Chapter 1, Names and Realities

The classmates burst into laughter, and there were also those who spoke up for Zhou Lu, saying, "What a big deal this is, the yamen is filled with your Zhou family's old friends. Find someone to capture the troublemaker and give him a good beating to avenge you."

Zhou Lü hummed softly, remaining silent. A young nobleman named Ma Wei beside him interjected: "Every family has fathers and brothers who hold actual official positions and wield great power; how could it be merely a 'name'?"

Just yesterday evening, Zhou Lu led a servant on a "disguised visit" with the intention of enjoying the company of the common people. Unexpectedly, he encountered some unruly individuals and suffered an unprovoked beating.

Zhou Lü said impatiently: "You are eloquent, but what about me? How can I make my way?"

Indeed, looking around, there is no second person within the territory of Tiancheng who dares to claim the title of emperor, surrounded only by small barbarian states that pose little threat. Nevertheless, the emperor still maintains an extremely large army, capable of launching attacks at any time to annihilate all enemies, whether great or small, whether overt or covert.

The names of the brothers are somewhat convoluted. There is no other choice; the Lou family has dozens of brothers, and the general lacks the energy to thoughtfully devise profound and beautiful names for each one. Thus, whenever a son is born, he randomly selects a character associated with "stone" to name him, hoping that his sons will be as hard and substantial as stones. However, he cannot remember too many names and often calls them haphazardly.

Ah? Zhou Lu was taken aback, not expecting that his matter would attract the attention of the learned Wenren. "I... I will think of another way."

Oh, I understand now. So you are advising me to give up on revenge. Fine, Young Master Lou, please say a little less. According to your reasoning, those who hold official positions and titles are all unfortunate souls, relying on the law when faced with humiliation, while ordinary people can take pleasure in settling scores.

The injury is not serious, but Zhou Lu cannot swallow this anger, "This is truly outrageous, how could such a thing happen under the emperor's feet! Such unruly commoners should have their entire family punished."

The current dynasty is beset by internal strife and external threats, having established itself for over twenty years, yet the grand edifice is already on the verge of collapse. Moreover, the heavens have shown signs; a comet swept across the imperial throne a few days ago, which signifies the 'fall of the emperor.' The timing, the geographical advantages, and the harmony among the people have all converged here. What does your brother think?

The foundation of the building continued to speak, "You are all of noble birth and high status, and in the future, you will undoubtedly bear the responsibility of governing the country..."

Zhou Lü naturally had to be the first to speak, "To be honest, my plan is very simple: spend money, I do not care how much, find a few heroic figures, and teach those troublesome people a good lesson, at least... at least break an arm or something.

The foundation did not receive support, so he sat down and said no more.

"Xiao Hei, you are fighting over girls again, aren't you?" In the Yuxue Hall, as long as the teacher is not present, everyone disregards the rules and directly calls each other by their nicknames

The black-haired dog, Zhou Lü, has a slender build but a fierce temperament. Upon entering the classroom, he exclaimed, "I am so angry! I am so angry!"

It is still safer to report to the authorities; for such troublesome individuals, a good beating will naturally make them obedient. As for those so-called heroes and brave men, who knows what kind of people they really are? What if trouble comes upon them?

At the banquet, Ma Weiping dismissed the servant and said: "The words of Brother Cu in the inn are reasonable. One should have both reputation and substance. For instance, you and I, unfortunately, have been imprisoned by the current dynasty, unable to enter officialdom for a lifetime. We have the heart to serve the country, yet no path to do so. What then are our 'reputation' and 'substance'?"

As Lou Chu stepped out of the school, not far behind, Ma Wei caught up with him and invited him to drink together

It was with such emotions that, when someone spoke up that afternoon urging him to join in the assassination of the current emperor, Lou Chu did not immediately agree verbally, yet was internally stirred, thinking that perhaps life was not as unchanging as it seemed

Revenge is only justified when there is a grievance to settle. Looking at Brother Zhou's demeanor, it seems he has merely suffered some minor humiliation. It is acceptable not to seek revenge in this case, especially since the other party is merely a troublesome individual

The students take turns expressing their thoughts, while the scholar merely listens and never interjects

After Lou Chu finished speaking, he continued: "At the very least, our fathers and brothers bear the responsibility of governing the country, which is what is referred to as 'fame'."

The foundation of the building stirred slightly, and he inexplicably thought of the princess of Wu, the woman he had never been able to calmly refer to as mother. At the same time, he felt puzzled about where Ma Wei derived his confidence, believing that merely relying on two fallen young masters who had suffered imprisonment could accomplish the act of assassination.

The foundation has not responded

There are more than twenty students, and as usual, they arrive one after another, with Wen Renxue arriving even later. By the time the sun is high in the sky, he still has not shown up. The few who arrived early are either chatting idly or lost in thought, until the appearance of "Black Dog" Zhou Lu.

The discussion lasted for an entire morning, yielding no results. Zhou Lü insisted on finding a "hero" to take revenge for himself, while Wen Ren, the scholar, remained noncommittal. When the time was up, he announced the end of class and was the first to rise and leave, showing not the slightest interest in the entire discussion or any of the students.

The lectures of the scholar Wenren are usually dull, but occasionally there are unexpected moments. The students are initially astonished, but soon quiet down, realizing that this is yet another test, and they begin to seriously contemplate their means of "revenge"

It was heard that Zhou Lu was beaten, and everyone finally became interested, gathering around to take a look, only to see a slight bruise on his right cheek

Louchu smiled faintly; he and Ma Wei were very good friends, often engaging in heated debates with each other. "Having an official title is for 'fame'; being an official with a reputation and fulfilling one's duties is what counts as 'substance'. Merely holding a position without capability is nothing more than having 'fame' without 'substance'."

"It seems that I am being made a joke of by being beaten up," Zhou Lu expressed his dissatisfaction in a low voice, while the students laughed uproariously, truly treating this as a joke

On that morning, the scholar Wenren lectured on the study of names and realities. His classes were traditionally dry and uninteresting, and the students mostly attended out of obligation. The only thing that piqued their interest was guessing the scholar's surname. They all felt that the surname "Wenren" was pretentious, as the scholar taught about "names and realities," yet his own surname was "not in accordance with reality".

Zhou Lyu has a complexion that is not dark, and his hair is not thick; he is the third son of Zhou An, the Marquis of Dongyang. As the saying goes, "A tiger does not father a dog," Zhou An has fought bravely for half his life and is renowned for his valor, making him a true "tiger father." His first two sons are quite respectable, but this third son is thin and small, indeed resembling a "dog son." The Marquis of Dongyang is nicknamed "White-forehead Tiger" in the military, so his son has come to be known as "Black-furred Dog."

When it was Lou Chu's turn, he thought for a moment, not about how to respond, but whether he should honestly disclose the truth. "I think it might be appropriate to discuss this matter from the perspective of the relationship between name and reality."

The foundation of the building belongs to such a "dandy young master". A few years ago, he was sent to the Academy of Indulgence, and after attending a few lectures, he secretly rejoiced, becoming even less interested in the "righteous path".

This statement is misguided, Xiao Hei... The reason why Brother Zhou has not reported to the authorities must be due to some hidden circumstances, as he does not wish for the matter to escalate and attract the attention of his family. However, hiring someone to take revenge is not worth it; it is better to find an existing friend. There are no acquaintances in the government office, but there must be some in the military camp. In the end, it would only require a banquet. The speaker frequently cast glances at Zhou Lu, seemingly wanting to be that "friend".

A single beating is not enough for me to take revenge, and causing trouble for the officials, I want ... ...

The entire matter began with a seemingly insignificant dispute that occurred on that morning.

Louchu looked towards Wenren Xuejiu and said, "Being in a family that governs the country, even without an official position, one should possess the heart and skills for governance. It is akin to a wealthy man who, when faced with difficulties, naturally uses gold and silver to pave the way; a strong and robust person should use their fists and feet to forge a path; a person who is eloquent and persuasive..."

Wen Ren, a scholar in his fifties, was of short stature with sparse facial hair, always wearing a contemplative and absent-minded expression. Today was no different; he sat down in his chair, completely ignoring the students and indifferent to whether everyone was present. After flipping through a book for a while, he suddenly put it down and asked, "How do you plan to take your revenge?"

Zhou Lu's face turned red, "How is this robbery? I spent money, a large sum of silver..."

"Let’s talk about it, let’s talk about it now, everyone must speak: if one encounters such a situation, what should one do?" Wen Ren Xue Jiu appeared genuinely interested in this matter, "There’s nothing much to discuss today, let’s just talk about how to take revenge."

As the son of the current Grand General, Lou Chu was not one of the fortunate ones; he held no title or official position. His eighteenth birthday passed in an unremarkable manner, and it was not until nearly noon that he suddenly remembered what day it was.

Zhou Lü could not help but let out a sneer and straightforwardly said: "Young Master Lou, this is the Institute of Inducement. We come from prestigious families, but unfortunately, we are neither loved by our fathers nor our mothers, merely passing our days here. Nonsense about the study of names and realities—I'm not referring to you, Wen Ren the scholar—can the study of names and realities prevent me from being beaten? Can it help me take revenge?"

Zhou Lvyuan showed a look of disdain, thinking that the young master of the Lou family was once again trying to curry favor with the scholar

Louchu does not pay much attention to this; he only sighs inwardly at the fleeting nature of youth, as time flows like a relentless river. He fears that his life will drift along with the current, without any changes, and at a young age, he already feels a sense of weariness.

After a long silence, the scholar Wenren suddenly spoke, saying: "Empty words are of no benefit; let someone else speak."

Thus, Ma Wei articulated a principle, which can be summarized in one phrase: "Regicide and the alteration of heaven." This is the only name and reality of those who are imprisoned.

In the early years of our dynasty, shortly after the establishment of the national title, Emperor Taizu issued an edict to establish the Imperial Academy, which included the Grand School and the Seven Departments of Learning. The former was designated for the sons of nobility and military officials, while the latter aimed to attract promising young scholars from the common populace. Additionally, a separate institution known as the Inducement Academy was established to accommodate those young scions who were indifferent to the righteous path but still possessed redeemable value, thereby demonstrating the emperor's grace in not abandoning anyone.

The scholar Wenren appeared at the door. Although he was merely a teacher without any official rank, the old scholar held considerable authority among the students. As soon as he showed up, everyone immediately fell silent and returned to their seats, even Zhou Lu swallowed the latter part of his words.

Louchu is eighteen years old, and life is neither too good nor too bad. This year marks twenty-six years since the current dynasty was named "Cheng." It has been nineteen years since Emperor Taizu personally carried out the heavenly mandate to eliminate the last local power. Twelve years prior to that, the old emperor passed away, and the new emperor ascended the throne. After the mourning period, the new emperor immediately added the character "Tian" before the dynasty name, establishing it as "Tian Cheng," to signify that this dynasty is different from previous ones, and that the stability of the realm is granted by heaven. It has been nineteen years since Emperor Taizu personally carried out the heavenly mandate to eliminate the last local power. Twelve years prior to that, the old emperor passed away, and the new emperor ascended the throne. After the mourning period, the new emperor immediately added the character "Tian" before the dynasty name, establishing it as "Tian Cheng," to signify that this dynasty is different from previous ones, and that the stability of the realm is granted by heaven.

Ma Wei still wanted to argue, but Zhou Lu interrupted, "Alas, this is about avenging me, not about the two of you debating 'name and reality'."

What can one do at the age of eighteen, and what should one do? For the vast majority of subjects in Tiancheng, the answer has been fixed and unchanging since birth: farming, doing business, serving in the military, fulfilling duties, or holding official positions. Regardless of the path chosen, eighteen should be a time of achievement. There are even a few fortunate individuals who, before reaching the age of ten, have obtained titles through the merits of their ancestors, and by the age of thirteen or fourteen, have received prestigious and leisurely official positions. If all goes as expected, they will hold real power before turning eighteen, participating in state affairs and governance. If they perform exceptionally well, they will eventually be promoted to become pillars of the state.

Wen Ren, the scholar, nodded without expressing a definitive opinion, and then turned his gaze towards the other students

It is not you who is being beaten! Zhou Lu interrupted angrily, raising his hand to rub his eyes, "The key is that I cannot swallow this anger."

The servants accompanying the young master left quietly.

Brother Zhou was born into a noble family, and the law of the state is the greatest wealth. Even if one cannot serve the country, one should not undermine the law for personal gain

In today's world, the safety of the emperor is of utmost importance to the entire realm. Therefore, the assassination plan sounds utterly incredible. As soon as it was mentioned, both the proposer and the invitee laughed simultaneously, and it was only after they had downed another cup of wine that the matter was taken seriously.

With Zhou Lyu taking the lead, others also expressed their thoughts freely

No one paid him any attention, and Zhou Lu did not need to respond, continuing to ramble on about his misfortunes