Jinting Han people

Chapter 725 The Hermit's Teachings

Before he knew it, Ji Shao had been in Daxing for two years.

As the former prime minister of the Jin Dynasty and a remnant of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, Ji Shao's reputation spread far and wide, and he was a universally acknowledged sage. Therefore, even though he had led troops in several battles against the Qi people and had once inflicted heavy casualties on them, Liu Baigen and Wang Mi still chose to treat Ji Shao with courtesy. Over the past two years, they had repeatedly tried to recruit Ji Shao to serve in the court, but Ji Shao insisted on living in seclusion. They allowed him to do so and instead built a villa for him at Riyue Lake outside the city, naming it Xianmei Lodge. He was provided with a constant supply of provisions and guards were assigned to protect him.

Of course, this is a euphemism; both sides knew perfectly well that it was essentially a form of house arrest. After all, given Ji Shao's status and prestige among the literati, his location would have a significant political impact. Whether the impact was good or bad, the people of Qi would never allow Ji Shao to leave so easily without a suitable price.

Ji Shao was happy with this, or rather, he was quite content with it.

The political struggles he had participated in during the Jin Dynasty over the past decade or so were like a dream to Ji Shao. He was both a dreamer and an outsider to the dream. Because Ji Shao had no other desires in life, he cared neither for material possessions nor for power, simply living life as he pleased with a carefree attitude. This allowed him to relinquish all worldly fame and fortune; even his house arrest was, in his view, merely a change of scenery for cultivating his mind.

During his house arrest, Ji Shao simply read books, farmed, and lectured every day, seemingly no different from his usual life in Luoyang and Xuchang.

This attitude, in turn, earned the admiration of the people of Qi, who relaxed their guard on Ji Shao slightly, allowing him to leave his dwelling and interact with the surrounding populace. Because Ji Shao was lecturing for free, people from the surrounding area gradually moved there, eventually forming a small settlement on the shores of Riyue Lake. This is roughly what is meant by changing customs and traditions.

Seeing this, the soldiers guarding him from Qi whispered among themselves, saying, "We've heard that Ji Kanggong's father once summoned a phoenix. Ji Kanggong must be a man of enlightenment! Otherwise, how could he be so calm and unmoved by anything?"

But this is actually a misunderstanding. Ji Shao was not always calm and collected; there were times when he was helpless.

For example, one day in May, Ji Shao woke up early and saw that the other room was empty. He knew something was wrong. Although he was anxious, Ji Shao pretended that nothing had happened and strolled in the garden reciting poetry as usual until around 7 a.m. when he heard some noises on the wall. Only then did he feel relieved. He then walked into the room and bumped into Liu Wei, who was changing his clothes.

"Bai Zhou, where did you go?" Ji Shao asked.

Hearing the sound, Liu Wei, who was taking out clothes from the room, looked up, revealing a young face covered in mud. Faced with the teacher's stern expression, Liu Wei panicked at first, but then quickly showed a defiant look and turned to look directly at Ji Shao.

But he was still just a child, and he quickly gave in, forced to lower his head. Yet he remained silent, as if to show that he had won something, and took off his clothes one by one, revealing his naked body, as if others should be the ones feeling ashamed.

Ji Shao watched him, listening to the cicadas chirping tirelessly in the treetops outside the door.

Ji Shao was already somewhat used to this situation. He had spent two years with Liu Wei and had gradually figured out Liu Wei's personality. Therefore, after watching him put on his clothes one by one, he said again, "Bai Zhou, did you hear me?"

"Hmm." Only then did Liu Wei lower his head and formally respond.

"Where did you go last night? Why can't I find you when I get up this morning?"

"I didn't go anywhere, I just wandered around," Liu Wei said, sticking out his neck.

"Just taking a stroll?" Ji Shao smiled, seemingly not pursuing the obvious lie, and changed the subject, saying, "Do you know what people here call you?"

Liu Wei's eyes gleamed as he gently shook his head.

"All you do is shake your head." Ji Shao took a wet wipe from the side, wet it, and rubbed the mud off his face. Then he slowly smiled and said, "They all say you're not like me, but more like a jinx that sprang from a stone, always causing trouble. Maybe we should find a stepmother to keep you in line, then you'll know how to behave."

Upon hearing this, Liu Wei suddenly bristled, breaking free from Ji Shao's grasp and angrily retorting, "Nonsense! How have I been ignorant? Even without you, teacher, to supervise me, I can still live a perfectly good life!"

Ji Shao smiled wryly and pressed Liu Wei down again, wiping his face clean, saying, "When your mother handed you over to me, she didn't ask for this."

After being wiped clean, Liu Wei's original face was revealed, and his demeanor still impressed Ji Shao. His face closely resembled his father's, possessing both heroic and handsome features, while his phoenix eyes, similar to his mother's, gave Liu Wei a sinister and profound look, making him instantly likable.

Before we knew it, Liu Wei was almost nine years old.

Ji Shao continued, "You should know your place. Since you made a vow to your mother, you should know the value of life and not go out and cause trouble. What were you doing last night?"

Liu Wei's eyes widened, and after a moment of silence, he whispered, "I went to Ran Village and smashed Ran Liang's big dog to death."

Ji Shao was startled upon hearing this, his breath catching in his throat. He roughly knew what was going on.

As a renowned leader of the gentry, Ji Shao lectured at Xianmei Studio, and Daxing was the political center of Qi and Han. Therefore, it was natural that some officials from Qi and Han would come to indulge in their refined pursuits, and many of them brought their children with them. Such as Yin Xian, the magistrate of Daxing; Fan Xuan, the Grand Master of Ceremonies; Dai Sui, the Prefect of Liang; and Ran Long, the General of the Vanguard.

Among them, Yamen General Ran Long was a favorite general of Prince Yan, Wang Mi. It is said that his family had been generals for generations, fighting bravely and fiercely on the battlefield, their prowess unmatched, even on par with Su Jun. However, Ran Long did not want his descendants to continue as fighting generals, so he frequently sent his son Ran Liang to study. Ran Liang inherited his father's bravery. At only twelve years old, he was already tall and strong, standing at six feet seven inches, clearly a head taller than his peers. It's not hard to imagine that when he comes of age, he will be another invincible fighting general.

However, Ran Liang clearly didn't understand his father's good intentions. He spent more time dozing off than learning anything from Ji Shao. After his lectures, he would often lead a group of children to fight dogs and ride horses, ruining crops or shooting pigs and dogs, much to the annoyance of the locals. Liu Wei, nominally Ji Shao's adopted son but orphaned, and often ridiculed by Ran Liang, resented Ran Liang's smugness and repeatedly provoked him. Unexpectedly, things had escalated to this point.

Ji Shao immediately reprimanded him in an extremely stern tone: "Bai Zhou, how have I taught you? A gentleman should be indifferent to fame and fortune to achieve far-reaching goals, and cautious in solitude to endure poverty. Therefore, he should know what to do and what not to do. How can you act rashly based on momentary impulses?"

"This isn't the first time you've trespassed into other people's homes and acted on your own! Last time, a group of thieves were robbing a neighboring village, and you actually went over to watch the commotion, and even stole a knife from someone in the chaos..."

Liu Wei immediately retorted, "If I steal a thief's knife, won't they harm fewer people?"

"You're still being stubborn!" Ji Shao felt a headache coming on. He pointed out, "What about that time in February when Yin Hao was reciting the *Great Learning* here? You couldn't recite it as well as him, so you burned his book. What about that?" "What kind of rubbish was he reciting!" Liu Wei retorted without backing down, "He's full of moralistic talk, but I said last year the people around us suffered a disaster, and his family is wealthy. Why didn't he give them some alms? He said it wasn't his responsibility. Isn't that hypocritical? So what if I burned his book!"

"And what about when you smashed Ran Liang's dog to death this time?"

"Ran Liang loves to let his dog bite people everywhere. Seven or eight villagers around here have been bitten. I'm ridding the people of this scourge. What wrong have I done?"

"You're lying!" Ji Shao shouted decisively, like a thunderclap from a clear sky. Ji Shao was usually kind and gentle, but this shout was like the wrath of a Vajra, instantly overwhelming Liu Wei and leaving him bewildered. Ji Shao looked at his disciple, his expression earnest, and said earnestly:

"Bai Zhou, do you even believe what you just said?"

Liu Wei remained silent, then heard Ji Shao slowly say, "Of course I know. I haven't brought you back to your father's side yet, and you harbor resentment. You also hate this place, feeling that everyone here is your mother's killer, and you hate them. So you want revenge, and you also want to use this as an excuse to complain to me."

"But if you keep doing this, who will ultimately suffer? Only yourself. I've endured this for so long to lower the Qi people's guard. Although I'm still under surveillance, at least you can come and go freely. But if your true identity is discovered, do you know what will happen to you?"

Ji Shao paused here and said, "Your mother's hard work will be destroyed in an instant, and be worthless."

"Most importantly, your mother would definitely want you to live a happy, joyful, and peaceful life. If she knew what you are doing now, it would only make her sad and heartbroken."

At this point, Liu Wei lowered his head deeply. Ji Shao's words were like needles, piercing through his defenses. In an instant, feelings of guilt, sadness, anger, and indifference surged into his heart, finally transforming into an unbearable sense of defeat, causing two lines of tears to well up in his eyes.

But he still refused to admit defeat. Even though his tears were flowing uncontrollably, he still sobbed and angrily said in his still-childish voice, "So what? I never had a father. It's been so many years, and I don't even know what my father looks like. He won't come to see me. What's the point of me living? It's no trouble for you, teacher. I might as well die!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Ji Shao patted Liu Wei on the shoulder, feeling a pang of sadness and affection for him.

In the two years they spent together, Ji Shao had already realized that the child before him was a gift from heaven. Although he was not yet nine years old, he possessed a strength and seriousness far beyond that of ordinary people, and with such a sensitive identity, if he could properly mold him, he would surely be able to accomplish something earth-shattering and admirable, just like his father.

Such an opportunity presented itself to Ji Shao, and he certainly wouldn't let it slip by. Or rather, anyone with even a modicum of ambition wouldn't pass up such an opportunity to become a teacher. Ji Shao had to teach this child some principles so that Liu Wei could walk firmly and powerfully on his future path.

So he wiped Liu Wei's face dry with a wet wipe again, then looked at the child's red and swollen eyes and sighed, "Your father is the greatest hero in the world. He is the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, the Taiping Zhenjun admired by everyone! You are his bloodline, how could he not recognize you? He just doesn't know it."

"You must remember that you are a prince of the Han Dynasty, a descendant of Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang), a great-grandson of Emperor Zhaolie (Liu Bei), and the son of the current emperor, Liu Xian. If you have the opportunity in the future, you may very well become the ruler of all people!"

Do you know what the most powerful skill of the Han emperors was?

Although Liu Wei was precocious, he was still a child after all. Faced with such a question, he could only shake his head blankly. He asked in confusion, "Is it swordsmanship?"

Ji Shao chuckled and said, "The Han emperor's swordsmanship is indeed impressive, but it is not the most impressive."

"The ultimate skill of the Han emperors was their will."

"Willpower?" Liu Wei was even more bewildered.

“Yes, willpower.” Ji Shao said to Liu Wei word by word, “As the emperor of the Han dynasty, you must overcome the impossible and defeat the insurmountable. You must use the most unwavering willpower to keep going until you succeed.”

At this point, Ji Shao asked Liu Wei, "Do you know what is the most difficult thing for a person to overcome?"

Liu Wei wiped away his tears and asked, "Is it fate?"

This is the most obvious answer people can think of, since no one can defy fate.

“No, it’s not fate.” Ji Shao shook his head again and said slowly, “It’s myself.”

"Bai Zhou, what people find most difficult to overcome is their true self. Why do sages say that we should examine ourselves three times a day? Because the ego is a layer of hindrance. Your eyes can see the appearance of others, your ears can hear the words of others, and your thoughts will judge the faults of others, but people always neglect themselves because of this."

"Therefore, people always like to overestimate themselves, act on instinct and impulse, think that others are fools and they are the superior ones, and then they act like crabs, baring their teeth and claws, but they can't see that compared with others, they are a hundred times more foolish and ridiculous. The mistakes that others make are actually the same ones that they have, and the sins that others have are actually ones that they cannot escape."

"In fact, even if a mountain is thousands of feet high, as long as people are determined to dig it, if one generation cannot do it, a hundred generations can dig it down. Even if a pool of water is as large as the East China Sea, as long as people persevere in filling it, if one generation cannot fill it, a hundred generations can fill it. But why can't people do it? It's because people cannot overcome their own fear, hesitation, and regret."

"Therefore, a true emperor of the Han dynasty is one who can overcome these things with his will, and only then can he move mountains and fill seas and rule the world. As for Bai Zhou, you are a descendant of the Han dynasty, and you must also do these things, overcome your likes and dislikes, your anger and impulsiveness, your anxiety and shortsightedness. Only by doing these things can you truly see the world clearly, live up to your mother's expectations, and gain your father's approval."

Upon hearing this, Liu Wei was completely stunned. He had never considered these principles before. Although he couldn't fully grasp his teacher's meaning in that brief moment, he could feel the weight of these words. He silently memorized them and began to ponder them.

He was indeed an extraordinary child; once he began to ponder, he could sit for hours on end, remaining silent for a long time. Ji Shao was very pleased with this. Did his exceptional comprehension come from his mother or his father?

However, such days wouldn't last long. Ji Shao had also heard about Liu Xian's attempt to redeem his old friend, and judging from the current rumors, the day the boy returned home should be drawing near.

And indeed, on the day of Gengchen in the sixth month of the sixth year of Qiming, this day finally arrived. (End of this chapter)