Top Scholar

Chapter 262, "The Difficulty of Finding Beauty in the Book of Letters"? (This refers to the "Letter of Resignation Upon Seeing It")

This article is very moving, partly because scholars are generally more emotional; and partly because everyone is crying, so it would be unfilial not to cry...

These days, you absolutely cannot be branded as unfilial.

Fortunately, this article is indeed tear-jerking, very moving...

Even Lu Tongzhi couldn't help but shed tears. He suddenly remembered Jia Zhizhou's instructions and quickly held the white cotton manuscript paper high to avoid getting it wet with tears.

When everyone saw the handwriting on the paper, they finally understood why the prefect had called it the "Letter on the Difficulty of Finding Beauty in Writing"—

Because this is Su Lu's draft, it is not written in regular script, but in a more free semi-cursive script.

But it is precisely because he is not bound by the constraints of the official script that he can use his brush as a throat and ink as tears, fully expressing the melancholy of "filial piety regret" in every stroke. Each stroke is like a whisper from the heart, unadorned yet deeply moving! The perfectly timed dry brushstrokes vividly portray the "too late to regret"...

The composition reveals the true meaning—drafts have no fixed form, yet the spacing between words and lines in this piece subtly harmonizes with the overall tone. Without deliberate arrangement, it portrays a lifetime of filial piety, moving from spaciousness to crampedness, then to melancholy, ultimately ending in the desolate emptiness of "the daylilies wither in the north hall, only tears remain on the south side"—on the paper are ink and brush, behind the paper lies a lifetime of regret…

In fact, the most moving aspect of calligraphy is never the exquisite technique, but the sincerity. The text says, "Wanrong is not a clever adornment, but a sincere expression of filial piety." This "Letter on the Difficulty of Color" is also like that—there is no deliberate concealment or display of skill, and even the small corrections between the lines and the slight trembling of the brushstrokes become footnotes to true feelings.

Through this calligraphy work, the viewer can clearly see that Su Lu's eyes were red and his fingers were trembling when he picked up the brush. Hidden within the ink are countless unspoken words and unbearable pain—

Reading this text is like listening to someone whisper to their deceased mother, saying "Your child is unfilial"—a phrase she will never hear.

Add to that the perfectly placed tear stains. This is no mere draft; it has brought the 'regret of filial piety' to life! The paper may age, the ink may fade, but the pain of 'wanting to care for one's parents but finding them gone' between the lines will forever be etched into the hearts of every reader.

“I can understand how Your Excellency feels.” Lu Tongzhi carefully put away the “Letter on the Difficulty of Finding Beauty”, took out a handkerchief to wipe his tears, and said, “Even I want to resign and go home to serve my elderly father.”

"Yes, I had the same thought."

"I want to too..." The other assistants echoed, and for a moment no one was willing to take this wretched official position.

"Good heavens, this isn't the 'Difficulty in Finding Beauty' letter, it's clearly the 'Resignation Letter Upon Seeing It' letter." Lu Tongzhi couldn't help but smile bitterly. Actually, he was just saying it casually; he was actually hoping that Prefect Jia would leave so he could take over.

Anyway, I still have brothers at home to take care of our father, so I should prioritize my career.

~~
As the academy gates slowly closed, Instructor Hai and Mr. Zhang breathed a sigh of relief; their tasks for the day were complete.

"Mr. Zhang, are you going back or waiting here?" Hai Han was promoted because of the phonetic symbols, so he naturally recognized Zhang Yanqiu and respected him very much.

“I’ll be restless going back, always worried that those rascals will cause trouble.” Zhang Yanqiu said with experience, “Let’s wait here. If anything happens, we’ll know immediately.”

"Alright." Hai Han also had some questions he wanted to ask Zhang Yanqiu, so he invited him to wait in the reed shed next door for tea.

The reed shed was for the examiners outside the examination hall to rest, and the instructors of each county could also use it.

The two found a table near the outside and sat down so they could keep an eye on what was happening at the entrance of the academy.

Hai Jiaoyu picked up the large teapot, rinsed the teacups, and then poured two bowls of high-quality tea.

Seeing Mr. Zhang frown slightly, Hai Han knew he disliked the tea. He said apologetically, "It's free tea, just make do with it to quench your thirst."

"I'm used to a comfortable life, and I couldn't resist," Mr. Zhang said with an embarrassed smile. "Come to my place tonight, and I'll treat you to some good drinks."

Hai Jiaoyu naturally resided at the county office.

"I'm used to drinking this kind of tea; we drink this in my hometown." Haihan was also not good at conversation.

"Hehe, alright." Mr. Zhang had known Hai Han well and knew he was an eccentric, so he didn't take it to heart. "May I ask what advice Your Excellency has for me?"

"I have a particularly thorny matter to ask you about." Hai Han then said in a low voice, "Last year, or rather the year before last, the magistrate established community schools in all the villages and towns of the county and the two garrisons in order to promote the phonetic symbols. For this purpose, he also recruited 120 new teachers, who were trained by Mr. Su and then started teaching the phonetic symbols."

"Yes, I've heard about it." Mr. Zhang nodded and said, "Hejiang and Yongning Chishui Guard originally had eighty community schools, which is already quite remarkable for our 'rushing, bustling, tiring, and difficult' region."

"The magistrate has made a name for himself, disregarding his financial resources to build another 120 community schools within a year." Mr. Zhang said with a sneer, "He's simply overestimating himself! Now he can't keep it up, can he?"

“It’s not that he can’t continue; he just doesn’t want to continue.” Hai Jiaoyu showed no mercy to Magistrate Lu, angrily saying, “Since the New Year, the teachers haven’t received a single penny, and they’ve been complaining for a long time, constantly asking me for money.”

“Your county school is a poor government office,” Mr. Zhang said sympathetically, looking at Instructor Hai with a sense of relief. If he hadn’t held back then, he would be in the same predicament now. “Of course,” Instructor Hai said, his face contorted with worry, “I could only beg the magistrate, but after all that pleading, he got so annoyed that he told me he only intended to use those teachers for a year. Now that the year is over, I should just get rid of them!”

"Listen to this! Isn't this treating people like chamber pots?!" Hai Jiaoyu exclaimed indignantly.

"That's outrageous! Isn't this just playing games with people? They all quit their previous jobs to secure a long-term livelihood, which is why they became teachers at the community school." Mr. Zhang agreed wholeheartedly. "If they had known they could only do it for a year, who would have played along with him?!"

“Who says otherwise? I can’t bring myself to ask the gentlemen for this, but I can’t conjure up any money.” Instructor Hai took a sip of bitter tea from the large bowl and said with a wry smile, “I’ve come to the prefecture to find some peace and quiet, but once I get back, I’ll have to give them an explanation, otherwise I won’t be able to get past my own conscience.”

"How will you explain yourself?" Mr. Zhang asked.

"Shouldn't we ask you for your guidance, sir?" Instructor Hai asked Zhang Yanqiu expectantly.

"Me?" Mr. Zhang pointed to his own nose. "You think too highly of me, don't you?"

"I originally wanted to consult Mr. Su, but he's currently taking the exams, so how could I bother him with such matters?" Instructor Hai said apologetically.

"It's not that Mr. Su's skills are all taught by Mr. Zhang, so I'd like to ask him for advice first."

Mr. Zhang was impatient with mundane matters, but he was not stupid at all. He chuckled and said, "I think you want me to talk to Hongzhi too."

"I really want to ask you for advice, sir, but I also want to ask you for a favor." Hai Han pleaded, his face flushed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Zhang, I really have no other choice—this isn't just a matter of 120 teachers losing their jobs, it will also cause 120 children in the community schools to drop out of school!"

Hearing this, Mr. Zhang dropped his teasing expression, frowned, and asked, "So how do you want Hongzhi to help you?"

“Mr. Su is the master’s most prized student and the inventor of the phonetic symbols. No one can match the master’s status in his heart.” Instructor Hai said, “I think if he can help persuade the master, the school might be able to continue operating, or at least let the students who enrolled last year graduate.”

"Hmm..." Mr. Zhang was a stubborn but soft-hearted person. After thinking for a moment, he said, "How about this, after the state examination is over, I'll ask Hongzhi for you. If he's having trouble, then forget it, and you mustn't mention it to him again. He's just a kid, he shouldn't have to bear these things."

"Okay." Haihan nodded in agreement.

As the two were talking, they suddenly saw the gate of the state school slowly open.

"They opened the door so quickly?" Mr. Zhang asked in surprise.

"Yes, they've only been locked up for half an hour. Could it be that some students have been kicked out?" Instructor Hai said, quickly standing up to check if the students were from his county.

He shaded his eyes with his hand, and upon closer inspection, it really was true!
"It's Mr. Su?!" Hai Jiaoyu exclaimed in surprise.

"What?!" Zhang Yanqiu suddenly stood up and saw that Su Lu was indeed carrying the exam basket out.

"Hongzhi!" Mr. Zhang's heart clenched, and he exclaimed in alarm, rushing out of the reed shed in three steps at a time.

"Hongzhi!" Another gentleman spoke up before him; it was Liu Dachuan from Heshan Academy.

He grabbed Su Lu and asked urgently, "What happened?"

"What, Hongzhi?!" Mr. Zhang arrived as well, panting heavily as he asked.

"What happened?" Headmaster Zhou and the other teachers from Heshan Academy quickly gathered around. Su Lu was their academy's most prized possession. If anything were to happen to him, how could they explain it to the old headmaster?

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Su Lu knew that coming out so early would cause misunderstandings, but he didn't expect to alarm so many people. He quickly explained, "I've already been accepted, so I came out early."

"Even if you're fast, you can't finish two essays in half an hour. Did you write them directly on the exam paper without any drafts?" Liu Dachuan asked.

“Yes, you can pass the test easily, but it’s only been half an hour, why are you in such a hurry!” Headmaster Zhou shook his head and sighed, “You’re aiming for the top spot! Can’t you take it slow and make your essay as solid as possible?”

“I wanted to do that too, but I had only finished the first draft of the short essay when my husband insisted on making me the top author. I told him to revise it again, but he said it wouldn’t be the same if I changed it, and not a single word could be changed.” Su Lu said honestly, “Then he told me to pack my things and leave.”

"..." Zhou Shanzhang and the other teachers were speechless. It sounded like he was talking in his sleep.
But they knew that Su Lu wouldn't brag about something like that.

Furthermore, the story is so outrageous that it cannot possibly be fabricated.

P.S. Sorry everyone, I wrote until 11:45 PM again, so I haven't had time to proofread Chapter 3 yet...

(End of this chapter)