Chapter 127: Li Su’s Strategy of Appearing Pure on the Outside While Being Ruthless Within

If there is anyone at Mingyue Academy one absolutely must not provoke, it is Brother Li.

He is the young protégé of Elder Xi and the adopted son of Dean Wei.

For Wang Tao to single out Brother Li as his target—perhaps even Heaven itself could no longer stomach his misdeeds, and this calamity was his fated end.

Yun Qin asked, "Wang Tao? The one who tampered with Brother Xian’s horse?"

Guo Chi nodded. "The Wang family has already fallen. The entire family perished on the road to exile."

No one had expected the Wang family’s collapse to be so swift and sudden. Those who had been on good terms with them were currently fretting over whether the fire would spread to them.

Yun Qin realized it in an instant: Elder Xi must have made a move.

Guo Chi looked at Li Su. "Young Master Li must have known about this for a long time, right?"

Li Su shook his head with an innocent expression. "I truly only just found out now." His master had not told him how the Wang family had been handled.

However, for them to meet such an end, the Wang family must have committed no shortage of evil deeds in the past. If they had been clean, they would not have all died on the road to exile.

Seeing that Li Su did not seem to be lying, Guo Chi said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "So even Young Master Li just found out. We all thought you knew about Wang Tao’s fate long ago."

"I wonder which deity the Wang family offended."

"What do you think, Young Master Li?"

Li Su smiled faintly. "Perhaps it was some righteous soul who could not stand the Wang family’s conduct and decided to rid the people of a scourge."

Guo Chi and the others: "..." That righteous soul certainly appeared at a very convenient time.

Song Sheng and Yun Qin could not help but curl the corners of their lips.

"Enough about Wang Tao; hurry and taste this dish. See how it is."

Since Li Su did not wish to admit any involvement—either because it was truly a coincidence or because he preferred to keep a low profile—it would be pointless for them to press the matter. They were all perceptive people and tacitly changed the subject.

After finishing the meal, Song Sheng and the others bade farewell to Li Su and his companions and set off on the road back to the capital.

That night, Li Su and Yun Qin did not return to the academy; instead, they rested at a courtyard that Yun Qin’s father had arranged beforehand.

Yun Qin’s page boy observed Li Su quietly, still mindful of the tasks his mistress had assigned him.

The next day, Li Su and Yun Qin returned to the academy.

Yun Qin’s page boy was reluctant to let them go. "Young Master, can’t you stay a few more days? You’ve only been back a single day after such a long time."

Li Su also spoke up, "Brother Xian, you could stay a couple more days at the foot of the mountain. I only return because my master only granted me one day of leave."

Yun Qin shook his head. "No, let’s head back together. We can better discuss our studies that way."

Yun Qin’s page boy: "..." When it comes to studies, the young master will never be persuaded to stay.

When Li Su and Yun Qin returned to the academy, they brought a stack of books with them, which were carried up by Yun Qin’s servant this time.

...

Yun Qin tagged along to audit the lectures. Elder Xi’s teaching style was quite intimidating, but Yun Qin was more than willing to grit his teeth and attend. Such an opportunity was something people on the outside could only dream of.

Moreover, with Brother Xian there to bear the brunt of Elder Xi’s harshest scoldings, there was less directed at him.

Yun Qin sometimes struggled to keep up with Xi Sheng’s pace, but after the lectures, he would discuss the material with Li Su, and in the end, he would always grasp the concepts.

He had chosen the right academy—not only did he have the Elder Xi he had dreamed of, but he also had a like-minded Brother Xian.

Although Elder Xi was not his master, this arrangement worked quite well. For him, this was actually the ideal setup, with Brother Xian always standing at the forefront. If he were actually Elder Xi’s disciple, he wasn't sure he could handle the intensity of the Elder’s reprimands.

Xi Sheng did not object to Yun Qin sitting in on his lectures, but his focus remained primarily on Li Su. He would offer guidance to Yun Qin, but he would not force him to keep up with his pace; his instruction was tailored entirely to Li Su’s capacity for learning.

Xi Sheng produced a painting. "What do you see in this work?"

Li Su and Yun Qin both looked at the painting—an ink landscape titled *Ten Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains*. If an ordinary person had asked this, they might have answered from the perspective of artistic appreciation. But coming from Xi Sheng, both Li Su and Yun Qin tacitly understood that it was not a simple request for critique.

"This painting employs the 'three distances' technique—high, deep, and level—with layers of peaks, endless space, towering mountains, and vast waters, fully displaying the majesty of our dynasty’s landscape."

"The way these mountains coil, their fierce and steep inclinations, the flow, rise, fall, and gathering of the peaks—it somewhat resembles the waxing and waning of various factions within the imperial court."

"The surface of the rivers appears magnificent, but beneath the water, hidden currents may lurk. What seems like a calm expanse of water might be the very place where a whirlpool forms, concealing murderous intent."

Yun Qin voiced his observations, carefully gauging Xi Sheng’s expression.

Xi Sheng gave no indication of his thoughts, nodding slightly without offering a critique. "Li Su, what about you?"

Li Su thought to himself, *Why does this feel like a 'describe the picture' exercise?*

"I believe the essence of this painting lies not in its grand appearance, but in its minute details. It depicts not just the shape of the land, but the structure of its power."

"The smoke and bustle of human life depicted—the fishermen, woodcutters, farmers, and scholars—it all looks peaceful and serene. Yet the layout is sparse in some places and dense in others. Their positions, whether high or low, dangerous or easy, seem to represent the common folk clinging to the various factions."

"Those beside the steep peaks can borrow the momentum of the mountains, but one wrong step and they fall to their deaths."

"Those on the fertile plains appear secure, but they have no shelter or defense, leaving them vulnerable to being swept away by floods."

"Whether they remain unscathed depends entirely on their insight into the mountains and the water, and how they respond."

"Every position has its advantages and disadvantages; it all depends on whether they can utilize them well."

Xi Sheng nodded slightly. Both youths had good intuition, and he was surprised that Li Su could see the "structure of power" behind the landscape. His little protégé appeared simple and guileless on the outside, but that had its advantages—it made people lower their guard. He could certainly mold him in the direction of appearing innocent while possessing a deep, calculating mind—white on the outside, black on the inside.

"Recognizing the structure is only the first step. More importantly, one must know how to establish a foothold within that structure, how to leverage power, how to break the stalemate, and how to ensure that this 'Ten Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains' does not become one’s own burial ground."

"I will teach you these things next."

Yun Qin: "!!!" *Teach us? Does that mean he will teach me too?*

Yun Qin struggled to contain his excitement. Meeting Brother Xian was truly one of the great blessings of his life! Elder Xi was planning so far ahead for Brother Xian; even though he was still only a scholar, the Elder was already teaching him these lessons. With Elder Xi’s guidance, they could avoid many pitfalls once they entered officialdom. His own father would discuss these things with him, but he felt his father was certainly no match for Elder Xi.

"Never touch the reverse scales of the Emperor; that is the death line."

"Do not fight over momentary pride. Victory or defeat is not found in a war of words; face is worthless. He who laughs last is the winner."

"Leave no fatal threats. Either do not act, or if you do, cut the weeds and pull up the roots."

"Keep these three points firmly in mind and stay vigilant at all times."

Li Su and Yun Qin spoke in unison, "Yes!"

As Xi Sheng continued his instruction, he presented hypothetical scenarios for them to resolve. Their responses left him frowning deeply.