Sanqiao smiled and said, "Girl, I've heard that orange cats tend to get fat, but look at how fleshy the orange cats that the general has raised are."
Hua Fushu was helpless. "Yes, nine out of ten domestic orange cats are fat, and some are so fat that you can't even hold them. They're not like the skinny wild cats out there. They worry about their next meal every day. If they're not careful, they might get poisoned by rat poison, beaten to death, or starve to death." She looked at the orange cat and sighed softly. "Orange, you should lose weight. I'll start helping you lose weight tomorrow."
She carried the orange cat to the low couch and sat down. She looked at Ye Zelin and said, "Orange, this is your father. Say hello to your father."
The orange cat cooperated with Hua Fushu very well. It opened its eyes, looked at Ye Zelin, and meowed.
Ye Zelin looked at the orange cat and unconsciously moved closer. "Don't talk nonsense. I don't have this cat son."
Hua Fushu asked, "Juzi is very gentle, do you want to hug her?"
Ye Zelin didn't hold the orange cat, but he felt a little annoyed, "Cats shed easily, don't you think it's dirty?"
Hua Fushu said, "Oranges are very clean."
Ye Zelin seemed displeased, "No hug."
Hua Fushu then realized that something was wrong with Ye Zelin, "Ye Zelin, you're not afraid of cats, are you?"
Ye Zelin denied it lightly: "No."
Hua Fushu believed it and thought that he just didn't like cats, so he picked up Orange and went to pet the cat.
Si De was very capable, especially in inquiring. In just one or two days, he had heard clearly how many disciples Confucius had, how old they were, when they entered the officialdom, what positions they held, how long they had been in office, what achievements they had made, where their hometowns were, what their personalities were like, etc. He recorded them on paper for Ye Zelin to check.
Confucius had five disciples, including Ling Zhiheng's father, Ling Weiliang, the Minister of Rites. Except for Ling Weiliang, who was serving in Beijing, the others were all serving in other places. They all held important positions, made great achievements, and were praised by everyone.
Ye Zelin browsed through the records of Confucius' disciples and said, "Si De, you did a good job and made very thorough inquiries. Confucius' disciples are all outstanding people, all of whom are well-known and reputable. If I could have Confucius as my teacher and his disciples as my senior brothers, it would be my great fortune in this life."
Confucius was a renowned scholar, profoundly learned and of noble character. However, most of Confucius' disciples came from families of scholars, not military commanders. Si De knew it would be extremely difficult for the Second Young Master to become Confucius' disciple. He expressed his concerns, "Sir, you know Confucius's rules. What if Confucius really refuses to accept you as a disciple?"
Ye Zelin said seriously, "Nothing is absolute in this world. There are exceptions to everything. I truly admire Confucius's talent and I sincerely want to become his disciple. In ancient times, Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times to ask him to come out of seclusion. Now, I, Ye Zelin, have visited Confucius three times to become his disciple. I will use my sincerity to touch Confucius' heart. If he is moved, he will form a master-disciple relationship with me."
Seeing the young master's sincerity and persistence, Si De really didn't want to dampen his spirit, but he still spoke, "Young master, Si De, let me say something inappropriate. Even if you have the sincerity and persistence of Emperor Liu, what if Master Kong still insists on not accepting you as his disciple?"
Ye Zelin said, "If Mr. Kong doesn't accept it, I will go to his house every day to bother him and see if he will accept it."
He patted Si De's shoulder and said, "Si De, the young lady is right. Sometimes, face can be discarded."
"..." Side looked at Ye Zelin in astonishment. Young Master was a man who valued his reputation very much. How come he became shameless and planned to pester Mr. Kong?
He thought about it and watched the young man walk out of the house, and came to the conclusion that the young man was influenced by the young lady.
The next day, Ye Zelin took Side to Confucius's residence.
Confucius's mansion is very large. The backyard is where the Kong family lives. There is a lobby in the front yard and independent courtyards on both sides. The courtyards are not for people to live in, but for schools, including private schools and girls' schools.
The steward brought Ye Zelin and Side into the main hall, asked someone to invite Master Kong, and instructed the maid to serve tea.
Ye Zelin sat in the second seat on the right. The maid brought him tea. He took it with both hands, said thank you, put the teacup on the coffee table, and said nothing, just waiting for Mr. Kong to come over.
Before long, Mr. Kong arrived at the main hall. He was nearly seventy years old, with white hair, wrinkles on his face, and a thin body. He wore a dark blue robe with wide sleeves and a front opening.
He was not a martial artist like General Ye. Even though he was old, he was still as brisk as ever. He walked slowly towards the first seat and sat upright.
Ye Zelin stood up and bowed, "Student Ye Zelin greets Mr. Kong."
Under his silver eyebrows, Mr. Kong's eyes were slightly sunken. He said as usual: "Ye Erlang, are you here to see me again to become my disciple?"
Ye Zelin nodded: "Yes, old sir."
Elder Kong smiled and said, "I still mean the same thing. I will not accept any more disciples. Mr. Ye, please go back and don't come to me again."
Ye Zelin felt a little embarrassed, but then he felt relieved. The host had already ordered him to leave, so he should have left immediately. However, he stubbornly wanted an answer. He asked, "Senior Kong, could you please tell me why you no longer accept disciples? Is it really because I'm the son of a general?"
Confucius said, "Yes."
Ye Zelin was disappointed, but his face remained calm. "Old sir, in ancient times, there was Ban Chao who gave up his pen to join the army, and during the reign of Emperor Hui, there was General Pan who gave up his military service to pursue literature. Since scholars can join the army and soldiers can also become scholars, then, in your eyes, scholars can only study literature, and soldiers can only be soldiers forever?"
Mr. Kong said calmly, "I have never said that. Whether it is literature or martial arts, it all depends on one's personal preference."
Ye Zelin's eyes showed hope, "Then the old man..."
Elder Kong raised his hand to interrupt Ye Zelin, then stood up and said, "I will not agree to this. Young General, please give up."
After saying this, Mr. Kong told the steward to see the guest off, "You can see the young general out."
Mr. Kong called his maid and helped him back to the backyard.
The steward gestured for invitation, "Young Master Ye, please."
Ye Zelin couldn't stay any longer, so he asked Side to go back to the house. The steward was very polite and personally escorted Ye Zelin out the door, "Sir, please take care."
He stepped through the threshold, then came out again, stopped Ye Zelin, and asked, "Master Ye, why are you so determined to have my master as your master?"
Ye Zelin said: "I admire Mr. Kong's talent and learning, so I want to become his disciple."
The steward added, "I heard that Master Ye was a successful candidate before he was even twenty, and he wants to become my master's disciple for next year's imperial examination."
Ye Zelin nodded: "Yes."
The steward said, "Young Master is quite honest. Since you are aiming for the imperial examination next year, what difference does it make whether you become my master's disciple or not?"
Ye Zelin understood the implication of the steward's words and said with a smile, "I don't want to become Mr. Kong's disciple just for the sake of the imperial examination. The imperial examination is one thing, becoming a disciple is another. The two are unrelated. I won't give up taking the exam next year just because Mr. Kong doesn't accept me as a disciple."
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