My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 8: What is the use of studying the classics?

With such a set of equipment, learning martial arts becomes much more convenient.

Wearing the wooden armor, Li Xuanba began running in circles in the courtyard again.

The wooden armor was light and thin, but for Li Xuanba, it was heavy enough.

Having learned from yesterday, he no longer blindly increases his speed or pursues the thrill of being hit in the face by a strong wind; instead, he runs at a steady pace.

His body was still weak. After just a few steps, he was already panting, and his legs still hurt, forcing him to give up.

It's much better than yesterday.

Liu Xuan's job was easy. He sat down in the shade and didn't care about anything else. He held a book in his hand and would occasionally look up at Li Xuanba to make sure he was alright before continuing to read.

Li Xuanba was panting heavily and staggering as he ran.

"stop."

Liu Xuan spoke, and Li Xuanba stopped with difficulty, panting heavily. His whole body was soaked in sweat, and his eyes were sore from the sweat that he could hardly open them.

Liu Xuan gestured for him to sit down, then handed him a cloth to wipe his face.

"Take a break."

Liu Xuan remained expressionless, silently calculating the number of laps Li Xuanba had just run.

Li Xuanba was very obedient, neither arguing nor asking questions.

After sitting for a while, Liu Xuan spoke again, "Keep running."

Li Xuanba stood up again.

This continued repeatedly until Li Xuanba's laps became fewer and fewer, until his whole body began to tremble noticeably. Only then did Liu Xuan stop the training for the day.

He helped Li Xuanba remove his armor. To be honest, Liu Xuan really didn't expect the kid to be able to persevere.

His original intention was to test Li Xuanba's limits, to see how many times he would give up without completely exhausting him. Although he didn't know martial arts, he was proficient in mathematics, which would be the most suitable way to formulate a teaching plan. However, this kid had a tenacity and could grit his teeth and persevere many times. Even when he was about to collapse from exhaustion, he did not stop or complain.

With his teacher's help, Li Xuanba removed his armor, but his eyes were fixed on his teacher, fearing that he had not met his teacher's standards.

“Master, it’s not that I didn’t try my best. I really couldn’t run anymore. No matter how hard I tried, my legs wouldn’t move. I can endure hardship, and I will definitely do so in the future.”

"Alright, I know you can endure hardship. For someone of your noble birth to do this is truly remarkable."

"This disciple is dull-witted and not very good at anything else, but I am good at enduring hardship."

Li Xuanba said with a smile.

Liu Xuan didn't reply, but patted the boy's head. "Starting tomorrow, I'll officially teach you how to use a hammer. Rest well today. You're going to school tomorrow, right? I'll come back later."

"Ok!"

Li Xuanba nodded heavily, his face full of anticipation.

Liu Xuan left, but Li Xuanba returned to his bed. His whole body ached and he couldn't muster any strength, but he wasn't worried. He held the jade in his hand and just grinned foolishly.

I can finally practice martial arts like my older brothers and younger brothers.

When Father and Mother return, I will definitely give them a big surprise!
The next day, as dawn was breaking.

Li Yuanji yawned and slowly walked out the door. His wet nurse, Chen Shanyi, quickly followed beside him, carrying a lot of things and patiently explaining them to him.

"You must focus on your studies. Don't argue with those Chen family members anymore. I've prepared some food for you; please take it."

Chen Shanyi looked much weaker than Duan Niang, with thin arms and legs, and a more dignified appearance.

Li Yuanji looked impatient and roughly took the things.

"Okay, okay, it's rare that the adults aren't here, but you still want to boss me around!"

Chen Shanyi seemed a little anxious, "You must study hard, otherwise the mistress will be angry again when she comes back."

Upon hearing the words "mistress," Li Yuanji became even more agitated. He ignored her completely, quickened his pace, and fled the courtyard.

Unlike his brothers, Li Yuanji did not have a good reputation. When he walked around the courtyard, neither the officials nor the servants dared to approach him; they all avoided him.

When Li Yuanji strode out of the side gate, the carriage was already parked to the side.

Li Shimin was talking to Li Xuanba when he saw Li Xuanba arrive. Li Xuanba smiled and waved.

Li Yuanji was stunned and quickly rubbed his eyes. "I've seen a ghost!"

The three brothers sat in the car. Li Yuanji would glance at Li Xuanba from time to time. This guy, who was always late, had actually arrived so early today. Moreover, his expression was really different from before. He was no longer wrapped in thick clothes, and even the smell of medicine on him seemed to have lessened.

Li Shimin loudly proclaimed his plan for the day, "When Zheng Shi examines me, I'll definitely give him a big surprise!"

For the past two days, Li Shimin has not left the house once, staying indoors to study diligently.

He had never been so concerned about his studies before. Zheng's words from last time still bothered him, and he was determined to prove himself. He had always been a competitive person, and no matter what, he wanted to prove that he was better than anyone else.

He was full of confidence, and it was clear that he had made considerable preparations for this day.

Li Yuanji, however, was completely unconcerned. What use was academic study?
Li Xuanba was quite happy. "Second Brother should have done this a long time ago. Teacher Zheng has praised Second Brother's talent several times, saying that Second Brother is the most intelligent. Second Brother will definitely achieve great things in his studies."

Just as the three were chatting, the carriage slowed down again, and the noise outside grew even louder.

This time, Li Xuanba was finally able to peek out and see what was happening outside.

The familiar streets were in utter chaos. Officials with accents from other places were shouting fiercely, while teenagers were being held down on the ground and beaten by several constables. The servants in the distance were crying out, but to no avail.

Li Yuanji was overjoyed. Pointing into the distance, he exclaimed, "They really used a big dog! There are some clever people out there!"

Li Xuanba and Li Shimin looked over and saw that there were indeed officials leading large dogs. The dogs were staring intently at their ragged prey, baring their teeth and looking even more ferocious than their owners.

Several people lay motionless by the roadside, covered in blood, while a woman cried out in anguish.

The doors of every household along the street were tightly shut, showing no sign of life. Apart from the officials and laborers, there was no one else on the road.

This was the first time Li Xuanba had ever seen such a scene, and he was somewhat shocked.

"Second brother, what is this?"

"When the emperor wanted to build the Yongji Canal, there weren't enough people in Hebei to go around, so the officials conscripted people from other places, including women and children. There were people fleeing along the way."

Li Shimin patiently explained to his younger brother, then suddenly sighed and asked in a low voice, "Why did you drive him to this point?"

These officials were fierce towards the servants, but they dared not show any cruelty towards the oncoming carriage. They instantly changed their attitude, smiling and making way. If anyone walked too slowly, they would be whipped. Even the big dogs dared not bare their teeth in front of this powerful family, wagging their tails and gently making way.

As the carriage passed by, Li Shimin and Li Yuanji began discussing other matters, including the advantages and disadvantages of several different types of bows and arrows.

Li Xuanba fell silent, lost in thought.

"Second brother."

"Ok?"

Li Shimin was somewhat surprised to be interrupted by Li Xuanba. "What?"

"The book says that the sage did not do the right thing by reducing taxes and levies."

"Huh? Hahaha~~"

Li Shimin burst into laughter, and Li Xuanba knew he was mocking him. "Isn't that how it is?"

"Just listen to what's in the book, but don't believe it. And don't say anything like that outside. Even if he's wrong, who dares to say anything?"

"Why wouldn't I dare? The books say that even sages should reason, and as a subject, I should offer timely advice."

"Alright, then go and reason with him. But before you do, let us know first. We'll have you change your surname and be removed from the family register. Then you can try to persuade him, and that way we won't be implicated."

As Li Shimin spoke, he glanced at his younger brother again.

Li Xuanba didn't say anything more, but lowered his head and fell into deep thought again.

If I can't believe anything in a book, what's the point of reading it?
Could it be true, as Master Liu said, that classical studies have become useless?

The carriage soon arrived at its destination. This courtyard was not actually the residence of the Zheng family, but just one of their family properties, which was usually used to hold activities related to classical studies. This one house alone was comparable to the official residence of a prefect.

Everyone entered the courtyard, and Teacher Zheng arrived shortly afterward, and today's lessons began again.

This time, Li Shimin did not bow his head and avoid the question as before. He raised his head and looked directly at Zheng Faxian above, waiting for him to ask him questions.

"Shimin, it seems you did your homework this time. Get up."

Let's start with "the benevolent find joy in mountains".

(End of this chapter)