Chapter 215: Imperial Examination Degree and Wealth

Often, people had limitations in their thinking.

Very simple problems were overcomplicated by smart people who liked to overthink and dive too deep into the easiest questions.

Clearly, Wang Shouren was in such a situation.

He believed that the “Way” he pursued was the truth. Since it was the “Way” and “truth,” how could it be so foolish?

But when Fang Jifan suggested correcting one’s mistakes upon realizing them, Wang Shouren had a sudden awakening and froze in shock again.

Fang Jifan looked at this guy and felt a strange ache in his heart.

Just how much was this brain thinking? Would this guy get stuck overthinking, go crazy, and end up tearing down the Fang Family?

Fang Jifan then said, “How can you know whether what you’re doing is right or wrong if you don’t get your hands dirty? As long as you’re doing it, you can reflect on your successes and failures. That’s how you gain knowledge. It’s like when you studied bamboo—staring at it and trying to understand its principles was meaningless. But if you planted bamboo yourself, whether it grew or not, you’d still gain knowledge. The more mistakes you identify, the greater your chances of success in anything you do in the future.”

Watching Wang Shouren quietly listening to him, Fang Jifan paused before continuing, “Have you heard of the old oil-seller? Knowledge in the world isn’t that profound. It’s all like the old oil-seller—it’s just a matter of practice. The more you do, the more skilled you become. The lessons from your mistakes and successes can be applied elsewhere. This is how practice leads to true knowledge, the Unity of Knowledge and Action.”

“Practice…leads to true knowledge.” Wang Shouren’s eyes lit up, and his face filled with joy. “This student has been enlightened.”

A Sage was truly a Sage, able to ponder everything… Ah, no—this guy was now his disciple. He had been downgraded and no longer deserved the word “ponder.” It should be “muddle through” instead.

And so, Wang Shouren settled in.

The worst outcome did not happen, which gradually eased Fang Jifan’s worries.

As for the schoolchildren, they sparked a whimsical idea in Fang Jifan.

With so many children, just setting up a private school for them to study—was that…impressive?

No!

In that case, why not make it grand and upscale?

Fang Jifan smacked his forehead in embarrassment. How shameful! As a time traveler, he had actually forgotten about marketing!

With the idea in mind, he cheerfully headed to the House of the Crown Prince.

Zhu Houzhao had been behaving much more reservedly lately. The moment he saw Fang Jifan, his face lit up with joy, though he tried to keep a stern expression. “Old Fang, it’s been ages since you last visited. What, do you despise This Palace so much now?”

Fang Jifan smiled warmly at him, his gaze especially tender. Zhu Houzhao, in turn, felt a bit unnerved by the intense stare.

“Your Highness, it’s you—you’re the one I’ve been looking for!” Fang Jifan said with deep affection.

Zhu Houzhao looked at Fang Jifan, confused. “What…what do you mean?”

“Academy.”

“Academy?”

Hearing the word “Academy,” Zhu Houzhao immediately lost interest. He pursed his lips and looked up at the sky. “Lovely weather today.”

Fang Jifan blinked, trying to add a sparkle to his eyes. “The Academy Head must be Your Highness, no one else.”

“What?” Zhu Houzhao’s body jolted in surprise. Then he said, “What Academy Head? This Palace being a teacher to Scholars…doesn’t seem appropriate.”

“Your Highness is learned and immensely talented. Without Your Highness, the Western Hills Academy would remain in darkness forever. That’s why I’ve come to humbly request Your Highness to take up the role of Academy Head at Western Hills Academy.”

Zhu Houzhao rested his chin on his hand, eyeing Fang Jifan suspiciously. “Why does it feel like you’re tricking This Palace?”

“Not at all! Your Highness’s knowledge isn’t limited to ordinary Eight-Legged Essays. Your brilliance is something common bookworms lack. Others may not see it, but I do! So Your Highness must not refuse. I’m serious. Your Highness surely knows I’m not good at lying.” Fang Jifan gazed intently at Zhu Houzhao.

At this moment, Zhu Houzhao was bound to start doubting himself.

Teenagers in their rebellious years were often like this—both arrogant and insecure. When feeling high-spirited, they’d boast about being the best in the world, dismissing everyone else as trash. But when feeling low, they’d believe they were good for nothing.

So now, Fang Jifan had to bravely meet Zhu Houzhao’s doubtful gaze.

Zhu Houzhao and Fang Jifan locked eyes.

Fang Jifan didn’t even blink, which gave Zhu Houzhao a bit of confidence. “Western Hills Academy?”

“Yes, Western Hills Academy.”

It sounded quite impressive.

Fang Jifan patiently explained, “Your Highness will be the Honorary Academy Head, and I will serve as the Executive Academy Head. Your role is more senior, of course. Most importantly, the faculty—I plan to have my six disciples give lectures after their duties or during Official Holidays. They are all Metropolitan Graduates, after all. On regular days, we will also invite renowned teachers with students all over the world to teach their courses. I’m not exaggerating—with Your Highness’s knowledge, plus the expertise of me and my disciples, Western Hills Academy will likely have no equal in the entire region north of the Yangtze River.”

“That sounds somewhat interesting. Can This Palace teach them horseback riding?” Zhu Houzhao raised an eyebrow, his eyes glimmering with something akin to anticipation.

“Of course, but Western Hills Academy is quite poor and has no horses. Your Highness could sponsor some.” Fang Jifan said very candidly.

“…” Zhu Houzhao finally broke into a cheerful laugh. “This Palace may not have much silver, but there are plenty of horses tributed from various regions. This Palace isn’t boasting—the finest horses in the world are all here with This Palace.”

“Your Highness is truly wise.” Fang Jifan looked utterly sincere.

At that moment, Zhu Houzhao felt a tiny hint of being tricked.

But…whatever.

Zhu Houzhao was, by nature, a carefree person who rarely bothered with such trivial matters. So he said, “Then This Palace should prepare so the students don’t underestimate This Palace. Should This Palace read a bit to pretend to be scholarly?”

“…”

Zhu Houzhao grew more and more excited as he thought about it, rubbing his hands together.

In the past, he had always been the one being lectured. Even though everyone in the House of the Crown Prince treated him with respect, what he always heard was, “Your Highness, you can’t do that,” “Your Highness, a Noble Person should act like this,” “Your Highness, have you finished your homework?”

Now, however, he felt a sense of reversal. He used to feel like a son to everyone; he never imagined he could someday feel a bit like a father to others.

…

Watching Zhu Houzhao’s excitement, Fang Jifan wondered if coming to see him had been the right decision. Truthfully, he rather disliked Zhu Houzhao. This Crown Prince was quite the troublemaker. If it weren’t for the need to make the academy stand out and secure a more powerful backer, he wouldn’t have invited Zhu Houzhao at all.

But the matter was settled!

As the weather grew colder, autumn brought chilly winds.

The Little Ice Age had already begun. Fortunately, it hadn’t snowed yet, but frost was visible in the early mornings.

At Western Hills, Greenhouses were being set up one after another. Over a hundred thousand acres of land, including over a hundred thousand acres of barren hills, had been cultivated and planted with Sweet Potatoes. The Sweet Potato leaves had already sprouted, and it would soon be time for harvest.

Sweet Potatoes were drought-resistant and thrived especially well in poor soil.

Compared to their remarkably high yield, this was the Sweet Potato’s greatest advantage. After all, land had always been a scarce resource. Precisely because of this scarcity, the ability to grow food on previously unusable land was truly astonishing.

Zhang Xin carried Bamboo Slips with him every day, running around everywhere. The growth of the Sweet Potatoes varied from plot to plot, and he needed to record the growth in different fields. Only by documenting this could he ultimately understand the Sweet Potato’s behavior in different soils and determine which lands were more suitable for them—why some areas showed promising growth while others had many issues.

Each day, he brought home his half-basket of Bamboo Slips and shut himself in his study to sort and summarize them.

The estate of the Duke of Yingguo was massive, especially its main gate. The pair of stone lions, having weathered a century of storms, still stood tall amidst the frost, showcasing the family’s prominence and nobility.

Lately, however, Zhang Xin avoided using the main gate to return home, fearing he might run into his father, whose temper had been growing fiercer.

He had to sneak in through the side door and hurry back to his own courtyard. Whenever he did, his wife, Lady Zhu, the daughter of the Prince of Zhou, seemed to understand him perfectly. She would dismiss the servants attending the area, and the couple would close the doors. Lady Zhu would help him sort the Bamboo Slips recorded from various places, while Zhang Xin focused on transcribing them into a ledger. Once organized, he would rely on his memory to summarize and draw conclusions.

They dismissed the servants to prevent gossip from spreading around the estate. If word reached his father, it would be disastrous.

That day, Zhang Xin returned unusually late, not until midnight. This was because the cold weather had noticeably slowed the growth of Sweet Potatoes in certain areas, and he had to travel near the Longquan Taoist Temple to address the issue.

Seeing the faint lamplight in the courtyard, Zhang Xin felt deeply moved. Xiao Jie hadn’t gone to bed—she must be waiting for him.

A man might not achieve great deeds, but to have such a wife was a joy in life.

He quickened his steps and entered the hall, only to find that Xiao Jie wasn’t there. Instead, his father, Zhang Mao, sat sternly in his Court Attire, his face dark with anger.

Zhang Xin froze, his heart filled with dread. He hurriedly bowed. “Father.”

“You wretched beast! Coming back so late—you’ve been up to great things, haven’t you!”

“I… I…” Zhang Xin immediately knelt, not daring to argue. “Your son deserves to die ten thousand times. Father, where is Xiao Jie?”

“She… received a letter from the Prince of Zhou’s residence saying the Prince is gravely ill. She has returned to her family.”

Zhang Xin breathed a sigh of relief, but soon grew worried about his Father-in-law. “Is His Highness… seriously ill?”

“Hmph…” Zhang Mao’s expression turned even colder. “Do you really think he’s ill? The Prince of Zhou looks down on you! He heard you’re still only a Deputy Hundred-Household Commander, and on top of that, you’re farming with others. He finds it too shameful and fabricated the illness to lure his daughter back. Though not stated outright, isn’t the implication clear enough? You… when will you ever achieve something like Fang Jifan? Look at him—he had a Brain Illness, and now he’s been enfeoffed as a Baron. And you? You’re following behind him, farming. Farming… can that ever lead to success? It’s a disgrace! A blight on the family! Why didn’t I just drown you in a water vat back then?”