Chapter 1586 Class
"Your Highness, how about I teach you the 'Opening Chapter' this time?"
The prince raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why, aren't you going to talk about the chapter on the princes and the emperor?"
Mr. Zhuang smiled and said, "Having discussed the 'Opening Chapter,' we will naturally move on to the chapter on the princes and emperors."
The prince leaned on the pillow behind him, raised his chin slightly and looked at Mr. Zhuang, motioning him to speak.
Mr. Zhuang didn't care for his attitude and continued respectfully as always, "Your Highness, you should have read the Book of Filial Piety, perhaps even memorized it. Confucius said that filial piety is the foundation of all virtues and the source of enlightenment. To win the hearts of the people, the emperor must possess supreme character and the most important morality. Only then can the world be stable and the people be united."
The prince was tired of hearing these words. Kong Jijiu had been repeating them to him whenever he had the chance over the past few years. The prince listened absentmindedly and nodded perfunctorily.
Mr. Zhuang asked, "Your Highness, what do you think of the present?"
The prince said indifferently, "Father is naturally wise and powerful."
Mr. Zhuang took in his expression and smiled, saying, "You are quite right. Your Majesty is indeed wise and powerful. I am older than Your Majesty, and Your Highness may not know this, but I have lived through two dynasties. During the turbulent times, I was studying in my hometown. Not only were my neighbors forced into military service, but even other wealthy people in the county were forced to sell their property due to excessive taxes."
"Not to mention the nearly two hundred years of turmoil, even during the last emperor of the previous dynasty, the people suffered terribly," Mr. Zhuang said. "Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have successively pacified the Turks, Xiyantuo, Huihe, and Gaochang. In terms of civil administration, you have successively sent Lord Tang, Minister Li, Lord Wei, and others to tour the country and assess public opinion. For the past sixteen years, you have worked diligently and never slacked off."
He said, "Your Highness once served in the Ministry of Revenue. You should know that when the Great Jin was first established, there were only two million households. Now there are three million households. You can imagine your Majesty's achievements in civil and military affairs. Your Majesty truly deserves the title of wise and powerful."
The Crown Prince did not deny what Mr. Zhuang said, but he could not help but say, "Servant Zhuang should have said these things in front of His Majesty."
Mr. Zhuang knew that the prince had probably heard these words more often than the emperor. No matter whether they were good words or advice, if he heard the same words too many times, he would feel bored even if he knew in his heart that they were reasonable.
He took a sip of tea, put down the cup, poured himself another, and then continued, "Your Highness, as the 'Da Ya' says, 'Do not forget your ancestors, but cultivate their virtues.' You are the crown prince, and you should cultivate your own virtues in accordance with the aspirations of your ancestors. Looking at His Majesty's achievements in civil and military affairs, shouldn't you learn from him?"
The prince picked up the teacup and took a sip, then smiled faintly. He glanced at the quiet tea room and saw that Zhuang Xun had brought him here specifically for a small class. He knew that there must be more to Zhuang Xun's story.
He put down his teacup and asked, "My father is such a great scholar and warrior, but he hasn't learned from my grandfather's ambitions or cultivated his virtues. Is it wrong for Minister Zhuang to use my father as an example to teach me?"
He said, "Even Confucius, when teaching the Classic of Filial Piety, often used the Han Dynasty's Emperor Wu and Emperor Wenjing as examples to teach me."
Mr. Zhuang knew the most important thing had arrived. He couldn't help but sit up slightly straighter and said, "Your Highness, the book is correct. Children are the continuation of the bloodline, but we must also understand that every child is an independent person. Your Highness is, and so is Your Majesty. Your words and actions also prove that you are not completely dependent on your father. You will not completely obey Your Majesty, and Your Majesty will not listen to the late emperor's dictates. Everyone has their own weighing of gains and losses, and even their own thoughts on the world."
The prince was slightly stunned. This was a bit confusing and seemed to go against the original meaning of the "Book of Filial Piety".
Mr. Zhuang continued, "Filial piety doesn't mean completely obeying our ancestors. Even saints make mistakes, so how much more so can we ordinary people?"
He said, "Lord Wei often advises the emperor in this way. Your Highness should also distinguish between the good and the bad of your father and learn from him."
The Crown Prince became more serious and couldn't help but sit up slightly straighter. He placed his teacup on the table, raised his gaze to Mr. Zhuang and asked, "What do you think I should and shouldn't learn from my father?"
Mr. Zhuang smiled and said, "Your Majesty has many things that Your Highness can learn from. Today, let's talk about the most worthy virtue of filial piety."
The Crown Prince couldn't help but sneer and asked, "What is the most valuable lesson for me from my father? Filial piety?"
Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly and replied, "Yes!"
"Your Highness, what do you think is the highest wish of the clan? What is the most unifying wish of the Li ancestors?"
When the Crown Prince heard Mr. Zhuang say that what he should learn most was filial piety from his father, he didn't want to listen any further. However, since Zhuang Xun had said something right earlier, he continued to sit there and asked, "What does Mr. Zhuang think it is?"
"Your Highness might not agree with what I'm saying, so why don't you think about it yourself?" Mr. Zhuang said, "Your Highness, imagine that you are a father and the Crown Princess has given birth to a legitimate son. What kind of future do you hope for him? What aspirations do he want to inherit? What will the future be like for your descendants?"
The prince frowned.
Mr. Zhuang said, "The Crown Princess will give birth in three months, right? The Crown Prince is a new father, and he might not know that raising a child is more than just giving them a name and feeding them. You also have to teach them how to behave, how to read and write, and even see them achieve success..."
Mr. Zhuang said sadly, "I missed out on a lot when I was young. When Your Highness was a teenager, His Majesty was at his most dangerous and busy. I'm afraid I didn't have the time to teach you. But I think the hearts of fathers all over the world are generally the same. What kind of person does Your Highness want his child to become?"
That is of course to inherit his throne and pass on the Li family's empire from generation to generation.
This is what the prince thought in his heart and what he said to Mr. Zhuang.
He would become the emperor in the future, and the prince never shied away from the fact. During an argument with Prince Gong, he even bluntly declared that if he wanted to become the crown prince, he would first have to step over his dead body...
So he never avoided this point, and the emperor and his court officials were already used to it. Even if someone heard about it, no one would report him unless he was training his troops.
Mr. Zhuang smiled and said, "Your Majesty must have thought so too. The late emperor certainly thought so too. The ancestors of the Li family must have had this hope as well. They hoped that the Li family's rule would be passed down for a long time. To achieve this, the people of the world must be united, the people must live and work in peace and contentment, the emperor must govern the people well, and the people must trust and support the royal family..."
Mr. Zhuang had a smile on his face, but he almost cried in his heart. He finally got the topic back to the right track. This student was really difficult to teach, more difficult than all the disciples he had taught before.
Yuzhu I: Tears streaming down my face, it is really too difficult to write, why should I write about Mr. Zhuang teaching the Book of Filial Piety
See you at 8pm
(End of this chapter)
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