Chapter 102: You Forge False Scriptures; You Are a Traitor to the Han

Kong Ne and Zhang Yi looked at each other, neither understanding why the old man had summoned them. As Zhang Yi watched the other students head toward the dining hall, he followed the old man reluctantly. To his surprise, when they reached the old man’s quarters, they found dishes and tea already laid out.

It was a simple meal; as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, the old man’s lunch lacked any meat. This was the aspect of ancient diet that Zhang Yi found most difficult to adjust to, as his growing body required a significant amount of protein. Once they were seated, Xu Cunren did not allow them to speak, signaling instead that they should eat first.

"Do not talk while eating, do not talk while sleeping"—this was the most basic etiquette for meals. The three of them ate the unappetizing food in silence. Kong Ne frowned slightly; although he had been trying his best to adapt, the food here was not nearly as refined as what he was accustomed to in Qufu. This subtle expression, however, did not escape the eyes of the others.

"Mencius said: 'When Heaven is about to confer a great office on any man, it first exercises his mind with suffering, and his sinews and bones with toil. It exposes his body to hunger, and subjects him to extreme poverty. It confounds his undertakings. By all these methods, it stimulates his mind, hardens his nature, and supplies his incompetencies,'" Xu Cunren said as he finished his meal first and set down his chopsticks.

Kong Ne was startled, realizing that his discomfort had been noticed. He hurriedly set down his own utensils and assumed a posture of respectful listening.

"I see you are lonely here in the academy, and I generally understand your predicament. But since you have come to the capital, you should come with a heart tempered by adversity. The Zhang and Kong families are the same; having experienced the prosperity of the previous dynasty, you must now bear the pain of decline. This is a debt owed by your two families; it is just hard on you both!"

Xu Cunren’s voice was gentle, his attitude neither servile nor overbearing. He did not look down on Kong Ne because of his family's troubles, nor did he distance himself because of the baggage the Kong family carried. Kong Ne was deeply moved. Walking through the lonely hell that was Yingtian Prefecture, he had felt true warmth only from Zhu Biao and the old man before him.

"Thank you, sir, for your teachings. I, Yanbo, will keep them in my heart! In truth, I do not feel that this trip to Yingtian is a hardship. To be allowed by His Majesty to study at the Imperial Academy is already a blessing I could not have hoped for. How could I dare call it a hardship?" Kong Ne bowed sincerely, causing Xu Cunren to smile faintly.

Although his words were clearly not entirely from the heart, Xu Cunren did not hold it against him. Kong Ne’s current situation meant he had to be cautious with every word; the boy’s life was not easy. After speaking his piece to Kong Ne, he turned his gaze to Zhang Yi. Zhang Yi grinned.

"Master Xu, I neither seek fame nor wish to inherit the family business. I have no need for tempering!"

The mood Xu Cunren had carefully cultivated was punctured by this little jab. He was speechless for a moment before he suddenly laughed. "I know. You are the brat here specifically to temper others!"

The old man and the young boy looked at each other and laughed, leaving Kong Ne feeling completely bewildered. It was their first day of school, and while he was being cautious with everyone, the relationship between Zhang Yi and Master Xu seemed more like that of close friends. How was it that this boy could command such special treatment from the master? Why did he seem to treat everyone he met as an equal? Kong Ne couldn't help but admire Zhang Yi’s social abilities.

"I am an old man nearing retirement; I don't need a brat like you to temper me. Now, guess again—why did I call you here?"

"Probably because of that 'unity of knowledge and action' thing from Master Wang?" Zhang Yi pondered. There wasn't much else he could think of that would keep the old man preoccupied. However, he guessed wrong this time. Xu Cunren produced a copy of *The Supreme Truth of the Microscopic World* and placed it before Zhang Yi, pointing at the scripture and asking, "Explain to me: why is a virus not alive, yet considered a biological entity?"

Zhang Yi was dumbfounded. Was this what the old man wanted to ask? Seeing the seriousness in Xu Cunren's eyes, he had no choice but to explain earnestly.

"This involves the theory of cells. The most basic unit of life is the cell, but a virus is an organism that lacks cellular structure. Therefore, it is not life, but it is biological..."

Kong Ne was left speechless. He watched as Zhang Yi and Xu Cunren used a religious text to discuss things he couldn't even begin to understand—and it seemed more like Zhang Yi was teaching Master Xu. He recognized every character they used, but when put together, he couldn't grasp the meaning. This situation left Kong Ne, who had always looked down on Zhang Yi as unlearned, feeling profoundly defeated. He didn't leave, though; he stood to the side, straining to listen, but without having read *The Supreme Truth*, his efforts were in vain.

"Master, have mercy, I’ve done my best to explain!" Zhang Yi said after a while. Xu Cunren was still only half-understanding, so Zhang Yi finally surrendered. Biology was not easily mastered. Zhang Yi’s purpose in writing the book was merely to popularize some concepts of microorganisms, essentially promoting the drinking of boiled water and the practice of inoculation. His goal was to plant the concept of the microscopic world in China, to let it take root when the time was right. But expecting someone to grasp it all at once was far too difficult. Still, Zhang Yi admired the old man’s thirst for knowledge.

The old man finally let him off the hook and closed the book. "The person who wrote this must be a genius of the ages. Although this book is a forgery, it proves the hidden depth of the Zhang family heritage..."

"A forgery?" Both Kong Ne and Zhang Yi’s expressions changed drastically, though for different reasons. *The Supreme Truth of the Microscopic World* was a scripture personally promoted by the Emperor. If it were a forgery, wouldn't that imply the crime of deceiving the throne? Kong Ne’s young heart was dealt a massive shock. Especially since the perpetrator of this forgery—the legitimate descendant of Longhu Mountain—was sitting right in front of the master. He wondered how Zhang Yi would react to Xu Cunren stating it so bluntly.

"A forgery? That can't be, can it?" Zhang Yi played dumb. Xu Cunren smiled skeptically. "With prose this clumsy, if one claimed it was dictated by the Supreme Deity, the Deity would die of anger. Although the text has clearly been polished by someone, the traces of the original author’s poor writing style cannot be hidden..."

Zhang Yi wore a forced smile. It was the first time he had been insulted to his face like this; he had his pride, after all. "Is it really that bad?" he asked, unwilling to accept it.

Xu Cunren replied, "It’s like a child who has never properly studied writing. If not for the earth-shattering nature of the content and its immense value, I would have thrown it away after reading the very first character!"

*Man, you don't have to be so insulting!* Zhang Yi had no comeback. He admitted his writing was poor, but was it really that bad?

Seeing his expression, a thought occurred to Xu Cunren. He blurted out, "You didn't forge this yourself, did you?" After the words left his mouth, the old man felt it was a bit abrupt, but upon reflection, it seemed entirely possible.

Zhang Yi naturally wouldn't admit it. He said righteously, "Absolutely not! Master, you must be careful with what you say!" Zhang Yi did not want to be stained by the crime of deceiving the emperor, though he understood that with the intelligence of the man in the deep palace, the Emperor might have already realized the issues with the book. But that didn't matter. The Emperor needed Longhu Mountain to help him perform a political show; if it was fake, it was still effectively real. Throughout history, hadn't the auspicious omens presented by Taoists and officials been fabrications? On the contrary, Xu Cunren was the one in real danger for publicly questioning the authenticity of the scripture.

Seeing Zhang Yi’s warning, the old man stopped asking. "Fine, you little rascal. Now, for the second matter..."

The issue of the forged scripture seemed to be brushed aside. Kong Ne, standing to the side, felt his worldview had been severely shaken. He was a smart person; he had heard the conversation clearly, and from Zhang Yi’s reaction, the forgery was definitely real. Yet neither the old man nor Zhang Yi seemed to care. *That was the crime of deceiving the throne!*

Kong Ne was left in a daze, while the old fox and the young fox had already begun to bargain.

"How much more did that Wang Mingyang tell you?"

"Not much more, I don't remember clearly..."

"Try to remember. I'll give you less homework; just use it to deal with the Emperor... Look, I’m an old man about to retire; I have no other hobbies besides reading..."

Xu Cunren’s mercenary attitude made Zhang Yi like the old man even more. In his heart, a true scholar wasn't someone who put on airs, but someone like this old man who was down-to-earth. How many people could be both humble and firm?

Just as he was about to continue bargaining with Xu Cunren, someone outside shouted, "Chancellor! There is a messenger from the palace!"

Xu Cunren was stunned. Why would the palace be looking for him at this time? He hurried out, and Zhang Yi and Kong Ne had no choice but to follow. A eunuch was waiting in the courtyard.

"Eunuch Wang!" Xu Cunren had been to the palace many times and was familiar with the man. The eunuch smiled at him. "Master Xu, His Highness the Crown Prince and the Emperor were discussing you. His Highness says he misses you and has sent me to summon you. Please enter the palace at your convenience!"

Since the Emperor and the Crown Prince were looking for him, Xu Cunren naturally could not delay. He turned back and said, "You are both granted a half-day off. Do as you please; I must head to the palace. And you, brat, remember what I said—about Wang Mingyang..."

Fearful that Zhang Yi would go back on his word, the old man specifically mentioned it. Zhang Yi grinned and nodded in agreement.

After the master left, Zhang Yi noticed Kong Ne staring straight at him. He was puzzled. "Is something the matter?"

Kong Ne took a deep breath, looked at him with contempt, and said, "Playing god, deceiving the Emperor, inciting chaos in the court—being your classmate is truly a disgrace!"

*Is this guy sick?* Zhang Yi didn't know where this inexplicable hostility came from. He wasn't a man of great patience, so he shot back, "Traitor!"

The color drained from Kong Ne’s face, then turned a deep, flushed red. The word "traitor" had long been a sore spot for the Kong family. As long as the Zhu dynasty stood, this accusation from Zhu Yuanzhang would likely follow the Kong family like a shadow!

"Say that again!" Kong Ne’s voice had changed.

"Traitor!"

"I am going to report you for forging scriptures!"

"Go ahead and report me, you child!"

Zhang Yi could fear many things from Zhu Yuanzhang, but he was not afraid of the Emperor knowing that *The Supreme Truth* was a forgery. The Emperor likely knew it already; he used the "public support" of Longhu Mountain to push his own policies. It was a net positive for him, so what did it matter if it was a forgery? When it came to merit that could be recorded in history, if the Emperor said it was real, it was real. That was why, even though many in the imperial court saw the problems with the book, no one spoke up.

Seeing that he could do nothing to Zhang Yi, Kong Ne was driven to fury. They were in the Imperial Academy, but in Xu Cunren’s private courtyard. Consumed by rage, he rushed forward and shoved Zhang Yi.

"What are you doing? A gentleman uses words, not force..."

"I’m going to teach you a lesson!" Kong Ne gritted his teeth, ready to strike, when suddenly his eyes stung—Zhang Yi had grabbed a handful of sand and thrown it into his face.

"Forgot I’m a Taoist, not a gentleman? Grab your weapons!" Zhang Yi swung his fist and charged at Kong Ne.

Kong Ne was beaten until he cried.