Be a master through ancient times

"Zhao Qing, I'm sorry."

When the five of them were walking back to the school dormitory, Zhu Feng said suddenly.

Zhao Qing looked at him in surprise, not understanding why he said that.

Zhu Feng scratched his head and said: "Chu Siye is right today, if we are really good brothers, we can't stop you from making progress because of our own selfish desires."

"Yeah, what Zhu Feng said is right, and I did something wrong this morning." Wu Guang said shyly.

"Yeah, I just felt a bit regretful that I couldn't take classes together in the future, and I didn't mean to blame you." Zhu Mingyue couldn't control his mouth, and he always said what he wanted to say directly.

"Sorry." Jiang Xian also nodded at Zhao Qing. Although he didn't say anything in the morning, he thought so too.

Hearing what they said, Zhao Qing was immediately moved: "It's not your problem, it's my own misthinking. As Chu Siye said, I cheated with you before and wrote your homework for you, but I didn't really help you .In the future, I must urge you to study and improve, so that we brothers will not be wasted!"

Zhao Qing's temperament is relatively gentle, and it is rare to see him with such a passion, so when he said these words, everyone nodded in agreement.But I don't know, with this nod, the unrestrained and comfortable days waved goodbye to them.

……

"Chu Siye, someone from Tixue Dao has come, and he told you to go to the Tixue Yamen as soon as possible." He Ping received the notice from the concierge, and immediately went to the Imperial College to find Chuci and told him about it.

Chu Ci was inspecting each class with the thickened roster. Hearing this, he went back and changed his official uniform, and then asked Zhang Hu to fasten the carriage and send him to the Tixue Yamen.

At the gate of the Tixue Division's yamen, Chu Ci met Zhao Yu, the head of the prefecture school.After the two greeted each other, they walked in together.

"Chu Siye, tell me, why did Yang Tixue ask me to wait here?" Zhao Yu asked casually.

"I don't know about that. Mr. Zhao Shan, Mr. Chu's qualifications are still relatively low. He has been in office for many years and is more familiar with Master Tixue. What do you think is the reason why he summoned us today? Please also invite Zhao Shan Let me clear up some confusion for Chu." Chu Ci gave a few words of compliment.

Zhao Yu laughed, stroked the beard on his chin, and said: "Chu Siye is too modest, but Mr. Zhao is indeed more familiar with Mr. Tixue than you. He called us here today, presumably for the sake of It's about the quarterly exam results."

"What are you two talking about? I heard you talking from a long distance away." Yang Tixue didn't see the way he confronted Chu Ci in the court that day, and smiled like a kind old man.

"I've met Master Yang." The two bowed their hands to Yang Tixue.

Yang Tixue asked them to get up, and then said: "You two, go in with me, the others are waiting for you inside!"

"Yes." The two replied in unison, and then walked in behind Yang Tixue.

As soon as he entered the hall, he saw the heads of the six academies sitting in it. Seeing Yang Tixue and the two of them coming in, they all stood up to salute.

After exchanging pleasantries, someone asked Yang Tixue why he called them here.Yang Tixue said with a smile: "If there is nothing important, I will not disturb everyone. It's just that Mrs. Wen sent a message today, saying that he wants to discuss with you the results of the quarterly exam. That’s why everyone was invited over.”

"I see. I don't know where Mrs. Wen is. I should go and visit him later. How can I bother him to come?"

"Don't be impatient, everyone. Taifu Wen is coming out of the palace at this time, and he won't be there for a while. Let's drink tea first." Yang Tixue smiled, then clapped his hands, and asked the servants to bring tea .

Liu'an tea is very popular in Beijing, and Yang Tixue is no exception. It is Lu'an tea that he ordered his servants to bring.Everyone picked up the teacup and took a sip, and then complimented the tea one after another.

Chu Ci had no intention of joining, and was thinking about what Mrs. Wen looked like in his mind, so Yang Tixue called him out.

"Master Yang, I was in a trance just now, and I didn't hear what your lord said. Please forgive me."

"It doesn't matter. I just saw that you looked indifferent. It seemed that you didn't like this tea. I was afraid that the reception would not be good, so I asked this question." Yang Tixue said.

"Your Excellency's hospitality, how can the lower officials not like it?" Chu Ci picked up the tea cup and took another sip to show that he liked it.

"However, I heard that Chu Siye likes Mingqian Longjing, not Liu'an Guapian." Zhao Shanchang said suddenly.

Chu Ci heard it, thought about it carefully, and instantly understood.He only mentioned his favorite tea at the Ministry of War Minister. This Zhao Shanchang's surname is Zhao, and the Ministry of War Minister's surname is also Zhao. They are probably from the same family.

"No, this person has many preferences, who can only like one kind of tea? Mingqian Longjing tea tastes soft and sweet, while this Lu'an tea tastes fresh and mellow. Both are high-quality teas, and Chu is just right. I like both. Moreover, drinking different teas in different environments can also give you different feelings.”

"Everyone is tasting tea? Why don't you wait for me to join you in such an elegant matter? I am also a tea lover." A voice sounded outside the door, and the person who appeared in front of everyone with this voice was a kind-hearted man old man.He looked a little thin, but he looked in good spirits, with rosy cheeks and full of air when he spoke.

When Chu Ci saw him, he was very surprised, because he had clearly seen this person before him!At that time, he was just a student. He had seen this old man and a young boy near the water pool in Wenxingfang. Because of the extraordinary behavior of the two, Chu Ci had always been impressed, but he didn't think that this was Wen Xing. Tai Fu.

Surprised, Chu Ci followed the crowd to salute after the person next to him pushed him.Because he was much slower than others, everyone turned their attention to Chu Ci after Mrs. Wen called out, wondering why he lost his composure.

"Little friend, what's the matter? You don't know the old man?" Coincidentally, Mrs. Wen was also deeply impressed by the little scholar who was holding a book and enjoying reading leisurely.It's just that he knew Chu Ci's identity earlier, so he wasn't as surprised as he was.

"Your official doesn't know that you and Chu Siye, Taifu, are old acquaintances?" Yang Tixue was a little surprised. He was above the main hall, and he obviously didn't know Taifu Wen after hearing the words of Chu.Could it be to avoid suspicion?

"Master Yang, I spent a few days with this little friend Chu at the beginning of March this year, so it can be regarded as an old acquaintance." Mrs. Wen explained his confusion.

"I don't dare to call you my lord as a young friend. I met you for the first time by the small pond that day. I don't know the identity of your lord. If you offend me, I hope your lord will forgive me." bowed.

"Haha, Xiaoyou Chu blamed the old man for not clarifying his identity at the time?" Mrs. Wen smiled heartily.

"The lower official has no such intentions. If I had known the identity of the lord, I am afraid that the lower official would not dare to talk to the lord because of his shame. Hui, it’s too late to reverence and longing, how dare you say the word blame?” Chu Ci said.He really wouldn't blame others for hiding their identities.Taifu Wen is one of the three princes, with a high position and authority, if he reveals his identity when he sees people, is it possible that he thinks that his life is too stable?

"It's fine if you don't have one. At that time, because the old man received an urgent message from Ju Ye Shanren, he left in a hurry without even saying hello. However, as the saying goes, goodbye by fate, no, today the old man sees you again." Sitting at the head, Mrs. Wen picked up the newly brought tea cup, took a sip, and sighed: "Good tea!"

The love in his expression does not seem to be fake, Chu Ci felt that perhaps the source of the popularity of Lu'an Guapian in this capital lies here.

"Today, the old man asked Mr. Yang to invite everyone here, just to talk about this quarter's exam. This year's topic was ordered by the old man, and the emperor hand-picked it. I read the papers for several days, although I also found a few well-written ones. article, but most of the students say nothing, this old man is very worried."

The head of the mountain who was sitting all bowed their heads and said nothing. The students did not write well, which naturally means that they have no way to discipline them.

Master Wen looked at the reactions of the crowd, and said with a slight smile: "You don't have to do this, you must know that the master leads the door, and the practice is up to the individual. The old man will definitely not blame you for this matter."

"I'm ashamed."

"Okay, let's get back to business. The quarterly exam evaluation has been released. Let's talk about the Imperial College first. Because there are still inner and outer courts during the quarterly exam, I will still refer to the inner and outer courts. The first is the inner court, a total of 96. Among them, there are 32 outstanding students, 64 middle-evaluation students, and the overall evaluation is upper-middle. Compared with the previous season, it is a slight step back. There are 260 students in the outer court, including 43 excellent evaluation students and 110 middle-evaluation students. Three people, 110 poor judges, the overall rating is medium. Compared with the previous season, it has made great progress, and this is all thanks to Chu Siye."

"Thank you for your praise. The achievements of the outer court are due to all the masters in the outer court. Of course, it is also inseparable from the efforts of the students themselves. It has nothing to do with the lower officials." Chu Ci stood up and said modestly.

"The old man just came over from the emperor. I heard that when Chu Siye defended himself at the court that day, he used deliberation to guess the old man's thoughts clearly. Only then can he prescribe the right medicine. How can it be said that it has nothing to do with you?" Taifu Wen looked at Chu Ci, his eyes were full of ridicule.

Chu Ci was very embarrassed: "I also ask Mrs. Wen to forgive my subordinates for speculating on their own. This is a low-level move, and one has to work steadily and steadily to learn one's way."

Mrs. Wen was taken aback for a moment, and then smiled: "It's rare for you to think so clearly. Yes, learning can't be accomplished overnight. If you deviate from the right track because of a fluke, you will put the cart before the horse."

"The next official will follow the teachings, and must teach the students of the Imperial College to study hard and work hard, and don't take chances."

"Yes, please sit down. The old man will talk about the government school..."

Taifu Wen listed the results of several academies in the capital city that participated in the quarterly examination, and then compared them with those of the previous season.

The biggest step back this time is Qimen Academy, and the head of Qi Shan has always felt sorry for him, for fear that what happened to Liu Siye last season will happen to him again.Unexpectedly, this year when Mrs. Wen came here in person, he didn't say a word of punishment, which made him very grateful.

After talking about the season test, Mrs. Wen recounted what he had seen and heard in Fujian that day, which was more detailed than what Chu Ci heard from Wen Ran that day.It turns out that not only the two villages in Fujian are quite different, but all the villages near the sea are like that wealthy village, and they have no desire to learn at all.Sometimes, when walking four or five villages, there is not a single private school in sight.

Everyone also expressed their opinions on this, but after all, they know very little, so they dare not make rash suggestions.Taifu Wen also knew that there was no rush for this matter, so he changed the topic and asked how they planned to "sacrifice Confucius" this year.

Confucius is the most holy teacher. When all scholars enter school, they will be taken by the master to worship the statue of Confucius.Every year, the 27th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar is the birthday of Confucius. For those who have read books, this day is of great significance, and it is an important celebration second only to the Chinese New Year.

Chuci has never celebrated this day with everyone since the day he crossed over.When he first came, this day had already passed.In the second year, he had just finished the provincial examination. At that time, he stayed behind closed doors. Today, he followed Mr. Xu to set up an incense table and fruit plate, and just worshiped.But they don't know that the academy in the capital city pays so much attention to this matter.

Several mountain chiefs talked about their thoughts, and they probably followed the old routine of last year, but the order was changed.

Mrs. Wen shook his head and said, "After all, there is still something new. It's like this every year, and the students probably don't have much enthusiasm to participate."

Seeing this, Yang Tixue said, "Why don't you share your opinion with Chu Siye? You are a young man and you have just entered the Imperial Academy, so you must have more novel ideas in your mind. Mrs. Wen, you don't know Ah, this Chu Siye has a quick mind, so he must have already had a good idea, but he is too modest to show his talents easily."

Seeing that Chu Ci wanted to say something, he immediately said, "Chu Siye, please don't refuse. This is your boss and colleagues. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Just say it. If it doesn't work, just say it." It doesn’t matter how you Yuanshan County School worshiped Confucius.”

After hearing this, Mrs. Wen shifted her gaze to Chu Ci, and the others did the same, waiting with their ears pricked up for his "high opinion".

Chu Ci had a smile on his face, and he had already scolded this Yang Tixue in his heart, pretending to be a good bird, thinking of bullying him from time to time.He's said so much, if he still says he doesn't know, won't it make everyone think he's hiding it intentionally?

"Teacher Wen, Master Yang, all colleagues." Chu Ci cupped his hands towards them, "Since everyone wants to hear my thoughts, then Chu Ci will say it. If there is something inappropriate, I hope you will not take offense. .”

"Chu Ci was born in the countryside. Actually, he didn't know much about the sacrifice to Confucius, because there were too few people studying in a small place, so he didn't have much influence at all. My county school, although sincere in its attitude when offering sacrifices to Confucius, was hindered by The conditions are limited, so the holding is not too grand, but there is nothing to say. But..."

Chu Ci looked at everyone, and seeing that they were all whetted by this, he was very satisfied, and continued: "However, after reading a few folklore books, Chu Ci discovered something interesting. Dare I ask everyone , ordinary people, which days do you pay special attention to?"

"Does it need to be said? Of course it's the Chinese New Year and various festivals." A mountain leader rushed to answer.

"And their birthdays," added another.

"That's right. The reason why the common people pay special attention to these days is because these days are closely related to their lives. Except for the scholars, other people are indifferent to the worship of Confucius. It is precisely because they think that this matter has nothing to do with them. Irrelevant in the slightest."

"Chu Siye, aren't we talking about how to worship Confucius? Why are these common people involved again?" Master Yang said.

"Master Yang, be safe and don't be impatient. Let Chu Siye finish first." After hearing what he said, Mrs. Wen had an idea that was about to come out, but she always felt that there was still something to be done to reveal it.

"Combining what the Taifu just said about Fujian's disregard for enlightenment, I have an idea in my mind. Why don't we spread the matter of offering sacrifices to Confucius to the common people? To educate people's hearts has always been to moisten things silently. Let's let Only when the common people understand this matter can they actively participate in it. Students can show off their talents by offering sacrifices to Confucius. If the common people see the extraordinary things of scholars, they will even restrain their children from studying. ?"