Chapter 95

According to official statistics from the Wanli era, the Fuzhou Prefecture had over 90,000 households and over 250,000 people. However, if we take into account the large number of unregistered residents, the actual population was likely between 400,000 and 500,000.

Among these, the population within Fuzhou City was estimated to be at least 200,000. This was just the local population; if we include the mobile population such as officials, their families, merchants, and their families, the number would be around 300,000.

This was just Lin Yanchao's conservative estimate. In fact, it was estimated that there were over 150,000 Spanish people in Fuzhou by the end of the Ming Dynasty, which of course included the bustling commercial area in the southern part of the city.

On this day, Lin Yanchao got up early, washed up, and walked out of his house and the alley.

As Lin Yanchao walked out of Dengying Lane and onto Shuimen Street, the Shuimen City Gate had just opened, and merchants and villagers were flooding into the city.

Near Shuimen, there was the Rouyuan Post Station, where the envoys from the Ryukyu Kingdom stayed. The river mouth outside the water gate could directly connect to the sea, and the large boats for the investiture of the Ryukyu Kingdom were built there, so there were many officials, craftsmen, and commoners gathered.

In the crowd, Lin Yanchao walked to the river and rented a boat. The small boat navigated through the bridges and trees along the river. The wooden and stone bridges were built as high as the streets, but they did not hinder the passage of boats under them.

Lin Yanchao lay freely on the bow of the boat, while the boatman slowly rowed. The windows of the houses by the river were open, allowing the gentle breeze to blow in, and women were beating clothes by the water with wooden mallets.

When the boat reached the area with willows and mist, the sight of the green willows hanging over the water and the steps by the river presented a scene of "green willows at Zhangtai." The girls in the brothels were just waking up, looking at their reflections in the water, and applying makeup. When they saw the boats passing by, they smiled gracefully.

Lin Yanchao lay on the boat, enjoying the leisurely atmosphere of the water alleys and the courtesans. He had heard from his fellow students that courtesans were divided into four ranks, with the first and second ranks being the highest, serving only regular customers and not allowing entry without an introduction. However, he was too young to visit them.

After passing Houguan County Office, Lin Yanchao got off the boat and moved from the eastern part of the city to the western part.

The western part of the city, with its several market districts and small alleys, covering several hundred acres, was a gathering place for high-ranking officials and nobles. For literati, owning property was a refined matter, like Wang Anshi's Half Mountain Garden, Du Fu's Thatched Cottage, Yuan Mei's Suiyuan, and Li Yu's Jizi Garden, where the houses embodied the sentiments of the literati.

Who said that buying land and building houses was a vulgar thing?

The literati in Fujian were also like this. After passing the imperial examinations, they often moved their houses from the countryside to the western part of the city.

Lin Yanchao remembered the Ming Dynasty's etiquette rules, which stipulated that houses below the rank of princes and dukes could not have double arches and caisson ceilings, and commoners' houses could not exceed three rooms and five frames. However, the houses in this area had not only double arches and caisson ceilings but also seven and nine frames.

For example, the Wenru Lane where Lin Tingji lived was the former residence of Zheng Mu, the chief of the Imperial Academy. The local scholarly atmosphere flourished, so it was renamed Wenru Lane. Besides Wenru Lane, there were also Yijin Lane, Guanglu Lane, and Zhuzi Lane nearby. Just hearing the names made one feel the nobility.

In front of the main street, there stood a stone stupa. The street was paved with stone slabs, and the Lin family residence was beside Zao Ti Alley, with the main gate facing the street.

Alas, Lin Yanchao's own family could not even have their gate facing the alley.

After being announced, Lin Yanchao entered the Lin family residence. The courtyard's appearance is not described in detail here. A servant led Lin Yanchao to a study.

Lin Yanchao saw Lin Jing and performed the disciple's salute, saying, "Disciple pays respects to Master."

Lin Jing wore a brown silk net cap and a wide-sleeved robe. The net cap, popular in the early Ming Dynasty, could be worn by both the rich and the poor, symbolizing the unification of the Central Plains and the stability of the four directions. It was one of the most common headwear for literati in the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing Lin Yanchao's respectful attitude, Lin Jing smiled and said, "You used to be very casual when greeting me. Is it because you now know my identity that you are being respectful?"

Lin Yanchao maintained his bow and said, "No, disciple respects Master as a gentleman."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Lin Jing asked with a smile.

Lin Yanchao replied, "Disciple respects Master for not flattering the chief minister or his mother, and for not being angry with the disciples, often speaking frankly. A literati who does not flatter the superiors and does not bully the subordinates can surely be called a gentleman."

"Good," Lin Jing smiled gently and said, "Come in and let's talk."

The master and disciple then sat across the desk from each other.

Lin Jing said, "When I took you as a disciple, half of it was due to your father's request and the favor you did for the Lin family, and the other half was because my nephews, Shibing and Shirren, praised you, so I wanted to see your talent. A few days ago, I heard that you wrote 'Li Yi Xian Xing, Bu Huang Hou Gu' (Etiquette should come first, not lag behind) for the governor, which was very good. Not only did it help the governor, but it also saved General Yu's career. However, there is one thing I don't understand."

Lin Yanchao asked hurriedly, "Master, what don't you understand?"

Lin Jing stroked his beard and said, "Let me ask you, why did you come to study under me?"

Lin Yanchao thought for a moment and said, "To learn the art of writing and to gain knowledge."

Lin Jing nodded and said, "Yes, if you are seeking the art of writing and knowledge, you should focus on reading and improving your character. Why are you distracted by legal and worldly matters, which are outside the Four Books and Five Classics and do not benefit your studies?"

Lin Yanchao replied, "Master, I read to seek an official career, and to be a good official. To be a good official, one must not only clear the wrongs of the people but also not be deceived by the officials. If I can master legal and worldly matters, no matter how slippery the officials are, I can still hold a clear mirror high."

"Is there anything else?" Lin Jing continued to ask.

"Master says that these matters do not benefit studies, but I disagree. As the saying goes, 'Understanding the world is all knowledge, and mastering human relations is also an art.' If one does not understand the world and only reads books, one is just a bookworm. It is said that reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles is not as good as meeting many people!"

Lin Jing's blue robe trembled slightly, and he said, "Understanding the world is all knowledge, and mastering human relations is also an art. This is a profound insight. The Zuo Zhuan says, 'The highest virtue is to establish virtue, the next is to establish merit, and the next is to establish words. These three are immortal and will not be forgotten over time.' Since the Song Dynasty, literati have sought immortality by focusing on establishing virtue and words, but have neglected establishing merit, which cannot establish virtue."

Lin Yanchao almost burst with enthusiasm, wanting to say, "Master, what you said is very true. I believe that since the time of the great sage, only Wang Yangming has truly achieved the three immortals, while other literati do not deserve to be called great scholars."

But he thought that this would be too shocking and would place Cheng and Zhu in an awkward position. Moreover, if he praised Wang Yangming too much, he might be labeled as a follower of Wang's school, and his teachers were all followers of the Neo-Confucian school. He decided to follow the Neo-Confucian school closely.

Lin Jing asked, "Yanchao, which of the three—establishing virtue, merit, or words—do you want to achieve? From your aspirations, it seems you want to establish merit?"

Lin Yanchao had already calmed down and thought it was not good to make grand statements in front of his teacher. When Confucius asked his disciples about their aspirations, Zilu and Ran You made grand statements and were laughed at by Confucius, while Zeng Shen's simple words about drinking, dancing, and singing at home were praised by Confucius.

Lin Yanchao thought for a moment and said, "Disciple knows that I am not capable enough. Does Master think I can try?"

Lin Jing did not say anything but stood up and sighed, "Whether you can or not is not something I can determine. Let me test you with a question from the Four Books. The topic is 'A gentleman is distressed that his name will not be remembered after his death.'"

This question was very fitting. The meaning of the topic, "A gentleman is distressed that his name will not be remembered after his death," was to encourage him to pursue the three immortals—establishing virtue, merit, and words.

Lin Jing was using this topic to tell him, "Go and do something great, so that your name will be remembered by future generations, and do not be forgotten."

Lin Yanchao was moved, and his pen trembled. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and he wrote a well-structured essay, which he then handed to Lin Jing.

This essay was written on the spot, and Lin Yanchao did not plagiarize anyone else's work.

Lin Jing took the essay, read it once, looked at Lin Yanchao, read it again, and finally said, "It seems you still have a long way to go."

A bucket of cold water was poured over Lin Yanchao, and he almost burst into tears, thinking, "Does the teacher have to be so harsh?"

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