webnovelfull Chapter 721 This is the real Qingfeng Academy!
Chapter 721 This is the real Qingfeng Academy!
The dean stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, his tone boasting:
“My academy not only teaches them knowledge, but also helps them to study with peace of mind.
Isn't this kind of accommodation and care good enough?"
Dozens of prominent figures nearby nodded in agreement: "Tsk, the conditions of this academy are indeed much better than those we have seen before."
One of them glanced at Bai Wanwan with a contemptuous tone:
"Where did you come from, little kid?
I've lived for most of my life, and I've never heard of someone this young being a county magistrate. Could he be an imposter?"
Suddenly, a chorus of agreement rang out around him:
"That's right, seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving. Who can believe what you, a child, just say casually?"
"We've traveled a lot and seen a lot, how could we be fooled by a kid?"
The few students from Qingshui County standing in the corner turned paler and the light in their eyes dimmed as they listened to these words.
Even the county magistrate himself stepped in to help them. Are they really going to be buried in this Qingfeng Academy for the rest of their lives, with no chance of surviving?
Some people clenched their fists so tightly that their nails almost dug into their flesh, but they could only lower their heads and remain silent.
Bai Wanwan ignored the discussions and simply looked at the dean, saying calmly, "Are you sure you've seen everything you need to see?"
The dean stiffened his neck and nodded, "Of course! I've shown you everything you should have seen. Didn't you see it?"
He paused, as if he suddenly remembered something: "Oh, yes, there is one more place!"
He turned around and led everyone deeper into the academy, pushing open a heavy wooden door.
Inside the door was actually a huge library. The towering bookshelves stretched from the ground to the beams, filled with books, ranging from classics to rare and copied works, and there were even some yellowed bamboo slips neatly arranged.
The dean pointed at the bookshelf and said proudly:
"See? My library has tens of thousands of volumes of books. Not to mention ordinary academies, even the official schools in the government may not have this scale!
Countless rare and unique books and countless annotations by great scholars are the assets accumulated by our academy over hundreds of years.
A place like this, wouldn't it be possible for a few common students to stay here?"
Bai Wanwan sneered, "Have you finished showing them around?"
"Yes, I have finished the tour."
The satisfaction on the faces of those dignitaries was not concealed:
"No wonder Qingfeng Academy can produce so many promising students. With such a solid foundation, it's hard not to be impressed!
I have truly been enlightened today. A library of this scale and such meticulous education are truly astonishing!"
Someone nearby nodded in agreement:
"That's right! I just saw the grandeur of the lecture hall, the elegance of the teacher, and then looked at the collection of books, as well as the meticulous food and accommodation.
We have traveled to so many places, but we have never seen such a comprehensive academy."
Some even praised:
"This place is truly a place of hidden talents! Just looking at the layout, you can tell that the academy is dedicated to learning and pays attention to rules and regulations.
This is what we mean by "a land of outstanding people and beautiful scenery," right? With such a foundation, we will surely be able to produce more pillars in the future."
Bai Wanwan smiled slightly and said, "Since you're done, I'll take you to visit the other side of Qingfeng Academy."
The dean stiffened his neck and said, "What the hell are you talking about? Do you believe I'll get someone to arrest you?"
Bai Wanwan took out the token and said, "I am a great princess. Come and arrest me if you dare! Do you know what rank a great princess is?"
Everyone around was stunned when they saw it. The dean stared at the token and said, "Who knows if this thing of yours is real or fake?"
Bai Wanwan sneered:
"You are the dean of the academy after all, so you are considered a fifth-rank official, right?
Can't you even tell if this token is real or fake?"
She put the token away:
"I don't need to use a fake token to fool people.
Now go open the other mountain gate."
The dean feigned confusion and waved his hands, saying, "Our Qingfeng Academy only has this one mountain gate! Where does the other one come from?"
Bai Wanwan didn't waste time talking to him. She turned around and walked to the side, leading everyone to a wall.
It was an ordinary brick wall, looking just like any other.
She stopped and turned to the people behind her and said, "Tear down this wall for me."
The dean was really anxious now. His face flushed red as he pointed at Bai Wanwan and shouted, "You dare!"
But just as he finished speaking, the person behind Bai Wanwan stepped forward and kicked the brick wall down with a "bang".
When the scene behind the wall was revealed, everyone around was stunned...
There was no academy scene inside at all, just a large vegetable field.
There are cucumbers, eggplants, beans and some green vegetables planted in the field, and they look like they are growing well.
But what was even more eye-catching were the people in the fields. They were all young men wearing coarse clothes, some of whom were carrying buckets of water to water the vegetable plots.
Some were bending over to spread fertilizer on the ground, and two were carrying large buckets of manure and pouring it on the vegetable roots. The smell could be smelled from a long distance away.
Looking to the side, there are several rows of low earthen houses next to the vegetable field, which look not much better than the cowshed in the village.
Bai Wanwan walked in and pushed open the door of a mud house.
The light in the room was very dim. In the middle stood a large bunk bed covered with tattered straw mats. It looked like it could accommodate dozens of students.
The air was damp and stuffy, mixed with the smell of sweat and mildew, which made people's noses uncomfortable.
When the students on the dormitory bed saw someone pushing the door open, they shrank back in fear and quickly lowered their heads.
Bai Wanwan smiled and said:
"This is the real Qingfeng Academy! Those in front are just the noble children of your academy. These kids think that they can rise to the top overnight by coming to Qingfeng Academy.
But their parents went through so much trouble to get them to the academy, and in the end they are just doing odd jobs here, and they might even be worse than odd jobs."
Bai Wanwan glanced around and said coldly, "Don't think this is the only place."
Walking deeper into the vegetable field, there are more than a dozen similar low earthen houses, one next to the other, squeezed into the most remote corner of the academy.
There were students living in every room. Their cloth clothes were covered with patches, some had frayed cuffs, some had short trouser legs, and their exposed ankles were red from the cold.
What was even more glaring was that there were several strong men standing around the mud house, holding thick wooden sticks in their hands, staring at the students who were working, as if they were guarding livestock.
Seeing Bai Wanwan and others rushing in, the men looked at each other, yelled, and rushed up to hit them with sticks.
The person behind Bai Wanwan was well prepared. He rushed forward and kicked before the other party's stick fell.
There was only a dull thud, and dozens of men were kicked to the ground before they could hold on for a moment, groaning in pain, with the sticks in their hands rolling far away.
Bai Wanwan looked at the dean with a half-smile and said, "I'll take you all to another good place."
Bai Wanwan turned around and led everyone further away from the earthen house.
Not far away, a wasteland appeared in front of us. There were densely packed simple wooden signs on the ground. A rough count showed that there were hundreds or even thousands of them.
She glanced at the pale-faced dean and the dignitaries and said, "These are the students who lost their lives in your academy, right?"
No one dared to answer, and even the air seemed to freeze.