s former residence, where the greatest calligrapher of the Central Plain, Wang Xizhi, lived, has now turned into a sanctuary of Confucian scholars and a school.

In Qing’s hometown terms, it’s an educational institution and a museum.

While receptions would usually involve fine wines and delicacies to curry favor, why bring them to such a scholarly setting full of elegant ink and strong aromas of paper?

As a citizen of the Emperor, remember the spirit of the Confucian scholars.

It’s an elegant reminder to recognize shame and reflect!

Of course, Wang Sang-ryong understood this well.

How could a high-ranking official like a Deputy Commander not comprehend such mild metaphors?

But Wang Sang-ryong stands firm.

He’s in the presence of a mama who’s capable of a heavenly proclamation, after all.

This isn’t about personal gains, but a duty of a servant commanding the military.

So Wang Sang-ryong keeps nudging the sub-mayor with a sharp gaze.

“Hey, branch office head, what’s going on here? Hurry up and prepare fine wines and delicacies for the mama!”

The sub-mayor snorts and rolls his eyes.

A precious mama, you say, but she’s just a martial world individual?

With all this fuss over the ‘Most Beautiful in the World’, I’m curious just how beautiful she is, and even with puffy cheeks, she can’t hide her true beauty, which is indeed something.

But still, she’s just a martial world person, right?

Do martial world folks know about loyalty?

Do they understand the noble intentions of Confucianism or the Hundreds of Schools and Thousands of Teachers? They simply rampage with strength!

Do martial world folks even grasp the immortality of words?

A sword only shows off its might today, but once it’s buried in the ground, it rusts away.

However, words endure forever, passing on enlightenment that nurtures people, making the brush mightier than the sword—it’s the very principle of the world!

So what about Qing?

She gazes at a large scroll hanging in the old house.

“Etiquette is the greatest part of the law, the foundation for all.”

“Oh wow. Xunzi.”

“Do you know Xunzi?”

“How could I? It would be audacious to claim I know the words of a giant! It’s quite embarrassing; I only briefly studied under the Heavenly Scholar, so I can just recognize a few lines.”

Jang Cheong-baek straightens his hunched back with a whoosh.

“Are you referring to the Heavenly Scholar, the giant from the Hall of Literature?”

“Yes. I’m a lacking disciple, but I’m honored to have learned under him.”

To say she learned under someone is very different from merely stating she was taught at the Hall of Literature.

While everyone in the Hall of Literature might express they learned from the world’s greatest master, in truth, such students refer simply to having studied there.

But saying you have a master implies a real disciple-master bond—what they call a direct disciple.

“Oh, how is the giant doing?”

Jang Cheong-baek studied at the Hall of Literature.

Though the Confucian scholars may have lost their power, still, the youth of noble families study there, finding numerous positions in governance.

Rather, the reputation of the Confucian scholars is shaky, hence a partnership among fellow students to hold discussions about what officials should do—but they all bemoan how they’re just filling their own bellies through letters exchanged.

So when Jang Cheong-baek meets a junior, he feels incredibly pleased.

Is the peach still abundant in the Academy of the Hall of Literature? Is the lady still running her shop? Is the tavern on the east still filled with scholars who noisily gather? Just thinking back brings tears of longing to his eyes, and so forth…

Suddenly, Jang Cheong-baek’s demeanor softens.

What? Is this kid here trying to pull on academic connections?

A demure cat climbing onto the stove first, pretending to be all refined while trying to build relationships?

“Ah, indeed. Now that you’ve come to Wang Xizhi’s residence, why not leave a piece of writing behind?”

“A piece of writing?”

“Just as a keepsake. Since you’ve stepped into the birthplace of the divine brush, it’s only appropriate for a person wielding a brush to offer a piece of writing in reverence!”

“Oh, a guestbook.”

“Hey! Are there any juniors around!? A precious guest is leaving a piece of writing, prepare something for the occasion!”

-“A special occasion?”

“A student from the Hall of Literature, you see.”

-“Oh! Understood! I’ll get it ready right away!”

Qing thought this was akin to visiting a tourist site, just providing a simple memento of who visited.

In fact, that was pretty much the case.

Writing a piece while enjoying the scenery at Wang Xizhi’s former home was a common sequence for cultured folks.

By the way, they say the paper here is outrageously expensive, hinting at some huge profits.

The price of the paper varies greatly based on its material and size—some claim the largest and finest paper is called the ‘special occasion’ type.

Once the paper was brought out, Qing gazed down at a massive piece spread out in the large academy.

What’s up? Is this guestbook a bit oversized?

Well, I suppose I can write big?

Qing pondered for a moment.

Since Xunzi is from this town, right?

Holding a large brush, she dipped it in ink boldly, and with a single flourish, the four large characters settled onto the paper.

“Ma Jung Ji Bong” (麻中之蓬)

This idiom means “A wormwood growing among hemp”, suggesting that even a crooked wormwood can grow straight if planted among straight hemp, conveying that associating with good people naturally helps one become a better person, reflecting Xunzi’s teachings.

Though humans are inherently trash from birth, the belief was that they could be transformed through education, the hope of a great giant.

And then, the academy exploded in excitement.

“What a magnificent piece of writing!”

“Each stroke weighs a thousand thanks, its form like the boundless sea—it cannot be disturbed or harmed!”

“Such writing exists in the world!?”

“Incredible!” “Ohhhh!” “Woooah…!”

“Wait! Don’t move! Dust will settle on it! Get some grass! Quickly! We need to preserve it and display it!”

The deputy head, Jang Cheong-baek, was deep in conflict.

Can I not take this with me?

If I hung it in my office, every time I felt bored, I could gaze upon this ultimate piece of writing and realize that every joy would feel useless, as I could endlessly admire it without growing tired!

Everyone stepping in would be astonished and impressed; wouldn’t one piece of writing add more dignity than ten thousand soldiers?

And the dignity of the branch equated to the dignity of the government, so wouldn’t claiming this be the most patriotic act of all?

At the same time, he realized why the Heavenly Scholar respected this woman as his direct disciple.

With writing like that, even if he weren’t a heavenly scholar but a university master, how could he not take her as a student?

“You are already a great giant.”

“Huh?”

“I am embarrassed and utterly humbled.”

Seeing as this disheartened Deputy Commander treated her with utmost respect and mustered troops for her, how could there be any more shameful act than presuming to discipline such greatness?

“Aren’t you still waiting for your meal? Now that you’re in Imgi, you must be brought to the Nangya Tower to gaze upon the stunning scenery!”

At this, a smile crept across Qing’s face.

Oh wow, they’re feeding me!

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