Top Scholar

Chapter 182 Fatherly Love Shines in Zhengyi Studio

Zhengyi Studio.

Mr. Liu was getting ready for class when he noticed that the two seats in the last corner were still empty.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly: 'Those two children really did get promoted to Chengxinzhai. I didn't even get to teach them a single lesson; I'm so unworthy...'

Mr. Liu sighed and was about to start class when he heard hurried footsteps. Su and Lu rushed to the door and, slightly out of breath, asked to enter.

"Come in for class." A ray of morning light shone on Mr. Liu's gloomy face, bringing a long-lost smile to his face.

Mr. Liu was pleased; at least he could teach them a lesson, and it wouldn't be too humiliating...

"Class begins!" he announced in a loud voice.

Led by Deng Zhaizhang, the students stood up, bowed, and greeted him, then said in unison, "We humbly request your guidance, sir!"

"Everyone, take your seats." Mr. Liu nodded and began the first lesson of the new year.

This lesson reviewed yesterday's exam paper. Mr. Liu was very skilled and explained the ten questions on ink interpretation very thoroughly.

For the final question on the Four Books, he used Su Lu's essay as an example to give the students a brilliant lesson on the art of writing.

Mr. Liu picked up his pen and wrote Su Lu's explanation on the whiteboard:

'When a ruler bestows something that is not ordained by Heaven, it is called disrupting the natural order; when a subject receives something that is not his due, it is called violating the established principles.'

Then he said loudly: "Su Sheng's key points are closely related to the two words 'granting and receiving'. 'The ruler's granting is not from Heaven' is consistent with Mencius' 'Heaven gives to the virtuous, and thus to the virtuous'; 'The minister receives what is not his due' is consistent with the 'Book of Rites' 'There is propriety between ruler and minister.' The topics of 'disrupting the norm' and 'violating discipline' are addressed together, which not only refutes the errors in historical facts but also establishes the moral foundation of the entire text!"

"Your writings are superficial, the root of the problem lies in a lack of depth in understanding the principles! Let's observe how Su Sheng's principles are progressively developed in three layers, clarifying the doctrines of Confucianism—"

"First, we must clarify the power of the monarch, which cannot be privately bestowed without the mandate of Heaven and the will of the people; second, we must clarify the way of the minister, for the son's receiving of the state is a failure of the 'three no's'—no coveting the throne, no violating propriety, and no going against the principles of Heaven; finally, we must discuss the harm, for private bestowal opens the door to chaos of 'the alternation of monarch and minister,' which is in line with the style of the Spring and Autumn Annals in condemning rebellious ministers!"

"Su Sheng's brilliance lies in three aspects: First, he doesn't just discuss the matter at hand, but goes straight to the fundamental principle of 'the right of kings is divinely ordained, and the subject should uphold the duty of the subject,' which is universally applicable throughout history; second, he uses antithetical couplets to create tension, with 'the king bestows it upon the subject' and 'it is not divinely ordained' and 'it is not rightfully his', which aligns with the eloquent style of Mencius; third, he lays the groundwork for 'disrupting the norm' and 'violating discipline' to lay the foundation for 'rectifying the moral order' in the later text, making the whole thing flow smoothly!"

The students were stunned. If the teacher hadn't explained, they would never have understood the profound skill contained in those sixteen short characters.

Su Lu was also somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Mr. Liu to see through things so clearly. Back then, Mr. Zhang had to ask him to explain things before he could understand.

After the students finished taking notes, Mr. Liu continued his lecture, starting with the main topic...

The students listened intently, and he was very satisfied with his lecture. After class, he went to Su Lu and sincerely apologized, saying, "It was really presumptuous of me to dissect your article without your permission."

"Please feel free to do as you please, sir. The article is written for your critique," Su Lu quickly replied with a smile. Through this lesson, his impression of Mr. Liu had greatly changed; he was truly a highly skilled and responsible teacher.

Moreover, Liu Dachuan was energetic and enthusiastic when he was lecturing! Completely opposite to his dejected demeanor after class…

"Anyway, thank you very much." Mr. Liu gripped Su Lu's hand tightly and shook it vigorously, then whispered, "In every sense of the word..."

He practically stayed up all night preparing for this lesson. How awkward would it be if Su Lu transferred to another class today? Should he teach the lesson or not? Not teaching it would be unfair to the students, but teaching it would be a public execution of himself…

~~
As soon as Mr. Liu left, all the classmates swarmed around the two of them.

"Why didn't you go to the class next door?" one of the straightforward students asked.
"Didn't the headmaster call you here about the class reassignment?"

"Yes. Headmaster Zhou said he can arrange a shift change." Zhu Zihe nodded.

"Then why haven't you left yet?" the classmates asked, both envious and a little sad. "Or are you back to pack your things?"

"Because my sworn brother has decided, we'll study in this class!" Zhu Zihe announced loudly.

"Why?!" The classmates were completely puzzled.

"Since the students of Chengxinzhai are not as good as us, what's the point of us being replaced?" Zhu Zihe said arrogantly.

"Don't talk nonsense!" Su Lu slapped Zhu Zihe on the shoulder and laughed at the classmates, "Because we think the people in this class are better, at least there aren't any toads that keep crawling on our feet."

"Haha, that's true!" The classmates were immediately warmed up, feeling that even Zhu Zihe's foul mouth was cute.

“But Chengxinzhai was personally led by Headmaster Zhou!” Deng Dengying kindly reminded them, “Although we think Mr. Liu is the best, you are different. You have only met the current Mr. Liu, not the previous Mr. Liu.”

"It's alright, the old headmaster has decided to teach us personally!" Zhu Zihe could hardly contain his pride; he was practically smug.

However, this is understandable. Anyone who is fortunate enough to receive instruction from a Hanlin scholar would be tempted to stand on the Bell and Drum Tower and shout loudly so that the whole of Luzhou would know!

"Wow!" The classmates were incredibly envious: "That's amazing! Since we enrolled, the headmaster hasn't personally mentored anyone yet!"

"Haha, the people from Chengxinzhai always brag that Headmaster Zhou reads their articles to the old headmaster! Now that's great, someone from our school has received personal guidance from the old headmaster!" a classmate laughed heartily.
"Let's see how they brag to me now!" "We're already being kind by not bragging to them." All the classmates felt proud and were genuinely happy for the two of them.

After the laughter subsided, a classmate, still in high spirits, timidly asked, "Su, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Su Lu said with a smile. Don't you know I love to teach others?
I haven't received any adopted sons this past month, and I feel a bit empty inside...

"That's great!" The classmate quickly flipped through his notes and said, "Just now, the teacher summarized Su's 'moral reasoning approach' paradigm—first, grasp the key point of 'giving and receiving,' and get to the point; second, introduce the opposition between 'selfishness' and 'transference'; and third, lay the groundwork for later clues! Am I right, Su?"

"You summarized it very well." Su Lu smiled and nodded.

"I want to know how you can be so accurate and so thoughtful?" The classmate quickly replied, "If there's a secret you can't reveal, then forget it."

“There is a secret, but I’d rather not reveal it,” Su Lu said with a smile. “First, when breaking down a question, you must closely adhere to the requirements of the question and identify the core viewpoint. Specifically, you can use the ‘question stem decomposition method’ to analyze the question. First, circle the core concepts… and you can avoid missing or going off-topic!”

Su Lu then shared his concise and effective problem-solving methodology, which integrates ancient and modern perspectives, with his classmate.

The other classmates listened very attentively, never expecting that this classmate Su would be so generous, directly sharing her most valuable experience with them!

This is practically a living father...

Unfortunately, the break was too short, and before Su Lu could finish his lecture, the blackboard rang out. He quickly told his classmates, who were still eager for more, "It's alright, I'll continue during the next break..."

The students quickly returned to their seats to listen to the teacher's next lesson.

As a result, during the three breaks in the morning, all the classmates gathered around Su Lu to study, and finally listened to him finish explaining the method for solving the problem.

At lunchtime, a classmate excitedly exclaimed, "I've learned something! I feel like I can solve problems like Su did!"

"Hahaha, that's your illusion!" Zhu Zihe mercilessly refuted him, "I used to think that way too, thinking that I could catch up with him. But even after learning all of my godfather's eighteen martial arts, I still couldn't catch up."

"Godfather..." Everyone was taken aback. What was the relationship between the two?
Deng Dengying quickly changed the subject, saying, "That's for sure. The difference in talent is obvious, but we can definitely improve!"

"Of course," Zhu Zihe laughed. "A year ago, my skill level was below Bai Yunshan and Lei Jun, but now the two of them combined are no match for me. This is all thanks to my sworn brother!"

"Alright, alright, stop arguing and let's go," Su Lu urged. He still had to become an apprentice today, so he needed to get there early.

"Oh, oh." Zhu Zihe quickly packed his schoolbag, and the two said goodbye to their companions, hurriedly leaving the school. They truly came and went in a flash...

"..." Watching the two figures leave, the students of Zhengyizhai fell into deep thought. Were they father and son or brothers?

Anyway, it's great that these two can stay in the class...

"Everyone, let's get our spirits up!" Deng Zhaizhang encouraged his classmates, "Let's not waste Su's good intentions!"

"Okay!" the classmates responded in unison, and then went to eat together with high spirits.

Outside the window, Mr. Liu witnessed everything. Seeing that the students were no longer discouraged, he sighed and said:

"Liu Dachuan, Liu Dachuan, you can't hold the students back..."

Although it's the same words, it feels different from this morning...

~~
After noon, at the Zhu family mansion.

Master Zhu Er personally came to Zhu Zhang's courtyard to witness Su Lu's "entrance ceremony".

The Book of Rites does not record the ceremony of paying homage to a teacher, but that is because during the Zhou Dynasty, the "teacher" had not yet become an independent class. The position was often held by officials, fathers, elder brothers, or blind musicians, so there was no need to set up a separate ceremony.

But today, teachers have risen to become one of the Five Relationships, and naturally, corresponding apprenticeship rites have developed. Although Su Lu apprenticed to a teacher of scriptures, the ceremony was by no means ambiguous.

He was dressed in a blue robe, with his hair tied up in a hat, and cloth shoes. He held a lacquered tray in both hands, with plain silk at the bottom and ten strips of dried meat wrapped in blue cloth inside. He slowly walked to the disciple's seat on the west side of the corridor, bowed deeply to the door and said: "I am Su Lu, a junior student. I have long admired your moral character and literary talent. I have prepared a small gift and dare to ask to be taught by you."

"You may enter." Zhu Sanye's voice rang out from inside the hall.

Su Lu then ascended the west steps to the center of the hall, where he saw Zhu Zhang and Zhu Jie, who was acting as witness, sitting side by side at the head of the table.

He bowed again and said, "Master, I am not very talented, but I am willing to follow the etiquette of a disciple and learn the classics from you. I humbly request your guidance."

"Teachable." Zhu Zhang nodded.

Su Lu then presented the tuition fee to the teacher with both hands, saying, "This is a small gift, but it is only to express my sincerity in learning. I hope that you will not reject it."

After accepting the tuition fee, Zhu Zhang reciprocated by gifting Su Lu a set of Song Dynasty woodblock-printed editions of "The Correct Meaning of the Book of Rites"... This was an antique, worth more than a thousand catties of meat, it was a huge loss for him.

P.S. It was pouring rain in the city today, and to make matters worse, I had to pick up two kids – what a chaotic situation! But I still managed to finish three chapters by 11:3 PM, so I guess I deserve some encouragement, right? Please vote and subscribe!!
(End of this chapter)