Top Scholar

Chapter 76 Imperial Examination Families
Daonan Hall, in the headmaster's study.

Zhu Liu, whose time was precious, actually started chatting with a student who had only been enrolled for three months.

He lowered his voice and said, "This is actually the same approach taken by the aristocratic families of the Jin Dynasty."

"Does monopolizing knowledge ensure that the family remains forever in a superior position?" Su Lu said softly.

“That’s right!” Zhu Liu’s eyes flashed, and he couldn’t help but stand up. This young man’s wisdom was too great; he could even get to the heart of such an obscure and secretive topic.

This is a sharp and insightful quality that I never felt when chatting with Qian Huai-ren, or even those scholars and officials from Luzhou!

He then got up and sat down next to Su Lu, asking curiously, "Have you read the Zizhi Tongjian, the Book of Jin, and the History of the Southern Dynasties?"

"I'm ashamed to say that I haven't read a single history book," Su Lu said embarrassedly. "I've only memorized 'An Outline of Historiography'."

Actually, there was also a set called "Five Thousand Years of Chinese History"...

"History books still need to be read..." Zhu Liu chuckled, never imagining that ignorance and insight could coexist in one person, and so naturally.

He solemnly instructed Su Lu: "Don't mistakenly believe that you can enter the inner circle just by relying on the eight-legged essay. Even if you're just passing the county-level exam, you need to be well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge, including astronomy, geography, military affairs, politics, and current events..."

"Yes, student will keep that in mind." Su Lu replied softly, "However, the most urgent task is to improve my writing skills and strive to stay in the academy."

"That's true, let's take it slow." Zhu Liu nodded, then returned to the previous topic:
"If you read history books, you'll know that although powerful clans no longer exist, many people still yearn for them and want to make their families like those..."

"Are there still families like this now?" Su Lu asked softly.

"Of course." Zhu Liu nodded, his expression complicated. "Not to mention those far away, just in our Sichuan region alone, there are the Yang family of Xindu, the Jian and Liu families of Baxian, the Jin family of Mianzhou, the Hu family of Jingyan... and many other families with a history of passing the imperial examinations."

"Among them, the Jian family of Ba County are descendants of Jian Taishi, an important minister of the Six Dynasties. Their lineage has lasted for a hundred years, comparable to ancient aristocratic families. There are also rising stars like the Yang family of Xindu, who produced three Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations)..." Zhu Liu introduced.

"The Yang family of Xindu? Yang Shen?" Su Lu finally heard a name he recognized.

"Oh? You've also heard of Yang the Prodigy?" Zhu Liu asked, somewhat surprised.

"That young man had been studying with Scholar Yang in the capital. I thought he was only famous in Beijing and Chengdu. I never expected that his fame would spread to our poor, remote village."

"I've only heard my elder brother mention him, I only know his name," Su Lu said softly, thinking to himself, "I even know his poem 'Linjiang Xian,' hehe..."

“That young man is about your age, maybe a few years older,” Zhu Liu introduced with great interest.

"However, their backgrounds and circumstances were worlds apart—his grandfather, Yang Chun, was a Jinshi in the seventeenth year of the Chenghua reign and rose to the position of Vice Commissioner of Huguang. His father, Yang Tinghe, was a Jinshi in the fourteenth year of the Chenghua reign, three years earlier than his grandfather."

"Is Scholar Yang really that amazing?" Su Lu exclaimed in astonishment.

"Of course! Scholar Yang passed the provincial examination at the age of twelve, became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) at nineteen, and was appointed to the Hanlin Academy. Later, he served as a lecturer to the Crown Prince, participated in the compilation of the 'Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty,' and was promoted to the position of Left Grand Secretary of the Spring Palace, a post that had not been filled for fifty years. His entry into the cabinet and becoming a prime minister was a certainty." Even Zhu Liu said with envy:
"It's practically the perfect life that we scholars dream of."

"I wouldn't even dare to dream of something this beautiful," Su Lu said with a wry smile.

In his past life, he thought those historical figures were just names. But now that he's actually there, he realizes how unattainable those names are.

“Hehe, that’s normal…” Zhu Liu laughed loudly: “The glory of the Yang family is something that ordinary people wouldn’t even dare to dream of. In the twelfth year of the Hongzhi reign, Yang Tingyi, the younger brother of Scholar Yang, passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, and he also had two other brothers who passed the provincial examination.”

"What a family blessed with the best talents!" Su Lu exclaimed.

"Yes, the Yang family has a long line of scholars. Now, Yang Shen, the son of Scholar Yang, has grown up. The boy's talent is no less than his father's, and he has abundant resources. He has been taught by Hanlin scholars since childhood, and a couple of years ago, he was even taken as a disciple by Grand Secretary Li Chaling."

"Li Dongyang, the Second Grand Secretary?" Su Lu asked softly. He had heard his uncle mention him; this man was an idol to all military households in the country.

“That’s right.” Zhu Liu nodded and said, “Not only is Grand Secretary Li in a high position and powerful, but he is also the founder of the Chaling Poetry School. His talent and learning are first-class. He greatly admires Yang the Prodigy and calls him ‘young friend’.”

"It would be hard for him not to become famous then." Su Lu touched his nose, it would be a lie to say he wasn't envious. He himself was living a hard life in the mountains, his lifelong dream was to pass the imperial examination at the county level and be praised by a scholar, which would make him overjoyed.

They were born into privilege, surrounded by high-ranking officials, literary leaders, and learned from the second-highest-ranking official in the cabinet...

The circumstances of these people are truly worlds apart.

"Envious, kid?" Zhu Liu deliberately stirred up the fire in his heart, patting Su Lu's shoulder and saying expectantly:

"You may not become Yang Shen in this lifetime, but you can become the second Yang Tinghe."

"The headmaster thinks too highly of me," Su Lu couldn't help but smile wryly, thinking to himself, "Then I'd be like Yang Shen's father!" "That Grand Secretary Yang passed the provincial examination at twelve, and I'm already fourteen; I might not even have a chance to take the county-level exam." "You will definitely have a chance!" Zhu Liu said in a deep voice.

"I'm telling you all this so that you won't just focus on the monthly exams and make becoming a scholar your life goal."

"The headmaster's judgment is spot on..." Su Lu said embarrassedly, "These two are indeed the student's short-term goals and long-term plans."

"Haha, there's no such thing as accurate or inaccurate; it's just human nature," the headmaster laughed.

"You do need to eat one bite at a time, and a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but that doesn't stop you from looking to the future and setting lofty ideals for yourself!"

"Though circumstances may be difficult, you must never lack lofty ambitions. Otherwise, you will become completely mired in petty squabbles, making a mountain out of a molehill for things that are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. You might even easily make many foolish mistakes..."

"Because in your eyes, only the present moment matters. For a bowl of water from the Thief's Spring, you would easily sacrifice something that is actually a hundred times more precious."

Finally, he said to Su Lu seriously, "You must believe that although the North Sea is very far away, you can still reach it by riding the strong winds!"

"Yes, student will keep in mind the headmaster's teachings! Even in poverty, one should remain steadfast and never lose one's lofty aspirations!" Su Lu stood up and bowed deeply. He had previously thought that the headmaster was just like him, a heartless test-taker, which was a huge misunderstanding.

He's clearly a...test-taker with feelings.

"Good, very good, you're in good spirits!" Zhu Liu said with satisfaction, telling Su Lu to get up and looking at the handsome and intelligent young man.

To encounter a talented individual and nurture them is truly the greatest joy in a teacher's life.

"My statement that you could become the next Yang Tinghe wasn't entirely without reason," Headmaster Zhu encouraged Su Lu with a smile.
"Actually, Scholar Yang's grandfather was a son-in-law who married into the family, and the Yang family also started from humble beginnings. Before Scholar Yang, Xindu County had never produced a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). So the Yang family's starting point was not much better than your Su family's. Since God has given you such extraordinary talent, why not aspire to make the Su family rise as well?"

"I've taken note." Su Lu wasn't someone who was easily fooled, yet he still managed to stir up Zhu Shanzhang's emotions.

After a while, he calmed his agitated mood and said, "Has Scholar Yang found the secret to passing the imperial examination... uh, the key to passing the imperial examination?"

"Of course," Zhu Liu said calmly. "Otherwise, why would his father and brothers all pass the exam starting with him? You can't be born a Jinshi, but you can teach them."

As he spoke, he chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "I've actually gained some insights myself, like those moves I taught you last time..."

"I have benefited greatly from your teachings, thank you for your generous guidance." Su Lu hurriedly stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and looked to the headmaster, hoping that the big shot would teach him a couple more moves.

"That's it! Do you think everyone's like you? That you can just casually figure out the trick?" Zhu Liu said irritably.
"I've racked my brains for over ten years and only come up with a few moves. I've passed them all on to you."

The implication is that there's something that shouldn't be shared...

Su Lu, of course, knew what was going on, and laughed, "Indeed, you don't need many special skills; one trick is all you need to survive."

"Haha, actually the more the merrier. I'm out of luck, so you'll have to figure it out yourself," Zhu Liu announced finally.

"This time, the prize is—personal guidance from Master Benshan!"

"Thank you very much, Headmaster! It is my great honor!" Su Lu quickly stood up and bowed with joy. It was of course the best that he could receive special guidance from the Headmaster!
Although this would make his already heavy academic burden even heavier, Su Lu was happy to accept it.

For these children from the mountains, as long as they don't die from studying, they have to study like crazy; there's no other way!
"I'll give you your first lesson today," said Zhu Shanzhang respectfully.

Su Lu quickly sat up straight and listened attentively.

"From a young age, Yang the Prodigy was instructed by his elders to imitate ancient masterpieces to improve his writing skills," Zhu Liu said.
"It is said that when he was twelve years old, he imitated the poem 'Lament for the Ancient Battlefield', which contained the lines 'The soul of a brothel is severed, and the white sun shines on the bones of a mossy tree,' which was praised by the scholars."

"After reading it, his grandfather Yang Chun ordered him to draft 'On the Faults of Qin.' The next day, Yang Shen presented a draft, which surprised and delighted Yang Chun, who said that he had the talent of Jia Yi." Zhu Liu knew Yang Shen's situation very well, as if he had studied the Yang family in detail.

"Later, Grand Secretary Li Dongyang heard about this and ordered him to imitate the *Memorial on Dispatching the Troops* and the *Memorial Requesting the Removal of Monks and Nuns*. After reading them, he praised their style as 'no less than that of Tang and Song dynasty poets,' and only then did he have the idea of ​​taking on a disciple." After Zhu Liu finished speaking, he said to Su Lu:

"Imitation is the fastest way to improve your writing skills. You can also use this method to imitate Qin and Han dynasty articles to improve your writing style."

"Yes." Su Lu hurriedly kept the teachings in mind.

"Let's start with something simple. When you get back, write a copy of 'On the Love of Lotus'." After saying that, Headmaster Zhu couldn't contain his mischievous mood and added:
“But writing something like ‘On Loving Bamboo’ or ‘On Loving Plum Blossoms’ is too easy. You need to write something uncommon.” The headmaster scratched his cheek and said, “It’s almost Dragon Boat Festival, so how about ‘On Loving Artemisia’?”

P.S. I've updated four times in three days! Please vote with your monthly tickets, everyone!

This bonus chapter is done, there are still 16 chapters left, because we have a new guild leader today, 'Mr. Sturdy', thank you very much.

(End of this chapter)