The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 305: Madam Murong's high morale

As the saying goes, the boss has a big mouth and the people below have to run around. Murong Fu sits firmly in Yanziwu of Chanhe Mountain Villa, but the five owners under him are busy all day long.

Old Madam Murong gathered them together and personally arranged the tasks for them. She even did not let her own brother go. She asked him to find a Feng Shui treasure land by the Taihu Lake and purchase thousands of acres of wasteland through some means to prepare to build Gusu College.

The four owners of the manor directly entered the academy to serve as students or teachers, which made the four martial arts masters very upset, but they did not dare to disobey the old lady's order. After all, this was a decision made by the young master and the old lady after careful consideration.

In addition, a ten-day discussion was held on the future development of the Murong family. There was a lot of things that the four owners of the manor needed to do. All the tasks were listed and they were allowed to negotiate and distribute them themselves. Among them were the dean of Gusu College, a scholar who had passed the imperial examination, a general who had passed the military examination, a logistics businessman, and finally the leader of an external tribe.

The position of the president of Gusu College was directly snatched away by Wang Erlang, and the reason was very sufficient. The Gusu Wang family already had some reputation and resources, so it was most appropriate for him to do this. In addition, he was newly married and did not want to be sent out.

The remaining four owners of the manor were quite yearning for the generals who had passed the military examinations and the leaders of the tribes outside the domain. They were not opposed to the logistics merchants, but they were extremely troubled by the scholars. They were not afraid of wielding swords and spears, but they were afraid of the writing skills.

Madam Murong told them seriously that no matter what they chose, both literary and martial arts training were essential. The military exam wasn't just about martial arts; military tactics and battle formations were also required. Aren't all kinds of paperwork important? Merchant logistics were even more complex. Mathematics was essential, as was the ability to build good relationships. Only tribal leaders outside the domain needed to be skilled in martial arts and archery; the rest could be left to their subordinates.

"You are all servants of the Murong family, loyal and righteous for generations. In the future, you should support Dayan by charging into battle, and you should also be no lag behind in governing the country. Fu'er is a genius, but he needs to keep a low profile before he grows up. If he does not make a name for himself, he will be a surprise to everyone. When the time comes, you will have to do some of the things that civil and military ministers are required to do. Are you going to say that you are not capable of doing it?" Madam Murong's words made the four manor owners look at each other in helplessness.

Madam Murong waved her hand, making the decision for them. "The four of you will need to start from scratch and undergo a complete re-education, focusing on four different areas. We have no shortage of books to pass on, and pedantic scholars can be found anywhere with money. Guardians are plentiful, too. The rest depends on your own efforts." Madam Murong said decisively, "Adults are one group, but the youth are the top priority. We will take in as many orphans and abandoned children as we can, and send those we don't know to outside academies. Only our own people can enter Taihu."

"Fu'er once said that Gusu Academy should have all the schools of thought. The top three academies are Confucius Academy, Sub-Sage Academy, and History Academy. The top three academies focus on Confucianism, and all students must be proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics. Confucius Academy mostly produces Confucian scholars who can become teachers and honest officials. Students from Sub-Sage Academy are more suitable for becoming Imperial Censors. Students from History Academy tend to be more inclined towards historical research and can become Hanlin scholars."

"The three academies are the Mohist Mechanical Engineering College, the Medical College, and the Agricultural College. The Mohist College focuses on mechanical engineering, the Medical College trains doctors, and the Agricultural College studies various crop cultivation methods and various types of cuisine."

"The three lower academies are the Quyi Academy, the Guardian Academy, and the Stewardship Academy. The Quyi Academy focuses on music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing, and can train singers and dancers. The Guardian Academy trains thugs to guard the house and focus on defense. The Stewardship Academy majors in mathematics and miscellaneous management."

"Each department has junior, intermediate, and advanced levels, with each level advancing in a gradual manner. The capable will advance, while the incompetent will be laid off. Cultivating talent for outsiders is only superficial; truly capable people must be brought under one's wing. The most core inheritance can only be learned in the inner courtyard on Taihu Lake."

Wang Erlang and the four manor owners looked at each other in surprise. They couldn't help but admire the old lady and the young master's ingenious planning and huge appetite, but they also had doubts in their hearts: "Can such a large comprehensive college really be established? Where will all those teachers come from?"

"Don't worry about that. I have some connections, and there's no rush. We need to proceed steadily, step by step. If we become too successful all at once, we'll inevitably be outshined by other academies." Madam Murong said, "We'll need a year to prepare, striving to gain control of Gusu City. In three years, we'll see the initial development. In five years, Fu'er will travel extensively as a student of the academy, promoting the academy. Then, when a Jinshi graduate graduates, we'll use coercion, bribery, stealing, or even spying to obtain the exam questions to select a Jinshi for official appointment."

"Eight years later, Fu'er will be an adult and will take the imperial examination. It doesn't matter whether he succeeds or not. He will just be known as a scholar and then travel the world to show off the reputation of the Murong family." Old Madam Murong seemed to have great confidence in her son, which made the five owners of the manor even more suspicious.

"My Lady, the Young Master needs to master both civil and military skills. Isn't eight years a bit too short?" Deng Baichuan, the head of the five manors and the master of Qingyun Manor, stepped forward first. "It's not that I don't trust the Young Master, but those of us in the martial arts world inherit unique skills and must diligently study and practice every day. I've heard that this is even more true for the ways of literature. Many great scholars and celebrities have reached old age, and even talented people have worked tirelessly through the night. The Young Master is a direct descendant of the Murong family, so martial arts should be prioritized. As for fame..."

Madam Murong smiled faintly and waved her hand, saying, "You don't have to worry about that. Fu'er is incredibly talented. With proper planning and guidance from renowned teachers, it won't be difficult for him to master both civil and military skills. Besides, he'll only be taking the imperial examination in eight years, so passing isn't a guarantee. As for the four of you entering the academy, there's no need to rush into assigning tasks. Spend a year or two trying out each academy. It won't be too late to find the one that suits you best before making your own decisions."

Seeing the four manor owners' bitter faces, Old Madam Murong smiled and said, "Entering the academy doesn't necessarily require you to become scholars. Martial arts are your foundation. This is a test, but also an opportunity. With tests come rewards. Once you find the path that suits you, I will grant each of you one or two first-rate martial arts as a gift."

"Thank you, Madam!" The four owners of the manor thanked them loudly. Although they were retainers of the Murong clan and the martial arts they practiced originated from the Murong clan, who wouldn't want to have a martial art that suits them? Especially since it was a first-rate martial art. Furthermore, Madam had mentioned one or two, meaning that if they performed well, the reward might be two first-rate techniques.

They still have great confidence in the heritage of the Murong family. They can usually take out a lot of second- and third-rate skills. They are all small things that the master family does not care much about, but they are enough to make a small martial arts family fight over them.

This is the advantage of having a backer. They are very clear about their own status and position.

As for Wang Erlang, it didn't matter. His sister had told him privately before that his new wife had inherited dozens of first-rate martial arts, and she would be sent to Mantuo Villa soon. He would not be short of martial arts by then, but he was not the first in his wife's heart, which made him a little depressed.

Although he would not offend the beauty because of this, he still felt resentful in his heart. He could only use his sincerity to influence her little by little, and at the same time study hard to improve his martial arts skills. In the future, when he meets the unfaithful man, he would vent his anger for the beauty and for himself.

My sister said that the man was talented in both civil and military affairs and was quite powerful. If I wanted to compete with him, I would need to put in a lot of effort. Improving my martial arts skills was one aspect, but spreading my reputation and cultivating my qualities were also essential. Otherwise, I would not be able to be on par with him.

As a disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect, Madam Murong is not only beautiful but also skilled in martial arts. She is also quite talented in miscellaneous studies. She is confident that she can teach a ten-year-old child. In addition, with the "master" secretly teaching Fu'er behind her, she will feel much more relaxed and has more confidence in Fu'er.

However, as Fuer took out more and more things, and they became better and better, he had to guard them strictly and not let them leak out. It was possible that the security of Yanziwu would need to be increased by one level or even several levels.