Top Scholar

Chapter 337 I am not as good as him
In fact, Xiao Tixue felt that Su Lu was a scholar of the Book of Rites, and he was also a scholar of the Book of Rites. He was a Hanlin scholar, and there was no one in the entire Sichuan province who was better at studying the Book of Rites than him, not to mention that he was also a Grand Master...

Besides, he even helped Su Lu propose marriage last year. Wouldn't that kid quickly bring a pig's head to thank the matchmaker and become his apprentice?
Unexpectedly, instead of receiving news of Su Lu becoming Wang Yangming's apprentice, Xiao Tixue, who was not particularly shrewd to begin with, was utterly frustrated.

Isn't this blatantly saying that I'm inferior to Wang Yangming?

I'll see where I'm inferior to him!

Su's handwriting was easy to recognize, and the staff quickly found Su Lu's copy among seven or eight hundred papers.

The white-bearded gentleman glanced at the question and offered his advice: "The conduct of a sage follows the Way and upholds virtue. Do not cling to any particular path; let the capable speak!"

He laughed and said, "It must be his; no one else could write with this feel."

"Give it to me." Xiao Tixue snatched the paper away in an annoyed manner and examined it with the most critical eye.

“This writing shows no progress whatsoever! It's actually a regression…” He stopped abruptly as he read the first part. His pupils dilated slightly, and the word “regression” caught in his throat, turning into a low gasp:

"That's strange..."

The critical gaze had faded, replaced by utter shock.

Upon reaching the section on the eight-legged essay, he could no longer contain himself. He slowly stood up, picked up the scroll with both hands, stared intently at the words, and began to recite it involuntarily:
"Those who are fixated on action will inevitably stumble if they are impatient; those who are hesitant in action will achieve nothing if they are slow."

Do not force things, but follow the trend and act accordingly. Use things in accordance with the right principles, without any desire for fame or fortune.
To conceal oneself is to obscure one's true nature; to conceal one's true nature is to lose one's principles. To abandon oneself is to uphold the Way; one is not a hermit who escapes to springs and rocks.

I have not yet attained the realm of poetry and literature, and I am ashamed of my lack of learning; I have repeatedly experienced both use and rejection, and I am content and at peace.

Lonely classmates and kindred spirits, we met like Yan Hui, and understood each other without words, finding solace in our shared ideals.

The entire passage is a perfect blend of form and spirit, forming a seamless whole. The sentences of varying lengths are arranged in a well-organized manner, making it flow smoothly like a river, so smooth that you don't even need to take a breath.

In terms of content, it is a perfect blend of reason and emotion, as if these words were meant to be arranged this way, and were born to enlighten the mundane confusion of life and death, just like they came from ancient Confucian classics, making people unable to help but read them!
Xiao Tixue's voice was initially hesitant, but it grew increasingly impassioned, his tone rising unconsciously, and the last syllable carrying an uncontrollable tremor:
"Only you and I can bring things back to their origin, govern ourselves with virtue, and follow our own nature."

I will not lose myself, nor will you lose yourself; what does it matter whether we use or discard each other? Let us embrace virtue together and endure for eternity.

Only you and I have comprehended the divine transformations, followed the boundless path, accumulated profound virtue, and do not strive to be ahead of fate.

I do not cling to myself, nor do you cling to yourself; what hindrance is there in our actions or whereabouts? Let us both remain, without expectation, and entrust ourselves to the Creator…

The five gentlemen were stunned. They involuntarily stood up solemnly, as if listening to the teachings of a sage, and even their breathing was extremely soft, for fear of disturbing the profound meaning of the words.

After Xiao Tixue finished reciting, the Minglun Hall was quiet for a long time.

It wasn't until the candle flame exploded with a loud crack that everyone was brought back to their senses.

"This is not Su Hongzhi's level!" The white-bearded man was so shocked that he plucked out several long hairs from his beard, but he didn't care about the pain.

"His previous articles were certainly excellent, but they were merely eloquent and impeccable in their reasoning, lacking the clarity, insight, and profound perspective of this one!"

"Yes, in the past I only felt that his articles were pure in meaning and beautiful in style, but today, reading them, I feel a flowing Taoist charm and the style of ancient sages!" The bespectacled man said, frantically wiping his glasses with the corner of his clothes.
"'Only you and I, embracing all things and returning to their origin,' 'I will not lose myself, you will not lose yourself'... This is not the writing of a student, but clearly the work of a great Confucian scholar who has received the true teachings of the sages!"

"This unwavering commitment to one's principles and the magnanimity to accept whatever comes one way is something even we, who have spent half our lives immersed in this field, may not be able to fully comprehend!" The fat man trembled with excitement as he exclaimed, "I can be your teacher! I can be your teacher!"

"I never imagined that Wang Yangming could teach him to this extent. It's terrifying, truly terrifying!" The other two gentlemen exclaimed in astonishment.
"It seems the legend is true; the two of them attained enlightenment in Longchang!"

"..." Xiao Tixue's head was buzzing, and a chill ran down his spine in the middle of summer. It took him a long time to force a smile:

"Indeed, a fine sword is forged through tempering, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold. Well, it was right for Hongzhi to go to Longchang... better than following me."

The gentlemen thought to themselves, "This is no easy feat. The Master has finally admitted that he is inferior to others."

For someone like him, this is like the sun rising in the west...

~~
Jin Gui Xuan.

Su Lu and his brothers found a door panel and carried Su Youcai back.

Yan Xuezheng, a physician from the state, had been waiting at home for a long time. He quickly took the patient's pulse and diagnosed him, then performed moxibustion and acupuncture. It took him quite a while to come out of the hall.

The proprietress, supporting her aching back, ordered someone to serve tea to Doctor Yan, and then asked worriedly, "Doctor, what's wrong with my husband?"

"The two symptoms are mainly due to internal dampness and heat, which is commonly known as heatstroke." Doctor Yan took a sip of tea and said slowly, "The examination room is stuffy and crowded, and sweating is not smooth. The evil of summer heat and dampness invades the skin surface, obstructs the flow of qi, and consumes body fluids. The dampness is sticky and the summer heat damages the body fluids, so symptoms such as dizziness, dry mouth and tongue, and sticky sweat all over the body are seen."

As he spoke, he glanced at the proprietress's large belly and said:

"The symptoms are concurrent qi stagnation and blood stasis, and deficiency of liver and kidney. Su Xiangong was approaching forty years old, and his liver and kidney were gradually depleted, resulting in malnourishment of the lumbar muscles. Prolonged sitting caused stagnation of qi and blood in the lumbar region, and blockage of the meridians. Where there is no flow, there is pain, hence the stiffness, stabbing pain and soreness in the lumbar spine; prolonged holding of urine further affected the qi mechanism of the lower jiao, aggravating the internal obstruction of blood stasis."

"..." The proprietress blushed upon hearing this and asked, "Is it serious? How should I take care of it?" "It's nothing serious. Avoid heat and stay cool, rest quietly for a few days, and take some herbal medicine for a couple of days. The heatstroke will be fine," Yan Xuezheng said slowly.
"The problem with your lower back will require some effort. Acupuncture and massage will help improve blood circulation, and it will take ten days to half a month to fully recover. During this time, you must avoid prolonged sitting or exercise, otherwise it will worsen the condition."

"Then please don't let him take the exam tomorrow," the landlady said anxiously. "Nothing is more important than his health."

“Yes, Mother,” Su Lu said softly. “We’ll try to persuade Father later.”

Of course, he wouldn't tell outsiders that Brother Youcai had given up...

"Okay." The proprietress nodded and instructed, "See Doctor Yan off for me."

"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Doctor Yan." Su Lu then saw Doctor Yan out of the room, and Steward Tian carried the medicine box for Doctor Yan and casually put a red envelope inside.

~~
In the master bedroom in the backyard, Su Youcai lay on the bed, staring blankly at the books on the table.

The landlady came in, supported by her maid, sat on the edge of the bed, and took his hand.

"Husband, shall we skip the exam?"

“That’s what I mean too.” Su Youcai also grasped the landlady’s hand and sighed, “Actually, I can’t pass the exam. There are only seventy places in the whole province, and I can’t even get into the top seventy in Luzhou… but I just won’t be satisfied if I don’t try.”

He chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Hehe, now I'm completely free of worries."

“My husband is already very accomplished,” the landlady said. “In the past, our surrounding villages and towns couldn’t produce even one scholar for many years.”

"Right? I think I'm pretty good too." Su Youcai happily touched the landlady's belly, feeling the vitality of the little life, and said, "This is great, I can be there when the baby is born, so I don't have to leave you two behind on your trip to the capital for the imperial examination."

It's like he could have passed the exam without his back injury...

~~
In the east wing.

While massaging his sore arm muscles, Su Tai asked Su Man, "Brother, why doesn't it work on my father?"

“Our ancestor was Su Dongpo, not Guanyin Bodhisattva.” Chun Ge’er was always good at justifying himself and had already thought of a reason: “He can only bless his descendants with a spring of inspiration, but he can’t help them if they have health problems.”

"I see." Su Tai suddenly realized, "I thought that there were too many people to bless at once, and the ancestral power was not enough."

"Hiss..." Su Man touched her chin and gasped, "That's also possible."

He then instructed Su Tai, "From now on, do not pray to the ancestors for blessings on more than three occasions at the same time."

"Mhm." Su Tai quickly memorized his elder brother's instructions.

~~
By the early hours of the next day, only Su Man, Su Lu, and Su Dan remained to take the exam.

The three of them recounted yesterday's experience and smoothly entered the examination room.

Su Lu remained seated in his prime examination seat, waiting for the exam questions to be distributed.

The final exam combined the imperial edicts, judgments, and policy essays from the last two provincial exams into a single day for assessment.

Although the number of questions has been reduced to a minimum, today's exam workload is still very heavy.

The first question distributed this morning was an essay—"On the Essentials of Border Defense in Sichuan Province and Southwest China's Defense," which stated:
Why is Sichuan Province, with its strategic geographical location, considered the hub of southwestern defense? Throughout history, the governance of Sichuan's border regions has involved establishing prefectures and counties, appointing local chieftains, or stationing troops for defense. What lessons can be learned from their successes and failures? What are the key elements of Sichuan's border defense and southwestern defense?

Policy essays were also an extremely important literary form in the imperial examinations, with the final palace examination testing candidates on writing such essays. Candidates were required to base their arguments on classical texts and historical records, incorporate current political affairs, and ensure they were practical and applicable to practical governance; empty rhetoric was unacceptable.

Su Lu underwent rigorous training in policy essays at the academy. Moreover, his essay writing skills were fully demonstrated in policy essays, which was one of his strengths.

This essay question primarily tests the students' knowledge in areas such as military affairs, geography, history, and institutions in the southwest. It is highly comprehensive, but only requires a general discussion and is not very difficult.

If one can first analyze the key points of strategic advantage, then discuss the lessons learned in governance, and finally clarify the fundamentals of defense, with a coherent structure and writing style that conforms to the format of policy essays, then it should be considered acceptable.

Of course, to achieve excellence, one must have a solid foundation in classical texts and history, and be able to accurately cite historical facts. One must also possess considerable strategic vision and understand the strategic value of Sichuan Province as a geographical hub.

We must also understand the problems in the southwestern border defenses during the Zhengde reign in order to find the root of the problem and implement practical countermeasures, rather than just empty talk.

These are no problem for Su Lu now. He already possesses groundbreaking insights that his peers can only dream of, and with the old academy head's meticulous political training, he can see things clearly and get straight to the point.

The first question is: Why did Sichuan's strategic geographical location make it a crucial hub for the defense of Southwest China?

Su Lu replied: Because Sichuan is located in the heart of Southwest China, bordering Tibet to the west, Yunnan and Guizhou to the south, Hubei to the east, and Shaanxi and Gansu to the north, it has the dual value of being both a barrier and a hub.

Its high mountains and deep valleys form natural fortifications, providing defense against external threats. Furthermore, it controls passageways in all directions: to the east, it can receive supplies from Hubei; to the north, it can borrow reinforcements from Qin and Long; to the west, it protects Tibet; and to the south, it connects Yunnan and Guizhou, linking the defenses of the entire southwest region. This strategic location, controlling all directions and providing seamless connectivity, ensures that the southwest defenses are mutually supportive and interconnected, making it a crucial hub.

(End of this chapter)