Forbidden Land – CH 100

Chen Demao looked at the notebook in his hand, sighed, seemingly reminiscing about the past. After a long while, he said, “This song is actually both the school song and the anthem of the Quishi Society. The lyricist, Master Ma Yifu, was himself a member of the Quishi Society.”

Zhang Chao asked, “Is there some hidden meaning in the school song?”

Chen Demao nodded. “At that time, the New Culture Movement had been over for decades. Other university school songs were written in vernacular Chinese. Why did our Zhejiang University use classical Chinese? Moreover, this classical Chinese text is full of allusions; even senior humanities students wouldn’t know the origins of most of them. Only by using classical Chinese could the spirit of the Quishi Society be better hidden in the school song, encouraging its members.”

Zhang Chao shook his head, puzzled.

Chen Demao pointed to the notebook and explained line by line. “The first line, ‘Great minds aren’t arrogant, like the ocean embracing rivers,’ according to the school song, naturally refers to students having a broad mind and a spirit of inclusiveness. But according to the Qiushi Society’s interpretation, what is so great that it can ’embrace all rivers’? It is the Dao, the Dao that pervades the universe, which is the ‘Dao’ in the Tao Te Ching.”

Zhang Chao and Chen Rong glanced at it and nodded; this explanation did indeed make some sense.

Chen Demao continued, “The second line, ‘Learning has no boundaries, reaching to the heavens and earth,’ seems to encourage students, implying that the sea of ​​learning is boundless. But if you think about it carefully, if ‘only learning has no limits,’ then why add ‘reaching to the heavens and earth’? This isn’t only repetitive but also contradictory. The heavens and earth are also limits! Actually, according to the Qiushi Society’s interpretation, learning has its limits. Through learning, one can’t grasp the most profound ‘Dao,’ but only master the ‘Tool.’ Why is learning merely a tool and not the true ‘Dao’? The following two lines explain this.”

“The metaphysical is called the Dao; the physical is called the Tool. This line further clarifies the viewpoint of the previous two lines. Learning can only grasp the laws of things, enabling one to utilize things—the so-called ‘Tool.’ But the true ‘Dao’ can’t be grasped through learning alone; it requires enlightenment.”

Zhang Chao and Chen Rong both took a deep breath. So this was another interpretation of the school song.

Chen Demao continued. “Rituals emphasize differentiation, and music emphasizes harmony; knowing their unity, you’ll understand. According to popular interpretation, these two lines mean that rituals differentiate people by rank, while music fosters harmony; rituals and music are one, and understanding this leads to greater understanding. This interpretation seems reasonable at first glance; scholars understand the system of rituals and music. But consider this: the school song was written close to the 1940s, decades after the New Culture Movement. University students were strongly opposed to the feudal system of rituals and music. And the core of the feudal system of rituals and music was the system proposed by the Zhou emperor. So why does the school song still advocate the system of rituals and music, and encourage students to understand it? Because this line implicitly embodies the spirit of the Quishi Society. Rituals distinguish different ranks, music promotes harmony; ultimately, rites emphasize difference, music emphasizes unity. This corresponds precisely to the yin and yang of the universe, thus metaphorically representing the ‘Dao’ of yin and yang and the five elements.

“The next sentence reads, ‘The State has a national university, located on the banks of Zhejiang.’ You probably know what ‘national university’ means; it’s a university. So, this sentence means there’s a national university in the coastal area of ​​Zhejiang. But if you think about it carefully, this sentence is very inappropriate. Zhejiang University is in Hangzhou. Although there’s the Hangzhou Bay Bridge, Hangzhou Bay is no longer considered part of old Hangzhou. Whether looking at a map or understanding at the time, Hangzhou was in northern Zhejiang, not on the shores of Zhejiang. Why doesn’t this sentence say ‘The State has a national university, located in northern Zhejiang’? Why does it specifically say ‘on the banks of Zhejiang’? Because there’s a hidden meaning here…

“When the War of Resistance against Japan broke out, Zhejiang University had already moved west, and most members of the Qiushi Society moved with the university. However, some alumni remained in Zhejiang, secretly protecting local culture and actively organizing resistance against the Japanese. At that time, there was a well-known teahouse by West Lake called the Zhejiang Riverside Teahouse, which was a secret meeting place for the Qiushi Society members who stayed in Zhejiang. The school song specifically added ‘on the shores of Zhejiang’ to commemorate the spirit of those who remained. Unfortunately, the teahouse was demolished during the West Lake renovation after liberation. Otherwise, if we went there now, we could certainly recall the spirit of those martyrs.”

Zhang Chao and Chen Rong were surprised to hear this unprecedented explanation. They were amazed that there was a “Zhejiang Riverside Teahouse,” and no wonder it wasn’t called “North of Zhejiang” but “On the banks of Zhejiang”—there was such a story behind it.

Chen Demao continued, “The next line, ‘The ancients spoke of seeking truth, truly inspiring one to seek reality,’ is generally considered the easiest line to understand in the school song. Our school motto is ‘Seeking Truth,’ so this line naturally means that the essence of Quishi is seeking reality. However, upon closer examination, these two lines are actually repetitive. What does ‘Seeking Truth’ mean? According to the Shuowen Jiezi, ‘truth’ means ‘the essence,’ exactly the same as ‘reality.’ Even engineering students understand that ‘Seeking Truth’ means pursuing the truth; there’s no need to explain ‘Seeking Truth.’ Mr. Ma Yifu was a master of Chinese classical studies. He used many obscure allusions in the school song, which other students didn’t understand. Why would he explain this simplest line? That would be a gross underestimation of Mr. Ma’s profound knowledge of Chinese classical studies!

“Why repeat the explanation of ‘truly inspiring one to seek reality’ in the second sentence? A school song, unlike an article, should be concise. Isn’t it redundant to have two sentences conveying the same meaning? The key hidden meaning lies in the character ‘真’ ^(truth) in the second sentence. What does ‘真’ mean? Since this was written in classical Chinese, its meaning is naturally different from its modern Chinese interpretation. The Shuowen Jiezi explains ‘真’ as ‘a celestial being transforming and ascending to heaven,’ referring to a deity. Therefore, ancient Taoist priests were called ‘真真人’ ^{(True Person)}, and the Quanzhen School of Taoism ^{(Complete Perfection School)} also uses this term. In other words, reaching the state of ‘真’ was actually reaching the state of the “Great Dao” of the universe. Therefore, the whole sentence means, “Members of the Quishi Society, what you should pursue is the Great Dao of the universe!

“The next line is, ‘The Book of Changes teaches; wisdom and understanding revealed.’ The Book of Changes is an allusion, a metaphor for flowing water. The surface meaning of the whole sentence is that one must learn diligently, like flowing water, to truly master the knowledge in books. However, according to the Qiushi Society’s understanding, Xi Kan ^{(Book of Changes)} is interpreted separately. Xi refers to learning. Kan represents water in the Bagua. Why learn the Bagua? This is naturally addressed to the members of the Qiushi Society.

“The next line is simple: ‘Don’t claim to be right, and don’t claim to have achieved truth.’ Because the Qiushi Society is a secret organization, this means, Don’t say you’re a member of the Qiushi Society, and don’t tell others that you pursue ‘truth.’ It requires members of the Qiushi Society to keep their activities secret from the outside world.

“The next line, ‘Nothing is without change, nothing is without new; how to innovate, to enlighten the people,’ naturally refers to university students’ need for innovation and change, and their role as pioneers of innovation and reform for the Chinese people. However, according to the Qiushi Society’s interpretation, this line has a different meaning. The last two lines refer to three names: He Yixin, Lu Kaiwu, and Chen Qianmin. These three were key members of the Qiushi Society in Hangzhou and made outstanding contributions to the War of Resistance against Japan and the defense of their homeland. He Yixin was the famous educator He Xiehou, who also served as the president of Peking University. At the time, he lived in Yuhang, and He Yixin was a pen name he used for articles published in newspapers. Lu Kaiwu and Chen Qianmin were alumni, respectively local gentry from Ningbo and Taizhou, who provided significant financial and human resources support for the Qiushi Society’s research and activities. These two didn’t make academic contributions, so their names are unknown to later generations.

“The following line, ‘Alas, you virtuous scholars, may you have something to say,’ is addressed to the members of the Quishi Society. You, the young talents of the Quishi Society, must remember these people. Because when Zhejiang University moved west, the young members of the Quishi Society were unfamiliar with the situation in Zhejiang, and some didn’t even know these predecessors. Therefore, it implicitly suggests that even though they were far from home, they should still be grateful to their comrades.

“‘Remember the classics, think wisely and insightfully; possess both literary and practical qualities, encompass agriculture and industry.’ This line tells the young people of the Quishi Society that although they pursue the great principles of the universe, the foundation of these principles is learning all kinds of knowledge. Whether it’s humanities or engineering, whether it’s industry or agriculture, there are always things to learn. They mustn’t be ambitious but lack practical skills.

“The next line, ‘Encompass all aspects, know the beginning and the end; achieve mastery through composition, like gold in the furnace.’ According to the interpretation of the school song, success naturally isn’t easy, just as true gold requires a long refining process. But according to the Quishi Society, success isn’t easy, like the process of ancient alchemists refining the elixir of immortality.

“The last line, ‘May the fields prosper, may the clan be generous, may our nation be established, may the world be united,’ tells the members of the Quishi Society not to be prejudiced, for all roads lead to Rome, and all knowledge must be learned. The purpose of mastering these things is for the development of the school, for the country, and for the nation.”

After listening to Chen Demao’s explanation, Zhang Chao and Chen Rong felt as if they had attended a most vivid history lesson. They hadn’t realized that so many stories were hidden behind the school song—truly unexpected, something they never dreamed of! It was like a sudden awakening, a profound sense of enlightenment. Looking back at the explanations in parentheses in their notebooks, everything made perfect sense.

After explaining these points, Chen Demao became increasingly excited. “Back then, before I knew this interpretation of the school song, I never dreamed that it would hide such a great secret! Unbelievable! Look! In just over a hundred words, it begins by clarifying the concepts of ‘Dao’ and ‘Tool,’ then discusses the interconnected principles of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements in the universe, followed by an explanation of the essence pursued by the Quishi Society, and a warning to young members not to forget their homeland and elders. It then discusses the arduous process of seeking truth and how members should learn, finally concisely stating that the Quishi Society’s purpose is for the school, for the country, and for the nation! It’s coherent, with a beginning and an end, all in one breath. It’s both the school song and the society’s anthem—truly a masterpiece for all time, a testament to the profound skill of our predecessor, Ma Yifu! A masterpiece indeed!”

Chen Demao seemed to be back in the classroom, completely absorbed in his lecture.

Although Zhang Chao knew virtually nothing about traditional Chinese culture, he was greatly impressed by Chen Demao’s explanation. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “So the mission of the Qiushi Society was to protect the school, the nation, and the people through various covert methods for their development. Professor, how large was the Qiushi Society back then?”

Chen Demao shook his head. “My mentor doesn’t know the exact number either, because everyone’s identities were kept secret. He estimated it was probably less than a hundred people, but most of them were very accomplished.”

Chen Rong said, “Is it possible that the Qiushi Society still exists today? Otherwise, this notebook we found wouldn’t make sense. It’s clearly a new notebook.”

Chen Demao pondered for a moment and said, “That’s quite possible. Otherwise, I think very few people today would know about the past. By the way, how did you find this notebook?”

Chen Rong didn’t intend to explain clearly, so she said, “We found it by chance on the road. We really didn’t know there was such a story behind it.”

Chen Demao said, “It’s a good thing that the Qiushi Society still exists. It has been secretly supporting the school’s development and helping it solve difficulties. I think that the feng shui arrangement during the construction of Zijingang must have been guided by a master from the Qiushi Society. Otherwise, modern architects generally don’t understand this kind of knowledge. Now that you’ve learned so much, what are your plans next?”

Chen Rong didn’t want to tell him that they planned to continue their investigation, fearing he would worry, so she said, “Now that we know so much, we have some answers to many of our previous questions. I think we can’t solve these things on our own. We can only take care of ourselves and not get involved with anything else. Whether the School of Medicine’s problems were caused by humans or there were truly unclean forces at play, we are powerless to change anything.” She looked somewhat dejected.

Chen Demao nodded in agreement, saying, “That’s good. Until things are clearer, you students must take good care of yourselves.”

Afterwards, they chatted for a while, ate dinner at his house, and then returned home.