Chapter 545 Books and Etiquette

Pei Ye was really angry.

He has a keen sense of other people's emotions. At this moment, he heard clearly that it was not a insult to an old friend, and he did not hear any emotion in it.

In fact, the philosopher in front of him was very serious from beginning to end, or in other words, he had no emotions. His eyes were as deep as pool water, but they did not have a sense of movement. Instead, they looked like ancient trees. He looked at the young man seriously. He said with an attitude: "Since you are the descendant of Yue Muzhou, then learn more about virtue and etiquette."

This was a very subtle feeling - it would be even better if the person in front of him had a relationship with Grandpa Yue - Pei Ye pursed her lips and bowed with an expressionless half salute.

Zhu Wen paid him a half-ceremony meticulously, and then stepped forward to straighten his clothes carefully.

Then the philosopher led the two of them into a small quiet hall, where three tables, one large, two small, and three were set up. He asked them to go in first and sit down, while he turned and left.

The pace gradually became farther and farther.

Fang Jidao glanced at Pei Ye quietly, tilted his head and whispered: "...Pei Shaoxia."

"Um?"

"Mr. Zhu is an upright man, don't be too angry with him."

"Oh, I didn't."

"That's good." Fang Jidao smiled and asked, "After Master Zhu comes to teach, we need to stand up first and hold the disciple ceremony, and then Master Zhu receives the ceremony. This is a common etiquette and must be done before every teaching in the future."

"oh."

Only a moment later, Zhu Wen came back. It turned out that he had gone to get books. He brought eight or nine books and placed them next to the case. He stood up and straightened his clothes.

Fang Jidao stood up with his hands folded and bowed.

Pei Ye pretended not to know.

Zhu Wen didn't look angry, but still had a serious face, and said: "Pei Ye, you must salute before class."

"oh."

Pei Ye stood up and followed Fang Jidao's example and bowed.

Before Zhu Wenli returned to the case, he took a book and handed it to Fang Jidao, and then gave the rest to Pei Ye.

"Teacher, preach, teach, and solve doubts." Zhu Wen looked at the two of them, "My whole life is just to seek the principles of heaven. In the first half of my life, I studied the principles of nature, and in the second half of my life, I devoted myself to the theories of the two heavens. His nature is dark and mysterious, and there are few people who can talk to him in this life. Only Li Mian and Nan Xiu can talk to each other. However, Li Tai regards the world and Nan Zhe respects heaven. After all, each has his own way. "

"Inheriting the Tao, I will teach you everything with all my heart. How many points you can get depends on your fortune. After you inherit my inheritance, you will study alone in the forest, and only the Tao will accompany you. I hope you will keep your mind for the rest of your life and never take away your ambition."

"Master Zhu's teachings should be kept in mind."

Zhu Wen turned to Pei Ye, with the same voice: "Pei Ye, I neither preach nor teach you, I can only solve your doubts. I see that you are not familiar with etiquette. I think that even though you have come to my door, you have not read it yet." What a classic? You should read the "Three Rites" first, and then study "Shangshu", "Poetry", "Filial Piety", "Mencius" and other books. During these days, you must study hard, and I will teach you with all my heart. If you can clearly understand the moral teachings of the saints, you will be considered successful. It’s done.”

"Yes, thank you Mr. Zhu."

Pei Ye was still waiting for him to say something, but Zhu Wen was speechless. The philosopher sat down in front of the case, turned over the book and picked up his pen without raising his head.

The winter wind drifted outside the window, and the hall was quiet.

Pei Ye still didn't realize that this was the normal state of their studies. He subconsciously looked at Fang Jidao. The scholar had carefully opened the book that Zhu Wen handed him. It was full of neat handwriting, with dense annotations and even... He frowned at the drawing for a while, then opened his book box to take a look.

"..."

Pei Ye looked away, wondering why he didn't mention the main event of his visit... He frowned and took a book from the pile of books in front of him.

I looked at the cover and changed the book.

After looking at it, I changed it to another one.

He frowned again and raised his hand to turn over the pile of books one by one.

"Well...Mr. Zhu, I don't see the book "Three Rites" here."

Zhu Wen raised his eyes: "The 'Three Rites' are the three books of Rites, Zhou Rites, and Rites. You can start reading from Rites. Go back tonight and write down the Thirteen Classics. Collate and copy the dissemination and annotations and bring them to me tomorrow morning.”

"……oh."

Pei Ye lowered his head as if nothing had happened and opened the book "Rituals".

The sound of wind flows through the gaps between pines and cypresses outside the window. It is difficult to feel any changes throughout the year when studying here. These tall trees are green and lonely all year round.

Pei Ye read carefully and with difficulty for nearly two hours. The sky seemed to be darkening, and there was still only the sound of books and pens in the entire quiet hall.

He didn't quite understand why he was asked to read this kind of book. In two hours, he could almost understand a new sword move. Even if he used it to study some issues about the way of heaven, it would be helpful for his future practice, but this book was really all about it. etiquette.

Just look at its chapters: the crown ceremony, the evening ceremony, the meeting ceremony, the village drinking ceremony, the village shooting ceremony, the swallow ceremony, the big shooting ceremony, the betrothal gift, the court ceremony, the mourning dress...

To be honest, although the language is ancient, the description is not difficult to understand, but this completely intellectual stuff makes the young man feel a little drowsy.

About when the dusk really fell into the window, Zhu Wen closed his book and put down his pen: "Is there any doubt?"

Fang Jidao stood up and bowed, came forward with a book in hand, knelt down beside Zhu Wen's case, handed the books over, and began to talk about questions such as "What are the two natures?"

The Q&A lasted for about half an hour, and Pei Ye continued to flip through the book on the principle of not wasting time until they finally stopped.

Zhu Wen looked at him: "Pei Ye, how are you doing with your reading?"

"...It's okay, Mr. Zhu."

"Come here with the book."

Pei Ye took it and handed it to him, standing in front.

"Students, please ask the teacher. If you have a case, kneel down and wait beside the case." Zhu Wen did not take his book and motioned for him to take it himself.

"Oh." Pei Ye followed Fang Jidao's example and knelt down next to him.

Zhu asked him several questions and indicated that he could answer them by turning to the book. Pei Ye answered them all with great difficulty. Zhu Wen showed no praise or criticism on his face. After he finished answering, he read the part he had read from beginning to end. After explaining it to him in detail, he finally asked: "Is there anything else that doesn't make sense?"

Pei Ye listened patiently, but finally couldn't help it anymore: "Mr. Zhu, I don't know about the 'Two Heavens Theory'. What is the next step?"

Zhu Wen looked at him and frowned slightly for the first time: "You should concentrate on your studies. What does the 'Two Heavens Theory' have to do with the 'Etiquette'?"

"..."

However, the philosopher seemed to be incapable of getting angry. He said seriously: "Is there anything wrong with the book "Rituals"?"

"It's all cleared."

Zhu Wen nodded and looked at him with eyes like dead wood and water: "The difference between humans and animals lies in etiquette. Since you are wearing an unruly sword, you should study it seriously and don't be perfunctory."

Pei Ye was startled.

"Just review for three more moments, and today's daily class will be over."

Fang Jidao stood up and saluted, and the two of them returned to their seats and read quietly for another three quarters of an hour.

Zhu Wen stood up, and the three of them packed up their books and pens. It was already dark when they went out.

Zhu Wen took them to dinner. Fang Jidao was almost ravenous after getting the book of Xingli. He never put it down during the meal. He kept asking questions while holding the bowl. Pei Ye just tasted the food of Tianliyuan. Fruits and vegetables are considered bland and tasteless.

After dinner, we said goodbye to Fang Jidao, who would be staying in Tianli Courtyard from today on. Zhu Wen took Pei Ye back to the small courtyard.

The moon was bright among the pine trees, and the leaves cast sparse shadows. There were only two people on the path, and neither of them meant to talk.

Pei Ye rarely felt embarrassed, but she did feel a little tense in this alone atmosphere.

Until Zhu Wen suddenly said: "Do you practice swordsmanship every day?"

Pei Ye was startled for a moment: "...Almost."

Zhu Wen nodded: "You don't have to be here day and night like Ji Dao, but you must be in the courtyard four hours a day, both morning and afternoon. If you have anything else to do, you need to let me know in advance."

"Four..."

Zhu Wen did not answer, as if this was an iron law that could not be revised.

When the two returned to the courtyard, they passed through the first entrance. Zhu Wen led him straight to the second entrance to the courtyard.

"Besides studying, you and I are both responsible for the 'Two Heaven Theory'. You are the one entrusted by Mr. Tong. I will tell you carefully and you will repay me."

"……good."

Zhu Wen opened the door and found a short two-story library in front of the courtyard.

Pei Ye thought they were going to the ancient-looking second floor, but Zhu Wen did not go up. He led the young man through the hall on the first floor and arrived at the backyard.

Standing under the eaves, you can see at a glance a quiet place that has not been visited for a long time. The moss on the three ancient walls is dim, the stone paths grow in the soil, and there is no grass in winter, but the round pond with quiet water in the middle has not frozen. .

This is a very ordinary backyard, but it is not abandoned, but signs of serious care can be seen everywhere.

"I completed the construction of the Two-Heaven Theory two months ago, and the articles and books have been written. Now I just check every day to see if there are any new questions." Zhu Wen put the book on the table and took out the one he had just used. The pen was placed in a basin under the eaves to wash the ink, "This movement is wonderful. Theoretical contradictions can be resolved. It is also very consistent with Taoist views. There are no subtleties and weirdness. It can be used to promote the principles of the world."

"But Master Xu said... you still have some unfinished business here."

"Yes, because I haven't confirmed it yet." Zhu asked, his tone was always plain and serious, and there seemed to be no time for small talk or joking.

"Confirm what?"

"The Theory of Two Heavens." Zhu asked, "I heard about this theory ten years ago, so I started to deduce and verify it. Now the system of the Theory of Two Heavens has been perfected, but even after ten years, the 'verification' has not yet been concluded. It will take twenty or one month.”

Pei Ye remembered that Xu Chuo once said that to establish an argument, one must explain it clearly and the other must prove it. Now this philosopher seems to be obsessed with the second item.

"How did Mr. Zhu confirm it?" he couldn't help but ask.

Zhu Wen looked at the backyard: "This is the courtyard. Don't set foot in it unless you have nothing to do."

"...?"

Pei Ye didn't understand it for a moment, so he looked at it again - the courtyard was indeed still ordinary, and there was nothing strange like the magic building.

"When it gets colder and it freezes, we'll see how the water in the round pond freezes." Zhu Wen lowered his eyes and wiped the penholder before hanging it up. "If it's completely frozen, it'll be one day; if it's half frozen, it'll be one day." , then it is two days.”

Pei Ye's eyes widened, and for a moment he thought he was not in the Tianli Temple of Shenjing, but in the streets of Fenghuai listening to fortune telling by charlatans. However, Zhezi's expression in front of him remained as usual. He wiped his hands and went to the eaves, took out a dustpan and Broom, then go downstairs and enter the hospital.

"Why is this?" Pei Ye asked.

Zhu asked but did not answer.

"Then..." Pei Ye was at a loss. He suddenly realized that this was not a 'confirmation', but a judgment that had no results yet. "What if it's really frozen?"

"It's really frozen. That means the 'Two Heavens Theory' is false. I've already said it." Zhu Wen still said calmly.

"..."

"That's what it is and nothing else. If you feel cold, just make yourself a cup of hot tea and you can leave."

"..."

Pei Ye stared blankly as the philosopher walked up the path, swept it carefully, and finally took a long rake to remove a few fallen leaves from the pond.

The cold of winter seemed to have really invaded his muscles and bones. Pei Ye shivered, turned to the table, picked up a few tea leaves, put them in a bowl, poured water and brewed half of the bowl.

After taking a sip, the young man's eyebrows furrowed. It was extremely bitter and astringent tea...but it did warm up the body.

…

…

When Pei Ye returned to his old house, the bright moon was really high in the sky. The streets in winter nights were much less crowded than in summer nights. When he came to the door, Pei Ye looked back and saw that there was no one in the small garden. The trickster is gone too.

However, when he pushed with his hand, it didn't move, and his face almost hit him.

Pei Ye looked down at the door blankly.

Locked.

He stood silently for two breaths, then jumped over the wall.

Pei Ye can remember the way after he has been there once, but this time the library was dark, and the candlelight was in the side courtyard.

Pei Ye came to the front of the hospital with some caution and hesitation. The lights were on, so he probably hadn't rested yet, but it wasn't necessarily easy to disturb him. Mainly, he was still a little embarrassed about having an appointment for three days. At this time, he was thinking about whether to find someone casually. I just fell asleep in the courtyard. When we meet tomorrow and say hello, we will pretend nothing happened.

However, there was only silence in the small courtyard. He listened attentively and didn't know what the woman was doing. After hesitating, he used his true energy to lift the door latch, raised his hand and gently pushed the courtyard door open a gap, and looked inside.

What greeted him was Xu Chuo's quiet gaze.

"..."

"..."

The woman was sitting in the courtyard with her cloak on, a stove burning beside her legs, and a book on her lap. She looked up at the half of the boy's face caught in the gap.

"I don't know where Tianliyuan is." She said softly, "Pei Shaoxia stayed there for a day and was taught to become a thief who touched people's courtyards in the middle of the night."

"...I'm afraid of disturbing the owner." Pei Ye smiled twice, opened the door and stood in, rubbing his hands, "It's so cold, haha, why are you still sitting in the yard in this cold weather."

"I told you last time that I like the cool breeze, and the kitten is here." Xu Chuo lowered his eyes, "I slept very late, come here."

Pei Ye came over and saw that there was indeed a small chair for him in the courtyard. He pulled it to Xu Chuo's table, which contained several old and new books.

"How about Tenriyuan?"

"It's not bad." Pei Ye was actually annoyed with Zhu Wen's attitude when he mentioned Grandpa Yue. His politeness in everything was also quite contradicted by his temperament in the mountains and fields. "Anyway, I just read some books and talked about the 'Two Heavens Theory'" I asked, and he said it would take another twenty days or a month for the pond to freeze."

He looked at Xu Chuo curiously.

Xu Chuo showed no signs of surprise and nodded: "Yes, we want the Tianli Yuan to propose the theory of two heavens. We don't just find a spokesperson who can act as a mouthpiece, but we need them to really agree with it before this flag can be erected. We I chose Zhu Zhezi not because he is close, but because he is the most suitable one.”

Pei Ye didn't quite understand. The woman looked at him and said softly: "The four philosophers of Tianli Academy follow the same consensus, hold two views, but have four positions. Do you know what it is?"