Chapter 350: Sorry, I don’t work overtime!

Upon hearing Zhang Fei’s words, both Xu Zun and Sima Guang let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

Goodness!

It had truly been terrifying!

That topic earlier had frightened the two of them considerably.

One was the father-in-law, and the other was the official who had recommended him; if something went wrong, they would certainly be implicated.

Yet it had to be admitted that Zhang Fei’s explanation was impeccable.

Whether it was “if the emperor breaks the law, he shares the same punishment as a commoner” or the principle that punishment does not apply to scholar-officials, everyone understood in their hearts that these were special privileges. This idea of ‘systemic law’ would be infringing upon the emperor’s interests.

The emperor was the direct beneficiary. If one traced the issue to its root, the problem lay with the emperor himself.

However, Zhang Fei had skillfully suggested that this was due to systemic law still needing to be perfected, rather than the emperor himself being selfish and unwilling to submit to legal supervision.

What counts as being perfected?

There was no definitive answer.

The initiative therefore still rested in the emperor’s hands.

Moreover, that final sentence elevated legal studies to a higher level.

In the Song dynasty, legal studies were a required subject for officials, but its influence and importance paled in comparison to Confucianism.

However, if the concept of systemic law was integrated into legal studies, the importance of this subject would be self-evident, making it the great vehicle for governing the realm.

Naturally, pursuing such a great path was bound to involve numerous trials and tribulations.

Consequently, this class was truly difficult to teach, especially with a teacher like Zhang Fei.

Every student present had tears welling up in the corners of their eyes.

They felt deeply wronged.

This pen-in-cap teacher was so petty. They were, after all, the chosen ones of great talent, yet through the entire lesson, he had humiliated them from start to finish.

It never seemed to end.

Could he not have a bit more dignity?

These students were geniuses from their respective regions, praised and flattered since childhood, never having been called stupid or foolish. Yet in Zhang Fei’s classroom, they felt like fools themselves.

The knowledge in their minds turned to excrement, completely useless.

By the time the debate between Confucianism and Legalism came up, they could hardly interject at all. They could only listen, as the exchange was conducted entirely between Zhang Fei and deeply knowledgeable scholars Fu Bi and Yan Fu.

They had no choice but to silently endure Zhang Fei’s humiliation.

“I find your argument somewhat one-sided. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, every state sought a path to strength. In the end, Legalism rose to prominence, enabling the Qin ruler to sweep away the six states and conquer the eight corners of the land. It is clear that there is something valuable in Legalism; it is not as worthless as you describe.”

Wang Anshi, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

Sima Guang, Wen Yanbo, and Fu Bi glanced at Wang Anshi and instantly perked up.

He was finally taking a hand in the debate.

Yan Fu and the others brightened at the prospect. Neither man was easy to handle, so it was best to let them tear each other apart.

Zhang Fei shook his head. “In my view, there is nothing of value to be found in it.”

“That is not necessarily so,” Wang Anshi replied. “Qin was surrounded by powerful enemies and plagued by internal strife and external threats. Thanks to Legalist methods, it turned the tide, unified the six states, and achieved hegemony. Without Legalism, Qin would likely have been destroyed by Wei. How can you say it is entirely without merit?”

Emperor Zhao Xu frowned slightly as he listened.

Was this really about the State of Qin? It was plainly a reference to Great Song!

Fu Bi, Sima Guang, and the others also caught the underlying implication.

Wang Anshi was using the methods that had raised Qin to bolster support for his new policies.

Today, Song faced both internal unrest and external threats, with powerful enemies lying in wait all around. Something had to be done!

Yet the conservatives were firmly opposed to such an approach. The ancestral laws were clear on this point: establish comprehensive order as precaution against malfeasance.

But could strict law and order truly resolve these problems?

They suddenly felt a spark of interest and turned their eager gazes toward Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei smiled. “Qin lost so many lives and slaughtered so many people, only to build an empire that collapsed within two generations. After that came another wave of massive killing, continuing until the rise of the Han. I imagine the people of Qin must have wondered what they had actually gained. It is a kind of irony. Of course, that was not Qin’s fault. No one back then could have foreseen such an outcome. But later generations should take it as a warning rather than repeat the same mistakes.”

Fu Bi, Wen Yanbo, and the others nodded in unison, fully in agreement.

Wang Anshi said, “Though Qin fell after only two generations, one cannot place the entire blame on Legalism. At the time…!”

Clang, boom, clang!

The sound of gongs and drums suddenly rang out.

Wang Anshi had so lost track of where he was that he paused for a moment, uncertain of where the gong and drum sounds were coming from.

“Oh thank goodness! Finally finished! My heavens!”

Zhang Fei could not help but let out a long breath. He waved his hand and said, “If we have any questions, let’s discuss them in the next class. Uh… if there is a next class.”

“N…next class?”

Wang Anshi froze instantly. Brother, I haven’t even finished warming up yet.

Everyone else was equally dazed.

Next class?

Are we not still in class?

Seeing that Wang Anshi was about to make his move, they all looked forward to a splendid debate. Where did you think you were going?

Emperor Zhao Xu had been thoroughly enjoying himself. Moreover, this very question was one he had been searching for an answer to. Could Legalism be adopted? The key lay in Zhang Fei’s recent arguments, which were novel and eye-opening, provoking deep thought. He quickly said, “Hold on before you leave. Many questions have not yet been clarified.”

Make officials work overtime? What are you thinking? Zhang Fei shook his head. “Your Majesty, this will not do.”

“…?”

Emperor Zhao Xu was stunned.

Are you even unwilling to give face to me?

You must truly be floating high on your success!

Zhang Fei spoke with a grave air. “Your Majesty, this is a class in the law, and rules must be observed. If we do not observe rules in the classroom, the students we train will surely be those who break rules in every other aspect of their lives. If they go on to enforce the law, will they not bend it to their own advantage every day? Besides, this lesson covered too much material. They… Your Majesty, please look!”

He pointed at the students. “Every single one of them wears a blank expression. If I continue, they will only become more confused. There is no point in going on.”

Ye Zuqia protested. “We are confused because you did not explain it clearly.”

Zhang Fei asked him back. “Then you tell me. According to the principles of systemic law that we have been studying, should this lesson be ended or not?”

“Of course not,” Ye Zuqia said, maintaining his serious tone. “As you are teacher, you should prioritize teaching. How could you leave before explaining the matter clearly? That is a sign of irresponsibility.”

Zhang Fei broke into a smile. “Heh! What’s there to teach? Your very words prove that you did not take in a single thing I said. Or perhaps you were paying attention, but you were simply too stupid to understand.”

Ye Zuqia frowned. “This is clearly because you did not explain it properly.”

Zhang Fei chuckled. “By your logic, if I am the teacher, I must prioritize giving lectures. By the same token, if I were digging a canal, I would have to keep digging without stopping until it was finished. Either the work is completed, or I die in the attempt.”

Ye Zuqia snorted. “That is sophistry.”

“Sophistry?” Zhang Fei smiled slightly and asked, “Let me ask you. Have I arrived late? Have I left early? No, I have not. Then is the prescribed break time my legitimate right? Is that not a widely accepted consensus? From His Majesty down to the common people, everyone has designated rest hours.”

“Does upholding my legitimate rights constitute adhering to the principle of systemic law?”

“Of course, I could continue lecturing. But given your behavior, teaching you is truly exhausting. If His Majesty and Lord Fu were not here to help answer your questions, I would have died of boredom long ago. I probably would have sent you all off to study on your own quite some time back.”

Having delivered this rapid-fire barrage, Zhang Fei watched tears welling up in Ye Zuqia’s eyes.

His self-esteem was completely shattered.

Yet he did not know how to argue back. This principle of systemic law was truly his bane!

It was simply bizarre.

There was no help for it. Who could he blame but the fact that he had offended Zhang Fei.

Even Wang Wenshan had been driven out of the capital, and before he left, he had to endure a round of threats. If he knew his old adversary was now an official, he would never be able to sleep!

Wang Anshi suddenly spoke up, “You just said that Confucianism still forms the foundation of current governance, didn’t you?”

“Uh… .”

Zhang Fei was momentarily speechless.

The people standing there were either the Emperor or chancellors.

Who in the world would talk to a Rank Sub-Nine subordinate about his rights.

Stop rambling!

Just sit down and do the work!

Emperor Zhao Xu saw that the young man was genuinely reluctant to continue, and indeed, he had already said quite enough. So he said, “Enough! Enough! Let’s call it a day. If you kept going, We would even feel guilty.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding.”

Zhang Fei quickly clasped his hands in a bow. “This humble commoner takes his leave.”

Emperor Zhao Xu corrected him abruptly, “You are an official now, not a commoner.”

“Ah? Oh.”

Zhang Fei awkwardly raised his hand. “Then… can this subject apply for a transfer?”

Emperor Zhao Xu chuckled twice, then turned serious. “Not a chance.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Zhang Fei clasped his hands in a salute, then cast a glance at Ye Zuqia. In a low voice, he said, “If I were you, I’d sooner die than come to this law academy for a class. Who is this teacher? A mere scoundrel. Not a shred of professional ethics. He doesn’t teach; he just humiliates you. There’s a nine in ten chance he’ll ruin your futures.”

His tone wove together disdain and a plea.

It struck right at the heart!

Shouldn’t we be the ones looking down on you?

Why had it turned around, so that you were the one looking down on us?

It was truly a bloody insult.

Seeing the boy slip away, Wang Anshi was not content. He said to Emperor Zhao Xu, “Your Majesty, the matter hasn’t even been fully debated. How could you let that young man leave so easily?”

Emperor Zhao Xu gave a bitter smile. “Actually, he’s very right. Too much was covered in that lesson. It’s hard to digest. Look at these students.”

Wang Anshi looked at the students and saw that some were indeed covering their faces, choked with sobs.

These prides of heaven, as they were called, had never suffered such a blow.

The real problem was that there was no such teacher in all the world!

His tongue was vicious.

It wasn’t just that he didn’t treat them with respect; he didn’t treat any of them as human beings.

“Really pathetic.”

Wang Anshi cast a look of disdain at them, thinking to himself, they didn’t understand the class, but I did.

Emperor Zhao Xu seemed to read what was on his mind and added, “Although I know you certainly understood, we are all still somewhat confused. We will gain little from continuing the debate. But Teacher, you need not worry. Zhang San cannot escape.”

Wang Anshi felt somewhat at ease, yet he also had to consider the feelings of others.

After all, everyone had different levels of intelligence.