Chapter Sixty-Three: First in Its Own Right

Dao South Hall, Front Chamber.

Zhu, the Headmaster, made his decision: “Everything will proceed according to the rules!”

“Huh? What sense does that make?” Zhang Yanqu, ever the honest man, simply couldn't keep pace with the Headmaster’s leaps in logic.

“It’s quite simple,” Zhu replied coolly. “Breaking rules is not only unfair to other students—it’s an insult to the gifted.”

Having spoken, Zhu’s expression filled with anticipation. “Since Su Lu managed to enter the academy in three months, learned to break the topic in a single day, and grasped the meaning in two months, why shouldn’t he raise his literary style in another month or two?”

“Literary style is a slow grind; it can't be mastered overnight,” Zhang Yanqu argued, refusing to give in.

“Meaning and grammar aren’t things one can master in a hurry, either.” Zhu, resolved, waved his hand. “The scores are set. No changes.”

“Even if he didn’t score this time, there are still nine points left. It's not the end of the world.” With that, Zhu instructed Vice Headmaster Qian, “But don’t let the child’s heart grow cold—set his essay as the best in meaning!”

“Understood.” Qian nodded, recognizing the gesture as one part discipline, one part reward. He quickly praised, “The Headmaster is both just and compassionate!”

The other teachers voiced no objections; clearly, they agreed with Zhu’s judgment.

Only Teacher Zhang could do nothing but sigh…

~~

The next morning, the results and model essays for the Lower Dormitory Monthly Exam were posted on the notice board within the main gate.

A crowd gathered, sixty pairs of eyes fixed intently on the ranking chart.

As stated before, according to academy regulations, monthly exam results are not only graded but also ranked.

The first three names remained unchanged: Zhu Zihe in first place, Lin Zhihong in second, Hu Qiyang in third—each the top student in their respective dormitories.

Then came Hu Kaiyang in fourth, Qiao Feng in fifth, Wu Tong in sixth… all the way down to thirty-second, Su Dan, who scored one point in this exam.

Seeing his results, the shadow over Su Dan’s heart finally lifted; he smiled, relieved.

From there down to fiftieth place, all received half a point. Li Qiyu was among them, ranked forty-eighth.

He was practically bouncing with joy—rising from fifty-ninth to forty-eighth, a leap of twelve places and earning half a point. What more could he ask for?

But neither he nor Su Dan lingered on their own results; both rushed to find Su Lu’s name—

The good news: Su Lu had improved, rising from sixtieth to fifty-first, a gain of nine places.

The bad news: from fifty-first place onward, none scored any points.

Now, neither knew whether to congratulate or comfort Su Lu.

As for the three Cheng brothers, the effeminate Cheng Wanzhou scored one point and ranked twenty-fifth.

The buck-toothed Cheng Wanfan got half a point, landing at fortieth.

Most unfortunate was pockmarked Cheng Wantang, who placed fifty-third—not only scoring no points, but ranking below Su Lu.

His face turned the color of pig’s liver, and several pimples burst on the spot.

Now, they could no longer make fun of Su Lu…

What stung even more was that Su Lu’s essay had been selected as a model and pasted openly on the wall!

“Why is an essay that scored zero posted as a model? Is it meant as a cautionary example?” Buck-toothed Cheng Wanfan couldn’t help but blurt out.

Page (1/3)

“If you weren’t so loud, no one would see those buck teeth!” Li Qiyu, overflowing with ‘filial piety’, was ready to defend his ‘adoptive father’ like Lü Bu.

“You!” Cheng Wanfan glared at Li Qiyu, but clamped his mouth shut.

The academy would never use a negative example. According to the rules, besides the top three essays, the academy also selects one essay each for ‘Best Meaning’ and ‘Best Literary Style’ as models.

Often, the latter two are among the top three.

This time, the Best Literary Style went to Zhu Zihe, but the Best Meaning was not his, nor was it among the top three—or even the top thirty—it was an essay that scored zero!

“Could there be a mistake?” Many students doubted, so someone began reading Su Lu’s essay aloud to see what was going on—

“The nature of the people is constant; guide them, and they are upright. Understanding reason is hard to force; follow it, and there is peace!”

“What a commanding opening!” The first four lines silenced all questioning.

The hardest part of the regulated essay is breaking the topic! Students rack their brains daily in hopes of writing such an opening.

Now, some even spoke up for Su Lu: “With such a strong topic break, how did he not score?”

“Keep reading!” others urged.

The loud student continued: “…The Sage guides the people with the Way, not because he is unwilling for them to know, but because understanding is difficult; following is easy to achieve.”

“Wonderful!” Even the Headmaster himself had praised this progression; the students were even more impressed.

“The reasoning here is orthodox—truly the royal path!” Students felt enlightened: “The Sage leads the people by ‘the Way’, not because he withholds explanation, but because understanding is hard while following is easier for moral education!”

Hearing Su Lu’s development, the students were completely awed.

“What a passage: ‘The wisdom and ignorance of the people differ; the Sage does not force them with deep reason, but guides them with the common Way!’ It elevates the main point!”

“This Su fellow has thoroughly digested the Analects.” Third-ranked Hu Qiyang exclaimed:

“The Sage’s heart is as Su wrote—‘the ignorance of the people’ is relative, capable of improvement through education, not fixed as ‘base ignorance’. ‘Lead with virtue, regulate with ritual’, with a sense of shame, the people naturally restrain themselves!”

“I’ve learned much—I never thought of it this way.” The students bowed to the essay posted on the wall.

“My brother is right here…” Su Dan muttered, unable to suppress a grin wider than a pig about to be slaughtered.

The parallel prose that followed was as plain as snow, yet clear and gradual, delivering the reasoning incisively—a fine essay, though far from the standard regulated text.

After finishing, the students understood why the essay scored zero, yet was chosen as Best Meaning and posted as a model.

It failed as a regulated text, but held much worth learning…

“Let’s now read Zhu's essay!” The students turned to the model posted first.

The best essays are posted for learning, but comparison is inevitable…

The loud student read: “The people come before teaching; the Way begins with practice!”

“Excellent, excellent—what a sharp opening, it pierces the mind!” The students praised, eager to learn.

“…” Zhu Zihe frowned, dissatisfied with such faint praise.

The reading continued:

“…The nature of the people already follows reason; without education, they tend to the Way. The root of the Way lies in daily practice; without exhaustive inquiry, it may be revealed through conduct. Teaching guides practice, not forced understanding; practicing the Way naturally fits the rule.”

The prose here easily surpassed Su Lu’s—smooth and unadorned, yet subtly rhythmic, rich in cadence, sonorous in reading. It was the very style advocated by the current revival movement!

Page (2/3)

Yet in terms of meaning, it did not transcend, remaining only at the ‘ignorance of the people’ stage.

Further in, the literary style outshone Su Lu’s by far, yet in meaning, Su Lu always held the upper hand.

Many students whispered, thinking Su Lu might even have a slight edge in structure and composition.

In short, aside from Su Lu’s overly plain prose, in all other respects, he was not inferior to Zhu Zihe.

This made Zhu Zihe’s face burn. He was a notable talent in Luzhou—had it not been for his uncle’s guidance, he’d never have come to such a small place to study. Now he was being compared to a ‘failure’ who scored zero—shame enough.

Worse still, he was told he fell short in some aspects…

“Fine, this time I concede to you in meaning!” He bowed to Su Lu. “Let’s compete again in a month!”

With that, he swept away, followed closely by his fellow students from Mingzhi Dormitory, as he was their head.

“I didn’t even earn half a point,” Su Lu remarked, bemused. “Why compete with a zero?”

“Zhu’s said to be the Headmaster’s nephew, and his learning is personally cultivated. Naturally, he excels in all respects,” said Lin Zhihong, the top student from Shengshen Dormitory, softly. “But since you surpass him in one aspect, you’ve become his target.”

“There’s always someone better; he’ll eventually meet someone who outshines him in everything,” snorted Qiao Feng, second in the same dormitory, clearly unimpressed by ‘Zhu the First’.

“Maybe his only skill is showing off here,” Li Qiyu laughed oddly. Normally, he’d never dare speak up among the good students, but now, having risen in rank, he did.

“I think Zhu simply expects too much from himself,” Su Lu shook his head, smiling. “He likely means no harm—let’s be kind in our words.”

“Su Lu’s composure is what we should truly learn from,” Lin Zhihong smiled and bowed. “Please guide me sometime.”

He wasn’t referring to composure…

“You guide me?” Su Lu chuckled. “I should be asking Lin for advice on improving my prose.”

“Let’s learn from each other,” Lin Zhihong smiled and nodded.

~~

That afternoon, at dismissal, Su Lu was reminded by Ma, the Dormitory Head, that he could claim a prize.

“I thought only the top ten got prizes?” Su Lu had already packed his book case.

“No idea. Just go if you’re told to,” Ma said, eyes fixed on Su Lu’s book case. Two months into the term, it was still brand new—such craftsmanship, tsk tsk…

“Dormitory Head?” Su Lu waved a hand before his eyes.

Ma snapped back, smiling. “You haven’t been to Dao South Hall yet. Come, I’ll take you.”

“Thank you,” Su Lu didn’t refuse, sensing Ma had something to say.

Sure enough, as they left the classroom, Ma spoke quietly: “By the way, when your brother has time, could he make a book case for me too?”

…Su Lu cursed inwardly. So, the previous inquiries about book cases went unanswered because of his poor results. Now that he’d escaped the bottom rank, business was already coming in.