Chapter 8: Teacher

When Lord Wang saw his former teacher kneel, he immediately stood up to help, but seeing Xu Xian support his teacher, he slowly sat back down. He said calmly, “Xu Xian, you have read the books of the sages. Do you know what the Five Virtues are?”



“Student knows, they are benevolence, wisdom, propriety, righteousness, and faith,” Xu Xian answered with ease.



“Xu Xian, you fought in the street and struck hard, which is not benevolent. You had important matters yet courted trouble, which is not wise. Your clothes are in tatters and you show no respect for your elders, which is not proper. You have wasted your teacher’s painstaking efforts, which is not righteous. You had an appointment but did not arrive on time, which is not faithful. The imperial examination is for selecting talent for the country, how can we accept someone who is neither benevolent, righteous, proper, wise, nor faithful?” Every word from Wang Xuezheng was like a knife.



Xu Xian could have argued back, but that would only make things worse. After thinking it over, he could only sigh and say, “Thank you for your instruction, sir.”



Mr. Song’s eyes turned red. Such an evaluation was as good as blocking Xu Xian’s path to learning. He couldn’t care about anything else and was about to defend him, but Xu Xian held him back, gently shaking his head to signal that more words would be useless. The old man finally lowered his head in defeat.



At that moment, the sound of rain came from the window—at last, the gloomy sky had begun to rain, but it could not dispel the oppressive atmosphere in the hall.



“Do you have anything else to say?” Wang Xuezheng’s voice was as solemn as a deity’s, for he held a man’s fate in his hands.



Xu Xian looked at his disappointed teacher, and in his heart, he felt some injustice. He raised his head and said, “Student has only a line of poetry to offer.”



“Let’s hear it,” Wang Xuezheng said, curious.



“At the river’s edge, the waves are not yet fierce; elsewhere, the road through the world is hard.” This was Xu Xian’s truest feeling today, wasn’t it the same for the old fish seller, and for himself?



“At the river’s edge, the waves are not yet fierce; elsewhere, the road through the world is hard.” Wang Xuezheng repeated, his brows furrowing as he pondered for a long time, then turned his gaze to the great river outside the window, now churning with muddy waves. He thought of the old fish seller, who, to escape human disaster, had already fled into the surging river. Suddenly, Wang Xuezheng clapped and laughed, “Good poem, good poem!”



The poem touched his own heart. Though his family was well-rooted and he was loyal to the country, because his memorials displeased the emperor, he had been demoted to this minor post. He had traveled much by water, and the river was ever-changing and perilous, but the world of men was even more so.



“Teacher Song, a gentleman does not take what another loves, but today I wish to take a student. Please grant your permission.”



The old man was dazed for a moment, then finally responded, “It’s all up to you, sir.”



Wang Xuezheng turned to Xu Xian. “Xu Xian, are you willing to come study at my residence?”



Xu Xian didn’t understand and asked, “Didn’t you just say my actions violated the Five Virtues?” The old man beside him wanted to cover his mouth, such a good thing, why not just agree first?



“That was just minor benevolence and righteousness. To feel compassion for others’ suffering is benevolence; to draw your sword to help is righteousness; to teach before punishing is propriety; to give before taking is wisdom; to begin and end with consistency is faith. Your good name is well known in the county, I have heard of it. Today, seeing you, you are indeed extraordinary. You dared to risk your future to help a stranger, and you showed both wisdom and courage, defeating your enemy and protecting yourself. In this world, having only a sense of justice is not enough; one must also have great wisdom and courage.” Wang Xuezheng’s words turned everything upside down, just a few words, and Xu Xian’s fate was changed from mud to cloud.



Not only the others, even the county magistrate was stunned, thinking, “No wonder he’s an official from the capital, so profound and unpredictable!”



He didn’t know that the reason Wang Xuezheng had been demoted here was because the northern border was unstable, the barbarians invaded year after year, and Wang Xuezheng had strongly advocated for war, while the court mostly wanted peace. He persisted, and in the end, was made an example and exiled here.



Seeing Xu Xian beat that ruffian, and do it with reason and skill, wisdom and courage, he couldn’t help but feel a connection and wanted to guide him. But after decades in officialdom, he knew to first suppress before supporting, to establish authority and temper Xu Xian’s pride.



Later, Wang Xuezheng was even more surprised. If another scholar’s path to the exams had been blocked, it would be like falling into an abyss, but Xu Xian remained calm and unyielding, still thinking of his teacher, such composure was rare. Compared to him, Wang Xuezheng felt that he himself was petty for being discouraged by setbacks.



And those two lines of poetry were stunning, so full of experience, not something a youth should be able to say. But considering what Xu Xian had been through, they were fitting. Such a principled and learned youth was hard not to admire. He had planned to observe longer and only formally accept him as a student at the autumn exams, but now he felt he couldn’t be wrong, so he accepted him on the spot, even if it was a bit abrupt.



In the old days, the most fundamental relationship in officialdom was between teacher and student. Those who passed the same exam were classmates, and the examiner who selected you was your teacher. When entering officialdom, you relied on this teacher. There were exceptions, sometimes, if someone was especially talented, a teacher-student relationship would be established in advance, and no matter who later selected you, your teacher would still be the original one. Only the highest-ranking people dared to do this.



Though Wang Xuezheng was down on his luck, he was confident he would not remain so. He was only being “knocked down” by the emperor for a while. So he dared to make such a bold promise. With this, Xu Xian’s future would not be smooth sailing, but he would avoid many detours.



The result was joy all around. The banquet began, and Xu Xian stood by. Wang Xuezheng, as his new teacher, gave him another round of warnings, mostly “study hard” and “don’t think you can rely on me.” Xu Xian, of course, listened respectfully and agreed to everything.



When the feast ended, Wang Xuezheng looked at the mighty tide, and having accepted Xu Xian as a student, his gloomy mood lifted. He drank a few more cups, and, slightly tipsy, refused the county magistrate’s invitation, insisting on returning to Hangzhou that very day. Swaying, he stood to leave, and as everyone followed him like stars around the moon, he suddenly remembered something at the stairs and turned to Xu Xian: “That poem isn’t complete!”



Xu Xian replied, “That was a song I heard a Daoist sing when I was young, it’s actually a ci poem.”



“Oh? Not your own work?”



“No, not mine.”



“Good, that’s better. Early fame isn’t a good thing. Recite the whole poem for me, the one you learned from the Daoist.”



“Yes, teacher.” Xu Xian cleared his throat and recited loudly:



“Singing ‘Yangguan’ to the end, tears not yet dry,

Fame and fortune are but trifles, eat well while you can.

Floating sky and water send endless trees,

Clouds with rain bury half the mountain.

Ancient and modern regrets, thousands of kinds,

Perhaps all sorrow and joy come from parting and reunion?

At the river’s edge, the waves are not yet fierce;

Elsewhere, the road through the world is hard.”



Wang Xuezheng savored it, feeling it was a masterpiece, with lingering charm like fine wine. The farewell sentiment in the poem fit the occasion perfectly, and he felt Xu Xian was truly talented but not showy, unlike those so-called prodigies, whose work was worlds apart. He returned to the table, poured the last of the wine, and drank it in one gulp. Laughing, he said, “Good writing goes well with wine. I should drink another jug, but I can’t hold my liquor now, so I’ll take my leave. Fame and fortune are but trifles, eat well while you can, ha ha ha ha!”



With hearty laughter, Wang Xuezheng left in high spirits, leaving everyone staring at Xu Xian.



The county magistrate looked at the youth before him, full of envy. He himself had struggled for years to become a county magistrate, respected by the people, but in officialdom, he was nothing. Xu Xian, by a stroke of luck, had gained a great advantage. When he rose to power, a county magistrate would be nothing to him. The magistrate began to reconsider how to treat this youth in the future.



Mr. Song was both happy and a little bitter. He himself would never pass the provincial exam, but for Xu Xian, it would be no trouble. Wang Xuezheng said he wouldn’t help Xu Xian, but even Mr. Song knew that was just for show. If someone were truly that upright, they couldn’t survive in officialdom, let alone help others.



Xu Xian was still a bit dazed, only knowing that his days would be easier now. When Bai Suzhen arrived, he’d have to show off to her, such were his small ambitions. At heart, he wasn’t a saint who wanted to save the world, just an ordinary person who wanted a peaceful life. But with his temperament and in this world, that was easier said than done.



As for Li Si, after his beating, he lay at home recovering. His gang of thugs came to visit, vowing to get back at Xu Xian, but he refused. The sinister words of the yamen’s legal advisor still chilled him: “Don’t cause any more trouble, or your life won’t be safe.” The message was clear, Xu Xian had caught the eye of a big shot from the capital. Li Si knew his own limits, bullying commoners was one thing, but some people could squash him like a bug.



With this, he kept a low profile, and his followers gradually drifted away. He lost his influence, and even ordinary people no longer feared him. Helpless, he found a job, slowly left his old ways, married, and had children, but that’s another story.



Xu Xian continued his peaceful life studying, cultivating, occasionally doing good deeds. He never thought he’d achieve much in scholarship or cultivation, nor did he see himself as a hero. He just wanted to own a house, marry a gentle wife, and eat meat every day.



This unambitious youth was just waiting for Bai Suzhen to arrive, so he could live the life he dreamed of, nothing more. But who can say if such a simple goal is really so simple? In his soul, that blazing sun burned fiercely, accumulating, waiting for the moment it would reach its zenith, illuminating the world, with none to rival it.