A Stunning Debut

The next day was the second day of the Lunar New Year. In front of the Rongguo Mansion, carriages and horses were everywhere, and sedan chairs were as numerous as clouds. From the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), all sorts of people came and went in an endless stream, blocking Ningrong Street completely.

But we see:

The vermilion gates were wide open, and the brocade screens gleamed. Noble families and close associates rode in carriages drawn by four horses; relatives and young men wore brand-new robes. Inside the hall, beside coral bonsai, piles of various official gifts lay; beneath the eaves, beside peacock-feather screens, countless servants stood. Truly, flowers welcomed the noble air, and birds recognized the new year's joy—a scene of wealth and elegance beyond description.

Jia Yun, along with his mother, Bu Shi, got up before dawn and changed into a slightly worn but clean indigo robe before entering the mansion.

In previous years, when he and his mother came, they would just stand in a dark corner with a group of distant relatives. When their names were called, they would step forward, kowtow, receive a reward purse, and say a few auspicious words, and that would be it.

Firstly, it was due to his social status, and secondly, it was also for the sake of the meager but substantial rewards to supplement his family's income.

But this year is quite different.

As soon as he entered the second gate, a well-dressed servant greeted him with a smile, addressing him as "Second Master Yun," and said, "The old lady and madam have instructed that this is the way for you."

They led Jia Yun to sit down on a row of nanmu wood chairs at the front of the hall.

Although his position was not as high as that of Baoyu, Jia Lan, and other direct grandsons, it was not far from that of Jia Qiang, Jia Qin, and others. He could clearly see Grandmother Jia, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, and a group of prominent ladies at the head of the table.

Having never seen such a scene before, Madam Bu felt completely at a loss and whispered, "Yun'er, what... what's going on?"

Although Jia Yun was surprised and suspicious, she simply patted her mother's hand gently to reassure her.

Jia Zheng, who was sitting at the head of the table, was talking with several high-ranking officials dressed in embroidered with qilin and crane patterns, but his eyes kept glancing in his direction, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally.

Jia Yun's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "They're here."

At this moment, Grandmother Jia was chatting and laughing with several of her elder sisters-in-law when Jia Dairu suddenly stepped forward, bowed, and said loudly, "Grandmother, today is an auspicious day, with all the wise and learned gathered here, young and old. Seeing our family's children, each one a promising talent, full of vigor and talent, is truly a blessing for the family. I am unworthy, but as the tutor of the clan school, I have a sudden thought: why not take this opportunity to test the children's daily studies? Firstly, it would demonstrate the Jia family's tradition of scholarship, and secondly, it would prevent them from neglecting their studies. I wonder what Grandmother and the two gentlemen think?"

Grandmother Jia, who always enjoyed lively gatherings and whose greatest joy was seeing her children and grandchildren succeed, smiled and said, "Good, good! It's kind of you, Master, to think of this. Zheng'er, what do you think?"

Jia Zheng, who valued education, naturally clapped his hands in approval: "What you say is absolutely right, sir! That's exactly right. Let all our relatives and friends see the demeanor of the sons of the Jia family."

Jia She nodded indifferently from the side.

Upon hearing this, all the guests agreed, saying, "That's exactly right!"

"I have long heard that the young men of your family are all extraordinary, and today I am eager to witness their talents."

Upon hearing that he would be tested on his studies, Baoyu immediately felt as uncomfortable as Sun Wukong hearing the magic headband.

Immediately, Jia Zheng ordered a desk and writing implements to be set up, and summoned all the young men to step forward. Baoyu, Jia Lan, Jia Rong, Jia Qiang, Jia Qin, Jia Yun, and more than ten others stood solemnly in front of the hall.

The hall fell silent instantly, and all eyes were focused on this.

At the outset of the examination, Jia Dairu was well aware of the main point of the day. He stroked his beard and smiled, first calling Baoyu forward, and said gently, "Young master, tell me, what is the next line after 'To learn and practice what one has learned'? And how should it be interpreted?"

This question comes from the opening of the Analects, and it is a principle that even a child knows.

Baoyu, who already disliked profound classical texts, was overjoyed by this simple question and readily answered in a loud voice, as if granted a pardon: "Your Excellency, the next line is 'Isn't it delightful?' It means that after studying, one often reviews and practices what one has learned; how could one not feel joy?"

Jia Dairu nodded repeatedly, praising, "Excellent, excellent! A thorough understanding!"

He then turned to Jia Lan: "Lan-ge'er, the first chapter of Mencius says, 'There is only benevolence and righteousness.' What should be meant by these two words, 'benevolence and righteousness'?"

Although Jia Lan was young, he was extremely diligent. He straightened his small body and answered in a serious tone, "The benevolent love others, and the righteous follow reason. This is the foundation of one's character."

Jia Dairu clapped his hands: "Such a young age, yet such remarkable insight!"

He then asked Jia Rong, "Rong-ge'er, what is the second line of the couplet, 'Spring breeze opens the phoenix pond'?"

Jia Rong was mediocre in scholarship, but he was adept at such occasional couplets, and immediately replied: "'Literary brilliance shines upon the Dipper and the Ox!'"

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall became relaxed and lively.

Baoyu answered fluently, which pleased Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang greatly.

Grandmother Jia hugged Baoyu tightly, calling him her darling, and said to those around her with a smile, "My Baoyu, though he's mischievous on a daily basis, is absolutely right when it comes to serious matters!"

Madam Wang was also beaming with joy, feeling that her son had made a great impression on her today.

When it was Jia Yun's turn, the atmosphere in the hall seemed to freeze subtly.

Jia Dairu cleared his throat, a hint of coldness barely perceptible in his voice, and slowly said, "Yun-ge'er, I've heard you've been working hard lately, aiming for the imperial examinations. You must have already gained quite a bit of knowledge in the art of composition. I won't test you with ordinary verses. Here is a question, the first question of the county examination in Wanping County, Shuntian Prefecture in the year of Yiwei. Try to explain the method of breaking down the question and developing the argument, and elucidate its profound meaning."

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

The county examination questions, though not extremely profound, were still a proper entry point into the imperial examinations, quite different from the basic introductory knowledge we had just learned. Moreover, they were questions based on past examinations, requiring a close adherence to the examiners' standards; those who could only offer superficial answers could not answer them.

"The gentleman understands righteousness, while the petty man understands profit."

This question comes from the Analects of Confucius, Book 4, "Li Ren". The hall, which had been filled with laughter and conversation just moments before, suddenly fell silent!

Several well-read guests, such as Councilor Li, couldn't help but sit up straight and exchange surprised glances with their neighbors.

Everyone here knows that although this is a sentence from the Analects, and it seems plain, it is an extremely classic question in the imperial examinations. It tests the depth of a scholar's understanding of the Confucian distinction between righteousness and profit, as well as his ability to structure an essay!

Jia Zheng frowned slightly. He knew all too well that even seasoned scholars would need considerable time and careful thought to formulate a solution to such a question. To expect a boy who hadn't even entered school to answer in the blink of an eye, under the watchful eyes of everyone, was simply asking the impossible!

Sitting in the women's section, Tan Chun's heart leaped into her throat. She looked at the lone young man standing in the center of the room, her palms already sweating.

All eyes in the room, whether worried, scrutinizing, or gloating, were focused on Jia Yun.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment, and everyone wanted to know how the boy in the west corridor would deal with this sudden and almost difficult test.

I'm afraid he'll be scratching his head and hesitating, unable to utter a word for a long time.

All eyes turned to Jia Yun.

The young man stood tall and straight in the hall, showing no sign of panic in the face of this sudden challenge. He hesitated for a moment, then, in the blink of an eye, raised his head and spoke calmly and clearly:

"The key point: The distinction between righteousness and profit is what differentiates the virtuous from the petty."

The opening line was crisp and concise, getting straight to the point, and several well-read guests in the hall nodded slightly.

"Following the topic: The heart of a virtuous person is selfless and altruistic, therefore he only does what is right; the heart of a petty person is selfish and altruistic, therefore he only sees what is profitable. The reason for their different natures is that their character is thus judged."

Building upon the initial premise, it further elaborates on the differences in the minds of virtuous and petty people, with clear logic and elegant language.

After a brief pause, Jia Yun began to speak eloquently and elaborate in depth:

"I have often thought that the principles of Heaven and human desires cannot coexist. What makes a gentleman a gentleman is that he upholds the principles of Heaven; what makes a petty person a petty person is that he indulges in human desires. Righteousness is the public good of the principles of Heaven; profit is the private good of human desires. A gentleman is diligent and cautious from morning till night, and what he seeks to uphold is nothing more than the natural order of social order and the unchanging principles of rites, music, punishments, and governance. Even in times of hardship and displacement, his heart remains steadfast and he never deviates from righteousness in the slightest. Therefore, he acts bravely for what is right and regards death as returning home, not because he cares about fame, but because his nature is steadfast."

But the petty person is different. Their senses and thoughts are solely devoted to wealth, status, ease, and pleasure. While it's understandable that they seek food when hungry and clothing when cold, they then pursue land and houses, accumulate gold and silver, and compete for power and influence. They will stop at nothing to satisfy their insatiable desires, even to the point of losing their sense of shame and breaking the moral order. Therefore, they forget righteousness for profit and disregard right and wrong, not because they are unaware of their wrongdoing, but because they wish to suppress it.

He draws upon classical texts, from Confucius and Mencius to Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi. His arguments unfold layer by layer, dissecting the minds of both virtuous and petty men. What is even more remarkable is that his writing is full of vigor and powerful, his words resounding, as if it were a well-prepared and splendid piece of literature.

The hall was completely silent, except for his clear and melodious voice echoing between the beams.

At first, Jia Zheng was worried that he would embarrass himself, but the more he listened, the more astonished he became, and his eyes couldn't help but reveal a look of admiration.

As an assistant minister in the Ministry of Works, although he was not a top expert in the imperial examinations, he had the ability to appreciate things. How could he not tell the merits of Jia Yun's argument? Even in the county examination of the year Yiwei, it would be considered a superior work!

He thought to himself, "This child has such talent! I had overlooked it before."

Tan Chun was completely mesmerized by what she heard.

She lived a secluded life in her chambers; how could she have ever heard a young man so freely and eloquently expound on the great principles of sages in front of everyone? The strange feelings that had arisen in Tan Chun's heart yesterday now sprouted like spring grass.

She thought to herself, "I always thought these young men from the clan were mostly spoiled brats, but I didn't expect there to be such a talented one. His views on 'stable nature' and 'restrained desires' are truly insightful."

Jia Yun, in one go, eloquently elaborated on the argument that "the superior man understands righteousness, while the inferior man understands profit," concluding with: "Therefore it is said: by observing what they use to illustrate, the distinction between the superior and the inferior is as clear as black and white, as incompatible as ice and charcoal. Should scholars not be cautious in their choices?"

After speaking, he bowed and said, "This student's opinion is humble; please correct me, sir and elders."

After a moment of silence, a chorus of low exclamations arose in the hall.

Many guests, including the high-ranking officials who spoke with Jia Zheng, couldn't help but clap their hands in approval.

However, amidst this chorus of praise, Jia Dairu's face turned from pale to red, then he slammed his hand on the table beside him and shouted, "Nonsense! Completely missing the point!"