Chapter 71

Lin Yanchao asked Lin Liao for leave and then set off for the Lin residence.

On the way, he wondered what kind of teacher Lin Shisheng had arranged for him. After all, he had done such a big favor for him; it wouldn't be right for him to let him down.

Following the agreed time, Lin Yanchao arrived at the Lin residence.

He informed the gatekeeper. The last time he came, there were no guests at the gate, but this time several sedan chairs were parked at the entrance, and many servants and bearers were sitting in the sedan hall, drinking tea and eating cakes.

"May I ask if you are Master Lin from Lianjiang Academy?"

"Yes."

"The second young master said he has something to attend to today and cannot be here, so he asked me to show you the way!"

"Thank you for showing me the way."

Lin Yanchao gave him some copper coins, and the man smiled and led Lin Yanchao, not to the side house where Lin Chengyi had come before, but through the sedan hall.

After passing through the corridor, Lin Yanchao followed the servant down a path, turning several corners until they reached a courtyard. The well in the courtyard, surrounded by a stone wellhead, bore the inscription "Longqing."

Curtains hung low around the courtyard, and from a distance, he could hear someone tuning a guqin, singing softly and melodiously.

The old servant smiled and said, "There are guests today, and the housemaids are performing."

Lin Yanchao smiled and said, "It sounds very nice."

The old servant smiled and said, "Master, you are quite witty."

The servant then led Lin Yanchao to a study and said, "The embroidery tower is behind the courtyard. Please wait here in the study."

"Alright."

The study was very simple, with only a desk, ink, brush, and paper. There was a lamp with a silk shade, and a few thread-bound books on the desk.

Lin Yanchao waited for half an hour before hearing footsteps. A man in a green robe walked in, his hair tied up with a wooden pin, his features sharp and clear, but Lin Yanchao sensed a hint of dejection from him.

But thinking about it, it made sense. Most private tutors were scholars who had failed in their official careers and had no hope of passing the imperial exams. Wasn't Lin Chengyi and the old master like that too? But he hoped this man's level wasn't too poor.

Lin Yanchao had been reading for a while and then apologized. The man in the green robe asked, "Are you Lin Yanchao?"

"Yes, I, the student, greet the teacher."

"Good, please sit down."

Lin Yanchao sat down as instructed and asked, "May I know the teacher's name?"

The man in the green robe was silent for a moment and said, "I am teaching you the Book of Documents only because someone asked me to. In fact, I have not decided to take on disciples. But since we have met today, it is a matter of fate. I am known as Fuzhang Jushi. If anyone asks, you can answer like that."

At the time, scholars often gave themselves titles. Some used "study" as their title, some used "recluse," and some used "mountain man." For example, Li Bai called himself Qinglian Jushi. Those who chose "recluse" were usually quite proud and often chose to stay at home rather than seek official positions. They must have been disappointed by the imperial exams and then complained about the corruption in the exams, and then never took the exams again.

For a man in his early twenties, such thoughts were normal, but for a man in his thirties, it was too much.

Hearing this, Lin Yanchao thought, "Damn, you are just a failed scholar, and you still look down on people."

Lin Yanchao stood up and said, "Sir, is there any difficulty? If you teach me reluctantly, it won't be a problem for me, but it will be hard on you."

The man did not get angry but smiled faintly and said, "It's not because of you, but I am a bit disheartened and may not teach with all my effort."

Lin Yanchao thought, "What an excuse. It seems Lin Shisheng is just dealing with me and found a random teacher to teach the Book of Documents. No, if he teaches poorly, I will definitely go to the second young master of the Lin family to complain."

Lin Yanchao said, "Sir, please teach. If I feel you are not teaching wholeheartedly, I will inform the second young master of the Lin family."

The corner of Fuzhang Jushi's mouth twitched, and he smiled and said, "Didn't the Lin family's young master tell you who I am?"

"You said you are known as Fuzhang Jushi. That's all I know. Is it important?"

"Good, good, it's not important." The man smiled slightly, looking a bit happier, and his face was not as pale as when he first came in.

Fuzhang Jushi said, "You come here every afternoon at five o'clock. I will teach you for two hours. If you feel I am not teaching well, you can leave. I won't say anything."

Lin Yanchao felt a bit embarrassed, thinking, "What if he really teaches well?" He quickly said, "I dare not. If the teacher feels I am dull, please scold me."

The man frowned, thinking, "If a student doesn't learn well, isn't it natural for the teacher to scold them? Why does it sound like he is doing me a favor?"

"Whatever, but I don't value a student's talent or intelligence. Being a bit dull is fine, and I won't scold you for it."

Lin Yanchao thought, "I was being humble, and you took it seriously. We'll see how I can make you eat your words." He then asked, "What does the teacher value most in a student?"

Fuzhang Jushi said, "I value diligence the most. The person I admire most is Su Dongpo. He once said, 'Reading in this life is already too late.' The meaning is that even if we could read from infancy, it would still be too late. So, do you think reading requires diligence?"

"Reading in this life is already too late," Lin Yanchao thought, "What a fantastical idea."

Lin Yanchao argued, "Sir, I don't agree."

"Oh, are you questioning Su Dongpo's words?"

Lin Yanchao nodded and said, "Yes."

"Why?" The man's face darkened a bit.

"Because it was Su Dongpo's father who said it. The Three-Character Classic says, 'Su Laoquan, at twenty-seven, began to study diligently.' Su Laoquan started studying diligently at twenty-seven and still became one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song dynasties. This shows that as long as you are determined to study hard, it's never too late, no matter how late you start."

Su Laoquan is Su Xun, Su Shi's father. Using the father to slap the son's face, it was a crisp sound!

The man was stunned, not because he was speechless, but because it touched his thoughts and made him think of court affairs.

Being young is great; it's never too late.

Fuzhang Jushi smiled lightly and looked at Lin Yanchao, "Is it fun to argue with words? I heard you are very eloquent and even saved the life of Wangzhai's grandson. But you can't just talk; you need to write well too."

"Whether my writing is good or not depends on how well the teacher teaches," Lin Yanchao successfully passed the buck.

The man shook his head, and the two sat opposite each other at the desk. The man opened the Book of Documents and said, "I haven't read the Book of Documents for some time. Let me think for a moment."

Lin Yanchao almost spat blood. "What do you mean, 'for some time'? That's too unprofessional."

But the man slowly turned the pages of the Book of Documents, starting slowly and then faster. Finally, he nodded and said, "Since you are learning the Book of Documents from me, do you want to learn practical application or exam preparation?"

"What is practical application? What is exam preparation?"

The man shook his head and said, "Practical application means reading the classics and applying them. I will teach according to my mood."

"Exam preparation means teaching specifically for the imperial exams. It will include philology and the meaning of the classics, but it won't be extensive. For example, I won't teach 'The Song of the Five Sons,' 'The Oath of Tang,' 'The Migration of Pan Geng,' 'The Flight of Wei Zi,' 'The Examination of the Western Duke,' 'The Golden Coffer,' 'The Charge of King Kang,' and 'The Charge of Duke Wen.'"

"Why not?"

The recluse sighed and said, "You really don't know. 'The Song of the Five Sons' mourns the loss of a state, 'The Oath of Tang' criticizes the ruler, 'The Migration of Pan Geng' talks about moving the capital, 'The Flight of Wei Zi' talks about a minister fleeing, and other passages have inappropriate content. If the examiners use these as questions, it would be taboo."

Lin Yanchao was delighted. The Book of Documents is the shortest of the Five Classics, and now a few passages are excluded, making it even easier.

Lin Yanchao thought for a moment and said, "Then, please teach me the exam preparation first, and then the practical application."

"Why?"

"Reading should be for practical application, but there are priorities. My first priority is to pass the outer dormitory exam and enter the middle dormitory. Although I want to learn passages like 'The Song of the Five Sons,' I have limited time, so please teach me the exam preparation first."

"After a month, when I have more free time, please teach me the practical application from the beginning."

The recluse nodded slightly and said, "That makes sense. You are not just a bookworm."

Lin Yanchao said, "Can the teacher start teaching now?"

The recluse said, "Not yet. Let me first give you an overview. The current annotations of the Book of Documents used by scholars are from the 'Five Classics and Four Books' compiled during the Yongle period. The 'Five Classics and Four Books' mainly follows the 'Book of Documents Commentary' by Zhu Xi's disciple Cai. However, the 'Book of Documents Commentary' has many errors, and later scholars wrote 'The Errors in the Book of Documents Commentary,' 'The Corrections to the Book of Documents Commentary,' and 'The Doubts about the Book of Documents Commentary' to challenge it. I started studying the Book of Documents at eight, guided by my teacher, and later studied widely and sought advice from famous scholars, forming some personal insights. These differ from the 'Book of Documents Commentary,' and I will explain the differences..."

Hearing this, Lin Yanchao felt the man seemed quite knowledgeable, and he no longer looked down on him.

The man in the green robe slowly explained, and Lin Yanchao listened carefully, taking notes.

After more than an hour, Lin Yanchao's initial doubts turned to admiration. He thought, "This teacher is really good. He cites classics and speaks with ease. His knowledge seems to surpass even Lin Liao. If I could have studied under him earlier, passing the county exam would not be a problem."

The man in the green robe continued to explain, and Lin Yanchao listened and took notes.