Chapter 154 [VIP]

Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai slept for two whole days before they recovered. When they woke up and looked at the familiar bedroom, they felt a little dazed, as if they were still in the cell yesterday and were back home today.

After dinner, the two went to the study to tell Old Liang about the process and questions of the provincial examination, and also invited their second cousin to come and chat.

Qingsong wasn't home; he went back to continue his classes after the prefectural school reopened.

In the study, Master Liang had already prepared pen and ink, and asked the group to recite the questions of the provincial examination from memory, and then each of them to explain their solution.

Chen Qingyan remembered the questions most clearly, memorizing all sixty questions from beginning to end without missing a single word. His second cousin admired him greatly, as he could only memorize about twenty at most, and couldn't remember the rest.

Although Chen Qinghuai was not as good as his elder brother, he could still recite more than fifty questions from memory. Old Liang picked up the scrap paper, looked at it, stroked his beard, and frowned slightly.

"If you govern the people by laws and regulate them by punishments, they will avoid punishment but have no sense of shame; if you govern them by virtue and regulate them by rites, they will have a sense of shame and moreover become good." How did you answer this question?

Chen Qingyan pondered for a moment and said, "This chapter is Confucius's discourse on the way of governing a country, which clarifies the different effects of virtue and rites versus politics and punishment. Its main idea is: if the people are driven by political orders and their behavior is restrained by punishments, then although the people are exempted from crimes, they have no sense of shame in their hearts; if they are influenced by virtue and guided by rites, then the people will not only know shame, but will also be able to correct their behavior."

"In detail, political and legal systems are external coercion. Although their effects are quick, they are shallow. People fear punishment and therefore dare not do evil. However, they do not know the essence of good and evil and will eventually find it difficult to turn to good."

Although Guan Zhong's laws made the State of Qi rich and powerful, Confucius said that his approach was limited because he relied too much on laws and regulations and lacked moral education.

Virtue and propriety, however, are different; they are internal education. When a virtuous person cultivates virtue within himself, the people will naturally follow suit. When the system of rites is clear, the people will know the proper order of conduct. Mencius said, "He who practices benevolence with virtue becomes a king," which means that the effect of moral transformation can win the hearts and minds of the people.

However, the two are not entirely opposed.

The rule of a sage should be based on virtue and propriety, with government and punishment as supplementary measures. The Book of Documents says, "Be clear about the five punishments to assist the five teachings." If one relies solely on virtue and propriety, the stubborn people will be difficult to reform; if one relies solely on government and punishment, the people's hearts will be scattered.

Therefore, this chapter of the Analects truly clarifies the essentials of governance: one should take the transformation of the people through virtue and propriety as the foundation, so that the people have a sense of shame and can be reformed; the use of government and punishment should only be done when absolutely necessary.

The key to governing a country lies in addressing the root causes and purifying the source, enabling the people to improve themselves daily without realizing it—this is the effect of virtue and propriety; punishing evil and prohibiting wrongdoing to deter others—this is the function of governance and punishment. These two are mutually dependent, but the fundamental and the superficial must not be reversed—this is the profound meaning behind Confucius's teachings.

Liang Boqing tapped his fingers on the table. "Well done!"

This question is clearly a trap. Although the question is ostensibly about governing the country with rites, Confucius advocated governing the country with rites. In reality, it asks the test takers to write about the advantages and disadvantages of "virtue and rites" versus "political punishment" in governing the country.

This tested the students' ability to solve the problem. If they analyzed the sentence in this way, they could only explain the surface meaning at most, but they would ignore the deeper meaning.

Chen Qingyan not only accurately identified the question, but also wrote it steadily, making it perfectly acceptable as the standard answer!

Chen Qinghuai's answer was also good, and he even figured out the answer to the question. Only Li Bingchen wiped the sweat from his forehead and suddenly realized, "So that's what it means..." It's obvious that he didn't answer the question well.

The group spent the morning in the study. Liang Boqing went through most of the questions and, after confirming there were no problems, said, "Now that the provincial examination is over, my path has been exhausted. The road ahead is long, and you should all strive to improve yourselves. If you two are fortunate enough to pass the second-tier examination, it will be a testament to my teaching; if you fail, do not despair. You should immerse yourselves in the prefectural school and study diligently for another three autumns."

"I am old and nearing the end of my life. But my strength is still considerable, and I wish to travel freely among the mountains and rivers, and also visit Shanzhou to see old friends and fulfill my promise."

Upon hearing that the teacher was leaving, Chen Qinghuai burst into tears. "Aren't you going to wait until the results are released?"

Liang Boqing smiled and waved his hand, "I won't look anymore. You've all done your best. Whether you pass the exam or not depends entirely on fate. I'll be setting off tomorrow. We'll meet again in the future if we have the chance."

That evening, everyone knew that Old Liang was leaving, and no one wanted him to go, especially little Yuanbao. Despite his young age, he already understood what separation meant.

Holding Grandpa Liang's hand, he said, "Grandpa Liang, can you stay? Yuanbao will miss you."

Liang Boqing reached out and picked Yuanbao up onto his lap, squeezing his little hand. "Grandpa Liang has other things to do and can't just waste time in this place. Now that your father and uncle have both become successful, you should follow their example and study hard in the future, understand?"

Yuanbao nodded with tears in his eyes, "Yuanbao understands."

Wang Ying's eyes were also red. Knowing that she couldn't keep the old man with her, she thought of preparing more food and supplies for him when packing his luggage.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Stay a few more days and I'll marinate some meat and make some pastries for you to eat on the way."

Old Liang was indeed tempted by the food, but after struggling for a while, he shook his head and said, "Never mind, I'll try your cooking next time I have the chance."

The next day, Liang Boqing set off with Liang An and Chen Guang in a lightly packed carriage. On the day the provincial examination ended, Chen Guang also rushed back from Laizhou and gave the prescription for the cough to the postman to send to Laizhou.

Just to be on the safe side, he copied it again, and took it with him when he went to Shanzhou with Elder Liang this time.

Wang Ying still baked a large bag of spiced dried meat for Old Liang overnight, and Aunt Chen baked twenty pancakes. The weather was getting cooler day by day, so the food could be stored for a while.

Besides luggage, Wang Ying also gave him a lot of Jizhou specialties and various Chinese medicines, filling half a carriage with bags and packages.

"Alright, alright, stop carrying things into the car. If you keep doing that, there won't be any room to sit."

Wang Ying said, "I'm just worried that you won't be able to buy it on the way."

"Don't worry, in my younger days I traveled all over the country, carrying my bags and riding a mule, I didn't care about such formalities."

"I was young then, but now that I'm older, I can't afford to be careless."

Liang Boqing had nothing to say, watching as he piled up another bunch of things on the roof of the carriage.

After loading the car, Liang Boqing spoke a few words to Wang Ying alone, saying, "Although you have never told me about your abilities, I have some idea of ​​what they are. Be careful not to let outsiders see them in the future."

Wang Ying nodded; he had known all along that he couldn't hide it from Old Liang.

"Qingyan has an eight or nine out of ten chance of passing the provincial examination this time. Just wait and see. If you pass and become a Juren, don't forget to send me a letter."

"good."

"Don't rush Yuanbao's education. He's still young. Forcing him to study too early will only make him hate learning. Let Qingyan set a good example. This child will be fine in the future."

"Sigh..." Wang Ying couldn't hold back her tears and turned around to wipe her face. This old man was really something, still worrying about her family even as he was about to leave.

Liang Boqing didn't say anything more. He got into the carriage, waved goodbye to the Chen family, and said, "Until we meet again."

Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai escorted him to the street corner before returning. The joy of finishing the provincial examination was dampened by Old Master Liang's departure, and both of them were somewhat listless. Qingsong was still unaware that his teacher had left; the boy would surely have a good cry when he returned.

Li's two older cousins ​​were also preparing to return home. There was still a long time before the results were released, and they couldn't stay in the prefectural city indefinitely. Especially the eldest cousin, who held a public office; delaying would likely have a negative impact.

Wang Ying and Li prepared another half-cartload of things for the two of them. These were all bought in advance and kept in the warehouse.

Li instructed her two nephews to be careful on the journey and to be sure to send a letter when they arrived home.

The once bustling courtyard suddenly became deserted.

Liu Changyi came over in the afternoon. He slept for three whole days before waking up. Madam Qin thought her son was going to pass out, and she called a doctor several times during that time. Fortunately, he was alright.

This provincial examination was a huge test for him. He lost seven pounds in nine days, his baby fat disappeared, and his face became more angular and mature.

"Qinghuai, how did you guys do on the exam?"

Chen Qingyan said, "I wouldn't say it's a sure thing, but I've basically performed to my full potential."

"With you saying that, we're all set!" Brother Qingyan is not one to boast; if he says that, he must have given it his all.

Qinghuai said, "I have two questions that I answered slightly differently from my elder brother's. I wonder if I can answer them correctly."

"It's alright, if we don't pass this time, there's always next time. I don't think we'll pass, so let's take the exam together with Songdi next time."

Chen Qinghuai chuckled: "You're quite open-minded. I don't want to go through that torture again. You have no idea how I got through those nine days."

"How could I not know? I barely slept for nine days straight. I could only sleep for two hours at most each day before being woken up by the snoring from next door. On the seventh day, I was so tired that I couldn't stand it anymore and fell asleep on the table. The proctor had to wake me up, otherwise my drool would have soaked the exam paper."

Mentioning these things, Liu Changyi still remembered them vividly. "Forget it, I still hope I can pass the exam this time, even if I'm at the very bottom. By the way, where's Uncle Liang?"

Chen Qingyan paused, "He just left this morning, saying he was going to travel around the mountains and rivers."

"Alas, all good things must come to an end. Uncle Liang is not one to stay in one place. Don't worry, we will definitely meet again in the future."

Qinghuai said, "That's true, but I still feel uneasy when he's not around. Never mind, let's not talk about this anymore..."

Liu Changyi looked around and asked, "Where's Qingyun?"

"I knew you weren't here for the two of us."

Liu Changyi chuckled, “My mother bought some honeydew melons from the Hu people a while ago. I ate one yesterday, and it tasted delicious. My mother asked me to bring you two to try.”

The honeydew melon is the unimproved Hami melon. Because of its low water content, this type of melon is more durable and can be transported from the Western Regions. However, it is very expensive. I heard that a honeydew melon the size of a palm sells for three or four strings of cash.

"Go wait in the flower hall, I'll go and call Qingyun and the others over."

Before long, Qingyun arrived with Yuanbao. Today, she was wearing a light blue diagonal-front dress with a thin gauze jacket over it. Her hair was adorned with a slanted hairpin and a swaying hair ornament, making her look exceptionally beautiful.

Liu Changyi's eyes lit up, and he quickly stood up to greet her. Chen Qingyun returned the greeting with a smile.

Although there were strict rules about the separation of men and women in ancient times, since the two were about to get married, there weren't so many restrictions.

Moreover, Liu Changyi's character and family values ​​are impeccable, so he would never do anything impolite.

The young people had endless things to talk about, especially Liu Changyi, who admired Qingyun and tried every means to make her happy. Chen Qingyan watched from the side, gritting her teeth, feeling as if her good cabbage had been eaten by a pig.

To avoid seeing it and getting annoyed, she took Yuanbao's hand, picked up the melon, and said, "I'll cut a piece of honeydew melon for your sister-in-law and the others to try."

The father and son strolled to the shop, where they found Marquis Wuping and Qing'er there.

Although Chen Qingyan had heard of this person from Wang Ying, he was still startled by his appearance and physique. Even though he was dressed in plain clothes, he could not hide the aura of a military general.

Li Mu had also heard of Chen Qingyan. The two exchanged a brief greeting, and Chen Qingyan cut open the honeydew melon he had brought and shared it with everyone to try.

Qing'er and Yuanbao became close friends. The two children were about the same age and had a lot of fun playing together. Li Mu looked at his daughter with a smile, but after a while, his gaze fell on Lin Sui. His breath hitched slightly, and an indescribable tenderness welled up in his heart.

I never imagined he had gone through something like that...

A note from the author:

There will be another chapter later.