Monument Yangmen

Chapter 63 Apprenticeship
The old farmer handed Yang Yansi a wooden spoon, rolled up his sleeves, and walked over with a dung bucket.

The dung bucket was full of dung water, so the old farmer took a wooden spoon and started watering the flowers with dung water.

Six steps away, Yang Yansi could still smell the strong smell of excrement.

Yang Yansi walked up to the old farmer with a wooden spoon, scooped up a spoonful of manure, and started pouring manure along the flower ridge.

"Actually, as an old man, you can order the servants to do it. There is no need to torment yourself in order to educate the boy."

"See it?" The old farmer smiled happily, "It is true that I mean to educate you through school examinations. However, the old man has been an official for decades. Apart from this piece of orchid, he has no other things, and he can't afford servants. Everything You have to do it yourself.”

Yang Yansi felt that watering the flowers with a wooden spoon was too slow, so he simply carried the dung bucket and watered directly along the flower ridges.

Hearing the old farmer's words, Yang Yansi was obviously a little surprised, "As far as I know, the salary in the Song Dynasty was very generous. With your official title, it should not be a problem to support 800 people."

The old farmer accused Yang Yansi, "The flowers will be burned to death with your watering method. Young people must remember to guard against arrogance and impetuosity."

The old farmer snatched the dung bucket from Yang Yansi's hand and began to water the flowers carefully.

"The old man's salary is quite a lot, and most of it is subsidized to some poor students in the Taixue. I just hope that I can cultivate a few more pillars for the imperial court."

Yang Yansi stuck his hands into his cuffs, squatted on the edge of the flower ridge, shook his head and said, "It's just a drop in the bucket, how many students can you train with your salary alone? Even if you do, how many students will be the real pillars?" material."

The old farmer was not annoyed by Yang Yansi's rebuttal, "Some things have to be done. If you do some, you will get less."

Yang Yansi frowned, "Giving education widely is not as simple as supporting a few poor students, or building a few schools. The common people can't even eat enough, and few people go back to pay attention to education. Those who can read, Few of them are poor. If you do this, you will at most raise a group of white-eyed wolves."

The movement of the old farmer's hands paused, "This old man also knows this truth, but how can we make the common people have enough to eat?"

Yang Yansi spread his hands, "You are always involved in political affairs, this should be your consideration, not the boy's."

The old farmer was taken aback, shook his head and smiled and said, "I can't treat you as my peers when chatting with you. When I first saw you, I felt that you were different from other people."

Yang Yansi frowned, "I hate this saying, anyone who is different from others will end badly."

"An awl is an awl, and it will stick out if you put it in that pocket."

The old farmer stared at Yang Yansi, and said very seriously: "You know what? When others see the old man and Zhao Pu, they are all flattering and flattering, and everyone has a respect in their hearts, and behaves well in front of us. Well, even if the emperor sees us two, he will treat each other with courtesy. But you are different..."

"The old man's two tricks are very accurate. In your eyes, no matter how high the official position is, the old man and Zhao Pu are not much different from ordinary old people. You lack fear in your heart."

Yang Yansi felt as if he had been stripped naked, and he hated this feeling very much.

"A gentleman is magnanimous, but a villain is miserable. I haven't done anything wrong, so why should I be afraid?"

The old farmer laughed, "You know how to be eloquent and eloquent? The old man has never done anything wrong, but the old man also has fear in his heart. There are very few people in history who have no fear, and they can be counted in detail, such as Ying Zheng, Xiang Yu , Liu Bang, Liu Che, Huang Chao, Li Shimin..."

"Stop!" Yang Yansi hurriedly stopped him, with cold sweat on his forehead, and the old farmer counted these people, who seemed to be labeled as emperors or rebels.

If someone else said this, Yang Yansi might not care, but if it was said by a second minister, it would be terrifying!

"Don't talk nonsense. If such words are spread, people will die."

The old farmer laughed loudly, "You know you're afraid? It's fine if you know you're afraid. The old man thought you were fearless."

Yang Yansi couldn't help but rolled his eyes.

The old farmer stood up, rubbed his muddy hands, brushed the dust off his clothes, and led Yang Yansi out of the flower garden.

Sit down in a hut next to the flower garden.

"Just now you said that the old man borrowed this flower field to test you, what exactly is the test, tell me and listen."

Yang Yansi poured water with a colander and waited for the old farmer to wash his hands. While washing, he said: "You are testing the character of the school boy."

The old farmer nodded, "That's right, you are from a wealthy family. The old man wants to know if you have the bad habits of a wealthy family. You didn't stay away from him because of the stench of excrement, which shows that you don't have the mind to hate the poor and love the rich. In the future, even if you do If you become an official, you won't look down on the common people."

"You can bear the stench and help the old man water the fields, which means that you won't stop doing one thing because of difficulties."

"This flower garden is like a bustling world. The people are the manure and weeders. Without the people, they are destined to become dry grass."

"The old man wants to warn you that when you become an official in the future, you must treat the people better."

Yang Yansi pouted, "Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. I understand this sentence, but how can you be sure that I will be an official?"

The old farmer gave Yang Yansi a look, "I don't want to be an official, why do you come to Taixue?"

Yang Yansi was not at all embarrassed when his purpose was dismantled by the old farmer, and he said frankly, "That's right."

The old farmer tidied up his clothes and sat on the stone bench in the cottage.

"Appreciate the teacher!"

Yang Yansi was taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly poured a cup of tea, and knelt down in front of the old farmer.

"Teacher, please drink tea."

The old farmer took the tea offered by Yang Yansi, took a sip, and accepted him as a student.

After Yang Yansi bowed three times and kowtowed nine times, he saluted respectfully.

"Student Yang Yansi, pay homage to Master Shen."

That's right!This old farmer is Shen Lun, the head of Taixue.

Shen Lun put down his teacup and said, "Teachers, preaching, teaching, and solving puzzles! There are three kinds of teachers: mentors, professional teachers, and human teachers. The so-called mentor is a gentleman who enlightens you and teaches you how to read. You have already enlightened, so there is no need to talk about being a teacher. The so-called professional teacher is to teach you the essence of the "Five Classics", teach you how to write articles, how to write academic essays. To be a teacher, add your professional teacher, I will teach you the essence of the "Five Classics". As for human teachers, I am unable to do so. Mountains, rivers, lakes, common people, etc., all have something worthy of your study."

"The "Five Classics" are complicated, and you may not be able to study them thoroughly throughout your life. Therefore, in the Imperial Examinations, there is a theory of treating classics. You must choose one volume from the "Five Classics" as your exclusive book of classics, and study thoroughly. The rest You just need to read it to know what it means.”

"As a teacher, I am good at two volumes, The Analects of Confucius and the Classic of Filial Piety. You can choose one of them to specialize in."

Yang Yansi kowtowed, "Students choose "The Analects of Confucius."

Yang Yansi knew something about the imperial examinations, the management of the classics, and what Shen Lun was good at.

After weighing the pros and cons, he chose "The Analects of Confucius".

(End of this chapter)