Top Scholar

Chapter 159 A Golden House Lies Within Books

This was the first time Su Lu had ever seen a banner for achieving official rank, and there were three of them at once—it was truly an eye-opener. The only regret was that they were all single-column banners; there were no double-column banners for those who had passed the imperial examinations.

He suddenly realized that he couldn't say he had never seen this thing before; he had at least seen a flagpole in front of Cheng Xiucai's house.

It's a pity that the flagpole stood there for decades but never had a flag hoisted. If Scholar Cheng never passed the imperial examination, the flagpole would be taken down after his death, which people considered 'bad luck'...

"Stop looking, what's so interesting? There are six families in Luzhou that hang double-flag banners." Zhu Zihe urged, "Let's come and see after my family hangs up the double-flag banners."

Su Lu shook his head, thinking, "A well-fed man doesn't know the hunger of a starving man."

He followed Zhu Zihe through the grand gate with three bays and upturned eaves, past a screen wall, through a hall, then the main hall, the second hall, and the third hall, before finally reaching the moon gate that distinguished the inner and outer residences.

Moreover, there were servants standing in front of every gate and hall, and maids and servants sweeping and cleaning... Before even seeing the person in charge, Su Lu first saw about twenty servants. Finally, he had a direct understanding of what a wealthy family was like.

Entering through the Moon Gate was an eye-opening experience. The Zhu Mansion's back garden resembled a meticulously painted watercolor scroll, with pavilions and towers built according to the terrain, and winding corridors meandering through it. Flowers and trees were scattered throughout the four seasons, with green bamboo and red plum blossoms complementing each other beautifully.

Su Lu followed Zhu Zihe along the long corridor and found that every window offered a unique view of an elegant little scene, and none of them were the same.

"How about it? Is it pleasing to the eye?" Zhu Zihe couldn't resist showing off.

"Your family is really rich." Su Lu sincerely gave a thumbs up: "And they have good taste too."

"It's all from our ancestors' savings," Zhu Zihe said honestly. "Maintaining it throughout the four seasons costs a fortune. We haven't produced a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in many years, so we can only maintain the present prosperity. Many places that outsiders can't see are dilapidated."

He paused for a moment, then said self-deprecatingly, "For our descendants to study so hard just to preserve this elegance and prestige, how utterly vulgar."

“…” Su Lu didn’t respond. Having been born into humble families in both his lives, he couldn’t possibly resonate with Zhu Zihe’s sentiments. This was the first time he had directly experienced the meaning of the “Prodigy Poem” by the terminator of the Fengchan ceremony. It wasn’t just a pyramid scheme—

"The wealthy need not buy fertile land, for they can find abundant grain in books."

No need for high beams to build a house; there are golden houses in books.

Don't lament the lack of a good matchmaker when seeking a wife; there are beauties in books.

Do not lament the lack of attendants when you go out; in books, carriages and horses are plentiful.

A man who wishes to fulfill his life's ambition should diligently study the Six Classics by the window.

Education really can bring wealth! Although the hope is slim...

Zhu Zihe led Su Lu through a maze of turns and into a three-section, five-bay independent courtyard.

"This is my real home. Let me introduce you to my parents first." As you entered, Zhu Zihe said softly, "It would be a bit presumptuous for you to go directly to see my third uncle. Let me have someone send a letter for you first."

Su Lu nodded and told Xiao Yu'er to bring out the gifts he had prepared. Since he was coming to the Zhu family, he was certainly prepared to pay his respects to Zhu Zi and his parents.

Zhu Zihe's parents were both at home. His mother, Zhang, was an elegant woman, while his father, Zhu Jie, wore a Taoist robe and had a serious and unsmiling expression.

When Su Lu heard Zhu Zihe speak, he realized that his parents were already in their fifties, but as a wealthy family, they were well-preserved and looked to be around forty years old.

Zhu Jie was very unhappy that Zhu Zihe had gone to Hejiang during the New Year. Although he did not reprimand him in front of the guests, he did not give him a kind look.

However, Zhu Jie was quite polite to Su Lu, accepting the six gifts he brought and then giving him two taels of silver as a New Year's gift...

Good heavens, he just threw away a month's wages for Manager Su of Sweet Water Restaurant...

Su Lu had never received so much New Year's money in his entire life, and for a moment he didn't know how to refuse it.

“Just take it. It only happens once a year.” Zhang said to Su Lu with a kind smile, “Zihe talks about you all the time. This child is always defiant, which makes me very curious. Just who is his Qiji brother?”

"Mother, what are you saying!" Zhu Zihe blushed deeply and said, "How many times have I even said anything to him?"

“Yes, not many times.” Zhang said with a mischievous smile, “He was reluctant to come back before the New Year, but went to see him again on the first day of the New Year.”

"I was just there to watch the fun!" Zhu Zihe couldn't stand it anymore and stood up, saying to Su Lu, "Let's go, let's go find Uncle San."

Su Lu had no choice but to get up and take his leave. Zhu Jie nodded and said succinctly, "Go ahead."

“Bring Qiji back for dinner.” Madam Zhang said with a kind smile, “Hongzhi, just make yourself at home.”

"Yes, this junior will take his leave." Su Lu bowed again before following Zhu Zihe out.

At this moment, the servant Zhu Zihe had sent to his third uncle's place returned and reported, "Young Master, the Third Master is playing chess with Huang Bingxian. The Fifth Young Master asked Young Master Su to wait a moment." Upon hearing this, Zhu Zihe said to Su Lu, "Well, I should have had your second brother come along..."

He then explained, “My third uncle and Huang Bingxian were classmates who sat together in the Southern Prison, and they also studied the Book of Rites under the late Scholar Luo at the Golden Bull Academy… Huang Bingxian only took office before the new year and had no relatives or friends in Luzhou City, so he grabbed my third uncle.”

Su Lu knew that Luo Zhuangyuan was Luo Lun, the top scholar of the second year of Chenghua. Because he impeached Grand Secretary Li Xian for seizing the opportunity to mourn, his official career was extinguished just as it was starting. However, after resigning from his post, he founded Jinniu Academy, studied the classics, taught and wrote books, and many students came from all directions to study under him.

It is said that Wang Hua also studied under him, which enabled him to master the Book of Rites and pass the imperial examination with top honors...

In this sense, although there were very few candidates who studied the Book of Rites, there were quite a few top scholars who studied the Book of Rites.

Zhu Zihe then led Su Lu to the study to wait. The study was simply furnished, with only three rows of bookshelves and a few desks. Since reading requires a calm mind, only a hanging scroll with the words "Working diligently year after year" was displayed on the snow-white wall, and there were no other decorations.

Seeing Su Lu looking at the four large characters on the wall, Zhu Zihe laughed and said, "When I first started my education, I studied here. At that time, I knew very few characters, and I wrote these characters a bit hastily, so I always thought it meant 'eating makes you poor all year round,' and I even thought it made a lot of sense..."

“It looks like it to me now,” Su Lu said with a smile.

As the two were talking, Zhu Zihe's brothers came in from outside. Since guests had arrived, they naturally had to be greeted.

The Zhu family was indeed prolific; Zhu Liu had over a dozen brothers. Zhu Zihe alone had four older brothers and a younger brother. Moreover, Zhu Zihe's eldest brother, Zhu Zigeng, had four more sons just past the age of thirty…

Zhu Zihe introduced Su Lu to everyone, and after exchanging greetings, they sat and chatted in the study. Seeing this, the pageboy immediately called for tea and snacks, silently arranging them for the young masters.

Zhu Xi and his brothers were mostly mature and prudent, only asking about Su Lu's studies, what classics he was studying, and what his plans were for studying in Luzhou. Although their conversation wasn't exactly enthusiastic, they were all very polite.

But his younger brother, Zhu Ziming, was restless and seemed to have a strained relationship with Zhu Zihe. This was understandable, given Zhu Zihe's character; few people besides Su Lu could tolerate him.

"Are you Qiji?" Zhu Ziming asked while Zhu Zihe went to relieve himself.

"No, my name is Su Lu, courtesy name Hongzhi." Su Lu smiled and said, "Qiji is a nickname your fifth brother gave you as a joke." The implication was that he shouldn't use it openly.

Zhu Ziming was met with a rebuff, but then he smiled and said, "Brother Hongzhi, don't mind it. A 'qiji' is a steed that can travel a thousand miles, it's not a bad name."

“Yes. Zihe meant well.” Su Lu nodded. “But I’m not some exceptional talent.”

“Brother Hongzhi, there’s no need to be modest. My fifth brother is usually very arrogant. He must think you’re better than him to call you that,” Zhu Ziming said with a smile.

"How dare you speak like that, Ziming?" his older brother scolded.

"I didn't mean anything by it, I just thought of a first line of a couplet yesterday, but I haven't been able to come up with a matching second line yet." Zhu Ziming ignored him and said to himself, "I would like to ask Brother Qiji for advice."

"..." Su Lu's tolerance of Zhu Zihe was based on the fact that he never harbored any ill intentions.

Su Lu wasn't so good-natured once the other person's words carried malice. So he smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright, then I'll teach you."

"That's great!" The atmosphere in the study instantly became tense. Zhu Ziming, before his elder brother could stop him, shouted:
My first line is: "The pheasant treads on the snow, its claw marks as messy as the characters for a poor household!"

"Pfft..." Several of the older brothers couldn't help but burst out laughing. The fourth brother, Zhu Zigong, said, "This first line isn't exactly literary, but it's certainly quite amusing. Those chicken feet stomping on the snow, don't they look like both the writing of a poor person and the character for 'poor'?"

But to Su Lu, these words had nothing to do with being funny. The little bastard was clearly mocking him, calling him a poor, pathetic chicken!
"Ziming, don't be rude!" the eldest brother, Zhu Zigeng, scolded. "Hongzhi, don't pay them any attention."

"It's alright," Su Lu said with a smile. "It's just a word game, not an insult."

“Of course,” Zhu Ziming replied confidently. “I came up with this couplet after seeing chicken claw prints in the snow that day. I didn’t know Brother Hongzhi back then. How could Brother Hongzhi have taught me?”

"You can't even get such a simple lesson right?" Su Lu shook his head and sighed, "My dear brother, you still need to pay more attention to your studies."

Zhu Ziming's brothers laughed even harder. They weren't targeting anyone in particular; they just laughed whenever they found something funny.

"You come up first and then we'll talk!" Zhu Ziming was the kind of person who could laugh at others, but no one could laugh at him.

"Listen carefully, no crying allowed." Su Lu laughed, "My second line is—'The caged sparrow cries in spring, its song is as hoarse as the eunuch's tune!'"

"You..." Zhu Ziming was so angry that he gritted his teeth and his face turned as red as a pig's liver... because he was thirteen years old this year and was going through puberty, so his voice was like that of a little eunuch.
Su Lu's second line mocked him as a caged bird, and also caught his hoarse voice. He was accurate and ruthless, slapping him twice so hard that he saw stars!
"Hahaha!" The brothers slapped the table and stamped their feet, bursting into thunderous laughter!

"Interesting! Hongzhi is so interesting!" Zhu Zigong gave Su Lu a thumbs up and said, "I've decided to be your friend!"

"Ziming, you've bitten off more than you can chew, haven't you?" Even Zhu Zigeng laughed through his tears, saying, "Is someone who can win Zihe's heart and soul over someone you can handle?"

(End of this chapter)