Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 138 Focus on Training
"gentlemen."

Today marks ten days since the results of the dormitory assignment exam were announced.

Lu Beigu brought the manuscript to Mr. Baisha Li Tian's courtyard once again.

"The soaring grain prices in the city have suddenly dropped these past few days, and the folk rhymes and myths about Nezha subduing the dragon are circulating among the people. Are these your doing?"

Lu Beigu felt a slight chill.

Although Mr. Baisha lived deep within the state academy, the slightest movement in Luchuan City could not escape his eyes, which had been navigating the ups and downs of officialdom for decades.

Moreover, Lu Beigu had indeed come to ask him what to do. The connection between the cause and effect was too obvious, so Lu Beigu was not surprised to be seen through. After concealing the matter of the salt law, he frankly admitted it.

“Sir, I dare not take credit. The sudden drop in grain prices was due to the intervention of the Han family of Luchuan. As for the nursery rhyme and myth, I did use myth to illustrate reality, just to appease the people and assist in this righteous cause.”

A hint of approval flashed in Li Tian's dazed eyes, before returning to calm.

"This story is cleverly written and hits the nail on the head. Even I never expected it to become the fulcrum for changing the situation. I have met Han Ziyu, the youngest member of the Han family. He is clever but lacks insight. If he hadn't been enlightened by an external force, he might not have been willing to make such a wasteful move. Your move of saving the world with your writing is quite in line with the spirit of a gentleman who does not use his talents for anything else."

In truth, after this incident, Li Tian had come to highly regard Lu Beigu.

After all, when Li Tian accepted disciples, he considered both their abilities and their character. Only when both of these qualities met his standards would he focus on cultivating them to help them pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom. If they were to leave their mark on history, he, their teacher, would naturally also be mentioned in their honor, and that would satisfy him.

Conversely, what benefit would it bring to Li Tian if he cultivated people who were incompetent or who harmed the people?
Of course, these were Li Tian's true thoughts, and he would not reveal them to Lu Beigu.

Li Tian paused, his gaze sweeping over the manuscript in Lu Beigu's arms, which was clearly worn and slightly curled at the edges. He then abruptly changed the subject: "However, Lu Beigu, I don't take you as my disciple because of your ability to stir up trouble."

"What I want are disciples who can settle down and focus on their studies, and who can truly bring me honor in the imperial examinations! The ten-day deadline has arrived. Have you completed your three rounds of careful reading? Have you clarified the doubts in the manuscript? If you are just busy being Nezha the Dragon Subduer and neglecting your studies, then this apprenticeship ceremony today is unnecessary!"

An invisible pressure instantly spread, even more intense than before.

Lu Beigu could clearly feel the admonition in Mr. Baisha's words: No matter how much you do outside, in my eyes, knowledge is the foundation!

He carefully took out the thick manuscript from his arms and placed it on the desk in front of Li Tian.

"I dare not slack off." Lu Beigu's voice was calm. "Your manuscript is full of gems. I have studied it more than three times. I have copied down the essential points in small regular script and added my questions afterward. I have a total of thirty-seven questions, all of which are in these notes. I humbly request your corrections."

As he spoke, he took out another booklet from his pocket, much thinner but with densely packed and extremely neat handwriting, and respectfully placed it next to the manuscript.

Li Tian raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

He picked up the notebook, but didn't open it immediately. He simply weighed it in his hand, feeling the effort he had put into it.

He looked up at Lu Beigu and saw that although the young man's eyes were dark from staying up all night, his eyes were clear and bright, without the slightest evasion. This composure was far superior to the anxiety he had shown ten days ago.

"Thirty-seven articles."

Li Tian opened the notebook and glanced at the neat handwriting.

He didn't read quickly, lingering on each page for a long time.

The room fell silent, with only the sound of pages turning and the patter of rain outside the window.

Lu Beigu's notes are well-organized, and his questions all hit the key points of Qin and Han history and Mozi's commentaries. Only a deep and skilled reader could raise such questions. What is even more remarkable is that many of his questions are accompanied by his own insights, which, although immature, already show signs of independent thinking and are no longer just a rote recitation of the book's viewpoints.

After a long pause, Li Tian closed the notebook and gently placed it back on the table. His face remained expressionless, but the tense atmosphere suddenly relaxed. "Although some of your insights are still somewhat superficial, and some of your questions seem to be getting stuck on trivial details, the fact that you were able to raise these points shows that you have indeed put in a lot of effort and have thoroughly understood seven or eight parts of my manuscript."

He picked up the thick manuscript, casually flipped to a page, pointed to a passage, and asked, “In this passage, I say, ‘The Spring and Autumn Annals hold the leader accountable, and the key lies in weighing the pros and cons.’ If we apply this logic, looking at the current famine in Luzhou, the dereliction of duty by the prefectural government, the hoarding by wealthy households, and even powerful figures like the Han family who, despite performing righteous deeds, still harbor private interests, where should the ‘leader’ in this ‘accountability’ lie? And how should the degree of ‘weighing the pros and cons’ be grasped?”

This is an extremely tricky question!

It has completely transcended the content of the manuscript itself, closely linking the great principles of Confucianism with the current situation and the events that Lu Beigu had just been involved in. It can be considered a simulation question with a real-world case that Li Tian had temporarily set out.

Of course, Li Tian's purpose was to train Lu Beigu for the imperial examination, so this question did not test how to deal with the situation in reality, but rather how to answer the question from the perspective of the Spring and Autumn Annals. It tested Lu Beigu's ability to adapt to the situation during the examination.

Lu Beigu composed himself, paused for a moment to organize his thoughts, and then looked up and stared directly at Li Tian.

"Master Hui, I believe that the 'commander' in the Spring and Autumn Annals does not only refer to those in high positions of power, but also to those who can dominate the situation in a region and control resources and authority. In Luzhou, the 'commander' is primarily responsible for failing to manage and pacify the people; the grain merchants who hoard and speculate are rich but heartless, which is a secondary fault; and even though the Han family performed a righteous act, their motives were also mixed with the 'weighing' of family reputation and future interests, which is also a facet of the 'commander.' When the Master wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals, rebellious ministers and traitors were afraid. What they were afraid of was not the punishment, but the fact that the historian's pen was like a knife, revealing their hearts!"

He paused, his tone becoming even more resolute: "As for the measure of 'weighing,' I humbly believe it should be based on 'benevolence' and measured by 'righteousness.' The weighing of the prefectural government deviated from 'benevolence'; the weighing of the grain merchants went against 'righteousness'; the weighing of the Han family, though driven by self-interest, ultimately aligned with 'benevolence' and approached 'righteousness,' relieving the people from dire straits. This is the measure of their 'weighing.' Therefore, the Spring and Autumn Annals criticizes the commander not for the weighing itself, but for whether the weighing deviated from the fundamental principles of benevolence and righteousness!"

Lu Beigu's answer did not rely on quotations or elaborate language, but rather he incisively analyzed the core spirit of the Spring and Autumn Annals's "profound meaning in subtle words" and his personal experience of the predicament in Luchuan and the choices made by various people.

His definition of "handsome" and his assertion that "benevolence and righteousness" must be the fundamental standard for "balancing" reveal a profound insight beyond his years.

Li Tian listened quietly, then suddenly let out a short, soft laugh.

The wrinkles on his face smoothed out, revealing a genuine, heartfelt satisfaction: "Excellent! Excellent is 'taking benevolence as the foundation and righteousness as the standard'! Excellent is 'fearing the pen of history as a knife, revealing one's true heart'!"

He leaned on his gnarled cane and slowly stood up.

This time, Li Tian's gaze was no longer scrutinizing, but rather filled with an almost gratified expectation.

“Lu Beigu,” Li Tian’s voice was steady and powerful, “You’ve passed.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Beigu finally relaxed completely, the tension that had been building up in his heart for ten days or even longer.

Previously, it was only a verbal apprenticeship, and no formal apprenticeship ceremony was performed, so it does not count as a formal apprenticeship.

He bowed deeply and said, "I, Lu Beigu, am willing to perform the proper etiquette of a disciple, strictly follow the teacher's instructions, study diligently without ceasing, and cultivate myself and clarify my aspirations!"

His voice was clear and resonant, each word ringing out powerfully.

Li Tian looked at the young man before him, his cloudy eyes gleaming with a sharp light, and said in a deep voice, "Get up."

Lu Beigu stood up as instructed, his hands clasped at his sides.

"Now that you've entered my school, you should know my rules." Li Tian's voice returned to its usual calm. "The prefectural examination is imminent, and time is of the essence. I dislike empty talk and abhor laziness."

"These are just tests."

He pointed to the annotated manuscript and Lu Beigu's notes of questions on the desk and said.

"In the days to come, in addition to the basic courses in the middle dormitory, you will also need to complete the extra assignments I have given you. Only in this way can you possibly catch up with the top students in the upper dormitory within just two months and then pass the state exam."

(End of this chapter)