White-robed Minister

41 [My Roommate's Question]

Compared to Yushan, the state school is closer to Fanshan.

Xu Lai, carrying a bamboo basket on his back, stepped into the school gate like a farmer selling his wares.

School had not yet started, and only a very small number of boarding students had arrived at school early, and they were all returning students from previous years.

Standing on campus, looking at the halls and buildings, Xu Lai was greatly disappointed.

At this time, although the Guangzhou Prefectural School had moved from outside the city to inside, it was still in a transitional phase. More than a decade passed in this transition, and some of the side halls still had thatched roofs; they couldn't even bear to use roof tiles!

In comparison, the South Sea Temple, located dozens of miles from the prefectural capital, was expanded to three hundred rooms during its renovation last year. With its carved beams and painted rafters, spacious and bright layout, any few of its rooms could easily surpass the prefectural school.

Sigh, there's nothing I can do about it.

The South China Sea Temple is dedicated to the sea god Zhurong. Merchants from the sea flocked to donate money and goods, and even a large number of foreigners threw money into it.

The school is no good.

Confucius really lost face; even the Confucius Temple was surrounded by foreign quarters and was far away from the state school in the city.

Xu Lai found the new student registration area.

There are no teachers here; the people handling the paperwork are two local day students.

Xu Lai introduced himself, and a student looked up in surprise, asking, "The one from the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Principles?"

"That's right," Xu Lai replied.

The student became more enthusiastic: "My name is Lin De, courtesy name Runshen."

Xu Lai bowed in greeting.

As Lin De stood up to return the greeting, another student came over, seemingly wanting to see what Xu Sanba looked like.

The two chatted and laughed as they processed Xu Lai's enrollment procedures.

Linde handed over a numbered bamboo tag: "This is your school tag. You'll need it for classes, meals, and entering and leaving the state school. Don't lose it. If it's lost or damaged, you'll need to pay for a replacement."

"Thanks for the reminder." Xu Lai took his student card.

Lin De then took out a small booklet: "From A1 to C10, these are all dormitories for external students. You can choose any of the blank spaces where your name is not filled in."

Xu Lai glanced around, randomly selected room number 6, and quickly received the key to the room.

Linde said, "School officially starts in seven days. The cafeteria will also open in seven days, so you'll have to eat out for the next few days."

The two students then gave them some more instructions on miscellaneous matters.

For example, the open space in front of the dormitory needs to be cleaned by the students themselves every day.

Xu Lai bid farewell to the two and headed to the dormitory area with his luggage.

Well, it turned out to be rows of thatched huts!

The dormitory of the state university is more like a village house in the mountains.

The room contained only a desk, a wardrobe, and a bed frame, all of which were miniature versions. The straw mat that Xu Lai brought was larger than a single bed and had to be cut off to fit.

Fortunately, he bought a paper cutter.

As the name suggests, it is specifically used for cutting paper. It is cheaper to buy a roll of paper directly, and each roll can be cut into one hundred sheets.

After laying out a straw mat and hanging a mosquito net, Xu Lai lay down and felt quite comfortable.

Mosquito nets made of kudzu cloth can be stuffy in the summer because they are not very breathable.

After putting away his clothes and books, Xu Lai strolled out of the school and wandered around the streets and alleys of the city, looking for cheap restaurants to eat at.

Back in his dorm in the afternoon, Xu read books to pass the time.

He read "The Correct Meaning of the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals" very quickly, intending to finish it on the first read without fully understanding it. Then he compiled a table of contents for the entire set of books and placed bookmarks on key pages for easy reference later.

This is the first step.

The second step is to divide the content into volumes according to time, with each volume summarizing its basic content.

For example: "Duke Yin was first, reigning for eleven years. Rites and music collapsed, marking the beginning of a chaotic era. Duke Huan was second, reigning for eighteen years. Internal and external troubles arose, along with disputes over titles and status..."

After clarifying the historical context, the third step is to study the material in sections.

Read the book thinly, then read it thickly, then read it thinly again, then read it thickly again—scientific methods are needed for studying Confucian classics!

His notes from reading this book could fill a very thick notebook.

These reading notes, if they encounter a discerning scholar who is not short of money, could probably sell for even more money than the original book.

The day after Xu Lai moved into the dormitory, his roommate finally appeared.

"Are you new here?"

A young man, about twenty years old, short and stocky with dark skin, walked into the dormitory carrying his luggage and said, "My name is Wen Zhonghe, courtesy name Yongzhi. I was admitted last autumn. By the way, I'm from Xin'an."

The territory of Xin'an County included the area south of the Tanjiang River in later times, as well as a large area in the east and south of Taishan.

It's a poor place, but it has two salt fields.

Xu Lai said, "My name is Xu Lai, I have no courtesy name, and I am from Qingyuan."

Wen Zhonghe asked curiously, "I've never been to Qingyuan County. Are there many mountains there?"

"I live in the mountains," Xu Lai said with a smile.

Wen Zhonghe said, "There are many mountains in our area. But my family lives at the foot of the mountain, and very close to the river. Generation after generation has cultivated the tidal flats, and over the decades, we've finally accumulated some wealth. I was the first person in the whole township to be admitted to the prefectural school!"

The last sentence was spoken with particular pride.

Xu Laishun praised him and then asked about the school's class arrangements.

Wen Zhonghe explained, "Students are divided into inner and outer dormitories. There is a monthly exam, called the private exam, which has no punishment. There is an annual exam, called the public exam, which is personally presided over by the Grand Marshal."

"If you fail the public examination twice in a row, you will have to go to the fast. If you fail many times, you may be expelled from the state school."

"There is also a separate examination; those who pass will be promoted to inner dormitory students."

Xu Lai asked, "What do we study each year?"

After Wen Zhonghe's explanation, Xu Lai realized that he had been too hasty.

The Zuo Zhuan and the Book of Rites are considered major classics, requiring several years of study, and students are not allowed to touch them during the first year.

Yu Jing had previously set three questions, his real intention being to test students' knowledge of the *Analects*, so students only needed to choose one. As for the questions on the *Spring and Autumn Annals* and the *Book of Rites*, he simply wanted to see if there were any experts among them.

When students first enter school, they typically only study the Analects, Mencius, the Classic of Filial Piety, and the Erya. They also learn calligraphy and poetry, but they don't even study policy essays.

At that time, there was no concept of an upper dormitory; there were only outer and inner dormitories.

The inner study was equivalent to an intensive class for the imperial examinations, where the curriculum included a comprehensive understanding of various classics and enhanced training in poetry, prose, and policy essays.

Xu Lai calculated the course schedule. If he studied step by step and passed the dormitory exam on the first try, it would take at least five years to be promoted to the inner dormitory.

"Can't we move up to the next dormitory level earlier?" Xu Lai asked.

Wen Zhonghe said, "Yes, you can. After studying for a year, you can apply to take the dormitory exam. As long as you pass, you can move up to the next dormitory level. If you pass several private exams (monthly exams), you can apply to move up to the next grade (skip a grade) after three months."

Looks like I'll have to skip grades like crazy!

Wen Zhonghe asked in surprise, "How come you don't even know that the *Book of Rites* and the *Zuo Zhuan* are major classics? Didn't your previous teachers tell you?"

"No," Xu Lai shook his head.

Wen Zhonghe, fond of teaching, explained in detail: "These two books belong to the major classics, which are the most difficult to study, taking several years to learn! The Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, the Book of Changes, the Gongyang Commentary, and the Guliang Commentary are the middle classics."

He then introduced various basic concepts to Xu Lai.

Just as they were getting into the conversation, a voice called out from outside: "Is Xu Sanlang here? Is Xu Sanlang here?"

Xu Lai walked out of the dormitory, smiling and waving, saying, "Brother Gong, what brings you here?"

Liang Wensu walked briskly: "Yesterday afternoon, I went to the inn to look for you but couldn't find you, so I came to the state school today to inquire."

"Brother Gongshu, this is Wen Zhonghe, my roommate, whose courtesy name is Yongzhi. Brother Yongzhi, this is Liang Wensu, whose courtesy name is Gongshu..."

"Greetings, Brother Wen."

"Greetings, Brother Liang."

Liang Wensu was not interested in Wen Zhonghe. He took out his own copy of "A Preliminary Discussion of the Analects": "The night before last, I studied it all night long. Last night I was also looking through various classics, but I couldn't find the source for my new interpretation for the time being."

"There might not be a source," Xu Lai said with a smile.

Liang Wensu said, "Even without a source, some of the sentences are still convincing. But there are a few sentences that I cannot agree with."

The two began to discuss "A Preliminary Discussion of the Analects," while Wen Zhonghe listened from the side, looking completely bewildered.

He was admitted to the state school last fall through the supplementary enrollment process and did not participate in the exam a few days ago. He was unaware that the first and second place winners were right in front of him.

In Wen Zhonghe's eyes, Xu Lai didn't even understand basic common sense and must be a mediocre student who got by luck.

But why do I not quite understand what the underachievers are discussing?

Unable to contain himself any longer, Wen Zhonghe interrupted the academic exchange, asking, "Is this book you're discussing, 'A Preliminary Discussion of the Analects,' a new work by some great Confucian scholar?"

Liang Wensu smiled and said, "It's Xu Sanlang's reading notes."

Wen Zhonghe became more and more confused as he listened, his mind filled with questions.

A struggling student's reading notes?

Still discussing?

Is it a competition to see who is more outrageous in their mistake?

Just as he was about to ask further questions, another shout rang out: "Xu Sanlang, I'm here!"

Xu Lai walked out of the dormitory again, smiling and waving to Yang Shu: "Brother Jiezhi, this way."

As Yang Shu walked, he said, "I had some family matters to attend to. I only arrived in Guangzhou last night and stayed overnight at a friend's house. This morning, I brought my friend to the prefectural school to see you. This is Ding Zhengchen, courtesy name Maoyong."

Ding Zhengchen is clearly of mixed race, with some features of different ethnicities on his face.

When these non-Han people changed their surnames to Han surnames, they often used homophones.

The surname Ding comes from Aladdin.

The surname Pu comes from Abdullah.

The surname Li comes from Alibaba.

The surname Ma comes from Muhammad.

Worried that Xu Lai might look down on the foreigners, Yang Shu quickly added, "The Ding family has lived in Tang for more than five generations. Brother Ding's mother and grandmother were both Han women. When Nong Zhigao besieged Guangzhou, the Ding family took the initiative to burn down their residence and shops to delay the enemy troops, buying time for the government troops to defend the city. Six years ago, Brother Ding even qualified for the imperial examination."

"I see, my apologies!" Xu Lai bowed and greeted them.

Ding Zhengchen quickly returned the greeting, saying, "When Jiezhi escorted the cargo back to Guangzhou, he stayed at my house for one night and talked about Xu Sanlang all night long. I have long admired your name, and seeing you today, I can see that you are indeed extraordinary."

This guy seemed to have a bit of a people-pleasing personality. After greeting Xu Lai, he hurriedly went to pay his respects to Liang Wensu and Wen Zhonghe.

He praised everyone he met, as if afraid of upsetting them, clearly indicating that he was very insecure about his mixed-race identity.

Wen Zhonghe, standing to the side, was increasingly bewildered, completely unable to understand the situation.

Wasn't Xu Lai a clueless academic failure who knew nothing?

Why are so many people coming specifically to find him?

My roommate seems pretty impressive. So, who exactly is he?

"Where is Xu Lai from Qingyuan County?" came another shout.

Wen Zhonghe was already numb, but when he looked up, he was startled again.

The visitors turned out to be government officials.

Xu Lai stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Xu Lai is here. May I ask what brings you here, sir?"

The official said, "The Grand Marshal requests your presence at the Grand Marshal's Office. Scholar Xu, please come with me."

Xu Lai bid farewell to everyone and then said to the official, "Please lead the way."

Wen Zhonghe: "???"

Watching Xu Lai's departing figure, Wen Zhonghe felt like he hadn't woken up yet.

The military commissioner, Lord Yu, invited a student from a prefecture?

Judging from the clothes he's wearing, he doesn't look like a rich kid at all!

I must be dreaming.