Chapter 47

Although Lin Yanzhao was wearing a long robe that Qianqian had just made for him, the fabric was not particularly fine. The steward could not help but judge people by their appearance.

"Are you going to enter the academy as a student?" The steward sized up Lin Yanzhao from head to toe.

Lin Yanzhao replied, "Yes."

The other party asked again, "You are surnamed Lin, so are you a descendant of the Lin family of Lianpu?"

"No."

"Not? Then does your family have someone serving in the government?"

Lin Yanzhao nodded and said, "Sort of."

The steward's expression relaxed and he said, "So you are from an official family. My apologies, my apologies. May I ask what position your family holds? I am not prying, but I need to record it and report it to the head of the academy."

Lin Yanzhao, understanding the situation, said, "Of course, my grandfather is the chief of the local river office."

The steward's expression stiffened and he asked, "What rank is the chief of the river office?"

"An unranked position, not part of the official hierarchy."

The steward couldn't help but laugh and asked, "Then it must be that your family is very wealthy? But it doesn't seem that way."

"My family was barely making ends meet before my grandfather became the chief of the river office," Lin Yanzhao answered truthfully.

The steward nodded and then carefully read Lin Yanzhao's recommendation letter for the third time.

Lin Yanzhao asked, "May I ask if I can still enter the academy to study?"

The steward replied, "The chief of the river office is not a significant position, and you are almost a poor scholar. According to the rules, the academy does not admit poor scholars. However, unless your academic performance is exceptionally outstanding, or you have a recommendation letter from a clan elder."

Lin Yanzhao looked at the recommendation letter in the steward's hand and asked, "Can my recommendation letter work?"

The steward said, "I was surprised that you, as a poor scholar, actually have the qualifications for the former Chancellor to write a recommendation letter for you personally. I really can't understand this!"

The former Chancellor???

Before coming, Lin Yanzhao had thoroughly investigated the background of the Lin family of Lianpu. The Lin family of Lianpu has produced four chancellors. Two have already passed away, and the other two are still alive.

One is the former Chancellor of the Nanjing Ministry of Rites, Lin Tingji, who is now retired at home. The other is the current Chancellor of the Nanjing Ministry of Works, Lin Rong. Since Lin Rong is currently in Nanjing, it couldn't be him writing the letter to recommend himself.

So it must be Lin Tingji, who is retired at home. Lin Tingji has served as the Chancellor of the Nanjing Imperial Academy, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, and the Chancellor of the Nanjing Ministry of Works, and finally as the Chancellor of the Nanjing Ministry of Rites. He retired early to avoid conflicts of interest after his son, Lin Rong, was promoted to the Deputy Chancellor of the Ministry of Rites in Beijing and concurrently the Academician of the Hanlin Academy.

Lin Yanzhao was also puzzled but could only admire how powerful Lin Chengyi was. He said he would request to study at the Lianjiang Academy from the clan elders, but he didn't expect that it would be from Lin Tingji, which is quite a powerful connection.

Just as Lin Yanzhao was feeling pleased with himself, the steward spread the letter on the table and said, "However, the former Chancellor only mentioned in the letter that he would give you a chance to take the entrance interview, but did not say that you would be admitted."

"What do you mean?"

The steward chuckled and said, "That means, although you missed the registration period, I will register you on the former Chancellor's behalf. However, whether you pass the admission test in three days still depends on your own abilities. Otherwise, outsiders might think that anyone can enter our Lianjiang Academy."

In the end, there is still an exam, but it's good that at least Lin Chengyi gave him a chance to take the exam.

The steward then took a pen and ink and gave them to Lin Yanzhao, saying, "Write down your name, place of origin, age, when you started school, when you began studying classics, what books you read in primary school, and what classics you have studied. Also, bring your best essay in three days. By the way, you must include a policy question for the lecturer to review. If you don't know what a policy question is, I'll explain it to you later. After you finish writing, I'll take you to have a meal and find a room for you in the village."

Lin Yanzhao asked while writing, "May I ask what the lecturer will test me on in three days?"

"You worry too much. Our Lianjiang Academy has its own set of rules for admitting students. As long as you have talent, you don't need to worry. If you don't have talent, you might as well leave early and not waste your time."

Lin Yanzhao couldn't help but mutter a few words.

After finishing, the steward looked it over and said, "Alright, I'll take you to have a meal first."

The steward led Lin Yanzhao through the school and came to the dining hall in the back. He asked a cook, "Is there anything left for lunch?"

The cook replied, "There's some leftover oyster vermicelli."

"Let's make do with it for now." The steward then left.

Seeing that Lin Yanzhao didn't say anything, the cook scooped a large bowl of oyster vermicelli from the bottom of the pot and gave it to Lin Yanzhao, then went out to do other things.

Although it was leftover food and the vermicelli was dry without any broth, Lin Yanzhao was already very hungry. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating. Although it was a bit cold, the taste was still good. The celery was just right, and the oysters were fresh. If there was a bit of Laoganma, it would be even better.

After a few slurps, half a bowl of vermicelli was gone.

"Eat slowly, vermicelli can upset your stomach!"

The steward, who had returned at some point, kindly advised. Lin Yanzhao smiled and slowed down, picking up the celery to eat. He still felt a bit disappointed and asked, "Do you not have any chili peppers here?"

Chili peppers, which should have been introduced to China by this time.

When Lin Yanzhao asked this, both the steward and the cook shook their heads and said, "Never heard of them."

After finishing the bowl, Lin Yanzhao raised the bowl and said, "Another bowl, please."

The cook also shook his head and said, "I've never seen a student like you before."

Lin Yanzhao chuckled and finally ate until he was full. After finishing, he wiped his mouth and stopped.

The steward, who had been waiting for a long time, said with a bad temper, "Let's go!"

Three days later, Lin Yanzhao returned to the Lianjiang Academy.

It was drizzling, and the autumn rain from the night before had brought down many withered leaves to the ground.

A layer of moss hung over the pond in front of the pavilion, and several servants were sweeping the steps of the academy. Lin Yanzhao climbed the steps.

The academy, built during the Tang Dynasty, was where Zhu Xi came to Fuzhou to teach and spread the teachings of the Min School during the Southern Song Dynasty.

After the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhang Shijie and Lu Xiufo brought the emperor to Fuzhou, using it as a temporary palace. The academy witnessed the last days of the Southern Song Dynasty.

After the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty was established, and the Lianjiang Academy, with the glory of the Lin family, produced eight jinshi (high-ranking officials) and four chancellors.

"Confucius said: 'If one is respectful but not courteous, he will be laborious; if one is cautious but not courteous, he will be timid; if one is brave but not courteous, he will be reckless; if one is straightforward but not courteous, he will be harsh. If a gentleman is sincere to his relatives, the people will be benevolent; if he does not forget his old friends, the people will not be indifferent.'"

The small building that was empty three days ago was now full of students.

The sound of reading echoed through the air, as countless scholars had once studied here, suspending their hair from the beam and pricking their thighs with needles.

Lin Yanzhao stopped outside, feeling a deep sense of respect.

He walked to the side room where he had been received the previous day. The steward, who had seen him, said, "I've been waiting for you for some time. Follow me!"

"Yes."

Lin Yanzhao followed the steward around the small building. The steward pointed to the building and said, "This is the Wenchang Pavilion, where Zhu Xi once taught."

Then he pointed to a side room and said, "This is the right side room, where Zhu Xi once lived. The lecturer is currently testing the students inside. You can wait in the side room for a while."

The steward then entered the side room. Lin Yanzhao looked around and saw a stone basin similar to a pen washer on the platform in front of the Wenchang Pavilion, with the words "Wen Guang She Dou" (Cultural Light Shines on the Dipper) carved on the stone railing.

Every scene and object here was filled with the long and rich heritage of the academy.

In times of peace, scholars would study diligently, and in times of national crisis, they would take up arms to serve the country. It is often said that scholars mislead the country, but in times of national crisis, scholars like Wen Tianxiang have never failed to serve the country and die for the state.

Since the Song and Ming Dynasties, scholars and the emperor have shared the governance of the country. The state selects talents through the imperial examination system, and scholars with the ambition to serve the country, like Wang Yangming and Zhang Juzheng, are the role models for us.

Holding an umbrella in the drizzle, with the sound of reading echoing in his ears, Lin Yanzhao said, "The sound of the wind, the sound of the rain, and the sound of reading all enter the ear; family affairs, national affairs, and world affairs all concern me!"

This statement made several passing students stop and look.

Lin Yanzhao realized he had spoken out of turn, having quoted the famous words of Gu Xiancheng, the leader of the Donglin Party.

Lin Yanzhao immediately turned around, pretending nothing had happened, and began to look around.

At this moment, the door of the right side room opened, and a boy about his age came out, sobbing.

A man in his forties, wearing a round-collar robe, said to a middle-aged man in a silk shirt, "Your son has a solid foundation, but he needs more polishing. Go home and study, and come back to try again next spring."

The boy cried even more, and the man in the silk shirt said, "Thank you, sir, for your guidance."

The middle-aged man