A Poor Man's Son-in-Law: He Picks Up the Daughter of a Duke's Mansion at the Start

Outside the window, the sky was still a pale gray, and the faint sound of a night watchman's drum drifted from afar—it was dawn. He got up quietly, careful not to wake Zhang Zhiqing. But Zhang Zhiqing was also awake, rubbing his eyes as he sat up: "So early?"

"Isn't the lecture supposed to be at Chenshi (7-9 AM)? We need to get there early and get a good spot," Lu Qingyan said, opening his eyes.

Zhang Zhiqing beside him had already gotten up and was quietly putting on his clothes. The two exchanged a glance, but neither spoke, and they continued getting ready.

In the kitchen, Du Wei's door was tightly shut—he had said last night that they would get up early together, but he still couldn't. Zhang Zhiqing had written a note and stuck it on the table: "We're going to the prefectural school; there's porridge in the pot."

The streets were still quiet, with only a few early-rising vendors setting up their stalls. The vendors selling soy milk and fried dough sticks, as well as steaming buns and wontons, had just lit their stoves, and wisps of steam rose gently in the morning light.

When I arrived at the prefectural school, there were already more than twenty people gathered at the entrance. There were more than yesterday, including young faces as well as older students in their thirties and forties. They were talking in hushed tones, and every now and then someone would take out a book to read.

At precisely Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the main gate opened. The crowd filed in and took their seats in the open space in front of the Minglun Hall. Many people had come today, and some in the back had brought their own small stools.

Instructor Chen arrived on time. He was still lecturing on Mencius today, but he had chosen a different passage. He first had the students recite it, then explained it, and then asked questions. The process was similar to yesterday, but the content was more in-depth.

Lu Qingyan listened attentively. He realized that his previous understanding of Mencius was still superficial. When Instructor Chen talked about "benevolent governance," he not only explained the original meaning of the text, but also connected it to the current political situation, explaining how to apply the way of the sages to practical matters.

This is true learning—not empty talk, but practical application.

Halfway through the lecture, Instructor Chen suddenly said, "In the seventh year of Yonghe (1491), the northern border suffered a drought, and the imperial court allocated grain for relief, but corruption emerged. If this were the topic of your policy essay, how would you compose one?"

A moment of silence fell over the hall. A scholar in his thirties stood up: "In my opinion, corruption should be thoroughly investigated to serve as a warning to others..."

After listening, Instructor Chen shook his head: "You only talked about punishment, not prevention. Think about it again."

Another scholar stood up: "We should improve oversight and establish an inspection system..."

"It's still too shallow." Instructor Chen's gaze swept over everyone. "Lu Qingyan, what do you say?"

Lu Qingyan stood up and pondered for a moment: "I believe this matter can be discussed from three aspects. First, the institutional level—how to improve the distribution and supervision process of disaster relief funds. Second, the personnel level—the standards and assessments for selecting officials. Third, the educational level—how to cultivate a sense of shame and integrity in officials. Only by combining these three aspects can we address the root cause."

A hint of approval flashed in Instructor Chen's eyes: "Sit down. This is the practice of 'benevolent governance'—not just punishing evil, but also establishing systems, selecting people, and educating people. You study not to memorize, but to govern the world and benefit the people."

These words caused many scholars to lower their heads and ponder.

After school, several scholars gathered around: "Brother Lu, your insights are profound." "What you just said was indeed insightful."

One of them, a man in his late twenties with a thin face and wearing a faded blue shirt, cupped his hands and said, "I am Zhou Wenyuan, also here to take the imperial examination. What Brother Lu just said resonates with me."

Lu Qingyan returned the greeting: "Brother Zhou, you flatter me."

Zhou Wenyuan spoke sincerely: "I took the imperial examination three times, but failed each time. I always felt that I hadn't studied enough. After hearing what Brother Lu said today, I realized that my problem was my way of thinking—I was always getting caught up in the words and phrases and forgetting the fundamentals of learning."

Zhang Zhiqing also said, "Instructor Chen taught well."

The group walked out talking. Zhou Wenyuan lived in the south of the city, also renting a house for 600 coins a month, cheaper than Lu Qingyan and the others, but further away. He said that to save money, he walked 45 minutes to the prefectural school every day.

"Brother Zhou is very hardworking," Zhang Zhiqing remarked.

"There's no other way," Zhou Wenyuan said with a wry smile. "It wasn't easy for my family to support my education, so we have to save money wherever we can."

As they parted, Zhou Wenyuan said, "We will be giving a lecture in three days. Let's come early, sit together, and learn from each other."

Back at their lodgings, Du Wei had just gotten up and was yawning in the yard: "You're back? Was the lecture interesting?"

"Interesting," Zhang Zhiqing said. "Instructor Chen asked about policy essays, and Qingyan answered well."

Du Wei blinked: "Policy essays? That's my biggest headache."

At noon, the three of them had a simple lunch. After lunch, Lu Qingyan began to organize what he had learned that day. He wrote down the key points that Instructor Chen had made, and then combined them with the books he had read before to do some further thinking.

Zhang Zhiqing was practicing calligraphy. Du Wei read for a while, then got restless and said he was going to buy ink. Lu Qingyan suddenly remembered something and called out to him, "Brother Du, could you bring me a ream of paper, the cheapest kind?"

"The cheapest one? For writing articles?"

"Yes, for practicing calligraphy drafts."

After Du Wei left, Lu Qingyan continued writing. He decided to compile the "benevolent governance and practice" lecture given by Instructor Chen that day into a short essay, both as practice and to consolidate his knowledge.

Halfway through writing, Zhang Zhiqing came over to look at it: "Qingyan, your article... has a clear structure and solid arguments, unlike what a novice would write."

"Brother Zhang, you flatter me."

"I'm serious," Zhang Zhiqing said earnestly. "The essay section of the provincial examination requires this kind of foundation. You'll definitely pass."

Lu Qingyan smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Brother Zhang."

In the evening, Du Wei returned, bringing not only paper and ink but also some news: "Did you know? There's a 'Scholars' Association' in the prefectural city, specifically for poor scholars to help each other. They meet on the first and fifteenth of each month to exchange knowledge, and they even provide a meal."

"Meals provided?" Zhang Zhiqing was somewhat skeptical.

"It's true," Du Wei said. "I heard it from the bookseller. It was built with donations from some local gentry, and it's located in the Wenchang Temple in the west of the city."

Lu Qingyan's heart skipped a beat: "The first day of the month... is the day after tomorrow."

"Yes, shall we go and take a look?" Du Wei asked enthusiastically. "I heard that most of the people going are students from poor families. Maybe we can make some friends."

Zhang Zhiqing thought for a moment and said, "It would be good to go and take a look. Communicating with more people is beneficial to learning."

The next day, Lu Qingyan went to the bookstore and handed in the latest chapter of his storybook. The shopkeeper looked at it and nodded: "Not bad, the plot is tight, and readers love it. After you finish this one, you can try writing a longer novel, the kind with twenty or thirty chapters; it will sell for a higher price."

"I'll think about it."

After leaving the bookstore, he walked slowly down the street. As he passed a pawnshop, he saw a scholar-looking man go in carrying a bundle and come out with some copper coins in his hand, looking somber.

On the path to the imperial examinations, countless people have lost everything.

Back at his lodgings, Zhou Wenyuan arrived. He held several pages of paper in his hand: "Brother Lu, this is the policy essay I wrote last night. I'd like you to take a look."

Lu Qingyan took it. The article was well-written, but as Zhou Wenyuan said, it was indeed somewhat rigid in its wording and lacked breadth. He read it carefully and offered several suggestions.

Zhou Wenyuan nodded repeatedly upon hearing this: "Brother Lu is right. I was always thinking about 'elegance' and 'skill,' but I lost sight of the original intention."

The two discussed the precautions for the provincial examination for a while. Zhou Wenyuan, who had taken the exam three times, had a lot of experience: "During the provincial examination, the paper must be neat. The handwriting doesn't have to be excellent, but it must be legible. Mistakes and corrections are a big no-no."

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Zhou."

After Zhou Wenyuan left, Lu Qingyan wrote down his words. These details were indeed important.

That evening, the three of them had a simple dinner. Du Wei mentioned the gathering of poor scholars the next day: "I heard that the Wenchang Temple is not far from here, only a fifteen-minute walk away. It starts at Chenshi (7-9 AM), so let's go early."

Zhang Zhiqing nodded: "Okay."