Chapter 77: Sorting out Ancient Books
The government attached great importance to this murder case and quickly arrested Chen Dahai and A Qiang, and restored Feng Mei's reputation.
The ten Huangban disciples became famous for solving this murder case. They returned to the Imperial College and were warmly welcomed by teachers and students. The magistrate sat in the lobby, looking at Chen Dahai and Aqiang with a sharp gaze. He said in a deep voice: "Chen Dahai, since you have admitted your crime, do you know that what you have committed is a human life? Do you know what price you will pay?"
Chen Dahai lowered his head and said in a weak voice: "You know, I am willing to accept the punishment of the law."
The magistrate looked at Aqiang again and said, "Aqiang, you committed a crime together with Chen Dahai. Do you know your crime?"
Ah Qiang turned pale with fear and knelt down immediately: "My Lord, I was wrong, I was wrong. I was just greedy for a moment, so I followed Chen Dahai to do such a thing. I am willing to accept the punishment."
At this time, Jiang Zhiyu stepped forward and said to the county magistrate: "Sir, during our investigation of this case, we found that Feng Mei was wrongly accused of death and her reputation needs to be restored. In addition, we also provided clues to help the government solve the case quickly."
Upon hearing this, the magistrate nodded slightly, his eyes swept over Jiang Zhiyu and the others, and said, "Jiang Zhiyu, it is not easy for you and other Huangban disciples to assist the government. As for Feng Mei's reputation, I will clear her grievances."
Jiang Zhiyu and others responded in unison: "Thank you, sir."
The magistrate turned around and said to Chen Dahai and A Qiang in the hall: "What you have committed is a human life, and your crime is serious. But considering that you can take the initiative to admit your crime, I will ask the court to try to reduce your punishment."
Upon hearing this, Chen Dahai and Aqiang kowtowed immediately: "Thank you, sir, for your mercy."
In the lecture hall of the Imperial College, there was thunderous applause and laughter. Teachers and students gathered around to congratulate Jiang Zhiyu and the other ten students in the Yellow Class.
"You are really amazing. Not only did you solve the case, but you also eliminated a great harm to society." The professor of the Imperial College looked at them approvingly.
Jiang Zhiyu and others smiled modestly, but their hearts were filled with pride. They knew that all this was the result of their joint efforts.
At this moment, a disciple came running over with an envelope in his hand. He said breathlessly, "Senior Jiang Zhiyu, this letter is for you."
Jiang Zhiyu took the envelope, opened it and saw a thank-you letter inside. It said: "Thank you for clearing my family's grievances and avenging my husband. I, Feng Mei, am grateful." At the end of the letter, there was also a generous gift attached.
Seeing this scene, everyone admired Jiang Zhiyu and others even more. They knew that this gift was not only a thank you to Jiang Zhiyu, but also an affirmation of everyone.
Zhang Anjie looked at everyone and suddenly said, "I think we shouldn't accept this gift. After all, we don't do this for anything in return."
Liu Mengmeng nodded in agreement: "That's right, we are just doing our duty."
So they decided to donate the gift to the Imperial College to help poor students.
Every month, students of the Imperial College take turns to go to the Imperial College library to sort out ancient books. This month it is Jiang Zhiyu and his friends' turn.
"I just don't know how to organize these ancient books." Liu Mengmeng asked puzzledly.
"Liu Mengmeng is right. The Imperial College Library is an important place for national book collection. Every book carries the wisdom of the ages. If we flip through them carelessly, we might cause disaster." Jiang Zhiyu frowned slightly and said in a deep voice.
Hearing this, Xiao Wen smiled and said, "Jiang Zhiyu, don't worry too much. We are all scholars and naturally understand the attitude towards ancient books. However, sorting out ancient books is indeed a technical job. We still need to consult the manager of the library."
Qi Zimo nodded in agreement, turned around and walked towards the library, saying as he walked: "Then let's go and ask the steward, maybe he can give us some pointers."
Zhang Anjie, Zou Ting, Liao Zhen, Xu Guokun, Hu Jiahong, Kang Yining and others followed closely and came to the library together.
The manager of the library had been waiting for them for a long time when he saw them coming. His surname was Wang, and his name was Wang Shichong. He was an old man in the Imperial College and had rich experience in sorting out ancient books.
Wang Shichong greeted them enthusiastically when he saw them coming over, and said with a smile, "Dear disciples of the Huang class, are you here to ask for advice on how to organize ancient books?"
Qi Zimo smiled slightly and said, "That's right. I hope you can give me more advice, Manager Wang."
Wang Shichong nodded and said, "Well, I will tell you some key points about sorting ancient books. First of all, we should pay attention to the order when sorting ancient books. We can't flip through them randomly. Generally speaking, we should classify them according to the type, age, author and other information of the books."
Liu Mengmeng asked doubtfully: "What if we encounter books of the same category, same era, and same author, how do we distinguish them?"
Wang Shichong smiled and said, "It depends on the edition and binding of the book. Generally speaking, the earlier the edition, the higher the value of the book, and the more beautiful the binding, the more precious the book. In this case, we should put the books with earlier editions and more beautiful binding in front."
Jiang Zhiyu suddenly realized and said, "So that's how it is. Then let's sort it out according to this method."
Wang Shichong nodded and continued, "In addition to classification, we must also pay attention to the preservation of books. Ancient books are easily affected by moisture and insects, so we must ensure that the books are dry and clean. In addition, we must regularly check the damage of the books and repair them in time."
Kang Yining asked curiously: "What if the books are severely damaged and cannot be repaired?"
Wang Shichong sighed and said, "In this case, we need to place the severely damaged books separately to avoid affecting other books. Then, we will report to our superiors and request to purchase new ones or repair them."
Hu Jiahong sighed: "It turns out that there is so much knowledge in sorting out ancient books. We must learn it well."
Wang Shichong smiled and said, "You are all scholars. I believe you will be able to master these skills soon. However, practice makes perfect. You still need to practice more."
So, under the guidance of Wang Shichong, they began to sort out the ancient books. They carefully flipped through each book, classified them according to category, age, author and other information, and paid attention to the preservation of the books.
In the process of sorting, they found some precious ancient books, such as "The Book of Changes" and "The Analects of Confucius". Jiang Zhiyu excitedly held a copy of "The Book of Changes" and said: "I didn't expect that we could see "The Book of Changes" here. It's a great honor."
Liu Mengmeng also said with emotion: "Yes, these ancient books are our precious treasures, we must cherish them." Kang Yining looked at the "Analects" in his hand, with a glimmer of admiration in his eyes, and said softly: "Confucius' wisdom has been enlightening future generations for thousands of years. These books are not only a treasure house of knowledge, but also a spiritual beacon."