Chapter 50

After the three introduced themselves by name, the other five roommates also spoke up.

"I am Kotaro Yoko, it's a pleasure to meet you, my three fellow students," said a mature-looking classmate.

"Pleasure to meet you," Lin Yanchao, Ye Xianggao, and Chen Wencai replied with a bow.

Another person said, "I am Lin Biqing from Lianpu, pleasure to meet you."

This person should be a local Lin family descendant.

"Huang Biyou from Houguan, pleasure to meet you."

"Zhu Xiangwen from Jiadeng, pleasure to meet you."

"Yu Qingzhou from Pucheng, pleasure to meet you."

One by one, everyone introduced themselves.

Yoko then said, "Hmm, you three will sleep on the beds by that side. Fetch new straw mats and move your luggage there."

Seeing Yoko gesture this way, Lin Yanchao and Chen Wencai showed a hint of displeasure.

Ye Xianggao spoke up, "Brother Yoko, please forgive me for speaking frankly, this side is closer to the west, and it gets very hot in the summer."

Yoko put on a stern face, "I have been studying at this academy for three years, and I am the oldest among us, so I will be the one to assign the beds. If you are not satisfied, you can talk to the headmaster and the lecturers."

Chen Wencai hurriedly stepped forward to persuade, "Brother Ye, we should respect the order of arrival. Since we just arrived, I will take the bed at the far west."

Yoko's expression softened a bit, "That's more like it. We are the senior students, and you should respect your seniors."

The three of them then had nothing to say and began to arrange their luggage. There were no wardrobes or bookshelves in the dormitory.

Lin Yanchao laid out the straw mat first and could only stack his books and clothes at the other end of the mat. Personal items were placed on the north side against the wall, and at night, they would sleep with their heads facing north and their feet facing south. Overall, the sleeping conditions were much worse than in university dormitories, and they had to sleep head-to-head. If they switched, the other person's feet could stink you to death. Don't assume that scholars are particularly clean.

Ye Xianggao and Yu Qingzhou from Pucheng slept on either side of Lin Yanchao.

After Lin Yanchao finished arranging his things, Yu Qingzhou said to him, "Brother Lin, let me be frank. I am a clean person and don't like others touching my bed or belongings. Could you move a bit further away and be more careful in the future?"

Lin Yanchao smiled, "Sure!"

"Thank you, Brother Lin." Yu Qingzhou, seeing that Lin Yanchao was not upset, breathed a sigh of relief and felt a bit guilty and embarrassed.

"Alright, it's time to turn off the lights," Yoko said, then lifted the lampshade and blew out the flame.

In the darkness, the dormitory was filled with the sound of rustling.

Lin Yanchao lay in bed, propping his head up with his hand and whispered, "Brother Ye?"

"What is it, Brother Lin?"

"May I ask, is your name 'Xianggao' with the 'Xiang' from 'Xiang Yu' or the 'Xiang' from 'towards'?"

"The 'Xiang' from 'towards'."

"Ah, Brother Ye, are you from Fuqing County?"

"Yes."

Lin Yanchao closed his eyes, thinking that this person was likely the historical Ye Xianggao, who twice entered the cabinet and served as the sole prime minister for thirteen years.

Ye Xianggao asked, "Do you know me, or perhaps one of my elders?"

Lin Yanchao said, "Brother Ye, you misunderstood. Your name is well-chosen. Xianggao, Xianggao, study hard and strive for excellence every day!"

Ye Xianggao also said, "When my grandfather named me, he had the same intention."

"Alright, no talking during meals or in bed," Yoko's voice came from the other side.

Ye Xianggao huffed lightly.

"Brother Ye, we are new here, so we shouldn't stand out and become targets."

"Thank you for the advice, Brother Lin. I know my limits."

Hearing Ye Xianggao's agreement, Lin Yanchao said nothing more, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

The next morning, after Lin Yanchao tidied his bedding and was washing up, the dorm attendant said, "Lin Yanchao, Ye Xianggao, Chen Wencai, today you will pay respects to the headmaster and the lecturers. Go to the West Hall first."

Lin Yanchao and the others, hearing this, did not dare to delay and hurried to the West Hall.

The headmaster, Lin Yin, was a kind and elderly man with the demeanor of a senior.

Lin Yin first led the three disciples to pay respects to Confucius and Zhu Xi, then the three bowed to the two of them, performing the ceremony of paying respects to their teachers.

After the bow, they presented the six gifts of respect: celery, symbolizing diligence in studies; lotus seeds, symbolizing the teacher's hard work; red beans, symbolizing good fortune; jujubes, symbolizing early success; longan, symbolizing the completion of virtue; and dried lean meat strips, expressing the disciples' respect.

Then, the headmaster and the lecturers of the academy each gave Lin Yanchao, Ye Xianggao, and Chen Wencai a piece of sugar and a green onion. The sugar, being sticky, symbolized the resolve to study diligently; the green onion, sounding like 'clever,' symbolized the clarity and integrity of knowledge.

After the ceremony, Lin Yin gave them a lecture on the principles of studying and being a person.

Even without the words 'respect for teachers and the way,' just the fact that he was a scholar who ranked fifth in the provincial examination of 1531, made Lin Yanchao and the others listen attentively.

After some encouraging words, Lin Yin gently asked the three, "Why do you study?"

The three exchanged glances, and Lin Yin pointed to Chen Wencai, "You go first."

Chen Wencai straightened his clothes, raised his right hand, and with his eyes and fingers level, said loudly, "To establish the mind of heaven and earth, to secure the destiny of the people, to continue the interrupted learning of the sages, and to bring peace to the world for all generations!"

Chen Wencai's words were somewhat humorous, but Lin Yanchao saw that no one else found it funny.

Lin Yin nodded, "Those are the famous words of Mr. Hengqu." Mr. Hengqu was the renowned Song Dynasty scholar Zhang Zai, and these four sentences were his well-known sayings.

"And you?" Lin Yin nodded at Ye Xianggao.

Ye Xianggao respectfully said, "To follow the righteous path and uphold righteousness and benevolence."

Lin Yin smiled, "Indeed, you are close to Mr. Lianxi. You are worthy of being Mr. Guishan's excellent son." Lin Yanchao knew that Mr. Lianxi was Zhou Dunyi, who, besides his famous essay "In Praise of the Lotus," was most important for founding the Cheng-Zhu School of Neo-Confucianism, which advocated following the righteous path and upholding righteousness and benevolence.

Ye Xianggao bowed, "My father often mentions the headmaster to me."

"Good, good," Lin Yin smiled.

"Then you, Lin Yanchao?" Lin Yin looked at Lin Yanchao, who sensed a hint of inquiry in his gaze.

Lin Yanchao thought for a moment, abandoned several impressive answers, and chose a more conventional one: "To study, one should strive to improve oneself in poverty and help others when successful."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room exchanged glances.

Lin Liao quickly said, "Headmaster, this student is new here..."

Lin Yin waved his hand, coughed a few times, and smiled, "It's fine not to know. Moreover, what he said is from Mencius, the Confucian tradition, which is carried on by Mr. Lianxi, Mr. Mingdao, and Mr. Yichuan from Mencius."

Lin Yin coughed again, and Lin Liao brought him a cup of tea, which improved his complexion.

Lin Yin said, "My old ailment has flared up again. Our academy is a place where Zhu Xi taught, and we follow the Confucian tradition. We only read the Five Classics and the works of Confucius and Mencius, and we only teach the doctrines of the Lian, Luo, Guan, and Min schools. Remember this."

"Yes."

Lin Yanchao suddenly understood that the headmaster's question about why they studied was not a casual one but had a set of rules.

Lianjiang Academy was where Zhu Xi once taught, so it naturally promoted Neo-Confucianism. Therefore, Lin Yin said that they only taught the doctrines of the Lian (Zhou Dunyi), Luo (the Cheng brothers), Guan (Zhang Zai), and Min (Zhu Xi) schools, and regarded the popular Wang Yangming's school as a minor branch.

However, Neo-Confucianism was good. It was the dominant and official school of thought, the stepping stone to officialdom. Although Lin Yanchao respected Wang Yangming, Wang's school could not help him pass the imperial examinations.

The ceremony ended, and the dorm attendant led the three out of the study, explaining the academy's rules: "Our academy is divided into the outer hall, inner hall, and upper hall. You new students are all outer hall students, studying in the outer hall. Outer hall students do not receive silver. If you make progress in your studies, you will be promoted to the inner hall. Inner hall students receive three coins of silver per month. If you make further progress, you will be promoted to the upper hall, where you will receive five coins of silver per month."

Lin Yanchao couldn't help but marvel that the system of fast and slow classes and scholarships had existed so early. At that time, famous academies like Lianjiang Academy received funding from the government and income from educational fields, and did not rely on the fees from students. Not only were food and lodging free, but students also received a monthly stipend.

Lin Yanchao saw that Ye Xianggao and Chen Wencai clearly already knew this, while he was behind in information.

The dorm attendant continued, "Additionally, the academy has monthly and biweekly exams, with the headmaster setting the questions for the biweekly exams. The monthly exams are set by the county and prefectural schools. The official exams are held four times a year, set by the county magistrate, prefectural governor, and educational commissioner, to determine your rankings. I won't go into more detail, as you will learn over time."

After the dorm attendant left, Chen Wencai said, "The official exams are set by the county magistrate, prefectural governor, and educational commissioner. This academy is truly generous."

Ye Xianggao said, "Isn't that good? We can know the examiners' styles before the county, prefectural, and college exams. It's a pity that the exams are only held once a season, which is too infrequent."

"Brother Lin, what do you think? By the way, it seems you know nothing about the academy. Didn't your teachers mention anything to you?"

This was the inherent disadvantage of a poor family. In terms of connections and resources, they were inferior to the children of officials and merchants.

Lin Yanchao spread his hands, "My teachers didn't mention anything, so I still need to seek guidance from Brother Ye and Brother Chen."

Ye Xianggao and Chen Wencai both humbly said, "Brother Lin, we dare not."