Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 89 Mr. Baisha
Inside the private room on the second floor of Zuixianlou Restaurant in Hejiang County, the lights were already shining brightly.

The sky outside was overcast, and the window was half-open. The evening breeze, carrying moisture from the Yangtze River and Anle Creek, slowly drifted in, easing some of the summer heat.

The main seat is still empty; it must be Li Pan's seat, but he hasn't arrived yet.

The seats next to them were filled with local gentry, all prominent figures in Hejiang County.

Lu Beigu and Huang Jingji found seats; they were among the early arrivals, as Lu Guangyu and the other two hadn't arrived yet.

However, this was not considered impolite, because they really didn't have much time. After a day of exams, they had to go home to pack up, and it would take them some time to get here. They couldn't compare to the local gentry who had arrived much earlier.

The dishes were already laid out on the table. Although not all of them were served yet, one glance revealed that they were all hearty dishes. The cured pork platter was made of high-quality cured pork, with its red and white stripes and glossy sheen. There was also a water shield and silver fish soup, with the verdant water shield interspersed with tender silver fish, and the soup was clear and bright. There was also a steamed shad, with ginger shreds and scallions on its body, drizzled with sauce, and its fresh aroma was irresistible. There was also a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, made with freshly picked wild vegetables, which were vibrant green and fresh.

The wine was the most famous "Fengqu Fajiu" in the area, served in a celadon wine pot and paired with a small, plain white porcelain cup, for them to sip slowly.

Behind the screen on the east side, two female musicians, both dressed in plain-colored jackets and without heavy makeup, one holding a clapper and the other carrying a zither.

The two of them lightly plucked their fingers, playing the tune of "Bamboo Branch Song," the melody clear and gentle, neither hurried nor slow.

The most famous of the "Bamboo Branch Songs" is of course the line by Liu Yuxi of the Former Tang Dynasty, "The sun rises in the east while it rains in the west; it seems there is no sunshine, yet there is." But in fact, Liu Yuxi's source material was a folk song of the same name from the Luzhou area. These ditties called "Bamboo Branch Songs" mostly describe love or scenery and are widely circulated in Luzhou.

Occasionally, waiters would come to add wine or serve dishes, but they always moved slowly and deliberately, so as not to disturb the refined atmosphere.

The local gentry were all chatting quietly, and it was obviously inappropriate for the students to just sit there doing nothing.

With the arrival of Zhu Nanxing, who ranked second, Huang Jingji said, "If we can pass this early test and be selected as Mr. Baisha, then not only will it take us less time to catch up with those in the upper dormitory, but it's also not impossible for us to even try our luck in this year's state examination!"

"Yes, after all, this is Mr. Baisha."

Zhu Nanxing, who had just sat down, nodded and said, "Back then, those who studied with him at the foot of Baisha Mountain and became Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) could not be counted on one hand."

Lu Beigu frowned slightly as he listened.

Although he had some knowledge of Song Dynasty history, he couldn't possibly recite the names and titles of every slightly famous figure of that era.

So he asked directly, "May I ask what your name is, this 'Mr. Baisha' you two are talking about?"

Huang Jingji was taken aback, then replied: "Mr. Baisha's surname is Li and his given name is Tian. He was a Jinshi in the third year of Chunhua of Emperor Taizong. Later, when he returned to his hometown to observe mourning, he lectured at Baisha Mountain near Dujiangyan. During the Tiansheng era, he served as the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and Prefect of Rongzhou. Now he has just retired and returned to Sichuan, and has been invited by the Luzhou Prefectural School."

"Good heavens! A Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) from the third year of Emperor Taizong's Chun

Lu Beigu did a quick mental calculation and realized that this happened sixty-four years ago.

In other words, even if Mr. Baisha passed the imperial examination in his teens, he would be at least eighty years old now. His qualifications are truly impressive. And the fact that he was able to personally train several Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) under the extremely cruel imperial examination system of the Song Dynasty speaks volumes about his expertise in teaching the imperial examinations.

"No wonder you two are so interested in this quiz; I must admit I'm quite ignorant."

That's what he said, but Lu Beigu also had his doubts.

That's the kind of information that, in principle, should not be known to competitors. So why did Huang Jingji and Zhu Nanxing discuss it face to face?

Zhu Nanxing's subsequent answer, however, cleared up his doubts.

"Alas, we're just thinking about it. In previous years, very few people have passed the pre-exam quiz at the state school. It would be strange if anyone could pass. Moreover, this year we have the opportunity to select Mr. Baisha as a teacher, so the difficulty will only be higher. It's basically impossible for anyone to pass."

"We should give it a try," Huang Jingji asked. "Going to the prefecture to study is next month. Brother Lu, would you be interested in preparing for the quiz together during this time?"

“I would be delighted,” Lu Beigu replied.

In fact, Lu Beigu had already sensed during this period that his strength had reached a bottleneck and his progress was not as rapid as before.

With this level of ability, getting first place in the county exam is certainly not a problem. However, if one continues to rely on self-study in the state school, it will be difficult to get into the top school in a short period of time.

The reasoning behind this is quite simple. While studying and preparing for exams is different from preparing for bodybuilding competitions, where "three parts training, seven parts nutrition, and the remaining ninety parts relying on the coach's acupuncture," it still requires access to educational resources. Relying solely on one's own hard work will certainly not lead to the same speed of progress as someone who has both talent and expert guidance.

After all, those who could enter the state school were all top students in their respective county schools over the past ten years.

Which of these state students isn't talented? Yet they all struggle to get into top dorms in state schools.
Even if you are a genius, how can you guarantee that you can catch up with someone else's efforts of nearly ten years in just six months?
Therefore, if you want to pass the state exam this year and participate in the "Millennium Dragon and Tiger List", the boost from tutoring by renowned teachers is definitely indispensable.

Just how important is the guidance of a renowned teacher? You can see how significantly Lu Beigu's poetry and prose skills improved after Zhao Bian taught him. And this was only a short period of instruction.

"It seems that I should prepare seriously for this quiz and try my best to pass it," Lu Beigu thought to himself.

After waiting a little while longer, Lu Guangyu and another classmate arrived.

Finally, Li Pan arrived late.

"Your Excellency has arrived downstairs."

Before Li Pan even entered the room, everyone at the table quickly stood up. These local gentry from Hejiang County were well-informed and knew that this Marquis Baili was about to be promoted to judge of Luzhou, a higher rank, so naturally they dared not be negligent.

So this banquet, ostensibly to entertain the five students who entered the state academy this year, also had the intention of currying favor with Li Pan.

Li Pan wasn't wearing an official robe; he was dressed in a plain-colored round-necked robe with a leather belt around his waist. He came in, glanced at everyone, and smiled as he reached out to press his hand down.

"Please sit down, don't be shy."

Only after hearing these words did the gentry of Hejiang County dare to sit down.

Seeing this, Lu Beigu sighed inwardly, "It's true what they say: officials don't speak of power, yet every word they utter exudes authority."

Seeing that the main guest had arrived, Zuixianlou sped up the serving of dishes, and the waiters lined up to bring them up.

The braised mutton is tender and juicy with a glossy, dark brown sauce, and there's also tofu soup with shrimp, bamboo shoots, and river shrimp, among other dishes.
Then, a sensible gentleman clapped his hands lightly, summoning dancers to entertain the guests.

Unlike the female musicians with their light makeup and costumes, this group of dancers instantly attracted everyone's attention.

The four dancers were fully made up, with floral decorations on their foreheads and light rouge on their lips, making their skin look as white as snow, bright and elegant.

They were all dressed in crimson silk skirts, the hems embroidered with gold thread intertwined branches, and apricot-colored silk sashes tied around their waists. They stood quietly at the doorway.

At this moment, a female musician plucked a string with her fingertips, changed the key, and began to play the tune of "Zhezhi Yin".

The dancers entered gracefully, stepping to the rhythm of another female musician. Their wide sleeves fluttered like butterflies, and as their toes touched the ground, the silver bells adorning the hems of their skirts jingled softly.

The lead dancer held a gold-painted round fan, sometimes covering her face, sometimes opening it at an angle, the plum blossoms painted on the fan appearing and disappearing under the lamplight.

As the music quickened, the dancers suddenly began to twirl, their crimson skirts blooming like flower petals, their silk sashes fluttering, resembling a sudden burst of crimson smoke rising from the riverbank.

The most wonderful thing was the dancer holding the fan. She suddenly closed the fan and bent down. When she looked up again, the fan had been switched to her left hand, while her right hand held a newly picked flower, which she casually tossed onto the table.

The flower landed perfectly on the edge of the celadon dish in front of Li Pan, eliciting clapping and light laughter from the crowd.

As the music suddenly turned clear and melodious, the dancers gathered in the shape of lotus flowers, their wide sleeves layered like stamens.

As the last overtone faded away, they all curtsied, their foreheads glistening with sweat in the lamplight, like morning dew on flowers.

The music and dance were so captivating that the assembled officials were completely mesmerized.

Suddenly, the sound of a night-going ship's clapper came from outside the window, mixed with the lingering sound of a female musician's zither, as if adding a natural ending to "Zhezhi Yin".

"The dancers of Zuixianlou truly live up to their reputation!"

Li Pan laughed heartily as he spoke.

He then took the lead in picking up his wine cup and said something like, "The state school has a heavy workload, so you should all work hard."

As everyone toasted and drank, they naturally relaxed and became much more friendly with each other after a few drinks.

As dusk deepened outside the window, fishing lights twinkled on the river.

After drinking for about an hour, when the banquet ended and everyone dispersed, Li Pan specifically instructed the five students: "The state school examination is approaching, and Mr. Baisha has taken up a new teaching position. You should all make preparations as soon as possible."

Everyone agreed and then took their leave.

Lu Beigu, however, was left behind by Li Pan.

(End of this chapter)