Chapter 27: Examination

A short while ago, a serious atmosphere prevailed near the Su family's library, where furnaces blazed. All the learned individuals of the Su household had gathered there. The highest-ranking among them was naturally Song Mao, the current Prefect of Shenzhou. A scholar of the highest degree (Jinshi), he was widely regarded as exceptionally talented. Knowing he visited annually, the Su family students had prepared for a long time under their teachers' guidance.

While wealth may not buy knowledge, it certainly buys books. As a result, the Su family's library was a grand and imposing structure. If Old Master Su had a wish, it might be for the Su family to one day become a true scholarly household, where generations of learned individuals would emerge. He hoped future generations would look upon this library and remember the efforts made by his generation, who had merely been merchants. This thought held a profound sense of solemnity, and indeed, it was the kind of legacy older individuals often found most appealing.

The initial, more standardized part of the examination within the library was already complete. This typically involved older students writing policy essays, while younger children were asked to interpret and explain excerpts from ancient sages. In those days, there were no definitive reference answers; no one could tell you precisely what a particular sentence from the Analects *should* mean. Each person had their own interpretation, and judgment was a subjective process. However, anyone with insight could easily distinguish between students who had merely absorbed information mechanically from their teachers and those who demonstrated innovative thinking and original ideas.

This year's assessment, however, was different from previous years.

Currently, after the preliminary examination, a child no older than nine or ten had been called to the center of the library to answer Song Mao's questions. It was clear he was extremely nervous, his words stumbling, and he seemed to lack confidence in his answers, but he persevered and continued to speak.

"The Analects… in the 'Yong Ye' chapter… it says… 'The wise delight in water, the benevolent delight in mountains; the wise are active, the benevolent are tranquil; the wise are joyful, the benevolent are long-lived…' It means… the wise seek the changes in all things, while the benevolent… But the wise seek these many changes to find the ultimate truth within them, where myriad changes never depart from their essence. And the benevolent, though they do not seek change, can still respond to all changes with constancy. The benevolent and the wise are, in essence, one… My teacher said… my teacher said, a benevolent person who lacks wisdom is not truly benevolent, and a wise person who lacks benevolence understands only minor, unorthodox paths. Uh… they will suffer in the end…"

The child, only about nine years old, appeared honest and guileless. He struggled to organize his thoughts, often resorting to "my teacher said" and interspersing his speech with common colloquialisms. While such an answer would certainly not be suitable for a formal examination, this situation was different. Song Mao, nearing forty, had an upright yet somewhat rustic demeanor. He listened intently, nodding his head throughout.

"Xunzi once said, 'A thousand movements and ten thousand changes, but their principle is one.' Zhuangzi also said, 'Not departing from the essence is called a heavenly person.' Myriad changes never depart from their essence… indeed, that is true. Xiao Heizi, this phrase, your teacher must have taught you, right?"

Hearing the question, the nervous Xiao Heizi brightened slightly, perhaps because the answer was straightforward. He nodded. "Yes, reporting… reporting to the Prefect, my teacher once said, 'Nothing falls outside the square and compass, and myriad changes never depart from their essence.'"

"'Nothing falls outside the square and compass, and myriad changes never depart from their essence… This phrase alone is sufficient…' Song Mao nodded, then smiled. 'Was that interpretation of 'the wise delight in water' just now entirely from your teacher?'"

Xiao Heizi nodded. "My teacher mentioned some things casually. I… I don't remember it all…"

"Do you understand it?"

The child thought for a moment, shook his head, then cautiously nodded again. "I… I understand a little…"

"Haha, I thought as much," Song Mao chuckled. "Then, was the interpretation for the assessment earlier also entirely from your teacher?"

The child nodded, then shook his head. "My teacher… my teacher did talk about this, but… but he didn't specifically say all these things. This is… some of this is what I thought myself…"

Song Mao watched him nod and shake his head, then shake his head and nod, before smiling and nodding himself. He then exchanged glances and quiet words with Su Chonghua and others nearby. Old Master Su, who had been observing, could sense the unusual nature of the situation. "Prefect, what is this about…?"

"Congratulations, Elder Su. This child, along with the one who was tested just now, may well achieve great things in the future."

"Ah…"

Such a commendation from Song Mao was not easily earned. Old Master Su was secretly delighted, though he maintained a composed expression, merely observing the situation. Song Mao glanced at the surrounding tutors and a few teachers from the academy, then cupped his hands toward Su Chonghua. "Brother Su, may I ask who the teacher of this Xiao Heizi is…?"

Song Mao had previously interacted with some teachers from Yushan Academy and found none particularly remarkable. Now, his gaze fell upon one or two unfamiliar faces. Su Chonghua's expression was hesitant, but after glancing at Old Master Su, he spoke. "It seems he is not here. Both Xiao Heizi and the child Chongming from earlier are disciples of Liheng."

Old Master Su was slightly startled, then his face registered pleasant surprise. Song Mao's expression also subtly changed. He then went through some of the earlier exam papers, asked a nearby teacher to select five, reviewed them again, and finally handed them to Old Master Su and Su Chonghua. "Brother Su, please take a look. Are all these students' answers taught by that one individual?"

Su Chonghua checked the names and nodded. Only then did Song Mao explain to Old Master Su, "It was the same question, taught by the same teacher, and they all attended the same class. Yet, these five papers are each distinct, and all demonstrate their own individual insights and understanding…"

Few words were needed. Though Old Master Su himself was not particularly learned, he understood the meaning behind Song Mao's words. Song Mao then glanced at the people standing around and asked Su Chonghua, "Is the Liheng you mentioned Ning Yi, Ning Liheng, the one who wrote 'Shuidiao Getou'?"

"…Indeed, it is he."

"This man possesses great talent! I don't know who he is, but he should be invited to join us on the dais, not left observing from below!"

At this moment, those on the dais were all middle-aged or elderly. Ning Yi should have been present; if not on the dais, he would naturally be among the crowd of watching family members and relatives. Old Master Su strained his eyes, which were not good, to look down at the assembly, and simultaneously asked Su Boyong, "Where is Liheng?"

Su Boyong had also been searching. He shook his head. "It seems… he's not here."

In previous years, it was typically the older students who were called forward for the individual question segment of the exam. This time, two young children had been called, and although they stood nervously in the center, to the onlookers, this was a symbol of scholarship and brought considerable prestige. While the elders on the dais whispered among themselves, the crowd below also murmured quietly. Juan'er, who had come to witness the spectacle, caught hold of one of Ning Yi's disciples and encouraged him. "Look how impressive Heizi and Chongming are! If they call you out later to answer questions, you must answer well and not disgrace your teacher!"

These children often pestered Ning Yi for stories and were familiar with Chan'er and Juan'er. Now, the child made a long face. "But Sister Juan'er, I'm scared! That's the Prefect up there!"

"He's not the Prefect of *our* province," Juan'er retorted, "and he's not going to kill you! Look how gentle he is. Heizi and the others are scared too… Anyway, if you disgrace yourself, I won't forgive you…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Su Boyong, from above, spotted Juan'er in the crowd and, chuckling, called her over. "Where is your young master-in-law?" By the time she was sent out to find Ning Yi, Song Mao in the back hall had already become intrigued by Ning Yi's storytelling in class and asked Xiao Heizi to recount one on the spot…

After composing himself, Xiao Heizi vividly finished recounting the story in front of Su Tan'er and the others, leaving them somewhat astonished. Then Juan'er finally asked Chan'er, "Where on earth is the young master-in-law? The elders are still waiting over there. I looked in the courtyard earlier, but he wasn't there."

Chan'er looked a little distressed herself. "But… the young master-in-law seemed to have gone out this morning already… I-I'm not really sure…"

Having taught at Yushan Academy for several months, Ning Yi had heard from Xiao Chan about the annual assessment at the end of the year, but given his personality, he naturally didn't pay much attention to such matters. When he told stories to the children in class, people were suspicious, amused, and critical; even Su Tan'er was confused and displeased. He saw and understood all their emotions clearly but was too lazy to offer any defense. However, if Xiao Chan were to genuinely ask for his thoughts on these assessments, he would likely casually reply, "If I can't even get through something like this, then there's truly no point in doing anything at all…"

There weren't many things he truly wanted to do now, but once he set out to do something, all that remained was to await the outcome. Having gone through so much, a sense of vanity naturally still lingered, but it had long ceased to be the primary factor influencing his actions. With individuals who were capable of understanding or at least willing to try, and who possessed a good outlook on life — like Old Qin or Old Kang — he could chat casually about various random things and inwardly delight in their reactions. But if the other person lacked comprehension and responded to his words with a self-righteous accusation of heresy, wasn't that just inviting trouble?

It was hard to say whether Ning Yi would have gone to observe the assessment if he had been home that day, but in any case, he had already left the house that morning, completely unaware of how events would unfold. The Su family had been quite busy recently, and he also had some things he wanted to pursue. After all, he had been idle for far too long; it was time to find something to "play" with. Whether these endeavors would yield results in the future was difficult to predict, but at the very least, it would prove that he, a modern big boss, had indeed struggled for a period in this dreadful era, one so primitive it lacked even MSG, all for the prospect of a happy and beautiful life.

Thinking about it, it rather resembled a pig struggling…

As the heavy snow fell, he walked down the snow-covered street towards the intersection, his mind idly wandering. Dressed in a blue scholarly robe and carrying a paper umbrella, his figure, set against the snowy long street, would have made a picturesque scene, embodying a certain classical scholarly charm. Along both sides of the road, many shops were still open for business, and pedestrians hurried past. A carriage rattled by him. At the intersection, there were several small stalls. Behind one of the pushcarts, a woman wearing an unsightly headscarf blinked, looking towards him with a hint of confusion. Ning Yi waved his hand, and she responded with a shy smile.

Nie Yunzhu's pancake stall, surprisingly out of character for her, was now open. Ning Yi had known its location for a while, but this was his first time casually stopping by.

On this particular day, two significant events occurred: the college entrance examinations began, and Yao Jiaxin was executed. On such a complex day, I, Banana, wish to ask for many, many recommendation votes.

Among my readers, there are likely some students taking the college entrance exams. I wish you all smooth examinations. However, if you are reading this blessing today, you are probably not a very diligent student, and this fact makes my feelings somewhat complicated. Nevertheless, reading for entertainment is a way to relax and adjust your mood. The ultimate goal of a short break is to enable you to proceed more steadily and effectively on your path forward. Here, I want to say that no matter what means of entertainment and relaxation you choose during your pauses, please always strive in life; mere fantasizing is useless. Increasing effort and accumulation while lowering expectations is the path to happiness. This is not just a slogan; it is my personal realization.

I wish all of Banana's readers happiness.

The most important thing, repeated twice: I urgently ask for many, many recommendation votes!