Chapter 107: Guiding the Situation

Seeing the once-glorious Jasmine Pavilion Academy gradually fall silent again, the once-lively study halls filled with the sound of reading now empty, with only a few people coming to read and listen to lectures each day. In the past, whenever he came to lecture at the Jasmine Pavilion, not only would the xiucai and licentiates studying at the academy be present, but even scholars and gentry who were not enrolled would flock here, filling the lecture hall.

These grand occasions were now a thing of the past. The charm of the Jasmine Pavilion Academy had faded, especially in the last year. Most of the students had dropped out, and the few who remained showed signs of restlessness. The number of people who came to audit Liu Jinshi’s lectures was also dwindling. The local gentry and their children rarely showed up. Some, though they came often, were only there to greet him and chat, showing little interest in the content of the lectures.

Liu Dalin was very anxious. It wasn’t because his appeal was not what it used to be, but because he felt that the “learning of the sages” in Lin’gao was once again in decline.

This decline was unlike the decline in the past, which was caused by economic difficulties. At that time, although the county could not issue money and rice, and the xiucai could only live in poverty, while the licentiates were even more miserable, everyone still had a “love of learning.” Liu Dalin had heard Wang Ci talk more than once about how a certain licentiate in the county would work in the fields during the day and read during his breaks, and how a certain xiucai would read while herding cattle and chopping firewood… These kinds of inspirational stories about studying. The grand occasion after the restoration of the Jasmine Pavilion Academy showed the enthusiasm of the local scholars for learning.

Now, this spirit of learning was completely gone. The scholars seemed to have become different people, all eager to work and make money, build houses, get married, and buy all kinds of “Australian goods,” casting the learning of the sages aside. In their daily conversations, they all talked about “Australian learning.”

But he really couldn’t blame the Australians. Not only was the Jasmine Pavilion Academy restored by the Australians, but even the desks, chairs, and stationery used by the students, along with a not-so-small library with several hundred volumes of classics and historical works, all came from the “donations” of the Australians.

Even the monthly stipend that the students received while studying here came entirely from a “foundation” established by the Australians.

In this matter, the Australians were truly blameless. Not only did they not suppress Confucianism in any way, but they also provided a better learning environment than before, allowing many scholars who were originally starving and freezing to study with peace of mind, with enough food and clothing. Providing a large number of books for free borrowing was an “extravagant act” that the local scholars of the past could not even have dreamed of.

However, the students were constantly leaving, abandoning the “righteous path” of the sages to work for the Australians. Why was this?

Liu Dalin had considered this question for a long time. He realized that, in the final analysis, it was just human nature to “seek profit.” After all, Confucian scholars were also human! They could not escape the two words “human desire.” Since ancient times, scholars had studied to become officials. The vast majority, while saying they were serving the country and the people, were ultimately doing it for their own fame and fortune.

The scholars of Lin’gao had always had a difficult time on the path of studying to become officials. In Liu Dalin’s view, this path was almost impassable in Lin’gao. Not only was it impassable in Lin’gao, but the number of people in the entire Qiongzhou Prefecture who could walk this path could be counted on one’s fingers.

However, this was, after all, a path for scholars to “leap over the dragon’s gate.” Even if they couldn’t get a juren or jinshi degree, getting a xiucai degree, being exempt from two stones of grain tax, and being considered a respectable figure in the countryside… this was enough to make people grit their teeth and persevere on this path.

Now, the Australians had provided an effortless path of “studying to become an official,” and you didn’t even have to “study well.” As long as a scholar could read and write, they could get a job under the Australians and live a decent life. Even the most incompetent, clumsy fools who had been beaten after every licentiate examination were now tutors at Fangcaodi, looking quite like teachers.

Everything the Australians did was closely tied to the word “profit.” From setting up a market to attract merchants when they first landed, to later clearing and measuring the fields, equalizing the tax burden, and establishing the Tiandi Hui to help farmers… all their actions were aimed at the people’s desire for profit, a model of guiding the situation.

Liu Dalin had a hidden worry. He felt that the Australians had a very terrible hidden agenda, but he couldn’t produce any evidence to prove his thoughts. Because this group of people, who put “profit” first and were best at using benefits to guide the people, were themselves not profit-seeking. Not to mention their almost affected simplicity, even their daily administration—from anyone’s perspective, was doing good deeds.

Suppressing bandits, undertaking public works for disaster relief, helping refugees, building water conservancy projects, building bridges and paving roads, encouraging industry and commerce, supporting agriculture, and establishing schools… these were all things that cost a great deal of money and brought little benefit to the court. In the past, if a local official had seriously done one or two of these things during his term, even if it was only one-tenth or one-hundredth of what the Australians had done, it would have been enough to make the people of the whole county grateful.

Not to mention that since the Australians came, almost everyone in the county, from the gentry to the common people, had benefited from them, and their lives were getting better day by day. Not only were the local people better off, but the Australians also took in a large number of refugees, letting them settle down here, start farms, and open workshops, so that everyone had work, food, and clothing. Although it was still not a case of “no one picks up lost property on the road, and doors are not locked at night…” in Lin’gao today, it was true that the common people had never had it so good.

Now, the Australians were not only doing this in Lin’gao, but they were also gradually expanding to the entire Qiongzhou Prefecture, and even starting to affect Leizhou across the strait.

Liu Dalin had read the history books. How could he not know that this was a plan for “hegemony”? In fact, for some time now, rumors that the Australians were going to change the dynasty had been circulating in the market, and were even being openly mentioned among the gentry of the county.

Liu Dalin had always maintained an attitude of not participating and not commenting on such conversations. In fact, he was very conflicted about the Australians in his heart. On the one hand, everything the Australians did was “for the benefit of the people.” On the other hand, as a jinshi of the Great Ming, he felt “deeply indebted to the emperor’s grace” and did not want the Australians to one day challenge the Central Plains. Given the state of the Great Ming, once a war broke out, the Australians would be like a destructive force! The small Jianzhou Jurchens were already a great threat to the court. If it were the “short-hair thieves,” the consequences would probably be even more unpredictable. Every time he thought of this, he didn’t want to think any further.

He suddenly sighed. “Alas! To teach without discrimination, to teach without discrimination, are we worthy of it? Why is it that these Australians have achieved it?”

Seeing that Liu Dalin’s tone was not right, Huang Bingkun quickly said, “These short-hair thieves are now powerful and wealthy, so naturally they want to dabble in elegance and win the hearts of the people. But in terms of poetry and prose, in the entire county of Lin’gao, the headmaster is still unparalleled. The headmaster’s visit to the short-hairs’ school is just to broaden his horizons and gain some knowledge.”

Liu Dalin looked at the chattering Second Young Master Huang, who wanted to continue persuading him, with amusement. He thought that this “anti-short-hair faction” member was suddenly so interested in the Australians’ school, clearly wanting to use his name to “explore” Fangcaodi. He actually had the same intention.

These days, some of his former classmates from his studies in Guangdong, and his peers from the provincial examinations, whether they were close or not, had all written to Liu Dalin. On the one hand, it was to “reminisce about old times,” but more importantly, it was to probe him about the origins and details of the Lin’gao Australians. Some asked if they could do business with them, some asked why they did not respect the king’s authority, some asked if their firearms were really as sharp as rumored, and some asked Liu Dalin to buy some of the Australians’ strange and rare toys. The requests were numerous and varied.

Liu Dalin had just recovered from a serious illness. Reading these letters, he suddenly realized how pale and ignorant his understanding of the Australians was. This group of people, who at first seemed like overseas barbarians, had actually caused so many scholars from Guangdong to write to him for details. Neither Kong Youde, who had caused chaos in Shandong, nor the Jianzhou Jurchens outside the pass, had attracted such attention from those scholars. Those were just rebellions by military men. It seemed that the influence of the Australians in Guangdong was growing day by day.

Huang Bingkun was getting nervous under Scholar Liu’s gaze and didn’t know what to say. Suddenly, he saw Liu Dalin straighten his back, as if he were lecturing at the county school, sitting in his wheelchair, and said seriously, “I think that although the Australians’ learning is different from ours, they still have great depth in their hearts. Moreover, they are of the same Chinese lineage, by no means barbarians. I will go and ask Teacher Wang to mediate, so that we can also go and see the Australians’ school, to increase our knowledge and broaden our horizons.”

Huang Bingkun had finally persuaded Liu Dalin, and a stone was lifted from his heart. Fangcaodi was now mainly a boarding school. Only immediate family members could make an appointment to visit students, and when Huang Ping had registered, Huang Bingkun was not listed as a family member. Moreover, the Huang family still had a blood feud with the short-hairs for killing their son. Even if the Huang family no longer had any thoughts of revenge, the short-hair thieves would surely be on their guard.

He left Liu Dalin’s house and returned to the Jasmine Pavilion Academy, hoping to find some xiucai to go with him to make a bigger show of it. But the academy was empty. The east and west wings, which were once hard to get a bed in, were now empty, the beds and desks all bare. Only a few beds looked like they were still occupied.

As he was wandering around, a hand suddenly clapped heavily on his right shoulder. Huang Bingkun, preoccupied with his thoughts, was startled. He turned around and saw his comrade-in-arms, the “Dung Tyrant” Young Master Li. This Young Master Li had not been to the study for a long time and had been busy going in and out of the County Consultative Bureau. His sudden appearance at the academy was quite abrupt.

“Hey, Brother Huang, have you been well?”

“You! You scared me to death, what are you doing!?”

“Brother Huang, truly, those who understand the times are the wise.”

“What, what’s the matter?”

“Don’t pretend, Brother Huang. Your Huang family village, aren’t you all going to join that Tiandi Hui?”

“What! You, what did you say?!”