Xia Yuanlong loved this academy very much. As soon as he entered, he came through a winding corridor. After coming out of the corridor, it was a spacious place with roads extending in all directions, and there were several clusters of flowers planted at the intersections. It was winter, just plum blossoms orchids and the like. Looking west is the Sihe Hall where teachers are taught. There is a couplet on the doorpost of the hall, which reads:
If you don’t learn to look at the wall, it will be annoying
He walked into Sihe Hall and sat down behind the westernmost table, facing the seats arranged one after another.
After the academy was built, Xia Yuanlong asked Wei and Yang to advise on the admission of students, and in the end it was implemented based on Wei Huai's opinions. Therefore, students of Sihe Academy now come to listen to the teachings regardless of their seniority or age. Among them, there are many ordinary people, even those who can't even read, can come in and listen to the lectures; if there are those who are tired of learning, they can leave and stay without any restrictions.
Therefore, the academy did not accept students for breast repair, and all fees were paid by Wei Huai. In one year, fifteen or six taels of silver were spent, but Wei Huai didn't mind and went on with it.
Xia Yuanlong naturally lectures students here every day. When he talks about books, he sometimes quotes scriptures and sometimes makes impassioned speeches, which makes all the students convinced. Gradually, the name of Sihe Academy spread throughout the streets of Nanjing, and the common people knew that a man named Xia Yuanlong was there to talk about the New Deal. Many people who heard of his reputation came to pay homage to him and became their students.
Wei Huai saw that the momentum was strong, so he gathered the people and spoke loudly about the new policy in the market, criticizing the shortcomings of the imperial court, which caused a stir in the whole city. When those refugees who had originally fled heard that Wei Huai was preaching reforms, they were not afraid of danger. They gathered in the streets and alleys to make a fuss, and risked their lives to write letters asking for the implementation of the new policies.
At first, the officials just ignored it and tried to calm them down with words, but then they dispersed. Later, they became so indignant that when they saw the officers and soldiers coming, they refused to retreat. Some of them were anxious and even threw stones at them. , I learned that the chickens and dogs in the government office were restless.
This made the prefect very angry. He was doing official business in the yamen, but when he heard the group of people still yelling at the door, his thoughts were confused and he couldn't get the official business done. He gritted his teeth, threw away his pen, and shouted to the Yamen servant: "Call me Wei Huai!" After saying this, he was shaking with anger.
"You said you have nothing to do to ruin the academy and make friends with those bad friends..." The prefect looked at Wei Huai who was kneeling on the ground and paced while cursing, "If you still want to be your sacrificial wine in the Imperial College, just Let these people disperse as soon as possible, and declare that the country is peaceful and does not need reform..."
"I can't do it." Wei Huai said firmly.
"Wei Huai, I thought you were the son of Duke Yi Guang, so I came here to discuss it with you. If it had been someone else, I would have removed him from the post, right?" The prefect became gentle again.
"Master Magistrate, I'm not afraid of losing my position. I can only say one thing: I can't do it!" Wei Huai showed his sharp eyes with an imposing manner.
"Okay, okay." The magistrate flicked his sleeves and said, "If you have the guts, keep doing it!" He snorted and walked to the back room.
"Master Magistrate, I would like to offer you a heartfelt message: Although our dynasty is still rich, it is already in decline. If we do not reform the laws, the world will undoubtedly be in chaos! As a minister, you should think about long-term plans! ...I'll take my leave." Wei Huai walked straight out of the Yamen without expecting any further reply from the prefect.
When he came down from the lobby, the rioting people suddenly stopped moving, and even the officers and soldiers holding sticks stopped.
They all looked at him quietly with the same eyes - admiration.
Wei Huai glanced at the swarming crowd and continued walking on crutches.
People opened a wide road for him.
Wei Huai limped and walked slowly, and it took him a long time to reach the corner of the road.
"You!" He suddenly stopped and puffed out his chest, "Anyone who dares to fight for injustice is a man of steel and iron!"
After all, there was only a staggering shadow left at the corner. Behind him, there was another commotion, and he heard the people say:
"Wei Jijiu said we did a good job!"
Such a well-known scholar inside and outside Nanjing refused to listen to persuasion and openly encouraged the arrogance of the unruly people. No government official would allow this. The magistrate was so angry that he ordered his servants to prepare their carriages and horses, and went to Prince Jiankang's Mansion to ask Wan Heshun for an explanation.
The palace is next to the palace, and Nanjing is extremely large, so the prefect walked around the city for half an hour before arriving at the main entrance of the palace. Speaking of the imperial palace in Nanjing, it was the capital of the previous dynasty. The kings of this dynasty saw the palace's ingenuity and magnificence and could not bear to destroy it, so they considered it a palace. This strategy has been used for generations since then, and it has been a hundred years.
So the magistrate drove west from the main gate, and after about a hundred steps, he saw the royal palace. He asked the car to stop here.
He got out of the car and saw that the courtyard wall of the palace was painted red, wide and towering, nearly a foot high, and he could not see what was going on inside. He walked to the two vermilion doors, brushed the dust on the doors, and knocked on the dark silver lion's head ring.
In an instant, the person inside opened the door slightly, it was an old servant. The old man said: "Are you the prefect?"
"Yes. I have something important to meet with King Wanjun."
"follow me."
The old servant led the magistrate in, stepped on the road paved with blue bricks, passed through the intersection, and passed two gates. He saw several stone stairs in front of him. From the top of the stone stairs, he could vaguely see a wooden door across a house. The indigo forehead railing has fine patterns painted on it, and there is a plaque with gold letters on a blue background that reads "Visiting Hall".
As they climbed up the stairs, they saw the entire outline of the room, with the door open in the middle. With the light here, they saw a table across the middle of the room, with a cauldron and incense burner on the table, which served as a scroll for the paintings on the wall. Heshun ancestors and other figures; there are flower windows on both sides, which are slightly swayed by the wind.
The prefect slowly walked into the hall. The old man pulled out a dark red sandalwood arm chair and covered it with a gold embroidered cushion. He motioned the prefect to sit down and said, "I will call the prince." He then walked out of the hall and headed west. That door is gone.
After only three cups of tea, Wan Heshun came from the west alone, wearing casual clothes and walking into the waiting room with a smile.
"Prince Wan!" The magistrate quickly stood up and bowed before him.
"Don't call me Prince. I'm just a conferred king with a different surname. I'm honored by the emperor's favor. How dare I claim to be so?" He helped the magistrate to his feet.
"What brings you here?" Wan Heshun asked with a smile.
The prefect didn't feel that he was friendly, and only saw a hint of sinister look from the slits in his eyes.
"The prince may not know... Wei Huai has caused a big trouble outside, he is so bold..."
Wan Heshun's eyebrows twitched a little, the wrinkles on his forehead quietly gained an extra layer, and his smile softened slightly.
"Say it."
