[Translation] Don't Let The Country Go (不讓江山): Chapter Five: Combination Punches

Throughout the greater half of his life, the great scholar Gao Shaowei had taught countless influential figures. Some were now celebrated across the land for their literary fame, while others held immense power and authority. Yet no matter their background, who among them had ever dared say that studying was easy?

After being scolded by Gao Shaowei, Li Diudiu could only awkwardly add an explanation:

“The books Master could find for me to read were all easy. That’s why he spared no effort to send me to the academy. The books here... should probably be harder.”

“Harder?!”

Gao Shaowei was so angry his face had turned pale. He truly wanted to throw this brat straight out the door. The words had nearly reached his lips, but then he remembered Zhou Huaili waiting outside. After all, the man had brought him the priceless Ascending Sparrow Terrace calligraphy. If he threw the child out now, he would probably also have to sever ties with Zhou Huaili. Though the two were not particularly close, people of society still had to maintain appearances and handle social matters appropriately.

If word spread that he had accepted the calligraphy but still kicked the child out, it would not look dignified.

So Gao Shaowei took a deep breath and said:

“You should all understand that studying is never easy. Studying is not merely reading words, but understanding the deeper meaning expressed within those words. Young people may possess backbone, but should not possess arrogance. One must know that on the mountain of books, diligence forms the path...”

Li Diudiu muttered almost absentmindedly:

“No matter the sun, rain, moon, or stars.”

Gao Shaowei’s remaining words got stuck in his throat.

“No matter the sun, rain, moon, or stars?”

He savored the phrase carefully. The line was not perfectly matched in form, yet the more he thought about it, the deeper its meaning seemed. It carried a sense of relentless perseverance... a kind of attitude... and also a touch of wild boldness. The sort of boldness people liked.

“Li Diudiu, if you truly possess such determination, then you may indeed succeed in study.”

Gao Shaowei’s expression softened considerably.

Li Diudiu himself had not expected that casually replying with one sentence would change Gao Shaowei’s attitude. But then again, Gao Shaowei himself had not expected it either.

As Gao Shaowei paced slowly around the room, he said:

“Do you know why the four of you are qualified to stand before me today and undergo my examination? This is not normally the season for academy admissions. It just so happens that several students recently withdrew because they could not endure the hardship of study. As for such students, once anyone says they cannot continue, I always allow them to leave without stopping them.”

He paused briefly before continuing:

“To those who wish to climb the mountain of books, I gift cloth shoes. To those who wish to cross the sea of learning, I gift a small boat. Those who descend the mountain halfway up, or turn back before crossing half the sea—I do not despise them. They simply lack fate with me.”

Returning to his chair, he asked:

“Now I shall continue asking questions. You must answer them as best you can.”

“Do you know how many kinds of learning there are?”

The four children glanced at one another. The question seemed difficult to answer.

Seeing no response, Gao Shaowei shook his head.

“You have not yet entered the academy, so this question truly is difficult for you. Let me explain. At Four Pages Academy, studying seeks understanding and knowledge. Debate sharpens discernment between right and wrong. Questioning and answering clarifies morality and principle. These are the academy’s three major courses. Instructors will teach you to read and debate, while I myself will sit in lecture halls listening to your questions.”

He looked at Zhang Xiaolin.

“What is the key to studying?”

Zhang Xiaolin thought nervously before answering:

“Reading?”

Gao Shaowei shook his head.

“It is thinking.”

Then he turned toward Li Diudiu.

“What is the key to debate?”

Li Diudiu answered immediately:

“Arguing.”

Gao Shaowei’s eyes widened.

“What did you say?”

“Arguing. Like arguing for the sake of arguing. In our village we call those people ‘argument idiots.’ Whatever you say, they oppose it. If you say something’s good, they say it’s bad. If you say it’s bad, they say it’s good. Arguing is a spirit. A fighting will. So debate means... forget right or wrong, argue first.”

Gao Shaowei raised a hand and gently rubbed his chest, silently reciting to himself: Don’t get angry, don’t get angry. Whoever gets angry loses.

After sighing deeply, he said:

“The purpose of debate is to train thought. Through debate, one broadens one’s perspective, discovers flaws in the opponent’s logic, and strikes back. So-called verbal battles sharpen the mind. Therefore the key to debate is arg—bah! The key to debate is quickness of mind.”

Among the four children, Liu Shengying seemed the most genuinely childlike. Bowing slightly, he asked:

“Sir, can any topic be debated?”

Gao Shaowei replied:

“Your question itself has a problem. Naturally, anything that can be proposed may be debated. But in this world, many topics cannot even be proposed.”

Liu Shengying foolishly pressed further:

“Sir, what topics cannot be proposed?”

In this era, in this world, of course there were many subjects that could not be debated—such as ruler and subject, or parents and children.

To debate ruler and subject was treason. To debate parents was unfilial. Great Chu constantly preached loyalty and filial piety. To question either was disloyalty and impiety. Such things could not even be spoken aloud. In modern Great Chu, scholars trembled with fear; every word had to be spoken with seven parts caution.

Just last year, Vice Minister Yan Kaixiao of the Ministry of Personnel had been imprisoned over a single sentence: “The ruler and subject are like father and son.”

The phrase itself should not have been problematic. Countless people throughout history had said similar things, and emperors usually took pleasure in it. Yet Yan Kaixiao had been impeached. His accusers claimed he was attempting to disrupt the imperial order and insult the royal family.

Why? Because Yan Kaixiao’s mother had once been a palace maid bestowed in marriage by the late emperor to Yan Kaixiao’s father. Thus his enemies argued that by saying “ruler and subject are like father and son,” Yan Kaixiao was implying he himself was the late emperor’s son—a grave insult to the imperial clan and both disloyal and unfilial.

As a result, Yan Kaixiao’s entire household was confiscated, and his family exiled to the frontier as slaves.

Thinking of this, Gao Shaowei shook his head.

“The debate topics will be assigned by your instructors. Whether something may or may not be discussed—they will tell you then.”

The current emperor was already fifty years old, yet... incompetent and muddle-headed. Gao Shaowei knew this clearly, yet could never say it aloud. Ridiculously enough, after ordering Yan Kaixiao’s arrest, the emperor later secretly sent someone to ask him: “Are you truly my half-brother by blood?”

Yan Kaixiao probably had a thousand curses in his heart.

At this thought, Gao Shaowei’s mood sank noticeably. The sages had once asked: Why study literature? Because literature governs the nation, while martial strength pacifies the world. Literature carries the Way.

But among today’s court scholars, who still possessed the integrity of true literati?

As a result, Gao Shaowei lost interest in continuing. He had only explained two of the academy’s three major subjects and no longer wished to speak further. Waving his hand, he said:

“The academy prioritizes study, with physical training as a supplement. Have any of you studied martial arts?”

The people of Chu believed martial arts were a lowly pursuit. Noble children practiced martial arts merely for cultivation of character. Ordinary commoners learned martial arts because they had no choice. Even merchant families only turned to martial arts as a last resort after failing at scholarly study—at best becoming guards or escorts. What greatness could come of that?

Although Great Chu’s imperial examinations had both literary and martial tracks, a literary champion graduated immediately as a sixth-rank official and received public honors, while a martial champion received no rank at all and merely waited at the Ministry of War for assignment.

Seeing them remain silent, Gao Shaowei sighed again.

“Studying martial arts is neither lowly nor shameful.”

He pointed outside.

“If any of you practice martial arts, go outside and demonstrate. You may spar with one another as well. Let me see.”

Sun Rugong immediately shook his head.

“This student has never studied martial arts.”

Liu Shengying thought briefly before answering:

“Neither has this student.”

Zhang Xiaolin glanced at Li Diudiu, who was also looking at him. But Zhang Xiaolin clearly hesitated, and that disappointed Li Diudiu somewhat. He thought: What’s wrong with practicing martial arts? Does it make someone inferior?

Li Diudiu answered:

“This student has studied martial arts.”

Zhang Xiaolin suddenly clenched his teeth.

“This student has also studied martial arts.”

Gao Shaowei nodded.

“Then the two of you may demonstrate outside.”

The corners of Zhang Xiaolin’s lips lifted slightly as he looked at Li Diudiu.

“You’d better be careful.”

Li Diudiu actually gained a bit of appreciation for him and nodded seriously.

“You too.”

In truth, Gao Shaowei had selfish motives.

His granddaughter Gao Xining was naturally more like a boy—restless to an excessive degree, in his opinion. But Gao Shaowei’s son and daughter-in-law had both died unexpectedly years ago, leaving only grandfather and granddaughter dependent on each other. The girl stubbornly wanted to practice martial arts.

Yet how could a great scholar of Gao Shaowei’s stature openly allow his granddaughter to study martial arts?

Even Gao Shaowei himself did not dare challenge society’s expectations. A woman’s virtue lies in lacking talent. Learning embroidery was enough. At most she might study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Why martial arts?

But he loved this granddaughter too dearly and granted her every wish. Since he could not directly hire a martial instructor for her, each time the academy admitted students he would ask extra questions about who practiced martial arts, then arrange for demonstrations in the courtyard while Gao Xining secretly watched from hiding.

Over the years, she had simply practiced however she pleased, training whenever she had free time. Gao Shaowei himself had no idea how skilled she had become, so he simply let her be.

Li Diudiu and Zhang Xiaolin walked into the courtyard and stopped several paces apart, facing one another. At the same moment, both clasped their fists in salute. Normally, men saluted with the left hand outside and the right fist inside, while women did the reverse.

Zhang Xiaolin stood over half a head taller than Li Diudiu. After all, Li Diudiu often went hungry and had grown smaller for his age. Zhang Xiaolin, by contrast, came from a good family and had practiced martial arts for years, making him strong and unusually tall.

“Shorty.”

Zhang Xiaolin grinned.

“You should know that martial contests determine winners and losers. But don’t worry—I won’t bully you. If you think you’re not my match, I can use only one hand. Or you can set conditions if you want.”

Li Diudiu felt a little excited. After training with his master for so long, he had never actually fought anyone before. His master always said martial arts existed to strengthen the body, not fight others. Yet Li Diudiu had always suspected his master’s ability to escape danger for so many years depended on more than merely being a Daoist priest.

Li Diudiu asked seriously:

“I can really set any condition?”

Zhang Xiaolin thought for a moment. What tricks could this little runt possibly play? Before absolute strength, schemes meant nothing.

Raising an eyebrow, Zhang Xiaolin said:

“Go ahead.”

Li Diudiu nodded.

“Don’t cry.”

“Huh?”

Zhang Xiaolin froze.

“What did you say?”

Li Diudiu replied:

“No crying. Whoever cries loses.”

Zhang Xiaolin glared at him.

“You asking for a beating?”

He strode toward Li Diudiu.

“We’ll see whether you cry after getting hit!”

Behind the spirit wall, a tall young girl secretly watched the scene. As she watched, she repeatedly covered her face with both hands, as though just imagining the coming blows already hurt.

Half an hour later, outside Four Pages Academy, Daoist Changmei waited anxiously. Feeling filthy and ragged, he did not dare approach the academy’s main gate and instead paced back and forth across the street. It felt as though decades had passed before he finally saw Zhou Huaili and Li Diudiu emerge one after another from the academy.

Daoist Changmei hurried over, first bowing deeply to Zhou Huaili.

“Many thanks for your trouble.”

Zhou Huaili returned the salute, glanced at Changmei, then at Li Diudiu, and let out a long sigh before turning away. He could not even be bothered to speak.

Seeing his expression, Daoist Changmei immediately knew Li Diudiu must not have performed well. He reached out and rubbed the boy’s head.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Even if you didn’t do well, it’s alright. At least we tried.”

Li Diudiu nodded.

“But we wasted all the money Master worked so hard to save.”

Daoist Changmei said, “As long as you didn’t deliberately lose, it’s fine. I know you can’t bear to leave me, but you still shouldn’t intentionally fail.”

Li Diudiu chuckled.

“Hehe...”

Daoist Changmei blinked.

“You really did lose on purpose?”

Li Diudiu shook his head immediately.

“No, how could I? I think my answers were pretty good. And I even won the sparring match.”

Daoist Changmei froze.

“The academy actually made you fight? How did you win? Were you hurt?”

Li Diudiu raised an eyebrow proudly.

“It was easy. That big guy charged right into a whole combo punch to my fist, and then I won. I’m not hurt—my fist just hurts a little.”