A Day at the Thirteenth Academy

The next morning, after a simple wash-up, Wei Guangde ate breakfast but still went to the private school to study first. In recent days, Master Sun had already begun having him read "The Great Learning," explaining it to him daily. The routine was much the same as before: about a dozen sentences each day, thoroughly explained, then written down to strengthen memory and practice calligraphy.

Wei Guangde recalled how troublesome the private school system was—there was only one rest day every ten or so days, amounting to just two days off per month. Counting the days, there were still two days left before the next rest day.

Luckily, after today and tomorrow, he could stay home for a full day. Still, he planned to return early in the afternoon to try out a bird gun.

In the future, although Wei Guangde attended university, he never really fired a gun. During military training at university, they were issued rifles, and the instructor briefly explained the structure and usage, but that was it. He heard that some better universities might have had more practical firearm training, but perhaps he was just unlucky; his cohort never encountered such training.

After crossing over to this era, he did fire a shot at the bailiff’s office, but that old matchlock was a sad memory best forgotten.

Still, Wei Guangde greatly admired the men who fought alongside Old Zhu to conquer the world, relying on such firearms to defeat the Mongol hordes and overthrow the Yuan dynasty. It was truly impressive.

Once he entered the school and took his seat, Wei Guangde, like the other students, took out a book and began reading, nodding his head rhythmically. To be honest, he didn’t quite understand why people of this era read in this manner—Master Sun did, as did the other students around him. Whether it was contagious or just custom, he had adopted the same habit.

Master Sun’s school had over twenty students, the oldest around fifteen or sixteen, the youngest about eight or nine—much like when Wei Guangde himself had first been sent here.

It seemed Master Sun was reluctant to admit very young children, perhaps believing it was difficult to manage them. Even if their families paid, he refused to take them.

Though Master Sun was not a government-supported student receiving monthly provisions, as a scholar he was exempt from land taxes and corvée duties. He owned some farmland, so he lacked no food or clothing.

Having stayed in his hometown town all along, he was a respected figure locally with considerable influence, living comfortably.

Since Master Sun had no further ambitions for the imperial exams himself, nurturing students became his final hope.

If he couldn’t become a successful candidate, he would cultivate a few who could fulfill his dreams.

Not long after Wei Guangde sat down, Master Sun appeared from the backyard. His home, located in the town center, featured a spacious three-courtyard compound, expanded after he attained his scholar status. After giving up on the imperial exams, the front courtyard was converted into the private school.

Seeing the twenty or so students sitting in their places, nodding and reading aloud, Master Sun stroked his beard with satisfaction and smiled as he paced the classroom.

After the students had been reading for a while, he returned to the podium and began calling them up one by one to recite their lessons. Those who faltered inevitably received a few strokes with the ruler.

When it was Wei Guangde’s turn, he faced no pressure. The books he had read in past years were still fresh in his mind, and he often reviewed them during downtime.

He passed Master Sun’s test smoothly.

For the younger, less experienced students, reciting the text and answering a few simple questions was sufficient.

But for the few promising ones who might one day succeed in the imperial exams, the testing was more rigorous. They had to not only recite but also explain the meanings of the sages’ words.

After every student had been examined, much of the morning had passed, and Master Sun began his lecture.

Students were divided into groups, each progressing at their own pace.

Those who finished the day’s lesson continued reading, memorizing Master Sun’s explanations, copying texts, practicing calligraphy, and reinforcing memory.

By the time Wei Guangde and the others concluded the day’s lesson, it was almost time for lunch.

Lunch was arranged uniformly by the school. After Master Sun announced the end of class, the students all stood, bowed to him, and then filed out to eat.

The meals at the school were modest but plentiful. For the children of the local gentry, it was hardly palatable, but they made do.

For children from average families, filling their stomachs was enough; they cared little for flavor.

After lunch came a rest period, then more classes. Since Wei Guangde and his group had finished the lecture in the morning, their afternoon was spent reading and practicing calligraphy.

After lunch, Wei Guangde and Zhang Ji, along with several other children from the local bailiff’s office, rested in a long corridor where they often gathered. Today, there was little to talk about—just a few casual remarks here and there.

Chen Youcai, who had joined them yesterday, was not around today; he had returned to the homes of several wealthy families in town, chatting and laughing.

Wei Guangde had no interest in investigating the relationship between the bailiff’s office next door and the town’s landlords. In any case, his own office was not on friendly terms with them.

However, Zhang Ji had mentioned that it seemed the neighboring bailiff’s office had secretly sold military fields to those landlords, though this was merely hearsay, possibly known only to their fathers.

The school day ended at the late afternoon hour, around three o’clock. Most classmates lived in town, but some, like Wei Guangde, traveled some distance.

Usually, Wei Guangde would arrive home around five, especially when he went straight home without lingering in town.

During the noon break, Wei Guangde told Zhang Ji and the others to return early so they could try out the bird gun.

Naturally, Zhang Ji and the others had heard from their families about the recent expedition. Their fathers had earned considerable silver, and the households were already planning new clothes for the coming New Year. They had also heard that the garrison had received some new equipment.

In truth, this so-called equipment was mainly the batch of bird guns.

Most of them showed little interest, but seeing Wei Guangde so enthusiastic, they agreed to try it together.

With their schoolbags slung on their backs, they ran home quickly, put away their belongings, and then headed straight to the military fortress’s armory.

They could never manage handling the guns themselves, but Wei Guangde could—his brother Wei Wencai was in charge of the armory.