Top Scholar

Chapter 126 A Beautiful Life
The crescent moon hangs like a hook, and frost covers the ground.

The north wind is like a blade, seeping through the window lattice.

The roommates were huddled together in their blankets, their breath steaming in the air as they spoke...

But this did not affect their discussion of sex, Tao Chengdao said:
"It seems that no one in the class was recommended to study the Spring and Autumn Annals. I saw Mr. Niu looking very lonely today."

"The Spring and Autumn Annals is difficult to begin with, and he's unreliable. The academy probably doesn't want to mislead its students," Su Dan said sarcastically.

“Mr. Niu is quite capable, but he’s a follower of the orthodox Hu school of thought,” Su Lu said, trying to save face for Niu Ziru, since the latter had once wanted to marry his daughter to him. “But this year’s examiner happens to be an anti-Hu school. The academy probably considered that anti-Hu might become the mainstream in the future, so they temporarily suspended his study of this classic.”

"Yes, the Spring and Autumn Annals is not only difficult, but the three commentaries each have their own interpretations, and there are countless schools of thought that are fiercely debated. Only a god could truly understand it," the classmates agreed wholeheartedly.

“The I Ching is not suitable either. Who dares to claim to be an authority on the I Ching?” Cheng Wanzhou said, “Brother, let’s study the Book of Poetry instead.”

"Don't give me that, my brother doesn't know how to treat the Book of Poetry!" Su Dan was recommended to treat the Book of Changes, so of course she didn't want to hear him say that.

“I really dare not touch the Book of Changes,” Su Lu said apologetically to Su Dan. “The hexagrams and lines are inherently mysterious. Han scholars emphasized the symbols and numbers, Song scholars focused on the principles and meanings, and Shao Yong and Cheng Yi each had their own interpretations. Even Zhu Xi’s commentary on the Book of Changes had to consider both sides, and there is still no definitive conclusion, let alone an authoritative commentary. I guess no one has the ability to explain the Book of Changes clearly.”

"If even I'm not confident, then I won't study the Book of Changes either." Su Dan was determined to learn whatever Su Lu studied, and he wouldn't care about any teacher's recommendations.

"So let's stick to studying the Book of Poetry, brother," Cheng Wanzhou, Cheng Wanfan, and Li Qiyu said in unison.
"With Zhu Xi's commentary on the Book of Poetry, isn't it a piece of cake for you, brother?"

“The Book of Poetry isn’t really suitable for me either,” Su Lu said, shaking his head.

"Why?" the three asked disappointedly.

“Because the ‘Collected Commentaries on the Book of Poetry’ is indeed authoritative, but it is also quite controversial. Moreover, the ‘Book of Poetry’ clashes with my own philosophy. If I were to seek rational answers from the most emotional poems, wouldn’t I be asking for trouble and courting death?” Su Lu replied.

"Alright..." The three nodded helplessly, but they knew that Su Lu was telling the truth.

He never participated when others were composing poems and lyrics for entertainment. When asked why, he would say that he was "always" overly rational and lacking in emotion. His poems always seemed stiff and lifeless, lacking any spark; anything he forced would only make him a laughingstock…

Therefore, it is entirely understandable that Su Lu did not want to choose the Book of Poetry.

~~
"What about the Book of Documents? At least the Commentary on the Book of Documents has an authoritative commentary, right?" Wang Chong looked at Su Lu expectantly, clearly having been recommended to study the Book of Documents.

"The difficulty of the Book of Documents lies in the text itself," Su Lu said with a wry smile, though he hadn't fully mastered any of the classics in the past five months, he had gained a very clear understanding of all aspects of it.

"The debate between the modern and ancient texts has raged for thousands of years. How much of the ancient text classics presented by Mei Ze is genuine remains unclear. Take, for example, the sixteen-character transmission of the heart in the 'Great Yu's Counsel': 'The human heart is perilous, the Dao heart is subtle.' Some say it is the heart teaching of Confucius, while others say it is a forgery by later generations. Even the commentators have different opinions. Where is the accurate answer?"

"So the only one left is the Book of Rites?" Tao Cheng was overjoyed. This was what you call luck. He wasn't happy about being recommended to choose the Book of Rites, because it was usually the least chosen book, even less so than the Spring and Autumn Annals.

Unexpectedly, Su Lu disliked the other four classics, which clearly meant he had his eye on the Book of Rites.

"Ah Cheng, don't be ridiculous." But everyone was pessimistic: "There must be a reason why the fewest people chose the Book of Rites. Brother, don't miscalculate."

“Yes, putting everything else aside, the Book of Rites has more characters than all the other books combined. Isn’t studying that stuff just asking for trouble?” Li Qiyu said.

“It really is true…” Su Dan originally wanted to argue with him, but after counting, the Book of Rites has 99,000 characters, and the other four classics together have 98,000 characters. Li Qiyu was right after all.

"Moreover, the contents of the Book of Rites are extremely vast and complex, and ordinary people simply do not know where to begin." He also advised, "For example, to sort out the contents of the 'sacrificial rites,' one would need to search back and forth through many chapters such as the 'Sacrificial Laws,' 'Sacrificial Meanings,' and 'Sacrificial System.' It is really too difficult to grasp the essentials."

After saying that, he thought of Su Lu's abilities and said with an embarrassed smile, "But this is not a problem for you, brother."

"Furthermore, those who study the Book of Rites in this dynasty mostly follow the theories of previous generations, with few original insights. There are very few new theories and good guides available for reference, so students are confined to the shackles of old learning, wandering around in stale frameworks, unable to glimpse new ideas, making learning very uninteresting," Cheng Wanzhou also advised.

Little did he know that every word he uttered sounded like celestial music to Su Lu.

Isn't "rarely original" just "fixed content and clear test points"?

Isn't 'too few references' just 'uniform standards, no ambiguity or controversy'?

Isn't the "fence of traditional learning" simply "a mature system with detailed explanations"?

Isn't a 'stale framework' just 'well-structured and with a clear scope of topics'?

This is practically a test-taker's dream come true, isn't it?
“Besides, there are few scholars who study the Book of Rites, so naturally there are few masters and famous teachers. Even the number of people admitted to the provincial and metropolitan examinations is the smallest. There is really no need for you to make trouble for yourself.” At this time, Wang Chong also advised him: “A scholar with your talent should choose the classic that admits the most students.”

These words poured cold water on Su Lu's enthusiasm. The Book of Rites was fine in other aspects, but it had too few "famous teachers"!

The teacher's words still ring in my ears: when choosing a scripture, the first thing to consider is whether there is a renowned teacher; the second is whether you can find a renowned teacher to study under; and only third is to consider which scripture suits your own circumstances. You cannot choose a scripture without a renowned teacher…

Just then, the barking of a large wolfhound rang out from outside the door: "Talking so late? You're asking for it!"

The classmates quickly ended their late-night chat, but Su Lu still hadn't decided which classics to choose.

~~
The following day was another day for the headmaster to give a special lecture.

When Su Lu arrived at the headmaster's study, he saw Zhu Zihe already waiting outside the door.

The young man was wrapped in a pomegranate-colored jacquard cotton robe, the fabric woven with a subtle geometric pattern from combed cotton thread, visible only from certain angles. The collar and cuffs were trimmed with light gray rabbit fur, providing protection from the biting mountain winds without appearing bulky.

He carried a hand warmer in a cotton cloth cover from Songjiang, and with his handsome face, red lips, and white teeth, he looked like a young master who had wandered into the mountains by mistake.

That's why they say the colder it is, the more the gap between the rich and the poor becomes apparent...

Fortunately, Su Lu has upgraded his gear. The padded, moon-white cotton robe he's wearing and the multi-layered cotton shoes he's wearing were new clothes his godmother bought for him after winter started. He looks quite smart and neat in them!

The headmaster has decided to go to the capital to take the imperial examination and will be setting off in a few days. There are many things to be done recently.

The two handsome young men stood side by side under the corridor, waiting for Zhu Liu to finish his business.

Su Lu looked up at the gloomy sky, where leaden clouds hung low and snowflakes began to fall.

December in the mountains of Southwest China is still December...

This is his second winter here. Compared to last winter, when he was eating coarse food, his stomach was growling all day, he studied hard day and night, and he relied on rubbing his hands and stamping his feet to keep warm, his situation this winter has undoubtedly improved a lot.

He successfully entered the academy and has already turned the tables. After topping the list in the mid-year exam, he has never relinquished first place to the young master next to him.

With his studies progressing smoothly, the family's standard of living improved significantly. Their food, clothing, and daily necessities gradually improved, and the old lady finally got to eat refined grains as she had wished, and little Jinbao's face became rosy.

Every time he went home for vacation, his aunt would cook a delicious meal and pack him a bag of cured meat, sausage, or smoked fish before he left, so that he wouldn't go hungry while he was at school.

And he no longer needed to wear his brothers' hand-me-downs; his godmother replaced all the clothes in their wardrobes. However, his aunt didn't throw away a single one of the old clothes; she kept them for working...

He had even saved up a considerable amount of his own money. The bulk of it came from the tuition fees issued by the academy. From the first time he received it in May until now, he had received a total of three taels and two hundred and fifty coins from the academy's supervisor.

For the past six months, his godmother, uncle, and father have given him pocket money from time to time, which adds up to about two taels of silver. However, he is not a greedy person, and he also spends some of it by buying snacks and hair accessories for Xiaotiantian from time to time, as well as food and drinks for the boys in the community school.

Of course, long-term financial hardship always leaves its mark on a person. Apart from buying some snacks for his younger siblings, he basically didn't spend any money.

The books he read were all borrowed from the academy's library. He not only read them himself, but also borrowed them for his elder brother...

Moreover, they not only read but also copied, taking advantage of the academy to the fullest extent within the rules.

Unfortunately, his academic workload was too heavy, leaving him little time to fulfill his older brother's wish. After a year, he only managed to copy three sets of books: *Lüshi Chunqiu*, *Guanzi*, and *Liezi*…

It sounds impressive, but it's actually only 400,000 words.

Su Lu wrote in small regular script, copying two hundred characters per page, binding fifty pages into one volume, with ten thousand characters in each volume.

He copied forty books in a year, which isn't a small number...

Naturally, this resulted in more waste of paper, exceeding the academy's monthly quota. However, for just eight coins, one could buy a ream from the big wolfhound. Not only was it cheaper than the yellow clay paper sold by "Air Force One" at Erlangtan, but it was also whiter and of better quality bamboo paper.

Large wolfhounds are often offered with a buy-one-get-one-free deal, which is a special perk...

The ink was still made from my second brother's stock. He's a very honest man; he made it last winter, and it'll last us for three years.

As for pens, his second brother also prepared quite a few pen tips for him.

The brush tip made by my second brother has an outer layer of "seven wolves and three sheep" that is soft and absorbs ink well. The inner core has "seven wolves and three rabbits" that is highly elastic, gathers ink well, and allows for stable writing with a central stroke. The edges are sharp and distinct at the turns, making it even better than the "Little White Cloud" brushes sold in town.

So Su Lu wasn't unable to afford the pens he bought; rather, his own pens were better, though they were a bit too expensive for his second brother...

P.S. The rest hasn't been checked yet, please wait a moment.

(End of this chapter)