Chapter 18

Chen Changsheng cherished every moment.

Discovering that the other end of the marriage contract was a phoenix, enduring the humiliation and oppression from important figures, and even the appearance of the imperial palace... If it were an ordinary young man, he would have long been suffocated by depression and frustration, perhaps even on the verge of a mental breakdown. But he had no time for melancholy or anger; what he lacked most was time.

Therefore, once he set his goal, he would move forward without hesitation, without hesitation, without the need for shouting, silently and persistently, striving for every moment.

Now his goal was to secure the top position in next year's imperial examination.

For him, who had yet to successfully cleanse his bone marrow, this goal was truly too distant. When he mentioned it in the inn yesterday, even the most narcissistic and proud Tang Sanshi was speechless. But Chen Changsheng did not waver at all; instead, because the goal was so distant, he cherished every tick of the clock, every grain of sand in the hourglass, and every subtle shadow cast by the stone pillars on the ground even more.

So what if the National Teaching Academy was dilapidated? So what if the buildings were covered in green vines and about to collapse? He ignored it, had no time to care. He walked confidently and determinedly along his path, leaving the lakeside and heading deep into the academy, ready to start his studies as soon as he found someone...

Half an hour later, he stood alone in the central courtyard, surrounded by wild grass and the faint chirping of insects, feeling utterly alone and lost.

He couldn't find anyone, not a single person. He had thought that even if the National Teaching Academy was as desolate and dilapidated as it was, there would at least be some teachers or a gatekeeper. Who would have thought that after searching the entire 74-room academy, he found not a trace of recent human activity.

Behind the central courtyard of the National Teaching Academy stood the once magnificent main teaching building, now a desolate ruin. The upper floors had collapsed, and the stone lion fountain was left with only half its body. Several green plants had grown from the remains of the stone lion, with purple flowers blooming on their branches, beautiful yet sad.

It was clear that this was not the result of wind and rain, nor the passage of time. It seemed that a fierce battle had taken place here more than a decade ago, affecting the main teaching building and leaving it in such a desolate state. Chen Changsheng thought about this, shook his head, and walked towards the building on the right, which was relatively well-preserved.

The building was constructed of stone and wood, about several zhang high, with green vines and moss covering the stone walls. The paint on the beams, pillars, and doors and windows had peeled off, making it look extremely dilapidated. A plaque hung above the main entrance, and it took him a long time to recognize two of the characters, confirming that this building was related to the library.

He walked to the window and looked inside. The light was dim, but he could still see clearly. The bookshelves were densely lined with books, and he was surprised to find that the National Teaching Academy, which had been in decline for many years, still had so many books. Had the temple not taken them away, and had the government not cared?

Books were the first and most familiar things he encountered in this world, like a person's memory of milk, inherently close and able to provide infinite spiritual comfort. Seeing so many books through the window, his low spirits lifted slightly.

He walked to the main entrance, about to push the door open, when he noticed a copper lock on it. The copper lock was dull and lifeless, with green rust visible where it touched the door, extremely old, and seemingly untouched for a long time. More importantly, it emitted a powerful aura.

He felt that the copper lock must be hiding a strong array.

No wonder the National Teaching Academy had been abandoned for so many years, yet the books were still well-preserved, not stolen by those elegant thieves or ruffians who owed money for drinks. Thinking about this, his mood improved, but he didn't know how to open the lock, as he didn't have a key and didn't even know if there was one, or where it might be, or who had it.

He didn't even know who to ask, as there was no one in the academy.

Not worrying that anyone would steal the books, and since he couldn't enter for the time being, he wasn't in a hurry and walked towards the dormitory building he had passed earlier. The National Teaching Academy's dormitories consisted of dozens of small buildings, occupying a considerable area, with green trees and vines everywhere. In the past, the environment was quiet and peaceful, but now it looked somewhat eerie.

He randomly chose a small building and pushed the door open, only to be greeted by a musty smell. Looking at the dust in the room, the spider webs in the corners, and the broken windows, he confirmed that it would be difficult to clean and tidy up in a short time. He shook his head and left, thinking that he might have to wait a while before moving from the inn.

Standing by the stone path outside the small building, looking at the dense forest that blocked the sky, the wild grass in the forest, the stone benches half-hidden by the wild grass, listening to the chirping of insects, feeling the sense of time in the eerie atmosphere, and the truths buried by time, Chen Changsheng slowly closed his eyes.

Decades ago, countless talented young men and women walked side by side on the stone paths or sat side by side on the stone benches. Occasionally, sword light would flash through the forest, and the sound of reciting the Daoist scriptures could be heard everywhere. Laughter would often come from the small buildings behind him, and the sound of the palace bell would ring out, with students happily running with their bowls.

He opened his eyes, and those scenes no longer existed, leaving only a cold and lonely forest and dilapidated small buildings.

The National Teaching Academy was located in the center of the capital, right next to the palace, yet it had been forgotten by the entire world.

The former glory and beauty were gone, and the sounds of joy and laughter had vanished, leaving him standing there alone.

He suddenly felt a bit sad, but it was only for a brief moment before he drove the feeling away from his heart.

He suddenly thought that this place was not bad, if he could see those scenes again.

...

...

The ability to see the bustling scenes of the National Teaching Academy from decades ago, to see those talented young men and women, and to see those past scenes, was not because Chen Changsheng had some special ability or was good at imagining. It was because he had read related books.

Tearing off the green vines from the stone wall outside the academy gate, he saw the name "National Teaching Academy," and many related records from the Daoist scriptures gradually surfaced in his mind, turning into clear words, transforming into images, and deeply etching themselves in his memory. He realized that he knew a lot about the history and affairs of this academy.

This was not too difficult to understand. He could remember the least noticeable side notes in the admission rules of the Heavenly Dao Academy and the extremely complicated military discipline of the Star Plucking Academy. Naturally, he should remember the history and traditions of the National Teaching Academy, as there was a lot of information in the 3,000 volumes of Daoist classics.

Now, the National Teaching Academy might have only him as a student, and as that old woman Ning had said, there might not even be a teacher. But since he had started studying at the National Teaching Academy, he needed to do some things, such as getting the key to the library and applying for money. He remembered clearly that the Great Zhou government provided educational subsidies to all academies, which were distributed annually as long as the academy existed. The Star Plucking Academy received its subsidies from the military, while the National Teaching Academy's subsidies were handled by the Sacred Educational Council.

Coincidentally, the keys and roster of the National Teaching Academy should also be stored there.

Chen Changsheng left the National Teaching Academy and, following the map, arrived at the Sacred Educational Council in no time. It was a very inconspicuous building, with a stone staircase of more than thirty steps at the front entrance and extremely high stone pillars, but it was still very inconspicuous because dozens of red pines were planted outside, covering everything inside.

Even the brightest sunlight could hardly illuminate the inside.

The front entrance of the Sacred Educational Council was very quiet, and it was rare to see a black-robed priest passing by. Chen Changsheng walked up the stone steps, feeling a bit strange, and noticed that there was a very lively area at the back of the building, with many people chatting.

Entering the Sacred Educational Council and finding the relevant staff, he said, "I need the roster and the key."

"What roster and key?" the staff member muttered, squinting his eyes, his face full of disdain, not out of contempt but because he was almost asleep in the spring breeze, dreaming of something pleasant.

Chen Changsheng raised his voice and said, "The roster and key of the National Teaching Academy."

The staff member slowly opened his eyes, yawned, washed his face by the window, and finally became more alert. He walked back to his desk, looked at Chen Changsheng with some annoyance, and pulled out a file from the drawer, saying, "Say the name of your school again."

This time, Chen Changsheng paid attention to his pronunciation, speaking clearly and distinctly, "National Teaching Academy."

The staff member, without thinking, found the name completely unfamiliar, stopped pulling the file, and looked up at Chen Changsheng with a frown, saying, "When did another academy appear in the capital? Have you registered? Have you paid the required taxes? Who approved it?"

"It's not a new academy, it's the National Teaching Academy."

N...a...t...i...o...n...a...l... T...e...a...c...h...i...n...g... A...c...a...d...e...m...y.

The staff member frowned, thinking for a moment, feeling that the name sounded familiar but couldn't remember where he had heard it. In the past ten years, he had dealt with the various academies in the capital countless times but had never heard of a National Teaching Academy... Suddenly, he remembered.

His face instantly turned extremely gloomy, as if it could drip water.

Chen Changsheng didn't know what had happened.

The staff member said in a cold voice, "Are you playing a joke on me?"

Chen Changsheng was bewildered, thinking, "What kind of joke are you playing?"

The staff member suddenly stood up, slammed his hand on the desk, and shouted, "Do you think this is a place for jokes!"

Chen Changsheng wanted to say something.

The staff member roared, "What academy's brat are you! How dare you come to play tricks on a teacher!"

Chen Changsheng, feeling wronged, said, "I am really a student of the National Teaching Academy."

The staff member looked at him as if he were a fool and said, "Keep lying, go on."