Chapter 58

North of Suzhou City stands a grand mansion, with a plaque hanging above the gate inscribed with the two large characters “Zhu Fu.” If someone knowledgeable about calligraphy were to see this plaque, they would surely stroke their chin and exclaim, “What fine calligraphy!”

Today, the front of Zhu Fu is bustling with carriages and a steady stream of guests. Scholars, wearing scholar’s caps and long robes, either walk or ride in carriages from all over Suzhou to gather at this grand mansion. Upon encountering familiar friends, they immediately greet each other and then bow politely as they enter Zhu Fu.

The owner of this mansion is no ordinary person; he is none other than Zhu Zhishan, the teacher of Xu Shenzhong and one of the Four Talents of Wu, alongside Tang Bohu. Zhu Zhishan’s background is also noteworthy. His maternal grandfather, Xu Youzhen, was granted the title of Marquis of Wugong and Grand Scholar of Huagai Hall for his role in restoring the Ming Yingzong Emperor to the throne. For a time, Xu Youzhen held immense power, but he later fell out with two other powerful figures and was exiled to commoner status, eventually settling in Suzhou.

Xu Youzhen was a man of extraordinary talent, well-versed in astronomy, geography, military strategy, hydraulic engineering, and various esoteric arts. He was also one of the most famous calligraphers of his time. Zhu Zhishan learned calligraphy from Xu Youzhen in his childhood, and it was largely due to Xu Youzhen’s guidance that Zhu Zhishan became the most representative calligrapher of the Wu School.

In addition to Xu Youzhen, Zhu Zhishan’s grandfather, Zhu Hao, was also well-known for his calligraphy in Suzhou and held the position of Deputy Governor. Thus, the Zhu family could be considered a family of officials, and the strong calligraphy tradition in the household greatly influenced Zhu Zhishan from a young age. By the age of five, he could write large characters a foot square, and by nine, he could compose poetry, earning him a reputation as a prodigy.

At the age of thirty-three, Zhu Zhishan passed the provincial examination, becoming one of the outstanding young scholars in Suzhou. However, after passing the provincial examination, his good fortune seemed to run out. He failed the metropolitan examination three times in a row and is now in his forties. According to historical records, Zhu Zhishan took the metropolitan examination seven times in his life and eventually only obtained a minor position as a county magistrate, meaning he would have to wait another dozen years before realizing his dream of serving in office.

Today is Zhu Zhishan’s forty-fourth birthday. Although he has faced several setbacks in his imperial examinations, this has not diminished his reputation in the local area. The Zhu family is also one of the wealthiest in the region. Zhu Zhishan is known for his wit and free-spirited nature, enjoying travel and nature without being bound by trivialities. As a result, he is very popular among the local scholars, and renowned figures such as Tang Bohu, Shen Zhou, Liu Jue, and Du Ling are all his close friends. Therefore, on his birthday, almost all the local scholars have come to celebrate.

Zhu Zhishan, along with several students, including Xu Shenzhong, stands at the gate to welcome the guests. At forty-four, Zhu Zhishan is a large man, standing out among the generally shorter Southerners. He has a broad face, large ears, a prominent nose, and a wide mouth, giving him a bold and imposing presence. His chin is adorned with a half-foot-long, lustrous beard, which he occasionally strokes. Due to the occasion, Zhu Zhishan’s face is beaming with joy, and he frequently greets familiar faces with a bow.

Once all the guests have arrived, the birthday banquet begins. Zhu Zhishan and his students go from table to table toasting each one. Finally, he enters the inner hall, where only one table is set, and his closest friends, such as Tang Bohu, Wen Zhengming, and Yang Xunji, are seated.

Zhu Zhishan is particularly happy today, chatting and drinking with his close friends in a lively atmosphere. However, just as they are enjoying themselves, several of his students enter to present their birthday gifts.

Usually, guests would immediately present their gifts upon arrival. However, in this era of respect for teachers, the relationship between teacher and student is akin to that of father and son. Therefore, Xu Shenzhong and the other students did not immediately present their gifts but waited to do so in front of their teacher and his friends, to show their filial piety.

“Teacher, this is a scroll of calligraphy I found in Nanjing, a copy of Mi Fu’s ‘Fangyuan An Ji,’ which I have brought to present to you!” The first student presents his gift, trying to maintain a calm demeanor but unable to hide a hint of pride in his voice.

Upon hearing it is Mi Fu’s calligraphy, Zhu Zhishan and Tang Bohu are surprised and quickly open the scroll to examine it. They are amazed as they view it. Mi Fu is one of the Four Masters of the Song Dynasty, highly regarded for his calligraphy, especially by scholars of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Zhishan’s calligraphy is deeply influenced by Mi Fu, and he has always wanted to own a copy of Mi Fu’s work, but has never been able to. This shows how rare and valuable Mi Fu’s calligraphy is, giving the student a reason to be proud.

“Good, good! Liangkuan, you have good taste. This is indeed a genuine work by Mi Fu. It must have cost you a considerable amount of money, I presume?” Zhu Zhishan, after his friends have finished examining the scroll, looks at the student with satisfaction.

“Preparing a birthday gift for the teacher is no small matter. Even if it costs a lot, it is worth it to obtain a genuine work by Mi Fu!” The student, named Liangkuan, replies excitedly. His family is a well-known wealthy merchant in Suzhou, and he is willing to spend whatever it takes to make his teacher happy.

Zhu Zhishan is aware of Liangkuan’s family background and, being his teacher, has the gift put away to be appreciated later. Next, the other students come forward to present their gifts.

Zhu Zhishan is famous for his calligraphy in Suzhou, and many young scholars aspire to study under him. Although he is easy-going and often provides guidance on calligraphy, he is very selective about taking on disciples. Additionally, some of his disciples have already entered government service, so only seven students are present to present their gifts today.

These students come from different backgrounds, and their gifts vary. Wealthy students like Liangkuan present valuable calligraphy, paintings, and antiques, while less affluent students offer more modest gifts, such as a poem. Zhu Zhishan does not show any disdain, still smiling and praising each gift, for to him, the gifts are a token of the students’ hearts, and the value of the gift is irrelevant.

Soon, it is Xu Shenzhong’s turn to present his gift. He steps forward, bows to Zhu Zhishan, and says, “Wishing the teacher a long life like a pine and crane, the gift I have prepared for you is a manuscript. Due to the time constraints, it was copied by myself and two friends, so it is a joint gift from the three of us. Unfortunately, they are far away in Songjiang and could not come to Suzhou, so they asked me to present it on their behalf!”

“Oh? A manuscript?” Zhu Zhishan is surprised and takes the box containing the manuscript from Xu Shenzhong, placing it on the table and gently opening it. The first thing he sees are the three large characters—“Xi You Ji.”

“Could this be the manuscript of ‘Journey to the West’ that has been causing a sensation recently?” Tang Bohu, sitting next to Zhu Zhishan, is also surprised. Tang Bohu is a man in his mid-thirties, with a refined and handsome appearance, though he looks somewhat weary.

Tang Bohu is ten years younger than Zhu Zhishan, at thirty-four, and is in the prime of his life. However, due to a cheating scandal in the imperial examinations four years ago, his path to officialdom has been completely blocked, and his wife has left him. This has deeply affected him, changing his mindset and personality. He now lives a carefree life, indulging in poetry, painting, and travel, and earns his living by selling his paintings. He is quite discontented, and his face often carries a look of frustration, exacerbated by his lack of moderation in drinking and pleasure-seeking.

“Yes, this is indeed the manuscript of ‘Journey to the West’!” Zhu Zhishan picks up the manuscript and examines it, but then notices something odd. “Hmm, why are there so many chapters? I thought ‘Journey to the West’ only had the first ten chapters.”

With the spread of storytelling and the release of the first ten chapters by Zhou Zhong, ‘Journey to the West’ has spread beyond Songjiang to places like Nanjing and Suzhou, causing a significant stir among the common people and scholars. Many scholars have been eagerly copying the first ten chapters, but due to the short time, the manuscript has not been widely circulated, making it difficult for many to obtain a copy.

Zhu Zhishan and Tang Bohu have only seen the manuscript at a friend’s house, and both were so captivated by it that they stayed at their friend’s house for several days, reading the ten chapters before returning. Now, with the manuscript in hand, they are delighted, and the others at the table, who have heard of ‘Journey to the West,’ gather around to take a look.

Seeing the elders’ interest in the manuscript, Xu Shenzhong smiles and explains, “Teacher, I recently visited my father in Songjiang and met the author of ‘Journey to the West,’ whose name is Zhou Zhong, with the courtesy name of Wenda. He is a talented young man, and we hit it off immediately. I then copied the manuscript of ‘Journey to the West’ from him…”

Xu Shenzhong recounts the story of how he met Zhou Zhong and how he, along with Zheng Jing and Zhou Zhong, copied the manuscript. When the others hear that the manuscript contains thirty chapters, more than half of what is currently circulating, they are envious. Tang Bohu, in particular, immediately asks Zhu Zhishan to reserve the manuscript for him, offering to exchange one of his paintings for the first copy, which makes Zhu Zhishan laugh heartily.

While Xu Shenzhong is basking in the spotlight at the birthday banquet, at the front of Zhou’s residence in Songjiang, a simple-looking carriage is parked. Zhou Zhong, holding a bundle, waves goodbye to the steward Xu, standing on the steps, and then steps into the carriage. With a crack of the whip, the carriage slowly departs from Zhou’s residence.

PS: Today is the first day of the Three Rivers promotion. I hope those who have a Three Rivers vote can give one to me. Thank you!

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