Top Scholar

Chapter 128 The Succubus of the Ming Dynasty
"Although the results of the imperial examination were released as usual, the examiners dared not take any more risks. My brother Wang was so famous that the examiners were unwilling to select him as one of the top three scholars to avoid suspicion. We, his friends, felt very sorry for him, but he didn't care at all, believing that it would be a real disgrace to care about the ranking."

After saying this, he admonished Su and Lu, saying, "You must remember that trouble comes from the mouth. No matter how successful you are in the future, you must be careful with your words."

"Yes, disciple will remember your teachings." Su Lu hurriedly replied respectfully.

"What does this have to do with me?" Zhu Zihe muttered under his breath.

"Your mouth is the most worrying thing!" Zhu Liu glared at him.

“Nephew, I didn’t mean to say that trouble comes from the mouth. I meant that with prodigies like Yang and Su around, how can we ordinary mortals be so proud?” Zhu Zihe said emphatically.

"..." Zhu Liu suddenly realized that this kid was about to go from one extreme to another.

Alas, the mind of a young person is truly difficult to control.

"What is the name of this young master Wang that the headmaster mentioned?" Su Lu couldn't help but ask softly.

“Wang Shouren, also known as Yangming,” Zhu Liu replied.

"Did Master Yangming also study the Book of Rites?" Su Lu's heart pounded. This was truly a coincidence. It seemed that God had destined him to take this path.

"That's for sure. No matter how unconventional he is, he wouldn't abandon the family tradition of top scholars to pursue other subjects far and wide." Zhu Liu said with considerable relief:
"It was precisely because there were so few scholars who studied the Book of Rites that we were able to meet. However, his mind was focused on metaphysics and he paid too little attention to the practical aspects. When we met again three years later, he didn't remember who I was, so I had to reintroduce myself. But that's how we became friends."

The Book of Changes says: "That which is above form is called the Way; that which is below form is called the instrument."

"In the twelfth year of the Hongzhi reign, I went to the capital for the imperial examination for the third time. When I was registering at the Ministry of Rites, I ran into him again. I thought he had forgotten me again, but he called out my name right away." As he said this, Zhu Liu actually showed a happy smile.

"Although he called me Zhu Niu, it shows that he really remembered me."

"..." Su Lu never expected that Zhu Shanzhang, whom everyone admired, would have such a 'humble' side.

Could it be that Wang Yangming was a succubus of the Ming Dynasty?
Zhu Zihe had never heard this story before, and upon hearing it, he found it hard to accept, saying, "Uncle, he forgot your name the first time, and only remembered your surname the second time. What's there to be proud of?"

"Shut up, what do you know? Brother Yangming was just that kind of person!" Zhu Liu scolded Zhu Zihe, quickly explaining for Wang Shouren:

"At the age of fifteen, he wrote to the emperor, requesting tens of thousands of elite troops to quell the Tatars."

"Huh? What did the Emperor say?" Su Lu and Zhu Zihe asked in unison. They were both fifteen years old now, look at how young other people are at fifteen!
"The Emperor didn't see it. The memorial was intercepted by Scholar Wang, who also beat him with a stick and confined him to his quarters to reflect on his actions," Zhu Liu said.

"Did he reflect on his actions?" Zhu Zihe felt that his idol was about to change from Yang the Prodigy to Wang the Prodigy.

“He reflected on his actions.” Zhu Liu nodded and said, “After a while, he told Scholar Wang that he no longer wanted to be a general.”

“That’s right,” Zhu Zihe said with a smile. “Taking the imperial examination and pursuing scholarship is the ambition that we should have.”

“No, his ambitions were a little higher than passing the imperial examination. He told the top scholar Wang that he wanted to become a sage,” Zhu Liu said with a wry smile.

Zhu Zihe was speechless.

"He was beaten up by Wang Zhuangyuan again, but it was no use. He remained steadfast in his devotion and embarked on the path to becoming a sage." Zhu Liu sighed and said, "After that, he was seen as somewhat abnormal by outsiders. For example, when he was seventeen, he went to his father-in-law's house to get married, but he disappeared on the day of his wedding."

"His father-in-law's family was frantic, searching the whole world for the groom. They finally found him at a nearby temple early the next morning. He had actually spent the whole night talking about Zen with an old monk. When he saw someone coming to find him, he asked in surprise, 'What do you want with me?'" Zhu Liu said with a wry smile.

"Is he unhappy with this marriage?" Zhu Zihe asked.

“No, he’s just too focused on the metaphysical world.” Zhu Liu said, glancing at his nephew. “Now you know how amazing it is that he remembers half of my name, right?”

“Indeed, that’s very kind.” Zhu Zihe wholeheartedly agreed. If someone can even forget their own wedding night, you shouldn’t have any expectations of their memory.

"Stop interrupting..." Zhu Liu glared at Zhu Zihe and continued, "Three years later, I failed the exam for the fourth time. At that moment, I was truly devastated. Our Sichuan Guild Hall has Houhai Lake right outside the window. I really wanted to push open the window and jump out to end it all."

"I never expected that Brother Yangming would arrive at this time. He came in carrying a jar of wine and said, 'I think you need this right now.'" Zhu Liu said with a happy expression.

"That night he got me completely drunk. I don't remember what we said or did. But I will never forget the moment he walked in. He really treated me like a friend."

This time, Zhu Zihe didn't make a sarcastic remark. He simply sighed and said, "I really want to meet Mr. Yangming."

Su Lu thought to himself, "Well, I've been captivated without even meeting him. He's definitely a succubus." "A few days later, he introduced me to Scholar Wang. At that time, Scholar Wang was an imperial tutor and a Hanlin scholar. It was entirely thanks to Brother Yangming's help that I received his guidance for over a month, and my understanding of the classics has greatly improved. However, it was truly inappropriate to trouble him any further, so I took my leave and returned home..." Zhu Liu said with considerable regret.

"I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to hear his teachings again."

After saying that, he seemed a little confused and asked, "How did we get to this point?"

"This disciple asks the headmaster, did Yangming also study the Book of Rites?" Su Lu replied softly, "The headmaster then recalled your interactions."

"Oh, it's probably because I'm about to see him again, which inevitably brings back memories." Zhu Liu coughed awkwardly and said, "You've asked so many questions, do you also want to study the Book of Rites?"

"Yes." Su Lu thought to himself, it seems there is a will in the universe. He nodded emphatically and said, "Please allow me, Headmaster, to study the Book of Rites with you!"

"Have you thought this through?" Zhu Zihe hurriedly reminded him, "The Book of Rites is a unique classic, and very few people are admitted to it. I had no choice. You have plenty of options, why make things difficult for yourself?"

“Zihe is right this time.” Zhu Liu nodded and said to Su Lu seriously, “You want to study the Book of Rites, no problem, but I have to make it clear to you—every year, whether it is the examination for the title of Xiucai or the provincial and metropolitan examinations, the number of candidates who choose the Book of Rites is always the fewest, which is why it is called the ‘isolated classic’.”

After a pause, the headmaster explained, "Because the content of the Book of Rites is too much and too complicated, almost the same as the other four classics combined, it takes many times more effort, and it is difficult to learn and master. Even the top scholar, Wang, after passing the county-level examination at the age of seventeen, spent eighteen years honing his skills before he achieved great success and passed the imperial examination."

“And then there’s Brother Yangming, a genius of unparalleled talent, the one the Grand Secretaries recognized as the top scholar, and with the guidance of the top scholar Wang, he still took nine years and took the exam three times before finally passing. Not to mention me…” As he spoke, he looked at Su Lu and said, “So you still want to choose the Book of Rites?”

"Let's choose another one," Zhu Zihe advised.

Su Lu asked, "Since it's so difficult, why did the headmaster's family choose the Book of Rites as their family classic?"

"Of course, it's because the *Book of Rites* is so powerful!" Zhu Liu raised his eyebrows and said proudly.
Zhu Xi said that those who study the Book of Rites, though few in number, are proficient in its principles. If they can understand its meaning, "when discussing the rites and teachings in policy debates, they will surely have exceptional abilities." Therefore, those scholars who can thoroughly understand the Book of Rites are truly accomplished!

"Moreover, unlike the other four classics, the Book of Rites is not detailed in its commentaries and complete in its arguments. Every ritual and every meaning has a clear basis. As long as you immerse yourself in studying the commentaries, you can find the exact meaning. There are not so many different schools of thought that you can guess. So, if you know the Book of Rites, you know it; if you don't, you don't. You can't pretend to know it, and you can't rely on guessing to get lucky."

"Therefore, those who study the Book of Rites, as long as they have mastered the meaning of the classics, will definitely pass the provincial examination! If they have mastered the meaning of the classics thoroughly, they will definitely pass the imperial examination! This is something that other schools of thought cannot match!"

Zhu Liu sighed again and said, "But people are always eager for quick success and instant benefits. They think this road is too long, so they only want to take shortcuts. But our Zhu family only wants to take the definite road. Even if we reach the destination later, it is better than getting lost."

He smiled and lowered his voice, saying, "Moreover, once you pass the imperial examination, those who study the Book of Rites will be highly regarded. Not only are the most likely to be selected as probationary officials and enter the Hanlin Academy, but their future official positions will almost always be either historians or officials in charge of rites, all of whom are top-notch candidates. In the future, if you become the Grand Minister of Rites, your chances of entering the cabinet and becoming prime minister will be greater than others."

As he spoke, he chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Of course, you have to achieve great success first. By then, others would have passed the imperial examinations several times over."

"I am not afraid of being slow, I am only afraid of being mysterious." Su Lu made up his mind and said, "I think the most suitable book for me is the Book of Rites!"

Having said that, he bowed deeply and said, "I humbly request the headmaster to accept me as a disciple!"

“Impossible,” Zhu Liu said decisively.

"Why?" Su Lu was taken aback, and even Zhu Zihe frowned and asked, "What's wrong, Uncle?"

"Hahaha!" Zhu Liu laughed loudly, "Since you were already my disciple, why would I accept you a second time?"

"..." Su Lu was both amused and exasperated. Was the headmaster really that happy with this prank?
“I’m certainly happy that you’re willing to study the *Book of Rites* with me. But as you know, I’m about to go to the capital for the imperial examinations. If I fail, that’s one thing. But if I happen to pass, I’ll be at a loss for my own destiny.” After laughing, Zhu Liu continued:
"So whether I can personally teach you in the future is still uncertain."

“This disciple can first learn from Mr. Zheng…” Su Lu said softly.

“Mr. Zheng is no good.” Zhu Liu shook his head and said, “His level is even worse than Mr. Niu’s. In the academy, only the teachers of the Book of Poetry and the Book of Changes are decent enough. So I recommend students of similar level to study these two classics.”

"If you'd like, you can go back to Luzhou with Zihe after the holidays. I'll write a letter to my third brother, asking him to tutor you." He then looked at Su Lu and said:

“My third brother is the most learned in our family, but he has a strong temper. He entered the imperial examination earlier than me, but he couldn’t bear the humiliation of being searched at the entrance and refused to take the exam. He never entered the examination again. In recent years, he has devoted himself to studying the classics and teaching his children at home, and his knowledge has improved even more. I feel at ease having him teach you the Book of Rites.”

"That would be perfect," Su Lu said softly. "This disciple will follow the headmaster's arrangements."

“However, Luzhou is too far from Taiping Town, and you can’t possibly travel there to receive instruction.” Zhu Liu then asked, “How about I go to Luzhou to study?”

P.S. Another four updates! In just half a month, I've posted a whopping 21 words... unbelievable! Of course, I'm exhausted, mainly because my eyes can't take it anymore. They're red like a rabbit's, dry and itchy. So I need to take a break...

I'll start reducing the dosage tomorrow and give my eyes a rest.

(End of this chapter)