Chapter Seventy-Four: The Reward

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The academy’s schedule was tight; on the day the results were posted, Master Zhang began lecturing on “Mencius.” However, unlike his previous teachings on “The Great Learning” and “The Analects,” he did not start from the first chapter. Instead, he began with an overview:

“Mencius was a devoted follower of Confucius. He delved deeply into Confucian teachings, elucidating their subtleties. Thus, compared to ‘The Analects,’ ‘Mencius’ is more systematic and offers greater guidance for us.”

“The book of ‘Mencius’ elaborates on four main aspects. First is the doctrine of innate goodness—he believes that people are born with ‘a heart of compassion, a sense of shame, a spirit of courtesy, and a sense of right and wrong.’ These ‘four beginnings’ are the foundation of morality, and the virtues we uphold—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom—originate from them.”

“Mencius also explains in detail what constitutes ‘benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom,’ which are the guidelines of morality…”

“The third part is the standard of self-cultivation—Mencius teaches that ‘wealth cannot corrupt, poverty cannot sway, force cannot bend’ one's integrity, the essential qualities and character of a true gentleman.”

“Lastly, the essentials of governance, laying out Mencius’ philosophy of humane rule—‘the people are most important, the state comes next, the ruler is least.’”

“…”

Master Zhang’s explanations were incisive and thorough, and the students listened with unprecedented clarity; both teacher and pupils felt refreshed.

~~

After class, the students gathered around Su Lu, whispering, “It seems the teacher took a cue from you today.”

“Don’t talk nonsense; the teacher has been teaching for so many years, what does it have to do with me?” Su Lu quickly stopped them. Although Master Zhang always upheld the principle of “no distinction between noble and humble, old and young; wherever the teacher is, the Way is shared,” as a disciple, one could not speak recklessly.

At that moment, Ma Zhaichang called from the doorway, “Su, the teacher wants to see you.”

“Oh, coming.” Su Lu responded quickly, smiling at his peers, “Be careful what you say, don’t get me in trouble.”

“Don’t worry, we won’t say a thing,” his classmates laughed. “How could we betray our ‘adoptive father’?”

“Get lost…” Su Lu laughed and scolded, hurrying to the study to report.

~~

Inside the study.

Master Zhang was in good spirits, humming a tune as he took a small paper box from the drawer.

“You called for me, sir?” Su Lu called from outside.

“Come in quickly.” Zhang Yanqiu greeted him cheerfully. “Try some caramel slices your mistress made. These are specialties from Huguang, you won’t find them in Taiping Town.”

“Thank you, mistress.” Su Lu replied. Approaching, he saw the box contained thinly sliced pastries, apparently made from sugar, sesame, dried fruits, and the like.

He picked up a piece, tasted it, and the delicate flavors danced on his tongue, filling him with happiness. He couldn’t help but praise:

“Richly fragrant, sweet and crisp, the texture is delightful!”

“Delicious, isn’t it?” Master Zhang smiled. “I had your mistress make these especially for you, as a reward for finally not scoring zero.”

“I'm ashamed…” Su Lu replied bashfully. “Your disciple is dull-witted, truly causing you much worry.”

“It’s nothing.” Master Zhang waved his hand. Like most middle-aged men, he was not accustomed to drawing attention to achievements. But unlike others, he was frank:

“And also, as a token of thanks… Didn’t you notice that today’s lesson was inspired by you?”

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“Really?” Su Lu was both flattered and surprised. “I was so focused on taking notes, I hadn’t noticed.”

“Haha, it’s true!” Master Zhang laughed heartily. “Lately, I’ve been reflecting on why students can’t all understand the lesson immediately. It always takes a few hints from you. After much soul-searching, I’ve decided to change my approach after so many years.”

He asked expectantly, “How did your classmates react after class?”

Su Lu thought Master Zhang had probably already asked Ma Zhaichang, but everyone likes to hear praise, so he hurried to respond, “Everyone said it was excellent—they instantly grasped the main ideas and outline of ‘Mencius.’”

“Haha, that’s good! I was worried you wouldn’t get used to it.” Master Zhang laughed, stroking his beard, and then analyzed Su Lu’s exam paper with him, finally saying:

“It’s clear from your writing that you’re striving to improve your prose, but you’re a bit too forceful… like a young wild bull, charging everywhere. The essay has vigor, but it’s a bit too deliberate.”

“Yes, I feel the same now,” Su Lu replied softly.

“You’ve memorized so many standardized essays—how many of them are forceful from start to finish? You must blend strength and gentleness, balance rigidity and flexibility.” Master Zhang advised, “You know the principle that excess is as bad as deficiency. Especially in today’s literary style, subtlety is prized over bluntness. Try to moderate your tone…”

Su Lu quickly nodded, “Yes, I’ll rein it in further.”

“You’re already doing well, but don’t become complacent; next time, you must improve again!” Master Zhang encouraged him.

“Yes, next time if I score even half a point less, there’ll be no margin for error.” Su Lu nodded with a wry smile.

“So strive for a full point!” Master Zhang nodded, closing the box of caramel slices and handing it to him. “Take it home and enjoy. If you want more next time, you’ll have to score a full point.”

“Thank you, sir and mistress.” Su Lu received the box with both hands, nodding vigorously. “Next box—I’ll definitely eat it!”

~~

After school, Su Lu went as usual to the Southern Hall to collect his prize.

This time, he didn’t run into Qian Huairen, but being familiar now, he went straight to the headmaster’s study.

“You’re here?” Zhu Liu was still composing essays, but after setting down his pen, he greeted him. “Sit anywhere.”

“Yes.” Su Lu sat again in the official’s hat chair by the wall.

“I see your essay’s structure is even more refined than last time!” Zhu Liu picked up his exam paper and praised, “I tried to analyze your approach—tell me if I’m correct. You used a ‘general–specific–general’ structure, and each section is developed in three layers.”

“Yes.” Su Lu nodded. This was why he never kept anything from those around him. Essays are meant to be read by others; experts can always discern the methods.

Zhu Liu continued, “Specifically, you began with ‘abide in benevolence, act by righteousness, virtue shines clear’ to set the tone, and concluded with ‘the five virtues in harmony, rooted in benevolence and righteousness,’ with the body discussing what the five virtues are, how to practice them, and why, each in three stages… This progressive structure deepens the argument from surface to essence, making it highly convincing.”

After speaking, Zhu Liu asked, “Am I right?”

“Absolutely correct.” Su Lu nodded hurriedly, awed by the headmaster’s insight—merely reading two of his essays, he was able to analyze them so thoroughly. In later generations, this would certainly qualify him as head of a teaching research department…

Well, he was already the principal of a key middle school.

“With such meticulous structure, I’ve only seen it in the most polished masterpieces. You’ve studied literature for just three months—how did you manage it?” Zhu Liu gazed steadily at Su Lu, trying to see through the secrets he hid.

Su Lu had anticipated such questions, and replied calmly, “As you said, from those polished masterpieces.”

Pausing, he smiled and explained, “For example, this essay ‘The Gentleman Is Beneficial Without Waste’ borrows the structure of the opening of ‘The Great Learning.’ My skills are limited, so I can only approximate.”

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“Oh?” Zhu Liu pondered briefly, then laughed, “Indeed it is.”

“The Great Learning” begins by stating three guiding principles, clarifying the fundamental goals of learning and self-cultivation. Then, with “only after knowing the goal can one be steadfast, only after being steadfast can one be calm, only after being calm can one be secure, only after being secure can one deliberate, only after deliberation can one attain,” it advances step by step, explaining the path to realization—remarkably similar to the three-stage progression in Su Lu’s essay.

“That’s true, but few can break through that barrier.” Rather than disappointment, Zhu Liu praised Su Lu, “Everyone thinks the form of the standardized essay is fixed, but they don’t realize one can innovate with structure through content—truly ‘making a temple inside a snail shell,’ marvelous!”

“The student is merely ignorant and fearless,” Su Lu replied humbly. “Unaware of all the rules, I dared to experiment, though it may be laughable.”

“It’s good to experiment—try more, don’t be bound by rules!” The headmaster encouraged him, “We are too constrained by rules, always following precedent, never daring to break boundaries.”

Su Lu thought, actually, I’m the same. I just have a few hundred more years of precedent to follow…

Still, he was curious: “Standardized essay writing began in the Song dynasty, and has flourished for a century in our era—hasn’t anyone tried new approaches?”

“Of course, many have tried, but most failed. The examination is still dominated by writing.” Zhu Liu replied with a bitter smile. “As they say, ‘making a temple inside a snail shell,’ most efforts meet obstacles. Success is rare.”

“And often, even if you succeed, you can’t prove it.” Zhu Liu sighed, “The imperial exam is so difficult—one trick isn’t enough to stand out. Even knowledge isn’t sufficient, you need… heaven and earth to lend a hand.”

He felt it wasn’t yet time to discuss the darker side with his student… little did he know Su Lu had already seen it.

“Only those who break through in the examination know their method works. But it becomes a family secret, never shared with outsiders.” Zhu Liu said, “So you see countless model essays and manuscripts in circulation, but none teach the real secrets.”

“…” Su Lu fell silent at these words. He had already felt how isolated information was in this era.

Every county, even every town, seemed like a small island. Aside from officials and gentry who could communicate with the outside, the vast majority were in the dark, unaware of life beyond their immediate surroundings, let alone changes in the wider world.

This feeling was even stronger in the mountains, which was why children fought so hard to enter the academy—it was their only channel to understand the outside world…

“The world shouldn’t be like this,” Su Lu whispered. “This isn’t ancient times anymore; the publishing industry is so developed…”

“Indeed.” Zhu Liu looked at Su Lu with renewed respect, surprised that this youth could grasp in a few words what had taken himself twenty years to realize—the harsh truth.

But on second thought, perhaps this youth was meant to see such things…

ps. This chapter is an extra and not counted among the sixteen updates. It's to repay Brother Bull Demon King from the previous book. That book was tough, and he alone left 3,000 chapter comments…

The next chapter will take a while, not done proofreading yet…

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