White-robed Minister

0040 [Xu 38]

Xu Lai ate lunch with the laborers that day.

He is seventeen years old this year, which is the age when he is growing, so naturally he has an excellent appetite and an amazing amount of food.

The places where urban laborers eat must be cheap and filling. It's just a pity that the rice is a bit poor quality; it's dark yellow and has a bit of grit, clearly rice that's been stored for several years.

After filling his stomach, Xu Lai wandered around outside the East City.

This area belongs to Panyu County.

The county government office was located a mile outside the city, not only without the protection of city walls, but also surrounded by streets and alleys. Its main purpose was to be approachable to the people.

Between the city wall and the county government office were the Guangdong Salt Warehouse and Salt Warehouse Wharf. It was the central hub for official salt production in Lingnan, where official salt from the Guangdong coast had to be verified, stored, and distributed.

Industries dealing in livestock, leather, and pickled fish, which tend to have strong odors, are mostly located in the eastern part of the city. Conversely, high-end, elegant shops are extremely rare.

Xu Lai wandered through the streets and alleys for quite some time before finally returning to the inn in the late afternoon.

He's checking out of the hotel early tomorrow morning and moving directly to the school dormitory—which will not only save on room fees but also provide a quieter environment.

While shopping just now, Xu Lai kept thinking about how to act more cautiously in the future.

The "Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Virtues" could both bring him fame and put him in shackles.

He must live by the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Virtues, otherwise he is a hypocrite who deceives the world and steals fame!

Moreover, the more cautious one is, the more easily one is attacked by political enemies. Just look at Zhu Xi, who was so self-disciplined, yet he was still the target of all sorts of rumors and deliberate misinterpretations, leaving him with a stain that he can't wash away even after a thousand years.

"Scholar Xu is back!" the innkeeper greeted him warmly.

Xu Lai smiled and nodded, then quickly went upstairs to his room.

He was walking down the corridor and hadn't even entered the house when he heard constant laughter and conversation coming from inside.

"Haha, Xu Sanlang is back!" Sun Zhixue greeted him with a big smile, taking Xu Lai's hand and saying, "We were just giving you a nickname."

Xu Lai asked, "What's your nickname?"

Wang Zongdao said, "We all agree that the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Virtues are awe-inspiring, and Sanlang should be elegantly referred to as Xu Sanba."

What the hell is Xu Sanba?!

Xu Lai looked at everyone with resentment, wanting to know who had come up with this thing so he could trick them into going to the abandoned Dinglin Temple and strangle them.

The Song Dynasty did indeed like to give scholars elegant nicknames.

For example, Zhang Xian, who wrote "The clouds break, the moon appears, and the flowers play with shadows," was known as "Zhang the Three Shadows" by his contemporaries because he wrote three famous lines containing the word "shadow."

"Liang Wensu, courtesy name Gongshu, from Nanhai County, greets Xu Maocai!" Liang Wensu stepped forward and bowed.

Xu Lai returned the greeting, saying, "I dare not accept such a compliment."

"Maocai" and "Xiucai" mean the same thing and had no special significance in the Song Dynasty. They were simply respectful titles for learned people.

Liang Wensu seemed eager to quickly build rapport, saying with a hint of self-satisfaction, "The nickname 'Xu Sanba' was proposed by me and received unanimous approval from everyone present."

So it was you, kid.

We've got it!

Xu Lai quickly declined, saying, "I am a beginner in the study of the sages' books and don't even have a courtesy name yet, so how dare I have any elegant title? Gentlemen, please don't address me like that anymore."

"Sanlang, please don't be so modest," Liang Wensu exclaimed sincerely. "The Great Learning is just an ordinary chapter in the Book of Rites. Since the Han and Tang dynasties, although many great scholars have expounded on it, none have been as clear as Sanlang. Sanlang truly deserves the title of 'Xu Sanba'!"

Zheng Xuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty was the first to write a commentary on the *Great Learning*. Following him was Kong Yingda of the early Tang Dynasty, who wrote a commentary based on Zheng Xuan's annotations.

Both of their commentaries interpreted the idea that extensive learning could govern a country, and this became the mainstream view in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Most notably, Han Yu elevated the Great Learning to a new level of inner sagehood and outer kingship, influencing great Confucian scholars of the mid-to-late Northern Song Dynasty to value this text.

After Ouyang Xiu launched the Classical Prose Movement, Confucian scholars in the Northern Song Dynasty highly praised Han Yu, and the study of "The Great Learning" thus ushered in a peak period!

In two or three years, Sima Guang will write "The Great Learning in a Broader Context".

In seven or eight years, Zhang Zai will systematically reflect on the Great Learning and, combining it with other classics, summarize the famous "Four Sentences of Hengqu".

A decade or so later, the Cheng brothers would conduct in-depth research on the Great Learning and revise the text, paving the way for Zhu Xi's groundbreaking research later on.

Xu Lai's proposal of the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Items at this time made him a pioneer in the study of the Great Learning in the Song Dynasty, ahead of many great Confucian scholars.

But Xu Lai was not happy at all. He tried his best to decline, saying, "I really can't accept the title of 'March 8th Sister'. Please don't mention it again."

Liang Wensu was deeply impressed and immediately bowed again: "You possess such great talent, yet you are not at all interested in empty fame. You are truly a scholar. Please accept my bow!"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare," Xu Lai quickly returned the greeting, hoping not to be called a gossip.

Liang Wensu then took out another piece of paper: "This is a poem I wrote during our casual conversation just now. A humble piece, dedicated to Sanlang."

Xu Lai accepted it with both hands.

A New Discussion on School Affairs, Presented to Xu Maocai

I happened to visit Yushan and met Fenglin; his words astonished everyone and dispelled their confusion.

If you ask about self-cultivation from now on, you must follow the principles and rules, for that is the true way.

Yushan is located within the city of Guangzhou. To its southwest lies the Zang Temple, the examination site, and to its southeast is the Guangzhou Prefectural School.

After Xu finished reading, he felt somewhat ashamed: "You flatter me too much."

"It's not an exaggeration," Liang Wensu said. "My family has been merchants for generations. Although we haven't built a library, we've always been scholars since my ancestors, aspiring to take the imperial examinations. We don't have many other books, but we've bought quite a few for the imperial examinations. If you need any books, Sanlang, just ask to borrow them."

"Thank you very much, Uncle Gong." Xu Lai was especially happy, even happier than if he had been given ten taels of silver.

But borrowing books can never compare to buying them yourself.

Once you borrow a book, you have to finish reading it as soon as possible, and for long books, you need to read and understand them repeatedly. As for short books, Xu Lai can earn money to buy them himself, so there's no need to borrow them from anyone.

It was quite awkward.

Liang Wensu added, "My home is in Xihaoli, not far from Dinglin Temple. Sanlang, when you go there, just ask around for the Liang family in Xihaoli."

Xu Lai cupped his hands and said, "I will definitely pay you a visit."

After discussing these matters, Liang Wensu began to ask questions.

Xu Lai said, half-jokingly, "To be honest, I've only finished reading the Commentary on the Analects, and I've just started reading the Correct Interpretation of the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals. As for the other Confucian classics, I've only listened to them sporadically, and they're all disorganized and lack any coherence."

"In that case, I will ask Sanlang for guidance on the Analects." Liang Wensu was convinced that Xu Lai was a child prodigy.

Xu Lai took out the manuscript from his basket: "These 'Preliminary Discussions on the Analects' are things I wrote haphazardly when I was studying. Please correct them and offer your valuable advice."

"I dare not presume to teach you, it's merely a friendly exchange." Liang Wensu accepted the manuscript with both hands.

Then, he was a little confused after reading the first paragraph.

As I continued reading, I started to feel a chill run down my spine, just like Yang Shisanlang.

After reading two pages, Liang Wensu looked up and said, "This...this..."

Xu Lai laughed and said, "It's all just random writing, nothing but wild and unfounded ramblings."

Liang Wensu asked, "Could I copy it back and slowly study it by comparing it with the commentaries on the Analects?"

"Please go ahead," Xu said.

Liang Wensu immediately borrowed paper and pen and sat in the guest room to quickly copy it.

Wang Zongdao, Sun Zhixue, Fang Yuan, and others also curiously gathered around to watch him copy the manuscript.

Wang Zongdao was the first to frown: "Indeed, it's all nonsense, completely distorting the Analects. If I dared to interpret it like that, I would surely be punished by the master with a ruler on my palm."

"It seems that Xu Sanlang's explanation makes a lot of sense," Fang Yuan muttered.

Wang Zongdao said, "Even if it makes sense, can it refute the great Confucian scholars of all dynasties?"

Sun Zhixue, a poor student, chuckled and said, "That's not necessarily true."

"You're ignorant and incompetent, I can't be bothered to argue with you." Wang Zongdao looked down on him.

Sun Zhixue laughed and said, "I am indeed ignorant and incompetent. You are learned and skilled, so how come you failed to get into the prefectural school for two consecutive years?"

Wang Zongdao's face flushed red at these words, but he didn't know how to refute them. He snorted and continued reading Liang Wensu's manuscript.

The manuscript was short and was copied in less than an hour.

It was already evening when Liang Wensu paid for everyone to have dinner. He drank until he was half-drunk before taking his page home.

The sky was pitch black, and the city gates were tightly shut.

He walked along the Pearl River around the city and returned to his family's house in Xihouli.

His family had already eaten, so he went straight to knock on his brother's courtyard gate.

Before the servants could fully open the door, Liang Wensu quickly slipped inside, calling out as he ran, "Elder brother, elder brother... is elder brother asleep?"

From inside a room came Liang Wenqing's voice: "What do you want with me?"

Liang Wensu said, "It's something important."

"Wait," Liang Wenqing said irritably.

From inside came her sister-in-law's complaining voice: "It's so late, couldn't you have talked about it tomorrow?"

After a long while, Liang Wenqing finally opened the door with a dark expression: "Speak."

"I only came in second place in this state school entrance exam. But I'm even happier than if I had come in first..." Liang Wensu began to recount his experiences of the day in detail.

Liang Wenqing wasn't interested: "I understand. Since that Xu Sanlang is so talented, we can invite him to our home. If there's nothing else, I'm going back to my room to sleep."

Liang Wensu hesitated, then bowed and left.

What happened to my brother?

He remembered that when he was a child, his older brother would be so happy that he would dance with joy when he read a good article.

In just a few years, the older brother, who dropped out of school to go into business, has become a shrewd businessman, unmoved by even the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Virtues. The two brothers should be having a long, heart-to-heart talk!

Liang Wensu returned to his study and, referring to the "Commentary on the Analects," read "A Preliminary Discussion of the Analects" late into the night. He would occasionally consult other Confucian classics, trying to find classical sources for Xu Lai's new interpretation.

Before he knew it, dawn had broken, and Liang Wensu was both excited and anxious.

He was ultimately too unlearned; he only felt that Xu Lai's new interpretation made a lot of sense, but he didn't know where to find any confirmation.

Liang Wensu slept until mid-afternoon, and without even having time to eat, he rode his donkey toward the inn in the east of the city.

"Where is Xu Sanlang?"

"He checked out of the hotel. He went to the state college this morning, saying he was going to stay in the dorms."

The state school has not yet started classes.

However, a new principal finally arrived; Yu Jing wrote five letters to invite him from Jiangxi.