Chapter Twenty-Three: Timid Dou Fengjie (Part Two)

Zheng Yanqing asked, “Sir, I wanted to ask if you know of The Three Kingdoms?”

“Oh, I know a little,” Li Ji replied, “but Yanqing, if you wish to pursue honors, you should thoroughly study the Book of Han. The Book of Han is a required subject for all students of the Imperial Academy. Without mastery of it, seeking official rank will be exceedingly difficult.”

Yanqing gave a bitter smile. “Sir, do you really think someone like me could ever hope for such honors?”

“Why not!” Li Ji’s eyes widened, but he quickly recalled that Yanqing was of humble birth, still considered a servant of the Zheng family, and so...

“Yanqing, why have you suddenly brought up The Three Kingdoms?”

Yanqing hesitated, then knelt properly before Li Ji and spoke softly, “To be honest, sir, my background is humble. Though my grandfather is the steward of Anyuan Hall, he is not favored by the young master. Since coming to Luoyang, our position has become quite awkward. If we handle matters poorly, our fate could be a miserable one.

You may not know, sir, but I am only allowed to study here out of necessity, not by the young master’s will. Earlier, when my grandfather and I lived in the city, I had a childhood companion. The two of us often made up stories from the streets to amuse ourselves. Somehow, the tales I invented came to the attention of the family tutor. Last night, he came to our door, demanding an explanation. In a fit of anger, I argued with him and made a wager: that I would interpret The Three Kingdoms against him.

If the public accepts my interpretation, he loses; if not, I will offer my own head.”

At first, Li Ji listened to Yanqing’s explanation with a smile, but gradually, his expression grew grave.

“The Zheng family’s tutor—is it Yan Zhou?” he asked.

“It is indeed.”

Li Ji could not help but slap the table. “You reckless boy! How many books have you read, daring to challenge Yan Zhou in interpreting The Three Kingdoms? Utterly absurd! And Yan Zhou himself—why would he stoop to wager with a child? Yanqing, even if you start studying The Three Kingdoms now, how could you hope to surpass Yan Zhou?”

“Sir, it’s not about interpretation alone. The wager is whether the public will accept my view.”

Li Ji’s brows furrowed. “Do you even know The Three Kingdoms?”

“I heard about it as a child, and know a little.”

At that moment, students began to trickle into the courtyard, so Li Ji could not pursue the matter further.

“Yanqing, go back to your seat for now. When class ends, don’t leave—I have something to ask you.”

Yanqing was delighted, sensing that Li Ji’s interest was piqued. In truth, men like Li Ji, who had never achieved great success, were not necessarily in awe of gentry scholars like Yan Shigu. Perhaps, in Li Ji’s mind, Yan Shigu’s fame was merely a matter of good birth; as for scholarship, Li Ji might not have considered himself inferior.

One could see this from Li Ji’s own teaching style. Today, as usual, the lesson focused on the Five Cangs, but it was clear his mind was elsewhere. His explanations were straightforward, lacking the rich citations and thorough analysis of the previous day.

Yanqing, for his part, was also preoccupied. His mind was filled with thoughts of The Three Kingdoms, and he paid little attention to the lesson. During the break, Li Ji did not remain in the classroom, and no one knew where he had gone. Yanqing sat on the classroom steps, watching the children play in the courtyard. If… if he had not been reborn, would he, too, be as carefree as these children?

Lost in thought, Yanqing reflected on all that had happened since his rebirth.

The truth was, he had few friends. Back in Xingyang, only Duoduo played with him, and after she left, there were no peers around. Xu Shiji was a good companion, but he lived at the old house in Luoyang.

As for the boys on the estate, they showed more awe than real friendship. That was partly Yanqing’s own doing, but to play in the mud with a gang of little boys—he found it pointless.

Suddenly, a commotion and the sound of crying broke out. Several children from the central courtyard were pushing a smaller boy around.

Yanqing recognized the boy—it was Dou Fengjie, who sat in front of him in class. Dou Fengjie was one of the rare direct descendants of the Dou family studying at the academy. He was descended from Dou Chi, one of the three founders. His grandfather, Dou Gong, had once governed Yongzhou under the Northern Zhou, but when that dynasty fell, so did their branch of the family.

Dou Fengjie’s father, Dou Gui, held some minor post in Shu. Yanqing was unsure of the details, but had gathered from chatter among the children that Dou Gui’s rank was low, little different from the post once held by Zheng Renji, and not even in Chang’an. His status, therefore, was unimpressive.

Dou Gui was known for his upright and resolute nature and was rarely home. Dou Fengjie was raised by his mother, but she passed away two years ago, leaving him almost like an orphan. He had an uncle, but he too was absent from Luoyang. With no one to care for him, Dou Fengjie was sent to the academy when he reached schooling age.

As a declining branch of a great clan, he received little attention. Dou Fengjie himself was timid, or perhaps just gentle by nature. There were always some troublesome students in the academy who resented his status as a direct heir. The wealthier, higher-born children bullied him, though not excessively—demanding sweets, pocket money, and the like. Someone with a stronger will would never submit, and even these bullies dared not provoke a true heir. But Dou Fengjie, being timid, never fought back. The more he was bullied, the more fearful he became, and with no one to confide in at home, the cycle only worsened.

Other students watched from the sidelines, afraid to speak up.

Yanqing could not bear it any longer. He got up, strode over, and pulled Dou Fengjie to his side, then sharply jabbed his elbow into one of the older boys’ ribs. Though he held back, his lifelong training had made him strong; the blow was enough to make the boy cry out, clutching his side and crouching in pain.

“Who are you to meddle in our business?” one of the bullies demanded.

Yanqing replied loudly, “He is my classmate and friend—how could I stand by and watch you mistreat him? Look at yourselves: older, taller, and here longer than us… You should be ashamed. Is bullying the weak all you’ve learned here?”

The boys glared at him, furious.

Yanqing stood protectively in front of Dou Fengjie, fixing them with a cold stare. He had killed those far more dangerous than these children—what was there to fear?

“Don’t try to be a hero,” Dou Fengjie whispered nervously behind him. “If I just give them my allowance, it’ll be fine. They’re not to be trifled with.”

“Be quiet!” Yanqing shot back without turning. “If you give in once, there will always be a next time. If you hand over your allowance today, it’ll never end. A true man should stand tall! Look at you, shaming your great-grandfather’s name.”

Dou Fengjie’s great-grandfather was Dou Chi, one of the three founders. Hearing Yanqing’s words, Dou Fengjie flushed, stepping forward as if to face his tormentors, but when he saw their fierce expressions, his courage faltered and he shrank back again. The bullies sneered.

“What are you doing?” came a voice from the classroom steps. Li Ji had returned at some point, his normally smiling face now cold as frost.

He barked harshly, “You boys from the central courtyard—get back at once! Do you want a beating or punishment?”

In this world, teacher ranked among the five cardinal relationships. Though these children were not Li Ji’s personal students, he was still their instructor, and thus held the authority of a teacher. In the academy, teachers commanded great respect. Even these brazen boys dared not defy him—such rebellion would be a grave offense, even punishable by death if brought before the clan council.

The bullies glanced at Li Ji, shot Yanqing a venomous glare, and muttered, “Just you wait!” Then they helped their injured companion and slunk off to the central courtyard.

Yanqing sneered, “I’ll be waiting.”

“You two—get in here! Or must I fetch you myself?” Li Ji thundered.

Yanqing stuck out his tongue in alarm, and without daring to linger, dragged Dou Fengjie into the classroom.

“You troublesome child—aren’t your own affairs enough?” Li Ji chided in a low, earnest voice as Yanqing passed by.

Yanqing felt a warmth in his heart, bowed respectfully, and hurried inside without another word.

“Thank you,” Dou Fengjie whispered as they sat down, “but be careful—they won’t let this go.”

Yanqing grinned, “If trouble comes, I’ll meet it head-on. Now, let’s focus on the lesson.”

At that moment, Li Ji stepped into the classroom, opened the text before him, and began the day’s teaching.

—A feeble cry for recommendations!