Chapter 78

Wang Ju ordered five bowls of sesame porridge and twenty sugar pine cakes at the snack shop.

Five people were eating. Although the sugar pine cakes were delicious, they were too small and delicate, so he ordered a lot.

Li Jia was worried about his financial situation, as he had not received a bonus last year. Wang Ju refused, saying he still had a lot of money from the previous year's bonus and the thousand strings of coins granted by the young princess, which would last for a long time. However, if he did not pass the imperial examination next spring, the money would eventually run out. This was one of the reasons he introduced bamboo paper.

Li Wan yuan, with his mouth full of cakes, asked indistinctly, "It's been half a month."

Then he smiled mischievously.

However, as soon as Wang Ju arrived at the prefectural school, he was invited by Cheng Kan to the yamen.

"Seeing you, Sir," Wang Ju bowed respectfully.

He was composed, not nervous or disrespectful, and even Cheng Kan had to admit that this young man had the potential to achieve great things.

"Sit down."

"Thank you, Sir. I wonder why you have invited me here?"

"The official has heard that you have composed a couplet."

"That's true, but whether it's poetry, prose, or policy essays, they should all have substance. Even novels need a plot. Focusing on obscure and cold couplets is putting the cart before the horse."

"Why did you compose this couplet?"

"Sir, on my first day at the prefectural school, Niu Er, who is tall and strong, challenged me to a wrestling match. Although this is a prefectural school, not a martial arts club, if Niu Er keeps bothering me, it will be a problem. So I composed a couplet. If he can't solve it, he won't bother me anymore."

"Does this couplet have an answer?"

"There is one, but it's not very good."

This couplet also piqued Cheng Kan's curiosity. He wanted to ask what the couplet was, but he held back and said, "Are you getting used to the prefectural school?"

"Sir, you should know." Wang Ju didn't want to say more. This was not a prefectural school; it was so lax that it could be compared to the military discipline of the Song army.

"The official also knows, but for those who are determined to study, the environment is not a big problem. For those who are not, even a quiet environment won't help them study seriously."

Wang Ju was dismissive. This was a false argument. If a good environment and a bad environment had no impact, why did Meng Mother move three times?

"The prefectural school of Yan Prefecture is like our army, which has been defeated repeatedly, and the soldiers have lost confidence, leading to poor discipline. The same is true for the prefectural school. Yan Prefecture has never produced a Jinshi, so the students have lost their ambition. I hope you can set a good example."

Wang Ju did not respond.

"Be patient. The official plans to advance the autumn examination to give you more time to prepare."

It was just a formality to study at the prefectural school for a while.

"How can you be sure I will do well in the imperial examination?"

"I have read the book you and Zhang Zai wrote. Although Zhang Zai organized the text, you asked the questions, and he answered. Besides, it shouldn't be too difficult for you."

Cheng Kan's confidence in Wang Ju was even stronger than Zhang Zai's. What could Wang Ju say?

"Is that person you?" Cheng Kan suddenly asked.

"That person, I don't understand."

Wang Ju had always been quiet in Yunyan, but he had done many outrageous things in Wang Family Village. The battle at Heiwo Ridge, the treasure case, the battle at Wang Family Village, and the trap for the Ding family. He had wisdom and courage, and he was still very young at the time. However, this was in the Song Dynasty, and these four major events were either related to military affairs or intrigue. The younger he was, the easier he was to attack. Therefore, Wang Ju refused to admit it to avoid giving future political enemies a handle.

"It doesn't matter if you don't admit it. The matter is over, and the official won't pursue it. But since the official is advancing the examination, you should focus on your studies and avoid trouble."

Wang Ju finally understood Cheng Kan's intention.

There were two meanings: the matter is over, and the official won't pursue it. Study hard and do well in the examination, both for your own sake and for the sake of Yan Prefecture. It might even boost the students' ambition.

However, Cheng Kan was also worried that once Wang Ju returned to Yan Prefecture, he would get together with the Zhu, Zhao, and Li families and cause trouble. So he gave him a heads-up to study hard and not misbehave.

Wang Ju was both amused and exasperated. He said, "Sir, I will remember."

"Go."

"Understood."

Watching Wang Ju leave, Cheng Kan felt a bit regretful. He regretted not listening to his wife last year, who said this young man might have a good strategy. Missing such a good opportunity, he ended up getting splashed with ink by Sima Guang.

But Cheng Kan couldn't understand why Sima Guang, who was at least a disciple of Pang Ji, who had stayed in Yan Prefecture for a long time and was not a weak person, and who had served as a judge in Bing Prefecture, didn't understand the situation.

However, after a few encounters with Sima Guang, Cheng Kan became more open-minded, including towards Wang Ju. Regardless of whether Wang Ju would become a Ding Wei in the future, he spoke kindly to him, hoping to create some good karma for his descendants.

So the problem was here. If Cheng Kan had done poorly in Yan Prefecture, he could have been criticized gradually, but not through personal attacks. Besides, Cheng Kan had done a decent job, at least among the prefectural governors of Qingli, in terms of military and political affairs, he was above average.

Of course, this was just an appetizer. The main event with Sima Guang was yet to come.

Wang Ju returned to the prefectural school, and Li Wan yuan and a few good friends quickly came up to him. Li Wan yuan asked, "What did Sir Cheng call you for?"

"Nothing much, just to reassure me and encourage me to study hard and do well in the examination."

"Great," Li Wan yuan jumped up. Wang Ju and the Li family were worried, as Wang Ju had offended Cheng Kan. Was Cheng Kan's invitation out of kindness or malice? He was a big figure, and you shouldn't guess his intentions.

With Cheng Kan's promise, the autumn examination was no longer a concern. Moreover, Li Wan yuan, staying at Wang Ju's new home, saw many of Wang Ju's poems, prose, and policy essays. At this point, Wang Ju's policy essays were very good, perhaps not as powerful as Su Dongpo's, but well-argued, clear, and well-structured, making Li Wan yuan exclaim in admiration. As for poetry, Wang Ju was still working hard, but he would write and burn each piece, as he was not entirely satisfied. However, for Li Wan yuan, they were still good poems.

"Sir Cheng also instructed me to stay quiet and avoid trouble."

"Ah." Everyone was stunned.

However, Wang Ju did not take Cheng Kan's words to heart. He knew his priorities. If no one provoked him, why should he provoke them? Was he full and bored? Even if someone did provoke him, he would avoid and yield if possible. If avoiding and yielding didn't work, why not fight back?

This was the way to repay grievances with righteousness.

So, he decided to focus on his studies.

When Professor Yu saw him come in, he said, "Everyone, let's study."

At this time, teaching was simple, with no chalk or blackboard. The professor would sit behind a table and explain the text, which was not useless. Punctuation was not used in books, but reading aloud helped with sentence structure. If there were difficult points, the professor would provide detailed explanations. Or he would have the students read and write on their own.

Then Professor Yu came to Wang Ju.

There were several professors at the prefectural school, mostly from poor families.

This was a common problem in the Song Dynasty.

For people like Li Wan yuan and Zhu Jun, failing the examination was not a big deal, but passing it was like gilding. They would not be inferior to officials. If they had a good opportunity, they could buy an official position and be more prestigious in social interactions (these were salaried officials without power or benefits, which were the main perks of officials. They were usually sold during times of war when the state needed money, as Fan Zhongyan had done).

But for poor families, it was different. To take the examination, they had to put everything on hold, but even if they passed, the court would not grant them an official position. Those who could lower themselves would become managers or accountants, while those who couldn't would become professors, as Zhang Zai had experienced.

However, the standards for prefectural and county school professors were a bit stricter, and their moral character was also considered.

They had all grown up in the border regions and had seen the harm caused by the Western Xia, so they did not exclude Wang Ju but rather considered him both literate and martial.

Moreover, Wang Ju was a disciple of Zhang Zai and had co-authored a book with him.

However, they had a misunderstanding. When Wang Ju's ci and poem were circulated, they thought he was very good at poetry and prose, so when he came to the prefectural school, the professors asked the students to write essays and policy essays to gauge his abilities.

After the students submitted their essays, the professors were greatly impressed. Added to this, Wang Ju was humble and talented, and he listened attentively in class, so the professors all liked him.

Not everyone can be treated equally; teachers always favor top students...

Professor Yu asked, "Wang Ju, does that couplet have a lower half?"

Couplets were popular in the Ming and Qing dynasties, but they were also important in the Song Dynasty, as poetry and prose required antithetical couplets.

Wang Ju replied, "Professor Yu, there is one, but it's not very good."

"Tell me."

"Smoke locks the willows by the pond, maple melts the autumn at the sea dyke."

Professor Yu said, "It's acceptable."

This was a matter of skill. If Zhang Zai were here, he would immediately see the flaws.

"Jarring!"

The most famous example was Du Fu's quatrain: "Two orioles singing in the green willows, a line of egrets flying to the blue sky, the window frames the snow of the Western Hills, the door moors the ships from Dongwu." The green willows under the blue sky, with two and one, yellow against white, orioles against egrets, blue against green, though the scenes were different in scale, they were closely connected. The second couplet was even more seamless.

The couplet "Maple melts the autumn at the sea dyke" had the right structure, tone, and imagery, but the sudden shift from the pond to the sea dyke was jarring. If it were part of a poem, with two more lines to explain that the pond was next to the sea dyke or connected to it, it might be acceptable.

As a standalone couplet, it was still flawed.

"It is a bit jarring..." Professor Yu walked back, as if he wanted to revise it. Wang Ju couldn't help but laugh. "Sir, don't get obsessed with these five characters." Then he looked around and asked Li Wan yuan, who was nearby, "Second Brother, where is Niu Er?"

I won't hold him accountable for the challenge, but he should at least bow to me.