Chapter 48

Lin Zezu spoke in a steady, resonant voice with a clear, rhythmic cadence. *The Great Learning* consists of fewer than 1,800 characters; Lin Zezu recited it with a brisk, fluid pace, without a single hesitation. At the start, Scholar Zhu’s eyes had been half-closed, but as the cadence of Lin Zezu’s voice rose and fell, he gradually opened them wide, observing this Lin Zezu who seemed so different from before. Once Lin Zezu finished *The Great Learning*, Scholar Zhu instructed him to proceed with *The Analects*. *The Analects* contains about 1,600 characters. Lin Zezu recited it at a pace slightly slower than his natural speaking speed, leaving deliberate pauses between sentences to create an air of composed confidence. It took him just over a quarter of an hour to complete.