Top Scholar

Chapter 473 A Table of Academic Geniuses (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Judging from Wang Ao's words, there are other hidden details in Tang Bohu's case, and it is not convenient to bring it up again at the moment.

Wang Ao was a fellow townsman and senior of Tang Bohu. Seeing his attitude, Su Lu naturally remained silent and respectfully asked his mentor for guidance on the palace examination...

“The questions for the palace examination are unpredictable. They should be drafted by the Grand Secretariat, but since the Emperor broke with convention and the provincial examinations were held in the examination hall, it’s possible that he will personally set the questions for the palace examination,” Wang Ao guessed.

"As for how the Emperor will set the questions, I am not familiar with the Emperor, how could I know?" He glanced at Su Lu meaningfully.

"I understand." Su Lu smiled awkwardly, it seemed that some things were no longer a secret.

Of course, if it weren't for that, he wouldn't have confronted Jiao Fang so directly.

Just then, the courtyard gate rang. Wang Ao stood up, making the most of the moment, and gave his final instructions:

"Before the palace examination, you still need to pay your respects to the Grand Secretary. He's your legitimate mentor. You've been in the capital for so long; wouldn't it be embarrassing if you didn't visit him? If you didn't pass the provincial examination, no one would criticize you, but once you pass, you can't be so impolite,"

"Yes, student, go as soon as possible." Su Lu hurriedly got up and nodded in agreement.

"And as for Grand Secretary Yang, he's the leader of your Sichuan officials. You should hurry up and pay him a visit, otherwise you'll look like you don't know any better." Wang Ao lowered his voice and said, "If they don't speak up for you during the palace examination, you'll be in an awkward situation."

"Understood." Su Lu replied again. It seems that the palace examination was not only about determining the winners and losers based on their essays, but also about understanding human relationships and social dynamics.

But since she had snatched the daughter-in-law that Grand Secretary Yang had reserved, it seemed even more awkward to go see him.

As they were talking, the master and his apprentice came out of the hall to greet them, and there came two scholars in their forties or fifties, dressed in casual robes, who entered the courtyard with a leisurely air.

"Haha, Mr. Zhenze, I heard that you just fought against Grand Secretary Jiao together with Hongzhi?" the older man teased.

"Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news spreads fast." Wang Ao said helplessly, "Today I really experienced Jiao Fang's arrogance. If it weren't for Hongzhi standing up for me, I'm afraid I would have become a laughing stock in the capital tomorrow."

"Now you realize how good it is to have students, right?" the man said with a smile.

"Of course," Wang Ao said, then introduced Su Lu, "This is Scholar Liang Houzhai."

Su Lu hurriedly bowed to Liang Chu and addressed him as "Teacher".

Wang Ao then introduced the younger official, saying, "This is Zhan Ganquan, the editor. He highly recommended your article, which was then selected by Scholar Liang."

Su Lu quickly bowed to Zhan Ruoshui, addressing her respectfully as 'Master Fang'.

"Wasn't it Mr. Zhenze who ultimately decided the top scholar?" Liang Chu laughed. "So the person we should thank the most is the chief examiner."

He was clearly more tactful than Wang Ao. As for Zhan Ruoshui, she naturally had to keep a low profile in front of the two chief examiners, and her temperament was not apparent.

The group entered the hall chatting and laughing. Liang Chu had brought two dishes, while Zhan Ruoshui had brought wine.

While waiting for the mutton to cook, Liang Chu asked Wang Ao, "Jiao Fang just went back like that?"

"What if he doesn't go back? Is he really going to lie on the ground and refuse to get up?" Wang Ao said irritably.

“What I mean is, you still need to be careful back at Wenyuan Pavilion, Senior,” Liang Chu said. “There’s no Hongzhi there to keep you in check.”

"It's alright, Hongzhi has already exposed him, so no one will take his arrogance seriously anymore," Wang Ao said calmly. "A smart person won't make a fool of themselves."

“We still need to be careful. How about we use a cane to go to the cabinet later?” Liang Chu said, glancing at Zhan Ruoshui. The latter then pulled out a sturdy dragon-taming wood cane from her sleeve and presented it to him with both hands.

"I bought this for you on our way here," Liang Chu said with a smile.

“I’m not even sixty yet…” Wang Ao said speechlessly.

"It's not for the Grand Secretary to use as a walking stick, it's mainly for you to use to beat dogs," Zhan Ruoshui said with a smile.

“That’s right, that’s right.” Liang Chu nodded and smiled.

"Thank you..." Wang Ao finally took it and tried it out; it was quite easy to use.

~~
After the four people sat down, the servant set out the bowls and chopsticks and poured the wine. Then the old servant brought in a black earthenware basin and placed it heavily on the table.

As soon as the lid was lifted, a fragrant aroma wafted out... Inside the pot was a refreshing boiled mutton, the marbled slices of meat perfectly poached in the boiling water, their edges slightly curled. Only a few scallion segments and ginger slices floated on the surface of the soup, not a speck of excess oil in sight.

It comes with a dish of salt and a dish of minced garlic, and no other dipping sauces.

“This tribute lamb should be cooked this simply. Too many seasonings will only ruin its original flavor and be a waste,” Wang Ao said, picking up the serving chopsticks and placing a boneless lamb rib on each of the three of them, presenting it like a treasure: “Try it!”

The three of them dipped the meat in the sauce as instructed and tasted it. The meat was tender and melted in their mouths. They could not taste any gamey or fishy smell, only a fresh and fragrant taste. They all praised it highly.

Wang Ao was the first to raise his wine cup: "Let's, the three of us teachers, celebrate Hongzhi's success together!" "That's only right." Liang Chu and Zhan Ruoshui responded by raising their cups, and Su Lu quickly stood up, holding the cup with both hands to thank the three teachers one by one, before tilting his head back and drinking the wine to the bottom.

After a round of drinks, Liang Chu suddenly laughed and said, "Actually, this sheep is worth it. Looking around the world, there has never been a sheep that could be surrounded and eaten by four Huiyuan."

As he spoke, he raised his wine cup and said, "Come on, let's have another drink, the four of us leaders!"

"Senior is too kind. I would never dare to impersonate the top scholar." Zhan Ruoshui quickly waved her hand and said, "The top scholar in my examination was Dong Bangyan. I was only second in the provincial examination."

He couldn't help but smile wryly as he spoke, "I never imagined that among all the people eating together, I would have the lowest ranking in the imperial examination."

"Hahaha, who told you to eat with three Huiyuan?" Wang Ao laughed loudly.

"How about your palace examination?" Liang Chu asked Zhan Ruoshui again.

"One of the two senior scholars is the third-place winner, and the other is the second-place winner. I am only the third-place winner in the second class, so there is no way I can compare," Zhan Ruoshui said helplessly.

This was a pastime enjoyed by civil officials, and those with the lowest educational backgrounds were left to be ridiculed. Zhan Ruoshui was usually the one making fun of others; she never imagined she would one day be the one being ridiculed...

Su Lu was also deeply shocked. Among the three teachers, even the worst one had achieved top scores, ranking second in the provincial examination and sixth in the palace examination. This was practically a gathering of academic geniuses! The kind of gathering where even the top students had to stand up to eat.

If he hadn't taken advantage of being reborn twice, he'd probably be serving tea and water. Eating mutton? He'd be lucky to even get a lamb's hoof to gnaw on…

"Hongzhi, you'd better work harder." At this moment, Liang Chu looked at him expectantly, "We already have the second and third place winners here, we're just missing the top scholar to make up the three top scholars!"

"Hehe, I've already encouraged him." Wang Ao stroked his beard and laughed, "If Hongzhi can win the Grand Slam for me, I'll roast that big black sheep to celebrate!"

"Hahaha, it seems the Grand Secretary still has a lot of pent-up anger!" Liang Chu and Zhan Ruoshui laughed and raised their glasses to Su Lu, saying, "Hongzhi, do your Grand Tutor a favor!"

~~
After several rounds of drinks, most of the mutton in the bowl had been eaten, and the three teachers had started talking non-stop.

However, with so many people around, it became inconvenient to speak privately, so the conversation naturally turned to Su Lu's essay for the imperial examination.

Zhan Ruoshui praised, "Hongzhi, all seven of your essays in the first session were solid and excellent, especially the first one, 'The Sage Serves in Lu,' which was like a ray of light piercing through the gloom, making people's eyes light up. When the Grand Secretary first read it, he was moved."

"She even shed tears," Liang Chu said with a mischievous smile.

"I didn't," Wang Ao said, his face flushing red. "I was just blinded by dust."

"Oh, you got something in your eye. I thought you were crying," Liang Chu joked, then turned to Su Lu, his smile fading.
"To be honest, I was surprised to see that you were so upright and refused to smear Wang Yangming, even at the cost of your life. I never expected that your writing would be so clear, insightful, and mature in its approach to governing the country!"

"Teacher, you flatter me," Su Lu quickly replied modestly. "I am a student of Master Yangming. Our school of thought emphasizes seeking truth and being pragmatic, integrating knowledge with action, and constantly refining our understanding and correcting our words and deeds through practice."

"What I saw and heard on my way to Beijing was shocking. The political situation was like a raging inferno, like boiling soup, making it hard to remain aloof." He paused and said in a deep voice, "As my understanding changed, my writing naturally changed as well."

"Well said! Let's drink a toast!" Wang Ao, already somewhat drunk, slapped the table and raised his cup in delight, saying, "With such a fine disciple, what more could I ask for?"

"Your scholarship is truly impressive," Liang Chu said with interest. "I heard that you gave ten lectures in Nanjing, drawing huge crowds, and even Yang Shizong and a few others became your fans?"

"That's all thanks to the seniors, not because I spoke so well," Su Lu quickly said modestly. "Besides, what I'm talking about is my master's enlightenment in Longchang. I'm just passing it on."

"Enlightenment in Longchang?" Zhan Ruoshui became interested and leaned forward. "Back then, Yangming and I discussed the Dao in the capital. We both followed Lu Xun's teachings, but his understanding of the mind differed from mine. Yangming's concept of the mind refers to the inner inch of the heart, while my concept of the mind encompasses all things without being bound by tradition."

As he spoke, he asked Su Lu, "After attaining enlightenment, did Yangming's mind change?"

“Of course.” Su Lu nodded and said solemnly, “Reporting to Master Fang, my master’s enlightenment at Longchang has transcended the old doctrines—the heart is not just a matter of conscience, but also contains the ‘ability to perceive all things’!”

"Therefore, the 'mind' of the present-day Tongxue not only inherits the essence of Lu Xue's 'illuminating virtue' but also incorporates the reality of Zhu Xi's 'investigating things,' encompassing both substance and function, and recognizing the common origin of self and things. It has long since transcended the framework of merely discussing mind and nature in the past..."

These words not only caught Zhan Ruoshui's eye, but also piqued the interest of Wang Ao and Liang Chu.

The two initially thought it was just a novel idea from a younger generation, but they were surprised to find that it sounded quite profound and insightful.

"You and your disciple have quite the ambition, wanting to reconcile Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan? The Goose Lake debate didn't even reach a conclusion, and you think you can resolve it?" Liang Chu laughed.
"After the palace examination, you can tell us the details."

“Yes, we’ll have to listen to your profound theories then,” Wang Ao nodded in agreement.

"Yes," Su Lu hurriedly replied respectfully. Gaining the approval of two Grand Secretaries, especially Mr. Zhenze, was of great significance to the study of Taoism.

Although Zhan Ruoshui really wanted to ask Su Lu for advice on the spot, he could only hold back for now since his two superiors had said so.

P.S. The next chapter will be available tomorrow morning. Please vote with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)