Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Hundred Rivers Academy Opens!

After a day or two of scrambling and cleaning, the rustic little courtyard was finally ready to hang up a sign and open for business.

Gu Nan Xi was dragged out of bed early by Su Yun Yan and dressed up like she was going to war.

Su Yun Yan held up two robes—one in each hand. “Lu Mei, which one looks better?”

Lu Mei was busy arranging Gu Nan Xi’s hair into a proper bun. She glanced over and said decisively, “The wide five-colored embroidered one. Madam is going to be headmaster today. The small floral brocade looks a little… small.”

Half asleep, Gu Nan Xi snapped fully awake. “Since when am I going to be headmaster?”

Su Yun Yan chose the robe, then moved on to shoes as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “You’re the biggest investor. If you don’t become headmaster, who would dare?”

Oh no.

Gu Nan Xi’s stomach tightened. This little devil—why hadn’t she warned her sooner?

She’d prepared nothing. How was she supposed to give a speech in front of teachers and students so learned they could recite whole libraries?

She couldn’t just blurt out plain, casual nonsense, could she?

There wasn’t even time to hire a scholar to draft something for her.

Gu Nan Xi sat there rigid, mind racing. Was her transmigrator identity about to be exposed today?

What a waste of those perfect days where she barely had to lift a finger…

“How many teachers and students will be there?” she asked in a strangled voice.

Su Yun Yan didn’t blink, her tone airy. “Oh. Since you’re the headmaster and also a teacher, the only student is Brother.”

Gu Nan Xi stared at her.

The silence stretched. It swallowed the room whole.

Only after a long moment did Gu Nan Xi find her voice again. “If it’s this small, why not just set aside a courtyard in the manor and call it a school? Why spend a thousand taels?”

Su Yun Yan said nothing.

But once they reached Hundred Rivers Academy, she found a gap in the bustle and dragged Su Xuan Ming into a corner. “Brother, Mother told you to expand enrollment. Recruit students. Recruit teachers. You have to beat the Imperial Academy and Song Shan Academy!”

Su Xuan Ming sucked in a cold breath. “Mother’s expectations of me are that high? She thinks Hundred Rivers Academy can be better than Song Shan Academy? Can I even do that?”

Su Yun Yan clenched her fist and pumped it once. “Mother put up a thousand taels. Of course she believes in you! She even prepared more banknotes—once the academy climbs higher, she’ll hand them to you.”

Su Xuan Ming’s throat went dry. His heart swelled with gratitude—and then immediately sank under the weight of what he’d just been handed.

“My Hundred Flavors House is going to become number one in Capital,” Su Yun Yan said, eyes shining. “If I can do that, why can’t you make Hundred Rivers Academy great?”

“I… I can, right?” Su Xuan Ming sounded like a toddler promising he could climb a snow mountain.

“But Mother says you can.”

Su Xuan Ming’s shoulders straightened. “Then I can.”

After all, Mother was the River Goddess—boundless power, endless methods, and never wrong. Surely.

When the siblings returned to the courtyard, the opening ceremony was already in full swing.

Steam from the hotpot rose into the cold air, warming the drafty little place until it felt almost cozy.

Dressed in bright finery, Gu Nan Xi boomed at the adopted sons and nearby neighbors, “Don’t be shy! Eat your fill!”

Su Yun Yan blinked, still half convinced she was dreaming. “Mother… did you actually give a speech?”

Gu Nan Xi picked up a slice of pork belly, swished it through the boiling mushroom broth, then dipped it in chive-flower sauce. Once it was coated in bright green, she stuffed it into Su Yun Yan’s mouth with a single chopstick.

“I did.”

Su Yun Yan’s eyes widened with regret. She must have stalled too long earlier—she’d missed it. “What did you say?”

“One person, one academy,” Gu Nan Xi said lightly. “One flower, one world. One leaf, one bodhi.”

Su Yun Yan rolled the words around in her mind, tasting their strange Zen flavor. It sounded profound. It had to be.

After everyone ate and drank their fill, Gu Nan Xi pulled Su Xuan Ming aside. “The books in the study are extremely valuable. Post guards. And be careful with fire.”

“Understood, Mother.”

After seeing Gu Nan Xi and Su Yun Yan off, Su Xuan Ming hired Li Da Niu to guard the academy for one string of cash, with room and board included.

Then he headed out to recruit students with his sworn brothers.

Chen Yi Xuan sat in the carriage and scribbled flyers like he was drawing talismans. “Brother, physicians don’t go door-to-door, and schools don’t either. Who chases students like this?”

Su Xuan Ming stamped seals onto the flyers until his hand went numb. “If we want to catch up with the Imperial Academy and surpass Song Shan, we have to find another path!”

Chen Yi Xuan pulled on a veiled hat and stepped down with a sigh. “Hundred Rivers Academy—come take a look?”

“No, no. I’m preparing for Song Shan Academy.”

Li Ming De cornered a child barely up to his waist and put on a solemn face. “I see you have remarkable bones and extraordinary talent…”

“Get lost!” the child shrieked. “You human trafficker! You dare come kidnap people at my door? Help! Someone!”

A burly woman stormed out and swung a broom like she meant to split him in two.

Li Ming De covered his face and fled the alley, shaken to the bone.

“Hahaha! Li Ming De,” someone drawled. “So this is why you skip school—you came to be a kidnapper!”

Wu Fa Tian lounged at a tea stall by the alley mouth, looking them over with a sideways sneer.

At that familiar, arrogant laugh, second-floor windows along the street popped open one after another. Heads appeared everywhere, hungry for entertainment.

Beside Wu Fa Tian, Li Shao Yan adjusted the fox-fur cloak draped over his shoulders. His eyes narrowed, lazy and sharp at once. “How long are you going to keep staging this farce? As students of Song Shan Academy, stop following Su Xuan Ming around and embarrassing yourselves.”

Li Ming De bristled. “What’s it to you?”

Li Shao Yan smiled as if he’d been waiting for that. “For the sake of classmate ties, I’ll give you a tip. Song Shan Academy and the Imperial Academy have already posted notices. This winter, they’ll hold another entrance exam. Those students? You won’t recruit them.”

He tilted his chin. “Why not recruit six- or seven-year-old child pupils instead?”

Then he looked straight at Su Xuan Ming, mocking obvious in his tone. “After all, Su Xuan Ming’s academic level is about the same as theirs.”

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

Su Xuan Ming didn’t flinch. He bowed politely to the onlookers and took the chance to raise his voice. “Hundred Rivers Academy aims to become a comprehensive academy—primary learning, private study, the Martial College, the Law College, medicine, and more. If you’re interested, you’re welcome to come and inspect.”

The street erupted.

“Damn! We underestimated the Marchioness of Yong Chang’s vision! Her goal isn’t the Imperial Academy, or Song Shan Academy—she’s setting her sights straight on the Imperial Academy!”

“The Marchioness really dares to dream! Isn’t this openly slapping the Imperial Academy Director in the face?”

“More than slapping the Director! Don’t forget—the Imperial Academy is that person’s private garden!”

“Incredible. Truly incredible! The Marchioness has more backbone than a seven-foot man!”

When the news reached the Imperial Palace, the young Emperor drank several cups behind Noble Consort Tong’s back, exhilaration shining in his eyes. “Refreshing! Truly refreshing! No wonder she’s Sister—she either doesn’t act at all, or she strikes straight at the heart!”