Chapter 94 Winter Reading for Different Purposes
That morning, amidst the falling snow, Zhou Qi and Gu Youan sent their son to the private school.
The private school was located in a small courtyard next to the gate of Prince Qi's mansion, not far away. Compared with the children who came to the mansion to study by themselves in carriages, it seemed that the couple spoiled their children too much.
"Hello, uncle, hello, aunt."
"Greetings to the prince, greetings to the princess."
The children from the Gu, Tian, and Zhang families bowed as they entered. Gu Youan smiled and said, "You're all here. Have you had breakfast? Are you cold?"
Ayang, the youngest who came to make up the group, walked up to his aunt and tugged at her skirt, saying coquettishly, "Ayang is cold."
Gu Youan immediately picked up his nephew and said with a smile, "You're only three years old. I told you not to come, so why are you here again?"
The eldest nephew Ah Xing glanced at his younger brother and said, "He knew I was coming, and he was clamoring to come too. He was afraid I would abandon him, so he refused to sleep with Mom last night and insisted on sleeping on my kang."
Ayang hummed softly: "Brother came to play with auntie, I want to come and play too."
"I told you I'm here to study, not to play. Why don't you understand?"
Gu Youan smiled and said, "Ah Xing, don't talk about him. If he understood, he would definitely not come."
Tian Jiaxuan's son Tian Wei, Tian Yongkang's sons Tian You and Tian Zhou, three cousins, stood together. Gu Youan saw how lightly dressed they were and asked, "Why don't you wear something more before going out?"
Tian Zhou yawned and said, "I don't want to wear it. I'm wearing too many clothes and I can't move."
"You can't not wear it. What if you catch a cold?"
Tian Zhou pointed at Zhang Yongjia and said, "Then go find his grandfather to treat the disease and prescribe medicine. Well, actually, you can also find his father, but Uncle Zhang's medical skills are not as good as Grandpa Zhang's."
"You're talking nonsense. My father is a very good doctor."
Zhang Yongjia agreed with Tian Zhou's words in his heart, but he still tried to protect his father's face in public.
Gu Youan touched Yongjia's head, then turned around and scolded Tianzhou: "Yongjia's father is your elder. If I hear you talk like this again, I will tell your father to beat you up."
Tian Zhou laughed proudly and said, "It's snowing already. Even if my father and mother want to come back from Shanhaiguan to beat me up, they'll have to wait until next spring."
The two brothers Tian Jiaxuan and Tian Yongkang were in Dongshan Port and Shanhaiguan respectively, and their children were left in the care of Tian Qingde and his wife. Gu Youan had occasionally heard her mother complain that the boys in the Tian family were naughty and difficult to discipline, but she had not taken it to heart. However, from today on, the children were sent to Prince Qi's Mansion to study, and she could no longer ignore them.
Gu Youan turned to look at Zhou Qi, who was already annoyed by the noise of the boys while holding his son. He looked at the two Gu brothers and the three Tian children and said, "Among the three teachers we've invited for you, there's one named Huang. He used to teach at the Imperial College and was also your father's teacher. If you don't obey him, you know the consequences."
The three Tian brothers looked at each other, and the eldest brother, Tian Wei, who was in the lead, immediately promised: "We will definitely obey."
Ah Xing and Ah Yang also nodded quickly. They didn't dare to anger the teacher, otherwise their aunt would beat them before the teacher could complain home.
Gu Youan sighed. Among this group of boys, only Zhang Yinshan’s son Zhang Yongjia seemed to be the quietest, and his temperament was more similar to her A Yuan.
A Yuan was held in his father's arms, looking down at his friends. He felt that he didn't need anyone to accompany him in his studies.
"Auntie, is Mr. Huang a vicious person? Does he hit people?" Ayang said, "If he hits me, I will cry."
"Princess, shall we have lunch at your house?"
"My grandmother said that I'm still young and must take a nap in the afternoon. Where can we sleep?"
Before entering the private school, a group of children started chattering at the door. Gu Youan was overwhelmed by what he heard and said hurriedly, "Don't make the teacher wait. Can we discuss it after the class is over?"
That’s fine!
Zhou Qi held his son, Gu Youan held his nephew Ayang, and brought a group of boys into the yard. Three gentlemen stood under the corridor looking at them, as if they had been waiting for a long time.
Mr. Huang, whom Zhou Qi had mentioned earlier, was staring at them with a cold expression, clearly a strict teacher. Mr. Wang also had a serious expression and looked like someone who wasn't easy to talk to. Only the youngest, Mr. Chen, had a smile on his face.
Very good, two strict gentlemen can just suppress a group of naughty monkeys, and the cheerful Mr. Chen can adjust the atmosphere. There is no better arrangement than this.
"I have met the prince and princess."
"No need to be so polite. It's snowing and cold. Gentlemen, let's go into the private school and talk."
Mr. Huang stared at the child in the arms of the prince and princess without saying a word. Gu Youan immediately understood what Mr. Huang meant. He put Ayang on the ground and told him to walk by himself.
Zhou Qi also put his son down and walked into the house holding his son's hand.
Seeing this, Mr. Huang felt satisfied that the boy was teachable. However, A Yuan felt less comfortable and glanced at Mr. Huang more when he entered the room.
Although there were only three gentlemen invited to Prince Qi's Mansion, each of them had a prominent background.
Mr. Huang Mengde, who taught the Four Books and Five Classics, was a teacher at the Imperial College before coming to Songjiang City. More than ten years ago, when Gu Wenqing and Tian Jiaxuan were still studying at the Imperial College, Mr. Huang was there, and the two of them would call him "Mr." whenever they met.
As to why Huang Mengde gave up the Imperial Academy and came to Songjiang City, it was mainly because he couldn't stand the mischief of several students in the Imperial Academy and scolded them. These students were all nobles from prominent families, and the elders in their families took revenge for their grandson, so Huang Mengde was expelled from the Imperial Academy.
Having offended the nobles, he had difficulty finding a teaching position in other academies. However, in his early sixties, he did not want to return to his hometown to retire, and still had a heart for teaching, so he was recommended to come to Songjiang City.
Another scholar was named Wang Nianjing. He was a Jinshi (Jinshi) and a leading figure in the Southwestern Mohist school. After passing the imperial examination, he chose not to enter officialdom but to return to his hometown, Wumeng Academy, to teach. This was how he met the Hu family in Wumeng Mountain and, through their connections, arrived in Songjiang City. He primarily taught mathematics, and perhaps later on, he would also teach Mohist mechanical engineering.
Zhou Qi and Gu Youan had been planning to hire a doctor for their son two years ago. It was a pleasant surprise that they could invite Mr. Wang. For this reason, Gu Youan wrote a thank-you letter to the Hu family of Wumeng Prefecture and sent many thank-you gifts.
Among the three gentlemen, Chen, the youngest and the most cheerful, was from Quanzhou Prefecture. He was a prodigy in studying when he was young. He passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi before he reached adulthood. He was a bohemian person who did not care about official career or economics, but only loved traveling around the world.
After traveling all over the Zhou Dynasty in his youth, Chen Yizhi went to grasslands and deserts, and also sailed south to Southeast Asian countries. He spent half of his life practicing the principle of reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles.
Mr. Huang and Mr. Wang were both recommended to Songjiang City by others, but Chen was not. He found the place on his own.
There were many craftsmen invited from the south to the shipyard in Dongshan Port, including Chen Zongji’s relatives in Quanzhou Prefecture. Chen Zongji had heard that Dongshan Port was bustling, so he happily took a boat to Dongshan Port for a visit.
A few days after he arrived at Dongshan Port, he went to the government office to recommend himself, saying that he was a Jinshi, his family was engaged in maritime business, and he could speak the dialects of several overseas countries, so it would be right to use him.
After Tian Jiaxuan talked with Chen Yizhi in person, he asked him to go to Songjiang City to recommend himself to the princess. Chen Yizhi ran to Songjiang Prefecture without hesitation.
On the day Chen Zhizhi arrived in Songjiang City, Zhou Qi and Gu Youan were both in the mansion. As soon as Chen Zhizhi saw the couple, he said that Prince Qi had the appearance of an emperor, and he was willing to stay and serve Prince Qi's mansion.
He suddenly said this without any reason. If he had not been recommended by Tian Jiaxuan, Zhou Qi would have kicked him out without hesitation.
Gu Youan suppressed Prince Qi's intention to drive him away, and smiled as he talked to Chen Yizhi about his hometown, Quanzhou Prefecture. Chen Yizhi told him everything he knew, which showed his talent.
Gu Youan has always known the importance of overseas. As for Zhou Qi, he originally only focused on the forces surrounding the Great Zhou Dynasty. Since the construction of Dongshan Port, the news brought back by the merchant ships made him pay more and more attention to overseas.
After Chen Yizhi took refuge in Prince Qi's mansion, the couple learned a lot of news from Chen Yizhi. They also told Zhou Qi that Chen Yizhi's knowledge and experience were a valuable asset, and since Songjiang City didn't need him yet, they asked him to teach at the family school.
Other private schools hire teachers to teach children the Four Books and Five Classics. Those with less money will hire one teacher to teach everything, while those with more money will hire a teacher to teach each subject specifically.
The Prince Qi’s Mansion certainly has no shortage of money, but the configuration of the teachers in the Prince Qi’s Mansion’s private school is really confusing.
If the prince and princess didn't value the Four Books and Five Classics, why did they invite teachers from the Imperial College to teach them? If they did, why did one of them teach mathematics and the other look like a storyteller?
The first class of the new semester did not involve worshipping saints or leading students to read the "Encouraging Learning". Instead, Mr. Chen's class started with talking about how many neighboring countries the Zhou Dynasty had.
Mr. Chen spoke in an interesting way with lively expressions. Even the three-year-old Ayang, who came to make up the numbers, listened attentively and didn't make a sound during the whole class.
Zhou Qi and Gu Youan listened to half of the class before quietly leaving through the back door.
After they walked away, Gu Youan smiled and said, "If Mr. Chen were to give lectures in teahouses and taverns, he would definitely make a lot of money."
"That's such a waste of his knowledge," Zhou Qi said. "Although the imperial court has restricted voyages, the Chen family has made a living at sea for generations, accumulating a large fortune and knowing the sea routes like the back of their hand. There are many families like the Chen family along the coast. If we could all use them..."
Gu Youan deliberately said, "When I mentioned overseas to you before, you didn't take it seriously. You said that the only enemy of the Great Zhou Dynasty would come from the grasslands and there was no need to worry too much about the coastal areas. What's going on now?"
Zhou Qi laughed and said, "I am not as knowledgeable as the princess. Please forgive me."
The couple walked into the study side by side. Three walls of the study were lined with books. In the middle of the study, there were two large desks, one on the left and one on the right, one for each of them.
He helped her untie the cloak from her shoulders, brushed off the snow, and said, "We are safe in Songjiang City. We can't take care of the affairs in the south for the time being. We have to wait for a while to open the sea."
The imperial court was already short of money, so why would it let the huge amount of commercial taxes from the sea go unprofitable? When he gained power, he would definitely pay more attention to maritime trade.
Chen had traveled thousands of miles to Songjiang City and joined Prince Qi's mansion. Wasn't it just so that coastal families like the Chen family could do business openly?
Chen always said that he was from Quanzhou Prefecture because he grew up on the shore, learned to read and write, took the imperial examinations, and was able to travel around the world with his household registration.
Many of Chen Zhizhi's cousins were different. To avoid the court's pursuit, they would hide on small islands at sea at night and sneak back to their homes on land at night. If one day they couldn't stand this kind of life like rats in the gutter, they would simply flee overseas with their entire family.
Chen's smooth journey to the South China Sea countries was thanks to the care of his relatives who had immigrated overseas. These experiences also made him want to do something for them.
He had been to Luoyang and spent money to bribe high-ranking officials in the court, but it was useless. They were all bastards who took money but did not do anything.
When he arrived at Dongshan Port, he saw the prosperous trade, saw an ordinary shopkeeper not avoiding or avoiding officials when he met them on the street, but instead greeted them with a smile, and heard the merchants talking loudly about business. He knew that everything he wanted would eventually come true.
In order to see his family relatives return to their hometown by boat in a legitimate manner during his lifetime, he felt that he had to make more efforts.
After the class was over, Chen kept looking at the fascinated faces of a group of children and couldn't help showing a proud look. Although it was his first day as a teacher, he did a good job.
"Mr. Chen."
"Please speak, my lord."
Yuan asked, "Do you have a sea chart?"
"I don't have it here, but the Chen family does."
"Oh, maybe it can be sent to Songjiang City?" A Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Whether your family wants money or an official position, you can talk to my father and mother."
Chen was always surprised. He didn't expect that a child still in his parents' arms could say such words.
Yuan frowned: "Mr. Chen, I'm waiting for your answer."
Chen Zhizhi came back to his senses and said with a smile: "It's not that I don't agree, but this sea chart is not easy to get. If you want a sea chart, you have to take a ship overseas."
Yuan was a little disappointed. It sounded like it would be difficult to get.
Tian Zhou said: "My brother and I have been to Dongshan Port. It was fun to go out to sea by boat."
Yuan had also been out to sea by boat, and he said, "It's not fun."
What's so fun about fighting at sea? On sunny days, it's very hot, and on rainy days, they say the wind and waves are too strong and the boat might capsize.
Tian Zhou was not convinced: "It's fun, go fishing in the sea, the fish in the sea are bigger than the fish in the river."
"If you fell into the sea and a big fish swallowed you in one gulp, would you think it would be fun?"
Tian Zhou was stunned for a moment. He touched his head and said, "I haven't encountered it before, so I don't know."
Ah Yang laughed heartily and said in high spirits, "Next time we go together, there are so many of us that we can overwhelm it."
The children were getting more and more unreliable. Mr. Huang came in and scolded them, "My class will start in a quarter of an hour. Get ready."
"Yes, sir."
Chen followed Mr. Huang to the next room, which was specially cleaned out for the three gentlemen to rest. The room was connected to a fire wall, and carefully cultivated flowers and plants were placed in the corners. It was very comfortable.
The desk in front of Mr. Wang was piled with written papers. He was concentrating on solving a problem. He didn't even look up to greet Chen Yizhi and Mr. Huang when they came in.
Mr. Huang said loudly, "Since ancient times, children's enlightenment has been based on literacy and understanding. I don't know why the prince and princess chose you as their teacher, but since you are a teacher, you should fulfill your responsibilities. How can you bear the responsibility of disturbing the students' temperament by talking nonsense like today?"
Chen kept smiling as he sat down: "At your age, please stop losing your temper all day long. It's not good for your health."
"Oh, I'm just speaking the truth. Mr. Chen, could you please answer what I just said?"
Chen Zhizhi took a sip from his teacup and said with a smile, "Mr. Huang, forgive my frankness, but you've spent your life teaching and educating people. It's not an exaggeration to say that your students are everywhere. You taught them benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness with great patience and perseverance. But in the end, when you were in trouble, who helped you?"
Mr. Huang sneered and said, "I left the Imperial College on my own initiative. It has nothing to do with my students."
"The rituals and music are broken, it's time for you to find another place."
"Chen Yizhi, what do you mean?"
"I don't mean anything. I just want to tell you, Mr. Huang, that I'm here for the future of my family. Can you tell me why you're here?"
Mr. Huang's old eyes gleamed with brilliance: "I came here for the Great Zhou Dynasty."
The imperial court was rotten from the inside out, and although it still looked glorious on the surface, people like Mr. Huang had already seen the problem.
"Mr. Huang, that's a good point! So today, Mr. Huang, I want to ask you, if we want to rule the world, is it enough to just rely on the morality and justice you talk about?"
"If your stuff was really useful, you wouldn't be in this situation today!" It was a clear sarcasm.
Chen Zhizhi smiled and said, "Everyone in Songjiang doesn't know that the prince and princess prioritize workers and farmers, followed by merchants, and finally scholars. You've spent your entire life talking about military affairs, while the prince and princess have transformed Songjiang from a remote town into what it is today. Don't they know better than you how to govern a country?"
Chen kept pointing at himself and then at Mr. Wang, saying, "Mr. Wang and I are able to sit here, but you still don't know the attitude of the prince and princess?"
Mr. Wang continued to write his questions and still did not participate in the verbal argument between the two.
Mr. Huang remained silent until a quarter of an hour had passed. As he was leaving with the book in hand, he said, "Songjiang City is too small. If the prince ever ascends the throne, he will still have to rely on Confucianism."
After a while, the sound of students reading came from the private school over there. Mr. Wang finally put down his pen and said slowly, "Mr. Huang is right. Confucianism on the outside and legalism on the inside are applicable to both ancient and modern times."
"That's the truth. Look at the Zhou Dynasty today. The Confucians are pedantic, the Legalists are cowardly, and they've been rotten from the inside out."
Chen has always said that if Prince Qi was not still capable, the governors and generals who hold military power in various places among the Zhou royal family would rise up in rebellion before the current emperor passes away, causing chaos in the world.
Prince Qi was able to keep it under control, so the Grand Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Frontier, Shen Hui, who commanded the largest number of troops, dared not act rashly. Without Shen Hui's action, the garrisons in other places, fearing being the first to act, retreated and waited for their opportunity.
Mr. Wang asked, "If Confucianism and Legalism don't work, does that mean our Mohism will? Or are there other schools of thought that are better than Confucianism and Legalism?"
Chen Zhizhi smiled and said, "Shangxian, a small country with few people, isn't Songjiang City the favorite place for you Mohist disciples? Don't you want to show your skills here? Then what are you, the leader of the Mohist school, doing here?"
Mr. Wang glanced at him and said, "I know you hate the court, but there's no need to be so harsh and annoying."
Chen couldn't laugh anymore, so he sat down and stared at a pot of orchid on the high table in a daze.
The three teachers took turns teaching the class, which ended in the afternoon.
Zhou Qi came to pick him up in person on time. A Yuan stretched out his hand and asked his father to hold him. Zhou Qi picked up his son, nodded to the three gentlemen, and left.
Mr. Huang angrily said, "How old is the child? He's still being carried around? Prince Qi has only one son. Instead of teaching him to be wise and resolute, he's just been allowed to enjoy wealth and honor. What will happen to him in the future?"
Chen kept yawning and didn't want to argue with the old man at all, so he turned around and went back to his yard.
Mr. Wang politely said hello to Mr. Huang and left. A group of students also ran away, leaving Mr. Huang in the corridor, angry.
Ah Xing went home and told his grandfather, "Mr. Huang from the Imperial College doesn't like my uncle holding Ah Yuan."
Ah Yang echoed his brother's words, saying, "Mr. Huang is very fierce and his words are not pleasant to the ears. Mr. Chen is better."
Gu Wen had dealt with Mr. Huang before and knew his character. He said, "Mr. Huang has no bad intentions. You are not allowed to go against him. Do you understand?"
Ah Xing knew: "Auntie has already taught us."
Ayang was unhappy: "Studying is not fun, I don't understand, I won't go tomorrow."
Gu Wen frowned, "You said you wanted to go, don't give up halfway. From now on, you have to go out to study with your brother. Even if you don't understand, you have to sit in the private school at home."
"Grandpa~"
Gu Wen was afraid that he would make trouble, so he turned around and left.
Ah Yang went to his mother again, complaining that the lectures given by the so-called Imperial College teacher were not fun. Duan sighed helplessly, "Several of your cousins from the Duan family wanted to go but couldn't, and yet you still despised them."
When Ayang heard his mother mention the Duan family, he was unhappy. He turned around and ran away again. He ran to his brother's room and saw his brother practicing calligraphy.
"Brother, I want to play."
Ah Xing took his discarded paper, turned it over and scribbled on it. Having something fun, the two brothers went about their own business, and Ah Yang didn't bother his brother.
The main courtyard of Prince Qi's Mansion.
A Yuan leaned close to his mother and told her about his studies today. He did not mention his cousins who accompanied him to study, but only talked about the three gentlemen. A Yuan felt that Mr. Huang was not a good person.
Gu Youan asked what was wrong with him. A Yuan thought for a long time before saying, "My father and mother taught me to tell me everything, good or bad. Mr. Huang is not like that. He only thinks he is good and doesn't allow us to talk nonsense."
"What about Mr. Chen and Mr. Wang?"
Yuan thought about it and felt that Mr. Chen and Mr. Wang were good candidates. He found both overseas studies and mathematics interesting.
Gu Youan touched his son's hand and smiled, "If you find it interesting, then study hard. If you don't find Mr. Huang's lecture interesting, then just listen to what you like."
"Um."
In the evening, Liu Zhong found a chance to report to his master about the quarrel between Mr. Huang and Mr. Chen in the house. Zhou Qi didn't take it seriously, and neither did Gu Youan.
Of course, the couple knew that the three gentlemen must have their own purposes in coming from afar, but they did not inquire into the matter. As long as they knew that they were truly knowledgeable and would not harm the Prince Qi's Mansion, they would boldly use them.
Songjiang City's heavy snow arrived early this year. Several heavy snowfalls before the winter solstice completely blocked the road from Shanhaiguan to Songjiang City. Previously, Songjiang City would have been an isolated city frozen in time by the heavy snow. However, thanks to the prosperity of Dongshan Port in recent years, the situation has improved significantly.
The official road from Songjiang City to Dongshan Port was constantly cleaned by the people, and it was quite convenient for messages to travel between the two sides. News from the court and the palace would be delivered to Prince Qi's Mansion every month.
The secret letter said that corrupt officials were in power in the court, and the censors did not dare to submit impeachments. Only the voices of praise and praise could be heard in the Imperial Palace.
"A few years ago, Zhou Xuan was still competing with me and had the ambition to be a wise ruler. But in recent years, he has ignored everything and is moving faster and faster towards becoming a tyrant."
Gu Youan didn't think there was anything incomprehensible about Zhou Xuan's path. She said, "If you want to destroy him, you must first drive him crazy."
Zhou Xuan was too ashamed to face anyone. The thought that a person with a disabled body but a strong will would never happen to him would never happen to him.
Another secret letter stated that the third prince fell into a well and died on October 27.
"The third prince is Zhou Xuan's son from his previous life before he inherited the throne, right?"
Zhou Qi nodded: "I will be coming of age this year."
Zhou Xuan was the son of the late crown prince. In terms of seniority, Zhou Qi was Zhou Xuan's uncle, but in terms of age, the two were about the same age.
Zhou Qi married after coming of age, and their only son, A Yuan, was not yet seven years old. Zhou Xuan married early, so the sons he had sired before he ascended the throne are now in their early twenties.
Zhou Xuan was born early and had many children. From last summer to this time this year, five princes have died in the palace.
"Counting from the eldest prince down, all the princes who came of age have died. The remaining ones are all princes born to concubines of military generals."
Generals like Chen Hui could hardly sit still.
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