Chapter 124: Bedtime Conversations on a Winter Night

After the product fair, the maddening "Song of the Erlang Wine God" finally ceased, and peace returned to Taiping Town. Su Lu then threw himself entirely into his studies.

On the fifteenth of the ninth month, during the seventh monthly assessment, he defeated Zhu Zihe once again, achieving a hat-trick.

By now, no one found this surprising. Even young Master Zhu himself calmly accepted the result, walked up to Su Lu, and bowed, saying, "Brother Qiji, congratulations on defeating me three times in a row. It is truly a remarkable achievement."

"You are too kind, brother. Haven't you won against me even more times?" Although Su Lu was already quite familiar with Zhu, he still wasn't used to his overly self-aware way of speaking.

"No, when I won against you, you were still too weak; that cannot be counted as an achievement." The reason Zhu Zihe was not detestable was precisely because he upheld the sage's teaching that "a gentleman values sincerity," remaining realistic regardless of whether he was dealing with himself or others.

"Fair enough..." Su Lu nodded with a bitter smile. He could hardly say that he had nothing to be proud of either; wouldn't that hurt the boy's feelings too much?

"Could you spare some time today to give me some pointers on this essay?" Zhu Zihe asked again, looking completely at ease.

"That is easily done." Su Lu agreed readily. He was already used to it; a debt is no burden when you owe enough, and a few more questions made no difference.

Originally, only his fellow students from the Shengshen Studio came to him for advice. After the classes were merged to study the Five Classics, students from the other two studios seized the opportunity as well.

Just as Mr. Zhang had worried, Su Lu would answer every question without ever showing impatience.

However, it did not affect his studies as Mr. Zhang had feared. Because Su Lu was still utilizing the Feynman Technique, explaining things to others served to deepen his own understanding of the concepts and consolidate his memory.

Moreover, the peers who had not yet been eliminated were quite capable. Therefore, whenever others asked for his guidance, it was either about a difficult point or an area easily confused. By advising his classmates, Su Lu was also able to identify and patch the leaks in his own knowledge. Many gaps he hadn't even realized existed were filled one by one through countless sessions of teaching and discussion.

~~

The academy continued its teaching plan, repeating the curriculum day after day, and by the twelfth lunar month, the general survey of the Five Classics was completed as scheduled.

Though it was called a general survey, the teachers, in order to attract as many students as possible, had pulled out all the stops and walked the students through the Five Classics inside and out, in meticulous detail.

Su Lu, Zhu Zihe, Lin Zhihong, and other students with extra capacity were essentially able to recite the entire texts.

Among them, the "Classic of Poetry" is approximately 39,000 characters; the "Classic of History" is 18,000; the "Record of Rites" is about 99,000; the "I Ching" (Book of Changes) is about 24,000; and the "Spring and Autumn Annals" is about 16,000.

For these overachievers, the pressure was not too intense. In addition, Su Lu had thoroughly read Zhu Xi's commentaries: the "Original Meaning of the I Ching," the "Collected Commentaries on the Classic of Poetry," the "Comprehensive Explanation of the Rites," and the "Collected Commentaries on the Classic of History," which Zhu had commissioned his disciple Cai Chen to write.

Regardless of which school of thought one might follow in the future, one would certainly have to navigate within the framework of Zhu Xi’s interpretations, so these were considered required reading.

The only exception was the "Spring and Autumn Annals," for which Zhu Xi had left no specific commentary. He often remarked, "The Spring and Autumn Annals is difficult to read; I dare not inquire into it in this lifetime," or "In my life, I have never dared to speak on the Spring and Autumn Annals," warning scholars not to waste too much time on it.

However, Mr. Niu, who taught the "Spring and Autumn Annals," turned this disadvantage into a selling point, claiming it was because the text was so profound and its subtle words carried such great meaning that only truly extraordinary people could understand it. Therefore, he argued, any student who was truly "extraordinary" should choose the "Spring and Autumn Annals."

However, considering that Mr. Niu had failed the provincial examinations yet again this term, this statement was particularly unconvincing.

In short, after these five months of study, Su Lu had gained a relatively deep understanding of the Five Classics and would no longer view them as if through a fog.

He now knew that the "Classic of Poetry" cultivated a gentleman's capacity for empathy and moral perception through its four functions: stimulation, contemplation, group sociability, and voicing grievances.

The "Classic of History" was a compilation of ancient historical documents that used history to convey the Way, focusing on governance and containing the political ideals of early Confucianism.

The "Record of Rites" was an interpretation and summary of the ritual systems of the Zhou Dynasty, with its core being the use of ritual as a guiding principle to construct behavioral norms ranging from individual etiquette to social ethics.

The "I Ching" used the changes of Yin and Yang to explain the laws of the universe and human life, serving as the philosophical foundation of Confucianism.

The "Spring and Autumn Annals" was a history of the State of Lu compiled by Confucius; through the moral judgments embedded in its historical narrative, it established the standards for Confucian ethical evaluation.

The core of these Five Classics was highly consistent with Confucian thought, which is why they became the authoritative basis for Confucianism to interpret its philosophy.

Furthermore, Confucius himself had personally compiled and interpreted these "Five Classics"—what the Grand Historian Sima Qian referred to as "Confucius deleted the Poetry and History, edited the Rites and Music, expounded upon the I Ching, and wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals"—which directly established their unshakable status as the Confucian scriptures.

What, where did the "Classic of Music" go? The Confucian canon was indeed originally the "Six Classics," but the "Classic of Music" was first burned by Qin Shi Huang during his purge of scholars, with only a few copies kept in the Epang Palace, and was later completely destroyed in a fire set by Xiang Yu.

In short, these Five Classics were the university textbooks of Confucianism. Because each classic was overly profound, scholars could spend their whole lives studying them without ever fully mastering them. Therefore, one could only choose one to study in depth, rather than blindly seeking to learn them all, for one cannot digest what one cannot chew.

The imperial examination of the current dynasty required candidates to specialize in one classic, so no sane person would try to study all five.

However, Su Lu heard from Mr. Zhang that many scholars, for one reason or another—such as setbacks in the examination hall or becoming increasingly confused the more they studied—would switch to a different classic after many years and start learning all over again.

While there were cases where a change of direction led to success, most people simply wasted their time and eroded their will, gaining nothing in return.

Mr. Zhang used this example to warn the students that they must be extremely cautious when choosing their classic; once a decision was made, it was best to stick with it to the end, as giving up halfway was truly damaging.

~~

As Mr. Zhang had anticipated, the five instructors fought desperately over Su Lu, each wanting to take this officially recognized "child prodigy" as their own disciple.

To win in this scramble, the teachers constantly raised the stakes. Some promised he would pass the xiucai exam, others offered to introduce him to famous masters, and some offered material rewards. Mr. Niu even stated that if Su Lu chose the "Spring and Autumn Annals," he would give his daughter to him in marriage.

Su Lu later found out that Mr. Niu's daughter was already eighteen. But Mr. Niu insisted that "a wife three years older is a treasure," and that an older woman would know how to cherish her husband.

This caused the other teachers to curse the man named Niu for his shamelessness, arguing over who was really taking advantage of whom.

However, Su Lu followed Mr. Zhang's advice and did not express a preference.

After entering the twelfth lunar month, the academy began the examinations on the Five Classics, consisting mostly of basic questions and short policy essays. This was not to test the students' proficiency, as it was impossible for them to have mastered anything in such a short time.

The main purpose of the test was to determine the students' aptitude, so the academy could recommend which classic they should specialize in based on their performance.

For instance, Lin Zhihong, with his precise reasoning and ability to grasp subtle nuances, was recommended to study the "I Ching."

Qiao Feng, who excelled at textual criticism and had a solid foundation in scholarship, was recommended to study the "Classic of History."

Ma Qianli, who strictly observed ritual laws and was adept at organizing and practicing ritual principles, was recommended to study the "Record of Rites."

Su Dan was recommended for the "I Ching" for similar reasons.

Cheng Wanzhou, due to his vivid literary style, delicate emotions, and capacity for empathy, was recommended for the "Classic of Poetry."

Li Qiyu and Cheng Wanfan were recommended for the "Classic of Poetry" without any particular reason given. This left the two brothers feeling quite desolate, as it was tantamount to telling them plainly that they were incapable of learning anything else.

~~

"Brother, do I really have to choose the 'Poetry'?" That night, Cheng Wanfan could not sleep and lay on his bed asking Su Lu.

In the middle of the freezing twelfth month, there was no stove in the dormitory, so the classmates huddled together for warmth, making it the perfect setting for a bedtime chat.

Su Lu huddled inside his thick quilt, with only his nose and mouth exposed. "The largest number of candidates in the provincial examinations choose the 'Poetry' every year. Do you think those scholars couldn't understand anything else? Besides, among the successful candidates in every session, those who study the 'Classic of Poetry' are the most numerous. Top scholars and third-place winners come from that path just the same. What difference does it make?"

"Sigh, what Brother says always makes sense." Cheng Wanfan nodded and smiled sheepishly. "It's just that I feel it's rather embarrassing to be recommended for the 'Poetry'."

"What's wrong with the 'Poetry'?" Cheng Wanzhou said unhappily. "I think the 'Poetry' is great; it suits me perfectly!"

"Then that means it suits me, too!" Li Qiyu’s ailment was cured by 'Little Zhouzhou's' words. "Think of me, Li Bai of the Earth City—how could I abandon the 'Poetry' for anything else?"

Now only Cheng Wanfan remained unhappy.

"And don't look down on the 'Classic of Poetry.' The teacher said it is easy to learn but hard to master; its difficulties are very well hidden. Furthermore, the 'Three Hundred Poems' are three hundred different spiritual worlds. They involve customs, systems, and beliefs from the Western Zhou to the Spring and Autumn periods across different regions. If you can truly learn it all, you will undoubtedly be a great scholar," Su Lu advised him further.

"In short, none of the Five Classics has earned its reputation in vain. Studying any one of them well is enough to pass the xiucai exam."

Li Qiyu chimed in, "Hear that? It goes deep. Study it; there is no limit to learning."

"Stop interrupting." Cheng Wanfan kicked him.

"You're like a dog biting Lu Dongbin—you don't recognize kindness." The two began kicking each other back and forth.

"Brother, why weren't you recommended a classic?" Su Dan asked softly.

"I don't know," Su Lu shook his head.

"I know why; Zhu Zihe wasn't either," Tao Cheng said from the other end. "You two are likely the key subjects of concern; you're different from us."

"Haha..." At this point, Su Lu could not even feign modesty, as it would be considered too hypocritical. He could only laugh it off.

"But Brother, which classic do you want to choose?" Wang Chong asked.

This question immediately piqued the interest of all the students in the room. Even Li Qiyu and Cheng Wanfan stopped their bickering, all stretching their necks to listen to Su Lu's choice.

Who wouldn't want to study the same classic as him? That way, they could continue to bask in the grace of their "foster father." Although even if they studied different classics, they could still ask Su Lu for advice on the Four Books, but there would be no one to guide them on the Five Classics...

In truth, Su Lu was also indecisive, so he took the opportunity to sort through his thoughts. He thought for a moment and answered earnestly, "From my personal perspective, I would definitely prioritize choosing one that has authoritative commentaries, like the 'Four Books.' That way, the answers are more accurate, and one won't feel panicked when working through them."

"Then the 'Spring and Autumn Annals' is the first to be excluded..." everyone laughed.