Chapter 78

In the lecture hall, the desks were in disarray, and two or three dozen disciples were pushing and shoving. Lin Yin's self-cultivation was quite good, and he did not lose his temper, but when Lin Liao saw the chaotic scene, he immediately became angry and shouted, "What's going on here? Who can tell me? Yu Ziyu, you speak!"

Yu Ziyu was the most senior disciple in the outer dormitory. Although he had not passed the exam to enter the inner dormitory in three years, he was steady and mature for his age. Lin Liao trusted him quite a bit.

Yu Ziyu glanced at Lin Yanchao, a hint of smugness on his face, and stepped forward, saying, "Sir, Xu Jia and a few other classmates have doubts about Lin Yanchao's performance in this quarter's exam, so they asked him a few questions. Unexpectedly, Lin Yanchao flew into a rage and hit someone. Everyone was trying to stop the fight, which is why it turned into this mess."

Everyone was impressed by Yu Ziyu's skill in framing the situation. The facts were correct, but with his leading words, the blame fell on Lin Yanchao.

Sure enough, Lin Liao's face darkened, and he said, "Yanchao, what does the academy's rule say? Classmates should be friendly and harmonious, and must not fight. Do you know that? Xu Jia, did you hit anyone?" Xu Jia immediately put on a wronged look and said, "Sir, I only asked Lin Yanchao a few questions, and he hit me. I didn't lay a hand on him the whole time." "Is that true, Yanchao?" Lin Liao's face grew even angrier. Xu Jia was smug, thinking, "Let's see what you do now."

"Sir, I know I was wrong," Lin Yanchao said earnestly, "I shouldn't have lost my temper. When Xu Jia called me a lowborn, I shouldn't have hit him. I should have controlled my anger and argued with him, saying that he was the lowborn. That way, we wouldn't have come to blows and lost our composure."

Lin Yanchao spoke seriously, but half the classmates were trying hard not to laugh. If it weren't for the presence of their teacher, they would have burst out laughing.

Lin Liao was both angry and amused. He knew how Lin Yanchao and Xu Jia usually behaved. Lin Yanchao was always measured and would never bully others, while Xu Jia often argued with his classmates and was clearly the one who provoked this time. Lin Liao said, "Yanchao, hitting someone is wrong. Xu Jia, the academy has rules against insulting classmates. You insulted him first, which is also wrong. You both will go to the斋夫 (hall master) to record your faults and receive punishment. This must not happen again." This was a fifty-fifty punishment, but it also meant the matter would not be pursued further. In other words, Xu Jia had been hit for free.

Xu Jia hurriedly said, "Sir, how am I wrong? Lin Yanchao cheated in this exam and wouldn't let anyone say anything, and then hit me."

"Cheating? Do you have evidence?" Lin Yin asked.

Xu Jia nodded and said, "Sir, I do. Yu Ziyu saw it with his own eyes, and two of the questions on Lin Yanchao's paper are identical to those in the 文府 (Imperial Library). That's too much of a coincidence!"

Lin Yin and Lin Liao exchanged a glance. Lin Liao said calmly, "Bring me Yanchao's paper."

Lin Liao took Lin Yanchao's paper and said to Lin Yin, "Indeed, two of the questions match those in the Imperial Library, word for word."

Lin Yin stroked his beard and said, "Matching isn't necessarily wrong. It could be that the student guessed the questions. While this isn't ideal, it's not necessarily cheating."

Yu Ziyu stepped forward and said, "Sir, guessing the questions isn't uncommon. I've memorized the Imperial Library, but in ten exams, I've never guessed a single question right. However, Lin Yanchao has guessed right in three consecutive exams. If it's not cheating, it's hard to explain. Besides, I saw it with my own eyes this time."

Lin Yin nodded and pondered, "What you say makes sense. Ziyu says he saw Yanchao cheating, and Yanchao says he didn't. So one of you is lying. I often tell you that coming to the academy, achieving success in the imperial exams is best, but if you can't, at least learn the four virtues of benevolence, righteousness, integrity, and trustworthiness. That way, you won't have wasted my teachings. For one of my most trusted students to lie in public is a disgrace. I, as the headmaster, feel deeply ashamed and pained."

Hearing the elderly headmaster's words, the outer dormitory students all hung their heads in shame. They felt they had no face to meet this respected scholar.

Lin Yin sighed deeply and said, "Liao, you are their teacher. How to handle this is up to you."

Lin Liao was also in a difficult position. Both were his favorite students, and he found it hard to judge who was at fault.

Lin Liao looked at Yu Ziyu and Lin Yanchao and said, "Both of you have a chance to enter the inner dormitory this quarter. I hope this opportunity is earned fairly, not through slandering classmates or cheating. I will give you one last chance. Whoever is lying, step forward. Admitting your mistake and correcting it is the greatest virtue. You will still be my disciple."

Neither Yu Ziyu nor Lin Yanchao moved.

Seeing this, Lin Liao said helplessly, "This is the path you have chosen. Rest assured, I will give the one who did not lie a fair judgment. Yanchao, since Ziyu says you cheated, you need to prove it. I will ask you ten questions from the major and minor questions in the Imperial Library. If you can answer three of them, it will prove you did not cheat. Ziyu, do you think this is fair?"

"Three?" Yu Ziyu gritted his teeth and said, "Sir, for this quarter's exam, three out of ten is fair, but in the first monthly exam, Lin Yanchao guessed all three questions right. That's too much of a coincidence. To prove his innocence, he should answer five questions." A voice from the corner of the classroom said, "Brother Yu, if Brother Yanchao really cheated, he wouldn't be able to answer even one question. Why five?" The other students nodded, thinking Yu Ziyu's request was too harsh. Lin Liao frowned and said, "Yanchao, what do you think of Ziyu's suggestion? If you think it's unfair, you can..."

"Sir, you know my..." Seeing Lin Liao's expression, Lin Yanchao said helplessly, "Alright, I'll answer. I have no objection to Brother Yu's suggestion." Hearing this, Yu Ziyu and Xu Jia were not at all happy; instead, their faces changed, thinking, "Is he so confident that he really memorized the Imperial Library?"

"Are you sure?" "I am sure."

"Alright," Lin Liao took out a book, flipped to a random page, and pointed, "First question, 'The Master said, to be poor without resentment is difficult; to be rich without arrogance is easy.'"

The students knew this quote from the Analects. They had all read it, but they didn't know if Lin Yanchao had memorized it.

Xu Jia was a bit nervous, staring at Lin Yanchao, thinking, "This guy has always had good luck. He can't get the first question right, can he?" Yu Ziyu was even more nervous. It was winter, but his inner shirt was drenched in sweat. He had no way out and watched Lin Yanchao's lips, afraid he would recite the text. The other students were also watching, eager to see how Lin Yanchao would pass or fail.

Lin Yanchao seemed to think for a moment, and time seemed to stand still. Just as someone was about to lose patience, Lin Yanchao finally spoke, and Yu Ziyu's heart raced. Lin Yanchao shrugged and said, "Sir, I don't know this one."

"You don't know?"

Yu Ziyu and Xu Jia were first stunned, then felt a surge of joy.

"I told you, he definitely cheated," Xu Jia grabbed a classmate's shoulder and said loudly.

"Be quiet, Yanchao only needs to answer five out of ten. Listen to the teacher."

"Second question, 'From the Son of Heaven down to the common people, all must take self-cultivation as the root,'" Lin Liao said.

This quote was from the Great Learning.

Lin Yanchao thought for a moment and said, "I don't know."

This time, the students were in an uproar. Even those who originally believed in Lin Yanchao, like Yu Qingzhou, began to doubt. Xu Jia laughed and said, "I told you, he must have cheated. He wouldn't miss two questions in a row."

"Indeed," Yu Ziyu's face twitched, thinking, "I was right this time. I didn't wrong him. Lin Yanchao really did cheat. Hmph, a lowborn peasant, how dare he compete with me? I got into the inner dormitory through my own abilities."

Several students attacked Lin Yanchao, but they didn't see the flash of mockery on his face.

Lin Liao also looked surprised and said, "Third question, 'Learning without thinking is futile.'"

Lin Yanchao fell into thought again, and the students sighed. Xu Jia continued to shout, "Sir, he has thought for a long time. If he can't answer, he loses."

Lin Liao glared at Xu Jia, who dared not speak again, but he was smug. He was deliberately trying to unsettle Lin Yanchao, making him nervous. The more Lin Yanchao lost his composure, the less chance he had of answering the questions. This was the art of psychological warfare. Lin Liao also gave Lin Yanchao a final ultimatum, "I'll give you thirty breaths. If you can't answer, you lose." "See, he can't answer. This is the third question. There's no need to continue. The result is the same."

Lin Yanchao nodded and casually scanned the faces of his classmates, counting silently, "One, two, three... ten." "Eighteen, nineteen, twenty, learning without seeking the heart is dark and yields nothing. Learning is valuable in thought. Otherwise, how can one avoid the mistake of being futile? The ancient sages said this to mean that principles are scattered in affairs, and without learning, they cannot be gathered, and without thought, they cannot be obtained..."

Lin Yanchao spoke each word clearly, and it echoed in the classroom.

The classroom was silent. Yu Ziyu and Xu Jia were stunned, standing there with blank expressions.

...

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