Chapter 274: Chapter 274: The Final Warning
274 The Last Admonition
After the stall was set up, people came and went. Soon, someone came forward to inquire.
When it was nearly evening, an old woman approached. She held a letter, saying her son had sent it, and asked Ding Chenguang to read it for her.
This counted as his first piece of business.
—
At first, Ding Xiang was a bit shy and didn’t talk much.
After spending an afternoon with Sun Xiaoyu and Sun Xiaoxue, she slowly became more familiar and could now laugh and say a few words.
She even took the initiative to help pound medicinal herbs.
As evening approached, the number of patients in the clinic suddenly increased, and Sun Kang couldn’t handle it all by himself. Zhao Zhitong was held up by the patients.
Seeing that it was getting late and fearing the road back might be unsafe, Zhao Zhitong, Sun Xiaoyu, and the others decided to stay overnight in the county town.
There were three side rooms in the back courtyard, all large common rooms with several beds lined up together. These had been the living quarters for the previous shopkeeper’s assistants.
After Sun Youwei took over the courtyard, he hadn’t specifically altered these rooms, so they were sufficient for the family to stay in when they didn’t return to their old home.
Aunt stayed in one room with the young girls, while Sun Youwei, Sun Kang, Sun Daqing, and the others occupied another.
The night was deep and quiet, and everyone slept soundly.
The next day, the twenty-sixth of the third month.
Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue must be in the examination hall by now, preparing for the test. After waking up, Zhao Zhitong sat by the doorway, gazing at the sky and silently cheering for the two of them.
When Ding Chenguang carried out a table and chairs, he saw Zhao Zhitong. After setting them up, he smiled and asked, "Miss Zhao, what are you looking at? Is the sky particularly blue today?"
As he spoke, he also glanced up. The sky was clear with large, fluffy white clouds, which seemed to make it appear even bluer.
Hearing her name, Zhao Zhitong returned to her senses and smiled at Ding Chenguang. "No, I was just daydreaming."
At that moment, Sun Kang’s voice called out to Zhao Zhitong. She answered, then spoke to Ding Chenguang. "I have to go help now," she said.
With that, she stood up and went back inside.
Ding Chenguang hung up his shop sign and began his business, reading a book in between.
He didn’t earn much money in a day. Zhao Zhitong had calculated that if he needed ten to twenty taels of silver for his journey to the capital for the exam, he wouldn’t earn enough at his current rate of less than ten copper coins a day.
Whether he could earn enough would depend on his ability to sell paintings in the future.
...
For this examination, Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue were supervised by an education official of scholarly background, personally appointed by the emperor.
The duration of the examination was uncertain. Sometimes, a single session could be completed in the time it took for three incense sticks to burn.
But at other times, it might last for two or even three consecutive days.
No one knew how long this particular examination would take.
On the evening of the twenty-seventh of the third month, two days later, Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue finally returned by horse carriage.
Seeing their confident and spirited demeanor upon their return, it seemed they had performed well.
As expected, the results were announced soon. Qiao Muchen once again secured the top position, the news delivered personally by an officer on horseback sent to announce the joyous tidings.
Zhao Yue, on the other hand, had just scraped by.
That Zhao Village had produced two young budding scholars, one of whom had topped the examinations for three consecutive years, caused quite a sensation for a time.
The entire village was enveloped in an atmosphere of joy, and every family held up the two as examples for their own children.
When Scholar Meng heard the news, he was overjoyed. His prized students had passed the scholar examinations, and he felt as if his own ambitions were about to be realized.
Now that both had passed the county examination, they would be heading to the Official School to continue their studies. Scholar Meng was happy for them, yet also a little reluctant to see them go.
For this reason, Scholar Meng summoned the two to his study to give them one last lesson.
Naturally, Zhao Zhitong, as one of Scholar Meng’s most favored last disciples, was not to be left out and was summoned as well.
「In the study.」
Scholar Meng sat before his desk, while Zhao Zhitong and the two young men stood respectfully opposite him.
"Firstly, I congratulate you on your achievements in this examination," Scholar Meng began.
"However, this is merely a new starting point; you must not become complacent. If you wish to ascend to the heights of the court and realize your grand ambitions, you must yet overcome the trials that lie ahead."
Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue naturally understood Scholar Meng’s meaning and nodded to show their comprehension.
Scholar Meng stroked his beard, nodding. "Good. It is enough that you understand learning is like rowing upstream; if you don’t advance, you fall back."
Then he asked again, "Do you still remember the charge I gave you when you first embarked on these examinations?"
Both nodded emphatically and said in unison, "To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to secure the destiny of the common people, to carry on the lost teachings of past sages, and to bring about peace for all generations."
"We pledge to strive for a world where injustice no longer exists."
Scholar Meng gazed at the two, stroking his beard and nodding in satisfaction. "Excellent. Henceforth, the road before you will diverge into two paths: one of success, or one of falling short."
"’When successful, let your benevolence extend to the people.’ Teacher hopes you will not forget your original aspirations, nor be blinded by fame and profit."
"’When you do not achieve your ambitions, cultivate your character so that it shines in the world.’ Do not become disheartened and decadent because you fall short. As the saying goes, ’When in adversity, cultivate personal virtue; when successful, contribute to the welfare of all under Heaven.’"
"These are the tenets Master Meng laid down for scholars, and they are also, in this final lesson, Teacher’s admonition to you."
"Yes, Teacher. We students will surely bear your teachings in mind." Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue both nodded, affirming that they understood and would remember.
After admonishing Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue, Scholar Meng turned his gaze to Zhao Zhitong. His gaze softened noticeably, and he beckoned. "Girl, come here."
Zhao Zhitong obediently walked over and called out, "Teacher."
Scholar Meng nodded and said kindly, "In the future, Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue will enter the Official School to study. While you need not follow their path into officialdom, you must still continue to cultivate yourself. You are now learning medicine, so your time is limited. Henceforth, I will halve your academic lessons, but you must still persevere and not become lax."
Zhao Zhitong nodded solemnly. "Teacher, I know. I will not become lax. And Tongtong believes that to realize one’s ambitions and talents, and to strive for peace for the common folk, one does not necessarily have to enter official service. Even if I do not enter service, I can still rely on my own abilities to contribute to the imperial court and seek well-being for the common people."
Hearing the young girl’s impassioned declaration, Scholar Meng was immensely pleased. He laughed heartily, exclaiming, "Good! Good! Good!"
Scholar Meng spoke with the three for a while longer about their studies, then waved his hand. "Alright, you may go."
The three then bowed to their Teacher in farewell and respectfully withdrew from the study.
As they walked through the school grounds, the three were quiet, each apparently pondering something.
Then, Zhao Zhitong remembered something and asked, "Oh, right, once you go to the Official School, will you have to live at the academy?"
Qiao Muchen nodded. "Yes, the academy assigns dormitories. I hear it’s three scholars to a room, so they can supervise each other’s studies and make progress together."
Zhao Yue suddenly hugged himself, exclaiming, "Heavens! Doesn’t that mean everyone will see each other naked when they sleep?"
Zhao Zhitong: "..."
Qiao Muchen, with disdain, replied, "Who’d want to look at someone like you?"
Zhao Yue insisted, "Hey! What’s wrong with me? I’m much more robust than you are! Hmph, look, all muscle."
Qiao Muchen flushed, retorting angrily, "Who says? I may not look like much with clothes on, but take them off, and I’m stronger than you! You just look big; those are all rolls of fat!"
A peculiar competitive spirit ignited in Zhao Yue, and he immediately protested, "Hey! This isn’t fat, alright? How about we take off our clothes and compare?"