APSIL -Chapter 75 The Newly Compiled Sayings of Master Ge (Part 2)

“Those who learn from me will live; those who merely imitate me will die… What a marvelous saying!”

Zhu Ying suddenly appeared behind Princess Yongping like a ghost.

The princess clutched her chest in fright, while Zhu Ying merely curled her lips in disdain. Then, without the slightest hesitation, she lifted the bamboo curtain and stepped out onto the balcony.

Without even turning around, she knew exactly what expression the princess was wearing.

Chuckling, she said, “When the Founding Emperor won the empire, didn’t he say that all this nonsense about strict separation between men and women was just something those pedantic scholars worshipped like an old foot-binding cloth? If you’re hosting a literary gathering, then host it openly. Why bother hiding behind a curtain?”

“If you really fancy someone’s talent—or his looks—just tell His Majesty and Her Highness you want to marry him. Do you think they’d refuse?”

Princess Yongping’s face instantly turned pale.

“You think everyone is like you?”

Zhu Ying spun around, arrogance written all over her face.

“Even a princess can live freely!”

“The Founding Emperor and Empress Xiaoxian were respectful to each other throughout their lives, yet their daughter, Princess Changle, had the temper of a lit firecracker. She once chased her prince consort with a sword because he kept another woman outside. The Founding Emperor even supported her divorce!”

“Later she remarried that top-ranked scholar who loved carving seals. The two of them left behind countless masterpieces for the imperial palace.”

As she spoke, she leaned out over the railing once more.

“Sometimes A-Shou is sincere and honest. Other times he’s sharp enough to cut people to pieces. Even now, I still can’t quite figure him out.”

“And what if you did?” Princess Yongping shot back. “Would you marry him?”

“I’ll decide after I figure out what’s really going on with this marriage engagement.”

Seeing that many people below had noticed her and instinctively looked up before hastily lowering their heads again, Zhu Ying glanced sideways at Princess Yongping, who had also come to the window, and laughed.

“Look at them. Every one of them pretends to be a gentleman, but what’s wrong with looking at you? A graceful lady is the ideal match every gentleman seeks.”

“Our paths differ; we cannot walk together.”

Princess Yongping coldly interrupted her before turning her attention back below.

Xu Fengyang was, after all, one of the capital’s most famous compilers of examination essays.

Surely he couldn’t be defeated so easily by Zhang Shou?

Zhang Shou had no idea that the two women upstairs were locked in a battle of words.

Watching Xu Fengyang’s mouse-like mustache tremble with rage, he smiled.

“Mr. Xu, in the preface to your collection, you boast that you’ve gathered together every outstanding scholar under heaven. You even claim that anyone who studies these essays diligently is guaranteed to improve in the examinations.”

“Today’s gathering includes far more than just one compiler of examination essays.”

“So tell me—are you truly confident that the essays you’ve selected are superior to everyone else’s?”

Xu Fengyang had originally intended to rally the other editors against Zhang Shou, turning a single spark into a prairie fire.

But Zhang Shou’s question struck him like a knife to the heart.

Almost instantly, the other essay compilers who had been standing together with him quietly stepped back to watch the spectacle.

The world of examination essay editors wasn’t exactly harmonious.

They occasionally cooperated, but more often than not, every editor fought fiercely to protect his own sales and authority.

Who didn’t insist that his own anthology was the best?

Who wasn’t eager to proclaim that everyone else’s selections were worthless?

Grinding his teeth, Xu Fengyang forced himself to answer.

“Naturally! If I hadn’t selected the finest essays available, why would my collections consistently sell better than anyone else’s in the capital?”

“Oh?”

Zhang Shou chuckled.

“I noticed the volume you just showed me appears to be last month’s collection from the Moonlight Pavilion Literary Gathering.”

“In your preface, you practically praise every essay inside as though each were unmatched by the ancients and unsurpassed by posterity.”

“Do you honestly believe that?”

“I do!”

Xu Fengyang raised his chin proudly.

“Many of the essays in this volume were personally read by Princess Yongping!”

“The others were written by famous masters of examination essays throughout the capital after hearing last month’s topic.”

“These are unquestionably the finest model essays available!”

Deep inside, he continued encouraging himself.

So what if Grand Tutor Ge had once been unrivaled in examination essays?

These past years he’s been teaching the Emperor and the princes—not examination writing. He’s buried himself in mathematics instead.

Writing examination essays is like rowing upstream. If you stop improving, you fall behind.

Even if Grand Tutor Ge himself picked up the brush again, I refuse to believe he could produce better essays than the ones I’ve selected!

After all, last month’s judges had included Provincial Graduate Tang Ming and two newly appointed Second-Class Jinshi.

Xu Fengyang had spent a fortune discovering which essays Princess Yongping had privately praised most highly, placed them at the front of the collection, showered them with extravagant praise, then paid several respected senior Jinshi to contribute model essays before rushing the book to market ahead of his competitors.

The princess herself possessed extraordinary literary talent.

Rumor even claimed that when she was still a little girl, she had once sat upon the Emperor’s lap and correctly identified the future top scholar.

Otherwise, why would so many scholars flock to her monthly literary gatherings?

Why else would the conservative faction in court quietly support her?

“The finest?”

“Heh.”

Zhang Shou smiled faintly before nodding toward Qi Liang.

“Last month’s topic was ‘The Master’s Writings,’ wasn’t it?”

“Qi Liang.”

“Recite a model essay on that very topic for Mr. Xu.”

Feeling countless eyes fall upon him, Qi Liang drew a deep breath before beginning in a clear voice.

“The Sage constantly revealed to others the outward manifestation of virtue, yet rarely spoke of the profound mysteries of Principle.”

The opening sentence alone silenced the entire crowd.

Upstairs, Zhu Ying immediately felt her head begin to ache.

Seeing Princess Yongping’s face freeze into an icy expression, she tugged impatiently at the princess’s sleeve.

“Hey.”

“Explain it.”

As Consort Yu and the Dowager Madam also approached, Princess Yongping suppressed the urge to scold Zhu Ying for her ignorance and calmly explained, “The topic comes from the Analects:”

‘The Master’s writings may be heard, but his discussions of human nature and the Way of Heaven cannot be heard.’

“This has always been considered one of the more difficult topics used at the Moonlight Pavilion.”

“It doesn’t lend itself to discussing current affairs or broad historical comparisons.”

She continued, “Zhu Xi’s Collected Commentaries on the Four Books explains that ‘writings’ refers to the outward expression of virtue—conduct, bearing, speech.”

“Human nature refers to the Heavenly Principle received by mankind.”

“The Way of Heaven is the ultimate source of that Principle.”

“They are fundamentally one.”

“So this opening sentence gets straight to the point.”

“It says that the Master frequently allowed others to witness the obvious manifestations of his virtue, yet seldom explained the subtle truths of Heavenly Principle.”

The more Zhu Ying listened, the more confused she became.

But when she saw the scholars below exchanging bewildered glances, she couldn’t help feeling delighted.

Although she understood barely one sentence out of ten in what followed…

Qi Liang continued reciting.

“For virtue is manifest, while human nature and the Way of Heaven are subtle. The Sage instructed according to proper order; thus some teachings were easier for students to hear than others.”

“Zigong’s meaning was this: the Master’s virtue…”

“Therefore his dignified bearing could be admired and imitated…”

“…not because those profound truths were impossible to understand…”

Halfway through, Zhang Shou suddenly interrupted.

“That’ll do, Qi Liang.”

Seeing everyone finally awaken from their daze, their expressions varying wildly, he smiled faintly.

“I’ve heard that those blessed with extraordinary memories can repeat an entire essay perfectly after hearing it only once.”

“So half an essay should be enough.”

Xu Fengyang’s face instantly turned purple.

One of the talented scholars secretly backing him possessed precisely such a photographic memory.

If Qi Liang finished the entire essay, that man could immediately recite it from memory and then accuse Zhang Shou’s side of plagiarism.

Now that Zhang Shou had exposed the scheme in advance, the trap was useless.

“I’d like to ask Mr. Xu—and everyone else here.”

“This essay…”

“It hasn’t appeared in any published anthology of examination essays, has it?”

Silence answered him.

Only then did Zhang Shou continue calmly.

“There are countless branches of learning under Heaven, each with its own strengths.”

“Masters of examination essays shine like stars in the night sky.”

“No single person monopolizes excellence.”

“Our Ge School has never published collections of examination essays.”

“It’s not because we can’t.”

“It’s because we choose not to.”

“My teacher once said…”

‘The Sage’s concern for the world was cultivated by traveling throughout it—not by shutting himself indoors compiling model essays.’

You little rascal!

You’ve become completely addicted to putting words in this old man’s mouth!

Standing beside Qi Jingshan, Ge Yong smiled so broadly that the wrinkles on his face seemed to bloom like flowers.

But inside he was frantically searching his memory.

Did I actually say that?

I wasn’t with Zhang Shou all that long…

Maybe I did?

Otherwise how could Zhang Shou—and that boy Qi Liang—keep quoting things that sound exactly like something I’d say?

Forget it.

Let’s just assume I did say it!

Although Ge Yong was immensely pleased that his youngest disciple had somehow produced such a superb Eight-Legged Essay—one whose opening, continuation, and exposition were all outstanding enough to astonish everyone present—he also had the distinct feeling that if he didn’t drag Zhang Shou away soon, the boy would come up with even more unbelievable surprises.

Taking a deep breath, he deliberately coughed loudly enough for everyone to hear.

In an instant, every eye—from the upper floors of Moonlight Pavilion to the crowd gathered below—turned toward him.