Xu Zao, a doctor of Chinese studies in Wu County, was originally from Dongguan County, Xuzhou. The Xu family in Dongguan was a Confucian family, especially good at classics and phonology. Fifty years ago, due to the Yongjia Rebellion, Xu Zao's father, Xu Chengzhi, and his fellow villager Zang Kun led a group of clan members and neighbors.
More than a thousand people crossed the river south and moved to Jingkou. Xu Zao was born in Jingkou. Xu Zao was eager to learn since he was a child. He was well-read in classics. He studied the "Book of Filial Piety", "Zhuangzi" and phonology deeply, and he could speak pure Chinese.
Luoyang Mandarin was not reused by the imperial court because he was not from a high-ranking gentry family. He was first an envoy to Dushui and later a doctor of Chinese studies in Wu County. Most of the gentry children in Jiangzuo learned "Luosheng chant" from him.
Xu Zao did not live in Wujun City, but taught in a cottage by the Xiaojing Lake under the Lion Mountain in the western suburbs. There were more than ten thatched cottages, and he gave three lectures a day, each half an hour. He taught rhymes and Luo Sheng chants in the morning and Luosheng chants in the afternoon.
"The Classic of Filial Piety", "Zhuangzi" is taught at night, and the rest of the time is for students to debate each other.
The students all live in Wu Juncheng and come early and return late. Xu Zao doesn't care about the students' meals. They bring their own soup cakes. It's okay in summer, but the food is cold in winter. It's really uncomfortable. Rich and wealthy families are always reluctant to let their children
To endure hardship, the Lu family, Zhu family, Xue family, and the Yu family and He family in Kuaiji, as well as the noble families in neighboring counties all have their children studying here. These wealthy families built small wooden houses on the other side of Xiaojing Lake for convenience.
For the children to eat and rest, these cabins are simple and elegant, much more elegant than Xu's thatched cottage across the lake.
In addition to the children of the Jiangdong gentry, there are also many students from poor families who come here to seek advice from Dr. Xu Zao. There are both southerners and northerners. In line with the sage's tenet of "education without discrimination", Xu Zao only asks one question for each student.
, those who answer satisfactorily will be allowed to enter the room to listen to the lectures, and will not be restrained by the rituals of cultivation. They can choose to listen to "Zhuangzi", "The Classic of Filial Piety", or the study of sound and rhyme. Students can come and go freely without any restrictions. Xu's Academy is
This free atmosphere is very popular among students.
Chen Caozhi, Liu Shangzhi and their entourage arrived in Wu County in the afternoon of September 29th. They stayed at the "Sanxiang Inn" in the west of the city. They got up early the next day, took a bath and changed clothes, and brought the Xiu Zhi gift with them. Please
A boy from the inn led the way to Xu's Academy.
The maid Gillian also wanted to go with her, because both of Liu Shangzhui's servants had gone with them, and Ran Sheng and Laide were also going. Liu Shangzhi was not at ease leaving the shiny and tender Gillian alone in the inn.
Then he took him with him to become a teacher, and told him that when he got to the school, he could only stay in the car and not be seen by others.
Liu Shangzhi saw Ran Sheng rolling his eyes, smiled awkwardly at Chen Caozhi, and whispered: "I regret bringing her here, it's really troublesome."
Chen Caozhi had no sympathy for him. His sleeves were swaying lightly, his clogs were crisp, and he strode forward.
Liu Shangzhi followed closely and said, "Zizhong, I didn't expect your legs to be so strong. You walked all the way from Qiantang, so I had no choice but to practice leg strength with you."
Chen Caozhi smiled and said, "I'm not forcing you to walk with me. You can take a car with Gillian."
Liu Shangzhi said with a sneer: "I just praise you for looking thin, but in fact you have strong muscles and bones. This should be the result of frequent trips to Baoshi Mountain. By the way, Zi Zhong, you have a recommendation letter from Mr. Ge Zhichuan, but I don't. Listen.
He said that if you want to enter Xu's school, you must first accept Dr. Xu's questions, and the questions asked are different, Zi Zhong, what do you think I should do if I can't answer them?"
Chen Cao said: "If you come here when you are excited and return incorrectly, you have Gillian as your companion, so why regret it!"
Liu Shangzhi's old face turned red, he opened his diamond-shaped eyes and pretended to be angry: "Zizhong made fun of me, I will never let you go, please help me think of a countermeasure."
Chen Caozhi smiled and said: "I can't predict what questions Dr. Xu will ask and how I can help you! How about this, I won't show Master Ge's recommendation letter and answer the questions with you. Isn't this considered a sharing of joys and sorrows?"
Liu Shangzhi thought for a while and then said: "What if you pass the test and I don't?"
Chen Cao said: "There is no way -"
Liu Shangzhi said happily: "If you have any ideas, tell me quickly."
Chen Cao said: "It doesn't matter even if you can't answer the answer. In the former Han Dynasty, Kuang Heng secretly studied at night by cutting out walls. You can also lie outside the window of the thatched cottage and listen to Dr. Xu's lectures. These are all elegant things. Dr. Xu will not chase you away.
Walk."
Liu Shangzhi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Gillian in the oxcart heard this and started laughing.
Wujuncheng is ancient Suzhou, with small bridges, flowing water, and lakes like stars. Four or five miles out of the west gate, you walk along the stream all the way. In the distance, you can see a mountain stretching across it, shaped like a crouching lion, and at the foot of the mountain is a lake like a mirror.
The clerk from "Sanxiang Store" pointed out: "That is Lion Rock. Dr. Xu's school is on the north bank of Xiaojing Lake at the foot of the mountain. You two gentlemen can walk three miles along this pine stone road to get there."
The man asked for the reward and went back. Chen Caozhi and Liu Shangzhi continued to move forward, but they saw yellow leaves flying and decaying grass encroaching on the road. It was a scene of late autumn, but the water of Xiaojing Lake was clear and clear, and it was surrounded by evergreen trees.
, the lake water is dyed green all year round, as if there is a strong sense of spring that cannot be dissolved.
"Xiao Langjun, look -" Ran Sheng suddenly pointed at a stone beside the road and shouted.
Chen Caozhi saw a few official characters engraved on the stone - "Please walk to the entrance hall."
Liu Shangzhi said: "We always walk."
Chen Caozhi asked Lai De to drive the ox cart aside, and Ran Sheng followed him to the thatched cottage with a wooden bamboo slip on his back and a bundle of repair gifts.
Liu Shangzhi left Gillian in the car, took a servant, and Chen Cao's master and servant to the row of thatched cottages by the lake. However, it was quiet and there was no sound at all. It seemed that no one was living in the thatched cottages.
Liu Shangzhi said: "We came early, but the students haven't arrived yet, and even Dr. Xu is probably still lying high in the thatched cottage——"
Before he finished speaking, he heard someone softly "hum", and a young man in green shirt walked out of a thatched cottage on the left. He was about the same age as Chen Caozhi and slightly shorter than Chen Caozhi. His forehead was
He has a broad nose, long eyebrows and beautiful eyes. He has a calm and elegant air. Except for his slightly darker skin color, his demeanor is not inferior to that of Chen Cao.
Chen Caozhi cupped his hands and said: "Qian Tang, Chen Caozhi, and Liu Shangzhi would like to see Dr. Xu. They are willing to bow to the door wall and learn from him."
Seeing Chen Cao's handsome appearance and clear speech, the young man returned the courtesy and said: "My name is Xu Miao, also known as Xianmin. Dr. Xu is my father. You two have come from afar. Please come and sit in the thatched cottage."
Chen Caozhi and Liu Shangzhi went into the thatched cottage and sat down on the reed mats. Liu Shangzhi said: "We have come from thousands of miles away. We are eager to seek help from you. Please ask Brother Xianmin to inform Dr. Xu on your behalf."
Xu Miao has a strict character and hates to hear exaggerated words. When he heard Liu Shangzhi say that his father, Dr. Xu, was still lying in bed, he felt unhappy and said, "Is it a thousand miles to come from Qiantang?"
Liu Shangzhi was embarrassed and could only say: "Seven hundred miles, seven hundred miles."
Xu Miao said: "Since you two are willing to come to Xu's Thatched Cottage to listen to the lecture, my father in the next generation will each give a question to test the two -" He glanced at Liu Shangzhi and said slowly: "Brother Liu, please don't stare like this."
Look at me, I have been taking the exams for the new students this year, I don’t mean to look down on you two.”
Chen Caozhi smiled and said, "Brother Xu, please come up with a question."
Xu Miao asked: "Which of the two will answer the question first?"
Liu Shangzhui was not very confident, so he said to Chen Caozhi: "Zizhong, please go first." Let Chen Caozhi take the lead. He would like to hear how Xu Miao asked the questions and how Chen Caozhi answered them.
Xu Miao folded his hands on his knees, bowed to Chen Cao, straightened his back, and asked: "How can you explain why the peach is young and its flowers are shining brightly?"
Chen Caozhi responded: "'Yaoyao' generally refers to the style of a peach blossom tree, and 'Zhuozhuo' specifically refers to the light and color of the peach blossoms on the branches. It also has the meaning of growing from small to full, which means the passage of time."
Xu Miao clapped his hands and said: "Good! Brother Zizhong passed."
Xu Miao had a good impression of Chen Cao, and the topic he asked was not too difficult. Now it was Liu Shangzhi's turn. Xu Miao asked the topic: ""Laozi" 'Those who know do not speak, and those who speak do not know.' Please use "Laozi"
Explanation of the original sentence of "Zhuangzi"."
Liu Shangzhi suddenly felt that his head was as big as a bucket. He had heard that Chen Caozhi's question was about Mao's poems. It was not difficult. He was relieved. He didn't expect that his question would span the two difficult classics of Lao and Zhuang.
He, Liu Shangzhi, is quite clear in Confucianism, but he has not dabbled in Zhuang Xuanxue. Xu Miao is just deliberately making things difficult!
Liu Shangzhi's face was red, his ears were red, and his forehead was sweating due to the cold autumn air.
Xu Miao waited quietly for a while and said, "If you can't answer it, please come back."
Liu Shangzhi scratched his head, looked at Chen Caozhi, and said with a wry smile: "Zizhong, today I hate that I don't work hard on weekdays. Alas, Gillian missed me!"
Chen Cao took his place and said softly: "Brother Xianmin, Liu Shangzhi and I came together all the way. How could I bear it if he went back alone? How about I answer this question for him?"
Xu Miao looked at Chen Caozhi, nodded slowly and said: "That's fine."
Chen Caozhi immediately said: ""Zhuangzi Zhibeiyou" says, 'It is better to argue silently, because the Tao cannot be heard; the Tao cannot be seen, and it cannot be seen; it cannot be expressed, and it cannot be spoken.' These are all explanations."
The Tao can be Tao, but it does not mean Tao."
Xu Miao's face showed a smile, and he clapped his hands and said: "Good! Brother Zizhong passed again."
