Top Scholar

Chapter 412 I finally saw my great-grandmother!
After attending the welcoming banquet, Su Lu politely declined the magistrate of Shangyuan County's warm invitation to cruise the Qinhuai River and visit the Confucius Temple. Instead, he and his wife took gifts to Shangshu Lane in the south of the city to visit his master and great-grandmother.

After retiring from his official post, Wang Hua did not return to his hometown of Yuyao, but instead lived in Nanjing to take care of his elderly mother.

He had already been informed and was waiting for them at his residence.

After the young couple kowtowed to the master, Wang Hua led them to the back hall to pay respects to his mother.

Wang Shouren's grandmother was over ninety years old, and still had excellent hearing and eyesight, and spoke clearly. In those days, she was definitely a centenarian, even considered an auspicious sign.

The young couple presented six precious tonics and respectfully kowtowed to their great-grandmother once again.

Great-Grandma sat in a round-backed chair covered with thick cotton cushions, her silver hair neatly combed. Looking at the golden boy and jade girl before her, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smiled like chrysanthemums, and said kindly, "Good children, get up quickly! Let Great-Grandma take a good look at you."

The two hurriedly stepped forward as instructed, and the great-grandmother reached out and touched Huang E's delicate face, praising him endlessly: "This boy is really handsome, but why is he wearing makeup? Oh, and he's even wearing earrings!"

Huang E was completely bewildered. Su Lu quickly said, "Grandma, this is your great-granddaughter-in-law, so she has to dress like this."

"And you're one to talk about him! Look at yourself!" Grandma tapped Su Lu's head and said, "A newlywed bride doesn't even bother to groom herself. Not only is she dressed so plainly, but she's even wearing boots like a man! Oh my, how big are your feet...?"

“Uh…” Su Lu was speechless.

“Your great-grandmother is ninety-four years old, and she’s getting confused. She might mistake a man for a woman, or black for white… Please bear with her,” Wang Zhuangyuan explained with a wry smile.

“That’s perfectly normal.” Su Lu suddenly laughed. “My grandma is only seventy and she’s already talking nonsense all the time. It’s actually quite good, it saves us a lot of trouble.”

“Yes, one cannot be a good father-in-law without being deaf and senile.” Wang Zhuangyuan nodded.

"I'm not confused!" Grandma disagreed, and insisted on taking Su Lu to have his eyebrows and eyes done, to dress him up, so that he would look like a bride.

Huang E almost burst out laughing; she really wanted to see what Su Lu looked like in women's clothing.

Su Lu gave her several winks before Huang E came to her rescue, saying, "Grandma, my wife is shy and embarrassed. Why don't you teach me? I'll dress her up and bring her to you for your approval later."

"The young couple has a good relationship. You even help her with her makeup?" Grandma laughed. "Good, good, so that Zhang Chang won't be the only one to look good."

"Come on, let Grandma teach you a lesson." Grandma then went to the inner room with the help of the head maid and Huang E.

Soon, bursts of lighthearted laughter filled the inner room, as Huang E amused the great-grandmother to a great degree...

~~
Only Su Lu and Wang Hua remained seated facing each other in the hall. The warm afternoon sun slanted across the blue brick floor, casting long shadows of the two men.

Su Lu breathed a sigh of relief, looked deeply at Wang Hua, and said solemnly, "I'm here on behalf of my master to see my grandmaster. He's always been very concerned about you."

“Ah, your grandmaster misses your master very much too,” Wang Hua sighed. “Your uncle and uncle visited him recently and came back saying he’s doing quite well in Guizhou.”

As he spoke, he took Su Lu's hand and exclaimed emotionally, "Hongzhi, it's all thanks to you. If it weren't for your risky rescue back then, Shouren would have perished on the journey, and he wouldn't have even reached Guizhou!"

“Oh, Master, what are you saying? Master is a lucky man, and even without a grand-disciple, he can still turn danger into safety,” Su Lu hurriedly said.

“You don’t need to be modest. Your master told me in his letter about everything you did for him. During the most difficult six months in Longchang, he relied entirely on your brother’s care to gain a foothold. It’s a blessing that Shouren has earned you as a disciple!” Wang Hua shook his head firmly.

He sighed again, his face showing shame, and said, "It's a pity that you didn't benefit from having him as your master; instead, you suffered such a calamity."

"Rest assured, Master, I have never had the slightest regret from beginning to end." Su Lu shook his head resolutely, his expression firm.

"Moreover, my master has taught me the Way, imparted knowledge, and resolved my doubts. His kindness to me is like giving me a second life. I am extremely fortunate to be able to become his disciple."

"Hahaha, you two really appreciate each other." Wang Hua laughed loudly. "Shouren also said in his letter that it was his greatest fortune to have met a disciple like you."

"It seems that we, master and disciple, are heading in the same direction," Su Lu said happily.

“Hehe…” Wang Hua chuckled, then changed the subject: “In his letter, Shouren repeatedly instructed me to make sure you stay in Nanjing for a month.”

"Really?" Su Lu was overjoyed upon hearing this. "That's exactly what I was thinking too. Firstly, I can receive instruction from my master, and secondly, I want to gauge the political climate before making any further plans!" "So, you and your master have the same idea again?" Wang Hua laughed. "Do you have any ideas about the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"Don't worry, Master," Su Lu said with a smile. "I've already discussed it with the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. We'll stay in Nanjing for a while and wait for the changes in the capital."

He then explained, "That commander has realized he's been tricked and doesn't dare to bring me, this big trouble, into the capital rashly."

"He was used as a pawn!" Wang Hua nodded emphatically and lowered his voice, "I'm certain that someone wants to use you to incite the literati to join forces against Liu Jin once again!"

"Really?" Although Su Lu had already guessed, hearing his master confirm it still sent chills down his spine. "I wonder which of my respected teachers were involved?"

“I’m not quite sure about that,” Wang Hua shook his head and said slowly, “I can only confirm that it was Yang Shizong who planned it. Your master said that Yang Shizhai was another mastermind, but I haven’t verified that, so I can’t draw any conclusions. Just take it as it is for now.”

"Yang Yiqing, Yang Tinghe?" Su Lu said softly.

“Yes, it’s those two.” Wang Hua nodded.

"Heh, I'm truly flattered, grand-disciple." Su Lu felt a chill run down his spine and said, "What merit do I have to be served by two such powerful figures?"

“They would do the same thing whether you were here or not,” Wang Hua said in a low voice. “It just means you were the right person at the right time and in the right place.”

"Is this a lucky or unlucky situation for my grand-disciple?" Su Lu asked helplessly.

"Lao Tzu said, 'Misfortune is the foundation of fortune; fortune is the harbinger of misfortune.'" Wang Hua added a piece of silver-thread charcoal to the brazier, the warm light making his features appear gentle. He smiled and asked, "Hongzhi, could you use your Wang Suzong teachings to explain these words to your master?"

"Yes." Su Lu dared not be negligent; this was a test from the top scholar!

After a moment's thought, he respectfully replied, "Master, you have inquired, and I dare to speak presumptuously. Our sect believes that the core of this saying lies in 'the mind and matter give rise to each other, and fortune and misfortune are mutually rooted.'"

"What do you mean?" Wang Hua picked up the copper kettle on the charcoal brazier, poured boiling water into the teacup, and the aroma of tea rose gently with the steam.

"People are overjoyed when they see good fortune and saddened when they encounter misfortune, all because their hearts are attached to appearances and blinded by likes and dislikes—this is the 'bias of the heart'. However, the way of heaven is cyclical, fortune contains the seeds of misfortune, and misfortune contains the signs of fortune. Like the old man who lost his horse, it is not immediately visible. This is the 'principle of things', which does not change according to people's subjective likes and dislikes."

Wang Hua held his teacup and nodded slightly, listening attentively as his grand-disciple continued.

“Zongxue emphasized ‘unity of knowledge and action’, understanding the way of fortune and misfortune, with ‘action’ as the key: when encountering good fortune, one should remain humble and cautious, distribute wealth to help the needy, and not rely on good fortune to be arrogant and extravagant, then the seeds of misfortune will be secretly extinguished; when facing misfortune, one should investigate things and seek solutions, strengthen one’s will and practice diligently, and not blame heaven or others, then the roots of good fortune will naturally grow.”

"Okay." Wang Hua couldn't help but praise, and said with a smile, "You can continue."

"Therefore, Su Lu believed that fortune and misfortune are not predetermined by Heaven, but also depend on the clarity or obscurity of one's heart—a clear heart can see through appearances to the essence, and perceive the opportunity within danger, and the danger within opportunity. A clouded heart is easily misled by gains and losses, fixated on the present, lacking foresight, and thus misfortunes come one after another, and fortunes do not last long. Furthermore, it depends on the unity of knowledge and action—only by knowing and acting can misfortune be turned into fortune; knowing without acting is merely empty talk, utterly useless." Su Lu then gave an example:
“There are many such examples in the world, such as ‘waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump’: one might get a lucky rabbit by chance and then foolishly wait for good fortune to come again, abandoning farming and neglecting his work, ultimately resulting in a complete loss of harvest. This is because a clouded mind and careless actions can turn good fortune into misfortune.”

"For example, Goujian was defeated, captured, and humiliated in the court of Wu, which was a disaster that led to the downfall of his country. However, Goujian was clear-headed and discerning. While serving Wu, he saw through the evils of Fuchai's arrogance and extravagance. After returning to his country, he endured hardship and worked hard to govern, eventually defeating Wu, restoring his country, and revitalizing Yue. This is an example of how a person with a clear mind and firm will can turn misfortune into fortune."

After speaking, Su Lu respectfully said, "This disciple has only a humble opinion, and I humbly request that my master correct me."

"Very good, very good, there's nothing to correct." Wang Hua stroked his beard, praising Su Lu profusely, his gaze fixed on Su Lu with nothing but approval.
"I suddenly posed a question, and you answered hastily, yet you were able to provide a reasoned and well-founded argument. You even cited classical texts, using the distinction between mind and matter to see through appearances, and using the practice of knowledge to understand fortune and misfortune. You truly deserve to be called the founder of the Sog School; you are qualified to open a lecture hall!"

"Master, you flatter me. I am still far from being good enough," Su Lu hurriedly replied.

"What should we do then?" Wang Hua deliberately smiled and said, "Shouren specifically instructed in his letter that you must teach the Daoist school in Nanjing. Will you listen to your master or not?"

"This..." Su Lu finally understood why his master had suddenly tested him. It turned out he wanted to see if he was qualified to give lectures in public.

If his skill level was too low, his master probably wouldn't even bring it up again, to avoid embarrassing himself...

In fact, on his way to Chengdu to take the imperial examination, he had already given a small demonstration of his skills by lecturing to the other scholars traveling with him, and the results were quite good.

But this is the capital of the Ming Dynasty, renowned for its culture and education, and also a place where the court keeps idle officials. It's a place where "great scholars are everywhere, and Hanlin scholars are as numerous as hairs." I'm so young, and I'm going to lecture on a completely new doctrine. Can I really hold my own, or will they kick me off the stage?
Wang Hua saw his concerns and smiled to encourage him, saying, "If it were a month ago, you would definitely have been booed off the stage. But who are you now? You are the conscience of the Ming Dynasty's literary world, the idol of all scholars, and the banner against corrupt officials! Who would dare to undermine you now? Now you can say that coal is white and snow is black, and they will have to say, 'Ah, yes, yes, yes,' and they will have to hold their noses and fawn over you."

"Ah, right, right, right!" Su Lu's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh. This massive wave of online traffic—they've got to capitalize on it!
(End of this chapter)