Chapter 17: Officials Protecting Each Other

  Zhou Xunzhang pretended to be silly and deceived others, but he couldn't deceive Feng Guozhang.

  Feng Guozhang knew that Zhou Xuanzhang had excellent marksmanship and understood infantry tactics, but Zhou's shooting was inaccurate and his answers to the exam questions were chaotic. The Tianjin Military Academy was after all the highest military academy in the Qing Empire, it wouldn't be possible for them to produce a complete fool!

  Feng Guozhang saw through Zhou Xuanzhang's little tricks and knew that he was just afraid of losing his head.

  Feng Guozhang had finally managed to drag Zhou Xuanzhang into the Military Preparatory Academy, how could he let him off so easily!

  So, every time there was an exam, whether it was a written test or a practical exercise, Feng Guozhang secretly tampered with Zhou Xuanzhang's score sheet. No matter how poorly Zhou Xuanzhang performed, his final score would always be just barely passing! Even if Zhou Xuanzhang submitted a blank paper, Feng Guozhang would fill in the answers for him and add a score of 60 points.

  After several exams, Zhou Xuanzhang finally discovered that it was his elder brother Feng Guozhang who was cheating. He was extremely angry and found Feng Guozhang to accuse him of using his power for personal gain. He strongly demanded that Feng Guozhang treat the students' scores with a pragmatic attitude, be honest and give marks according to their actual performance. If not, it would be deceiving superiors and subordinates and being unworthy of being a teacher!

  Feng Guozhang, however, was not flustered and said calmly: "Younger brother is right, our school did indeed fudge your transcript. But what I, a man of integrity, did was to act in good faith and be honest. As for you, younger brother, you are seriously lacking in integrity!"

  "How can I be dishonest? I didn't cheat on the exam!" Zhou Xianzhang protested.

  "One arrow can bring down two birds, but ten arrows can't hit the target. Younger brother, what you're doing is probably not very kind!"

  Feng Guozhang's words made Zhou Xuanzhang speechless, and seeing that Feng was not yielding, Zhou played the rogue: "Big brother, I'm calling you big brother now, our fraternal feelings are still there. If you continue to secretly alter my scores as before, I'll go to the supervisor's office to report you. By then, it might be detrimental to your future prospects, big brother!"

  "Whatever you say!" Feng Guozhang didn't mind at all.

  "Fine! You wait and see!" Zhou Xuan Zhang angrily said, out of Feng Guo Zhang's office, ran straight to the school inspector's office, to report to the inspector that teacher Feng Guo Zhang used his power for personal gain, forcibly raising student Zhou Xuan Zhang's grades, resulting in the useless Zhou Xuan Zhang still being in the Qing Dynasty Elite Academy, wasting national military resources!

  The magistrate listened patiently to Zhou Xuan Zhang's accusation, and then shouted loudly: "Zhou Xuan Zhang, I warn you, making false accusations against the school teacher without evidence is a great disrespect! According to the law, it should be punishable by death! But since you are a student of the school, I will not pursue your responsibility. Go back to class immediately!"

  "Your Honor, every word the student said is true..."

  "Get out!"

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was driven out by the governor, and then ran to the chief instructor, supervisor, team leaders of each school, and the guard captain, everywhere accusing Feng Guozhang. As a result, without exception, they were all driven out. Everyone's response was unanimous: first, they blamed Zhou Xuan Zhang for falsely accusing the instructors, and second, they spared him from punishment in consideration of Governor Zhang's face.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang turned a big circle, but it was a dead end, he was so angry that he pounded his chest and stamped his feet. In the end, he returned to Feng Guozhang's place and shouted: "Feng Guozhang, you officials are shielding each other, it's dark without a sky, how can ordinary people live..."

  Feng Guozhang patted Zhou Xuanzhang's shoulder, with a gentle smile: "Younger brother, you're wrong about this. Of course it's not right for officials to collude and bully the common people. But our Martial Arts Academy is looking out for your own good! Look at those inferior students who were eliminated, crying and begging to stay in the academy - the academy didn't show them any mercy. Only towards you, younger brother, did the academy show compassion. You must cherish this hard-won opportunity and study hard, so as to serve the imperial court!"

  Zhou Xuan Zhang sneered: "Feng Guo Zhang, you'd better not be so glib here. I'll go to the superior's place and report you!"

  Feng Guozhang hastily grabbed Zhou Xuanzhang's hand: "Younger brother, you absolutely cannot go!"

  Zhou Xuan Zhang was overjoyed: "Feng Guozhang, are you afraid?"

  "I'm not afraid, what's there to be afraid of?" Feng Guozhang said solemnly: "I am thinking for your sake."

  "Don't trouble yourself, big brother..."

  "Brother, I really have to worry about you on this matter! If you go to Jin's place and tell him that I cheated on your test paper, your head will be chopped off immediately!"

  "Ridiculous! It's probably you who needs a brain transplant!"

  Feng Guozhang sighed: "Brother, don't you ask, you ran a lap and told me the situation, why is it that there's no way to report?"

  "You're all covering up for each other!"

  "Why should we officials protect each other?"

  "You..." Zhou Xuanzhang's words stuck in his throat.

  "Brother, think about your identity."

  "What identity do I have? Am I not just an ordinary person who can't be drowned?"

  Feng Guozhang shook his head: "You are a student who will make great things happen!"

  "All the students in the school are disciples of great masters, several hundred people!"

  "You're a student who's been spoiled by the principal! Do you know that being spoiled by the principal is equivalent to being the principal's own son? If you get kicked out of school, where will the principal put his face? That old man Jin values nothing but his reputation. You don't understand, the supervisors, instructors, and team leaders in school are all very understanding. Honestly, I won't change your score, there are many people who can do that for you. Even if you hand in a blank exam paper, your score will still be 60! I guarantee you'll pass!"

  "You... you... all of you..." Zhou Xianzhang was utterly desperate.

  "I'm telling you, that old man Jin is not quite right in the head from reading too many saintly and virtuous books. If you go tell him that his disciple was originally a inferior student who should have been eliminated long ago, and that the teachers colluded to alter your grades, it's like slapping him in the face! This old man will definitely punish us, but he'll first behead you on the charge of deceiving one's teacher! Brother, Jin especially likes to uphold righteousness by sacrificing his own kin!"

  "Big brother!" Zhou Xuan Zhang shouted: "You've forced me into a dead end, with no way to go up to heaven or down to earth!"

  "Brother, study hard and strive for excellence every day! As for the bet, as the saying goes, when you reach the mountain, there will be a road."

  Eight months passed, and Zhou Xuanzhang was always on the verge of being eliminated, but he never actually got eliminated. Among the 100 trainees in the team, if the elimination started from the 95th place, he would be the 94th; if it started from the 90th place, he would be the 89th. He was only one step away from elimination, yet taking that one step seemed as difficult as ascending to heaven.

  Zhou Xuanzhang failed to achieve his goal of being eliminated, but instead became the infamous old egghead of the entire school, which greatly disappointed Jin Da.

  The relationship between a master and his apprentice is like that of father and son. If the apprentice is excellent, the master will naturally bask in the glory; if the apprentice is not good, the master will be ridiculed by others.

  Therefore, a teacher, especially a high-ranking official, will not easily accept an apprentice. To accept an apprentice, one must have undergone long-term observation and confirmation of their qualifications and character to ensure they will not bring shame to the school. Only then will they invite scholars and officials to hold a grand ceremony to formally accept them as an apprentice. Moreover, when accepting an apprentice, they would also make three rules clear to the apprentice, such as matters of etiquette and propriety, with the guests present serving as witnesses. If the apprentice were to do something disloyal or unfilial, it would not be the responsibility of the master.

  Jin, in order to win a bet with Feng Guozhang, neither investigated nor held a ceremony, and knew nothing about Zhou Xuanzhang's character or qualifications. On an impulse, he took Zhou Xuanzhang under his wing. Originally, he was afraid that Zhou Xuanzhang might have poor character or be dull-witted, which would tarnish his reputation.

  However, the results showed that Zhou Xuanzhang's innate talent really had a problem! This made Jin Dawai very embarrassed.