In Shang Wanjun’s view, trying to understand ancient texts without any annotations is a highly challenging task.
Especially when it cos to historical books, which are completely different from other ancient writings.
Other ancient writings generally focus on describing an event throughout.
However, a few words in a historical book can represent a significant historical event, and without annotations or an extensive historical background, one cannot comprehend it.
But Xu Lin reads very, very quickly.
The first volu of Song History, with over 500,000 original words, was flipped through by Xu Lin in just half an hour.
It didn’t even seem like he was reading; rather, it looked like he was flipping through the pages randomly. Anyone who didn’t know better might think, "Is this person a fool?"
Shang Wanjun couldn’t help but ask, "You! Did you finish this book?"
"I’ve pretty much morized it."
Xu Lin chuckled, "Why don’t you pick a passage for to recite?"
"Let see..."
Shang Wanjun took the first volu of Song History, and when Xu Lin asked her to open to any page, she turned to the first page of First Chronicles: Taizu.
She said, "Recite the description of Zhao Kuangyin’s birth for ?"
Xu Lin thought for a mont, "Zhao Kuangyin was... born with a red glow surrounding the room, a peculiar fragrance that lingered overnight, his body shone with a golden hue, unchanged for three days..."
Seeing Xu Lin recite it, Shang Wanjun remained unmoved, as this passage was relatively well-known because many founding emperors or great rulers in history are recorded with a touch of mythology, such as Zhao Kuangyin being born emitting golden light that lasted three days.
So, Shang Wanjun picked a few more passages, and Xu Lin answered them all, leaving her a bit surprised. She continued to randomly flip through the book and quiz Xu Lin, who still answered correctly.
"Is this photographic mory?"
Shang Wanjun was very surprised, not expecting Xu Lin’s mory to be so good.
"I can only say I have a good mory, but not photographic. I’m not that amazing yet."
Xu Lin opened the second volu of Song History and continued to read.
For the entire morning, Xu Lin kept reading until a little past noon, finishing the whole set of Song History.
"Your reading speed is astonishing."
Shang Wanjun couldn’t help but say. In the end, she added, "Why are you interested in history? These heavy historical books are quite dull, even ones with significant literary value like the Records of the Grand Historian. They are inevitably tedious."
"Perhaps it’s because I read quickly, able to finish so many books in a few hours. If I had to spend a long ti, like a dozen or more days or even longer, on one book, I probably wouldn’t do it."
"What’s your impression after finishing the historical books?"
"Thoughts, which have no physical form, are hard to accurately express in words. I can say I’ve gained trendously, but I can’t specifically say how. I can’t exactly claim that these books taught how to be a person, can I?"
"Learning from paper always feels shallow; the principles learned from books are useless. It seems like you’ve learned them, but without practical experience, they aren’t truly yours," said Shang Wanjun.
Xu Lin agreed, "That’s definitely true. Only by applying what you’ve learned, by unifying knowledge and action, can you truly say you’ve learned sothing."
"And what about you, teacher?" Xu Lin asked her.
That morning, while Xu Lin was reading, Shang Wanjun was copying poetry into a notebook.
"I copy so poetry. When I encounter poems or sentences from ancient texts I like, I jot them down,"
"Can I take a look?"
"Sure."
Xu Lin took the notebook and saw that it was filled with many poems.
Most of them Xu Lin hadn’t seen before. As he flipped through it, he noticed a distinct style in Shang Wanjun’s poetry selections.
"It seems like you prefer poems with strong character and vigour."
"Otherwise, what kind of poems do you think I would like?"
"I have so stereotypes, thinking that girls prefer poems leaning towards lanting the change of seasons, like those of Nalan Rongruo and Li Yu."
Shang Wanjun shook her head, "I don’t like those sentintal poems. Like Li Yu, just can’t bring myself to like him. As an emperor, he lacked any imperial aura."
"Not in the position, not considering the affairs; in the position, then attending to the affairs. Li Yu was an emperor yet did not fulfill the duties of his role. Ultimately, he beca a captive, only able to shed tears to palace maids, lanting the change of seasons every night. Quite difficult to praise." Xu Lin concurred.
Shang Wanjun replied, "Li Yu and Emperor Huizong of Song are similar. These kinds of emperors, from the perspective of ordinary people, are a disaster. But the angle most take is from the perspective of literati or bureaucratic aristocracy, completely ignoring the plight of regular folks. If people like these were emperors, the world would be plunged into deep water and scorching fire."
Most people think Li Yu was pitiable, suggesting he would have been better off if he weren’t an emperor.
But Shang Wanjun did not agree. She thought Li Yu was useless. After being imprisoned, he still cried constantly, like a woman. Not only was he impotent as an emperor, but he didn’t even have the courage to stand up as a man.
Xu Lin was more straightforward; he just didn’t like Li Yu, feeling that he didn’t act like a man. His wife was taken, and all he did was lant the change of seasons and cry—quite absurd, let alone being an emperor.
Xu Lin and Shang Wanjun had synchronized mindsets. Having much to discuss on this topic, they talked for a long ti.
"Xu Lin, what’s your favorite poem?"
"At the mont, one is Langtaoshan Beidaihe, which you read this morning, and another by a great man, called Nian Nu Jiao·Kunlun."
"Really? Why not write them in my notebook?"
"Aren’t both already in your notebook?"
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