Chapter 518 Regarding the Selection of Teachers for Elementary Education (Part 1)
The crown prince is extraordinary.
This is a consensus among everyone. Having witnessed the miracle of the first birthday celebration, and having seen the precious and symbolic gifts sent by academies that had never been born in Jixia Academy, who could not help but be moved?
Dong Zhongshu was the first to approach Liu Che, speaking earnestly and humbly, only wishing to become Liu Ju's tutor.
Before Liu Che could even think about it, ministers came one after another seeking an audience, all vying for the position of tutor.
Even Wei Qing, usually cautious and prudent, volunteered to be Ju'er's martial arts instructor. Huo Qubing also jumped around eagerly, eager to try.
Looking at the ministers who were practically about to fight in front of him, Liu Che felt both proud and troubled. He was proud that his son was so outstanding, but troubled that there were too many tutors to choose from, making it hard to decide.
He casually made up an excuse to dismiss everyone, and then Liu Che prepared to find out what his son was thinking.
The gilded bronze lamp with a coiled dragon pattern stained the bedchamber with an amber hue. As Liu Che crossed the threshold, he saw the little dumpling dressed in a light purple brocade sitting on the bed with his back to him, surrounded by the tokens from the hundred families that he had received during his first birthday celebration.
Seeing him toss the tokens around like a ball, Liu Che's brow twitched. These things would be respectfully enshrined outside, but it seemed Ju'er was showing them disdain.
"Tsk, the way the Hundred Families favor Ju'er is truly enviable."
Liu Che couldn't help but complain. He thought that if the system could detect how much each family liked Ju'er, their favorability would be off the charts.
Thinking of this, Liu Che subconsciously glanced at the system.
[Confucianism is highly favored (as a descendant, mine, you know?)]
[Taoist affinity maxed out (He's my successor, you get the idea?)]
[Legalist's favorability maxed out (his successor, mine, you get the idea?)]
...
Okay, okay, stop reading!
Liu Che immediately put away the light screen, unable to bear it any longer. As the emperor, he was constantly being urged by his ministers in court and by various factions within the system.
Honestly... he's the son, and he won't agree to it. What can you do about it? Hehe—
Liu Che casually took off his black cloak and tossed it onto the jade table. He then walked a few steps to the couch and sat down next to his son.
“You are truly a man of few words, but when you do speak, you amaze everyone,” he said, reaching out to poke the soft, chubby baby. “Now, court officials are all vying to be your tutor.”
"Hmm." A muffled nasal sound escaped from his throat. Liu Ju didn't even raise his head, and his chubby little hand slapped away the annoying fingers.
He's intently stacking the Legalist bronze tripod model onto the Confucian bamboo slips, like building blocks. Don't disturb him!
Liu Che lay down on the brocade pillow, so he wouldn't let him poke his cheeks, huh? His slender fingers then poked at that round little belly, chubby arms, back, and little feet...
"Whom do you want to choose as your tutor?"
Liu Ju tried to dodge left and right, but couldn't escape the annoying fingers. Helpless, he looked up, grabbed a Confucian bamboo slip that wasn't suitable as a base and had been rejected by him, and stuffed it into his father's hands, who seemed to have ADHD.
"Play with this, sweetie."
Liu Che held the bamboo slip in his hand, then suddenly chuckled softly, and poked Liu Ju's little belly, "You're really generous, do you even know what this is, yet you give it to your father?"
"Why"
Liu Ju sighed. His father was too difficult to please; he couldn't play independently!
He's a mature child now; he shouldn't argue with immature adults.
So, all sorts of tokens were pushed to Liu Che's side by his chubby little hands, and Liu Ju casually said, "You can choose whichever you like."
His boldness made Liu Che's bones melt, and he wrapped his long arm around her and pulled her soft body into his embrace.
Looking at her son's rosy and adorable little face, she couldn't resist giving him a loud kiss.
"Since Ju'er likes her father so much, her father will help you choose a good tutor."
"!" Liu Ju's eyes widened in horror. He covered his face and kept backing away, accusing the father in a childish but fierce voice as he retreated: "Father eats children!"
Liu Che, who was initially a little embarrassed by his actions, laughed even louder upon seeing this.
Liu Ju retreated quickly, but Liu Che seized power even faster.
He hugged his son again and gave him two more big kisses on his chubby cheeks. "Fathers don't eat children, they only eat their sons!"
Liu Ju was utterly despondent, and after being ravaged by Liu Che, he completely gave up, becoming as soft as a cat's yolk, so supple and boneless that Liu Che was extremely surprised and had even more fun.
Sons aren't born to be played with, are they?
Liu Che quickly convinced himself, putting aside all thoughts of tutors, and happily played with his soft, cuddly little son.
...
Late at night, Liu Che, who was holding his son as he fell asleep, once again drifted into a lucid dream.
In the familiar space, Liu Che calmly dispersed the surrounding clouds and mist, calling out, "Xiao Ji?"
[This is not during the system's operating hours. Please leave a message if you have any questions.]
"..." Liu Che was speechless. The system's job was getting easier and easier. He didn't know if it had really gone to rest or if it was too guilty to see him.
Looking around at the empty, unchanged space, Liu Che asked, "So why did you make me enter a dream again?"
The humming of bronze chimes, mingled with the scent of sandalwood, drifted over, while the clear sound of jade chimes gently tapping echoed from the depths of the mist.
Liu Che looked in the direction of the sound, and as the clouds dispersed, a figure gradually became clear. The moon-white Confucian robe flowed like clouds, and the nine-chapter pattern was faintly embroidered in the wide sleeves. The Tai'a sword at his waist reflected a cold light.
"I am Fu Nian, the head of the Xiaoshengxianzhuang Confucian School in Sanghai."
Fu Nian bowed gently to Liu Che, drew his long sword from his waist, and lightly stroked the blade with his fingers. He looked up at Liu Che and said, “This is the Tai’a sword, originally the national treasure of the Chu Kingdom. When King Zheng of Qin launched his attack on Chu, this sword spontaneously drew its sheath as the city fell, pointing straight to the heavens. People call it the ‘Sword of Majesty,’ but they do not know that only those with benevolent hearts can truly unleash its sharpness.”
"..." Liu Che remained silent, truly unsure of what to say. Was this the same history he knew? Had they summoned him to uncover the truth of history?
Fu Nian put down his sword, and a scroll of bamboo slips suddenly appeared in his hand. The pages moved on their own without any wind. “I have studied the Book of Poetry and the Book of Documents since I was a child. I have written twenty volumes of Commentary on the Book of Rites. I have also incorporated the Six Arts of Confucianism into swordsmanship and created the Sage King Sword Technique. I use the sword to show the rites and the martial arts to prove the Way. The sword moves fully demonstrate the Confucian principles of moderation, peace and righteousness.”
Before the words were finished, the clouds surged and formed the phantom of a school, where three thousand scholars sat in rows, their resounding voices shaking the sea of clouds.
“I am willing to dedicate all my knowledge to teaching the Crown Prince etiquette and the way of the king,” Fu Nian bowed respectfully. “I wonder if Your Majesty would be willing to entrust the Crown Prince’s early education to me?”
Got it, this is a self-recommendation.
Emperor Wu of Han truly hadn't expected that he would have to deal with court officials' self-recommendations during the day, and even while asleep, he would have to deal with Confucian sages' self-recommendations. Anyone who saw this would surely say, "Truly, he is worthy of being his son; he is exceptional!"
Compared to ministers, Liu Che naturally preferred a capable Confucian sage to teach his son. But before he could agree, another wave of trouble arose on the other side.
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