Top Scholar

Chapter 85 A Miracle

Daonan Hall. The monthly grading has begun again!

"The questions this time were a bit difficult." The teachers all thought the same thing when they received the papers.

"Once is never enough, twice is never enough, and the headmaster finally couldn't hold back any longer." The other teachers knew that the troublemaker wouldn't go easy on them forever.

"Everyone thought the questions would be based on Mencius, but they were unexpectedly based on the Analects, and they were so difficult."

"Yes, this passage, though ostensibly a travelogue, is actually a philosophical discussion. Without understanding the underlying 'Zeng Dian's philosophy'—'When human desires are exhausted, the principles of Heaven prevail. They are abundant everywhere, without the slightest deficiency. Therefore, in both movement and stillness, there is such composure'—it's impossible to correctly interpret the topic." Mr. Zhu stroked his beard and said:
"This question is well-designed, but it's really not easy for the children."

"But it should be a bit more challenging now, so that good seedlings can stand out," Qian Huai-ren quickly added, trying to salvage the situation for the headmaster.
"Besides, we gave them a break twice before, and their scores were already high. This time, we'll just have to make things difficult for them, it won't be a big deal."

"Yes." They had to admit that Old Qian's words made sense. The teachers nodded and began to concentrate on grading the papers.

Having learned from his previous experience, Niu Ziru, the examiner at Shengshen Hall, knew that Su Lu would most likely be questioned, so he first found his paper. Upon looking at it, a look of delight crossed his face, and he cleared his throat, saying:

"Let me start by giving you something to refresh your spirits. The key words are simply: 'The Way is not far from man; man can spread the Way!'"

"Excellent! Concise and to the point!" The scholars' expressions brightened, and they all praised, "These eight words perfectly summarize Zeng Dian's teachings!"

"This subtle attack was truly brilliant!" Qian Huai-ren stroked his beard and praised, "It seems the students have made great progress in these four months."

"Who do you think made this?" Niu Ziru asked again.

"At most, there are no more than three people in the Sheng Shen Zhai who have the ability to solve this problem." Through the first two rounds of grading, the teachers had already gained a relatively clear understanding of the students' level in the lower hall.

“But since you asked, it’s definitely not Lin Zhihong or that kid surnamed Qiao.” The gentlemen laughed, “Then it can only be Su Lu.”

"Haha, you guessed right!" Niu Ziru said, admiring Su Lu's exam paper.
"Listen to the next topic—the Way is used in daily life, not something that is difficult to reach from near or far; people, with broad minds, cannot utter empty words. The Yi River bath reveals the Way, the Fengyu Festival displays the Way, and singing of returning home is appropriate for spreading the Way!"

"What a wonderful saying, 'The Way is for daily use'!" The guests cheered, stopping their work to appreciate this resounding four-character mantra.

"The Way is in daily life, yet people are unaware of it. The Book of Changes says, 'The common people use it daily without knowing it; the Way of the superior man is rare.'" Qian Huai-ren praised, "I didn't expect this kid to have already begun to delve into the Book of Changes."

"He probably hasn't studied the Book of Changes yet. He's quoting the Doctrine of the Mean: 'The Way is the principle governing daily affairs, the principle by which we should act. It is the virtue of our nature, which resides in our hearts. It is present in everything and at all times, therefore we cannot be separated from it for even a moment.'" a gentleman corrected him bluntly.

"That should be the case." The other scholars also expressed their strong agreement: "Zhu Xi's study of investigating things originated from this."

"Haha..." Mr. Qian awkwardly dug his toes into the soles of his shoes, and quickly laughed at himself, "I'm getting old, I've mixed up the books."

"Hehe..." The teachers gave perfunctory smiles. That's how it is in the academy; no matter what your position is, if your scholarship is lacking, you will be looked down upon.

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Just based on those four words, we have to guarantee at least half a point this time!" Mr. Zhu set the tone, and all the other gentlemen had no objections.

Niu Ziru began reciting the opening remarks amidst the urging of the crowd:

"Within the universe, the Way exists without leaving a trace; even the most ordinary man and woman can embody and practice the Way. As spring clothes are completed, the Yi River flows swiftly, benefiting all beings without contention; at the altar of the Dance Festival, a gentle breeze blows, nurturing all things without seeking recognition. This is what is meant by the Way not being far from people, but residing within what the eyes and ears perceive, and what the body and mind feel!"

After he finished reading, there was another round of applause from the audience.

"Excellent, excellent! Su, you have truly grasped the essence of the Dao. Not only do you explain the principles clearly, but your writing is also imbued with the spirit of the Dao, calm and unhurried, impartial and unbiased. It makes one feel that 'the Dao is not far from us; it is right there in what we see and hear, and what we feel with our own body and mind.'"

"Yes, that child, just two months ago, could only write in a semi-classical style, not even qualifying as a proper eight-legged essay." The scholars were now deeply impressed and full of praise.
"In just two months, he was able to adapt his writing style to the needs of the audience and write in a way that was just right and enhanced the meaning of the text. His talent is simply frightening."

“There’s no second one like it in the academy…” one teacher said bluntly.

"Ahem!" Although Qian Huai-ren shared the same view, he still had to steer the ship carefully. "Don't always exaggerate. At least Zi-he's talent is above his."

"Hehe..." The gentlemen laughed perfunctorily again, clearly disagreeing.

Niu Ziru said rigorously, "Leaving aside talent, just looking at this article, especially the opening paragraph, I think it is unparalleled."

“This child has always been strong-willed, but the reason it’s called ‘eight-legged essay’ is because of its parallel prose.” Qian Huai-ren then said, “Keep reading.”

Niu Ziru then read the eight-legged essay section aloud with great intonation. After listening, the other teachers praised him, saying, "Although it is not as brilliant as Mao Zi's, it is still very good."

"Yes, the parallelism is perfect, the meter is strict, the writing is full of style, and it is consistent throughout. It already has the style of an expert." Mr. Zhu said with a slight regret: "I think if he had more time to carefully consider it, he could write an eight-legged essay as wonderfully as a 'maozi' (a type of classical Chinese prose-poetry).

“There’s nothing to regret.” Qian Huai-ren breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, “That kid has only been learning the eight-legged essay for four months, and he can write at this level. It’s unheard of.”

"Yes, I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes." The teachers agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "It's already far better than many students who have been writing for three or four years."

"This child's progress is too fast, it's truly unstoppable!" Mr. Niu exclaimed. "I really don't know how long this terrifying progress can last?" "Of course, the longer the better..." the teachers said hopefully. "If he progresses for another year, our academy might produce another successful candidate in the imperial examination!"

"With three years of progress, Yongning might produce its first Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination)!" The scholars entered a state of daydreaming.

"You're getting off-topic. Let's get a grip!" Qian Huai-ren scolded, reminding the beaming teachers, "The reason that child has made such amazing progress is simply because his foundation is so weak, leaving him with a lot of room for improvement. But who knows if his ceiling is high or low? It's best not to overpraise him."

"Yes." The gentlemen then wiped their drool and ended their daydreams.

“It’s hard to say how many years Su Lu can improve.” Only Mr. Zhu said calmly, “But I think it won’t be long before all the other students in the lower hall are far behind him.”

“Indeed…” Qian Huai-ren was speechless this time, and said with a wry smile, “Hurry up and start grading the papers.”

~~
The following morning, before class, the results and rankings for the third monthly exam were posted again on the notice board inside the academy's ceremonial gate.

The students arrived as scheduled, but this time their mood was much heavier. Firstly, they lacked confidence in the upcoming exam; secondly, some of their classmates might be eliminated...

They only looked at the top ten, and they all gasped in shock—

The rankings of the top nine are not bad. Zhu Zihe is first, Lin Zhihong is second, Qiao Feng is third, and then there are familiar faces such as Hu Qiyang and Hu Kaiyang.

But the tenth place name has been changed to Su Lu!
"What was Su's ranking last time?" The students, still shocked, asked one after another.

"Forty-second place!" Li Qiyu exclaimed proudly. He remembered it most clearly because he had ranked forty-first last time, right behind Li Qiyu.

"Hiss... This is terrifying! He surpassed half of his peers in one go!" The classmates were even more shocked.

Keep in mind that the higher you rank, the stronger the competition becomes, and it's difficult to surpass even one or two people. Surpassing seven or eight places is considered a huge improvement.

Su Lu jumped from 42nd to 10th place in one go, surpassing 32 of his peers. This progress was simply beyond imagination! His classmates couldn't even feel envy or jealousy; all they could do was admire him wholeheartedly.

"Impressive! Congratulations to Su for surpassing others!" Four months into the semester, everyone knows Su, who is known for his strong sense of ethics and morality.

"Just lucky," Su Lu said modestly, waving his hand. "Maybe he'll show his true form next time."

As he was speaking, a small, thin figure suddenly darted in front of him, bowed deeply, and exclaimed, "Grandpa, you're amazing!"

After saying that, he darted back into the crowd with lightning speed. Su Lu didn't even get a clear look at what his grandson looked like.

The students from Sheng Shen Zhai were secretly angry, thinking that their peers from other schools didn't care about martial ethics and even cared about seniority...

Su Lu's progress this time was too dazzling, and everyone had gotten used to Zhu Zihe's three consecutive championships, so no one was discussing who was in first place anymore.

Zhu Zihe's classmates looked at him with concern, but to their surprise, he was also shocked, staring at the model essay that ranked first in moral principles, completely dumbfounded.

Following his gaze, the other students looked curiously at the model essay that ranked first in moral principles. Unsurprisingly, it was indeed written by Su Lu.

Then someone began to recite: "The Way is not far from man; man can spread the Way! The Way is used in daily life; it is not something that is difficult to reach, whether near or far..."

After hearing this, all the students understood why Zhu Zihe's expression was so unpleasant.

Reading articles by people my age, I was actually filled with a sense of awe and admiration...

If it weren't for the fact that the essay section wasn't particularly outstanding, this would be about the level of the famous works they had memorized.

But they all knew what level Su Lu had reached in his previous essay writing. Therefore, even considering only the essay writing section, his progress was astonishing…

The students couldn't imagine how much progress Su Lu would make next month. But at this moment, many people realized that Zhu's first place was likely to change hands soon.

They had assumed that the arrogant Zhu would be defiant again. But to their surprise, after turning his gaze away from the notice board, Zhu Zihe turned to Su Lu, his face dark, and bowed respectfully, saying:
"Alright, I admit you are indeed a fine steed!"

The others nodded in agreement, thinking that this was true; Da Su was indeed an absolute miracle!

"But I won't let you surpass me! We'll see!" Zhu Zihe said before turning and leaving.

Su Lu was left completely bewildered, unable to understand why he kept calling himself Miracle.

If it's a miracle, then why count it in heads?

(End of this chapter)