: The Complete Records of the Grand Historian, and the Chu Ci of the Old Friends

The moment Yao Ji stepped into the lecture hall, all the students quickly stood up.

Yao Ji walked to the teacher's desk in the center of the lecture hall, gently placed the books and papers on the desk, and then looked up and glanced around at the students in the hall.

His gaze was slow, as if he wanted to scrutinize every face. Wherever his gaze swept, several students unconsciously lowered their heads, including Sun Yuangui.

Finally, his gaze lingered on Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai.

New faces.

He already knew that two new students had arrived at the academy yesterday, both of whom had entered the first ward, so he was not surprised.

He looked at the two of them for a moment, expressionless, and only nodded slightly. The nod was so small that it was almost imperceptible unless one was deliberately observing.

"Sit down," he said calmly.

The students bowed in unison and took their seats.

Yao Ji's lesson today was on the Book of Rites.

He didn't exchange any unnecessary pleasantries. His voice was soft and slightly hoarse: "Today we will discuss the 'Record of Learning.' 'To develop a sense of purpose and seek the good is enough to gain a reputation, but not enough to move the masses; to associate with the virtuous and to be virtuous is enough to move the masses, but not enough to transform the people. If a gentleman wishes to transform the people and establish good customs, he must do so through learning!' These few sentences are the outline of the 'Record of Learning.' You must read them carefully and memorize them, without omitting a single word."

He picked up the ruler from the table. The ruler was a bamboo board about two feet long, rubbed smooth and shiny.

He pointed his ruler at the people below and said, “What do you mean by this? When those in power issue decrees and seek out virtuous and talented people, they only gain a little fame and are not enough to move the people. They may be close to the virtuous and care for those far away, which may move the people, but are not enough to educate them. If you want to educate the people and form good customs, there is no other way but to promote education.”

He stopped and scanned them: "Got it?"

No one in the audience responded; they all simply nodded.

Yao Ji seemed unconcerned whether the students answered or not, and continued, "'Jade that is not carved cannot become a vessel; a person who does not learn cannot know.' You must have heard these two sentences when you were young. However, how many of you truly understand their meaning?"

The hall was quiet.

Yao Ji continued, "Jade, though possessing beautiful qualities, is no different from rubble if it is not carved. Similarly, a person, though possessing beautiful qualities, will not learn the ways of sages and worthies—"

He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife: "They are not much different from beasts."

Liang Shanbo knelt on the cushion, his back straight, listening intently.

Zhu Yingtai held a writing brush in her hand, writing something on a piece of paper.

Her handwriting is beautiful, with delicate strokes and a balanced structure. Although it is written in running script, it is not sloppy at all, but rather has a composed and elegant quality.

Her hands were beautiful, and the way she held the pen was also beautiful. Her thumb and forefinger pinched the pen barrel, her middle finger rested on the bottom of the pen barrel, and her ring and little fingers were slightly curled, forming a graceful arc.

The Eastern Jin Dynasty was a transitional period between the "single-hook oblique grip" and the "double-wrap five-finger grip," with the "single-hook method" being the mainstream, which is the pen-holding method Zhu Yingtai is currently using.

Yao Ji's voice continued, now reciting the next passage of scripture.

His teachings were very structured. He would first recite each verse, then explain its meaning, and then elaborate on its principles, without missing a single step, just like an old set of rules that had been used for decades.

At this moment, Zhu Yingtai suddenly encountered something she didn't understand, and couldn't help but turn around and whisper to Liang Shanbo beside her, "Brother Liang."

Liang Shanbo turned his head and glanced at her.

Eyes facing each other.

Zhu Yingtai was about to ask in a low voice.

Just then—

"Yes."

A sound.

The ruler tapped on the edge of the desk, the sound neither too loud nor too soft, making Zhu Yingtai's heart tighten.

Zhu Yingtai turned around, raised her head, and met Yao Ji's gaze.

Yao Ji looked at her, his gaze neither stern nor revealing any emotion, but simply quiet and unwavering.

The air inside the lecture hall seemed to freeze.

Some students glanced at Zhu Yingtai, then quickly turned away.

After a moment, Yao Jifang looked away from Zhu Yingtai's face, said nothing, and continued reciting his scriptures.

Zhu Yingtai breathed a sigh of relief and dared not ask Liang Shanbo any more questions. She lowered her head and continued writing on the paper, her pen trembling slightly.

Liang Shanbo, standing beside him, slightly raised the corners of his lips, then composed himself, suppressing a laugh.

……

……

After Yao Ji's lecture, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai went to the canteen for breakfast together. As agreed the day before, they ate breakfast together in the vegetarian kitchen and settled their bills separately.

After finishing their breakfast, the two walked out of the dining hall. Suddenly, Sun Yuangui caught up from behind and patted Liang Shanbo on the shoulder: "Brother Liang, you and Brother Zhu are new here, so you're probably not familiar with the school yet, right? Would you like me to show you around?"

Before Liang Shanbo could reply, Zhu Yingtai spoke first: "Brother Sun, where is the academy's library?"

Sun Yuangui chuckled and said, "Brother Zhu, you asked about the library as soon as you arrived, so you must be a diligent student. The library is located on the east side of the academy. Although our Wansong Academy's library cannot compare to the imperial secret library, it still houses thousands of volumes. It contains some classics, histories, and works by various philosophers. Master Meng values ​​the library highly and has set several rules for it."

"What are the rules?" Zhu Yingtai asked hurriedly.

Sun Yuangui chuckled and counted on his fingers: "First, you are not allowed to take books out of the library; second, you are not allowed to annotate or scribble on books; third, you are not allowed to eat in the library; fourth, you are not allowed to make loud noise..."

Zhu Yingtai nodded and said to Liang Shanbo, "Brother Liang, shall we go take a look at the library?"

Liang Shanbo nodded and said to Sun Yuangui, "Brother Sun, would you like to come to the library to study?"

Sun Yuangui laughed and said, "I don't really want to study right now, but I can lead you over so you don't have trouble finding your seats."

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai hurriedly expressed their gratitude.

Immediately, led by Sun Yuangui, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai headed towards the east side of the school.

They soon arrived outside the library.

This is a two-story building. It is a wooden structure with one room on the top floor and one on the bottom. The exterior walls are painted white, but the white paint is already somewhat mottled, revealing the yellowish-brown wooden frame underneath. The roof is covered with bluish-gray tiles.

A plaque hangs in front of the building, bearing the three characters "Zangshulou" (藏书楼, meaning "Library Building"). The characters are written in a style between clerical and regular script, with the silkworm head and swallow tail strokes still retaining an ancient feel.

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, clerical script was no longer the mainstream script; plaques were mostly written in clerical script variants such as "eight-part script" or regular script.

The building entrance was open.

After Sun Yuangui left, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai went into the building together.

The first floor is a spacious hall, but the lighting is somewhat dim.

Rows of bookshelves stood along the four walls, filled with scrolls, stacked one by one, each scroll with a small wooden tag attached to its end, bearing the book's title.

A unique scent permeated the air. The aged aroma of bamboo and wood, the ink of paper, and the insect-repelling fragrance of rue blended together, subtle and faint, bringing a sense of tranquility.

The window was only half open, and sunlight slanted in through it, with tiny dust particles slowly floating in the beam of light.

Liang Shanbo stared at the collection of books in the hall and was momentarily stunned.

This was the first time he had ever seen so many books since he transmigrated.

The few dozen volumes of old books in Shanyin's home were utterly insignificant compared to the library before him.

An indescribable emotion welled up in his heart: joy, excitement, awe, and a touch of bittersweetness.

He thought of his father in this life, Liang Yuanqing.

That impoverished and down-on-his-luck scholar had only amassed a few dozen volumes of old books before his death, which was already quite an achievement. His dying wish was for his son to enter Wansong Academy so that he could read more books and learn more knowledge.

Today, Liang Shanbo stands here, in the library of Wansong Academy, facing thousands of books.

He recalled the wooden couplet he had seen yesterday outside the school gate, hanging on both sides of the gate, which read: "The sound of pines echoes through ten thousand valleys; a thousand scrolls continue the lost learning."

This couplet is indeed true!

Zhu Yingtai stood beside Liang Shanbo, also looking around at the library.

She didn't feel the same excitement as Liang Shanbo; instead, she felt a sense of appreciation. Her family also had a collection of books, though not as extensive as this one, it was still quite considerable, and she had grown up surrounded by books since childhood.

She turned her head and looked at Liang Shanbo, noticing that his eyes were fixed on the scrolls, and there seemed to be a light in them.

She was somewhat familiar with this light, knowing it was the light that only appeared when a book lover saw a book.

"Brother Liang, shall we go up to the second floor and take a look?" she called softly.

Liang Shanbo nodded.

The two went up the wooden stairs to the second floor, only to find that the second floor was not where the books were stored.

The second floor is mainly for students to study, with windows on all four sides, making it both well-ventilated and bright. At this moment, several students are sitting on the floor inside, engrossed in their books.

Zhu Yingtai walked to the window, and a spring breeze immediately rushed in, carrying the scent of pine needles and earth.

She turned to look at Liang Shanbo, a hint of a smile in her eyes: "Brother Liang, this place is very nice. How about we go downstairs, each pick a book, and read here?"

Liang Shanbo said, "Alright."

The two went downstairs again.

Liang Shanbo first strolled around the various bookshelves, then walked to one of them, which displayed several volumes of the *Records of the Grand Historian*. He picked out a volume with a wooden label attached to the scroll that read "Records of the Grand Historian: The First Chapter, Annals of the Five Emperors" in small characters.

Zhu Yingtai stood in front of another bookshelf, picked out a scroll of "Chu Ci" (Songs of Chu), and walked over to Liang Shanbo. Their eyes met, and Zhu Yingtai glanced at the scroll in Liang Shanbo's hand, asking, "Brother Liang, what book have you chosen?"

"The Records of the Grand Historian." Liang Shanbo slightly raised the scroll so she could see the wooden label on the scroll head.

Zhu Yingtai blinked: "You were reading the Records of the Grand Historian in the schoolhouse last night, why are you reading it here again now?"

Liang Shanbo said, "I only have a fragment of the Records of the Grand Historian, and I have no way of knowing what happened before or after. This Records of the Grand Historian is complete, so I thought I would memorize it from beginning to end and firmly remember the lives of these people."

Zhu Yingtai's eyes widened involuntarily, and her mouth slightly opened...

As expected of Brother Liang, who can memorize anything after just one glance, you are truly amazing! You are even going to memorize the entire Records of the Grand Historian, which contains hundreds of thousands of words!

Liang Shanbo looked at the scroll in her hand and asked, "What book did you choose, my dear brother?"

Zhu Yingtai held up the scroll, revealing the words on the wooden label at the end: "The Songs of Chu".

Liang Shanbo then asked, "Why the *Chu Ci*?"

Zhu Yingtai said, "When I was little, my mother often read the Chu Ci to me. Her voice was very soft and slow, as if she was afraid of disturbing the words in the book. Later, as I grew older, I often read the Chu Ci by myself."

She shook the book in her hand, a smile curving her lips: "This is my first time reading here, and I've also run into this old friend. Let's catch up here first."