Chapter 3

Hu Yan, the Jijiu of the Guozijian, as usual, took a short rest and then went to the latrine.

He was a slow and easy-going person, taking everything in stride, and doing everything with composure.

Everything was as usual. He entered the latrine, stepped on the wooden planks, and at this moment, Hu Yan was still thinking about an article he had read that day. Even though he was in the latrine, he was so engrossed that he couldn't help but read it aloud to himself: "The ancient gentlemen, in their conduct and character, are admired by all, not because..."

Boom...

Hu Yan's words were abruptly cut off.

Squatting in the latrine, Hu Yan's mind went blank for a moment, and then he bent over, like a porcupine, and with a loud cry, pulled up his underpants and rushed out.

This latrine was a dry one, and the squatting area was connected to the pit below. After that muffled sound, Hu Yan was covered in golden-yellow filth, both embarrassed and overwhelmed by the stench.

While pulling up his waistband, Hu Yan shouted, "Who, who did this?"

As he spoke, a group of young men ran away in a hurry.

Hu Yan stood there, his mind blank.

When he gradually began to accept the reality, this gentleman from Nanchang, Jiangxi, who was known for his self-cultivation, couldn't help but curse, "Damn it!"

...

After bathing for a full hour, Hu Yan arrived at the Minglun Hall with a fierce demeanor, gathered the students, and still seething with anger, he roared, "Who did this?"

The young men were as silent as cicadas in winter, not a peep.

These were all descendants of military heroes, and they had a sense of honor. Betraying a classmate? Disgraceful!

Zhang Zhe stood straight, unable to hide his pride. Having pulled off such a big prank, he was quite pleased with himself.

However...

Although no one spoke up,

At this moment, all the young men's eyes were fixed on Zhang Zhe.

Zhang Zhe's smile gradually faded.

He wouldn't betray his classmates, but as a young man, it was understandable that he couldn't keep things to himself.

Zhang Zhe said subconsciously, "Master... it wasn't me!"

When he said this, Hu Yan felt not only anger but also a sense of humiliation mixed in.

He was insulting my intelligence!

Thus, a roar echoed through the Minglun Hall: "Among all the students, you are the most wicked!"

The sound shook the tiles!

Hu Yan, a scholar of high repute, at this moment transformed into a martial artist skilled in the art of the "turtle punch."

Zhang Zhe: "Ahh..."

Zhang Anshi was a kind person. Feeling sympathy, he couldn't bear to see Zhang Zhe being punished.

However... everything has a bright side. At least now, Zhang Anshi... had finally succeeded.

He had moved from being the most notorious royal relative to the second-to-last place.

It seemed that if things continued this way, his image in Nanjing would improve, and he... could start anew!

Zhang Zhe's buttocks were almost beaten to a pulp, and he groaned as he was helped out of the school by the other young men.

Although he was beaten, his face was flushed, and he chattered, "Brother Zhang, wasn't I loyal? I didn't betray everyone."

Zhang Anshi gave him a thumbs-up: "Even Guan Yu couldn't have done better."

Zhu Yong also nodded vigorously, expressing his approval of Zhang Zhe.

Zhang Anshi then said, "It's rare to find such loyal people. Since we all have compatible temperaments and are so loyal, why don't we burn some yellow paper and become brothers?"

Zhang Zhe, limping, was already in too much pain to speak, but his last bit of defiance was in that sentence.

Zhu Yong, however, was excited: "Great, great, let's do it like the Peach Garden Oath."

Hu Yan didn't teach every day. As the Jijiu of the Guozijian, he taught only one day out of five.

Five days later, Zhang Anshi rushed to the school, and Zhang Zhe and Zhu Yong were already there. Zhu Yong shouted, "Oath, oath!"

Even Zhang Zhe said, "Master Hu is about to start the lesson, we need to hurry!"

Zhang Anshi smiled and said, "I brought the yellow paper."

He then pulled out a stack of yellow paper from his sleeve.

"Who brought a chicken?"

"Chicken?" Zhu Yong and Zhang Zhe looked at each other in confusion: "Why do we need to eat chicken?"

Zhang Anshi sighed, "Not to eat, but to kill. We are forming a brotherhood, so we need to do it properly. We'll drink the chicken's blood to seal our bond."

Young people are the most particular about rituals, of course, this can also be called "middle school syndrome."

Zhu Yong nodded vigorously: "Anshi knows everything, but where can we find a chicken?"

Zhang Anshi coughed, "I just heard a chicken clucking."

Zhang Zhe's eyes lit up: "Ah, those are Master Hu's chickens."

Hu Yan was a man of integrity, a scholar, and thanks to the low pay set by Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, he lived a rather frugal life in Nanjing. So, he kept seven speckled chickens in his backyard.

Zhang Anshi sighed, "We need to act quickly."

"Unfortunately, I'm still injured, otherwise..." Zhang Zhe was eager.

Both of them looked at Zhu Yong.

Zhu Yong widened his eyes: "You can't be asking me to steal!"

...

Cluck, cluck, cluck...

Thud, a knife cut down.

In the corner of the school's front courtyard, among a pile of weeds, the speckled chicken's neck was cut, and blood splattered out.

Zhu Yong, holding the knife, bared his teeth and then put it away, muttering, "It must have been a hen, so noisy."

The three of them burned the yellow paper, drank the chicken's blood, and then went through the usual ritual, declaring they were born in the same year, month, and day.

Zhang Anshi, being the oldest, became the eldest brother.

Zhu Yong, the second oldest, was the second brother.

Zhang Zhe, the youngest, naturally became the youngest.

When they heard the bell, they hurried to the Minglun Hall.

Hu Yan was in an unusually good mood.

He had transcended.

After all, time heals all wounds.

As the Book of Documents says, "With tolerance, virtue is great."

He resumed his teaching, smiling politely as he used to, as if nothing unpleasant had ever happened.

After the lesson, he didn't bother to check if the students had paid attention. It's best not to delve too deeply, or what if he found something?

So, after class, Hu Yan was the first to grab his bucket and run away.

Another class passed, and he felt quite cheerful.

He returned to the back of the house, intending to go to his study.

At that moment, he heard a voice: "Come, come quickly."

It was his wife, Lady Zhou.

Hu Yan frowned; he didn't like her making a fuss every day.

But his legs moved involuntarily toward Lady Zhou.

"Master, you... you... come and count..."

Hu Yan's gaze fell on the chicken coop. He calmly counted: "One, two... five, six, seven..."

He had just said "seven" when he quickly retracted it.

Hu Yan's breathing became rapid. He extended his finger, afraid of missing one, and continued counting: "One... two... six... where's the chicken? Where's the chicken? Why is one missing?"

Lady Zhou said, "Could it have wandered off?"

"How could it? It never wanders off in the courtyard..."

At this point, Hu Yan's body trembled, his face turned pale, and a thought flashed through his mind.

"It must be those rascals!"

"Rascals? Do you mean the children? But they are just children... and your students..."

Hu Yan almost jumped up: "Precisely because they are my students, I know what they are capable of. As a teacher, don't I know what I have taught?"

Hu Yan was heartbroken.

This wasn't just about the chicken... no, it was about the chicken. A chicken raised to this size was worth a lot of money, almost as much as Hu Yan's salary for several days.

Lady Zhou suddenly remembered something: "Now that you mention it, this morning, I saw a tall person peeking around the backyard..."

"Was it the one with a black face and a mole on his forehead?"

"Exactly!"

Hu Yan pounded his chest and wailed, "Zhu Yong... what a disgrace!"