Chapter 128: Head of the Study Hall

Zhang Yue and Cheng Yi were engaged in conversation, while Huang Haoyi, standing to the side, looked upon the two with sincere admiration. Huang’s own expertise lay in poetry and prose, but he had devoted little effort to the study of the classics, relying merely on rote memorization.

After Zhang Yue finished speaking, Cheng Yi, already composed and confident, smiled. "What you say, Sanlang, is very profound. Your words on the 'oneness of principle and the diversity of its manifestations' truly give me pause for thought. However, may I ask, Sanlang: if one sees only the diversity, has one not yet perceived the oneness?"

"Since you can use the metaphor of the moon reflecting in ten thousand streams, how can you not know that one who has not reached the source and sees only the differences in the various tributaries would be reckless to draw conclusions? If your principles, my principles, and the principles of the sages seem to differ, it is only because you and I are standing within the streams, unable to see the whole. Only at the true source lies the eternal, unchanging principle—that is where the sages stand."

Zhang Yue was briefly at a loss for words. The people Shao Yong called the most brilliant in the world were truly formidable. But as an expert in debate, how could Zhang Yue easily concede defeat? Even in his past life, when he was in the wrong, he could still spar with others for three rounds on forums; surely he could hold his own here, especially since he felt he was in the right.

Zhang Yue replied, "Brother Cheng, you are mistaken. Mencius once said, 'That which a man is able to do without having learned it is his intuitive ability; that which he knows without having deliberated upon it is his intuitive knowledge. There is no child who does not know how to love his parents; as they grow older, there is no one who does not know how to respect their elder brothers.'"

Cheng Yi nodded upon hearing this.

Zhang Yue continued, "Therefore, the true principle resides only in the human heart, in one’s intuitive knowledge. As for the Way of the sages, my own nature is already complete. To seek principles externally in things or in others is a mistake—even if those 'others' are the sages themselves, they are still mistaken!"

Cheng Yi was startled. He had never heard such a statement before! Yet, for some reason, it struck a chord within his heart; there was truth in these words.

Observing Cheng Yi’s expression, Zhang Yue smiled slightly. He was not fighting alone; behind him stood a much taller figure—Wang Yangming, five hundred years into the future!

"Thus, the path should be sought within one's own intuitive knowledge. You and I, and even the sages, are not the same person; therefore, the intuitive knowledge and actions of every individual must also be different!"

Cheng Yi pondered this for a long time, feeling that further argument would be meaningless. He bowed and said, "I have been instructed by your words, Sanlang. May I ask which sage uttered these?"

"That, I do not know."

"Anonymous? Perhaps there is a source? I would like to read it!"

Zhang Yue, as if no one else were present, was internally laughing until his sides ached, though he maintained a straight face. He struggled to keep his expression steady, saying, "I saw it in an ancient book, though I cannot recall the specifics."

Cheng Yi pressed, "Where is that book now?"

Zhang Yue said with great solemnity, "That was when I was young. I accidentally fell off a cliff and was caught by tree branches. While looking for a path up the mountain, I discovered a stone grotto. Inside, there were only a few remains, and the book was placed on a mat."

"I picked it up and read until nightfall, so I left it there. The next day, I brought people to look for it, but I could never find that cave again. I suppose it was a matter of fate."

Cheng Yi sighed, "Could this be divine revelation? Like the wall-hidden classics of the Kong family or the lacquer-script books of the Prince of Wei, intended by the sages so that their teachings would not be lost."

Cheng Yi persisted, "Who wrote this ancient book? Was it from the Confucian, Buddhist, or Taoist school? Which sect did it belong to?"

Zhang Yue cleared his throat and said, "The book was written by an anonymous author, but he once said that he was taught these doctrines by a school of the 'Four-Sentence Teaching'!"

"Four-Sentence Teaching? Why such a strange name?"

Zhang Yue smiled. "At first, I did not know either, but this teaching has a foundational four-line mantra, which was said to be a secret. Though I was young, I still remember it..."

Cheng Yi looked eager, a glow of longing in his eyes. Though he wished to know, seeing Zhang Yue’s hesitation, he sighed with regret. "Sanlang, you need not say it. If it is a secret, there is no need to tell me."

Zhang Yue laughed, "What does it matter? I feel as if we have known each other for a lifetime!"

"Sanlang... I am unworthy of this. Please, accept my bow."

Zhang Yue hurriedly helped Cheng Yi up. Huang Haoyi, who had been watching, blinked in confusion for a moment and said, "Sanlang, let me hear it too!"

Huang Haoyi then bowed respectfully.

Zhang Yue was now laughing hysterically in his heart, but his face remained solemn. He paced back and forth a few times, striking a grand pose, and recited in the tone he had used for his school’s recitation of the "Ode to the Red Cliff": "Brother Cheng, Brother Huang."

"In the heart's substance, there is neither good nor evil...
In the movement of the mind, there is both good and evil...
To know good and to know evil is intuitive knowledge...
To do good and remove evil is the investigation of things!"

Huang Haoyi was baffled, but too embarrassed to admit he didn't understand, so he nodded and said, "A supreme principle."

As for Cheng Yi, he fell into deep contemplation. After a long while, he bowed to Zhang Yue and said, "Thank you for your instruction. Although I do not yet grasp its essence, and cannot even begin to fathom it, I am truly grateful, Sanlang. Perhaps only my teacher, Master Lianxi, could truly understand this."

Zhang Yue knew that Master Lianxi was Zhou Dunyi, the author of "On the Love of the Lotus," a figure familiar to every student. *I could explain it to you,* Zhang Yue thought, *but since you’ve already said that, I shouldn't keep showing off.*

Zhang Yue nodded immediately. "Do not mention it, Brother Cheng. We shall discuss these matters further in the future."

Just then, two men entered and looked surprised at the scene. Huang Haoyi stepped forward. "This is Brother Liu, and this is Brother Xiang. They are our roommates."

Zhang Yue stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, brothers. I look forward to your company."

The two men returned the bow. "So, you are Sanlang."

Huang Haoyi added, "This Brother Liu is our room head!"

Zhang Yue bowed again. This Brother Liu, named Liu Zuo, was over thirty and had been studying at the Imperial Academy for eight years; he had the aura of an elder brother.

Liu Zuo told Zhang Yue, "There are five of us in this dormitory. We belong to the 'Old Scholars' Pavilion.' There are ten such pavilions in total: Lǜlǜ, Yìchéng, Zhèngyǎng, Zhìchí, Xīncún, Dǎoyǔn, Shìxí, Yuēshǒu, Yīngfú, and Shēntí. We are in the Zhèngyǎng Pavilion."

"I have noted it," said Zhang Yue.

Liu Zuo smiled. "Don't be so formal. We are roommates now, so speak your mind. Another day, I shall treat you all to wine at the Qingfeng Pavilion."

Zhang Yue and Huang Haoyi smiled. When it came to taverns in Bianjing, they only knew the Fan Pavilion. In truth, the Qingfeng Pavilion was also a highly renowned tavern, and it was not far from the Academy.

Zhang Yue bowed. "I dare not accept. I am a newcomer; it is only right that I treat you brothers."

Liu Zuo and Xiang Qi both laughed. Xiang Qi interjected, "Sanlang, do you know how much a meal costs at the Qingfeng Pavilion? Brother Liu’s family is wealthy; just let him be the host!"

Everyone laughed.

"There will be a gathering in the pavilion in a few days. Aside from Brother Cheng, everyone must attend."

Everyone glanced at Cheng Yi, who was still lost in thought, obsessively pondering the four lines Zhang Yue had just provided. Liu Zuo, accustomed to this, said, "Sanlang, put down your luggage first. I will take you to see the Pavilion Head."

Zhang Yue followed Liu Zuo. As they left the dormitory, Liu Zuo pointed northwest. "The latrines are over there. You can go there for both needs, but it is usually crowded. If it is inconvenient, you can walk a bit further to the eastern latrines; they are more numerous and spacious, though they can be a bit filthy."

"Understood," Zhang Yue replied.

Liu Zuo led Zhang Yue through a vast bamboo grove that obstructed their view. After passing the grove, there was a pavilion on the left where many students were resting, and a well on the right.

Liu Zuo said, "If you need water, come here. Of the three wells in the Academy, this one is the sweetest; the others have a bitter taste. The five of us usually draw water once every two days. If you want to bathe, draw a bucket of water and cool off in the bamboo grove!"

*Bathing in the bamboo grove?*

Zhang Yue immediately asked, "Where are the bathhouses in the city?"

Liu Zuo was stunned for a moment, then realized what Zhang Yue meant. "We call them 'bath parlors.' There is a Bathhouse Alley in the city with over a dozen of them. If you don't go there, just look for a place with a gourd hanging at the door—that's a bathhouse."

Zhang Yue realized, "So that's how it is."

Liu Zuo smiled. "Bianjing is a bustling city with every kind of trade imaginable. If you can think of it, it’s there. You’ll see once you’ve lived here long enough."

Soon, they arrived at the archery field. Several men were shooting arrows. Liu Zuo led Zhang Yue to a man who was currently aiming his bow. "Pavilion Head, this is Zhang Sanlang from Pucheng, the new arrival."

The man said, "So you are Zhang Sanlang. Do you know Zhang Zihou and Zhang Ziping?"

"Reporting to the Pavilion Head, I know them slightly. We are all kinsmen."

The man smiled and tossed a bow to Zhang Yue. "Very well. Since you are kin to Zhang Ziping, let us see your archery skills."

"I am nowhere near as good as Ziping," Zhang Yue said.

"The Pavilion Head told you to shoot, so shoot!"

Zhang Yue had no choice but to step up to the line. He reluctantly drew the bow and fired—and unsurprisingly, he hit the target, though it was someone else's.

The Pavilion Head laughed. "Sanlang, that won't do. In our Zhèngyǎng Pavilion, we learn archery, pitch-pot, drinking, and drinking games—even sightseeing and touring. As for poetry and prose, those are merely trivial pursuits."

Zhang Yue looked at him several times, trying to determine if he was joking. But the Pavilion Head looked perfectly serious.

"Alright, tomorrow we have a gathering to welcome you. You might as well practice your pitch-pot in the meantime!" He turned to Liu Zuo. "And for the cost of the gathering, you pay half."

"Understood, understood," Liu Zuo replied.

With that, the Pavilion Head went back to his archery. As they walked back to the dormitory, Zhang Yue asked, "Who is this Pavilion Head?"

Liu Zuo laughed. "Don't be surprised; he’s always like this. If he hadn't been failed by Scholar Ouyang during the last provincial examination, he would have been a Jinshi by now."

Zhang Yue learned from Liu Zuo that the Pavilion Head was named Liu Ji, known as the "Number One Scholar of the Academy." However, the provincial examinations hosted by Ouyang Xiu last year were undergoing major reforms, and Liu Ji’s prose was famous for its bizarre and radical style. At the time, the examination essays of scholars were often filled with piled-up, meaningless nouns, mostly written by Imperial Academy students—a style known as the "Academy Style."

Liu Ji had written the line, "Heaven and earth are grinding, all things are sprouting, the sage is emerging." Upon reading it, Ouyang Xiu immediately told those around him, "This must have been written by Liu Ji."

Ouyang Xiu then failed him, noting in the margin, "The scholar is sharp, the examiner brushes him aside!"