Chapter 1418 – Earthquake in the Live Stream (Part 10)
Feng Jue had just set down his pen when familiar footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.
“Father?” Feng Jue leisurely gathered the letters, and upon seeing Feng Ren, his furrowed brow finally relaxed.
Feng Ren raised an eyebrow at his son’s actions. “Did you just send someone to find me? What’s up?”
Feng Jue replied, “Father, with your extensive connections, I was hoping you could assist me by delivering this letter to a former classmate of mine.”
His situation was rather awkward, and socializing required careful consideration.
Feng Jue had thought this over multiple times and felt it would be most appropriate for his father to handle this matter. His second brother, Feng Jin, could also do it, but the brothers rarely met. After Feng Jin got married, he separated for various reasons and no longer lived with them. Thus, Feng Jue turned to his father for help.
Feng Ren didn’t take the letter but glanced down at the name on it.
Feng Jue explained, “I ran into Lord Lan Ting today, and I thought he might need this person, so I wanted to make an introduction.”
Feng Ren’s frown eased as he took the letter, asking, “Why not introduce them yourself?”
If the introduction bore fruit, Feng Jue could use the opportunity to re-enter the ranks of officials. As a father, Feng Ren naturally didn’t want his younger son mingling with a bunch of toddler-sized figures all day. Feng Jue was never meant to be a teacher; the thought of him educating others? Ha, he’d be ruining the students!
Huang Song also seemed quite laid back, trusting Feng Jue to guide his daughter, without fearing she’d go astray under his instruction.
Feng Jue responded, “I have no interest in an official career. Today’s introduction is solely because I find Lord Lan Ting’s personality intriguing.”
Feng Ren sighed inwardly; he was already familiar with his son’s stubbornness. Besides going along with it, he felt powerless.
“Then… who exactly is this person you’re recommending?” Feng Ren casually asked.
No matter Feng Jue’s aspirations, his initiative to leverage connections for Jiang Pengji to recruit talent sent a signal of good intent.
Feng Ren certainly didn’t want Feng Jue’s well-meaning suggestion to backfire due to minor details.
Feng Jue discerned his father’s concern and coolly replied, “He’s a farmer, probably one of the last remaining heirs of his lineage. His name is Dou, given name Xi, courtesy name Zong Guang; he was my classmate during my studies. According to Lord Lan Ting’s words today, she might find use for him.”
Feng Ren was taken aback. “A farmer?”
Though farmers were one of a hundred households, they’ve been incredibly destitute for centuries. While Feng Ren served in the court, he hadn’t heard of any officials emerging from a farming background. The Mo family may have struggled, but they had a few notable heirs. Now, with Jiang Pengji’s support, they seemed to be revitalizing.
And farmers?
Most from the agricultural school held positions related to farming, but due to their decline, these roles were almost disconnected from the farming class. Hearing about a descendant from a farming school astounded Feng Ren.
He asked Feng Jue, “Although Lord Lan Ting values agriculture, I’ve never heard her mention this…”
In the past, when Jiang Pengji needed students from the Mo family, she specifically sought them out, even amid the tension between the Mo and Confucian schools.
Now that she needed someone from the farming class, why hadn’t a whisper been heard?
Feng Jue briefly recounted today’s encounter, revealing that he found Jiang Pengji to be quite an interesting person.
“I see, that does sound like her style,” Feng Ren assessed with a serious and approving expression. “What about his abilities?”
Introductions couldn’t be arbitrary; if he was talented, that would be great, but if he was inept, not only would the common people suffer, but others would also blame Feng Jue for the introduction, causing unwanted trouble. Feng Ren cared for his younger son and wanted to ensure a careful selection.
Feng Jue stated, “It’s hard to say about his talent, but his temperament and working style align perfectly with what Lord Lan Ting needs.”
What does Jiang Pengji truly need?
She requires someone diligent and passionate about agriculture, who also wishes to compile agricultural texts to benefit the common people. Even if the individual isn’t from the farming school, as long as they meet these criteria, chances are high she would employ them. No need for deep expertise, but a professional demeanor is a must.
After considering everything, the candidate Feng Jue proposed matched her requirements spot on.
“Very well.” Feng Ren nodded. “As long as he hasn’t migrated elsewhere, I’ll find a way to get the letter to him. To avoid any delays, it’s best to inform Lord Lan Ting as well. As long as he’s under her governance, he should be easy to find.”
Though Feng Jue and this individual were classmates, they hadn’t kept in touch, only vaguely recalling which region the other hailed from, not even knowing their home address.
Feng Jue added, “I heard this person’s ancestors served as agricultural officials during the Great Xia Dynasty. Following this lead, we should be able to locate him.”
Meanwhile, Jiang Pengji, spurred by audience suggestions in the live stream, remembered the farming class.
Since she had pinned her hopes for technological development on the Mo school, agricultural progress naturally required the farming school’s insights.
Jiang Pengji spent the night reviewing materials on the farming school, and after reading through them, she had a hunch finding someone from the agricultural class might not be easy.
The farming school broadly divided into two categories: one advocated planting a variety of grains and promoting mulberry cultivation to ensure ample food supply; the other was related to their political ideology, such as the idea of rulers farming alongside the people—essentially suggesting that those in power should toil and cook side by side with common folk…
From a modern perspective, this promotes equality in labor, seeming harmless, but would ancient feudal rulers actually endorse such thoughts?
Upon reaching this realization, Jiang Pengji understood why the farming school fared worse than the Mo school; that political ideology was a landmine.
In this aspect, the Confucian school seemed more favorable to those in power, explaining why it was later revered as the foremost among the hundred schools.
“By the way, given the state of the farming school, can I even find a decent heir?”
Jiang Pengji felt uncertain about this.
Eating with one foot propped up: What are you afraid of? Streamer, believe you’re the chosen one! The talent you need will come knocking!
Five-Star Diamond: Who knows, maybe you’ll nurture an ancient version of the Father of Rice!
Paper Stack in the Pit: Even dried fish can have dreams! As the supreme dried fish coach of five million, you must be the most dried fish of all!
While some dried fish were being ridiculous, others took it quite seriously.
Golden Kumquat Lemon: Actually, I’ve always been curious—didn’t we say the Mo and Confucian schools were at odds? Why then are Zhang Ping and Shao Guang earning high salaries among all these Confucians? After watching the live stream for years, I’ve never seen them squabbling over ideological differences.
Old Driver Alliance: Isn’t that perfectly normal? The streamer has her political beliefs; whether it’s Confucianism, Moism, or the farming school… she honestly doesn’t care. She uses Moism for their technical skills and farming for their agricultural pursuits; in simpler terms, she only demands their expertise, not their political ideas. Any slightly clever individual wouldn’t seek to argue with her absurdly. Besides Confucianism, the other schools are relatively weak, and even if they wanted to debate politically, they’d find themselves isolated and unable to argue effectively!
