Chapter 54

After class, everyone's test papers were posted on the wall for public evaluation. This was a rule of the academy to ensure fairness. Generally, the top three essays would attract a crowd, allowing students to compare their own approaches to the topics and assess the quality of the writing, thus encouraging them to emulate excellence.

Above the essays, there would be Lin Liao's comments, with red ink marks on particularly well-written sections, and remarks at the end of the papers. Students could learn a lot from these.

However, this time, no one looked at the top three essays by Ye Xianggao, Yu Ziyu, and Chen Xinggui. All the outer dormitory students crowded around Lin Yanchao's paper.

The expressions on everyone's faces were quite vivid. Soon, one person slapped his thigh and said, "So this is the essay of the Great Master's favorite disciple. I've learned something new."

After saying this, he swept his sleeves and left.

Another person said, "This person has almost no foundation in the current literature. Even a random child from the community school outside could write better than him."

"It seems that among the new students in the outer dormitory, only the boy from Fuzhou is impressive. This person is not worth worrying about."

Yu Ziyu and Chen Xinggui, hearing this from outside, also walked to a corner to talk.

Yu Ziyu asked, "I really can't figure it out. What do you think, Brother Chen?"

Chen Xinggui replied, "Brother Yu, let's not talk about his current literature paper for now. Look at his exegetical and ink-interpretation sections; there isn't a single mistake. Even in the outer dormitory, only about eight or nine people got everything right in this month's examination. The rest made some mistakes."

"Moreover, his ink-interpretation is exactly the same as the Zhu Xi commentary, not a word more or less. Can you do that?"

In both the academy and the community schools, the requirement for the exegetical section was that not a single word could be wrong, while the ink-interpretation was a bit more lenient. Ideally, students should be able to recite the Zhu Xi commentary without a single mistake, but when grading, if students got the main points right and had only minor errors in individual words, the teachers wouldn't deliberately mark them wrong.

Yu Ziyu looked at Lin Yanchao's paper and indeed found that his ink-interpretation was exactly the same as the Zhu Xi commentary, as if he had copied it. This showed that he read extremely carefully and was so meticulous that he wouldn't allow a single word to be wrong.

An uncomfortable feeling arose in Yu Ziyu, and he said, "The child test examines current literature, not exegetical and ink-interpretation. No matter how well he does, it's just rote learning. If he can't write current literature, it's all for nothing."

Chen Xinggui smiled and said, "Brother Yu, you're too concerned. I think this person is not without merit; otherwise, the Great Master wouldn't have taken him as a disciple."

Yu Ziyu said disdainfully, "What background does a commoner's child have? Even if he has one, it won't surpass ours. In the outer dormitory, besides Ye Xianggao and Brother Chen, I consider no one else a match for me."

While the students were discussing the papers, Lin Yanchao heard everything. He thought it was better to break the halo early, so he wouldn't be the center of attention all the time, which could distract him from his studies.

After the students who were commenting on the papers gradually left, those who remained took out paper and copied the top essays and the comments, preparing to take them back to study. The academy would then collect the papers, and the library would make copies of the students' papers for archiving.

Lin Yanchao stood in front of the papers of Ye Xianggao and other outer dormitory students. Others saw Lin Yanchao muttering to himself, thinking he was reading, but they didn't know that after just one or two readings, he had already memorized the essays and comments, without a single mistake.

"Lin Yanchao, the lecturer is looking for you!"

Lin Yanchao, hearing that Lin Liao was looking for him, thought he might have done poorly in the exam. However, Lin Liao had previously said that as long as he got the exegetical and ink-interpretation sections right, it didn't matter if his current literature was good or not. If Lin Liao questioned him about this, he would argue.

In the study, Lin Liao sat by the desk, with a portrait of Zhu Xi hanging behind him.

"Pay respects to the teacher."

Lin Liao, with a stern face, said, "Yanchao, did you really not read the Mencius before? Is that true?"

"Yes, I only understand the Great Learning."

"Then how did you do in the exam? The exegetical section was all correct, and the ink-interpretation was perfect. Did you memorize the Mencius and the Zhu Xi commentary in just fourteen days?"

Lin Yanchao, feeling wronged, said, "Teacher, didn't you tell me that I could skip the current literature section in the monthly exam, but I couldn't make any mistakes in the exegetical and ink-interpretation sections?"

Lin Liao remembered saying that, but he didn't really expect Lin Yanchao to memorize the entire Mencius and the Zhu Xi commentary, which was several tens of thousands of words, in just fourteen days, without a single mistake.

Lin Liao stood up and said, "Yes, I did say that."

Lin Liao turned his back to the portrait of Zhu Xi and said, "I will ask you one last time. In front of the portrait of Zhu Xi, tell me, did you really memorize the Mencius and the Zhu Xi commentary, or did you cheat in the monthly exam?"

Lin Liao's tone became stern as he said this.

Lin Yanchao looked up at the portrait of Zhu Xi and said honestly, "The wise can judge. I really memorized the Mencius and the Zhu Xi commentary, and I did not cheat."

"Good," Lin Liao turned around, his sleeves flapping, and his eyes fixed on Lin Yanchao, "Since you insist, I will test you now. How well do you know the first chapter of the Mencius, 'Teng Wen Gong'?"

Lin Yanchao said, "I know it very well, and I can recite it backward."

Lin Yanchao showed no humility before his teacher, and Lin Liao, amused and angry, said, "You can recite it backward? Fine, recite the 'Teng Wen Gong' chapter backward for me!"

Lin Yanchao: "Student, I..."

Fifteen minutes passed, and a swallow flapped its wings and left its nest.

In the study, Lin Liao was speechless, and Lin Yanchao, a bit embarrassed, said, "Teacher, I have finished reciting it backward. I just happen to be very familiar with the 'Teng Wen Gong' chapter. I might not be as familiar with the other chapters."

This boy not only recited it backward but also without a single mistake. Lin Liao closed the Mencius and asked, "You really only studied for fourteen days?"

"Yes, I had some prior knowledge, but it's not just fourteen days," Lin Yanchao said as modestly as possible.

Lin Liao's wrist trembled, unable to hide his shock. He thought, "This boy is truly a genius. He not only excels in law but also has the memory of Zhang Song. I must remain calm to avoid making him arrogant and cocky in the future."

Lin Liao took a deep breath to calm himself and then said, "Alright, I retract my accusation of cheating."

Lin Yanchao also said, "Yes, Teacher. I can memorize books well, but I still lack a foundation in current literature. I was stuck on the opening question. I wonder if you can give me some advice."

Lin Liao, seeing Lin Yanchao's humility, nodded in satisfaction and said, "This cannot be rushed. The opening question is like poetry and prose, relying on both insight and daily accumulation. You have memorized the classics, but it's like eating a whole meal; it's just in your stomach. This is rote learning, and it's far from true understanding."

Lin Yanchao asked, "Teacher, is there no shortcut?"

Lin Liao's face turned stern, "There is no shortcut. The art of writing current literature cannot be rushed. Have you heard the saying, 'Haste makes waste'?"

Lin Yanchao lowered his head and said, "Yes, Teacher."

Lin Liao said, "If you want to excel in current literature, you must have the determination to wear down a stone with a drop of water. Follow me."

Lin Liao led Lin Yanchao to his study, which had a front and back room. Lin Liao lifted a curtain, and Lin Yanchao looked up to see a study with two large bookshelves filled with books.

Lin Liao said to Lin Yanchao, "All the books I read before entering the academy are here. If you really want a shortcut, read these books thoroughly, and I guarantee you will at least be a scholar."

Lin Yanchao, seeing so many books, couldn't help but sigh that becoming a scholar was not easy.

Lin Liao, seeing Lin Yanchao's expression, knew his words had an effect. He coughed a few times and said, "Since you are determined to enter the academy, I have a few sets of books that might help you. This set, 'The Four Books: Major and Minor Topics,' consists of fifty volumes, including two volumes on the Great Learning, two on the Doctrine of the Mean, twenty on the Analects, and twenty-six on the Mencius. All the model essays for major and minor topics in current literature are here."

"Then there is this book on opening questions, which explains the method of writing opening questions."

"This book on the overview of the classics explains..."

Lin Liao explained and then took a few books from the shelf, saying, "Since you are studying the Mencius, you can start with the four volumes of 'The Four Books: Major and Minor Topics' that cover the 'Liang Hui Wang' chapter of the Mencius. These are model essays by famous scholars. If you memorize any of them and use them in an exam, even if you don't get first place, the examiner won't fail your paper."

Lin Yanchao, hearing this, thought it was like a question bank from the future. He flipped through 'The Four Books: Major and Minor Topics' and saw tiny characters on each page, with thousands of words on a single page. He couldn't help but speculate maliciously that the small print was to facilitate cheating during exams.

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