Chapter 44

Lin Yanzhao was still pondering when Hou Zhongshu asked a question, and he had not yet reacted. Meanwhile, Zhang Guihe, with a look of disdain, replied to Hou Zhongshu, “I always tell you to read more books, and yet you don’t even know about the Lin family of Lianpu. It’s a waste.”

“Not knowing is not knowing. I won’t ask you, Brother Chao, you tell me!” Hou Zhongshu asked Lin Yanzhao.

Lin Yanzhao naturally knew the reputation of the Lin family of Lianpu. In his previous life, when he was bored, he read through the Ming history and remembered a comment about the Lin family of Lianpu: “In the Ming Dynasty, three generations produced five Secretaries, all of whom were posthumously honored with the title of Wen.” The title of Wen was generally a privilege for officials of the third rank and above, but not all third-rank officials had it. Only the Grand Secretaries, the officials of the Six Ministries in the two capitals, and the heads of the Censorate had this privilege. Moreover, one’s reputation before and after death had to be excellent. For example, Yan Song, who was categorized as a corrupt official, did not receive a posthumous title even as the Chief Cabinet Minister. Historically, Zhang Juzheng, who was posthumously honored as Wenzhong, had his posthumous title revoked during the political purges.

The Lin family of Lianpu not only produced five Secretaries in three generations but also received posthumous titles, making them a family of high rank and prestige both in life and after death. No wonder the Ming history said that there was only one such family in the world. He did not expect that Lin Chengyi was from the Lin family of Lianpu, which produced five Secretaries in three generations.

Before Lin Yanzhao could answer, Zhang Guihe boasted, “Have you heard of the 'Three Sacrificial Wine Officials and Four Secretaries'?”

Hmm? One less, right. This is the Wanli era, so perhaps there is still one more person in the Lin family who hasn’t yet become a Secretary.

“What is the 'Three Sacrificial Wine Officials and Four Secretaries'?” Hou Zhongshu shook his head.

Zhang Guihe sighed deeply, looking at Hou Zhongshu with a disappointed expression, and said, “If I say you’re stupid, you won’t believe me. This means that the Lin family of Lianpu had three members who served as Sacrificial Wine Officials at the Imperial Academy and four who became Secretaries. What do you think?” 'Selling wine at the Imperial Academy, not so impressive.' Lin Yanzhao coughed lightly, moved a bit away from Hou Zhongshu, and whispered, 'It’s the Sacrificial Wine Official of the Imperial Academy. All the students at the Imperial Academy are his disciples.' 'A provincial supervisor’s disciples are just provincial students. But the disciples of the Imperial Academy in the two capitals are half of the entire Ming Dynasty.' 'I see, so the four Secretaries mean four people became Secretaries,' Hou Zhongshu exclaimed, “Our Hongtang village only produced one Secretary.”

The Secretary from Hongtang village was naturally Zhang Jing, the ancestor of Zhang Xiang, who once served as the Secretary of War and controlled the entire southeast of the Ming Dynasty.

Lin Yanzhao explained, “In our dynasty, the highest rank for officials is the second rank. Even the Grand Secretaries are only fifth rank, and they need to hold the title of Secretary to reach the second rank. The Lin family had four Secretaries, four second-rank officials. Isn’t that impressive?”

Indeed, three generations producing four Secretaries was the pinnacle of a family’s glory.

In the past, if a family produced three Jinshi (advanced scholars) or even three Juren (scholar-candidates) in three generations, it was considered a continuous success in the imperial examinations, which was impressive anywhere. But the Lin family of Lianpu produced four Secretaries in three generations, and if you count the one more, it was the only such family in the entire Ming Dynasty, which lasted over two hundred years.

No one knew that Lin Chengyi was from such a prestigious family as the Lin family of Lianpu.

But after Lin Chengyi admitted he was a collateral branch of the Lin family of Lianpu, everyone felt a bit better. No wonder he had fallen so low as to teach at the Hongtang village school. However, after this academic success and becoming the top candidate in the county examination, the clan elders began to take him seriously and planned to cultivate him as a key figure.

Relying on the Lin family of Lianpu, with such a deep background and heritage, Lin Chengyi’s future prospects were boundless. Everyone secretly regretted not having built a good relationship with Lin Chengyi earlier. But it was Lin Yanzhao who had helped Lin Chengyi, and everyone looked at him with envy. This boy would benefit the most, not only being a disciple of Hu Tixue but also having Lin Chengyi’s support in the future. However, Lin Yanzhao acted as if he knew nothing, eating and drinking quietly, maintaining a low profile.

Zhang Xiang’s gaze returned from Lin Yanzhao to Lin Chengyi and said, “Mr. Lin, you have passed the examination and are now valued by the clan. They have even arranged a marriage for you. This is truly a double celebration!”

Zhang Zongjia, unwilling to be left out, said, “Mr. Lin, we’re just afraid that once you rise to prominence, you might forget us.”

“How could I? I have been well taken care of by Young Master Zhang and Chief Zhang in Hongtang village. I will always remember this kindness.”

Zhang Xiang nodded in satisfaction and said, “Mr. Lin, I raise a glass to you.”

“Mr. Lin, I raise a glass to you!” The villagers raised their cups, their flattery more evident.

The next day, Lin Chengyi was preparing to return home with his elderly mother. Before leaving, he called each student to speak with him.

Lin Yanzhao was, as always, the last.

Outside, the villagers were helping Lin Chengyi pack and prepare the mules. Inside, Lin Chengyi and Lin Yanzhao were in the room.

Lin Chengyi first asked about Lin Yanzhao’s studies, “How is your preparation for the exams?” Lin Yanzhao replied, “Mr. Lin, I have finished reading the 'Great Learning' that you gave me and am now reading the 'Analects.' I am learning from the new teacher.”

Lin Chengyi nodded and said, “Among three people walking, there must be one who can be my teacher. The new teacher, though an old student, has passed the county and prefectural examinations. You should not look down on him just because he failed the provincial examination.”

Lin Yanzhao, who had indeed looked down on him, replied, “I am diligently learning from the new teacher.”

“I know. I have asked him about your studies.”

“Does the new teacher praise me for my talent?” Lin Yanzhao asked with a smile.

Lin Chengyi’s face turned serious, “You talk about talent?”

Lin Yanzhao immediately sat up straight and said, “Mr. Lin, I apologize for my behavior.”

Lin Chengyi’s expression softened slightly but remained serious, “Whether you have talent or not, I don’t know, but even without talent, consistent hard work and a constant desire to learn are more important than talent.”

Although Lin Yanzhao was scolded, he deeply agreed with Lin Chengyi’s words.

Lin Yanzhao acknowledged his mistake and said respectfully, “Mr. Lin, I have learned from your words.”

Lin Chengyi was satisfied with Lin Yanzhao’s attitude and said, “Mr. Zhou told me about your studies. He said you are researching Confucian classics but are struggling to find the right path, correct?”

“Yes, Mr. Lin, I am struggling with this, so I hope you can give me some guidance.”

Lin Chengyi said, “As a scholar, I can help you with the county and prefectural examinations, but I am preparing for the provincial examination and may not have time to guide you.”

Lin Yanzhao inwardly sighed but still asked about his most pressing concern, “Mr. Lin, how many years will it take for me to be ready for the county examination?”

Lin Chengyi thought for a moment and said, “Your foundation is solid, and you know all the basic texts. Although you have only read the 'Great Learning,' studying the Confucian classics will be more efficient for you than for others who only read the Four Books and Five Classics. However, to stand out in the child examination, you will need at least seven to eight years of diligent study. Even if you are very talented, you will still need three to four years of hard work.”

This was far from Lin Yanzhao’s expectation of taking the child examination in a year and a half.

Lin Yanzhao asked, “Mr. Lin, is there a faster way?”

Lin Chengyi sternly replied, “Do you think passing the examination is that easy? The most important thing in studying is to progress step by step. Do you understand the principle that haste makes waste?”

Lin Yanzhao,不服气地, said, “Mr. Lin, I am not against progressing step by step, but I want to know how to study more efficiently. I have heard that some people in our dynasty became the top scholar at eighteen. Did they also progress step by step?”

Lin Chengyi was silent for a moment and then said, “You are not yet at the level to take the county examination, and you are already thinking about becoming the top scholar. If you want to take shortcuts, you must first work twice as hard. Secondly, you need a great teacher to guide you, which can help you avoid some detours.”

Mentioning a great teacher, Lin Yanzhao’s eyes lit up, “I remember, Mr. Lin, you said you would choose a teacher for me.”

“That’s right, I did say that.”

“A student not only needs a great teacher but also needs to learn from the best. You should not study in isolation. You should study the classics with a group of ambitious and highly skilled classmates, become the best among them, and then take the county examination.”

Lin Yanzhao sighed, thinking that among his classmates, only Zhang Guihe was on par with him, and the rest were either too lazy or not talented enough to learn from the best.

Lin Chengyi spoke to Lin Yanzhao for a while and then looked out the window, saying slowly, “After returning home, I have requested from the clan elders that you be admitted to the Lianjiang Academy, which is run by the Lin family of Lianpu.”

“Lianjiang Academy?” Lin Yanzhao was shocked.

“Yes. The Lianjiang Academy was founded in the Tang Dynasty. Zhu Xi and his disciple Huang Gan both taught here. It has a thousand-year tradition and was originally the clan school of the Lin family of Lianpu, from which all the Lin family’s Jinshi (advanced scholars) graduated.”

“The current head of the Lianjiang Academy is a Juren (scholar-candidate), and the lecturers are all Gongjian (tribute students). Their knowledge surpasses mine. Before you pass the examination and become a student, they will be sufficient as your teachers.” Lin Yanzhao thought this was like getting a chance to go from a mountain village school to a provincial key high school.