Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 478 Everyone’s Attention
However, the Wenhua Hall was no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the "Great Debate on the Classics". In fact, the debate was held in an open space between the Wenhua Hall and the Wenyuan Pavilion.

Royal nobles and their families were separated from outsiders inside the hall, while thousands of seats were set up on both sides of the open space, with people packed together.

But those who had already entered were still beaming with joy and celebrating.

"Minister Chai, Lord Dongfang."

The two elderly men stood before them and bowed in greeting.

The two people whose names were called stood up and returned the greeting, seemingly quite warmly acquainted.

Chai Pu greeted the two with a smile, "Scholar Mei, Patriarch Gu, there's no need to be so polite. It is already an honor for us that you two have graced us with your presence today to preside over this 'Grand Debate on the Classics'."

"I have been busy with political affairs for many years and have neglected to study the Four Books and Five Classics. I have not gained any new knowledge for many years. I am grateful to the two great scholars for their generous guidance today."

Both men nodded and smiled. Mei Hanlin said politely, "Prime Minister Chai also became famous at a young age. Before passing the imperial examination, he had already achieved the highest honors in the three levels of the imperial examination. He overcame all obstacles and stood out in a place with a poor academic atmosphere, trampling all the scholars under his feet. How can you say that he is ignorant of the classics?"

“Even if we’re no longer constantly engrossed in reading these days, I don’t think there’s anything we can teach you.”

Dongfang Zhi, standing to the side, smiled obsequiously and nodded to the Gu family head, saying, "Senior Brother Gu, how have you been? How have you been lately?"

Chai Pu asked in surprise, "You two had a past relationship? I've never heard of it before."

Gu Yanting smiled and stroked his beard, replying, "Back when he was studying, he studied under my father. At that time, Master Dongfang was poor and couldn't afford the tuition, so he would eavesdrop outside the window for a whole year. My father was impressed by his diligence in his studies, and after asking him a few questions, he thought he was exceptionally intelligent, so he made an exception and admitted him to the academy, paying his tuition with labor."

Chai Pu also laughed, "I never imagined that Lord Dongfang had such a past."

Recalling the past, Dongfang Zhi was also full of nostalgia, "I still remember when I first entered the academy, I was not good at my studies, and it was my senior brother who took good care of me. How could I forget such kindness?"

The four of them laughed heartily and sat down together.

As soon as we sat down, the conversation turned to the day's business.

Gu Yanting suddenly spoke up and asked, "Junior brother, is this Duke Dingguo the genius Yue Ling that you have mentioned to me many times? He seems to be quite an arrogant young man."

Gu Yanting's words did not leave Dongfang Zhi unmoved, but they brought Chai Pu back to his senses.

Recently, he worked with Dongfang Zhi several times to discuss how to win back Emperor Longyou's favor, and finally devised this method of "grand debate at the Imperial Academy".

In particular, the idea of ​​a "grand debate at the imperial lectures" was first proposed by Dongfang Zhi. At the time, he thought that Yue Ling's ability to stand out in front of His Majesty made Dongfang Zhi feel threatened, so he stood on the same side as everyone else.

But now, thinking about it more carefully, the two were both former colleagues of the Prince of Qin's mansion, one a scholar and the other a warrior, and they had a very good personal relationship. In particular, the atmosphere in the Prince of Qin's mansion had never been one for jealousy, and Dongfang Zhi was not particularly interested in power or position. He was not a person who liked to fight for power, which was fundamentally different from himself.

This made Chai Pu somewhat fearful, thinking that Dongfang Zhi and Emperor Longyou were putting on a show to lure everyone into a trap. But he couldn't figure out what Yue Ling was capable of to withstand the eloquence of so many learned scholars. Could Zhuge Liang, if he were alive, debate with a group of scholars?

Unaware of Chai Pu's ever-changing expression, Dongfang Zhi replied with a smile, "I never expected that Senior Brother would come to the capital. I never imagined that we would meet again because of something like this. Yue Ling does have some talent, but he is too rigid and easily broken, and he still lacks some maturity. If he can get some guidance from Senior Brother, it would be a good thing for him."

"He is still young and has not yet married. I am old, and I hope he can assist His Majesty in accomplishing great things in the future."

Hearing this, Chai Pu began to believe it; everything was done from a holistic perspective.

However, even if Chai Pu doesn't strike back when the enemy is down, there will be someone more skilled at doing so. Once Yue Ling shows signs of weakness, he will no longer be given a chance to catch his breath.

Gu Yanting nodded, impressed by his junior brother's patriotic aspirations. He sighed and said, "In that case, I'll save him some face."

Dongfang Zhi laughed instead, "That's not necessary. Senior brother, don't underestimate him, or he'll find something to use against you and make you lose face."

Gu Yanting took his junior brother's words as a joke and was not annoyed. He shook his head and said, "What qualifications does a martial artist with only a rudimentary understanding of poetry and literature have to talk about the orthodox tradition? Poetry, literature, rites, and the Book of Changes are the accumulation of generations of sages, passed down for thousands of years. They are not something that can be changed at will just because he wants to come up with a new theory?"

"He was indeed full of flaws, not because I underestimated him."

Those around him also agreed with Gu Yanting's words and nodded in agreement.

Despite his many worries, Chai Pu calmed down because of Gu Yanting's words.

Even if Gu Yanting and Dongfang Zhi had private connections and deliberately let him win, Mei Hanlin was still there. As the head scholar of the Hanlin Academy, his family background was not as profound as Gu Yanting's, but in terms of knowledge alone, he was not inferior. How could he lose to Yue Ling in the debate?
However, we must act with caution.

The various problems that had arisen earlier, which Yue Ling managed to turn the tide of, were all due to underestimating him.

Now that the final step was approaching, Chai Pu dared not be careless. He whispered a few words to Mei Hanlin and, before everyone else had arrived, began to expound on some classic texts and prominent doctrines to attract everyone's attention.

They took the lead in controlling the proceedings, deeply embedding their ideas into people's minds before the debate even began.

As expected, after Mei Hanlin took the stage, the surrounding officials and students gradually quieted down and listened attentively to the teachings of this great Confucian scholar, just as they would when studying.

Mei Hanlin opened the conversation in a simple way, starting by talking about the core knowledge and theories of Confucianism, the foundation for a Confucian scholar's life.

Dressed in a deep purple Confucian robe, Mei Hanlin exuded an elegant and refined air. He first bowed three times to the statue of the sage placed not far away, then gently rang the bell in the hall and spoke in a deep voice, "You all know why you have come here today. But I have come here not to discuss the eight-legged essay, nor to talk about fame and fortune. Instead, follow me back to the banks of the Zhu and Si rivers to inquire into the true heart of the sages."

"Do we still remember the words in the first chapter of the Analects? 'To learn and at due times to practice what one has learned, is that not a pleasure?' Even as the world changes and the world transforms, the words of the sage remain relevant. The crux of the matter is whether we, as descendants, have learned new meaning from the words of the sage..."

Mei Hanlin sat calmly, imparting knowledge and resolving doubts, much like a sage instructing his disciples. He drew everyone into deep thought, and those who entered gradually lowered their footsteps, afraid of disturbing others.

The military officers slowly entered the venue. Even though they were annoyed by the pretentious and affected manner of these scholars, they did not want to break the atmosphere. They simply found their own seats and waited for the excitement to begin.

Seeing the civil officials so smug and listening intently to the teachings of Imperial Scholar Mei, the military officials were even more envious of their complacent demeanor.

After all, the recent crackdown on the nobility had left the military officers terrified. In comparison, they thought Yue Ling would suppress the civil officials with swift and decisive action, but unexpectedly, such a dramatic scene unfolded.

Although they support Yue Ling, they still don't think highly of her in the debate, and they can't offer her any real help.

The nobles and military officers looked at each other, not understanding any of the classical Chinese phrases, and simply continued to offer each other tea and wine, waiting quietly.

Many people came in one after another, including Xia Jingui and Jia Baoyu from the Xia family.

She wasn't invited; she had earned her place on her own, so she could only sit on a small stool, squeezed among the crowd.

Having just found a seat, Xia Jingui reminded Baoyu, "If you wanted to come, I brought you along. You have no idea how much a seat for this event is worth—a full three thousand taels of silver! This is a rare opportunity, with a great scholar lecturing at the front."

"Listen carefully and remember this, don't just watch the excitement!"

Baoyu nodded repeatedly. Xia Jingui, however, felt his response was not sincere enough, and grabbed his ear again, "Are you mute? Can't you say a word?"

Raising his voice several notches immediately drew the ire of those around him.

Looking at Xia Jingui's full adornments, everyone realized that she reeked of money, and their faces were filled with disgust.

Xia Jingui, on the contrary, did not back down. Even though everyone around her was glaring at her, she put her hands on her hips and glared back at them.

No one wanted to get entangled with her; perhaps they muttered under their breath, "This shrew is unreasonable," and then turned back to listen to the great Confucian scholar's teachings.

Just as Xia Jingui was feeling smug, someone patted her on the back of the neck from behind. It seemed to be someone maintaining order in the room. The person glared at her and said, "This is a place for lecturing. If you're not here to seek knowledge, leave as soon as possible. Don't be like that Duke Dingguo, who ruined the whole pot of soup with one bad apple."

Three thousand taels of silver couldn't be wasted, so Xia Jingui could only swallow her anger and beg for mercy. She and Jia Baoyu sat in the last row of seats in the crowd, which appeased the surrounding public anger and prevented them from being driven out.

Although those at the back of the crowd could not see the great Confucian scholars in the hall, but only the endless sea of ​​heads, the view of the corridor in front of the hall through the gaps was clearer than in other places.

Turning around abruptly, she was surprised to find Xue Baochai standing behind Lin Daiyu, who had also been invited into the main hall. Her resentment grew even stronger.

"Good, good, good, I think this is a case of too much joy turning to sorrow. Once this debate is over, let's see who will still be backing you up in the capital! Those businesses will ultimately be sold to the Xia family!"

Those who entered the Wenhua Hall naturally wouldn't notice the small fry outside.

The women followed the Empress and helped the Empress Dowager to take their seats in the Wenhua Hall.

The seating inside the Wenhua Hall was much more luxurious than outside. In addition to each person having a small chair, there was a table in front of them filled with fruits and candied fruit.

Lin Daiyu sat down next to the Empress, and then her two concubines sat down next to her. Seeing that the ceremony had already begun, Concubine Zhou couldn't help but ask softly, "Miss, why has it already started? Are we too late?"

They weren't implying they were late; they just couldn't see Yue Ling anywhere.

It's clearly a debate, but one side is absent while the other has already started speaking. This is obviously unfair. The side that speaks first will obviously have a firm grip on the situation, especially since Yue Ling is already at a disadvantage.

Aunt Zhou didn't want to point it out in front of so many people, but Lin Daiyu understood perfectly. "Don't worry, it's not that we're late, it's just that they're resorting to any means necessary."

Aunt Zhou had a rudimentary understanding of the Four Books. Although she could not be called a talented woman, she knew the famous names of those people outside.

It was hard to imagine that Yue Ling would compete with such learned scholars who had cultivated their knowledge for decades. Aunt Zhou was really worried about her son-in-law and her daughter's marriage.

With fruits and candied fruits laid out before her for everyone to enjoy, Xueyan naturally couldn't resist reaching for a few pieces.

Seeing Xueyan's carefree attitude made Aunt Zhou both angry and anxious. She grabbed Xueyan and clenched her fists, digging them hard into Xueyan's head from side to side.

Xueyan was in pain and spat out all the food she had stuffed into her mouth, just like a hamster's food reserves being squeezed out.

"All you ever do is eat, you useless piece of trash!"

Xueyan's big, watery eyes widened, and she dared not make any more rash moves.

……

"His Majesty……"

Xia Shouzhong wanted to shout "His Majesty has arrived" to clear the area, but Emperor Longyou raised his hand to interrupt him.

Afterwards, Emperor Longyou made a low-key appearance at the Wenhua Hall and sat next to the Empress Dowager.

The palace maids and women from various families in the Wenhua Hall bowed to Emperor Longyou and then rose to wait for the debate.

The Empress Dowager was somewhat listless, perhaps due to her advanced age and declining energy. She had gotten up very early today and, for the first time in a long time, moved from the Cining Palace to the Wenhua Hall in front of the Imperial City. Her forehead was already damp with sweat.

But when he heard the voice of Emperor Longyou's arrival, he slowly came to his senses and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, is the one who gave the lecture earlier Scholar Mei?"

Emperor Longyou neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply said, "That's right."

The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes and said, "Decades have passed since then, and the former top scholar is now quite old. I have some expectations for him to be able to take the stage to debate the classics today."

As they began to chat, the Empress Dowager added a few more words, "His Majesty once said that he would convince me today, but where is the debater? Why did he not appear even though the lectures were being given?"

Emperor Longyou smiled and shook his head.

It was clearly these Confucian scholars who acted recklessly and disregarded the rules, treating themselves as the protagonists of the "Great Debate on the Classics" and arbitrarily manipulating the proceedings.

Although they were confident that they would be the main characters at this literary gathering, their way of doing things still displeased Emperor Longyou.

However, the Empress Dowager tacitly approved of all this, and even said a few good words for Mei Hanlin to win the competition, which made Emperor Longyou even more annoyed.

There was a time when his elder brother frequently made such petty moves, and the Empress Dowager would chime in, constantly talking about brotherly love and respect.

"Your Majesty need not be in a hurry; the time has not yet come. Today, Your Majesty will make a decision in your heart."

Speaking frankly, Emperor Longyou poured himself some tea, but the hand gripping the teacup was tighter than before, revealing prominent veins.

As winter approaches, wearing loose clothing makes it less noticeable to others.

The area outside was quiet, with only occasional questions. After Mei Hanlin gave a brilliant reply, it drew thunderous applause from the audience.

"...Therefore, Zhang Zi said: 'To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations!'"

Just as everyone was about to applaud, one person stood out even more, clapping as he walked up to the stage and stopped behind Mei Hanlin.

"Very good, very good. Mei Hanlin's explanation is indeed profound yet easy to understand. I admire him."

Emperor Longyou raised his head, a sharp glint in his eyes.

Finally, all of this is about to begin!

(End of this chapter)