Training the Heavens

Chapter 244: Zhou Family Incident
"How are Xingjiu's courses going recently?" Shou Jingwu asked when he returned to the study and saw Shou Pengfei still studying by lamplight.

"Rapid progress! If he had been enlightened earlier, he might have passed the imperial examination and become a scholar now!" Shou Pengfei couldn't help laughing. He couldn't take the imperial examination now, so cultivating an outstanding student became his greatest hope. And Zhang Xingjiu happened to be an excellent student.

As soon as he talked about this, Shou Pengfei began to talk non-stop, "Xingjiu has a photographic memory. He never needs to repeat the lessons he has been taught. What's even more rare is that he doesn't lack perseverance like Shou Heng. Not only can he sit still in class, but he also studies on his own at night."

Nowadays, the most outstanding student in Sanwei Bookstore is not A Zhang, but Zhou Shouheng. After reading the same number of times, A Zhang can recite 40 pages, while Zhou Shouheng can recite 80 pages.

Therefore, Shou Jingwu repeatedly praised this man as a rare genius and regarded him as his most proud disciple.

Unfortunately, Zhou Shouheng came from a wealthy family and was easily exposed to many things that disturbed his mind. When he grew up, he became addicted to singing opera and gambling, and ultimately achieved nothing. Later, A Zhang recalled Zhou Shouheng and called him "the playful young master."

"It's really rare. You have to teach him well and not waste this good seedling." Shou Jingwu kept today's conversation in mind.

Every once in a while, he would ask Shou Pengfei and Zhang Xingjiu about their studies, and every answer would surprise Shou Jingwu.

This was also forced by the world. If it were any other time, Zhang Xingjiu would not have to be so anxious. But in the late Qing Dynasty, he came from a poor family and there were only a few ways to change his destiny. How could he dare not study hard?
He listened carefully in class every day, helped Shou Pengfei with work before and after class, and reviewed today's homework and previewed tomorrow's homework. In this way, Zhang Xingjiu didn't spend much time memorizing enlightenment books such as "Three Character Classic", "Thousand Character Classic", "Youxue Qionglin", and "Lishang Duiyun".

Shou Jingwu checked his homework and asked him to leave the small room where Shou Pengfei took classes and officially enter Sanwei Bookstore to start studying the Four Books and Five Classics with him. The method was still the same as before. There was no need to manage what he didn't understand first, but to memorize the articles first.

It took Zhang Xingjiu some time to memorize the Analects. Shou Jingwu did not rush him to memorize other scriptures, but patiently explained to him the meaning of each classic sentence. There were eight students in the class, and he spent more than 30% of his time every day on Zhang Xingjiu.

Fortunately, Zhou Lanxing, Zhou Meiqing, Wu Shushen and others were very playful. When they saw Shou Jingwu staring at Zhang Xingjiu every day, they not only did not feel jealous, but were also glad that they could play secretly.

In addition to normal classes, Shou Jingwu would also tell them stories about Nie Zheng, Jing Ke and others who fought against violence and protected the good, hoping that his students would have some righteousness in their hearts and not oppress the people like those people in the court.

Perhaps it was because of his influence that A Zhang became a writer with a sharp pen in the future. Zhang Xingjiu also noticed that every time Shou Jingwu told these stories, A Zhang was the one who listened most attentively in the entire Sanwei Bookstore.

Time passed unknowingly, and Zhang Fuqing came to the city again to pay the tuition for Qingming Festival and Dragon Boat Festival. Just after paying the tuition for Mid-Autumn Festival, the Zhou family encountered a major change.

A few days after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhang Xingjiu, Ah Zhang and others were reading aloud in Sanwei Book House as usual. Some read "Is benevolence far away? I want benevolence, then benevolence will come", some read "Laughing at people with missing teeth is like a dog's hole wide open", some read "The upper nine is a hidden dragon, do not use it", and some read "The land is down, up, up, and wrong, its tribute is bao, mao, tangerine and pomelo"...

Shou Jingwu himself was also reading. He recited aloud the poem "Li Keyong's Feast at Sanchuigang" by the contemporary poet Liu Han: "The iron ruyi, the command is dashing, everyone is astonished~~; the golden cup, upside down and dripping, a thousand cups are not enough to make me drunk~~..."

He seemed to enjoy these lines very much, smiling as he read them, his head held high, his entire being immersed in the artistic conception described by the poem. Zhang Xingjiu also thought they were good. These lines possessed a rare free and easy style rarely seen in modern poets, without a trace of decadence, which was truly rare.

When the room was bustling with activity, there was suddenly the sound of horse hooves, shouting, and wailing outside. One could vaguely hear the voices of "the arrest of the criminal official Zhou Fuqing."

The study suddenly became chaotic. Wu Shushen stretched his neck, and several Zhou family members looked out the window nervously. Ah Zhang was particularly anxious and wanted to go out to see what was going on.

"Snap!" Shou Jingwu slammed the ruler, "Continue reading your books!"

Seeing Shou Pengfei looking outside the door, he just snorted and Shou Pengfei didn't dare to come in.

He is an upright person. Even when facing a disaster, he still believes in "A gentleman should keep his hat on even when he dies". He should study hard during class and remain calm even if there is thunder in the sky. No matter what happens, he should wait until the get out of class is over.

Ah Zhang was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He ran out as soon as the get out of class was over. Zhang Xingjiu followed him out quickly. They ran across the stone bridge and rushed to Zhou's house. They just saw several yamen runners shouting at the door of Zhou's house.

Zhou Fuqing had learned the news in advance and fled to Shanghai for refuge. Zhou Fengyi had no idea what to do. Fortunately, there were elders in the family who managed to deal with these yamen runners and prevented the Zhou family from losing face completely.

In the next few days, A Zhang stayed in the study and did not go back. He also stayed here at night. Zhang Xingjiu also put down his homework temporarily and talked to A Zhang every night to prevent him from having wild thoughts.

Shou Jingwu did not stop him from doing so, because he felt that Zhang Xingjiu was practicing friendship and was worthy of encouragement. He taught his students not only knowledge, but also hoped that they could become role models of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness.

Zhang Xingjiu learned the reason from Shou Pengfei. It turned out that the Qing court decided to hold a special provincial examination to celebrate Cixi's birthday. It happened that Yin Ruzhang, a classmate of Zhou Fuqing, served as the chief examiner in Zhejiang, so many people came to him for help.

Zhou Fuqing would have turned down most people because Zhou Fengyi was also going to take the exam this year and it was really difficult for him to go and see Yin Ruzhang. But he couldn't resist the large amount of money offered by Yin Ruzhang, so Zhou Fuqing thought that by giving so much money, he might be able to get Zhou Fengyi admitted.

So he wrote a letter, enclosed the banknote, and asked his servant Tao Ashun to go to Suzhou wharf to wait for a visit. However, he did not expect that he had entrusted the wrong person. Tao Ashun sent the letter to the ship for a long time without any reply. He shouted anxiously, "How can you not give me a receipt for such a huge sum of money?"

Little did they know that Yin Ruzhang was chatting with the deputy examiner Zhou Xi'en at the time. Many people heard this, and Zhou Xi'en did not dare to help conceal it. He opened the letter as usual and found the request and banknotes inside.

So the matter was exposed and the Zhou family got into big trouble.

(End of this chapter)