Chapter 048
Author: Feast of Masks
Raws: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3185016
Translated by Pill Bug
Edited by Gumihou
Once the crowd of people had left, Li Datian stepped forward to close the door. Only then did the people within the room breathe a sigh of relief.
Mao Badou was the only one still fuming with indignation as he paced back and forth, scolding and cursing, “To think that someone actually dared to slander this young master! Do they even know who they are dealing with? Humph! Those people tried to set up this young master, but ended up losing the rice used to bait the chicken. Which scoundrel was the one plotting behind my back?!”
Xue Tingxiang gave him one helpless look before taking a seat at the table and pouring himself some water from the teapot.
Li Datian said, “Alright, alright, stop pacing about already. If you keep stomping around like that, your crotch book will fall out of your pants.”
That remark finally snapped Mao Badou back into reality as he pawed at the book hidden inside his pants. The rest of them look at him with undisguised disgust, Li Datian especially. After a quick look to check which book it was, he leaned back and sneered, “You are too revolting. To think that you would even stuff a book down your crotch like that.”
Mao Badou responded with more righteous indignation, “Under such a desperate situation, if not my trousers, where am I supposed to hide it?”
Xue Tingxiang cleared his throat. “Badou, you had better tidy up the things on your bed. Lights out will be announced soon.”
While Mao Badou started clearing his bed, Li Datian taunted him from the side, “You have quite the collection of treasure in your cabinet. I saw Zhou Li nearly throw up several times. Just how long have you been saving those clothes? Did you not bring them back home to be washed last break?”
“I forgot.”
“Stay far away from me. I despise you.”
The four of them chatted idly for a little longer before lying down in their beds. Xue Tingxiang quietly turned to face the wall. Poor Li Datian was not so lucky. That was because Mao Badou, in a fit of pure mischief, spread himself out to the point of encroaching on Li Datian’s bed.
When Li Datian tried to push him away, Mao Badou just gave him a pitiful look that basically said, ‘As a big fatty, I cannot help but take up more space…’
The night passed silently.
The next day, they found that there was one less student in Class B. Zhou Li had gone missing.
The other unusual thing was that several students made it a point to come up and greet the four of them in a friendly way. Moreover, there were also a lot of sympathetic words and admiring sounds from this previously unfriendly group of people. Evidently, many of them had been impressed by Xue Tingxiang’s performance the previous day.
While it was a pleasant surprise, all four of them felt uneasy with the nicer treatment. That was because it was clear that someone must be targeting them from the shadows. Who knows whether these seemingly friendly faces were hiding friends or foes?
“Badou, you saw what happened yesterday. Though scholars may hold to a gentleman’s code, at their core, they are still people influenced by worldly things such as status. So long as we are not part of Class A, we will be considered inferior to others. So long as someone from Class A wants to harm us, there is no way for us to guard against them since we do not know who was behind the scheme. Therefore, we should study hard and get into Class A. Only then may we rest easy,” said Li Datian with a sigh.
“Would we really rest easy the moment we enter Class A?” Mao Badou said sceptically.
Xue Tingxiang said, “Even if we cannot completely relax, there will be fewer people who would dare to cause trouble for you. No matter who they are, nobody in this world can escape the influence of ‘power’. Though this academy is small, it reflects society in miniature. So long as you get into Class A, at the very least, the bystanders will weigh their actions more carefully before picking a fight with you. As your influence continues to grow, there will come a day when you may rest easy without fearing others.”
Mao Badou nodded, then asked curiously, “Tingxiang, how do you know so much?”
Xue Tingxiang was taken aback by the question. Indeed, how did he know this much? It was as though his understanding of the world, as well as his own character, had seen significant changes after that dream.
Naturally, there was no way he could share these inner complex thoughts with others. Instead, he smiled enigmatically at Mao Badou and said, “Within books, there are a thousand bushels of grain; within pages, a house of gold.” [1]
“Tch, if you don’t want to say it, then just don’t say it! Don’t try to trick me with those fancy words.”
The group of dormmates shared a smile and laughed as their youthful camaraderie deepened.
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Lin Miao rolled up his scroll and left the lecture hall. Before departing, he instructed Yu Ziyou to meet him in the study.
Other students in the lecture hall looked on with envy. Of the students within the entire academy, only a few managed to receive private instructions from the headmaster. Even among Class A students, only Yu Ziyou, Hu Lianshen and Wang Qi were ever granted the privilege of being personally instructed by Lin Miao. Others had been given personal instructions by the headmaster, but none of them had been called to the study as frequently as those three.
The headmaster’s knowledge was beyond question; after passing the provincial examination and becoming a Xiu Cai, he received a stipend from the imperial coffers as a Lin Sheng [5] or a government-employed scholar.
Students in the academy privately speculated among themselves about how, with his knowledge, Lin Miao could surely pass the imperial examination with ease, but why had the headmaster refrained from taking that final examination?
As a general rule, scholars of such deep learning would take on disciples, but the headmaster had yet to accept any until now. None of the students knew why. If seasoned teachers like Teacher Meng knew, they kept the reason to themselves. Still, this did not stop the students from speculating. Judging from the Headmaster’s words and actions, it looked like he may choose his future disciple between Yu Ziyou, Hu Lianshen, or Wang Qi.
Of the three, Yu Ziyou and Hu Lianshen appeared to have the best chances, as both had already achieved the basic scholarly titles.
Enough about these trivial matters.
After Lin Miao left, Yu Ziyou stayed behind in the lecture hall for a moment longer before packing up his desk and heading out. By the time he reached Lin Miao’s study, the man was already there, sipping tea as he waited for Yu Ziyou.
“For today, I shall set a question for you. You may go back and think over your answer. Submit your work by tomorrow.”
Yu Ziyou was at the level where he had completely memorised the Four Books and Five Classics. All that remained was mastering the art of writing the eight-legged essays.
The eight-legged essay was a writing method that had been refined through several dynasties. Its strict structure was finalised in the previous dynasty. That was when the essay method was said to have reached its peak. Because of its strict structure and the fact that it only covers content from the Four Books and Five Classics, nearly all possible tests and questions that could be made had been exhausted, to the point that students could pass exams just by memorising set answers.
Thus, a new question style emerged known as ‘Cut-and-match hybrid questions’. By forcefully breaking up the sentences and fragmenting the meanings of the classics, the difficulty level of the questions increased. There were various ways to set cut-and-match questions, such as the long hybrid, short hybrid, ruthless hybrid, and chapter-by-chapter hybrids etc.
To put it simply, these questions were pieced together using sentences taken from different chapters of the Four Books and Five Classics. While this method disrupted the meanings of the sentences, students were still required to write a coherent and meaningful essay.
As an example, one examiner from the previous dynasty once set the following question: The lord’s wife desires Yang Huo. [2]
Taken literally, the question appeared vulgar to the extreme. It seemed to imply that a certain noblewoman was lusting after someone. However, ‘lord’s wife’ was actually taken from <<The Analects, Ji Shi>>, in which the following line could be found: The wife of a feudal lord is called Lady by her husband, foreigners also call her the Lord’s Wife.
As for the phrase ‘desires Yang Huo’, that bit was cut out from <<The Analects>>: Yang Huo desires to see Confucius, but Confucius would not see him. The line simply meant that a young man named Yang Huo desired to meet with Confucius but was refused.
Observe how these two completely unrelated phrases could be cut and pasted together to give out a completely different meaning! If candidates were to encounter such questions, they would certainly cry for their mother in despair.
Nowadays, the imperial examinations of the Great Chang Dynasty consisted almost entirely of such cut-and-match questions, rigorously testing the candidates’ adaptability and their thorough understanding of the classics.
That day, the test Lin Miao set before Yu Ziyou was one such question.
After receiving the paper from the headmaster, Yu Ziyou eagerly scanned the question, only to freeze with shock.
“A petty man takes risks to court luck; listening to virtue brings wisdom.” [3]
The line ‘A petty man takes risks to court luck’ was taken from <<The Doctrine of Mean>>.
The full line was ‘Blame not the heavens above, reproach not the people below. A gentleman remains composed as he awaits destiny, whereas a petty man takes risks to court luck.’
The line meant that while a gentleman peacefully stays in his rightful place, awaiting the arrival of his fate, a petty man risks it all to chase undeserved gains.
As for ‘listening to virtue brings wisdom’, this was cut from <<The Book of Documents, Great Oaths, part 2>> [4], and the full line reads, ‘Seeing far grants vision; listening to virtue grants wisdom.’
In general, it meant that those who could see far had sharp vision, while those who could listen to advice well meant they had a keen hearing. It encouraged scholars to focus on self-cultivation, to study with diligence, to constantly reflect on their actions, to maintain an open mind for good opinions and advice while rejecting unworthy thoughts.
Could the teacher be hinting at something?
Yu Ziyou could not help the thoughts bubbling up as he instinctively glanced up at Lin Miao. Lin Miao was still wearing his uncompromisingly stern expression. Though his eyes were shadowed by the vicissitudes of life, he remained as calm and still as ever.
“You may leave.”
Yu Ziyou bowed respectfully and took his leave.
It was not until he had left the study that his expression turned ugly.
The events from the night before caused a lot of discussion among the students. All sorts of speculation were offered up and examined. The loudest among these rumours was that someone within that dormitory had offended someone, which led to the entire incident.
Of course, some argued otherwise because Wang Qi was a Class A student. Those who could enter Class A all have their own unique abilities. Who could be so powerful as to make Wang Qi step out personally and involve himself in such a scheme?
Moreover, Wang Qi had swiftly apologised and reflected on his own carelessness and how he had spoken hastily, which led some people to believe that it was more like a mere coincidence.
Little did the students know that Wang Qi had actually been instigated by someone, and that person was Yu Ziyou. Yu Ziyou had chosen Wang Qi precisely because of his solitary nature and tendency to avoid group politics, making it hard for others to censure him carelessly.
As to why Mao Badou and the others were targeted, it all went back to the dining hall incident.
He Ming was Yu Ziyou’s follower, a great flatterer who was generous with his praises. Yu Ziyou, being a narrow-minded person, had long since held a grudge against Xue Tingxiang for mocking him that day. Thus, with He Ming’s provocation, he too became more than eager to get rid of the lot.
In truth, Mao Badou was merely a stepping stone; the real target was Xue Tingxiang. Yu Ziyou had believed his plan to be flawless, that he had covered his tracks well, and things had ended with Zhou Li’s departure from the academy.
He never expected the headmaster to suddenly set him this question.
Was the question meant to imply that he was a petty man who consorted with petty people, moreover, one who harms his fellow students?
The more Yu Ziyou thought, the more shaken he became. He clutched at the sheet of rice paper, so lost in thought that he was unable to move forward.
It lasted until someone came up and called, “Elder Brother Yu, Elder Brother Yu!”
Yu Ziyou looked up, and his expression immediately changed. “Why are you here? You’ll draw unnecessary attention.”
Wang Qi gave a faint little smile and said, “This junior brother is only here to remind Elder Brother Yu about the remaining silver.”
“It is merely some silver. Do you really think I will cheat you out of this bit of coin? I will return home for the money this coming break, and you will have your silver then. In the future, do not come looking for me behind other people’s backs. Be sure not to draw suspicion on yourself!”
After throwing these words down, Yu Ziyou hurried off, leaving Wang Qi standing in place. The youth stood for a moment, watching Yu Ziyou’s retreating figure before turning to leave.
As the days followed, Mao Badou spent more time with proper books, diligently studying instead of playing around. It looked like Xue Tingxiang’s words had a profound effect on him.
Time progressed slowly as the group devoted itself to their studies. Xue Tingxiang went home for breaks a few times and followed up on teaching Zhao’er how to read, but it turned out that Zhao’er had been so busy lately that she was almost always exhausted when she came home.
Unable to bear the thought of burdening her even further, Xue Tingxiang did not push the issue and kept his thoughts to himself.
During this time, Xue Cui’e, who had been calmed down by his argument from the start, was starting to grow anxious as days went by without the Zhao family turning up. She was not the only one. Old Zhao was also starting to become agitated. Fortunately, Old Man Xue was able to keep both of them from going out of control. Otherwise, who knew what might have happened?
Meanwhile, at the Zhao family’s home.
“It’s not that I wish to blame you, but is it really necessary to take it this far? Not to mention, this indiscretion is not entirely Cui’e’s fault. If not for Jinrui not being able to control himself, would any of this have happened? You are already someone’s grandmother, don’t tell me you don’t know how these things go? Do you not want your grandson?” Eldest Uncle Zhao grumbled.
Hong’shi huffed, giving him an irritated glare before turning around to stomp towards the inner rooms.
Of course, her grudge was not limited to Xue Cui’e’s lack of propriety; she also held a grudge against Old Zhao. Back when she married Zhao Wang, Old Zhao had never given her much face as sister-in-law. Not only that, but the woman also gave her a lot of attitude and even spoke ill of her behind her back.
Being a young stepmother was tough, but after enduring for so many years, Hong’shi’s life had finally entered a smooth stage in life. Now that Old Zhao was here to beg her assistance, how could she let it slide so easily? She had honestly expected the Xue family to humble themselves and come begging at her door, but who would have thought that they would remain silent all this time?
After calculating the days, she guessed that the girl’s belly must be a good three months along by now. If they delayed any longer, even if they did go through with the marriage, the pregnancy would no longer be concealable.
“If you keep causing trouble and tarnish Jinrui’s reputation, how do you expect him to pass the imperial exam and make you the mother of a Xiu Cai?!” came a shout from the outer room from Eldest Uncle Zhao.
Hong’shi grew even more irritated. She stomped back out of the room, tong, tong, tong, and burst out, “Since you’ve already made up your mind, why ask me?!”
Zhao Wang looked at his wife. “Weren’t you the one who insisted on not giving any bride price to the Xue family? How can a girl be married into a family without the groom’s family offering a bride price, especially in such a situation? Are you trying to make this family the butt of everyone’s joke?”
The Zhao family was quite well-off. They have dozens of acres of land and were one of the most prominent families in Zhao Village. Otherwise, a precious young virgin maiden like Hong’shi would not have married a much older widower like Zhao Wang. Indeed, Zhao Wang could certainly afford the bride price for his son’s marriage.
Hong’shi perched her bottom against the edge of the kang and said, “I am just angry, you know? Such a good son. I had hoped that Jinrui would marry Landlord Liu’s virgin daughter.”
Hong’shi’s tone had taken a hint of coquettishness, something which Zhao Wang adored. As an older husband spoiling his younger wife — Zhao Wang was over fifty while Hong’shi was not yet forty — he generally let her have her way with nearly everything at home.
The Zhao family’s second daughter-in-law, who had been watching from outside the door all this while, clenched her teeth in anger. How she wished she could throw this old witch into the river for stirring up trouble between the men in the family and her father-in-law.
Of course, this was just a passing thought. She kept her head down as she sorted beans, but her ears remained pricked, listening to the conversation in the main room.
“So, should our son go tomorrow?”
“The sooner he goes, the sooner we can get this matter settled.”
“Let us do it according to the old customs. We’ll add ten more taels as bride price. After all, Jinrui was in the wrong, and our family has delayed this long. Think of it as saving face for my sister.”
Although Hong’shi was reluctant, she agreed in the end.
[Gumihou: Oooh, there’s a spicy lady here.]
[a] Lin Sheng or 廪生 – literally ‘granary’ and ‘life’, so basically government supported for life? Lin Sheng scholars were often poor and lacking in resources, so they lived on the government stipend, which often came in the form of grains to support their challenging living conditions. The typical impoverished scholar striving for knowledge and intellectual growth under difficult circumstances
Pill Bug TL Notes:
[1] This comes from the Song Dynasty, Zhao Heng’s <<Poem to Encourage Learning>> (宋代赵恒的《劝学诗》).The purpose of many scholars in ancient times was to be successful. So, people often use this sentence to encourage children to study.
富家不用买良田，书中自有千钟粟。
安居不用架高堂，书中自有黄金屋。
出门无车毋须恨，书中有马多如簇。
娶妻无媒毋须恨，书中有女颜如玉。
男儿欲遂平生志，勤向窗前读六经。
A rich family does not need to buy good farmland, as there are thousands of bushels of grain in books.
A comfortable home does not need to build a high hall, as there is a golden house in books.
Don’t be sad if you don’t have a carriage to go out, as there are many horses in books.
Don’t be sad if you don’t have a matchmaker to marry, as there are beautiful women in books.
If a man wants to fulfil his life’s ambition, study the Six Classics diligently in front of the window.
[2] 君夫人阳货欲
君夫人 Lady Jun / the wife of a lord
阳货欲 Yang Huo is desired / Yang Huo wishes (to do something)
[3] 小人行险以徼幸，听德惟聪 [4] 《尚书·太甲中》尚书 Book of Documents, AKA the Classic of History
The 太甲 Great Oaths chapter is divided into 3 parts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Documents
The quoted sentence is 视远惟明，听德惟聪
[5] 廪生 Lin Sheng. AKA Juvenile Scholar.We saw this term in Chapter 18. Pass the lowest exam with a high rank and get a monthly meal allowance from the government!
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