Chapter Eight The Teacher

  Wang Daoren saw his former teacher kneel down, hastily stood up to go and support him, but seeing Xu Xian help the teacher up, he slowly sat down. He said calmly: "Xu Xian, you also read the books of saints and sages, do you know what are the Five Virtues?"

  "The students know it is Ren, Yi, Li, and Xin." Xuan replied calmly.

  "Xu Xian, you fought with others in the street, your actions were ruthless and cruel, that's unkind. You have important things to attend to, yet you still provoke trouble, that's unwise. Your clothes are tattered and you show no respect for your elders, that's impolite. Wasting your teacher's efforts is unjust. You made an appointment with someone but didn't keep it on time, that's untrustworthy. The imperial examination is to select talents for the country, how can we want a person who is unkind, unjust, impolite, unwise and untrustworthy?" Wang Xue's words were like knives.

  Xu Xian couldn't find the words to refute, but this would only lead things in a worse direction. After thinking for a moment, he finally let out a sigh and said, "Thank you, sir, for your guidance."

  The nearby Song Xiuzai's eyes turned red, and such an evaluation was equivalent to having already blocked Xu Xian's path to seeking knowledge. Nothing else mattered, he stubbornly wanted to argue, but was pulled back by Xu Xian, who gently shook his head, indicating that the teacher had said too much, and the old man finally hung his head in despair.

  At this time, a pattering sound came from the window. The gloomy sky finally started to rain, but it couldn't dispel the oppressive feeling in the building.

  "Do you have anything else to say." Wang Xuezheng's voice was as majestic as a god, for he held the fate of a person in his hands.

  Xu Xian looked at the dejected teacher beside him and felt somewhat unjust in his heart. He raised his head and said, "I have only one poem left."

  "Tell me about it," Wang Xuezheng said curiously.

  "The river's head is not yet turbulent, but someone else has made the road difficult." This was indeed the most realistic feeling for Xu Xian today. For that old fisherman, and for himself, wasn't it all the same?

  "The river's head is not yet turbulent, but someone else's journey is difficult." Wang Xuezheng muttered to himself, furrowing his brow and pondering for a long time. He then shifted his gaze back to the window, where the great river was now choppy and turbulent. He thought of the old fisherman, who had now fled into the vast waters to avoid human troubles. Suddenly, Wang Xuezheng clapped his hands and laughed: "Good poem, good poem indeed!"

  This poem, however, also touched his heartstrings. His family had a deep foundation, and he himself was devoted to the country, but because of disagreements with the emperor, he was suddenly demoted and became a minor official in charge of education. Along the way, he traveled mostly by water, on the great river, where changes occurred in an instant, how could it not be perilous? But human affairs were even more perilous.

  "Teacher Song, a gentleman does not take away what others love. However, I was thinking of taking on an apprentice today, so please agree to it."

  The old man was dazed for a moment and didn't come back to himself until half a day later, saying: "It's all up to the adults to arrange."

  Wang Xuezheng turned around and said to Xu Xian: "Xu Xian, are you willing to come to my mansion to study?"

  Xu Xian didn't understand his intention and asked, "Didn't you say that the students' actions went against the Five Virtues?" The old man beside him was so anxious to shut his mouth that he almost couldn't wait for him to agree before speaking.

  "That's just some trivial matters, sympathizing with others' suffering is benevolence, helping each other in times of need is righteousness, teaching and then punishing is propriety, giving before taking is wisdom, having a beginning and an end is faithfulness. Your good reputation has spread throughout the village, I've already heard about it, today I see that you're indeed extraordinary. You dare to abandon your official career and future to help an old man you don't even know, and with both intelligence and bravery, you defeated the enemy and preserved yourself, in this world having a sense of justice is not enough, one also needs great wisdom and courage." Wang Xue's words were like clouds and rain, but only his lips moved, and Xu Xian's situation was as different as heaven and earth.

  Not to mention others, even the county official next door was stunned and thought that he was indeed an official from the capital, so ingenious and unpredictable!

  He did not know that Wang Xuezheng was demoted to this place because the northern border was unstable, and the barbarians had invaded for many years. Wang Xuezheng advocated for a war, but the court above and below were mostly advocating for peace, and he insisted on his own opinion, eventually being killed as a warning to others, and was demoted to this place.

  Seeing Xu Xian severely beating the rascal, beating with reason and rhythm, beating with wisdom and bravery. Unconsciously agreeing with his thoughts, he had the idea of making a move. However, after being in the official circle for dozens of years, to make a move one must first suppress, whether it is to show off one's power or to kill Xu Xian's arrogance, and to give him a good beating.

  Later, Wang Xuezheng was even more surprised. If other scholars were blocked from the imperial examination path, it would be like falling into a deep abyss. However, Xu Xian remained calm and composed, neither arrogant nor humble, still thinking of his teacher, which was a rare temperament. In comparison, when he himself encountered some setbacks, he became disheartened and frustrated, which made him seem narrow-minded.

  Those two lines of poetry are even more stunning, and the vicissitudes are not like something a young man can say, but thinking about his experiences, those two lines of poetry are indeed timely. Such a young man with integrity and learning, how can he not be moved? Originally, I still wanted to carefully examine him, and wait until the autumn examination to decide on his status. But for now, I really feel that I cannot be mistaken, so I simply took this disciple directly, some abruptness is also unavoidable.

  In the old official circles, the most fundamental relationship was that of teacher and student. Those who came out of the same list were classmates, and the examiner who had marked your paper was your teacher. When you first entered officialdom, you had to rely on this teacher for support. However, there were exceptions - some people with exceptional talent would have their teacher-student relationship fixed in advance, so that no matter who marked their paper, their original teacher would still be their teacher. Only the most prominent figures in the imperial court could do this and dared to do it.

  Although Wang Xuezheng was down on his luck at this time, he wasn't a man who had been living under others for long. He was just being beaten by the Emperor right now. That's why he dared to say such bold words. Having heard these words, Xu Xian's future may not be entirely smooth sailing, but he would be able to avoid taking countless detours compared to others.

  Everyone was overjoyed, the wine feast began, and Xu Xian stood by. Wang Xuezheng couldn't help but lecture this new disciple again, saying nothing more than "study hard" and "don't think you can rely on me". Xu Xian naturally listened respectfully and obeyed.

  The wine was finished, the seats were scattered, Wang Xuezhong watched the vast tide, and took in Xu Xian, this disciple. Originally, his somewhat melancholy mood was slightly alleviated, he drank a few more cups, and even in his slight intoxication, he didn't listen to County Magistrate's invitation, insisting that he had to return to Hangzhou today. Swaying back and forth as he stood up to leave, others naturally accompanied him like stars surrounding the moon, walking to the stairs, suddenly seeming to remember something, turning his head to Xu Xian: "That poem wasn't complete!"

  Xu Xian said: "That was a poem recited by a Taoist priest to his young students."

  "Oh? Didn't you do it?"

  "It wasn't done by students."

  "Well, it's not necessarily a good thing for a young man to become famous. Just recite that long poem you've learned to me!"

  "Yes, teacher." Xuxian cleared his throat and loudly recited:

  Having sung "Yangguan" to the end, with tears still wet, let's put aside worldly affairs and have another drink.

  Floating heaven sends endless trees, rain clouds bury half a mountain.

  The hatred of past and present, with thousands of reasons, should it be just a matter of sorrow or joy in parting and reunion?

  "The river's head is not yet turbulent, but there are people who make the journey difficult."

  Wang Xuezheng savored the words, feeling that they were worth a million pieces of writing. The aftertaste was long and lingering, like drinking fine wine. And the intention of farewell in the poem coincided with the current situation, making him feel that Xu Xian had great talent but didn't show it off, unlike those so-called talented scholars who boasted about their abilities every day, but what they produced was worlds apart. He turned back to the banquet and poured himself a cup of leftover wine, downing it in one gulp. Laughing, he said: "Good writing can be paired with good wine, I should drink another gallon! But for now, I'm not up to the task, so let's part ways here. Fame and fortune will have to wait, fame and fortune will have to wait, hahaha!"

  With a hearty laugh, Wang Xuezheng walked away with ease, leaving everyone staring at each other in confusion, but their eyes all involuntarily fell on Xu Xian.

  The county magistrate looked at the young man in front of him, filled with envy in his heart. He didn't know how many days he had struggled as a county official, crawling and rolling on the official scene. In the eyes of the people, he was like heaven, but in the official circle, he was just a small potato. And Xu Xian coincidentally got a great advantage, when he rose to prominence, what would a mere county magistrate be worth? He couldn't help but rethink his attitude towards this young man.

  Song Xiuzai was both delighted and somewhat bitter, as he himself had never been able to pass the imperial examination to become a jinshi (a successful candidate), which would be no difficulty at all for Xu Xian. Although Wang Xuezheng said that he wouldn't be able to take care of Xu Xian, even this old scholar knew that it was just a superficial remark. If someone is really so clean and honest that they can barely survive in the official circle, how can they possibly take care of others?

  Xu Xian was still a bit muddled, only knowing that he could live a more relaxed life from now on. When Bai Suzhen came, he would show off to her and so on with these petty thoughts. Fundamentally speaking, he wasn't some kind of saint who wanted to save the world and bring peace to the people. He was just an ordinary person who wanted to live a peaceful life. But given his personality and the state of the world, it was extremely difficult.

  Li Si was beaten and lay at home nursing his wounds. Those rascals around him came to visit, saying they wanted to make Xu Xian look good. But Li Si refused them all, still chilled by the sinister words of the steward from two nights ago: "Don't stir up more trouble, or your life will be in danger." The implication was that Xu Xian had already caught the eye of a big shot from the capital. Li Si knew his own weight and could bully ordinary people, but some people would crush him like an insect without batting an eyelid.

  He was so good at making things quiet and peaceful that his followers gradually looked down on him, kept their distance from him, he lost his power, even ordinary people didn't fear him as much as before. In desperation, he found a job, slowly left this path, started doing honest business, got married and had children, that's another story.

  Xu Xian continued to live his ordinary and uneventful life, reading books, practicing cultivation, and occasionally doing some good deeds. He thought that reading books wouldn't bring him any great achievements, and his talent for cultivation was also not up to par. But he never considered himself as someone exceptional. All he wanted was to have a house to live in, marry a gentle and virtuous wife, and be able to eat meat every day.

  A young man without great ambitions, Xu Xian, was waiting for the arrival of Bai Suzhen, and then lived his ideal life, nothing more. But the world is unpredictable, seemingly simple goals, are they really simple? In his soul, a blazing flame was burning fiercely, accumulating, waiting for that moment when the sun reached its peak. Illuminating the whole world, who can resist?

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