Chapter 27: The Great Confucian, Xiaoyao Zi

The room was silent, everyone was listening to Yun Ye recite a book they had never heard of before. Yun Ye cleared his throat and said, “This was taught to me by my teacher. He thought that the previous enlightenment books were obscure and difficult to understand, and they could not stimulate children’s interest in reading. In addition, many of the words were not carefully organized, did not rhyme, and were not catchy. It was difficult to recite them. So he specially made the Three Character Classic for me to inspire my interest in reading. I will now recite the Three Character Classic that my teacher made for everyone to hear.

“At the beginning of human life, nature is good. Similar natures become far apart through practice. If not taught, nature will change. The way of teaching is to be dedicated. In the past, Mencius’ mother chose a neighbor. If the child does not learn, the loom will be broken…”

Yun Ye recited the Three Character Classic in the classroom with a smug look on his face, but he had no idea that the Empress Dowager was churning with emotions outside the window. This is clear evidence that Yun Ye really did come from an unknown place. If a person were lying, it would be impossible to prepare so thoroughly. The ingenious study of things, profound mathematics, endless medical treatments, and enlightening books with unique ideas, this cannot be accomplished in just one or two generations. Just look at Song Lian’s broken beard and his wide open mouth to see the shock in the heart of this great scholar.

The eldest grandchild smiled. Our Tang Dynasty is truly blessed with good fortune. The heavens have sent us such a treasure. It would be difficult not to prosper! She pushed open the door and walked in, not waking anyone. They were all immersed in the catchy verses. Li Chengqian had been prepared and was diligently copying them. Occasionally, he would miss a few words, but he had made a note of them and was ready to ask Yun Ye about them later.

“People who leave their children behind will be rich and powerful. I teach my son only one thing. Diligence is a virtue, but playing is not. Be careful, and work hard.” After removing the people and events of the Sui Dynasty, Yun Ye recited the Three Character Classic in the Tang Dynasty version in one breath, but his heart was astringent. This is not his own enlightenment book, it is for his son’s enlightenment when he was three years old. In order to teach his son, he recited it with his son. He didn’t know if his son still remembered it, but it was deeply imprinted in his mind and would never be erased in his life.

Seeing Yun Ye’s eyes filled with tears, Empress Changsun thought he was mourning his deceased master. How could a person’s true emotions be hidden from an empress who has seen countless people? This kind of emotional outburst is the most moving. After all, she is a woman, and at this moment, Changsun also felt a bit of a sore nose. Her doubts about Yun Ye were completely dispelled. After all, he was still just a fifteen-year-old boy.

Song Lian closed his eyes and said nothing, but the muscles in his face twitched, betraying his excitement. He let out a long sigh, opened his eyes, and smiled as he said to Yun Ye, “There is no need for you to grieve. Your teacher was a great Confucian scholar who left behind this classic that will shine for all eternity. There is no need to care about life and death. As long as you spread this classic and educate the people, your teacher will surely be pleased in the afterlife.”

Song Lian stroked Yun Ye’s shoulders and said, “What you have learned under your teacher must have become a school of its own. Although it is different from the words of the sage in my heart, it is the same in the end. The great way is simple, but it is also complicated. I cannot teach you, lest I ruin your learning and make it neither fish nor fowl. It will be difficult to re-enter the hall. When you calm down, I want to hear about the “Hundred Family Names” and “Disciples’ Rules.” I’m sure they’re also two pieces of wonderful literature, and I’m very much looking forward to it.” After saying this, he laughed and bowed to the empress before turning and leaving.

Yun Ye discovered that the empress was standing next to him, and quickly wanted to bow, but was stopped by Empress Changsun: “I have only just realized today that there are people outside of people, and there are heavens outside of heavens. Your teacher, Xiaoyao Zi, is truly a remarkable man. It is a great pity that I have never seen this person in person. Fortunately, you are here. Tell me honestly, how much of your teacher’s knowledge have you learned?”

How much have I learned? Yun Ye asked himself. He had just finished the standard curriculum in mathematics, and knew a little about physics, which was the same as his major. What about chemistry? What about biology? History, except for the Tang Dynasty, was not familiar with the rest, and this was because he was from Shaanxi. English is out of the question. It is useless now. If the noble lord goes to talk to the bearded man, he will be laughed to death by the people of Chang’an. If he doesn’t die, he will be impeached by the officials. It would be embarrassing to be dragged to Zhuque Street and slapped in the face.

Seeing Yun Ye hesitate, Empress Dowager Changsun asked, “Have you learned 50%?”

“No.”

Oh my god, who would dare say in the future that they have mastered half of all knowledge? Even Einstein didn’t have the courage to say this. Newton still stood on the shoulders of giants to make some discoveries. Me? People would think I was from a country of sticks if I said that.

“Thirty percent?” The face of the Empress Dowager Changsun looked a little bad.

“No!” Yun Ye said decisively.

“One percent?” The veins on her neck bulged.

In order to prevent the Queen Dowager from going crazy, Yun Ye quickly said, “Your Majesty, my master’s knowledge is not his alone. It is the result of a group of people studying for several generations. I have only studied with my master for ten years. It is not easy to have these masters. It is difficult to enter the White Jade Capital, and it is even more difficult to leave. My master said that it took him hundreds of years to get out on his own, and this has seriously damaged his health. If it weren’t for his concern for me, he would have died long ago. In the next ten years, he still dragged himself along, and my master said that he died ten years ago, and it was he who kept him alive with medicine and took care of me growing up.

Yun Ye decided to portray his master as a kind and benevolent, learned, yet unyielding sage. Of course, he had to be a little good at medicine and kung fu.

Empress Dowager Changsun gasped. A dead man had lived for ten years. What kind of miracle was this? Now, she was convinced of the truth of Baiyu Jing’s story. Yun Ye was right. The knowledge of Xiaoyao Zi could not be learned by one person alone, even if one devoted one’s entire life to it. Only through the accumulation of the efforts of generations of people would there be a qualitative change. Nothing could be accomplished overnight.

She sighed and said to Yun Ye, “Well, there are nine out of ten things in the world that are not satisfactory. It is my fortune that you are here in our Great Tang. I have asked too much of you and I am too greedy. Now that Scholar Song Lian has said that he cannot teach you, you will study on your own in the palace. You have hurt your mind today, so you are allowed a day off. Tomorrow, you will write out the remaining two enlightenment articles in the classroom. I want to read them, and so does His Majesty. Do you understand?”

Yun Ye nodded quickly, his heart filled with joy. He was finally not going to school with this bunch of dragon sons and daughters. It was too dangerous. Don’t look at them now as a group of young boys and girls, but in a few years they will all be tyrannosaurus rexes who eat people. Cherish life and stay away from danger is Yun Ye’s long-standing proposition.

After the eldest grandson left, Yun Ye was surrounded by a group of little ones, who kept asking questions. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance. His aunt’s new backpack was filled with Yun’s secret fried chicken. As soon as he took it out, the strange questions disappeared. The little hands grabbed the fried chicken and ate it quickly, not bothering to ask Yun Ye. Only Li Chengqian chewed on the fried chicken and waved the paper in his hand for Yun Ye to complete it.