Pure Talk
Wenxin Pavilion in the Wen Family Mansion.
Wen Tingyun leaned against the table, his folding fan lightly unfurled.
Five disciples sat around the perimeter, with Xuanji kneeling at the very end, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing her cuff where a drop of ink, still wet, had accidentally gotten on her while grinding the ink.
Wen Tingyun's gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on an old plum tree in the distance. His tone was calm and serene: "Today, let's talk about the grandeur of the early Tang Dynasty." His voice was not loud, but it was like a clear spring striking a stone, each word distinct and clear.
"Do you all know that Emperor Taizong established the Hongwen Academy, which housed 200,000 volumes of books? Do you know how many of those were in the language of non-Chinese?"
Du Mubai: "About thirty percent?" A bamboo leaf drifted into the teacup.
Wen Tingyun: "Fifty percent. The music scores of Kucha are listed alongside the Analects. Emperor Gaozu established the state, and Emperor Taizong, during the Zhenguan era, possessed broad minds and were inclusive. Foreign music and clothing entered the capital and the palace; such tolerance is the essence of greatness."
Lu Jingxiu bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Without such a magnanimous spirit, how could we have barbarian tribes paying tribute and all nations respecting us?"
Wen Tingyun smiled and nodded, "Yes." He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "The essence of a prosperous era lies in not rejecting different opinions or abandoning different customs. Seeking common ground while reserving differences is the key to the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty."
Upon hearing this, Du Mubai's lips curled slightly, and he interjected with a half-smile: "It's just that nowadays the imperial examinations are so demanding, and regulated verse is too restrictive in terms of parallelism. I'm afraid it's hard to see the unrestrained and free-spirited spirit of yesteryear anymore."
Wen Tingyun spoke calmly, his gaze remaining serene: "Rules may be restrictive, but they can cultivate talent. If one's heart is open, one's writing will naturally flow freely." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Xuanji, a look of profound meaning in his eyes.
For example, during Empress Wu Zetian's reign, although she faced much criticism, she reduced taxes and corvée labor, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, resulting in a full treasury and a prosperous and peaceful life for the people. She also established the imperial examination system and the military examination system, providing a path for scholars from humble backgrounds to advance in their careers. Shangguan Wan'er's handling of imperial edicts and the participation of female officials in compiling history demonstrate the talent of women in governing the country. What are your thoughts on this?
Du Mubai suddenly interjected, "Sir, women's participation in politics is ultimately against propriety."
Wen Jue couldn't help but retort, "Senior Brother Du, Shangguan Wan'er's talent..."
"Talent?" Du Mubai sneered, "Like a hen crowing at dawn..."
"In the first year of the Tian Shou era, Empress Wu personally examined the candidates in the Luoyang Palace, setting a precedent for the palace examination." Wen Tingyun's gaze swept over the crowd. "At that time, did anyone criticize it as 'a hen crowing at dawn'?"
Lu Jingxiu seemed to understand: "Indeed... during the Wu Zhou period, women could enter the Hanlin Academy as scholars."
"Father!" Wen Jue exclaimed urgently, "But then..."
"What happened next?" Wen Tingyun's gaze was piercing. "The Kaiyuan era still used the imperial examination system established by Empress Wu, and Shangguan Wan'er's literary talent is still praised to this day." He turned to Xuanji, "Xuanji, what do you think?"
Xuanji unconsciously clenched her sleeve, the ink drop seeming even hotter: "I believe... talent and virtue have never been related to gender. Just like..." She mustered her courage to look Wen Tingyun directly in the eye, "Just like when you taught us to read 'Li Sao,' you never said, 'This is not a book for women to read.'"
Wen Xiang'er's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but interject, "Father, does that mean that women can also talk about poetry and philosophy like you?" Her voice was clear and crisp, with the innocence and curiosity unique to young girls.
Wen Tingyun looked at her, his eyes gentle, "If you have talent and virtue, why not?" He slowly rose: "The world is so vast, how can it only accommodate men?" His clear voice touched everyone's heart. Xuanji's fingertips trembled slightly, and the drop of ink seemed to darken further.
Wen Tingyun suddenly clapped his hands and sang: "'Where do I wander after treading on fallen flowers? Laughing, I enter the tavern of the Hu women'—what flavor do you gentlemen glean from Li Bai's line?"
Xuanji's heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "It's freedom!"
Wen Tingyun laughed heartily: "Excellent! Emperor Taizong dared to employ Turks as generals, and Empress Wu Zetian tolerated Shangguan Wan'er's involvement in politics. This freedom and ease is the true essence of the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty."
As night fell, Xuanji couldn't fall asleep for a long time, his mind filled with the gentleman's extraordinary insights.
The following day, at the Wen Family Academy, Wen Tingyun instructed his disciples to continue yesterday's discussion, focusing solely on the topic of "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent."
Li Yi sat upright in the seat at the east end, his posture stern, his brows conveying a hint of coldness. "The Book of Rites says, 'A woman should not leave her home for ten years; her mother-in-law should teach her to be gentle and obedient.'" His voice was deep and resonant. "Poetry and books are ultimately not a woman's primary occupation. A woman's virtue should be gentleness and obedience, and managing the household should be her foundation."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Xuanji. Li Yi had received a traditional Confucian education from a young age, believing that women should adhere to traditional virtues. In his view, talented women like Ban Zhao and Xie Daoyun were extremely rare and not worth emulating.
"That's a misconception." Xuanji put down her brush, a drop of ink spreading across the rice paper. She looked up, her eyes reflecting the bamboo shadows outside the window. "Among the three hundred poems in the Book of Songs, Wei Nu's 'Bamboo Pole' and Xu Mu's 'Riding the Chariot' are both listed among the elegant ones. If a woman lacks talent, how can she understand such profound principles?"
Du Mubai leaned against the armchair, chuckling softly at the words. He wore a moon-white long robe and toyed with a copy of *Yutai Xinyong* in his hand. "The works of women in their boudoirs are nothing more than 'A wondrous tree in the courtyard' and 'Green grass by the riverbank,'" he said sarcastically. "Ultimately, they are minor works, hardly worthy of being considered refined literature."
"Senior Brother Du!" Thirteen-year-old Wen Xiang'er couldn't help but interject. Sitting beside Xuanji, her almond-shaped eyes widened, her face full of indignation. "Ban Zhao continued the *Book of Han*, teaching palace women—wasn't that an application of women's learning? Xie Daoyun composed poems about willow catkins—what else is that but learning?"
The water clock in the corner of the courtyard dripped softly. Lu Jingxiu gently stroked the table and said gently, "Grand Tutor Xie once asked, 'What does the falling snow resemble?' Daoyun replied, 'Willow catkins rising with the wind.' Is this not the talent of a woman? Lady Wei wrote the 'Treatise on Calligraphy' to teach Wang Xizhi calligraphy, which is a timeless tale."
At this moment, Wen Jue, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "I think that talent and learning are like a sword; it depends on the person wielding it." His voice was clear and bright. "My mother often taught my younger sister to read, saying that only a woman who understands reason can manage a household. If she only knows how to obey and cannot make decisions when faced with problems, she will only make mistakes."
Wen Jue's words surprised everyone present. As the son of Wen Tingyun, he was usually taciturn, but today he had hit the nail on the head. He continued, "In the 'Biographies of Exemplary Women,' Mencius' mother moved three times and cut the loom to teach her son. If she lacked insight, how could she have raised a sage like Mencius? Talent and learning have no gender distinction; the key lies in how they are applied."
Li Yi frowned: "Ban Zhao and Xie Yuan were both daughters of noble families. If ordinary women were to become engrossed in literature, they might stray from the teachings of the *Neize* (Inner Rules)."
Xuanji looked directly at Li Yi: "Senior Brother Li, what you fear is not that women lack talent, but that once women possess talent, they will no longer be content with the word 'submissive,' right?"
At this moment, Wen Tingyun picked up a celadon teacup: "Lady Wei wrote the 'Treatise on Calligraphy' to teach Wang Xizhi calligraphy. Talent and virtue are not mutually exclusive. The Book of Changes says: 'Observe the human culture to transform the world.' Poetry values temperament; how can it be divided by gender?"
Reading is for clarifying one's aspirations, and this applies to both men and women. A woman with talent can be a good wife and mother; a man with virtue can manage his family and govern the country. Talent and virtue are inherently one; why insist on separating them by gender?
As the sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, the debate about women's education became even more profound thanks to Wen Tingyun's words. Everyone gained a deeper understanding of the significance of reading, and even Li Yi fell into deep thought, no longer insisting on his own opinion.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
