Chapter Thirty-Four: Yang Family Village

While Yang Nan was lost in his wild imaginations, the three Grand Masters nearby, acting as if they had stumbled upon a rare treasure, surrounded Fang Xuan and vied relentlessly to take him as their disciple. Yan Qian, usually stern and humorless, could not help but glare angrily at Lan Qing and Gong Fu, rebuking them: "The subjects you two manage are calligraphy, painting, zither, and chess. The future head of this Heart Sect naturally needs to study the orthodox Confucian classics. What benefit is there in fighting me for this disciple? If you teach him unorthodox and miscellaneous arts, and he ends up as a Grand Master who lacks true learning, how can we face our late revered master?"

Lan Qing laughed and said, "Senior Brother, what I study is also the Confucian canon, and what I cultivate is also the art of righteousness; how could I be inferior to you? I will only teach him the writings of the sages and the great Dao of Confucianism, and never teach any miscellaneous arts—wouldn't that suffice? Speaking of our revered master, didn't he himself say, 'A gentleman should not merely study rote texts; the arts of the Six Disciplines are the duties of a scholar'? How did it become a lack of true learning when it comes from your mouth?"

Seeing his junior brother competing with him for the disciple, Yan Qian's face darkened completely. Nearby, Gong Fu, abandoning his usual scholarly elegance, chimed in, "The academic attainments of our three senior brother disciples are quite close to one another; why should you alone be able to teach him while I cannot? For this disciple to study Confucianism under me is the true orthodox path!"

Yan Qian angrily retorted, "You are arguing sophistry! If Fang Xuan follows you and turns out to be a frivolous and flighty fellow in the future, what then? It is better to let me subject him to strict discipline! Back when our revered master was alive, how did he comment on the twelve disciples? Gong Fu has form without learning, and Lan Qing has heart without form—neither of them is destined to become a saintly sage!"

Smiling broadly, Lan Qing replied, "Senior Brother Yan, the revered master also said: 'Yan Qian, Yan Qian, a pity he never talks about money!' You are no better yourself. Besides, if I take this disciple, I will certainly discipline him strictly and never slack off!"

Gong Fu maintained a deadpan expression as he declared, "Have you not heard that handwriting reflects the man? Only with upright and unyielding calligraphy can one be an upright gentleman. This disciple—I am determined to have him!"

Yan Qian was furious. Their revered master, Yang Pu, was a supreme talent of his time who excelled in literature, politics, statecraft, people's livelihood, and the arts of the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Although he had twelve disciples back then, not a single one escaped his critical eye!

The grace of their master ran deep, and the three of them held not the slightest grievance toward one another, yet when it came to competing for a disciple, they were determined to establish who was superior!

As the saying goes, "The pot calling the kettle black." Seeing these two junior brothers actually competing with him for a disciple, a fire erupted in his heart. With a dark face, he stepped forward and pointed accusingly at them, shouting angrily.

The three old men immediately began pulling at one another, blowing their beards and staring with wide eyes. The surrounding teachers and disciples were left dumbfounded. Although the three grand scholars of the Heart Sect were usually amiable, casual, and unrestrained, they had never displayed such behavior before! The bickering of these grand masters involved quoting classics and drawing upon extensive precedents, with every single sentence carrying authoritative roots. The arguments of the three distinctly different grand masters each had their own merits, truly opening the eyes of all the Confucian scholars present.

Yang Nan chuckled inwardly. Considering that Fang Xuan was the successor he had designated, the master of the sect head was akin to the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince—which Confucian scholar wouldn't want the position?

*Ah, the concept of reputation ruins people...* As Yang Nan hid to the side to enjoy the spectacle, the three old men argued for a long time without result. Suddenly, they all turned their heads together and said, "Boy, since you are now the Academy's Grand Master, you tell us: whose personal pupil should this lad be?"

Seeing the fire shift back onto himself, Yang Nan cursed his luck inwardly. If he named any one of them, he would inevitably offend the other two. What was he to do?

A thought struck him, and he immediately proclaimed in a clear voice, "In my view, Fang Xuan is a piece of uncarved jade of fine quality. Why don't all three teachers act as his mentors? Teacher Yan will teach academics, Teacher Lan will teach the various arts of the gentleman, and Teacher Gong will teach calligraphy. With all three teachers exercising joint discipline, they will surely forge a pillar of the state!"

Yang Nan had not thought of some brilliant masterstroke; rather, this was merely the experience he gained after being disciplined by the seven or eight tutors sent by the old man back in the day. The Crown Prince had over a dozen tutors, swapping them out every half-hour. Day in and day out, he had endured the relentless rotation of seven or eight teachers, and the misery of it was unspeakable. If he could let Fang Xuan taste this flavor today, it would truly be a way to vent the resentment of that day!

Fang Xuan was still in a daze, completely clueless. Seeing that his brother-in-law had found him three teachers all at once, he was still unaware of the hardship awaiting him in the future. The three grand masters paused to think, then said, "How can this work? A personal tutor is a lifelong master; where is the logic of three coming together? No, no..."

The three old men wore expressions of absolute reluctance to let go. Even more convinced, Yang Nan continued, "The three Grand Masters each govern a peak and are burdened with numerous affairs. If Fang Xuan's studies are delayed, it would be all the worse. Why not let each govern what they excel at and employ their own methods? Whether it is zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, brush, ink, paper, inkstone, or the writings of the sages, you can still decide who is superior in the future. Have you not heard the precedents of Confucius seeking instruction from Laozi, and Mencius seeking instruction from the various masters of the world? Are the three Grand Masters perhaps afraid?"

Mentioning the past deeds of the sages caused the expressions of the three old men to soften. When it came to admitting they were inferior to someone else, aside from their deceased revered master, who in this world would they ever fear?

The twelve disciples of the Heart Sect were led by these three. Although the remaining disciples also wished to take disciples, how could they dare to snatch food from the tiger's mouth? They could only swallow their saliva on the sidelines!

Thus the matter was settled. Poor Fang Xuan had been sold out by his own brother-in-law, and from that day on, he entered a living hell. The three grand masters shed their amiable expressions and jointly subjected him to strict discipline, terrified that Fang Xuan would neglect his proper pursuits and turn into a crooked sapling. If the future head of the Heart Sect were to turn out to be a dissolute rogue, the three grand masters would have no choice but to commit suicide to apologize to the world...

Watching his brother-in-law surrounded by the three grand masters, being tested on his scholarship sentence by sentence, Yang Nan chuckled heartily. He could hardly be blamed; if Fang Xuan wanted to truly amount to something, how could the aristocratic aura of his noble upbringing ever be forged into orthodox Confucian righteousness without rigorous discipline?

*I am only doing this for your own good...* Gazing at Fang Xuan's pleading and aggrieved expression, Yang Nan silently chanted those words several times in his heart: *I am only doing this for your own good...*

He turned his head and saw his beloved wife, Qingyan, smiling like a blooming flower with a gentle expression. Yet in her bright eyes, it was clear she had completely guessed her husband's true intentions!

Yang Nan sheepishly said, "Qingyan, if a son is not disciplined, he will not become a vessel of use. I merely wish for Ah Xuan to truly achieve success..."

Fang Qingyan gently extended her fair hand to cover Yang Nan's lips, speaking softly, "My husband's painstaking efforts are understood by this concubine. Ah Xuan has been pampered by our parents since childhood, and I was just worrying he might turn into a spoiled youth. This arrangement is precisely the right path!"

His understanding wife set Yang Nan's mind at ease, and he smiled. "It's just that after this, Ah Xuan is going to suffer quite a bit. I hope he won't resent me to death as his brother-in-law in the future!"

Fang Qingyan smiled faintly and said, "If a man does not experience the hardships and bitterness of the world, how can he truly become an adult? Those in the world who are self-taught like my husband are exceedingly rare, and this kind of tempering is precisely what is needed!"

Yang Nan broke out in a cold sweat. If not for the fact that his memories from his past life remained intact, where would he have gotten any "self-taught" talent? The truly self-taught genius should be his grandfather!

However, this chain of cause and effect was not something he could easily explain to his wife...

Taking over the leadership of the Heart Sect was extremely simple: it merely required gathering the scholars of the mountain, announcing the matter on the lecture platform in the center of the three peaks, and meeting with the assembly of scholars. Since Yang Nan possessed the experience of a university student from his past life, speaking a few words that fit the free atmosphere of the Heart Sect was no challenge at all. Having met the students, paid respects to the sages of the past, and received the ceremonial robes and cap, Yang Nan could finally be considered the contemporary head of the Heart Sect!

While educating and nurturing students naturally fell to the group of grand masters, and Yang Nan was essentially a hands-off boss, the administrative duties piled upon him were still overwhelmingly complex, causing him to sigh in secret agony.

On this day, having just finished handling the academy's affairs, the four attendants of the Yang family stepped forward. Yang Da said, "Young Master, the uncles and elders of the branch lineages have been waiting in the ancestral hall for quite some time. Should the Young Master go meet them now?"

Busy to the point of dizziness, Yang Nan was inwardly lamenting being endlessly entangled in worldly trivialities when he slapped his forehead at these words and smiled bitterly. "Let's go now. Since I've returned to the ancestral residence, I should also pay respects to our ancestors. Although grandfather is buried in the imperial mausoleum, his spirit-robe tomb is still here, and I cannot neglect the sacrifices."

Yang Nan's former residence was situated on the edge of the three peaks, and the ancestral burial grounds were located right at the spiritual spring source midway up the mountains. A massive village had formed here, with fields and mulberry trees visible everywhere. Most of the villagers shared the surname Yang. As Yang Nan stepped into the village, several neatly dressed and spirited middle-aged men led a group of young and old forward to respectfully welcome him.

The branch lineages of the Yang family numbered nearly a thousand people. Ranked by generation, Yang Nan's relation to these men made them uncles and elders, but because he belonged to the direct main lineage with a vastly different status, excessive formalities were unnecessary. While Yang Nan showed no particular courtesy toward his actual uncles, he could not afford to be disrespectful toward these loyal elders of the branch lineages.

*"If the wealthy are content, they are wealthy for ten thousand generations; if the poor feel shame, they are never poor..."*

This family motto of the Yang Village was engraved on a stone pillar, constantly reminding all descendants of the Yang family never to forget their impoverished origins. Any wayward child within the clan would be immediately expelled from the family!

The students of the mountain academy did not engage in production, and their clothing and food provisions all came from the Yang Village. Without the painstaking efforts of the branch elders, the Huyang Academy on Mount Qingming could never have operated.

Yang Da introduced the current administrative stewards of the Yang clan to Yang Nan. The three chief stewards managed the six branches of the Yang family—Heaven, Earth, Man, Upper, Middle, and Lower. All six branches revered the direct main lineage. Currently, aside from Yang Nan, the direct lineage still had twelve uncles. Yang Nan did not need to concern himself overly with branch-level affairs. The Grand Duke title had not been inherited by Yang He, nor had the emperor issued a formal decree to the world, yet structurally Yang Nan still bore the title of Grand Duke and served as the patriarch of the Yang family. The three chief stewards were named Yang Jin, Yang Qian, Yang Shang, Yang Xia, and Yang Hou; having managed the clan's affairs over the years, they could be considered astute and highly capable.

Yang Nan leaped down from his donkey, cupped his fists, and smiled at the stewards. "This nephew grew up in Chang'an and later went to Kunlun to study the Dao. Thanks to all you uncles handling the affairs of the Yang family, your hard work is deeply appreciated, and this nephew is endlessly grateful."

At this moment, Yang Nan's bearing far surpassed that of an ordinary young nobleman. This ethereal, immortal demeanor left the younger members of the Yang family staring fixedly, feelings of awe and reverence rising in their eyes!

The shrewd Yang Jin and the others had long since heard that this young lord was now an immortal being. Hearing him praise them, they repeatedly stammered "I dare not," their expressions growing increasingly deferential. Mount Qingming belonged to Wenyang Prefecture; even if Yang Nan were not a cultivator, relying on the power of Marquis Tie Fang, how could these people ever dare to offend him?

Everything belonging to the branch lineages of the Yang family derived from the main lineage. With a single word from Yang Nan, he could instantly reduce these branch lineages to nothingness!

Yang Jin's fathers and grandfathers had all relied on the strength of the main lineage to attain their current prosperous lives. Now that the true master had arrived, how could they not exhaust themselves in flattery?

The grievances within the main lineage were not entirely clear to these branch members, though they understood vaguely that whether it was Yang Lan or Yang Nan, neither was someone they could afford to offend. As long as they guarded the ancestral hall and ancestral tombs well, whichever member of the main lineage came to power would surely look favorably upon a loyal branch family!

Yang Nan cast his gaze outward and noticed that the bone structure of the younger generation from the branch lineages was thoroughly ordinary—possessing neither outstanding talent nor the slightest hint of a Daoist immortal disposition. He sighed inwardly, instantly extinguishing any notion of elevating his family clan. The history of the Yang family's rise was simply too brief, falling far short of the thousand-year-old aristocratic families of the Great Yuan Dynasty. If he could preserve this territory and peace, that would be the greatest stroke of fortune...

Entering the ancestral hall, Yang Nan retrieved tens of thousands of gold and silver pieces from his Jiangshan Ring and piled them onto the offering table. Looking toward Yang Jin and the other adult males of the Yang family, he said calmly, "My uncles have labored most diligently over these years. Your nephew has nothing else; please take these mundane items and divide them amongst yourselves. In the future, I will continue to rely heavily on you uncles to help manage the affairs of the clan."

Yang Jin, with his prosperous appearance, wore a humble expression as he replied, "Lord Duke, how could we lowly ones dare to accept this gold and silver? We beg that the Lord Duke use them to renovate the ancestral hall instead."

What Yang Nan had produced were tens of thousands of liang of gold and tens of thousands of liang of silver. Such a quantity placed upon the table formed a small mountain that dazzled everyone's eyes. Although Yang Jin came from the Yang family and was startled by this immense wealth, not a trace of greed showed on his face.

Yang Nan smiled faintly. "As for the ancestral hall, I have my own arrangements. Uncles need not stand on ceremony; gold and silver are merely like dirt and are of no use to me. Take them and divide them." Having ruled the Spirit Beast Mountain for many years, where tens of thousands of demons still trembled in his presence, he now radiated a few strands of supreme majesty. How dared Yang Jin and the others resist? Filled with a mixture of shock and joy, they respectfully took the gold and silver away.