Di Ming

Chapter 122 Jealousy

More than forty classmates, ranging from thirteen or fourteen-year-old boys to forty or fifty-year-old men, all stared intently at Zhu Yin.

His eyes held a range of emotions: curiosity, surprise, jealousy, disdain, and more.

So young to study at the Imperial College?

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhu Yin remained calm and composed, bowing to Assistant Instructor Li as if no one else was around, and said, "Student Zhu Yin greets Teacher Li!"

Then, they knelt down solemnly and kowtowed.

Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher – of course, one should bow to one's teacher upon first meeting them!
Otherwise, it would be an indecent act, a depraved act.

Zhu Yin knew that the teaching assistant Li who was sitting in the classroom to give lectures was now his teacher.

According to the Imperial Academy system, the Chongzhi Hall had fifteen assistant instructors of the eighth rank, ten academic directors of the ninth rank, and seven academic registrars of the ninth rank.

Teaching assistants are essentially like homeroom teachers. Student coordinators are more like counselors.

Assistant Instructor Li had, of course, been informed long ago. He nodded and stroked his beard with an air of nonchalance, and smiled:
"No need for formalities, stand up and speak."

"Yes!" Zhu Yin then stood up, without brushing the dust off his clothes.

Teaching Assistant Li was about fifty years old, with a kind and honest appearance, but he immediately began to speak:
"Zhu Yin, you entered the Imperial Academy at the age of ten, which is unprecedented in our dynasty. Although you were admitted through merit and donation, since you have come to Nanjing to study, you should know the words of the sages."

“Then you will recite the original text of the Great Learning and listen to it. This is an entrance course, and an interview is required.”

It means that since you've come to study at the Imperial Academy, you must have some skills. This interview is unavoidable.

Is it intentional to make things difficult for Zhu Yin by having him recite the original text of "The Great Learning" right from the start?
No.

Because the original text of "The Great Learning" only has more than two hundred characters, it is easy to memorize and is the simplest of the Four Books and Five Classics.

Furthermore, the Ming Dynasty's imperial examinations placed great emphasis on memorization. Half of the curriculum in official schools consisted of memorization. Memorization was a fundamental skill. Memorizing the Four Books and Five Classics was merely the foundation.

In other words, it's not surprising that a child who has studied in a rural community school for a few years could recite the original text of the Great Learning.

As for the more advanced students, they would be able to recite it 100%.

Assistant Li was less putting things in a difficult position and more lenient towards the student.

Even so, many people still believe that Zhu Yin may not have been able to recite the original text of the Great Learning fluently.

"Yes, sir!" Zhu Yin recited calmly and clearly.
"The Great Learning teaches us to manifest our bright virtue, to love the people, and to abide in perfect goodness. Knowing where to rest, we can then be resolute; being resolute, we can then be calm; being calm, we can then be at peace; being at peace, we can then deliberate; deliberating, we can then attain. Things have their roots and branches, affairs have their beginnings and ends. Knowing what comes first and what comes last, we are close to the Way..."

That's child's play. He memorized the entire "Great Learning" text, which has over two hundred characters, word for word, and was very fluent in it.

Simple?

It's only a little over two hundred words, it's really simple.

However, even these two hundred words are something that many humanities professors and PhDs in later generations could not memorize; they might only know a few sentences.

Many people in later generations thought that the Great Learning was very long, but the original text is actually only a little over two hundred characters. Even if you include the "commentary," that is, the combined text and commentary of the Great Learning, it is only two thousand characters.

When everyone heard Zhu Yin recite the entire Great Learning, they were quite surprised and seemed to look at him with new respect.

It's not because Zhu Yin could recite the entire Great Learning from memory; that's nothing special.

It was Zhu Yin's magnanimity that made him famous!
This child was entering the Imperial Academy for the first time. Despite his young age, he remained completely calm in front of his teachers and senior students.

Despite his young age, he was composed and elegant in his speech and manner. Although his voice was clear and childlike, it was deep and resonant, with a rhythmic cadence, like a scholar reciting poetry in Luoyang.

He was clearly just a child, yet he already possessed the demeanor of a renowned scholar.

He acts like he's seen it all. He's hardly like a child.
This young man is most likely a scion of some powerful and wealthy family.

In reality, only Zhu Yin himself knew that he was reciting the Great Learning in the style of theatrical recitation.

But in the eyes of others, it became the Wei-Jin style that the scholar from Luoyang was praising.

Because the style of Ming Dynasty scholars reciting texts was rigid and formal, using the "Hongwu Zhengyun" to recite in a clear and accurate manner, it was more formal than elegant and lacked the free and unrestrained style of the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

In Zhu Yin's view, it is more about functionality than aesthetics.

Teaching Assistant Li showed a hint of appreciation and smiled, "You have the style of the Wei and Jin dynasties, don't you? Excellent. Hmm, recite the third and fourth chapters of 'Zhangju' again."

The difficulty has increased a bit.

But for Zhu Yin, who already had a foundation in the subject, it was child's play. Zhu Yin began to recite:

The inscription on Tang's bronze basin reads: "If you can improve yourself one day, improve yourself every day, and keep improving yourself... Although Zhou is an old state, its mandate is ever new. Therefore, the superior man will spare no effort in pursuing it."

The Book of Poetry says, "The capital region is a thousand li in circumference, where the people dwell." The Book of Poetry also says, "The yellow bird, so delicate and graceful, perches on the hill." Confucius said, "...Can a man be inferior to a bird?"

"...The venerable King Wen, in his benevolence and reverence, was a ruler who exemplified benevolence; a minister who exemplified respect; a son who exemplified filial piety; a father who exemplified compassion; and in his dealings with the people of his state, who exemplified trustworthiness..."

In a short while, Zhu Yin finished reciting it fluently.

His tone was also that of a stage recitation, what many considered the "recitation of a scholar from Luoyang." Moreover, he possessed perfectly timed body language. It was a delight to watch.

It was less of an endorsement and more of a performance, and it was very engaging.

Assistant Professor Li's evaluation of Zhu Yin was even higher.

It's easy to memorize the "Chapter and Sentence" text; which student here doesn't know it by heart?

But it's truly remarkable for a child to recite the "Chapter and Sentence" with such profound meaning. It is in the ordinary that the extraordinary is found.

Seeing that Assistant Professor Li appreciated Zhu Yin, someone couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark:
“Teacher Li, Zhu Yin is so young. Since he has entered the Imperial Academy to study, his talent must be exceptional. He is probably a child prodigy. However, the questions you set are too easy.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction of the voice. He saw a boy of about thirteen or fourteen years old, with red lips, white teeth, and a face as handsome as jade.

Although he was very good-looking, his mean expression was somewhat disfiguring and made him appear unrefined.

A student who dares to speak to a teaching assistant like that must come from a wealthy or noble family.

Upon seeing this, Assistant Instructor Li frowned slightly and sighed inwardly.

This man was named Wang Ruifang, the grandson of Wang Shizhen, the current Minister of Justice in Nanjing and a leading figure in the literary world. He came from the prestigious Wang clan of Taicang, a family with a long history of official service.

The Wang family of Taicang is a descendant of the Wang family of Langya, a renowned and prominent family in Jiangnan. For generations, they have held high-ranking official positions.

Not to mention that Wang Ruifang is Wang Shizhen's grandson, the prestigious status of the Wang family in Taicang alone is something that an assistant instructor like him cannot ignore.

Therefore, even though he was a teacher, he did not reprimand Wang Ruifang.

At the Imperial College, there were many students like Wang Ruifang, and teachers could not easily offend them.

Even the dignity of teachers can only maintain a superficial appearance in the face of the powerful and wealthy.

The reason Wang Ruifang made things difficult for Zhu Yin was that once Zhu Yin arrived, he was no longer the youngest student in Chongzhitang.

He entered the Imperial Academy at the age of thirteen, considering himself a child prodigy and proud of his family background. He was always arrogant and thought he had definitely passed the level of a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination), that passing the provincial-level imperial examination would be easy, and that passing the metropolitan-level imperial examination would not be far off.

But Zhu Yin is even younger than him. What qualifications does he have to enter the Imperial Academy? And what merit does he have to be admitted to the academy? He's only ten years old. What merit could he possibly have?

He wasn't afraid of offending Zhu Yin. In Nanjing, he didn't even care about the Xu or Zhao families, let alone anyone with the surname Zhu.

Anyway, they weren't members of the imperial family, and members of the imperial family wouldn't come to the Imperial Academy to study.

As soon as Wang Ruifang spoke, several sons of officials also laughed and said:
“Yes, Teacher Li, Zhu Yin must be a child prodigy. Otherwise, how could he be a scholar of Nanyong at such a young age? He should be asked to compose a poem on the spot, which would be more in line with the purpose of an interview examination.”

These teenagers echoed Wang Ruifang's words not only out of flattery, but also out of jealousy.

It's too much to be jealous that Zhu Yin entered the Imperial Academy at the age of ten.

Even if it's a donation, they shouldn't be enrolled at such a young age. As for merit... isn't that nonsense? Teacher Li's interview lesson was rather simple. Zhu Yin suddenly felt like laughing. These people are really too naive.

Interesting? How old are you?
Assistant Instructor Li looked slightly annoyed and was about to speak when a student of about thirty years old timidly said:
“Junior Brother Wang, Junior Brother Zhu is only ten years old, yet he can already recite the entire text fluently. Doesn’t this lesson count as passing? If Master Li gives him a difficult question, it might embarrass him…”

Wang Ruifang was only thirteen, yet she showed no politeness to this thirty-year-old senior brother, coldly saying:

"Senior Brother Mo, do you think Junior Brother Zhu is like you? He's a child prodigy! What's so special about reciting the 'Chapter and Sentence'? You like to dabble in these trivial skills of mathematics, neglecting your proper studies. How can you compare to Junior Brother Zhu?"

That senior brother Mo, who had originally spoken up for Zhu Yin, immediately argued upon hearing "mathematics is a minor path":
"How can mathematics be considered a minor skill? Mathematics has great uses; it is the Way, the Way of Numbers, with endless mysteries. That's prejudice on your part."

"Not a minor path?" Wang Ruifang sneered. "Listen to what Senior Brother Mo is saying. If mathematics is also a path, why isn't it tested in the imperial examinations or taught in schools? Are you saying that the entire court, with its wise ruler and virtuous ministers, is less intelligent than you?"

A scholar said, “Mo Shao is foolish! If you continue to indulge in trivial mathematical skills, you can forget about ever becoming a scholar. What use is mathematics other than calculating numbers? Has the sage ever spoken of mathematics?”

Teaching Assistant Li said, "Stop arguing. Mo Shao, your studies are the most important thing. If you continue to be obsessed with arithmetic and miss the monthly exam, even I can't help you."

"If you fail the monthly exams multiple times, the disciplinary office will naturally cancel your enrollment and expel you."

Mo Shao could only stand up and say with a dejected expression, "Yes, student humbly accepts your teachings."

This diverted the conversation from what had just begun, and Wang Ruifang, finding it difficult to revisit the topic, suggested increasing the difficulty of the assessment for Zhu Yin.

Teaching assistant Li waved to Zhu Yin, "Find a seat and sit down. Study on your own."

After saying this, he glanced at Wang Ruifang, got up and left the classroom.

Under everyone's gaze, Zhu Yin leisurely found a seat and sat down in the empty seat next to Mo Shao.

This was not only because Mo Shao spoke up for him earlier, but also because Mo Shao liked to study mathematics.

Based solely on Mo Shao's statement that "mathematics is the way of numbers, infinitely wondrous," Zhu Yin considered him a talented individual.

Wang Ruifang and the other teenagers exchanged glances and smiled knowingly as they watched Zhu Yin sit down as if nothing had happened.

Zhu Yin opened the book box, took out all the textbooks and writing implements, and placed them on the large desk.

The curriculum for liberal arts students at the Imperial College was not limited to the Four Books and the Six Classics (not the Five Classics). Students also studied various histories and philosophical works, as well as works such as the Great Proclamation, the Great Ming Code, the Garden of Stories, and the Complete Collection of Human Nature and Principles.

In addition to these, students also need to learn calligraphy, archery, agronomy, horseback riding, and so on.

To be fair, the learning content was not singular.

Unfortunately, archery and farming were merely formalities; no one could teach them, and no one was willing to learn them.

Even worse, there's no math!

If he had mathematics, Zhu Yin's advantage would be even greater.

Zhu Yin glanced at Mo Shao's desk next to him and found that there were indeed mathematics books on it.

This Mo Shao is truly unique.

Zhu Yin held the education system of the Ming Dynasty in utter contempt.

The educational philosophy of the Ming Dynasty was a regression, and its purpose was entirely to maintain its rule.

From the Qin and Han dynasties to the Tang and Song dynasties, mathematics education was consistently valued. In the Tang dynasty, there were even special mathematics examinations for selecting officials. In the Song dynasty, mathematics remained an important subject.

Therefore, during the Tang and Song dynasties, China's classical science and technology far surpassed the world, and a great number of mathematicians emerged, making it the pinnacle of ancient mathematics.

By the Southern Song Dynasty, it had already reached the rudimentary level of advanced mathematics that would later become known, leading the West by hundreds of years.

Meanwhile, Europe at the same time was still technologically backward. Even the brilliant Arab and Indian civilizations could not compare with those of the Tang and Song dynasties.

During that period, we were truly far ahead.

However, by the Ming Dynasty, even mathematics education had been abandoned.

In the twenty-sixth year of the Hongwu reign, the Imperial Academy (Guozijian) officially abolished mathematics and ceased to exist.

Subsequently, mathematics was no longer tested in the imperial examinations.

The imperial examinations not only tested candidates on the Four Books and Five Classics and required them to speak on behalf of the sages, but also required them to write eight-legged essays and use Zhu Xi's "Collected Commentaries on the Four Books" as the standard answer.

At the same time, all local government schools, including prefectural schools, state schools, county schools, and community schools, abolished mathematics as a subject.

After the early Ming Dynasty, people in the Ming Dynasty could no longer understand Song Dynasty mathematics.

That's right, they couldn't understand it anymore. Song Dynasty mathematics seemed too profound and obscure to the Ming Dynasty scholars, so they simply left it unexplored.

Indeterminate equations, univariate higher-order equations, the Tianyuan method, and the Siyuan method were basically lost during the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing that Mo Shao was still flipping through a book called "Ten Mathematical Classics," Zhu Yin couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother Mo, are these mathematics books your own?"

Ironically, the "Ten Books on Arithmetic" was a textbook used in the Imperial Academy during the Tang Dynasty. However, in the Ming Dynasty, it became an extracurricular reading material in the same Imperial Academy.

Mo Shao looked up as if waking from a dream, and said with an embarrassed smile, "I'm ashamed, Junior Brother Zhu, I borrowed these scriptures from the Imperial Library in the Classics Hall."

He said in a low voice, "I came to the Imperial Academy mainly to borrow these books."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin couldn't help but feel a little sad.

“Senior Brother Mo, I also like arithmetic. Please teach me more in the future,” Zhu Yin said.

"Really?" Mo Shao's eyes lit up, then darkened. "Let's forget it. Junior Brother Zhu, you must prioritize your studies. Don't be like me, so addicted to this. If I were to teach you, it would ruin your future."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin couldn't help but smile.

This Senior Brother Mo is a kind and honest gentleman.

Unfortunately, throughout history and across the world, such people often do not fare well.

In just one morning, Zhu Yin became familiar with the curriculum of the Imperial College.

Memorize it today, and you'll be able to talk about it tomorrow.

I practice calligraphy by writing two hundred large characters every day.

On the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, one can go to the archery range, horse farm, and vegetable garden to practice riding and archery, and to grow vegetables.

Zhu Yin recited the Four Books and Five Classics for a while to familiarize himself with them, and then began to practice calligraphy.

If you can't finish writing two hundred large characters, you won't finish the lesson and you'll be punished.

Zhu Yin has loved calligraphy since childhood and has practiced it in his spare time for twenty years. He has copied many famous calligraphic works and has already achieved a certain level of proficiency in calligraphy.

Even though he is young and lacks wrist strength, his calligraphy is still very well-structured and has a remarkable style.

His writing immediately attracted the attention of those around him.

"Huh?" Everyone was surprised when they saw Zhu Yin's handwriting.

A ten-year-old child can actually write characters with such skill!
Wang Ruifang noticed it soon after, and when he stood up and looked at it, he couldn't help but frown.

Zhu Yin's calligraphy was actually better than his own.

If you didn't know better, you'd think it was written by an older scholar.

Looking at Zhu Yin, who was sitting upright with his hair in two topknots and writing large characters with great care, Wang Ruifang felt as if she had swallowed a fly, and was extremely disgusted.

P.S.: That's all for today. I had something to do today…

(End of this chapter)