Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 75: New Edition of Ge's Quotations (Part 2)
"Those who learn from me will live, those who imitate me will die... This is a very good saying!"
Zhu Ying rushed out from behind Princess Yongping like a ghost. Seeing her holding her chest and startled, she couldn't help but curl her lips in contempt, then she boldly lifted the bamboo curtain and stood at the railing. Without turning around, she knew what the expression of the golden branch and jade leaf behind her was, and she chuckled immediately.
"When Emperor Taizu first won the throne, he said that the strict separation of men and women is something advocated by those corrupt scholars, just like ! If you want to hold a literary gathering, just do it openly. Is there a need for a curtain? If you really like someone with good talent and good looks, just tell the emperor and the queen directly that you want to marry him. Will they not allow it?"
Princess Yongping was so angry that her face turned pale: "Do you think I am you?"
Zhu Ying turned around, her face full of arrogance: "A princess can live freely and unrestrainedly! Emperor Taizu and Empress Xiaoxian treated each other with respect, but their daughter Princess Changle was like a piece of explosive charcoal. She even drew her sword to kill the prince consort who had a mistress outside. Then Emperor Taizu supported her and divorced. She remarried a scholar who liked to carve seals. How many masterpieces did the couple leave for the palace?"
As she spoke, she turned and leaned out of the window again: "Ah Shou is sometimes sincere and honest, but sometimes he is aggressive. I still don't understand him!"
"So what after you understand, will you marry him?" Princess Yongping couldn't help but retort.
"Let me figure out the marriage contract first!" Seeing that many people below had noticed her, they looked up, and then suddenly lowered their heads. Zhu Ying turned around and saw Princess Yongping following her. Then she said with a smile, "Look, everyone is so righteous. In fact, what's wrong with them looking up at you? A gentle lady is a good match for a gentleman!"
"If we don't share the same ideals, we can't work together!" Princess Yongping interrupted Zhu Ying coldly, but looked down in annoyance.
After all, Xu Fengyang is a famous selector in the capital. He wouldn't be refuted by Zhang Shou like this, right?
Zhang Shou did not notice that the two women in Yuehua Tower were arguing with each other. Seeing Xu Fengyang so angry that his tiger beard was shaking, he laughed.
"I read your preface, Mr. Xu, boasting that this collection of contemporary essays has captured all the talented people, and boasting that as long as you study these carefully, you will definitely make progress in the imperial examinations. You are not the only one here today who is an expert in contemporary essays. Are you confident that the essays you have selected are more exquisite than those selected by others?"
Xu Fengyang was ashamed and annoyed because Zhang Shou actually used Ge Yong to pressure others. He planned to raise his arm and call on others to join him, so as to form a momentum of sparks that would set the prairie on fire. However, Zhang Shou's sudden words were like a knife cutting his heart, and he immediately cried out that it was not good. Sure enough, he saw that the candidates around him, who had originally shared the same hatred for the enemy, immediately stood aside and watched.
Although the eight-part essay anthology writers occasionally join forces, most of the time, who doesn't make unwarranted accusations or even slander others in order to ensure the sales of their own anthology and to maintain their authority in the field of art and contemporary literature?
Who doesn't want to boast to the world that I am the best, and you are all ignorant and the articles you selected are just shoddy?
Even if he had to bite the bullet, Xu Fengyang could only force himself to say, "Of course. If I hadn't selected the most exquisite articles, why would my time book have always been the most widely sold in the capital?"
"Oh, no wonder you are so confident, it turns out it's because your collection is selling well." Zhang Shou laughed again, "I saw the volume you just took out, the title seems to be a collection of contemporary essays from the last Yuehua Tower Literary Festival, right? According to what you boasted in the preface, the essays of the above students are all exquisite and wonderful, with a style that has never been seen before and will never be surpassed. Do you really think so?"
"So what? Princess Yongping has also read many of the articles in this collection! The rest were written by many famous contemporary writers in the capital after they heard the topic of the previous Yuehua Tower Literary Gathering. They are definitely the best examples! " Mouse Beard raised his chin and kept encouraging himself in his heart.
Even if Grand Tutor Ge was the best writer in the world back then, so what ? He taught the emperor and the prince these years, but he didn't learn any literature. He studied the arithmetic, but that had nothing to do with literature. Writing literature is like sailing against the current. If you don't move forward, you will move backward. Even if Grand Tutor Ge wrote it himself, he didn't believe he could write a better article than the ones he selected!
You should know that last month, not only Jie Yuan Tang Ming but also two Jinshi who had passed the second place in the imperial examination came to judge. Among the dozen or so articles selected, he specially paid a large sum of money to find out the few articles that Princess Yongping had privately praised the most. He then put them at the very front and praised them profusely. He then paid a large sum of money to invite several famous old Jinshi to serve as model essays, and then compiled them into a book before anyone else.
In this regard, the princess was extremely talented. It was said that when she was still a child, she sat on the emperor's lap and was named the top scholar. Otherwise, how could so many scholars flock to the Yuehua Tower Literary Society?
The old party in the court will not secretly support this princess!
"The best? Haha." Zhang Shou sneered, and then pursed his lips to Qi Liang: "Last month's topic was 'Master's Articles', right? Xiao Qi, you should also recite a sample article of 'Master's Articles' for Mr. Xu to listen to!"
Qi Liang saw that many eyes were instantly focused on him, so he took a deep breath and then recited aloud: "The saints always show people the obvious virtues, and do not lightly speak to people about the subtle principles."
As soon as this question was asked, the surroundings suddenly became quiet. However, Zhu Ying in Yuehua Tower felt a headache after listening to it for a while. Seeing that Princess Yongping's face was as stiff as ice, she ignored it and directly grabbed the person's sleeve and asked, "Hey, explain it to me, what do you mean?"
Seeing that Concubine Yu and the Dowager Lady had also arrived, Princess Yongping suppressed the urge to scold Zhu Ying for being unlearned and said calmly, "The title comes from the Analects, 'The Master's articles can be heard; the Master's words about human nature and the Way of Heaven cannot be heard.' This topic is relatively obscure in this Yuehua Tower literary gathering, and it cannot be linked to real events and quoted from other sources to express one's own ideas."
"The Annotations to the Four Books say that writing is the manifestation of virtue, and that it includes dignity and words. Nature is the natural law that people receive; the Way of Heaven is the essence of the natural law of Heaven, which is actually the same principle. So, this introduction is straightforward, saying that the Master often lets people see the obvious aspects of his virtue, but does not easily tell people the subtle aspects of the natural law."
The more Zhu Ying listened, the more confused she felt. But when she saw the large group of people looking at each other in bewilderment, she couldn't help but feel relieved. Even if Qi Liang said a lot of nonsense next, she could only understand 10% at most.
"Literature is obvious, but nature and the Way of Heaven are subtle. The teachings of sages do not skip levels. This is why it is difficult or easy for scholars to learn."
"Zi Gong's meaning seems to be: Master's virtue..."
"So the majesty of the demeanor is something to be feared and imitated...isn't it because it is so subtle that it is difficult to understand?"
After hearing this, Zhang Shou suddenly interrupted and said, "Xiao Qi, wait a minute."
Seeing that a large number of people suddenly woke up from their dreams and had different expressions, he said with a half-smile: "I heard that people with extensive knowledge and good memory can repeat the whole article exactly after listening to it once, so just read half of the article."
Xu Fengyang's face turned purple. He secretly supported a talented person who could remember everything he heard. If Qi Liang really finished reading, he could immediately hint to others to repeat it again, and then turn the tables and accuse the teacher and student in front of him of plagiarizing other people's articles!
But now that Zhang Shou has seen through it, this trick is useless!
"I would like to ask Mr. Xu and others, this article should not have been included in the collection of contemporary essays, right?"
After receiving silence, Zhang Shou said casually, "There are countless knowledge in the world, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Famous contemporary writers are also numerous, not just one family. My family has never published a collection of contemporary writings, not because we can't, but because we don't want to. The teacher said that the saints' feelings of worrying about the world came from traveling around the world, not from making up stories behind closed doors!"
You little bastard, you are really addicted to flattering me, an old man!
Under Qi Jingshan's surprised gaze, Ge Yong smiled so much that his brows stretched out like a flower.
But he was recalling quickly in his heart, "Old man, I haven't been with Zhang Shou for a long time. Did I really not say that? Well, I think I did. Otherwise, how could Zhang Shou and that Xiao Qi speak so well to my heart?"
Never mind, just treat these righteous words as those said by me, an old man!
Although Ge Yong was very satisfied that his disciple had found such an excellent eight-part essay from the beginning to the end, which shocked everyone, he felt that if he didn't take him back today, Zhang Shou would come up with something that would surprise him. At the moment, he could only cough with all his strength in the awkward silence.
Sure enough, in just a moment, from the top floor of Yuehua Building to the bottom floor of Yuehua Building, countless eyes were focused on him.
