Top Scholar

Chapter 408 Yangming's Wrath (Seeking Guaranteed Monthly Tickets)
A lone sail cuts through the waves of the Wu Gorge, with towering cliffs reaching towards the sky.

The scenery on both sides of the river was still magnificent and spectacular, but it could no longer distract the couple.

Su Lu continued to recall: "After saying that, Xiao Tixue changed the subject and asked about our marriage."

"Could it be that he realized he had misspoke?" Huang E frowned and guessed.

"It's hard to say, but we can't rule it out," Su Lu continued. "Later he said that when we got to Chengdu, he would take me around to visit various influential people and help me improve my reputation..."

At this point, he suddenly remembered Xiao Tixue's concluding remarks from that day, and his expression abruptly turned serious:
"He concluded with a hopeful expression, 'I must pass the imperial examination with top honors! I'll teach Liu Jin a lesson!'"

At the time, I took it as just ordinary encouragement, but now, looking back, I feel a chill down my spine!

Su Lu swallowed hard and said with some difficulty, "At the time, I was just stunned. I thought to myself, how did I become the symbol of the civil service group resisting the corrupt officials?"

“There is indeed a problem.” Huang E nodded and said, “It is said that Xiao, the supervisor, has a deep friendship with Yang, and Yang Shencai is famous throughout the country. He should not have said such an absolute thing as ‘you must pass the provincial examination’.”

“Besides, how could I, as the top scholar in the provincial examination, be a slap in the face to Liu Jin?” Su Lu continued, “That seems plausible, after all, I am a disciple of Master Yangming. But this line of thinking is too roundabout—unless, at that time, Supervisor Xiao was already planning to use my article and me as a person to fight against Liu Jin!”

"This speculation is chilling." Huang E felt his hair stand on end: "If it's true, this person is too ruthless!"

"I'm afraid he's not alone; something even more chilling is yet to come." Su Lu's voice trembled slightly as he continued:
"After arriving in Chengdu, he took me to see Governor Du. Governor Du said that Liu Jin was furious after hearing the report from the Guizhou Imperial Guards and learned that my teacher was very popular in Guizhou. He asked me to persuade my teacher not to walk into the line of fire."

"What's the problem?" Huang E asked softly.

"The problem is—if he knew that Liu Jin received a report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, how could he not know that Liu Jin had sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard to Guizhou? Judging by the timeline, Qian Ning and his men should have already arrived in Guizhou by then." Su Lu gripped the railing, his knuckles turning white.

"Moreover, Qian Ning and his gang didn't hide anything at all. They swaggered around like a bunch of feather dusters, as if they wanted the whole world to know their whereabouts."

“Du Fantai certainly shouldn’t be unaware of this.” Huang E stretched out her soft little hand and gently placed it on the back of Su Lu’s hand to calm his anger.

"But he didn't tell me..." Su Lu said with a self-deprecating laugh:

"And you know what, Governor Du also told me in the end—you must pass the provincial examination and become the top scholar! He said that for me, it would be the best protection."

"He seemed to have foreseen that my husband would end up in this situation," Huang E sighed softly.

"Both Supervisor Xiao and Provincial Governor Du have strongly urged me to become the top scholar in the provincial examination." Su Lu's eyes were grave, but his tone grew increasingly desolate.

"At the time, I thought it was just my teacher's earnest expectation, but now I realize it may not have been entirely well-intentioned. If I hadn't passed the provincial examination with top honors, I wouldn't have the fame I have today, and even the people of Hejiang might not have come to see me off. The welcoming and sending off by the officials and people of Chongqing and Kuizhou would have been out of the question."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "The score of the top scholar in the provincial examination is truly crucial."

"Now that you've said that, I also believe that we've truly fallen into a trap that was set long ago..." The more the couple thought about it, the colder they felt.

Huang E's voice trembled slightly as she asked with grief and indignation, "What exactly are these hypocritical teachers doing this for?"

"Of course, it's to fight against Liu Jin!" Su Lu suddenly understood, but still couldn't shake the bitterness in his mouth as he said, "Since Liu Jin posted notices about the treacherous officials, the civil service has been suppressed to the point of collapse and silence. If this continues, it will inevitably lead more people to side with Liu Jin, and the situation will be completely beyond saving."

He paused for a moment and then slowly said, "So they desperately need a pretext to reunite people's hearts and minds—and I am probably that pretext they devised."

"Thinking about it this way, all the doubts can be explained," Huang E sighed.

"Even that article, 'If You Can Use It, You Can Do It,' was published because it could be misinterpreted. Once my husband passes the imperial examination, I'll give that article to Qian Ning and use him to launch this scheme. Of course, if my husband can become the top scholar in the provincial examination, the effect will be twice as good!"

“Yes…” Su Lu gazed at the towering gorge that blotted out the sky, sighed deeply, and said with a heavy heart:
"I was so stupid, really. I actually naively thought that as long as I did well on the exam, everyone would be nice to me. It's true that studying too much can turn you into a dullard."

“My husband is not stupid at all,” Huang E said softly, cupping his cold face. “It’s just that your previous identity and environment were too simple. You couldn’t imagine how treacherous the officialdom is. In that kind of environment, it’s normal to be schemed against.”

"Yes, I was too naive..." Su Lu lowered his proud head, pressed his face against his wife's, and sought her strength, saying, "My wife, please give me more guidance in the future and help me adapt to the new environment as soon as possible."

"As long as my husband doesn't mind his wife interfering in politics," Huang E said with a smile, whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

"Of course not, you are a well-educated and reasonable Huang E," Su Lu said.

"Sigh, I don't know much either. If only my father were here, I would definitely help you figure out how to deal with it. Unfortunately, he's on his way and I don't know when I'll be able to get in touch with him again." Huang E sighed softly.

"It's alright. The journey is still long, and my father-in-law will surely send a letter," Su Lu said softly. "Let's think about what to do next."

“Yes. People have to grow up on their own.” Huang E nodded.

~~
Longchang Post Station in Guizhou, Longgang Academy. The huge courtyard was filled with people, including Confucian scholars from Guizhou, Sichuan and even Huguang, as well as local chieftains who came to learn from him... Everyone got along harmoniously here, listening attentively to Mr. Yangming sitting cross-legged on the platform, expounding the essence of the philosophy of Taoism.

Then they heard his voice resound through the woods:

There is an ironclad rule in the universe: if the light of the heart is not lit, all things are in darkness; if the nature of things is not understood, it is difficult to move an inch!

"The light of the heart is conscience; the nature of things is the principle of all things. Only when the two are in harmony can one go far..."

"In our pursuit of scholarship, the only two words are 'truthfulness'! The light of the mind illuminates the path, requiring compassion for all humanity; hands create things, following the laws of nature; the feedback from the nature of things corrects any biases in knowledge and action. These three are interconnected like a wheel, endlessly regenerating—this is the foundation of true learning..."

After a series of thought-provoking pronouncements, Master Yangming spoke with profound weight:
"Light the lamp with your heart to illuminate the essence of conscience; build the road with your hands to fulfill your desire to help the world; use things as a mirror to correct the deviations in your knowledge and actions—this is how one becomes a free and at ease person in the universe!"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the disciples felt as if they had been enlightened, and they bowed in unison, saying, "We humbly accept your teachings!"

After the disciples took their leave, only two men with Jiangnan and Zhejiang faces dressed in Confucian robes remained. One of them was his brother, Wang Shoujian, and the other was a young man in his early twenties, his brother-in-law, Xu Ai.

These two people had traveled a long way to visit him.

"Yue Ren, how did you hear that?" Wang Yangming asked Xu Ai with a smile. Yue Ren was his courtesy name.

Xu Ai was still immersed in the lecture she had just received, and exclaimed, "What you said about the study of the Dao is truly insightful! Many things that I couldn't understand before have suddenly become clear after listening to you today."

He sighed and said, "I was resentful before because Su Hongzhi got there first and became the first disciple, but now I am completely convinced."

Although Xu Ai was Wang Shouren's brother-in-law, he was his number one fan, similar to the relationship between Zhu Ziming and Su Lu.

Xu Ai married Wang Yangming's sister so that she could learn more from him and she always wanted to become Wang Yangming's student.

Wang Yangming had promised to take him as a disciple, but this was delayed due to his exile. Xu Ai's return to Guizhou this time was to fulfill his wish.

As a result, the position of the eldest disciple had already been taken by someone else...

Master Yangming smiled apologetically, “Actually, I originally reserved the position of the first disciple for you. Because Hongzhi has exceptional comprehension and co-founded the school with me, he can be considered half a teacher of mine. I once wanted him to call me senior brother, but he insisted on treating me with the respect due to a disciple, so you can only be ranked later.”

"Sigh, I was here first..." Xu Ai said she was convinced, but she was still a little disappointed.

"It's alright, brother-in-law. Su Jieyuan still has to call you uncle," Wang Shoujian joked from the side.

"That makes me feel better," Xu Ai said with a smile.

As the three were chatting and laughing, they heard the sound of horses' hooves clattering outside the post station.

"We've got a job." Wang Shouren hadn't forgotten his job, so he quickly shaded his eyes with his hand and looked over. He saw that it was none other than Su Lu's uncle, Su Youjin!

Su Youjin had been to Longchang Post Station once before, so he knew the way well and went straight into the station.

He dismounted and shouted loudly, "Master! Master Yangming!"

"I'm here." Wang Shouren came out of the academy and said to Su Youjin, "Brother Su, what happened that you rushed here?"

"Hongzhi has been arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard!" Su Youjin quickly presented a letter. The letter, written by Su Tai, detailed the events leading up to Su Lu's arrest and the grand welcome he received in Chongqing.

Upon seeing this, Master Yangming's expression changed drastically. The smile that always graced his face vanished instantly, and he said with uncontrollable rage:
"This is outrageous! Are they trying to use Hiroshi as a sacrifice?!"

"Huh?!" Su Youjin didn't understand. "Was he captured by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and used as a sacrifice?"

"It's not the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it's those civil officials!" Master Yangming, with keen insight, sneered:
“When I was demoted to Longchang, many civil officials along the way fawned over me, saying they admired a loyal minister, but in reality they were putting me on the spot. Their ostentatious display was tantamount to openly provoking Liu Jin. As a result, Liu Jin’s assassins chased me all the way to the southwest and almost killed me at Simian Mountain.”

“This is what’s called ‘killing with praise’!” Xu Ai said knowingly.

"These people are going to use the same old tricks again!" Master Yangming was furious and paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

"They clearly intend to use my disciple as a tool to fight against Liu Jin! The two Yangs are truly irresponsible in their actions! Yang Tinghe's son is renowned for his talent and comes from a distinguished family, so why not use him? Why insist on using my Hongzhi?!"

"Does it mean that just because Hongzhi comes from a humble background, my father has retired from officialdom, and I have been reduced to a mere post station clerk, you think that I, Wang Yangming's disciple, can be sacrificed at will?!" Wang Shouren, enraged, burst into a tirade.
"Damn those two Yangs' ancestors! Trying to cheat my disciple? No way!"

P.S. I'll revise this later, please give me your guaranteed monthly votes!!!
(End of this chapter)