Shen Yu thought for a moment and agreed.
With Pei Wanning in Xindu City and the city's believers united as one, nothing was likely to go wrong.
Since Yecheng sincerely wished to become believers of the Divine Lady, it was only right and proper for him to do his best to help them.
Furthermore, he had a gut feeling that the Divine Lady would sooner or later manifest in Yecheng and turn it into a second Xindu, for the sentient beings in Her eyes were certainly not limited to the people of Xindu.
Suddenly, he remembered how Lu Sui and the physicians of Xindu had gone to Yecheng to treat the plague, almost being burned alive, and how the Divine Lady had violated the heavenly laws and been punished just to save them by bringing rain.
To prevent such an accident from happening again, he made a swift decision that he must bring soldiers along on this trip to Yecheng.
They had to learn to take up arms to protect themselves instead of constantly relying on the Divine Lady to perform miracles to save their lives.
That would only harm themselves and the Divine Lady as well.
Having already learned a painful lesson once, they could not afford to make the same mistake a second time.
With these thoughts in mind.
Shen Yu turned to Feng Chunya. “Commandant Feng, my brother has to guard Xindu City and likely cannot spare the time. Would you mind leading a squad to accompany me to Yecheng?”
Nowadays, most of Xindu City's military force was in the hands of his brother Shen Jue and Feng Chunya.
This was also decided by a vote of the officials from the Governor's estate.
That day, the two hundred righteous men who entered the body of the evil dragon had all received celestial martial arts bestowed by the Divine Lady, but not everyone could master and fully integrate those celestial abilities.
Although Feng Chunya was a butcher's daughter and knew nothing of military strategy, she was extraordinarily gifted in martial arts. Within three days, she had fully grasped the essentials of those moves.
If Feng Chunya had not started practicing martial arts so late, she would definitely not be weaker than his brother, Shen Jue, who had trained since childhood.
Feng Chunya scratched her head sheepishly. “Second Young Master Shen, I'm just a crude person and don't understand anything. If you need anything, just give me orders, no need to be polite.”
She remembered what Sister Ar He had told her: it didn't matter if she didn't understand military strategy, as long as she listened to the Military Advisor's plans.
To her, the Military Advisor was a scholar.
And a scholar meant Shen Yu.
Therefore, she had to listen to Shen Yu.
“Teacher, can I go to Yecheng with you?” Cui He looked at Shen Yu eagerly. Ever since her last trip to Yecheng, she had begun to yearn for the outside world.
Xindu was great, but she wanted even more to bring the sweet potato cultivation method given to her by the Divine Lady to every corner of the world, so that all people could be spared the suffering of famine.
Originally, Shen Yu had intended to refuse. After all, Cui He was still young, so how could she always be running around outside?
But seeing the anticipation that the little girl couldn't hide in her eyes, he ultimately nodded and agreed to take her to Yecheng.
The group packed their bags and prepared to depart.
Since the road had been paved with cement, the path from Xindu City to Yecheng was dozens of times smoother than before.
The travel time was naturally shortened by a wide margin.
In less than a day, the group arrived in Yecheng.
Having been to Xindu City, Cheng Ji knew that Yecheng could not even match a fraction of its prosperity. He could only show the utmost sincerity to welcome Shen Yu and the others who had traveled from afar.
While leading the way, he instructed his subordinate officials to prepare the best courtyard in the post house.
He also ordered hot water and food to be prepared.
Afterward, he said to Shen Yu, “Young Master Shen, you must be tired from the journey. Why not rest for half a day? Tonight, I will prepare a simple feast at my residence, and we can discuss the details of the academy then.”
Shen Yu, however, shook his head. “Governor Cheng, please tell me about the academy first.”
Xindu City had opened several workshops in quick succession. Even though they had used both carrots and sticks to persuade the wealthy families in the city to allow their maids and servants to redeem themselves and gain their freedom, they were still short-handed.
Therefore, only primary schools had been built in the city so far.
No proper academy had been established yet.
The academy built in Yecheng could be considered the first academy in the entire Zhenbei Prefecture—and even the world—to offer education to all without discrimination.
He naturally wanted to learn more about it.
Furthermore.
he had previously discussed this with Cheng Ji.
Considering that Yecheng was severely weakened, the paper, brushes, and books for the academy's students would all be provided by Xindu. However, there was a condition: once they finished their studies, they had to work in Xindu for three years first.
Xindu was simply too short on talent. They had recruited and swindled over everyone they possibly could, yet it was still not enough.
Lu Sui had even tricked his grandfather, who was enjoying his retirement in their hometown, into coming to Xindu just to compile the laws he had received from the Divine Lady's blessing, so that the people of this world could be protected by the law and suffer no more injustice.
...
The next day arrived.
Hearing that the Governor would come to unveil the plaque of the academy today, the people of Yecheng, who had been eagerly looking forward to it, gathered outside the academy before dawn to watch.
This Yecheng Academy was built with the efforts of the entire city. Almost every citizen had contributed to it; wealthy merchants donated money, while the poor contributed labor.
Everyone hoped that on the day of the academy's completion, the Divine Lady would descend upon Yecheng again to show Her approval.
The academy was built in the heart of the city, divided into north and south courtyards. It covered an area of forty mu, featuring green bricks, black tiles, and elegantly upturned eaves.
The plaque on the main gate was still covered with a piece of red silk, and the newly planted pines and cypresses outside the courtyard walls had not yet grown to cast shade, but the layout of the entire structure already exuded a majestic and grand atmosphere.
“You have worked hard, my people.”
Cheng Ji stood beneath the plaque, turned to look at the dense crowd, and said in a resonant voice, “This academy was built brick by brick by your hands. I, Cheng Ji, as the Governor of Yecheng, will unveil this plaque on your behalf today.”
Some in the crowd secretly wiped away their tears.
An old carpenter choked up and said to his grandson, “Your grandfather planed that main beam with his own two hands.”
Cheng Ji turned around and grasped one end of the red silk.
“Unveil the plaque!”
The moment the red silk slid down, the four gilded characters of "Yecheng Academy" caught everyone's eyes under the bright sunlight.
Applause and cheers erupted almost simultaneously.
Cheng Ji took a deep breath and personally pushed open the two heavy, vermilion-lacquered doors.
The scene inside was revealed inch by inch.
First to catch everyone's eye.
was a tall bluestone statue of the Divine Lady.
She stood on a white marble pedestal in the very center of the courtyard, Her robes fluttering, Her eyes cast down, Her expression compassionate and solemn.
The morning light crossed the upturned eaves and fell on Her shoulders, seemingly draping Her in a thin layer of golden light.
When people's eyes shifted from the statue of the Divine Lady to both sides, another low wave of gasps echoed.
Beneath the north and south corridors.
two neat rows of students stood.
Under the south corridor were more than a hundred female students, their silken black hair tied up high, wearing moon-white crossed-collar robes with deep blue cloth belts tied around their waists, simple and elegant.
Under the north corridor were the same number of male students, their clothing style completely identical.
Standing in front of them were the teachers.
both male and female.
Even the Governor's wife, Ye Qingqing, was standing among them.
“All students, perform the discipleship bow to the statue of the Divine Lady!”
As the voice sounded, the students under both corridors stood solemnly, adjusting their clothes, smoothing their robes, and crossing their hands over their chests.
Then, they bent deeply, bowing to the ground.
It was a solemn three-bow ceremony.
The first bow was to honor the Divine Lady's grace in imparting knowledge.
The second bow was a vow to aid the common people of the world with their learning.
The third bow was a wish that the spark would be passed down, never to be extinguished.
Outside the academy, a child riding on his father's shoulders said in a childish voice, “Daddy, I see big sister! Her clothes are so beautiful, I want to wear them too in the future!”
The father looked up at the students inside the academy, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice somewhat hoarse. “When you grow up, Daddy will also send you to the academy to study.”
“Study, study...”
The child clapped his hands happily.
Standing in front of the statue of the Divine Lady, looking at the courtyard full of students and the city full of citizens, Cheng Ji finally could not hold back his tears.
No one thought it was shameful for a city's Governor to weep in public, because everyone present had red eyes.
“It's glowing! The statue of the Divine Lady is glowing!”
Suddenly, a startled cry rang out from the crowd.
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