Zhang Yinian looked bewildered.
Xu Yan from Dinghai County? I've never heard of this person.
Han Ping, a student from Yin County who had always been friends with Zhang Yinian, stepped forward and whispered, "I heard that this guy won the Dinghai County exam."
It would have been better if Han Ping hadn't said this, but once he did, it completely aroused Zhang Yinian's anger.
Can a mere Dinghai County examinee who ranked first be compared with him, the Yin County examinee who ranked first?
Does he deserve it?
Han Ping successfully transferred Zhang Yinian's anger to Xu Yan with just one sentence.
"I am Zhang Yinian from Yin County. I would like to ask Mr. Xu, who topped the provincial examination, for some advice."
Xu Yan had disliked Zhang Yinian for a long time, and he just happened to bump into him, so it was no wonder that Xu Yan was rude.
"Mr. Zhang, please speak directly to whatever you want to say."
"Since Master Xu topped the provincial examination, he must be extremely talented."
Zhang Yinian paused and said coldly, "Let's not talk about the ancient saints, let's talk about our dynasty. Mr. Yangming is the greatest scholar of our dynasty. Although I am not talented, I was fortunate enough to study at Jishan Academy for several years. May I ask, Master Xu, what is the meaning of the School of Mind?"
This question is quite cruel.
By the Jiajing period, Wang Yangming's philosophy of mind had developed significantly, and he was hailed as a semi-sage. It can be said that all scholars had some exposure to the philosophy of mind.
Zhang Yinian asked Xu Yan what the School of Mind was simply because he himself was a disciple of Yangming's School of Mind and wanted to use this advantage to humiliate Xu Yan.
Unexpectedly, Xu Yan answered without hesitation: "The heart has neither good nor bad intentions, but it has both good and evil intentions. Knowing good and evil is conscience, and doing good and avoiding evil is the study of things."
Hearing this, Zhang Yinian was stunned for a moment, then asked, "How do you know the Four Secrets of the Study of the Heart? This comes from the Four Sentences of the Wang School."
Xu Yan spread his hands and said, "Master Zhang, I'm afraid you don't know that I studied under Mr. Xushan and Mr. Qian, right?"
Zhang Yinian's face turned pale when he heard this. He was a disciple of Wang Xue, so how could he not know Qian Dehong?
He was Wang Yangming's first disciple and held a very high status in Wang's school of thought.
I didn’t expect that the unknown Xu Yan in front of me was actually Mr. Qian’s student.
Zhang Yinian suddenly felt guilty. According to seniority, Xu Yan should be considered his uncle. How could he dare to show off his skills in front of Xu Yan with just the superficial knowledge he had learned?
But the harsh words had already been spoken, so Zhang Yinian had no choice but to bite the bullet and go all the way.
"In that case, may I ask what these four sentences mean?"
These four sentences are the core of Yangming's philosophy of mind, but how to interpret them is the most important test of one's skill.
Zhang Yinian threw the difficult problem to Xu Yan, wanting to see how capable Xu Yan was.
Xu Yan thought to himself, you are like waving an axe in front of Lu Ban and a sword in front of Guan Gong.
He smiled faintly and explained, "People have conditioned minds, and their thoughts perceive good and evil. To do good and avoid evil lies in restoring one's nature, in order to recover the mind's true essence. The mind's nature is neither good nor evil, and from this arises the intention to have both good and evil. From this comes the knowledge to distinguish between good and evil, and from this comes the ability to investigate things and do good and avoid evil."
After a brief pause, he continued, "Knowing good and evil isn't about being moved by the will to distinguish between good and evil. Knowledge is simply the sincere feeling of likes and dislikes. Likes are necessarily good, dislikes are necessarily evil. The inability to discern right from wrong is the essence of a clear, empty, and clear mind. To do good and avoid evil is simply to follow one's nature, naturally free from the mixture of good and evil. This is what the Master meant by 'applying the conscience of my heart to everything.'"
Xu Yan's long speech attracted discussion from the scholars around him.
"Mr. Xu's insights are truly unique!"
"Why can't I understand this truth?"
"Why else are you not the first in the provincial examination, while Mr. Xu is?"
"This Zhang Yinian has shot himself in the foot!"
Zhang Yinian had never been subjected to such sarcasm and ridicule before. His face turned blue and purple, and his lips were almost bitten through.
He wanted to refute and fight back, but he couldn't think of any words to use.
If you are not as good as others in learning, there is nothing you can do.
"I wonder if Master Zhang is satisfied with Xu's explanation?"
When Xu Yan said this, Zhang Yinian was so angry that he trembled all over.
This guy not only took away his first place in the provincial examination, but also made him look bad in public.
This is intolerable!
Zhang Yinian was eager to regain his face, so he made up his mind to fight hard.
"Mr. Xu has great insights and wisdom, and I admire him. But I wonder how talented he is in poetry? Would you dare to compete with me in a poem?"
Xu Yan almost laughed out loud.
Why don't you compete with me in something else, like writing poetry?
I really don't know how to write the word death.
"please!"
Xu Yan cupped his hands and said with great confidence.
Zhang Yinian smiled coldly, then shook his head and chanted:
"The crops are ready for cooking, and the vegetables are ready for picking.
The paulownia and bamboo trees stand in rows, forming the hermit's residence.
Bird seal patterns are on the mossy steps, and cloud clothes are woven into the orchid lake.
Looking up at the vast sky, the green mountains are as clean as if they had been wiped clean."
This poem was included in a recent letter from his uncle Zhang Shiche to his father Zhang Shiyang. No one knew about it except his father Zhang Shiyang and Zhang Shiyang.
Zhang Yinian thought the poem was excellent and wanted to use it to suppress Xu Yan.
How could a mere boy be able to write poetry better than a minister?
When everyone present heard the poem, they nodded frequently, thinking that it was not easy for Zhang Yinian to create such a masterpiece in such a short time.
Now let’s see how Mr. Xu responds.
It was so enjoyable. This drama was really enjoyable to watch.
Naturally, a group of onlookers turned their attention to Xu Yan.
Xu Yan smiled knowingly when he heard this poem.
I've only heard of "pitting dad", but I've never heard of "pitting uncle".
But it was also Zhang Yinian's bad luck that he met Xu Yan.
It stands to reason that poems should be of similar quality, but Xu Yan had no intention of giving Zhang Yinian a chance to compare, because this guy was not worthy!
Xu Yan put one hand behind his back, closed his eyes and paced intently.
He paced six steps in a row, then opened his eyes and chanted:
"Li Bai and Du Fu's poems have been passed down through the ages, and they no longer seem fresh.
Talented people emerge in every generation, and each leads the trend for hundreds of years."
As soon as this poem came out, the scene was completely boiling.
The meaning of this poem is simple and easy to understand, even children and old women can understand it.
The poems of Li Bai and Du Fu, so-called "literally, 'Li Bai and Du Fu', are so famous and praised by millions, that they are no longer original when read today. Throughout history, there have been many talented people whose poems will live on forever."
"Mr. Xu is truly a man of great talent. He is so domineering and confident. He is truly a role model for our generation!"
"Everyone says that the poetry of this dynasty is not good and cannot be compared with Tang poetry. But in my opinion, Mr. Xu's poem reveals a style that is unique to Tang poetry."
"Yes, compared to this, Master Zhang's song is much worse."
"It's more than just a difference. Compared to Mr. Xu's masterpiece, Mr. Zhang's poem is simply crude and unpresentable."
"In my opinion, Master Xu didn't write this poem to compete with Master Zhang, but to tell Master Zhang that he's unworthy. Tsk tsk, killing someone and destroying their heart. How cruel."
Seeing that the atmosphere was almost set, Xu Yan smiled faintly and said, "Is this poem written by Xu satisfactory to Master Zhang? Oh, by the way, the poem Master Zhang just read out wasn't your own, right?"
Zhang Yinian was almost on the verge of collapse, and when he heard this he spat out a mouthful of blood.
......
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