Chapter 21: Not Engaging in Proper Business

  "Enough, enough." The officer in charge finally spoke up: "What Zhou Xuan Zhang said also makes sense. This kneeling and bowing ceremony is indeed inappropriate in many ways. It's fine for ordinary people, but soldiers need to be quick and decisive in battle, with a clear understanding of offense and defense. If they bow their heads every time they see a superior officer, it will cause trouble, so let's dispense with it."

  "Thank you, Officer." Zhou Xianzhang felt a sense of goodwill towards this officer.

  This manager is also quite understanding, more open-minded than his elder brother Feng Guozhang. Feng Guozhang always says that Western things are good, but when he's in front of Zhou Xuanzhang, he likes to put on airs and calls him "Teacher" with a bow, making Zhou Xuanzhang kowtow to him.

  Xiao Bing, with a pout on his face, shouted at the general: "Liu Guandai, why are you speaking up for him! He was just helping you earlier!"

  It turned out that this captain surnamed Liu, Zhou Xuan Zhang was unfamiliar with the Beiyang Fleet and did not know which warship Captain Liu belonged to.

  Before Liu Zongbing could speak, Zhou Xuanzhang shouted: "How dare you, speaking to the leader like that! Kneel down at once!"

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was delighted with this opportunity and saw that he had openly defied the dignified official, which was just what he needed to get a handle on him.

  Minu stood up and didn't kneel down, angrily saying: "You don't even kneel, why should I kneel!"

  Zhou Xuan Zhang said seriously: "The Tianjin Military Academy does not perform the kneeling ceremony, but as far as I know, your Beiyang Navy is supposed to perform the kneeling ceremony! As a small soldier seeing the commander, you should kneel down!"

  "You, you, you..." Min Xiu was choked by Zhou Xuanzhang's one sentence and couldn't speak for a long time. What Zhou Xuanzhang said was true, in the Beiyang Fleet, although the officers were all new-style students who had studied abroad, driving the world's most advanced ironclad cruisers, but the system was still the old set of the Qing Dynasty, the uniforms were bright and shiny, but still with a mandarin jacket, subordinates seeing superiors still had to perform the kneeling and bowing ritual.

  Zhou Xuanzhang was delighted: "You're the same, you're just a small soldier, giving a salute to Officer Guan is not humiliating for you, why insist on being stubborn."

  "Zhou Xianzhang, forget it," Liu Guan intervened: "You say that kneeling and bowing is not good, what you don't want to do yourself, don't force others to do it."

  Zhou Xuan Zhang smiled and said: "Since Director Guan has spoken, there's no need to kneel down anymore. Min Xiu, aren't you going to thank Director Liu?"

  "Damn it! What's the point...!" Min Xiu shouted at Zhou Xuan Zhang, then felt inappropriate, and had to nod at Liu Guan Dai: "Thank you, Liu Guan Dai, I'm not feeling well, I'll leave!"

  Min Xiu said, glaring fiercely at Zhou Xuanzhang, turned around and walked away with a swish of her skirt.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was shocked, this little soldier dared to be so rude in front of Officer Liu, and walked away with his head held high, as if no one was around. The Beiyang Navy's officers and soldiers were arrogant towards outsiders, but Officer Liu was the commander of the Beiyang Navy! This little soldier had too much guts!

  Ke Na Liu Guan Dai Si seemed completely unbothered, gazing at Min Zhu's back with a faint smile, and said to Zhou Xuan Zhang: "You're Zhou Xuan Zhang?"

  Liu Guandai gazed at the rippling lake surface, silent for a long time. Suddenly, Zhou Xianzhang noticed that the smile on Liu Guandai's face had disappeared, replaced by an icy sternness.

  "Are you Zhou Xianzhang of the 4th Infantry Battalion?" Liu Guandai said slowly.

  "It's right below." Zhou Xuan Zhang was greatly surprised that the commander of the Beiyang Navy actually knew the name of this primary school student.

  Liu Guandai saw the surprise on Zhou Xianzhang's face and said, "You are that Jin's proud disciple. This old man shows off to everyone he meets. A student of a martial arts academy who is good at writing and literature is truly a great wonder of the Qing Dynasty."

  Liu Guan's words were laced with sarcasm.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was silent.

  That Jin is a pedantic scholar, with a mouth full of righteousness and morality, but he is completely ignorant of military affairs. The imperial court appointed him as the co-founder of the Tianjin Military Academy, precisely because of his eloquence in expounding on righteousness and morality. In short, his task was to instill loyalty to the emperor and love for the country into the students, ensuring that they would follow the rules of the Qing dynasty after graduation and serve the imperial court faithfully.

  So, Jin couldn't intervene in military teaching, nor was he interested. His interest and expertise lay in searching for the right words, but the school was full of martial artists who didn't understand classical books. Even with a belly full of knowledge, it was like playing the piano to a cow, which made him feel very disappointed.

  Since accepting Zhou Xuan Zhang as his disciple, he has been filled with spirit and hates that he cannot impart all the classics and history in his belly to Zhou Xuan Zhang overnight.

  In order to get Zhou Xuanzhang into the Imperial Academy, Zhen took Zhou's writings to the capital and showed them off everywhere. The dignitaries in the capital all knew that Zhen had a disciple who was good at writing, but as for Zhou Xuanzhang's military achievements, not many people were interested. In the eyes of the Qing dynasty officials, eating rations, being a soldier, using guns and wielding clubs was considered an improper occupation.

  Zhou Xuanzhang himself knew that, as a Tianjin Wubei Academy infantry science officer, searching for chapters and weighing sentences was called not doing his job properly! Of course, in order to keep his head on his shoulders, he could only do things improperly.

  So tonight, Liu Guan's words were sarcastic and Zhou Xianzhang had nothing to say.

  "Zhou Xianzhang! Your article is really not well-written, just like that old pedant Jin's, full of empty words and pretentiousness. It's laughable that Jin still has the face to show it off everywhere, and even more ridiculous is that those high-ranking officials are all praising it! Liu Guan said coldly: "Actually, there's nothing strange about it, the nobles in the imperial court like this kind of boastful talk! You young man have already learned how to cater to worldly tastes at a young age, your future prospects are indeed boundless!"

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was made to blush and feel ashamed by Liu Guan's words.

  What Zun wrote was actually the eight-legged essay, which is usually written in a flowery and ornate style but has no practical value. However, the Qing dynasty insisted on using this type of writing to select officials, forcing scholars throughout the country to spend their entire lives studying it and never learning anything truly useful.

  Until now, the Qing Empire has been repeatedly defeated in front of Westerners and cannot help but admit that their skills are inferior. However, from the imperial court to the common people, they still uphold the writing of eight-legged essays by pedantic scholars. If a young person does not write eight-legged essays but instead studies mechanics, railways, telegraphs, and other Western gadgets, it is called being unfilial! They will even be scolded by the world for disgracing their ancestors.

  But tonight, Liu Guan Dai of the Beiyang Navy showed disdain for the eight-part essay and had a rather uncommon perspective.

  "Whatever you say, sir."

  Liu Guandai said: "Zhou Xianzhang, I've reviewed your academic records. Your military course grades are a mess. I'm surprised you haven't been eliminated yet. But Feng Guozhang insists that you're a military genius. This Feng Guozhang is a talented person, he shouldn't be speaking nonsense. Zhou Xianzhang, no matter what you're thinking in your heart, remember this: the Qing Empire needs people who can protect their homes and defend their country, not scholars!"

  "Yes! Sir, you..."

  Liu Guan had long since strode away and disappeared at the end of the willow shade.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was suddenly scolded by a Beiyang naval officer for no reason, although the officer's words were reasonable, but after all, Liu was a naval officer from Beiyang, and he came to Tianjin Military Academy to teach the army, which made Zhou Xuan Zhang feel uncomfortable. He didn't have the mood to appreciate the beauty of the pond under the moonlight, so he hung his head and returned to his dormitory.

  Going east around the pond for 300 meters, it's the dormitory of the trainees. It was already half past ten at night and approaching lights-out time, so Zhou Xuanzhang quickened his pace.

  Just as he walked to the front of Wu Sheng Temple, he suddenly heard a gust of wind behind his head. Zhou Xuan Zhang's heart skipped a beat, and subconsciously, he dodged to one side, with his left hand covering his chest and his right hand flipping over, while his feet didn't stay still either. He took a false step forward, and then heard a strange and eerie cry: "Oh God!"