Confucianism under Heaven

Chapter 33: Paper Spills, Reckless and Arrogant!

Chapter Thirty-Three: Paper Spills, Reckless and Arrogant!

With the announcement of the results and Ye Ru taking the top spot in the top four, the entire Wenxing Private School was once again in an uproar. Even the top students couldn't achieve such a feat.

And now, these four top spots have actually been achieved by Ye Ru, who was from a "desolate" class and was the worst student in the class back then. This is obviously beyond everyone's expectations.

Including teachers!

Despite being at the center of public attention, Ye Ru did not appear. Instead, he and Fang Zifeng went to his study to learn and discuss calligraphy.

Inside the schoolhouse, the rooms were extremely tidy, and a lingering scent of ink permeated the air.

It's obvious that Su Tongyao tidied it up.

On the table was a copy of the *Huang Ting Jing* written in a slightly awkward style.

"To have mastered this level in just one day is quite remarkable."

Upon seeing this, Fang Zifeng nodded, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Here are some points to note about calligraphy and some history of great calligraphers. I know you have some talent, but I'm very strict about this. If you don't do it right, I might even hit you with a ruler."

Fang Zifeng took out more than thirty books from his storage ring, placed them on the table, and said gloatingly.

It took him a month to memorize these books back then, enough to give Ye Ru a headache for a while.

"Row."

Ye Ru stared at the thick book with an unchanged expression.

"You're neither sad nor happy yet, but I'll make you cry from reciting it in a moment."

Fang Zifeng looked at Ye Ru's smug expression and was speechless. He was determined to save face this time.

Ye Ru looked at the books without much reaction. His Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries) could automatically absorb the information in these books without being detected by others. Then he began to memorize them one by one.

Outside Ye Ru's residence, Fang Zifeng recalled Ye Ru's calligraphy. He had mastered the form in just one day, which was far superior to Han Dingsheng's work back then.

Then, seeing that there was no movement inside the dormitory, he chuckled and thought to himself that carrying so much at once would drive anyone crazy.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when, with a creak, Ye Ru pushed open the door and stretched.

"Mr. Fang, I have read all of these books."

Fang Zifeng's eyes widened, his face showing disbelief:

"Ye Ru, you've written Xunzi's 'Exhortation to Learning,' which says: 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; a great river is formed from countless small streams. A fine horse may leap a thousand miles in one bound, but a slow horse can travel ten times the distance if it perseveres.' I know you've only dabbled in it, but it's quite a lot. You'll have to memorize it all, understand various calligraphic styles, how to hold a pen, and so on. Although you have great talent, such unrealistic ambitions will inevitably lead to problems in the future."

“I know, I’ve memorized all these books. One hour is a bit slow. How long did it take Mr. Fang to finish them?”

Ye Ru shook his head, then seemed to remember something and said.

Fang Zifeng looked embarrassed. If it were anyone else, they probably would have already taken a ruler and started hitting them.

Fang Zifeng coughed lightly, assuming the other person was only saying it out of politeness, and then asked him:

How many types of calligraphy are there?

"Seal script, clerical script, cursive script, regular script, and running script."

What are the five methods of holding a brush?

“擫、押、钩、格、抵”.

What are the eight methods of brushwork?

“Lift, press, pause, falter, turn, bend, slow, fast”.

Fang Zifeng swallowed hard, then spoke again:

What are the three steps of writing a poem?

"Start with a reverse stroke, move the brush with the center of the brush, and finish with a return stroke."

Fang Zifeng then asked dozens more questions about calligraphy, from the history of various great calligraphers to the characteristics of different types of calligraphy, and Ye Ru answered them all in detail.

Fang Zifeng looked at Ye Ru as if he were looking at a ghost. After a moment, he suppressed his excitement and pretended to be calm, saying:

"An hour is not too bad. Give me a pen, and I'll teach you how to write regular script."

Ye Ru handed the brush to Fang Zifeng, then took out an ink stick from the book box and gently ground it in the inkstone.

"You can see that the characteristic of regular script is its fairness and straightness."

Fang Zifeng dipped his brush in ink, spread out a new sheet of Xuan paper, and began to write.

As Fang Zifeng wrote, the wolf-hair brush faintly emitted a silver light, and the sound of thousands of horses galloping seemed to be right next to his ears, creating a rather tragic atmosphere.

"This is the power of the second realm of calligraphy, the iron strokes and silver hooks. If it is added to battle poems, it can form a battle formation and increase the combat power of the soldiers' weapons."

As Fang Zifeng wrote, he explained to Ye Ru that he was inferior in poetry, prose, and memorization, but in calligraphy, he finally had a chance to humiliate Ye Ru.

"What about the first level of calligraphy practice?"

Ye Ru showed no reaction and asked again.

"Practicing calligraphy can transform poetry into the spirit of a scholar to kill enemies, increasing the attack power of poetry by 10%. However, I hope you can reach the first level of calligraphy as soon as possible. There is news that Wang Xiaoyang's elder brother will soon be returning from his studies abroad. When he returns, he will definitely challenge you to a literary contest."

Fang Zifeng said with concern, then continued writing.

He was writing Song Yu's "Ode to the Wind" from the pre-Qin period. After he put pen to paper, small wind blades kept appearing around him. Although the wind blades were small, if they were used with the power of talent, they could probably take someone's head from a thousand miles away.

"If they don't come, their slander and mockery of me will end here. But if they continue to bully others, they can't blame me."

A murderous glint flashed in Ye Ru's eyes, and then he said in a deep voice.

"In less than three months, they will probably regret it, either because you alone wipe out their entire Wang clan, or because they are destroyed by the Academy of Saints."

Fang Zifeng nodded, and at the same time admired Ye Ru. In the future, there would probably be a major change between the poor and the noble families.

"Have you looked carefully? That 'Huang Ting Jing' is too bookish and will hinder your thinking. You should first copy this 'Feng Fu'. When you can integrate with the talent between heaven and earth, that will be when you will succeed."

Fang Zifeng said to Ye Ru as he wrote.

"Magistrate Zhang has something to discuss with me. This matter will probably take at least ten days to half a month to complete. Take your time practicing and don't rush it."

With the final stroke, Fang Zifeng put down his brush, then looked at the seal at his waist, said something to Ye Ru, and then opened the door and left.

This Hongyin is a method of communication in the Confucian and Taoist continent.

"I did my best, thank you for your guidance."

Ye Ru clasped his hands in a fist salute, then picked up his Three Perfections Calligraphy Brush and began to practice calligraphy according to Shao Ying's "Ninety-Two Methods of Character Structure" from the Qing Dynasty.

After closing the door, Fang Zifeng stood outside, his smile as bright as a chrysanthemum:

"This time, Wenxing Private School is likely to truly become famous. Such talent is comparable to that of Confucius..."

Upon hearing the name Confucius, Fang Zifeng immediately shut his mouth.

This is a big no-no.

Then he looked in Ye Ru's direction, a satisfied expression on his face.

Some people have photographic memories, but those who can memorize all these books in an hour are one in a hundred, an absolute one.

Because these books contain the thoughts of our ancestors, they can hinder one's memory; one can only remember them if one understands them.

He spent a month learning calligraphy techniques and was praised by his mentor as a talent that only appears once every ten years.

Now, he discovered a genius who could understand all these books in an hour.

After a moment of surprise, Fang Zifeng walked towards his study.

……

"I heard Ye Ru got fourth place and one second place? Who judged that interpretation of the classics?"

In Fang Zifeng's study, Magistrate Zhang said in surprise.

Standing beside him was a pretty young girl, dressed in simple, elegant clothes that added to her charm.

A beauty that could topple kingdoms and cities.

"Yes, four were top-ranked and one was second-ranked. I lost some points on calligraphy, but I'm practicing hard now."

Fang Zifeng nodded solemnly.

"Four A's and one B'? Are they really that good?"

After a moment, the girl spoke, her words full of sarcasm.

"Who is this?"

"My daughter, Zhang Wenying, come and greet Mr. Fang."

Magistrate Zhang waved his hand, and Zhang Wenying performed a curtsy.

"I've met Mr. Fang."

"Very well, what brings Magistrate Zhang here today?"

After exchanging pleasantries, Fang Zifeng got straight to the point.

"It's all because of that literary contest between counties."

Magistrate Zhang said.

"Ye Ru?"

As clever as Fang Zifeng was, he asked tentatively.

"Yes, his reputation for poetry and lyrics is no less than ours, and may even far surpass it. It would be perfect to have him participate in the third round of poetry and prose competition."

“Father, is Ye Ru’s poetry really that good? He’s only fifteen years old. And this county literary competition is especially important to you. You’ve even invited Brother Xu Qingyuan. If Ye Ru loses the poetry competition, won’t all our previous efforts be in vain?”

Zhang Wenying frowned, disbelieving that Ye Ru had such ability.

"Wen Yin, don't underestimate this young man. If he wants to learn the zither, I'm afraid ten of you wouldn't be able to catch up."

Magistrate Zhang stroked his beard and said with a smile.

"I don't believe it."

Zhang Wenying was unimpressed. Although she was not even a student, her skill in playing the zither had already reached the second realm of zither playing: the zither and sword drifting.

This talented woman naturally possesses her own pride.

"Where is Ye Ru? Where is he? The inter-county literary contest is in three days, I need to tell him in advance."

"That kid is practicing calligraphy right now. Calligraphy dragged him down in the preliminary exam. If he can master calligraphy, he might be able to get a fifth-class ranking in the imperial examination."

"However, reaching the first level of calligraphy is not something that can be achieved easily. At least, under the guidance of my mentor, I practiced for a full six months before I reached the first level of calligraphy and began practicing calligraphy by the inkstone."

Fang Zifeng took a sip of fragrant tea, looked at Ye Ru's residence, and chuckled softly.

Although Ye Rushi is a great poet, calligraphy is not like poetry; it requires diligent study and practice to master.

Just as the calligrapher Wang Xizhi did, so too did he.

"That's true. Calligraphy is too profound; it mainly relies on diligent study and practice."

Magistrate Zhang took this very seriously.

However, just as Magistrate Zhang finished speaking, the natural energy beside Ye Ru's residence suddenly surged and poured into Ye Ru's residence like a whale swallowing its prey.

Fang Zifeng and Magistrate Zhang were shocked. They looked in the direction of Ye Ru, as if they had thought of something. They then looked at each other and saw disbelief and deep shock in each other's eyes.

"what happened?"

Zhang Wenying stared at the two of them, her eyes wide with confusion.

Fang Zifeng and Magistrate Zhang both swallowed hard, and after a moment, incredulous sounds slowly escaped their throats:

"Reckless abandon? This is a realm of calligraphy...practicing calligraphy by the pond?"