Chapter Sixteen: Chao Ge (6)

There was no conversation throughout the night.
At the first moment of the Yin hour the next day, Li Kuo got up immediately. After dressing and grooming himself, it was already the third moment. Seeing Zhang Yanji still lost in his dreams, Li Kuo shook his head helplessly. He walked slowly to his friend’s bed, knocked gently on the headboard, and said in a friendly tone, “My dear Master Yanji, it’s almost the Mao hour already, and you’re still sleeping. You haven’t forgotten what the Minister said yesterday, have you?”
“What? What do you mean?”
Swinging his left arm, Zhang Yanji struck Li Kuo and sat up abruptly. “What time is it, Brother Kuo? Why am I so sleepy?”
Yawning widely, Zhang Yanji staggered toward the outer room.
“In my opinion, it’s because you’re too lazy in the Vice Minister’s residence. Suddenly having to be diligent, you can’t adapt!”
Li Kuo shrugged and pressed on.
After hastily dressing, Zhang Yanji finally became alert. He headed to the side hall, only to see Zhang Fu lying on the lounge chair, drooling. Angered, he kicked Zhang Fu and snapped, “I said I slept in! How dare you still lie there like nothing happened? Get up right now!”
“Ow!”
Painfully awakened from his sleep, Zhang Fu was about to curse when he saw who it was and immediately became timid. “Master, I didn’t forget! If you’re going to kick me, at least do it gently.”
“Ah, who’s the master here? Who rushed to serve as my scribe back then? Now you act like a master. Do you expect me, the master, to wake you up every day?”
Zhang Fu pouted resentfully, tears welling in his eyes. “Master, please don’t tease me. I know I was wrong. Please don’t send me back.”
“What a little troublemaker! Hurry up and help me get dressed. Don’t expect me to change by myself.”
Zhang Yanji stomped his foot helplessly and grumbled.
“Ah, ah.”
Zhang Fu quickly handed over his robe and brought a bronze mirror to help Zhang Yanji change and tie his clothes properly. He also applied Zhang Yanji’s usual musk along the seams before everything was ready.
The two hurried toward the Wenhua Hall. Upon entering, they found all the students lined up, waiting for the Imperial Scholar to take attendance.
“Silence! Today, I will call out your names and rank you into three categories—A, B, and C—based on your academic ability.”
The Imperial Scholar cleared his throat and said, “Chen Runzhi, Xiao Ziqiao, Pei Xingchen are ranked in Category A… Zheng Wei, Xu Shucai, Li Kuo, Zhang Yanji are in Category B… Wu Yi, Qian Zhi are in Category C. In total, there are 321 students. Are there any omissions?”

Seeing no objections from the audience, the Imperial Scholar clapped his hands and said, “Learning is not something that can be achieved in a day. You must support one another and persevere unrelentingly if you wish to achieve success in your studies.”
The students replied in unison, “Thank you, Doctor, for your guidance.”
The Imperial Scholar waved his hand, signaling the instructors to lead their respective students to the classrooms for lessons. Under the guidance of the instructors, everyone filed out in an orderly manner toward their classrooms.
“Brother Ke, how come I was assigned to Group B? You know my abilities. Could it be that my grandfather interceded?”
Upon hearing the results of the grouping, Zhang Yanji kept pestering Li Ke for answers, leaving Li Ke at a loss—neither knowing how to laugh nor cry. Yet he didn’t want to dampen his friend’s enthusiasm for learning too much.
“Perhaps there are other criteria for evaluation. Anyway, just study hard. If you waste such a good opportunity, I won’t forgive you first.”
With no way out, Li Ke could only come up with a vague reply.
“Oh.”
Tonguing Li Ke, Zhang Yanji wisely stopped talking.
Li Ke and Zhang Yanji, who belonged to Group B of the imperial scholars, were assigned to Renchen Hall in Chongwen Academy. Following the instructors’ instructions, they joined the other seventy students and slowly entered Renchen Hall.
The hall, styled in the pure style of the Wei and Jin dynasties, was spacious enough to accommodate hundreds of people for lectures. Exquisite amber scent spread along the beams, filling every corner of the hall. As instructed by the instructor, everyone took their seats, and they were immediately struck by the hall’s solemn and ancient atmosphere, leaving the place completely silent.
Seeing that everyone was settled, the instructor stepped forward and declared loudly, “My surname is Sun, my given name is Jian’an, and my courtesy name is Zigu. From now on, I will be your instructor. I will teach you classics and history. Additionally, Instructors Chen and Cui will teach you rituals, music, and calligraphy. Every ten days, a colonel from the Left Jinwu Guard will teach you horseback riding and archery. You must focus on your studies and not be distracted by trivial matters. Do you understand?”
“We will strictly follow the Doctor’s teachings,” the students replied in unison.
Sun Jian’an nodded slightly and said, “You are all talented individuals from various provinces and counties, dedicated to passing the imperial examinations to serve the country. But what is learning? What is the way? Even those who study hard for decades still cannot fully grasp its principles. Today, I will begin with the opening chapters of The Great Learning to teach you the way of learning.”
Zhang Yanji curled his lips and muttered, “What kind of official jargon is this? It’s so obscure and hard to understand—clearly meant to show off his talent.”
Li Ke nudged Zhang Yanji with his elbow but continued to listen intently to the instructor’s lecture.
“The way of The Great Learning lies in illuminating virtue, serving the people, and striving for ultimate goodness,” Sun Jian’an said softly, stroking his beard. “As for what The Great Learning is, the sages have explained it in just a few words.”

Taking a few light steps, he casually added, “In one’s life, what matters most is cultivating one’s character and moral integrity. We often lament that learning knows no bounds—why? Because we fail to understand virtue. Those who serve as rulers should share the people’s worries and joys. By setting aside paperwork and the constraints of classics, and striving for perfection in their actions, they can truly achieve greatness.”
Zhang Yanji helplessly pouted and drifted into his own thoughts.
“Thus, those of us who seek knowledge should prioritize cultivating virtue, so as to assist rulers and bring peace and prosperity to the people,” Sun Jianan said earnestly, shaking his head as he spoke.
It was not until around the si hour (Note 2) that Sun Jianan stopped speaking. He bowed deeply to all the students and said, “I hope you will remember my words and never forget the essence of learning.”
The students returned a respectful bow to Sun Jianan in sign of gratitude.
As soon as they stepped out of the hall, Zhang Yanji began to complain loudly, “I tell you, Brother Ke, these two hours have driven me crazy! I can’t make a sound, can’t go to the bathroom, and have to sit there listening to that old guy lecture on The Great Learning in some fancy official jargon. I’m going insane!”
Seeing his friend speak so carelessly, Li Ke quickly pulled him aside and whispered, “Shut up! Do you want to die? Speaking ill of your teacher will get you expelled—do you not want to study with me anymore?”
Shrugging helplessly, Zhang Yanji said, “I’m just annoyed. I can’t understand that stupid official jargon at all. Sitting there for two hours like that would be unbearable for anyone.”
Li Ke tapped his friend’s forehead and sighed, “You know, if you can’t do it, you can learn. Can’t the son of a vice minister of the Ministry of Works not even understand a newspaper? Anyway, never speak ill of your teacher behind their back again.”
Not wanting to anger Li Ke, Zhang Yanji waved his hand. “I won’t say it anymore, okay?”
After class, at noon, it was time for students to spend it as they wished. From noon to the wei hour, those two full hours of free time were a golden opportunity for students from other provinces and counties. Those from wealthy families would often gather in groups to go to restaurants in the East Market to drink wine and discuss poetry, not only to experience the local culture but also to strengthen their bonds—winning multiple benefits at once. Students from average families would go to small taverns in Wubenfang to order some braised mutton to improve their meals. Only those from poor families would stay at the academy and eat free meals in the cafeteria.
Li Ke was among them. Since Zhang Yanji had advised him against it, he had no choice but to stay and have lunch with his friend.
With Zhang Fu’s enthusiastic urging, the three of them finally found a relatively clean square table. After each received their share, the three youths sat around and started eating heartily.

A plate of pickled cucumbers, a stack of fried peanuts, a bowl of vegetable soup, along with a bowl of white rice. This was the meal for a scholar on a midday day. Zhang Yanji, accustomed to luxury in his mansion, could hardly tolerate such plain food. As soon as he tasted the cucumbers, he found them unbearably bitter. He forced himself to hold back before spitting them out in embarrassment.

Li Kuo, on the other hand, devoured his food with great relish and finished the two dishes and the soup in no time.

Seeing his young master refuse to eat, Zhang Fu grew anxious. “Young master, please don’t skip your meal. If the food isn’t good, I’ll go to Old Chen’s Restaurant across the street and buy you some dishes and wine. If you get too thin from hunger, my master will break my legs!”

Zhang Yanji slammed the table angrily and said sternly, “If Brother Kuo can eat it, why can’t I? Am I that delicate? Go eat your food quickly and stop saying such annoying things.”

Zhang Fu tried to persuade him kindly but to no avail. Frustrated, he simply focused on eating without mentioning buying more food or wine again.

Just as the atmosphere at the dining table fell silent, they heard the people at the neighboring table starting to talk loudly. A handsome young man in a dark green jacket said, “Ah, Brother Zike, you don’t know. The governor arrested so many people this time, and after torturing them, only two managed to escape alive.”

The young man called Zike was shocked and said, “How could things be that severe? Wen Ruo, don’t spread rumors.”

The man seemed dissatisfied with his friend’s attitude and scoffed, “My grandfather is the chief censor—there’s nothing he can’t find out. Besides, this is a serious matter; how would I spread rumors?”

After a brief pause, he signaled his friend to come closer. Seeing that no one was watching, he lowered his voice and said, “I heard this has something to do with the Crown Prince and General Wang Zhongsì!”