Chapter 214: The Sage’s Teacher
Chapter 214: The Sage’s Teacher
Liu Jian suddenly stood up upon hearing the news. He looked extremely surprised. The regulations submitted by Liu Daxia were instantly thrown to the ground as he asked excitedly, “His Majesty… summoned us… he… has recovered?”
“Fang Jifan… cured him.”
Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and the others exchanged glances, each of their eyes filled with disbelief.
Overwhelmed with joy, Liu Jian could no longer be bothered with Liu Daxia and spoke anxiously.
“Quickly, quickly, to the Warm Pavilion to see His Majesty!”
Despite his advanced age, Liu Jian almost jogged to the Warm Pavilion. By the time he arrived, panting and out of breath, he was stopped by a eunuch.
“Lord Liu, please wait a moment.”
Liu Jian’s heart sank, and he asked somewhat confusedly, “What?”
The eunuch replied, “His Majesty has some private matters to attend to, so please wait for a while. His Majesty will summon you shortly.”
“Private matters…” Liu Jian was immediately filled with doubt. His Majesty rarely had private matters before. What could be more important than state affairs?
Had His Majesty… changed?
In the Warm Pavilion.
Zhu Houzhao was still kneeling obediently.
In truth, habit had become second nature. His knees had developed calluses, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable anymore.
But his heart ached.
Why would his Imperial Father rather believe Old Fang’s acting than sympathize with his helplessness?
He secretly lifted his eyes and saw his Imperial Father sitting solemnly behind the Imperial Desk, having taken out many letters from somewhere.
Emperor Hongzhi began writing replies.
Thinking of those children warmed his heart. After all, the Emperor was the Emperor, and his skill was exceptional. To reply to the letters, he had specifically listed all the senders…
Zhang Xiaohu, Xu Jie, Song Jinbo, Zhao Hao…
Of course, those signatures with random symbols were also easy to categorize. Some were XXO, some were OOO, and some were XXX. In short, there were always patterns to follow.
He compiled a long list and then began writing replies while cross-referencing the letters.
It was a massive undertaking.
But Emperor Hongzhi enjoyed it immensely. He appeared full of energy, and a gleam of light occasionally flashed in his eyes.
He first took out a blank sheet of paper and wrote, “Esteemed Zhang, I have read your letter. You…”
After a moment’s thought, his pen paused.
It seemed… too formal.
If he replied like this, would the schoolchildren understand?
Emperor Hongzhi smiled wryly, then crumpled the letter and tossed it aside. He picked up another letter and wrote, “Zhang Xiaohu, I have read your letter. Your handwriting is poor and requires diligent practice…”
Writing this way felt much more relaxed and natural, and Emperor Hongzhi found it flowed smoothly.
He replied to each letter one by one: “XXOO, there are Palace Maid Officials in the palace, but they only attend to my daily needs. Do not let your imagination run wild. Since ascending the throne, I have abolished the previous Emperor’s policies and also dismissed the Palace Maids…” He paused, frowned, and suddenly looked up, “Companion Xiao, where is Companion Xiao?”
Xiao Jing, overjoyed to learn that His Majesty had recovered, eaten porridge, and regained his spirits, had been waiting outside the Warm Pavilion. Upon hearing the summons, he replied, “Your Servant is here.”
Emperor Hongzhi asked, “How many Palace Maids did I dismiss when I first ascended the throne?”
Xiao Jing thought for a moment, “Roughly over 940.”
“Exactly how many over 940?” Emperor Hongzhi was unsatisfied.
“Should Your Servant go and check?”
“Forget it,” Emperor Hongzhi waved his hand.
Xiao Jing said, “Your Majesty, Lord Liu and the others have arrived.”
“Oh,” Emperor Hongzhi nodded. “I nearly forgot. However, I still have some matters at hand. Why not ask them to return for now? I will visit the Grand Secretariat to see them later. There are indeed many things I wish to discuss with them.”
Xiao Jing had no choice but to reply, “Your Servant obeys the decree.”
Emperor Hongzhi now felt assured and picked up his brush, writing cheerfully.
“I dismissed over 940 Palace Maids and Palace Maid Officials. I refrain from indulging in women, as you can see. You are still young and unaware of palace affairs. Why speak so confidently? Do not do this again in the future. Focus on your studies…”
As he wrote letter after letter, Emperor Hongzhi couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.
Hearing his Imperial Father laugh, Zhu Houzhao, who had been listless in the corner, suddenly perked up and grinned along. Unfortunately, he misread the situation. Emperor Hongzhi didn’t even glance at him; the laughter wasn’t for him. Zhu Houzhao felt snubbed and lowered his head again to count ants.
Emperor Hongzhi thought to himself, I… am actually keeping company with schoolchildren. How absurd! Never mind, never mind. It would be better not to reply to these letters.
He thought about crumpling the letters he had written, but before he could move his hand, a thought struck him. It was as if something deep inside had touched a chord. Emperor Hongzhi froze for a moment, then smiled again, shook his head, and continued writing replies.
Fang Jifan returned from the palace.
Though he had intended to go to the Western Hills, he had not slept all night and was unwilling to leave the city. He took the Carriage waiting at the palace gate back to his residence. As he stepped down and was about to enter, someone behind him called out, “Mentor.”
Fang Jifan turned around in surprise.
He saw Wang Shouren standing alone behind him, carrying a travel pack. He looked destitute.
Men… Mentor…
Fang Jifan couldn’t help but frown.
And… why had this guy brought all his pots and pans? Well, not exactly pots and pans, but a backpack for long journeys.
Wasn’t the Ministry of Personnel about to select officials?
At a time like this, was he planning to leave town?
Fang Jifan looked astonished, his clear and bright eyes widening as he asked curiously.
“You…”
“I was thrown out of my home by my father.”
Wang Shouren’s expression was unusually calm, as if he were saying, “I had chicken for lunch.”
“…”
“I thought carefully. My father gave me my body, but you, Mentor, taught me the ultimate truths. Now that my father has kicked me out, it works out perfectly. From now on, I will study by your side. One day, my father will change his mind.”
“…”
“Mentor, could you spare a room for me? If not, I can stay with Senior Tang.”
“…”
“Mentor, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Fang Jifan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. His bright eyes fixed on Wang Shouren as he asked very seriously, “When did I become your Mentor?”
“Confucius said, ‘When three men walk together, one of them must be my teacher.’ Of course, that’s not important. What matters is that I used to study the Cheng-Zhu School of Neo-Confucianism, but now I plan to forget it all. I only read the Analects now and only remember your teachings. Since my knowledge comes from you, Mentor, you are naturally my teacher. Mentor, have you forgotten? ‘The Great Way is Simple.’ Why bother with trivial formalities… This is what you taught me.”
Did… I… teach… him that…
Fang Jifan was baffled. You imagined all that yourself. What does it have to do with me?
Fine, stay calm.
Someone like him, thrown out by his family with nowhere to go and skilled in martial arts, could be dangerous.
Fang Jifan forced a smile onto his handsome, jade-like face.
“So you mean… you don’t plan to formally become my disciple, yet you want me to be your teacher? You don’t even plan to offer Preserved Meat, Longan, or other inexpensive gifts as tuition? Not only that, but you’ve packed your bags and come to my place, planning to eat my food, drink my drinks, and sleep in my house?”
“Yes, is there a problem with that?” Wang Shouren asked Fang Jifan strangely.
Fang Jifan swallowed hard. How did mooching off others seem to have become second nature to him? Fang Jifan’s smile was stiff and forced. Then he glanced at Wang Shouren’s lean but powerful body, the heavily calloused backs of his hands, and the bulging temples on his forehead.
Alright, you have the bigger fists, so you’re right!
“Very well…” Fang Jifan gave him a warm, spring-like smile. “Welcome. I’m very happy, truly, I’m not lying.”
Would having such a strange person in the residence pose a risk?
After all, historically, this person not only fought bloody battles on the battlefield but also survived assassins sent by Liu Jin to hunt him down. He was exiled to Longchang in Guizhou, where it was said to be sparsely populated and the native people were difficult.
Under such harsh conditions, how… did he survive…
Fang Jifan felt his scalp tingle. Although history only briefly recorded Wang Shouren’s life in a few lines, Fang Jifan’s only thought was that someone so stubborn, peculiar, and destructive was like a ticking time bomb.
Fang Jifan affectionately patted his shoulder. “I’m glad that when you were thrown out with nowhere to go, the first person you thought of was me. It’s my honor… Haha, haha…”
After a few dry laughs, Fang Jifan continued, “However, you should… stay with Xu Jing.”
Xu Jing was more adaptable and, at the very least, wouldn’t provoke the eccentric Wang Shouren. That was important.
That old fellow Tang Yin wouldn’t do. Deep down, he had the repressed flamboyance of a scholar and loved to argue.
“Why?” Wang Shouren looked puzzled.
“Because Tang Yin has smelly feet, while Xu Jing’s are more fragrant.”
Wang Shouren took a deep breath and bowed to Fang Jifan. “Mentor, you are so thoughtful. Mentor…”
“What?”
Wang Shouren hesitated for a moment. “There’s one more thing I still don’t understand. I’d like to ask for your guidance, Mentor.”
“Don’t rush. Let’s go inside and talk slowly. I am an approachable person, as you’ve likely heard from Xu Jing and the others. Once you’re here, make yourself at home. Don’t stand on ceremony. Are you hungry? Should I ask your senior Ouyang to make some noodles for you?”
Wang Shouren felt slightly touched.
Since being thrown out, he was indeed a bit hungry. So he nodded to Fang Jifan.
“I am quite hungry. However, I’d like to ask for your guidance first. We can eat noodles afterward. Mentor, regarding ‘Unity of Knowledge and Action,’ is ‘Knowledge’ the Innate Moral Conscience, meaning the benevolence, righteousness, and morality spoken of by the Sage? But what about ‘Action’? How should ‘Action’ be carried out? If one makes a mistake while acting, what should be done?”
Fang Jifan fell silent. Did I say that ‘Knowledge’ is benevolence and morality?
How much did you imagine on your own?
Fang Jifan thought for a moment. “If you make a mistake… correct it!”
“…” Wang Shouren fell silent again.
If you make a mistake, correct it…
He had pondered deeply, yet he hadn’t even thought of this. So simple and direct, so obvious, yet he had racked his brains and fixated on complexities. Who would have thought it was simply about correcting mistakes?