Top Scholar

Chapter 139 Meaning

The two exchanged a few casual words, and Zhu Zihe, perhaps having drunk too much water, excused himself and went to relieve himself.

Watching his retreating figure, You Muyou smiled at Su Lu and said, "Hongzhi, this esteemed classmate, is very loyal."

"Yes, I know he's afraid I'll suffer a loss." Su Lu nodded. How could he not know that as long as Zhu Zihe was standing there, others would have to consider the face of Zhu Liu and the Zhu family.

But it's still annoying...

He then said softly, "Little did you know that with you here, there's nothing to worry about."

“Well, the Zhu family’s influence is still very strong in Luzhou,” You Muyou said, shaking his head. “With him around, no one dares to cause trouble.”

"Really? This student is truly blind to your abilities." Su Lu, no longer bothering with small talk, quickly asked in a low voice, "My uncle's case..."

“I’ve asked around,” You Muyou replied softly. “This case was handled by the Fourth Master. According to the rules, when the First Master is on official business, he is the one who handles the lawsuit. This is his duty, and he has no obligation to inform me, so I know nothing about it.”

"I see." Su Lu nodded, then heard You Muyou change the subject:

“But he handled this case poorly, and I caught him. I’ve already had them release him first, and you can take your uncle home later. But he absolutely cannot leave the county town; he must be available whenever summoned.”

Su Lu hurriedly expressed his gratitude, thinking, "Isn't this just bail pending trial? Mr. You has already been very lenient with this outcome..."

"Furthermore," You Muyou tapped his fingers lightly on the table, briefly explaining the case to Su Lu, and slowly said, "Although there is no evidence yet, I can sense that this isn't aimed at your uncle, but at your family's Erlang wine..."

"This seems to be a warning to you not to overstep your bounds." He lowered his voice to a very low hue.

This was no longer a warning, but a declaration of war! A cold glint flashed in Su Lu's eyes, but he didn't say it aloud in front of Mr. You.

You Muyou, however, clearly noticed the change in his emotions and sighed, saying:
"Don't think about anything else. Don't think that bringing him back will make you worry-free—your uncle insists that he poured the wine himself! While that might clear Erlangjiu of any involvement, it will put him in big trouble, and he might even be implicated in someone's death!"

"Yes, I understand," Su Lu said solemnly.

"In short, the master will protect you and won't let your family suffer. But precisely because of this, he can't be too biased towards you, understand?" You Muyou said earnestly.

"Understood." Su Lu nodded and said, "My parents want me to have a good reputation, so this case must be thoroughly investigated and no hidden dangers can be left."

“That’s right, you are indeed smart.” You Muyou smiled approvingly. “The more this is the case, the more you need to teach well. You can’t let your emotions be affected in any way, and you can’t disappoint the magistrate. We’ll wait for him to come back and see if we can clear your uncle’s name.”

"Yes," Su Lu replied, taking out the silver note from his satchel.

"What do you mean by that?" You Muyou asked, frowning.

"It's just a token gesture," Su Lu said.

"That's not very interesting," You Muyou said, displeased.

"It's just a small token," Su Lu insisted.

"You're quite an interesting kid," You Muyou said with a smile.

"It didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to thank you for your concern, sir." Su Lu smiled as well.

"Then I'm sorry to bother you." You Muyou picked up the silver note, weighed it in his hand, and then stuffed it back into Su Lu's satchel...

"What do you mean by this, sir?" Su Lu asked in astonishment. Did he think my meaning wasn't enough?
"Hahaha," You Muyou laughed loudly, "Do you think I'd let you call me 'sir' for nothing? I have to give you something in return. Take this fifty taels of silver and use it to study in Luzhou."

This completely baffled Su Lu. This wasn't a part of gift-giving before. How did this trigger a hidden storyline?

"What? Not enough? Do you want me to add more?" You Muyou said jokingly.

"What merit do I, a student, possess to deserve such kindness from you, sir?" Su Lu asked with gratitude.

"Do you think only the county magistrate and the headmaster have your eye on you?" You Muyou then said seriously, "Our 'Xiaodai Liji' says, 'The relationship between a gentleman and a petty person is like water, while the relationship between a petty person and a sweet drink is like wine. A gentleman's relationship is based on simplicity and sincerity, while a petty person's relationship is based on sweetness and sincerity.' How much more so should one take advantage of someone's misfortune? How can such a relationship last?"

He paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "The best way to repay you is not to disappoint those of us who have high hopes for you!"

"Yes, the student council will work even harder." Su Lu could only nod emphatically.

Although he had already guessed the magistrate's possible attitude from Mr. You's behavior, just to be on the safe side, he still asked in a low voice:

"What should we do about the county magistrate? Please advise, sir."

"Hahaha, that's really comprehensive." You Muyou couldn't help but laugh and said, "I was worried that you were a bookworm and wouldn't go far, but now I'm not worried at all!"

"The headmaster also taught us some principles of interpersonal relations..." Su Lu then shifted the blame to Zhu Liu.

"It's the same with the county magistrate," You Muyou replied with a smile. "You're different in his eyes, so don't give him anything. If you do, your relationship will be no different from anyone else's, understand?"

"Yes." Su Lu nodded slightly, roughly understanding Mr. You's thoughts. The saying goes, "A gentleman befriends another gentleman based on shared principles, while a petty person befriends another petty person based on shared interests." They seemed to want to develop a pure relationship with him… so they didn't want to be tainted by money, didn't want to become too mercenary. He suddenly felt immense pressure. He was clearly not a child prodigy, yet more and more people believed he was…

“However, it wouldn’t be appropriate to say nothing at all,” You Muyou said, panting heavily.

"How should the student express this?" Su Lu asked sincerely.

"The master loves to create a spectacle... uh, to fabricate some elegant tales. Why don't you write a poem to echo his sentiments? I guarantee it will make the old man overjoyed." You Muyou said, "How can a story of a child prodigy be complete without a poem to embellish it?"

As for whether Su Lu could write poetry, he wasn't worried at all. Anyone who could write good eight-legged essays could write poetry.

"Well, I'm not good at poetry," Su Lu replied honestly.

“It’s alright. How many famous poems does the Ming Dynasty have? What the Master wants are poems for child prodigies, not ‘divine poems’, understand?” You Muyou said by name.

"I heard that the county magistrate doesn't like poetry..." Su Lu said worriedly.

“Who says he doesn’t like it? How could anyone in this world not like poetry?” You Muyou laughed loudly. “Of course, the Master wouldn’t admit it on formal occasions, but he enjoys composing poems with great enthusiasm in private.”

He said with some sympathy for Magistrate Lu, "Such opportunities are few and far between..."

Sometimes, when gifts were given to those former candidates, they would not leave a poem, let alone compose a poem in response to Magistrate Lu.

“Okay.” Su Lu nodded and started brainstorming on the spot. After a year of careful instruction from Su Youcai, his skills and writing ability were sufficient, but he lacked the poetic passion to express himself.

But starting last night, he had nowhere to vent his anger and confusion, and those intense emotions burst forth as poetry!

After a short while, Su Lu apologized, got up, and walked to the desk.

The pageboy quickly spread out Xuan paper for him, moistened the brush, and Su Lu took it, immediately picking up his brush and writing:
Appealing for Justice from Prison

The drumbeats continue into the night, yet frost hangs heavy behind the iron bars, locking away sorrow on my face.

Originally a simple farmer, he was trapped in a life of hardship and suffering.

Bone erosion and soul decay bring a thousand eons of pain; with each passing year, longing and sorrow bring ten thousand tears.

May the clear mirror reflect my pure image, so that I may ride the clouds back to my rightful place!

You Muyou stood beside Su Lu with his hands behind his back, reading aloud each sentence he wrote, and finally slammed his hand on the table in admiration:
"Good, good poem! Hongzhi is too modest, saying you're not good at writing poetry! If you're not good at writing poetry, then there are no poets in Luzhou!"

"The teacher has once again flattered me to the point of ruin." Su Lu put down his pen, quite satisfied with himself.

"Sigh, poetry is meant to be shown to others. Whether it's impressive or embarrassing, can I just say whatever I want?" You Muyou shook his head and commented:
"Although this seven-character quatrain was written on an impromptu basis, it is strictly metrical and conforms to the rules of parallelism. The first couplet describes the poet's predicament, the second couplet declares his injustice, the third couplet expresses his pain, and the final couplet expresses his hope! The rhythm of the poem is clear, and the use of imagery is exquisite, making the reader vividly see the poet in prison on a winter night in the twelfth lunar month, dragging his wounded and broken body, filled with injustice and resentment, looking at the bright moon through the small iron window, and placing his last hope in it..."

Whether it was out of habit as a straight man or genuine emotion, You Muyou took out a handkerchief to wipe his eyes and said, "It's truly heartbreaking to read, and I wish I could immediately clear the poet's name!"

"Especially the last two lines, 'I wish to borrow the clear reflection of a bright mirror, to illuminate my innocence as I ride the clouds back,' they are simply wonderful!" Zhu Zihe appeared at the table at some point, and it was hard to tell whether he was being sarcastic or praising him.

"The bright mirror is both the bright moon and a metaphor for the upright and just official, so it's sure to tickle Magistrate Lu's sore spot."

"It's just that 'a poem becomes more skillful when it reflects the vicissitudes of life,' and I simply had to express what I felt in my heart," Su Lu said calmly.

"What a wonderful line, 'A line becomes exquisite when it captures the vicissitudes of life!'" You Muyou exclaimed, "Hongzhi has truly grasped the essence of Du Fu's style!"

Even Su Lu couldn't stand it anymore, and You Muyou praised it fervently... thinking to himself, "My parents really have a heavy tongue."

Fortunately, at that moment, the clerk delivered the document. You Muyou glanced at it and handed it to Su Lu, saying, "Go with Clerk Ji to pick up the person."

"Yes, thank you, sir!" Su Lu had no more time to hesitate, so he quickly took the package and rushed out of the small hall.

Zhu Zihe wanted to go out with them, but You Muyou stopped him, saying with a wry smile, "The people have been released, Zihe, can you go home now?"

“I’ve read the document; it’s just ‘pending trial,’ there hasn’t been a formal judgment yet,” Zhu Zihe said. “The real excitement is yet to come; I have to keep reading.”

"Aren't you going home for the Chinese New Year?" You Muyou asked helplessly.

“Nothing is more lively than the New Year?” Zhu Zihe laughed. “Anyway, my family is large, so one more or one less won’t make a difference.”

"You care about that kid that much?" You Muyou really wanted to get rid of him. This guy was like a surveillance camera, making it difficult for him to use many of his methods against Su Lu.

“Yes.” You Muyou originally wanted to use a reverse psychology approach, but Zhu Zihe frankly said, “The Book of Rites is so difficult, we can’t do without it.”

Hearing Zhu Zihe elevate the discussion to an academic level, You Muyou knew he couldn't get rid of him, and said helplessly, "Do as you please..."

(End of this chapter)