Matters of worldly etiquette and human relations are rarely taught in private academies. More often, people encounter them by chance, guided and warned by their elders.
This was the difference between noble aristocratic families and ordinary folk. Because of this, commoners frequently found themselves unintentionally offending others, sometimes without even realizing how they had done so.
A great scholar like Bu Ziyou might let the matter pass in silence, but many scholars trained at the Xihe Academy under his tutelage would not. They would speak out, condemning Gongsun Linglong for ingratitude and for kicking away the bridge after crossing the river.
Chapter 310