Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 288 The Butterfly Effect of the Transmigrator
Next came several questions on the Spring and Autumn Annals, each one very difficult, so much so that Lu Beigu remained completely focused throughout.

About half an hour later, he had only answered five questions.

Starting from the sixth question, the content begins with the Book of Rites.

The *Book of Rites* (Liji), in its chapter "Yuzao," states: "A gentleman never removes jade from his person without good reason. A gentleman compares his virtue to jade. In ancient times, gentlemen always wore jade, with the right side adorned with the 'Zhi' and the left with the 'Gong' and 'Yu' respectively. They would walk with the *Caiqi* melody and the *Sixia* melody, their movements perfectly aligned with the compass and square. When advancing, they would bow; when retreating, they would raise their hands, and then the jade would ring out. Therefore, when a gentleman is in his carriage, one hears the sound of bells and chimes; when he walks, his jade pendants jingle. Thus, no evil thoughts can enter his heart."

Zheng Xuan's commentary: '“Cai Qi” and “Si Xia” are both musical chapter names. “Circling and turning” refers to the method of walking. “Bowing” means slightly bowing forward. “Raising” means slightly raising backward. “Clanging” refers to the harmonious sound of jade.'

The *Book of Rites* details the rituals for gentlemen wearing jade. These elaborate rules, however, are not merely intended for the rhythm of gait or the harmony of the jade's sound. The saying, "No evil thought can enter," reveals the function of wearing jade. How can such external rituals achieve the purpose of preventing evil thoughts? What does the ancient rites mean by "using objects to convey the Way" and "using culture to cultivate character"?

This question is extremely obscure, involving the connection between specific rituals and abstract virtues, and its implications are very profound.

Everyone was making roughly the same progress. When they got to this point, the people in the pavilion, including Zhang Heng and Su Shi, frowned slightly, clearly finding it a bit tricky.

Lu Beigu also put down his pen and pondered for a long time.

He then wrote: "The elaborate rules of wearing jade, walking, and the sound of jade are not mere decorations, but rather a wonderful method of cultivating inner and outer virtues through objects, actions, and sounds. 'Walking with the music of Caiqi and walking with the music of Sixia' is not merely about conforming to musical rhythms, but about ensuring that a gentleman's gait conforms to the standards of elegant music, subtly cultivating his dignified and upright demeanor. 'Returning to the rules and bending within the square' is not merely about walking, but about ensuring that one's movements and postures conform to the order of heaven and earth, and that one's actions and stillness adhere to the principles of propriety. 'Bowing forward' and 'raising one's head' are not merely about formalities, but about ensuring that one's heart is filled with humility and self-reflection when bowing or raising one's head. All of these, through the movement of the body, regulate the stillness of the mind, so that dignity naturally flows outward."

The jade pendant rings out clearly and melodiously, its sound not merely pleasing to the ear, but also serving as a warning to the mind. When one's steps are measured, the jade pendant rings in rhythm, its clear sound pleasing to the ear—an outward sign of a righteous heart. When one's steps are out of measure, the jade pendant rings out chaotically, its sound piercing the ear—a harbinger of evil thoughts. When a virtuous person hears the jade pendant ringing out of order, they should immediately reflect upon themselves, restrain their body and mind, and return to righteousness. Hence it is said, "No evil thought can enter." The jade pendant rings out like a constant "pure discourse," monitoring one's conduct, awakening one's conscience, so that any evil thoughts are immediately noticed and dispelled, leaving no room for them to take hold.

This embodies the ancient principle of "using objects to convey the Way" and "cultivating character through culture." It means using jade ornaments to establish rules for sight and hearing; using the patterns of footsteps to perform educational functions; and using the sound of jade to aid in self-reflection. From the outside in, through accumulated habits, external rituals become internalized as safeguards of the mind, ultimately leading to the state of "doing as one pleases without transgressing the rules."

Lu Beigu felt that his answer was somewhat verbose and not concise enough in an attempt to be comprehensive.

However, time was of the essence, and Lu Beigu did not want to delay any longer and miss the rest of the questions. So after finishing the first question, he looked it over and continued answering.

To be honest, these questions on the meaning of words were increasingly difficult, involving the subtleties of the Book of Rites and the praise and criticism of the Spring and Autumn Annals, which were a great test of the candidates' learning, critical thinking and expression abilities.

Time passed slowly, and it wasn't until the very last moment that all six of them managed to finish writing.

This time, Han Jiang spent significantly more time grading the papers, indicating that the questions were extremely difficult and the evaluation required extra caution.

"The second round of the Ink War."

"In Shu, Lu Beigu answered nine questions, Su Shi answered nine questions, and Su Zhe answered eight questions."

“In Fujian, Lin Xi faced nine questions, Zhang Heng faced ten questions, and Zhang Dun faced eight questions.”

"Fujian wins this match."

As soon as the results were announced, the Fujian scholars outside the pavilion burst into cheers.

Lin Xi's lips curled into a confident smile again, carrying a clear sense of challenge.

The candidates from Sichuan felt a pang of anxiety; their newly ignited hopes were now overshadowed.

Su Zhe sighed softly, while Su Shi clutched his stomach, his eyes filled with resentment, but even more so with a surge of intense fighting spirit.

Lu Beigu remained calm. There were still two matches to go, and it was still uncertain who would emerge victorious.

"The third event is poetry and prose."

Lu Beigu looked at the exam paper. So far, everything seemed to be normal. "The poem topic is 'Ode to a Lonely Peak Reflected in a Cold River,' a five-character poem with six rhymes, using the first rhyme of the first tone of the first rhyme group."

Su Shi's eyes shone with confidence, and he seemed to temporarily forget the dull pain in his abdomen. He almost snatched the paper, glanced at the questions, and then fell into deep thought. His fingers unconsciously tapped a rhythm on the table, and he seemed to murmur to himself.

Su Zhe quickly spread out a draft paper, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and frowned, clearly conceiving the theme and structure.

Lu Beigu, almost instantly, thought of the strange and beautiful solitary peaks he had seen along the way down the Yangtze River from Sichuan.

After a moment of contemplation, he picked up his pen and wrote.

"The cold winds along the riverbanks have just subsided, and the solitary peaks stand tall and majestic."

The sky hangs over a thousand peaks, and the gorge confines ten thousand waves into the void.

The shadows fall on the still fish and dragons, the light shimmers and the stars shine.

Its roots are thick with vital energy, and its summit stands tall in the vast emptiness.

Fear not the raging storms, for the face of ice and snow remains forever.

Standing by the stream, I think of the pillar that stands firm, towering majestically through the ages.

The poem's opening couplet, "The river's cold waters begin to recede, the solitary peak stands majestically," sets the tone and introduces the rhyme scheme. The second couplet, "Beyond a thousand peaks the sky, ten thousand waves are contained within the gorge," uses the vastness and height of "sky hanging down" and the perilous confinement of "gorge" to create a grand backdrop. The phrase "ten thousand waves are contained within" further emphasizes the depth and breadth of the river gorge and the perilous situation faced by the solitary peak. The poem's majestic and desolate atmosphere places the solitary peak within the grand panorama of the perilous landscape, making its independent and imposing posture all the more striking.

Starting with the couplet "The shadows fall on the still fish and dragons, the light sways and the stars shine," the poem transitions into a realm of illusion, and finally elevates the mood with "How can we fear the fierce winds and waves, for we will forever retain our icy and snowy countenance," and sublimates the entire poem with "Standing by the flowing stream, I think of the pillar that stands tall and majestic for eternity."

Overall, in the context of the imperial examination poems, it was already a remarkable achievement to dance a beautiful dance while wearing shackles.

After finishing the poem, Lu Beigu did not stop and immediately turned to the more important regulated fu.

After the six students handed in their papers, Han Jiang quickly announced the results.

"The third poetry recitation session."

"Shu Fang, Lu Beigu Yi Shang, Su Shi Jia Zhong, Su Zhe Yi Shang."

"In Fujian, Lin Xiyi is in the lead, Zhang Hengjia is in the second position, and Zhang Dunyi is in the third position."

"In this match, Shu wins."

Although the specific content is unknown, Su Shi clearly had a stroke of genius, Lu Beigu also performed to the limit, and Su Zhe did not hold them back. Relying on their superior strength, they overwhelmed the three from Shu, whose poetry was even better, and won back a round in the third competition.

The two sides from Sichuan and Fujian were tied, and the competition moved to the fourth and final round: strategy discussion.

Soon, the essay papers were handed out.

When Lu Beigu saw the question, his mind suddenly went blank, as if something had exploded. His heart skipped a beat, and his fingers felt numb as if they were being electrocuted.

The exam paper prominently displayed the seven characters: "On the Utmost Importance of Kindness in Punishment and Reward!"
The butterfly effect of the time traveler has finally materialized.

(End of this chapter)