Chapter 7: Suffering Punishment on Behalf of Beauty
Others were so shocked, not because Du He answered incorrectly, but because his answer was too good.
This ancient text is difficult to understand, and the meaning of the ancients is hard to clarify. Especially for classical works from the Spring and Autumn period, there are no punctuation marks or fixed translations, which is why they have evolved into various schools of thought.
The same sentence can give rise to millions of different understandings.
The teacher who can teach these high-ranking officials' sons must be a great Confucian scholar of the time. As a great Confucian scholar, he has his own understanding of the ancient meaning and teaches students based on his own understanding.
But Du He's answer was based on his own understanding of the sentence, he was a top student in the Chinese department and had a thousand years of experience that others did not have, so his answer naturally differed from what Mr. taught.
These objections are like pushing old things out in a new way, making people's eyes shine brightly, seemingly more fitting than the explanation given by the gentleman.
He twirled his sparse goat beard, pondered for a moment, cleared his throat and said, "Well, not bad, very good, sit down!" The nearly seventy-year-old man found it hard to accept that his student's answer was more profound than his own, but he couldn't find any flaws in it, so he had no choice but to let him sit down.
Fang Yi Ai let out a long sigh and spoke in a low voice to Du He, expressing her admiration.
The neighbor Li Xueyan also tilted her head and whispered: "After three days apart, one should look at each other with new eyes."
Du He's bull-like face was tilted upwards with a forced smile, adopting a swan-like pose: "Too kind, too kind!"
Huh?
That expression is either a swan or a duck, and different people have different opinions.
"Pfft!" Li Xueyan couldn't help but burst out laughing and gave him a sideways glance: "Virtuous!"
Perhaps it was the loud laughter that caught the old scholar off guard.
The old Confucian scholar scowled and said in a deep voice: "Li Xueyan, do you think my lectures are amusing?"
Li Xueyan's face turned pale with a smile, and she stood up slightly trembling.
"Haha, this fake kid is going to get it, can't escape the top ten slaps!" Behind Du He came Fang Yi'ai's gloating voice.
Du He really wanted to drag out the bastard behind him and beat him up, saying in a low voice: "You won't actually hit me, will you?"
"That's false, this old fellow is named Kong Yingda, but he's a famous stubborn old man. As the Minister of Education, he's in charge of the country's education system. The ruler in his hand was given by Your Majesty, specifically to hit people like us, and even the Crown Prince has been publicly flogged by this old man many times."
What a fierce old fellow!
Du He saw Kong Yingda's old face looking gloomy, and secretly thought it was not good. If it weren't for Li Xueyan laughing out loud, he suddenly stood up and said: "It's me who made a fool of myself to make her laugh."
Du He became the focus of attention at this stop.
Li Xueyan looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and worry.
The anxious-looking Princess Chang Le also showed an unexpected expression and looked at him for a while longer.
Seeing such a long grandson, Zhong's face became even more gloomy.
Fang Yi's eyes widened in horror as he whispered: "Boss, you're playing with fire!"
Kong Lao's eyes widened in surprise, Li Xueyan was clever and quick-witted, with a beautiful writing style, usually pleasing him, while Du He was just a pest in the school, like a mouse turd in the soup.
There isn't a teacher who doesn't like good students, and there isn't a teacher who doesn't dislike troublemakers.
"Sit down!" This was of course directed at Li Xueyan.
"Reach out your hand!"
Du He secretly poured the little internal force in his body into his palm and stretched it out.
"Who has never made a mistake? It's good to be able to correct one's mistakes. There's no greater virtue than that! You dare to bravely admit your mistakes, I'm delighted. Write down the ten rules, next time you make another mistake, double punishment!"
As soon as old Kong finished speaking, there was a loud "crack" in the silent midst of the ravens and sparrows.
Du He's eyes widened in an instant, this old man was really ruthless!
Even if he had mobilized his internal energy beforehand, it would have been of no use; the pain from the needle piercing his palm made him almost cry out.
Just this touch, Du He clearly felt a slight bulge in the palm of his hand.
No wonder Li Xueyan's face turned white at the time, this old man Kung's corporal punishment was not ordinary, and it is unknown where this old fellow who had one foot in the coffin got such strength.
Du He is a man, and most men care about their dignity. Although Lao Kong's methods were extremely ruthless, Du He still didn't make a sound.
The old man with a hole in his back was panting and out of breath as he came down from the third floor, looking like he might pass out at any moment.
Du He looked at his hands with a pitiful expression, his original hands were very beautiful, slender fingers like spring onions, but now they have become scallion pancakes, slightly fried and they would be a big meal.
"Sit down, you two have disturbed the classroom. Go back and each of you copy the school rules twenty times, and submit them to me tomorrow."
Old Kong continued his lesson after finishing speaking.
Fang Yi Ai quietly handed over a bottle from behind and said in a low voice: "This is the best wound medicine, it's pain-relieving."
Du He secretly smiled and had already prepared medicine, it seems that this kid hadn't been spared from beatings before.
Du He poured some medicine and casually applied it twice. The pain indeed eased a lot.
The sun moves when it is empty, and the bell rings, indicating that the time for rest has arrived.
"Are you all right?" came Li Xueyan's concerned inquiry from beside her.
"My body is as strong as a cow, only thirty years old, what's the big deal?" Du He scratched his palm and flexed his arm, striking a pose to show off his strength, but when he touched the affected area on his hand, his eyebrows still furrowed.
"Look at you showing off!" Li Xueyan scolded him with a glance, pulled his hand over, saw that the palm was swollen with a lump, took out the wound medicine Du He used in class, and carefully applied it to him.
"Let me take the blame, at most it's just ten lashes, why bother sticking up for me?"
Du He didn't hesitate and replied, "How can this be? I'm a man, a big man, how can I let you, a girl, suffer this injustice. That old guy hit so hard, ten slaps came down, your beautiful little hands are still recognizable!"
"You're quite manly, I didn't notice that before... Alright!" Li Xueyan heard Du He praise her small hands being pretty and red, suddenly smiled and called out, clapping her hands, with a look of great accomplishment.
Girls are meticulous, unlike Du He's casual swipes, Li Xueyan applied the powder evenly.
"No way!" Li Xueyan's smile had barely been on her face for ten seconds when her eyebrows furrowed again.
Du He looked at him strangely.
Li Xueyan said, "With this, as soon as I move my hand, the medicine powder will fall down." After thinking for a moment, she took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully bandaged Du He's wound. Only then did she reveal a sweet smile.
Du He moved his palm and smiled: "The craftsmanship is good, it feels much better."
"That's it!" Li Xueyan imitated Du He's tone and said, "Not even looking at who it is?"
Du He burst out laughing.
Li Xueyan also couldn't help but laugh along with her.
Li Xueyan's laughter is very pleasant, just like the call of a skylark, making people feel intoxicated.
"Snow Goose, let's go!" Princess Chang Le looked back at Li Xueyan with a glance, her eyes passing over Du He's body with a hint of warning.
Du He disdainfully curled his lip, he understood why Chang Le Gongzhu was like this, but in his heart, it wasn't pleasant. He wasn't really Du He, and with Chang Le Gongzhu, they had just met. Being disliked by a woman he had just met, no matter how beautiful she was, Du He couldn't possibly have any good feelings towards her.
Princess Chang Le's eyes flashed with a hint of strangeness as she followed Li Xueyan out of the school.
"Big brother!" Fang Yi'ai called out with a nauseating tone, warmly walking up to him and patting his shoulder: "From now on, Qing Lian will be my big brother. Big brother, please teach your little brother a few moves, let me learn from you this amazing skill."
"Go, go, go!" Du He pushed him and walked out of the school building.
Fang Yi Ai hurriedly followed up, shouting "Big Brother" non-stop.
"Chang Sun brother, that Du He is really too detestable." A refined and elegant literary beast came to Chang Sun Chong's side, speaking with a vicious tone.
Chang Sun Chong smiled slyly: "Listen to me, after school, we'll teach them a good lesson."
Du He walked out of the school building and suddenly stopped, giving a cold laugh.