Chapter 59 Jealousy of Better Men

Zhu Hao wrote the character "箕" (dustpan) on the blackboard.

"Who knows this character?" Zhu Hao asked.

The few children looked at each other in blank dismay.

Although Zhu San had started her formal education a year or two ago, she clearly hadn't read very widely. Jing Hong vaguely remembered what character it was, but for a moment he couldn't explain it clearly.

"Is it '其' (qi)?"

Though Zhu San's scholarship was mediocre, she had the courage to guess; at least she wasn't as timid as Jing Hong.

Jing Hong wanted to preserve his own dignity. If he was going to answer, he had to be right. If he got it wrong, wouldn't that make him look foolish in front of Zhu Hao?

"Wrong!"

Zhu Hao shook his head and said, "It's the 'ji' from '簸箕' (dustpan), but literally it also has other extended meanings. 'Weizi left, Jizi became a slave, Bigan remonstrated and died.'

"Zhu Xi commented in the *Collected Annotations of the Analects*: 'Weizi was King Zhou's half-brother. Jizi and Bigan were King Zhou's paternal uncles. Weizi saw that King Zhou was devoid of the Dao and left so that the ancestral sacrifices would not be cut off. Jizi and Bigan both remonstrated; King Zhou killed Bigan and imprisoned Jizi, making him a slave. Jizi then feigned madness to suffer humiliation.'

"Here, although 'Ji' remains a noun, it does not carry its extended meaning and belongs to a proper noun."

Hearing Zhu Hao's explanation, the few young ones were completely stunned.

At their age, being able to follow adults and recite the *Analects* entirely was already no small feat. Expecting them to recognize all nearly sixteen thousand characters in the *Analects* was a fairy tale, and knowing the specific meaning of each passage was completely out of the question.

As for the *Collected Annotations of the Analects*, students usually didn't encounter it until three or four years after starting their education, and even then, they had to study it bit by bit. Yet Zhu Hao, who was a year younger than Zhu San and Jing Hong, explained it without the slightest difficulty.

Lu Bing asked, "What is a proper noun?"

Zhu Hao smiled and said, "It's a noun that acts as a specific title. For instance, you, Lu Bing—actually, your family could have named you Lu Hao, but because your father gave you the name Lu Bing, those two characters became a proper noun."

Zhu San was completely bewildered: "What on earth are you talking about... What is a noun?"

"A noun, literally understood, is a word for a name. For example, this blackboard—'blackboard' is a noun. If we want to carry and lift the blackboard, then 'carry and lift' is a verb. If you say 'this blackboard is so black,' then 'black' is an adjective..."

Zhu Hao's teaching method was clearly different from the scholars of this era.

A qualified teacher, when imparting knowledge, should focus on principles rather than dogma—meaning they should explain the reasoning instead of making people memorize things mechanically through dogma. But unfortunately, the people of this era were themselves pedantic, which was tied to the pedantic nature of the Four Books and Five Classics they studied.

The entire imperial examination system revolved around taking a specific sentence from Confucian classics and writing an "essay" about it. Under such a test-oriented system, what kind of flexible and versatile talents could possibly be nurtured?

Dogmatism had become a common malady in education during this era, to the extent that when Zhu Hao articulated some simple grammar concepts of later generations, the children listened in a fog, completely at a loss.

Fortunately, they were at the best age for learning. As long as someone was willing to explain things to them and make the logic clear, they were capable of understanding and even fully digesting and absorbing it.

"If you don't understand the specific meaning of a certain passage in the *Analects*, first figure out how many characters are in that passage, which ones are nouns, which ones are verbs, and which ones are adjectives. This will make it easier for you to grasp the literal meaning, understand what it specifically refers to, and comprehend the principle it discusses..."

Saying this, Zhu Hao picked up his writing tool again and continued on the blackboard. "Alright, let's discuss the next character... 'De' (virtue)..."

"Zilu said: 'Great virtue does not cross the boundary; minor virtue may come and go.'"

...

...

Master Zhu was conscientious and responsible.

This was the responsible attitude possessed by an excellent teacher deep in Zhu Hao's bones. During this lecture, even Jing Hong, who was unconvinced by him, listened with rapt attention.

Many times, there was a sense of sudden enlightenment as if a great realization had dawned upon them.

Zhu San, on the other hand, was clearly not a model student who loved studying; she just sat there smiling and listening, occasionally interjecting a few mischievous remarks. It was obvious that whether she learned much or little made no difference to her.

And then there was Lu Bing...

Given Lu Bing's age, he hadn't yet reached the point where he could fully comprehend profound principles, but influenced by his parents, he knew he had to be humble and eager to learn. Thus, he put on a serious front, staring at the blackboard without even blinking.

In Lu Bing's view, as long as he could master the contents on the blackboard, he would become an unmatched hero... To him, the knowledge Zhu Hao was imparting was like a manual for supreme martial arts: even if I don't understand it, I must try my best to listen, lest I miss the greatest treasure of my life.

Zhu Hao lectured for a long time before putting down the soapstone.

Zhu San smiled and asked, "Why aren't you lecturing anymore?"

"You guys digest this first. Copy the contents I wrote on the blackboard ten times," Zhu Hao instructed.

...

Zhu San poked out her tongue: "I'm certainly not writing that. You're not a real teacher. When Master Sui comes and sees what you've written, he's bound to scold you."

Zhu Hao thought about it and realized she was right.

Sui Gongyan was narrow-minded; perhaps, as Zhu San said, this man looked down on everyone else. If he knew a mere child was lecturing here, he would undoubtedly step in to correct it in the capacity of an elder and teacher.

At that time, he would likely be in trouble.

However, who told Sui Gongyan not to be here?

My house, my rules!

...

...

That afternoon, the courtyard of the study hall was peaceful.

As dusk approached, no one had yet come to announce the end of class, but Zhu San had already grown impatient and left early. Zhu Hao, Jing Hong, and Lu Bing were left to walk out of the courtyard together toward the western courtyard.

"Zhu Hao, you are so amazing! You know so many things. In the future, I want to be as learned and versatile as you."

Though young, Lu Bing had lofty aspirations. After listening to Zhu Hao's afternoon lecture, he felt he had gained a tremendous amount, and the eyes he fixed on Zhu Hao were sparkling with admiration.

Zhu Hao smiled and said, "Wait until you grow up. Your formal education probably won't start for another two or three years."

Children from ordinary families usually started their formal education around seven or eight nominal years of age, though some started a year or two earlier. However, those who started prematurely usually forgot what they learned. Generally, children were taught simple everyday characters before formal schooling. Lu Bing belonged to the intellectually gifted type, yet even so, he wouldn't officially begin his studies for another year or two.

At this moment, a look of frustration clouded Jing Hong's face. "Zhu Hao, I've realized you know an incredible amount... How old were you when you started studying?"

Zhu Hao replied, "I started studying very late, but I have a photographic memory, so I learned everything in just over a year."

"Impossible. No one has that kind of talent."

Feeling even more defeated, Jing Hong shook his head repeatedly, firmly refusing to believe Zhu Hao's claim.

Zhu Hao chuckled and said, "Believe it or not, how about we find a chance and test our scholarship against each other?"

In the past, Jing Hong would have accepted the challenge without hesitation, but this time he hesitated.

Lu Bing chimed in, "Jing Hong, I think you shouldn't test your scholarship against Zhu Hao. After listening to his lecture this afternoon, I think he's even more formidable than Master Sui. You can't beat him."

Jing Hong looked thoughtful: "Master Sui, like my late father, is a Juren graduate. I heard he even studied at the Imperial Academy in Nanjing. How could his scholarship... be anything Zhu Hao can compare to? You little kid really have no worldly experience; you got bluffed by a couple of his remarks and think he knows everything?"

Despite saying this, he still firmly refused to issue a challenge.

In Jing Hong's view, even if Zhu Hao's scholarship fell short of Sui Gongyan's, it was certainly not something he could match yet. Having discovered the gap between them, it was better not to humiliate himself before he had caught up.

...

...

For two consecutive days, Sui Gongyan did not show up at the study hall.

Zhu San would sometimes arrive late or even leave halfway through.

It was as if Sui Gongyan's teaching location had been moved elsewhere, rendering the status of Jing Hong and Zhu Hao as reading companions practically nominal.

On the afternoon of the third day—the next day being the twenty-fifth, which was the day Zhu Hao and Jing Hong were allowed to return home—the two finally saw Sui Gongyan appear at the study hall.

Sui Gongyan brought Zhu San along with him.

As soon as the two stepped into the courtyard, they heard Zhu San singing the praises of her own wares to Sui Gongyan:

"... The blackboard is right inside. In the future, when Master Sui lectures, you can use it. Writing characters on it is so convenient and clear at a glance...

"That's a neat gadget Zhu Hao came up with..."

Zhu Hao had been sitting by the window, gazing blankly at the clouds drifting across the sky. Hearing a commotion outside, he involuntarily turned his gaze toward the doorway.

Sui Gongyan entered the study hall with a darkened face. Without bothering to observe who was in the room, his eyes immediately locked onto the blackboard hanging on the wall.

"Zengzi said: 'So imposing was Zhang! It is difficult to join him in practicing human-heartedness.'"

"Zigong said: 'The faults of the superior man are like the eclipses of the sun and moon. When he faults, all men see him; when he reforms, all men look up to him.'"

...

Written above were several sentences penned by Zhu Hao, all taken from the *Analects*, complete with annotations from the *Collected Annotations of the Analects*—which Jing Hong had strongly requested Zhu Hao to teach him that very morning.

Zhu Hao had intended to wipe them away after finishing the lecture, but Jing Hong refused to allow it, copying them down with furious strokes of his brush. He then stared at the blackboard, slowly pondering and trying to fully master everything Zhu Hao had taught, striving to comprehend it completely in order to close the gap between them.

"Who wrote this?"

After studying the contents on the blackboard for a moment, Sui Gongyan glared at the three children in the room and demanded angrily.

Lu Bing had been sitting beside Zhu Hao, but seeing Sui Gongyan's unfriendly tone, he hurriedly scurried back to his own seat, picked up a book to shield his face, and without making a sound, began bobbing his head up and down as if reciting from memory.

It was the classic pose of a bad student putting on a front when the teacher arrived.

Zhu Hao stood up and said, "Master Sui, I wrote it."

Sui Gongyan looked Zhu Hao up and down, his brows tightly furrowed. The muscles on his face twitched a few times, as though he intended to discipline Zhu Hao, but for the moment, he couldn't find a pretext.

A student writing neatly on the blackboard with substantial content, even including material beyond the standard syllabus, and you want to discipline him the moment you walk in?

There was no legitimate reason to do so!

"For the next few days, all of you are to finish reciting the *Zizhang* chapter of the *Analects* and comprehend it yourselves first. If there is anything you don't understand... write it down on paper and ask me later."

In the end, Sui Gongyan gave up on reprimanding Zhu Hao, while simultaneously declaring his formal abandonment of teaching the children present. To him, entering the Prince's Mansion was solely for the purpose of teaching the Heir Apparent.

Reading companions?

They were not his official disciples; they were merely auditing their studies, and he had never received any tuition gifts from them. Why should he waste his time and energy on their education?

Seeing that Sui Gongyan was about to leave, Zhu San hurriedly asked, "Master Sui, what about the blackboard?"

"Such things are flashy and lacking in substance. Keep it for your own use."

By the time he finished speaking, Sui Gongyan had already strode out of the study hall.

Zhu San had wanted the teacher to take the blackboard back so it would be convenient for teaching her and her younger brother, but seeing the teacher leave in such a hurry, she felt a bit baffled.

With her shallow worldly experience, how could she possibly know that Sui Gongyan's heart was burning with anger at that moment?

It wasn't that Sui Gongyan was intimidated by Zhu Hao's talent; rather, he felt that since Zhu Hao was someone else's disciple—and Tang Yin's reputation far surpassed his own—would he ever cultivate a disciple for a potential competitor?

In your dreams!

That day outside Xingwang's Mansion, when he saw Tang Yin fishing, he had grown deeply vigilant, fearing that Tang Yin would catch the Prince's Mansion's eye and replace his own position in the hearts of Prince Xing and Yuan Zonggao. That was why he harbored such hostility toward Zhu Hao, even going so far as to cheat during the selection test for the reading companions, though unfortunately, he had been exposed.

Sui Gongyan left.

But Zhu San didn't leave. She sat in her seat looking somewhat gloomy, feeling as though she must have done something wrong.

Jing Hong turned his head and asked, "Zhu Hao, did you offend Master Sui?"

Zhu Hao smiled. Indeed, Jing Hong knew how to read the room and had sensed the malicious anger radiating from Sui Gongyan.

"The teacher told us to recite the *Zizhang* chapter of the *Analects*, so let's just recite it. If you have any characters you don't recognize, just ask me directly. Once you've memorized it, write it down from memory, and if there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me too... I'm so sleepy. We're going home tomorrow, so I need to get a good night's sleep tonight and have a blast tomorrow!"

With an attitude of absolute detachment, Zhu Hao was only thinking about how to arrange his upcoming schedule once he returned home the next day.

Watching Zhu Hao's lazy demeanor, a surging wave of ambition and drive suddenly welled up inside Jing Hong... You brat, you might know more than me right now, but with this proud and complacent attitude of yours, I will surpass you sooner or later.

Just you wait.

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PS: Add to your bookshelf! Add to your bookshelf! Add to your bookshelf!

In the final few hours of the new book charts, the author asks for one more wave of support. Thank you very much!