Chapter 5, Combination Punch

Li Diudiu muttered to himself, "Regardless of the sun, moon, stars, or the weather."

Gao Shao's eyes widened: "What is it?"

The Long-Browed Daoist hurriedly approached, first bowing to Zhou Huaili and saying, "Thank you for your trouble"

Gao Shao sighed deeply again upon seeing that they were silent, saying, "Practicing martial arts is neither lowly nor shameful"

He walked towards Li Diu and said: "I see you got beaten up, are you crying or not!"

The current emperor is fifty years old, yet... he is foolish and incompetent. Gao Shao is well aware of this fact but cannot speak of it. Ironically, after the emperor issued an edict to deal with Yan Kaixiao, he secretly sent someone to ask Yan Kaixiao, "Are you really my half-brother?"

The four children looked at each other; this question seemed difficult to answer

To argue about the relationship between ruler and subject is to conspire against authority, to argue about the relationship between parents and children is to be unfilial. The great Chu has always promoted the principles of loyalty and filial piety. If one debates the relationship between ruler and subject or between parents and children, it is tantamount to being disloyal and unfilial, and such discussions are not even permissible. Nowadays, the great Chu makes scholars feel anxious, and one must speak with extreme caution.

Behind the screen wall, a tall young girl is secretly watching. As she watches, she covers her face repeatedly, and judging by her expression, it is evident that each time is quite painful.

Li Diudiu: "No crying allowed, whoever cries will not be good."

Gao Shaowei actually has his own selfish motives. His granddaughter, Gao Xining, is more like a boy by nature, and her restlessness makes him feel it is somewhat excessive. However, Gao Shaowei's son and daughter-in-law died unexpectedly years ago, leaving him and his granddaughter to rely on each other. Yet, the girl insists on practicing martial arts. How can someone like Gao Shaowei, a prominent scholar of his time, openly allow his granddaughter to study martial arts?

The people of Chu believe that practicing martial arts is a lowly pursuit. For the children of nobles, martial arts training is a means of self-cultivation, while for the children of ordinary families, it is a matter of no choice. Even for the children of wealthy merchants, practicing martial arts is often a last resort; if they fail in their studies, they turn to martial arts, destined to become mere bodyguards or protectors, with little hope of achieving greatness

Zhang Xiaolin suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "Students are also practicing martial arts now"

Sun Rugong quickly shook his head: "The student has not practiced martial arts."

Li Diudiu and Zhang Xiaolin walked into the courtyard, standing opposite each other after a few steps. Both of them cupped their fists simultaneously. Typically, in such situations, a man will have his left hand on the outside and his right fist on the inside, while a woman will do the opposite.

Liu Shengying foolishly asked, "Sir, what topics cannot be raised?"

He looked at Zhang Xiaolin and asked, "What is the key to studying?"

Petite

Li Diudiu, if you truly possess such perseverance, you can succeed in your studies

What does it matter whether the day is sunny or cloudy, or the moon and stars are present or absent

Zhou Huaili cupped his hands in return, glanced at the Long Eyebrow Daoist, then looked at Li Diudiu, let out a long sigh, and turned to leave, too lazy to say a word

Gao Shao said: "Then you two go outside and practice for a while"

Liu Shengying thought for a moment and replied: "The students have not practiced martial arts either"

After a brief pause, he continued, "To those who wish to climb the mountain of knowledge, I offer them cloth shoes; to those who wish to cross the sea of learning, I provide them with a flat boat. I do not look down upon those who have not yet ascended halfway up the mountain or those who have not yet crossed halfway across the sea; they are simply not destined to be with me.

Zhang Xiaolin smiled and said: "You should know that in a competition, there must be a winner and a loser. However, rest assured that I will not bully you. If you feel that you are not my opponent, I can let you use one hand, or you can set any conditions you wish."

Thus, Yan Kaixiao was subjected to a raid, and his entire family was exiled to the frontier to serve as slaves

After taking a deep breath, Gao Shaowei said: "You should all understand that studying is not an easy task. Reading is not merely about reading the words, but about grasping the profound meanings expressed within them. Young people may possess pride, but they should not be arrogant. It is essential to know that the path through the mountain of books is paved with diligence..."

Is it difficult?

Gao Shao shook his head and said, "The debate topic is provided by your instructor. Whether you can raise it will be informed by your instructor at the appropriate time"

Li Diudiu replied: "It is a lever"

Gao Shao, seeing that no one answered, shook his head and said: "You have not yet enrolled, so it is indeed difficult for you to answer this question. Now I will tell you, at the Four Pages Academy, we seek knowledge through study, discern right from wrong through understanding, and know the truth through questions and answers. These are the three main subjects of the academy. There will be instructors to teach you how to study and engage in debates, while I will preside over the sessions to listen to your inquiries"

Even the most daring individuals do not challenge societal norms; a woman's lack of talent is considered a virtue. Learning domestic skills is sufficient, and at most, one may study the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Why learn martial arts?

Li Diudiu replied: "The students have practiced martial arts."

Zhang Xiaolin thought for a moment and replied anxiously, "Read?"

Zhang Xiaolin glanced at Li Diudiu, who was also looking at him. However, Zhang Xiaolin clearly hesitated, which left Li Diudiu somewhat disappointed. He wondered, what is wrong with practicing martial arts? Should practicing martial arts place one at a lower status?

Do you know how many types of credits there are

Gao Shao's face turned somewhat pale with anger; he truly wanted to kick this brat out the door. He was about to speak, but considering that Zhou Huaili was still waiting outside, having sent a priceless painting of the Dengque Platform, he feared that if he threw the child out now, it would mean severing ties with Zhou Huaili. Although the two were not well acquainted, one cannot act too rashly in matters of social decorum.

The Long-Browed Daoist could tell from his expression that Li Diudiu's performance was not satisfactory. He raised his hand and rubbed Li Diudiu's head, saying, "It's alright, it's alright. It's okay if you didn't do well on the exam; what matters is that we tried."

After he returned to sit down in the chair, he asked, "Now I will continue to ask you a few questions, and you should do your best to answer them."

He looked at Li Diudiu again and asked, "What is the key to the debate?"

Zhang Xiaolin raised his eyebrows and said, "Go ahead and propose."

Gao Shaowei's expression softened considerably. Li Diudiu did not expect that a casual remark would change Gao Shaowei's attitude. He could not understand why Gao Shaowei had not thought of this himself.

Ah?

Li Diudiu nodded and said, "Don't cry"

Gao Shaowei paced back and forth in the room and said: "Do you know why the four of you are qualified to stand before me and undergo my assessment? It is not the season for the academy's admissions; rather, it is because a few students happened to drop out and return home due to the hardships of studying. For such students, as long as someone suggests that they cannot continue their studies, I will always agree and will never obstruct their decision."

Yan Kaixiao must have a phrase in his heart: "Damn it"

The esteemed scholar Gao Shao has educated numerous prominent figures throughout his life. Today, there are those whose names are known across the world, and those who hold high positions of power and influence. Regardless of their backgrounds, who among them would dare to claim that studying is easy?

Gao Shao carefully savored the phrase; it may not be perfectly structured, yet the more one contemplates it, the more profound it seems. Is it a form of perseverance? Is it an attitude? There is also a certain wildness to it, a wildness that is endearing.

Zhang Xiaolin thought for a moment, this little guy, no matter how many tricks he plays, what difference does it make? In the face of absolute strength, all schemes and tricks are meaningless

Because Yan Kaixiao's mother was a palace maid, who was bestowed in marriage to Yan Kaixiao's father by the late emperor, those who reported him claimed that Yan Kaixiao said that the relationship between the ruler and his subjects is akin to that of father and son, implying that he is a child of the late emperor, which is an insult to the royal family, demonstrating disloyalty and unfilial behavior

Li Diudiu: "No, how could that be? I think my answer was quite good, and besides, I even won in the competition."

Gao Shaowei stated: "The question you are asking is problematic; any debate topic that can be raised is naturally debatable, but there are many debate topics in this world that cannot be brought up"

After being reprimanded by Gao Shao, Li Diudiu had no choice but to add an explanation: "It is easy for my master to find books for me to read, which is why he spares no effort in sending me to the academy for my studies. The books in the academy should be more challenging."

The Long-Browed Daoist was taken aback: "Why is there still fighting and competition in the academy? How did you win? Are you injured?"

Gao Shao shook his head: "It is thought."

Although the imperial examination in the Great Chu consists of both civil and military subjects, the civil champion is awarded the rank of the sixth grade and is granted the honor of wearing a red sash, while the military champion does not receive a rank and must report to the Ministry of War to await assignment after passing the examination

Li Diudiu was a bit excited; he had been learning for so long with his master but had never fought with anyone. His master had always said that practicing martial arts was for strengthening the body, not for fighting others. However, he always felt that his master's ability to turn misfortune into good fortune over the years was definitely not solely because he was a Taoist.

Li Diudiu: "Hehe..."

Last year, Yan Kaixiao, the Deputy Minister of Personnel, was imprisoned for saying that the relationship between the ruler and the subjects is akin to that of father and son. This statement itself should not have been problematic; throughout history, many have expressed similar sentiments, and the emperor would certainly not have been displeased. However, Yan Kaixiao was reported by someone, who claimed that he attempted to disrupt the court's order and insult the royal family

Thus, he was no longer inclined to say anything further. He mentioned only two of the three main courses of the Four-Page Academy and waved his hand, saying: "The academy primarily focuses on reading, with physical training as a supplement. Have any of you four practiced martial arts?"

He sighed and said: "The purpose of debate is to exercise thinking, to broaden one's horizons through debate, to find the flaws in the opponent's logic and counterattack. The so-called verbal sparring trains a person's mind, so the key to debate is... uh, the key to debate is sensitivity"

Li Diudiu asked earnestly: "Can I really propose any conditions?"

However, he truly dotes on this granddaughter, granting her every request. He cannot directly seek a martial arts master to teach Gao Xining, so he has to inquire a bit more each time the academy recruits students, asking who among them practices martial arts, and then allowing those who do to demonstrate in the courtyard, while Gao Xining secretly watches from the shadows

Chang Mei Dao Ren: "Did you really lose on purpose?"

Long Eyebrow Daoist: "As long as you are not intentionally losing, it is fine. I know you are reluctant to part with me, but you cannot lose on purpose."

Gao Shao gently raised his hand to soothe his chest, silently repeating to himself, "Do not be angry, do not be angry, who would be pleased to die of anger."

It is undignified to have someone say that after receiving the calligraphy copy, the child was also driven out

At this thought, Gao Shaowei's emotions sank. The sage said, why study literature? Because literature can govern the country, while martial prowess can bring peace to the world. Literature carries the way, yet among the current court's literati, who still possesses the integrity of a true scholar

"Gang, gangtou, gangjing, the gang of lifting, in our village, such people are called ganglengzi. No matter what you say, he will disagree; if you say good, he says bad; if you say bad, he says good. Gang is a kind of spirit, a kind of fighting spirit, so debate is, regardless of right or wrong, just argue it out."

Li Diudiu nodded and said: "But it wasted the money that Master had painstakingly saved."

Zhang Xiaolin was taken aback: "What did you say?"

Li Diudiu raised his eyebrows: "It was quite easy to win. That big guy threw a combination at my fist, and I won. I wasn't injured, just my fist hurt a bit"

Half an hour later, outside the Four Pages Academy, the Long Eyebrow Daoist waited anxiously. Feeling that he was dirty, he did not dare to approach the main entrance of the academy and could only walk back and forth across the street. It felt as if several decades had passed before he finally saw Zhou Huaili and Li Diudiu coming out of the academy, one after the other

Zhang Xiaolin is more than half a head taller than Li Diudiu. After all, Li Diudiu has an irregular diet, which makes him relatively shorter. Zhang Xiaolin comes from a good background, has practiced martial arts for a long time, is strong and robust, and possesses a height that is noticeably above the normal for his age.

Zhang Xiaolin raised the corner of his mouth and said to Li Diudiu: "You should be more careful."

Gao Shao held back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

In this era, in this world, there are certainly many topics of debate that cannot be raised, such as those concerning rulers and subjects, as well as parents and children

Among these four children, Liu Shengying, who resembles a child the most, bent down and asked, "Sir, can any topic be debated?"

Over the years, she has been exploring on her own, practicing whenever she has the time, and Gao Shaowei does not understand how well she is practicing, so he just lets her be

Zhang Xiaolin: "Do you deserve a beating?"

Li Diudiu has developed a certain degree of admiration for him, nodding and saying: "You too"

He pointed outside and said, "If you have practiced martial arts, you may demonstrate outside, and you can also spar with each other, so that I can observe."