Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 262 Those who wish to rectify their hearts must first make their intentions sincere.
Lu Beigu was unaware of the specific content of the conversation between Wang Anshi and Bao Zheng.

He watched from the other side of the river for a while before leaving, so as not to be late for class at Song Xiang's residence.

At the beginning of the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), Lu Beigu's figure appeared precisely on the corridor outside Song Xiang's study.

He walked steadily, and as soon as he stepped into the pavilion, he felt a wave of heat hit him.

Inside the study, the charcoal brazier was burning brightly, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Song Xiang was already sitting upright behind his desk. His white beard and hair, illuminated by the warm light, made him appear less aloof than usual.

On the desk, besides the newly arrived official gazette, there were several thick volumes of scriptures laid out, with many plain-colored labels tucked between the pages.

"gentlemen."

Lu Beigu bowed deeply, his voice respectful.

Song Xiang nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the man's ears, which were red from the cold. He didn't say anything more, but simply handed him a copy of the official gazette.

"Read it first, then do the questions."

The official gazette contained little useful information; the largest section was dedicated to the follow-up handling of the "Liutahe Case."

"Shi Changyan, Prefect of Chanzhou, Academician of the Privy Council, and Attendant Censor, was demoted to Left Grand Counselor and Prefect of Huazhou; Li Zhang, Acting Military Governor of Tianping Army, was demoted to Military Commissioner of Xingzhou; Yan Du, Assistant Director of the Ministry of Personnel, was demoted to Assistant Director of the Ministry of Personnel; Wang Congshan, Director of the Northern Workshops, Military Commissioner of Guozhou, and Attendant of the Palace, was demoted to Commissioner of Literature; Cai Ting, Assistant Director of the Ministry of Revenue, was dismissed from his post; Zhang Huai'en, Imperial Attendant of the Inner Palace, was exiled to Yaqian, Tanzhou; Li Zhongchang, Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was exiled to Yaqian, Yingzhou."

Among those involved in the "Liutahe Case," the only one who was exempted from responsibility was Zhou Hang, the former transport commissioner of Hebei Road. He was able to escape punishment because he had submitted several memorials clearly opposing the Liutahe Plan and explaining the advantages and disadvantages. He was then transferred to Hedong Road as the transport commissioner.

The newly appointed Transport Commissioner of Hebei Circuit was Li Can, the Deputy Commissioner of Salt and Iron.

As for the position of Salt and Iron Deputy Commissioner vacated by Li Can, a new appointment was made, and Lu Beigu was very familiar with the name—Fan Xiang.

"finish watching?"

Seeing Lu Beigu nod, Song Xiang asked, "What are your thoughts?"

"The reasons behind this have been explained to me by you before. Now that the 'Six Towers River Case' has been settled, Jia Changchao has been promoted to Privy Councilor, which is a slight setback for Ministers Wen and Fu."

“Hmm,” Song Xiang said. “I heard that the newly appointed Commissioner of the Three Departments, Zhang Fangping, and the Deputy Commissioner of Salt and Iron, Fan Xiang, will arrive in Kaifeng today. You are from Sichuan and have a past relationship with Zhang Fangping. You should pay him a visit after class. His residence in the capital is very close to here.”

Lu Beigu was slightly taken aback. Zhang Fangping and Song Qi handed over their work, and Fan Xiang reorganized the salt administration in southern Sichuan, both of them were quite fast.

He had thought it would take Zhang Fangping and Fan Xiang another month or so to arrive in Beijing from Sichuan.

Since Song Xiang had said so, Lu Beigu didn't hesitate and readily agreed, "Master Zhang and Master Fan appreciate my talents, and I will definitely go to pay them a visit soon."

Song Xiang nodded slightly and said, "Let's do the problems."

Now, with only forty days left until the Ministry of Rites' provincial examination in the first month of the second year of Jiayou, Song Xiang had already shifted his teaching focus to "classical treatises," which emphasized the exposition of principles, the citation of classics, and the refinement of literary style, after completing the teaching of current affairs and historical essays, as planned.

"Today's assignment is to write a commentary on the classic text, with the topic 'Those who wish to rectify their hearts must first make their intentions sincere,' within one hour."

This question comes from a classic quote in the Book of Rites: "Those who in ancient times wished to manifest their bright virtue to the world first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their personal lives. Wishing to cultivate their personal lives, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first made their intentions sincere."

Lu Beigu sat down opposite the desk, where a stack of Chengxintang paper, fine pine soot ink sticks, and several wolf-hair brushes were already meticulously arranged.

Lu Beigu did not rush to write. Instead, he calmed his mind and thought about the relevant content on "sincerity" and "rectification of mind", as well as the annotations such as "the so-called sincerity of mind is not to deceive oneself" and "when the mind is not present, one sees but does not see, hears but does not hear, and eats but does not taste".

The study was eerily quiet, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.

After considering how to approach the topic and establish the theme, how to clarify that "sincerity" is the foundation of "rectifying the mind," and how to deduce the fundamental role of the distinction between "mind" and "intention" in self-cultivation, family management, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world, Lu Beigu began to write.

He selected a medium-sized wolf-hair brush, gently wiped away the excess ink from the edge of the inkstone, then took a sheet of Chengxintang paper, spread it out, and placed a paperweight on top.

He closed his eyes for a moment, as if giving his draft a final review.

When Lu Beigu opened his eyes again, there was no longer any hesitation in them, only certainty. Looking at Lu Beigu writing, Song Xiang couldn't help but sigh slightly.

This young man has only been in our household for a few months, but the initial impetuousness, though sharp, had already quietly settled down, replaced by composure and focus.

With this mindset, Song Xiang believed that Lu Beigu would be able to consistently demonstrate his full strength in the upcoming provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites, and would not lose points he should have lost due to panic during the exam.

"The Great Learning states that in the order of self-cultivation, sincerity of intention precedes rectification of the mind. Why is this? Because intention is the movement of the mind before it takes form; the mind is the master of the body. If intention is not sincere, then delusional thoughts will abound, like floating clouds obscuring the sun; how can the mind be rectified?"

After the opening paragraph points out that "intention" precedes "heart," Lu Beigu's writing style is like finding a pearl in a deep well, providing an in-depth explanation.

"The so-called sincerity of intention means not deceiving oneself." These three words, "not deceiving oneself," are the key to self-cultivation throughout the ages. In the slightest thought, in the place of one's own knowledge, one can distinguish between good and evil. If one can be careful in the dark and hidden places, as if seeing with ten eyes and pointing with ten hands, so that one's intention to like good and hate evil is purely in accordance with heavenly principles and without the slightest impurity of human desire, this is called "sincerity."

He cited the Doctrine of the Mean, "Nothing is more visible than what is hidden, nothing is more manifest than what is minute; therefore the superior man is watchful over himself when he is alone," to prove that "being watchful over oneself when alone" is the work of sincerity. He also combined this with Mencius's "He who exhausts his mind knows his nature," to clarify that only sincerity can "exhaust his mind" and restore his original correctness.

The writing is logically rigorous and profound, with apt and natural references to classical texts. It elucidates the profound and subtle principles of self-cultivation from seemingly simple sentences in the Book of Rites, and exudes a sense of moderation, peace, and erudition between the lines.

Time passes silently.

Lu Beigu was completely focused, his pen moving swiftly and gracefully. Occasionally he would pause, ponder for a moment, and then continue writing rapidly.

On the pristine white paper, the ink gradually spread, the handwriting neat and powerful. When he finally finished the last stroke and let out a long breath, fine beads of sweat had already appeared on his forehead because it was a bit hot in the room.

Then, Lu Beigu respectfully presented the paper covered in ink with both hands.

The pavilion was completely silent.

Song Xiang took the manuscript and reviewed it word by word.

After a long while, Song Xiang finally put down his manuscript and looked up at Lu Beigu.

"This treatise deeply understands the essence of the Book of Rites and offers a glimpse into the mind and nature of sages."

"What is even more remarkable is that you attribute the effort of 'sincerity' to 'self-discipline' and 'not deceiving yourself,' drawing on the Doctrine of the Mean and Mencius to mutually illuminate each other, peeling back layers to reveal the unimpeded flow of meaning, and your writing is mellow and elegant, with a profound and majestic style, deeply imbued with the legacy of Han and Tang dynasty Confucian masters!"

Song Xiang stood up and paced around the room, clearly still wanting more: "Especially this argument of 'a single thought, a place of unique knowledge, where the difference between good and evil is determined' has elucidated the meaning of 'sincerity' in the Book of Rites to a very refined and thorough level! Judging from this text alone, its purity of meaning, elegance of language, and dignified style are enough to place it among the best."

Lu Beigu felt a warm glow in his heart.

Who was Song Xiang? He was a triple champion in the imperial examinations, served as prime minister twice, and was a literary master. Lu Beigu had long been familiar with his discerning eye and cautious evaluation.

To receive such unreserved praise from him is an affirmation heavier than Mount Tai!
Lu Beigu also stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "This student is dull-witted, and it is entirely thanks to your careful teaching that I have made progress today! I will never forget your kindness in recognizing and guiding me!"

"Get up." Song Xiang helped him up personally. "The Book of Rites is the foundation of rites and music, and the source of classical meaning. You have been able to hone the meaning and writing of this classic to such a high level in such a short time. This is truly due to your innate talent and your tireless diligence. I have seen many candidates over the years, but those who have made such rapid progress before the provincial examination are very few and far between."

Song Xiang sat back down at his desk and said, "Although the classics are the key to the provincial examination and should not be neglected, you should not completely abandon historical essays and current affairs essays either, lest you become rusty when the time comes and you need to review them from time to time."

"Yes, student will certainly work diligently day and night to live up to your high expectations!"

Lu Beigu's voice was powerful and full of unprecedented confidence.

Song Xiang looked at Lu Beigu, his expectations deepening.

It's like watching a piece of beautiful jade being carefully carved and gradually radiating its brilliance.

The sky outside the window darkened early, the cold wind grew stronger, and a light snow silently covered the courtyard.

—The first snow of the season has arrived in Tokyo.

Inside the study, the lights were on, and the charcoal fire glowed red.

(End of this chapter)