Chapter Ninety-Eight: Whose Disciple Is So Remarkably Talented?

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What was called a consultation was actually Mr. Zhang expressing his confusion about the Doctrine of the Mean, with Su Lu offering his perspective, leading to their discussion...

The teacher stroked the scroll and asked, “Zisi said, ‘The gentleman is always in the mean at the right time.’ Zhu Xi’s commentary explains this as ‘following the times to maintain the mean.’ May I ask, what should be the standard for the ‘time’ in ‘the mean at the right time’? For example, if ritual and emotion conflict—say a mourner has not completed the three-year mourning period but the family is impoverished and struggling to survive—should one adhere strictly to ritual as the mean, or should one adapt according to circumstances as the mean?”

Su Lu cupped his hands respectfully and replied, “I believe the essence of ‘the mean at the right time’ lies in ‘conforming to its essence.’ In ancient times, Confucius endured hunger in Chen yet continued to sing without pause—not because he was unaware of hardship, but because he preserved the essence of the Way. If, during the three-year mourning, a whole family faces starvation, then adapting and shortening the mourning period is not violating ritual but fulfilling the essence of filial piety... For filial piety is not merely formal, but rooted in preserving the heart of caring for one’s parents. The Doctrine of the Mean says, ‘The Way is not far from man.’ Thus, the ‘time’ does not rigidly follow ancient rites, but rather adheres to sincerity of the heart and responds to real circumstances. This is what is meant by ‘holding the mean without yielding to expediency is like holding to the One.’”

The teacher nodded approvingly, “A fine understanding that the essence of ‘the mean at the right time’ lies in ‘conforming to its essence.’ I am enlightened.”

“Now I, the disciple, have a question for you,” Su Lu said in turn. “Confucius said, ‘The Doctrine of the Mean is the ultimate.’ If it is the common principle, why is it called ‘the supreme virtue’?”

The teacher answered, “‘Supreme’ in ‘supreme virtue’ does not mean unattainably lofty, but the ‘perfectly suitable.’ Like the master butcher Ding dissecting an ox: the blade enters the joints with ease, moving with skillful freedom—this is the mean. Too rigid and the blade breaks; too soft and it dulls—both miss the ‘supreme.’ Therefore, the Doctrine of the Mean is not about compromise or mere harmony, but ‘grasping both ends and using the mean for the people’—like a water controller who sometimes blocks and sometimes opens channels, guiding the situation; like a general who sometimes attacks and sometimes defends, adapting to circumstances.”

Su Lu then asked, “In daily life, how can ordinary people attain the mean without losing it?”

“The common failure to attain the mean stems from desires clouding one’s vision: rushing after profit or fleeing danger—these are the roots of excess and deficiency. Yan Hui’s ‘no two faults’ does not mean he was without fault, but that he could ‘restrain himself and return to ritual,’ constantly reflecting. Thus, the key to ‘attaining the mean’ lies in ‘being cautious where no one sees and fearful where no one hears,’” the teacher replied.

“I am grateful for your teaching,” Su Lu responded respectfully.

Then Mr. Zhang asked, “In times of chaos, when rituals collapse and music is ruined, how can the Doctrine of the Mean persist?”

Su Lu answered, “I believe, observe how snow bends the bamboo but does not break it—this is the resilience of the mean. In chaotic times, the Doctrine of the Mean is not about drifting with the world, but as you said earlier, ‘When the state is upright, speak boldly and act boldly; when the state is corrupt, act boldly but speak cautiously.’ Hence, the doctrine lies not in the favor or disfavor of the times, but in ‘being steadfast in disorder and resolute in adversity.’”

“Excellent, excellent!” Mr. Zhang clasped his hands and praised, “Our disciple will surely become a great Confucian master, inheriting the lost teachings of the sages.”

“You flatter me too much, sir,” Su Lu quickly demurred, “I only seek to study diligently and contribute a little to the people.”

“Ah, talents bestowed by Heaven are not to be wasted. To have great ability but not accomplish great deeds is the greatest guilt,” Mr. Zhang said, shaking his head.

“That must wait until I have great ability,” Su Lu smiled wryly.

“Ha ha, indeed,” Mr. Zhang stroked his beard and nodded, “To know oneself and not be complacent is a great virtue.”

~~~

The pressure of studies made time fly like a white colt passing a gap; in the blink of an eye, it was July 15th, the day of the fifth monthly exam.

This monthly exam, also called the mid-year test, marked the halfway point of the academic year and was therefore more important than the usual monthly tests. Not only did the headmaster personally set the questions, but the first-place prize money was raised to one tael of silver, with multiples for lower ranks!

Although great rewards attract brave challengers, since the start of the term, Zhu Zihe had maintained a commanding lead, so everyone generally agreed the one tael prize was practically reserved for his nephew.

Even though the second, third, and fourth ranks were all in the Self-Cultivation Study Hall, Lin Zhihong and Qiao Feng had already suffered four consecutive defeats to Zhu Zihe. Su Lu, who was widely regarded as the most promising challenger to Zhu Zihe, still needed experience. For him, defeating two classmates and advancing one or two places would be considered a great improvement.

In everyone’s eyes, Su Lu would need a few more months before he could truly threaten Zhu Zihe.

Unconsciously, classmate Sun Shan had already progressed to a level comparable to the top-ranked student.

But these idle talks had nothing to do with Su Lu; his eyes were fixed solely on the exam question—

“The way of the gentleman is arduous and concealed.”

This sentence is from the twelfth chapter of the Doctrine of the Mean: “The way of the gentleman is arduous and concealed. The folly of husband and wife can be understood by the wise; yet even the sages have things they do not know when it comes to the ultimate.”

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The passage uses the dialectical method that Su Lu greatly admired to expound on the vastness and subtlety of the Doctrine of the Mean. The vastness means even the uneducated common folk can grasp some of it; the subtlety means even sages cannot fully fathom it.

While examining the question, Su Lu thought this resembled his earlier discussion with Mr. Zhang: he himself, just beginning to study the Doctrine of the Mean, could talk confidently; Mr. Zhang, immersed in it for years, still had areas he did not fully understand. This is the vastness and subtlety of the doctrine.

Inspired, an eight-legged essay began to take shape in his mind.

After half a year of study, Su Lu’s level had advanced to the point that he no longer needed to rely on a half-classical, half-vernacular style as a transition; he could now directly compose a qualified eight-legged essay. Of course, repeated revisions were still necessary...

After drafting and revising, estimating the time was right, Su Lu took the red-ruled answer sheet, suspended his wrist, and carefully began to transcribe.

His vertical strokes concealed the brush tip, starting on the left, with the suspended needle stroke firm and straight without crossing the midline, tapering light as silk threads; the horizontal strokes lightly paused then turned, the ink gathering like pearls.

Throughout the essay, the spacing was harmonious, the strokes flowing without crossing boundaries; radicals and components yielded to one another without crowding. The contrast of black ink and vermilion red was lean and firm yet imbued with warmth, transforming rigidity into ease—a marked improvement.

After finishing, Su Lu checked it over, feeling very satisfied. From the content to the calligraphy, it was something he could not have imagined a year ago...

Before long, the cloud board sounded in the courtyard. The proctor announced, “Pens down, submit your papers.”

~~

Once the proctor collected the papers and left, the Self-Cultivation Study Hall instantly became lively.

The classmates were in good spirits, chatting loudly. Li Qiyu turned back to Su Lu, asking, “Brother, how did you do?”

“I think I can get a point,” Su Lu smiled. “What about you?”

“Same here,” Li Qiyu grinned. “Thanks to your tutoring, I think I’m secure this time.”

“Ha ha ha, that’s good,” Su Lu said happily, then asked Cheng Wanfan, “Little Fan, how about you?”

“Brother, I think I did alright,” Cheng Wanfan smiled. “It’s the first time I’ve finished an exam feeling this confident.”

“That’s great, then I can relax,” Su Lu happily packed his bookbox and stood to leave.

“Don’t go, it’s our routine gathering!” Master Ma called after him.

“Exactly, how can we miss the big contributor? We must drink to you properly, to show our respect,” the classmates laughed in unison.

“I really can’t this time; my father is celebrating his birthday,” Su Lu apologized, bowing to them. “Come on, I’ll treat you to a drink another time as an apology.”

“Well, nothing we can do,” they reluctantly let him go, though secretly muttering about how well his father had chosen the date.

The classmates left the school laughing and chatting. At the same time, peers from the other two study halls were also leaving, but their laughter was noticeably quieter, and many faces showed no smile...

The Doctrine of the Mean is difficult. Even if the examiner did not intentionally make things hard, it was enough to challenge these young scholars who had only just begun to delve into its profound meanings.

~~

After noon, at the Southern Dao Hall.

The teachers had started grading the monthly exams early. Today was the Ghost Festival, and everyone wanted to finish quickly and go home early, to avoid running into any ‘old acquaintances’ on the road...

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Therefore, there was no idle chatter or reading aloud of papers today; the grading was swift and rigorous.

Moreover, the number of papers was reduced by a full quarter, leaving only forty-five to grade.

Before the hour of Shen, all forty-five papers were graded.

The teachers separated thirty papers that earned one full point from fifteen that earned half a point, and handed them to the headmaster and deputy headmaster Qian to finalize rankings.

After two months of elimination, there were no papers without any score... Of course, this was thanks to the headmaster’s leniency and not posing difficult or strange questions.

In May, a strange question had been given, and Zhu Liu had been harshly criticized; even he had to restrain himself since then.

“The rankings have been preliminarily arranged, but there is some dispute. We must ask the headmaster for a final decision,” Qian Huairen said, handing two papers to Zhu Liu. “Which of these two is first? The teachers hold differing opinions and it’s truly a difficult choice.”

“Let me see,” Zhu Liu took the papers and glanced at the names, then smiled—it was his two disciples, Su Lu and Zhu Zihe.

He first picked up Su Lu’s paper and read aloud:

“The Way fills the universe, its principle is subtle and profound!”

He chuckled, “This tough question is as sharp as ever, invigorating the spirit!”

“This is Su’s usual excellent performance,” the teachers laughed, “but this time he shines even more in the latter part.”

“‘Arduous as the Way’s use, hidden in meaning; the gentleman moves from the obvious to the subtle, thus the Way is revealed.’”

“‘The Way is originally Heaven’s mandate, inherent in the human heart, the daily guiding principle. Therefore, the Way is not far from man; following nature is the Way. Its vastness and subtlety none but the gentleman can comprehend!’”

“‘The gentleman perceives the arduous and hidden essence, knowing that within the vastness lies principle, and in the subtlety truth is revealed.’”

“Excellent! What a formidable young scholar!” Zhu Liu finished reading and clapped in praise. “Su Lu deeply comprehends the Doctrine of the Mean!”

“Indeed, those eight characters, ‘The Way is originally Heaven’s mandate, inherent in the human heart,’ thoroughly illuminate ‘Heaven’s mandate is called human nature’!” Mr. Zhu agreed with emphasis. “Just from those eight characters alone, he has surpassed his peers by far.”

“Exactly,” the other teachers nodded. “Su’s grasp of moral principles has always been superior, and with the Doctrine of the Mean, he is truly in a league of his own.”

“His opening statement has always been strong, but what’s even more remarkable this time is that his eight-legged essay is also outstanding!” Niu Ziru smiled, “I support awarding him first place!”

“Let me see how his eight-legged essay shines!” Zhu Liu said with interest:

“‘Arduous, it nurtures all things; the four seasons proceed in order, all things reveal themselves; near the Way yet seeming distant, the universe vast and unfathomable.

Hidden, it subtly contains a mechanism, one pure thought, one measured act; cautious and solitary, every subtle thought must be examined!’”

“Wonderful! Wonderful!” Zhu Liu praised. “Who taught this disciple? Such rapid progress!”

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