Chapter 148: Success is achieved through thinking, failure is caused by carelessness
Ma Guan has achieved minor success in calligraphy.
Not only was Mr. Yue Ming surprised and excited, but even Chen Yi was caught off guard.
Although he is indeed confident in the calligraphy he teaches, and believes that students with sufficient comprehension can embark on the path of calligraphy with hard work.
But he never imagined that someone would take this step in the very first class.
That's too exaggerated.
Even Chen Yi could hardly imagine the sensational impact this would have if it were to spread.
Let's not talk about the future, just this moment.
After Ma Guan wrote the character "书" (book) with its subtle and elegant beauty, the study room fell into complete silence.
The students sat upright in their seats, but their eyes were all fixed on the sand table in front of Ma Guan, and on the fluorescent glow on the character "book".
He looked utterly incredulous.
Even Ma Guan himself was staring blankly at the sand table, seemingly unable to believe that he had written it.
He murmured to himself, "This...I wrote this?"
Chen Yi glanced around, stood up, walked to his side, and said with a smile, "It was indeed written by you."
"However, if you don't want it to be just a flash in the pan, recall that feeling from just now and write a few more words."
Ma Guan paused for a moment, but instead of immediately following his instructions, he suddenly stood up and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, sir!"
Chen Yi smiled; this person was indeed as straightforward as he had previously thought.
However, he could accept such a generous gift.
"Alright, I've thanked you enough. Sit down and write a few more words."
"Yes, sir."
After speaking solemnly, Ma Guan sat back down in front of the sand table, wiped away the character "book," and smoothed out the sand table.
He recalled his previous state of mind.
A gentleman is upright and peaceful, resilient and unyielding, and dignified and magnanimous.
A slight pause.
Ma Guan picked up the tree branch again and wrote the two characters "君子" (gentleman) on the sand table.
The strokes are horizontal and vertical, upright and dignified.
In the brief moment the branch paused, a faint shimmering luster appeared on the sand table.
Although not as bright as the character "书" written by Chen Yi, it truly "exudes elegance and beauty".
Ma Guan felt relieved and looked up at Chen Yi: "Sir?"
Chen Yi patted him on the shoulder and praised him with a smile, "Not bad."
The beginning and end are good.
Judging a person by their words.
Just by looking at the word "gentleman," he could discern Ma Guan's character and state of mind.
He certainly has the demeanor of a "gentleman".
Only then did the students around, who had been holding their breath, bow and congratulate Ma Guan:
"Congratulations, Brother Heming."
"Brother Heming, given time, you will surely become a great calligrapher of our Great Wei Dynasty."
Why wait until later?
“Even now, in our Guiyun Academy, apart from Mr. Qingzhou, there is no one who can compare to Brother Heming in calligraphy.”
“That’s right, even our dean and Mr. Zhuo Ying are slightly inferior.”
What the student who spoke was unaware was that Mr. Yue Ming and Mr. Zhuo Ying, who had just arrived, were standing outside the study and had overheard his words.
His previously delighted face suddenly became somewhat embarrassed.
That expression made the other elderly men who hadn't been named burst into laughter, and they all teased him:
"Mr. Yue Ming, you still need to work hard in the art of calligraphy."
"Zhuo Ying, is your calligraphy still presentable these days?"
Hearing the voices behind them, the students noticed their arrival and quickly sat up straight.
Only the student who had spoken earlier wore a wry smile and lightly patted his mouth a few times.
Mr. Yue Ming glared at the two old men, then walked into the study first, apologized to Chen Yi, and came to Ma Guan's side.
After looking at the two characters "君子" (gentleman) on the sand table, a smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.
However, Mr. Yue Ming did not praise Ma Guan first, but instead bowed to Chen Yi:
"Qingzhou, on behalf of Heming and Guiyun Academy, I thank you for teaching me the way of calligraphy."
Mr. Zhuo Ying and the others behind him did the same.
Seeing this, Chen Yi said helplessly, "Gentlemen, are you trying to shorten my lifespan?"
In the first lesson, someone wrote that the small cost exceeded his expectations, and Mr. Yue Ming and his colleagues expressed their sincere gratitude to him.
Don't you think it's going to cause trouble?
Upon hearing this, Mr. Yue Ming stood up and glared at him, "What did you say?"
"You have taught the academy a student who has achieved minor success in calligraphy, a promising talent who has achieved great success in calligraphy, and a future master calligrapher of our Great Wei Dynasty. Is it wrong for me to thank you?"
Chen Yi watched him earnestly attach various titles to Ma Guan, and shook his head with a wry smile:
"You're the dean, so whatever you say goes."
"That's more like it."
Mr. Yue Ming's expression softened slightly, and he turned to praise Ma Guan, saying, "He Ming, you did a good job."
"From now on, I will study hard with Qingzhou and strive to achieve mastery of calligraphy as soon as possible, so that our Guiyun Academy can become famous throughout the three prefectures of the Great Wei."
At this point, Mr. Yue Ming paused, glanced at Chen Yi, and said, "Of course, Mr. Qingzhou's name will also be known throughout the country."
"..."
Chen Yi secretly curled his lip.
Now that things have come to this, he can only let it be.
Who could have produced a student like Ma Guan, whose comprehension and calligraphy skills were both exceptional?
However, after Mr. Yue Ming arrived, the class obviously could not proceed normally.
The students in the study were all focused on Ma Guan, their thoughts were quite complex.
They all knew that regardless of whether Ma Guan could pass the provincial or metropolitan examinations in the future, his calligraphy alone would make him famous.
Many students who had heard the news also rushed to the school.
Some were envious, some were jealous, but most were annoyed.
"When Mr. Yueming asked us to sign up to study under Mr. Qingzhou, how could I have been so bewitched as to refuse?"
"Me too, it's Ma and Ming who benefited."
"Who would have thought that Mr. Qingzhou was not teaching simple calligraphy, but the Way of Calligraphy?"
"Alas, now we are waiting..."
Several quick-witted individuals exchanged glances, then immediately turned and squeezed through the crowd, running towards the outside of the academy.
Missing the first registration is no big deal; at worst, you can pay a higher price to take the place of another student in the academy.
Or try to use connections to find Mr. Yue Ming and strive to become Chen Yi's student.
Such a task is not difficult for some students from prominent families.
Even if Mr. Yueming disagrees, they can still find a way to appeal to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence.
We absolutely cannot miss this opportunity.
It is known that mastery of calligraphy can also be beneficial for the imperial examinations.
Even though there was no explicit provision for testing calligraphy in the imperial examinations, according to observant people, students who excelled in calligraphy would receive preferential treatment even if their writing was weaker.
Whether it's being favored by the examiner or praised by some great scholars, there are bound to be some benefits.
Aside from the students inside and outside the study, the busiest person at this moment was Ma Guan himself.
Instructed by Mr. Yue Ming and the others, he continued writing word by word on the sand table.
Each moment of youthful beauty appears, only to fade away as the sand table is smoothed out.
In the end, Ma Guan's face, which had previously been flushed, was now covered in sweat and completely pale.
Seeing this, Chen Yi had no choice but to interrupt, saying, "Mastering calligraphy to a minor level is extremely mentally taxing, so let's stop here for today."
Mr. Yue Ming and the others nodded with lingering interest, "He Ming really should take a rest."
Upon hearing this, Ma Guan let out a long breath, weakly rose and bowed, saying, "I will definitely continue to work hard in the future and strive to achieve great success in calligraphy as soon as possible."
Chen Yi shook his head: "Just do your best. Don't try to run before you can walk."
Ma Guan was slightly taken aback, but he also bowed respectfully and said, "This student will remember your teachings, sir."
Just as Chen Yi was about to announce that the class was over for today, Mr. Yue Ming came to his side and whispered:
"Qingzhou, today is your first day of teaching, so it's not appropriate to just write three words."
Chen Yi glanced at him, and he immediately understood his intention.
He asked with a half-smile, "What are your instructions, Dean?"
"Why don't you write a piece of calligraphy and hang it in the study to encourage the students of Guiyun Academy?"
"not good."
"Ahem... On behalf of the students, I thank you..."
Seeing that Mr. Yue Ming was about to bow deeply again, Chen Yi quickly stepped aside and said, "Stop."
Mr. Yue Ming immediately stopped and looked at him with a bitter expression.
Seeing this, Chen Yi shook his head helplessly, "Dean, I'm only letting it go because you're an elder."
"If there's a next time, don't blame me for replacing the cloud pine paper with the sand table."
"I guarantee I won't."
Mr. Zhuo Ying and the others chuckled and cursed the shameless old man in secret, but they didn't say anything to ruin Mr. Yue Ming's good deed.
After all, it's not good for others to know that they used Yun Song paper to "scheme" against Chen Yi's calligraphy copybook.
Otherwise, if Chen Yi gets angry, none of them will benefit.
Fortunately, Chen Yi was unaware of these things.
After agreeing to Mr. Yue Ming's request, he picked up his brush and wrote a line of characters on a large sheet of pine-patterned paper:
"Diligence leads to mastery, while idleness leads to ruin. Success comes from careful planning, while failure comes from following blindly."
Although this sentence is not as good as the four sentences of Zhang Zai, it is the embodiment of the "gentleman's demeanor" that Chen Yi saw in Ma Guan.
At the same time, it can also be considered as his message to the students.
Whether it's learning calligraphy, reading books, or being a good person, diligence and moral character are essential for success.
When Mr. Yue Ming and the others saw the contents of the paper and the carefree spirit between the lines, they couldn't help but feel ashamed of their previous schemes against Chen Yi.
"This old man will act on my behalf..."
Before they could finish speaking, Chen Yi dropped the wolf-hair brush and turned to walk out of the study.
Are you coming again?
Do you really think my lifespan is endless?
Mr. Yue Ming and the others exchanged glances and smiled.
"Dean, you are truly disgracing scholarly conduct."
"hehe."
"A scumbag!"
"hehe."
Seeing this, Mr. Zhuo Ying and the others knew that Mr. Yue Ming had no shame and immediately chased after Chen Yi.
Mr. Yue Ming ignored them and put away the two sheets of Yun Song paper with a smile on his face.
As he turned his head, he saw the students inside and outside the schoolhouse, and his old face inevitably flushed red. He pretended to cough and said:
"I'll go frame this calligraphy first, to prevent it from getting damaged..."
...
While Chen Yi was being led around by several teachers from Guiyun Academy, chatting and laughing, the once quiet residence of the Marquis of Dingyuan was anything but peaceful.
Prefect Liu Si of Shuzhou arrived with a group of three from the Judicial Commissioner.
At first, the atmosphere was relatively relaxed.
But when Fang Hongxiu, a centurion of the Criminal Investigation Department, mentioned what had been discovered in the West Market the night before, the atmosphere immediately became solemn.
"The Xiao family?"
"Does Commander Fang mean that the person who killed Liu Jing was from our Xiao family?"
The old man remained calm, but Xiao Wang's face showed a hint of anger.
Fang Hongxiu paused, stood up and bowed, saying, "Please forgive me, Second Master Xiao. I am only recounting what happened and am not certain that the 'Xiao family' mentioned by Sun Erhu is the Marquis's mansion."
Xiao Wang stared at her and sneered, "You came to the Xiao family to mention this matter, but it's not as simple as you say."
Just as Fang Hongxiu was about to explain further, Liu Si waved his hand and said:
"Commander Fang, what the Second Master said makes sense."
“Since the Criminal Investigation Department is unsure of the murderer’s identity, it is inappropriate for you to mention the ‘Xiao family’ in front of the Marquis.”
Fang Hongxiu pursed her lips slightly, bowed, and returned to her seat.
But the middle-aged man beside her had no intention of giving up, and then stood up and bowed, saying:
"Reporting to the Marquis, although our Criminal Investigation Department is not certain whether the murderer is a member of the Xiao family."
"But all the clues we have so far point to the Xiao family."
He was around forty years old, thin, with prominent hip bones on his face, and his appearance was not particularly outstanding.
When he spoke these words seriously, his long, thin face appeared slightly pointed and monkey-like.
Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent.
Liu Si frowned slightly and stopped speaking, only looking at Old Marquis Xiao.
Fang Hongxiu was slightly surprised.
Xiao Wang was furious and slammed his fist on the table. "Huang Zhuo, do you know what you're saying?!"
At this moment, Old Master Xiao slightly raised his hand and calmly interrupted, "Second son, let Commander Huang finish speaking."
Xiao Wang glanced at him and glared fiercely at the middle-aged man.
Huang Zhuo, however, did not look at him, but only at Old Master Xiao, and said respectfully:
"My lord, I am only stating the facts. I hope you will forgive me."
The old man remained noncommittal, saying calmly, "Commander Huang, you might as well explain in more detail what clues point to my Xiao family."
Huang Zhuo nodded, then took out a booklet from his pocket and read aloud:
There are three clues.
"First, there's Liu Jing, the sixth son of the Liu family from Jingzhou. He's come to Shuzhou to establish Linglan Pavilion, but his purpose is to take over the Xiao family's pharmacy..."
Before he could continue reading, Old Master Xiao spoke up: "You mean, the Liu family of Jingzhou is deliberately targeting my Xiao family?"
Huang Zhuo was slightly taken aback, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face. "That's not what I meant. I just... I just..."
"Just what?"
Huang Zhuo quickly corrected himself, "Please forgive me, Your Excellency. I must not have seen clearly. Please wait a moment."
Although the Liu family's purpose in coming to Shuzhou was indeed to deal with the Xiao family's pharmacy, saying such things so openly was tantamount to slapping the Xiao family in the face.
Furthermore, if word gets back to the Liu family in Jingzhou, he, as the commander of the Judicial Commission, will likely be implicated.
Huang Zhuo glanced at Fang Hongxiu sideways before continuing to read.
However, he no longer dared to recite the script verbatim, but instead avoided mentioning clues that were detrimental to the Xiao family.
After listening, the old man looked at him and asked, "That's it?"
At this moment, Huang Zhuo's forehead was already covered in sweat. "Please forgive me, Lord Marquis, the Criminal Investigation Department has only found this much so far."
Upon hearing this, the old man smiled, "With just these dubious clues, Commander Huang dares to come to my Xiao family to demand justice..."
"Who gave you the guts?!"
(End of this chapter)
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