Chapter 225: Xiangshan Academy

After leaving Wangjiang Tower, Mu Feng did not go to register at Xiangshan Academy right away. Instead, he walked around the city and found an inn to stay. The next day, after bathing, changing clothes, and washing up, he headed toward the world-famous Xiangshan Academy.

The reason he refreshed himself, bathed, and changed clothes before registering was not out of vanity, but out of respect for the thousand-year-old academy.

The ancients said, a calm heart naturally feels cool. Similarly, a clean body and mind, self-discipline, and self-respect naturally fill the heart with righteousness.

It was hard to imagine how a messy person with unkempt hair, a sour smell all over, and clothes worn for years without washing could truly settle down to read and study deeply.

Clothes could be plain, even full of patches, but they should not be dirty or untidy. This was the self-discipline of a scholar, and it also showed respect for others. Under his mother’s guidance, Mu Feng learned this principle when he was very young.

Jiangling City was large and populous; it was said to have millions of residents. The whole city was built with mountains and rivers nearby, and within the city, one could often see undulating streets and hills. For an average person, walking from the east side of the city to the west took almost half a day. The famous Xiangshan Academy was located on a hill in the east of the city.

On the hill, trees provided shade, and it was planted with lemongrass unique to the Southern Borderlands. From afar, one could smell a faint, delicate fragrance, hence the name Xiangshan.

To the people of the Southern Borderlands, the thousand-year-old Xiangshan Academy was not only the foremost sanctuary of learning but also a symbol and pride of Jiangling Prefecture. Unlike what one might expect, the academy was not strictly guarded or isolated; ordinary people could come and go freely, experiencing the atmosphere of scholarly pursuit and touching the weight of history.

Following the flow of people, Mu Feng slowly arrived at the academy’s entrance. Looking up at the couplet on the gate, he unconsciously stopped in his tracks.

Left scroll: The sound of wind, the sound of rain, the sound of reading—each sound enters the ear.

Right scroll: Family matters, state matters, all matters under heaven—every matter is of concern.

Horizontal plaque: Xiangshan Academy.

The couplet on the gate was not written on paper and pasted up but carved directly into stone slabs, bold and powerful. The stone slabs were mottled, clearly weathered by time, yet the characters carved on them remained clear and striking.

The writing reflected the person; the large characters carved at the entrance embodied the academy’s aspirations.

Clearly, the founder who built this academy did not want to produce rigid, bookish scholars who only studied dead books. Instead, with fervent passion, they hoped to cultivate generations of outstanding talents to achieve great deeds and serve the country!

“Good, good!”

Mu Feng nodded, took a deep breath, and continued inside.

After seeing the couplet carved on the gate, he understood why Xiangshan Academy could be passed down for a thousand years, standing firm through countless storms and the trials of war.

As long as every generation of students in the academy possessed such integrity and ambition, this academy would never perish. Buildings could be repaired if they collapsed, rebuilt if burned down by fire, passed down forever through generations. Sons and grandsons could all grow up within this academy, then go to the battlefield and become pillars of successive dynasties.

At this moment, Mu Feng suddenly understood why, for thousands of years, the scholar class had been the mainstay of every dynasty. For no other reason than that the scholar class had a deep-rooted and broad foundation among the people. Every capable talent could be said to come almost entirely from such academies. Thus, naturally, no matter whose rule it was, they could not do without the support of the scholar class.

Those who lose the people’s hearts, no matter how strong the empire, cannot last more than three generations; while those who lose the support of the scholar class might collapse at any moment!

Perhaps because he lingered at the gate for a while, Mu Feng had not walked far when a woman in white gracefully approached him. She bowed and said, “Young sir, if you are here to visit, please be mindful of safety and avoid overly remote areas. If you are a new student enrolled this year, please follow me to register over here.”

“I am a new student. Thank you, Miss.” Mu Feng bowed in return.

Without looking closely, just a quick glance made him amazed by the beauty of the woman in white before him. Dressed in pure white, her clothes were spotless; her face bore no makeup, and her natural, fresh look was especially striking. On her sleeves, there was also an emblem of an ancient book and a long sword, indicating that she was a student of the academy, not a welcoming maid.

That such a large academy had both male and female students, and such a beautiful female disciple, surprised Mu Feng. It also deepened his respect for the thousand-year-old Xiangshan Academy.

Those who achieve great things do not fuss over minor details. Similarly, a renowned academy with a long history should break away from some vulgar customs and avoid the bad habits common in ordinary private schools. Having men and women study together, debate, and comprehend principles equally—this was the bold vision it should have.

Even before officially becoming a member of the academy, Mu Feng felt more interest in this place.

“Young sir, please write your name and place of origin here.” The woman in white smiled, leading Mu Feng to a nearby pavilion and presenting him with paper and brush with both hands.

“Thank you!”

Mu Feng took the paper and brush, turned to the latest page, and with bold strokes, wrote the four characters: “Jianning Mu Feng.”

“Ah, young sir, you… you are the Jianning First Scholar, Mu Feng of Mu Manor?”

Seeing the writing in the register, the woman in white exclaimed in surprise, looking up at the plainly dressed Mu Feng with shining eyes. Hearing her cry, several nearby students quickly gathered around, and more and more people came over.

“That’s right, it’s me. Is there a problem, Miss?” Seeing the surprised woman in white, Mu Feng smiled.

“No, no problem.”

The woman in white hurriedly replied. After confirming Mu Feng’s identity, she seemed both excited and nervous, accidentally dropping the brush in her hand. After picking it up, seeing Mu Feng’s smile, she couldn’t help but blush.

“Well, if there’s no problem, I’ll be going now. Thank you, Miss!”

Noticing the blush on the woman’s face, Mu Feng smiled and turned to leave.

Although men and women studying together was nothing unusual, asking a female student about things like where new male students should stay was not very appropriate. He planned to walk around the academy first and, if he couldn’t find the place, ask a male student instead.

“Um, wait, Young Master Mu, please hold on!”

Before Mu Feng had gone far, the woman in white quickly caught up to him and said, “Young Master Mu, your name has long been known throughout our academy. If you were an ordinary disciple, you would just register here, receive the standard robe for a first-level student, and be on your way. But for a scholar with an official rank, especially a talented Xiucai like you, there is an additional public assessment required to accurately determine your level, so that teaching can be tailored to your abilities in the future.”

Tailor teaching to abilities?

Mu Feng was a bit surprised. Turning to look at the woman in white who had chased after him, he couldn’t help feeling even more curious about this world-famous Xiangshan Academy!