Sui and Tang Dynasty Generals

Chapter 5: First Lesson in Life

"What's going on here?"

At dinner, looking at the hot porridge in her hands, Aunt Zhang looked at the gloomy Mr. Liu with a puzzled look, and then asked Fu Zihou curiously.

At this time, Mrs. Tao also glanced at Old Liu, and then looked at Fu Zihou. She rarely saw Old Liu like this.

"Aunt, it's okay. I was just mad at Hou'er's teacher!"

Fu Zihou explained with a wry smile.

Looking at Mr. Liu who couldn't eat, Fu Zihou didn't know how to comfort him. It was true that Mr. Liu was angry at his teacher Liu Zhiyuan's attitude, but Fu Zihou knew better that if his teacher hadn't had any reservations, he was afraid that in the end, it would not be as simple as a few words of argument that left Mr. Liu speechless.

Thinking back to my memory, if I remember correctly, my current teacher Liu Zhiyuan was unwilling to give up a few months later, so he wrote a poem and was discovered and almost arrested. And later, he saw Li Yuan and felt that he really looked down on him, so he wanted to continue to raise troops and start a rebellion...

From all these things, it is not difficult to see that the teacher I worship today has more pride in his heart than courage!
Looking at Mr. Liu standing aside, Fu Zihou could only suppress his thoughts for now. He hoped that after a year or two, when his teacher 'Liu Zhiyuan' would become famous and his identity would be known, Mr. Liu would most likely not only not be so angry about this matter anymore, but he might even have a drink and brag about it to others.

"Tsk! If it were you, I'd rather learn some nonsense than just follow Master Liu and practice martial arts!"

Aunt Zhang said unhappily.

What was surprising this time was that after hearing Zhang's words, it was not Fu Zihou's mother Tao who spoke up to refute, but Old Liu, who had been sulking, who spoke first.

"No!"

Old Liu was old and his beard was disheveled with anger, but after hearing what Zhang said, he was the first to shake his head.

This action not only surprised Tao, Zhang and cousin Fu Zhi, but also made Grandpa look at Old Liu curiously.

"That guy has a bit of a tongue, and he might have some ink in his belly. Compared to other people in the village, that guy... is not bad!"

Although Mr. Liu was angry, in his heart, he disliked Liu Zhiyuan, which was different from Zihou's elementary school education with Liu Zhiyuan.

"To be praised by Mr. Liu, that person must be quite good!"

When Tao saw the look on Old Liu's face, a smile immediately appeared on her face. Since the elderly Liu felt good about it, she thought that the guy named Liu Zhiyuan couldn't be that bad.

Aunt Zhang didn't say much when she saw this.

Inside the house, as everyone was having dinner, Fu Hong and Fu Rui were sitting on hay on an old bed not far away, counting the money in the family now. Apart from the majority that Fu Hong would take away, they would also leave a portion as travel expenses for the Fu family to go to Xin County.

However, compared to Fu Hong's excitement, Fu Rui's brows were always a little heavy. Occasionally, he turned his head to look at his son Fu Zihou who was eating in the house. It was obvious that he still opposed the marriage with the Li family.

But he could not resist his son's personal pleading, and his son also said earnestly in private to his face that he would not marry anyone other than the sixth daughter of the Li family in his life.

Since his son had made his point, as a father he had no choice but to agree.

"Brother, please don't forget Hou'er after you accomplish your mission!"

Fu Rui looked at his brother Fu Hong, hoping that he would remember his promise. After the matter was accomplished, he would ask someone to go to Xin County with a message and take Hou'er over. At that time, he would no longer be a businessman.

"Brother, do you not trust your elder brother?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Hong looked impatient and looked at Fu Zihou who was standing beside Tao not far away, then turned back to look at his second brother Fu Rui.

Fu Rui looked at his brother's expression, nodded, and said nothing more. As for the money that he had earned by enduring humiliation and abuse, Fu Rui did not feel so sorry for it.

Afterwards, Fu Hong and Fu Rui only ate a few bites of dinner in a hurry, and then continued to count the money in the house until late at night.

The next day.

Early in the morning, after practicing martial arts, Fu Zihou hurriedly took his sword, left home, and came to his teacher Liu Zhiyuan's wooden house.

"Ok!"

Liu Zhiyuan saw Fu Zihou coming, nodded, and then asked Fu Zihou to come and sit down.

"Can you read?"

Liu Zhiyuan looked much better than yesterday, and even his short beard had been trimmed a little.

Seeing Fu Zihou nodding seriously, Liu Zhiyuan showed a little satisfaction, then picked up a small stick beside him and sat cross-legged in front of Fu Zihou. However, before he could open his mouth, he heard a noise outside the house.

Soon, several villagers stood outside the house, pointing and talking at the scene inside.

"Look, wow, this guy actually got a disciple!"

"Who is so stupid? She actually sent her own child here. She must be a stepmother! If she is the biological mother, how could she be willing to send her child to such a young man!"

"That's right! Those old guys at the village entrance, they are so old and they know so much! Unlike this guy, he has only a few hairs on his head. Isn't he afraid of misleading the young people?"

"That's right. This is against one's conscience. Alas, how can he not feel ashamed as a teacher? He still calls himself a scholar and educates people? Pah!..."

The sound of the villagers talking outside was not loud, but it was particularly eye-catching when it reached the quiet house. Fu Zihou looked at the teacher in front of him with a helpless expression, then lowered his head and looked at the teacher again...

Liu Zhiyuan remained indifferent at first, but the unpleasant words outside the house slowly made his breathing disordered and his complexion became more and more ugly. His gloomy look clearly revealed his inner anger.

A gentleman is afraid of being humiliated!
The villagers outside the house kept calling him "misleading the young people" and cursed him with every word. Liu Zhiyuan, who was already proud by nature, could not endure such humiliation and stood up immediately.

"Wait here!"

After Liu Zhiyuan finished speaking, he walked towards the door with a gloomy face.

Fu Zihou sat on the ground, watching his teacher pass by, fearing that his teacher would lose control and roll up his sleeves to go out and fight with the villagers.

Others may not know, but Fu Zihou knows that his teacher is also someone who dares to take the lead and lead the troops to charge into the enemy camp.

Fortunately, the villagers outside realized that their words were heard, and seeing Liu Zhiyuan’s dark face and scary eyes, they left one after another.

inside the house.

As the door closed and no one was disturbing him, Liu Zhiyuan returned to his original position with the wooden stick and closed his eyes. The surroundings became completely quiet.

Fu Zihou waited for a long time before he saw his teacher Liu Zhiyuan calm down, open his eyes, look at him calmly, and point at the ground with his stick.

"Two months is too short. Ancient sages need at least three to five years to comprehend one volume, and the way to govern the world requires dozens of years of comprehension and experience before one can comprehend it thoroughly. These are not what we need right now!"

Liu Zhiyuan looked at Fu Zihou, then took the stick and signaled Fu Zihou to pay attention.

"Since you don't want to be looked down upon, then I will start with the officials of the Sui Dynasty. This will be something you can talk about when you visit Mount Tai in the future. As long as you can slowly answer questions about the deeds of today's famous generals and the outstanding people in their families, you will no longer be looked down upon by others. As for your ability to make a living..."

After Liu Zhiyuan finished speaking, he looked at Fu Zihou and said calmly: "This can be high or low, each has its own differences, we will talk about it later!"

In fact, what I originally planned to teach yesterday was some ancient books and teach Fu Zihou the commendable parts of them. After all, Fu Zihou's needs would not be known or despised by Taishan's family in the future.

If he doesn't want to be looked down upon, then the best way to solve the problem is to improve Fu Zihou's knowledge and attract people's attention.

Famous books and ancient texts all cover this topic and have their own feelings, so it is a good choice. But at the moment, I am very angry and my anger is hard to extinguish. It is also to improve my knowledge, but Liu Zhiyuan chose to use a different method.

Teach Fu Zihou and learn about the famous teachers and scholars of the time! High-ranking officials and nobles!

Although it is also for the purpose of broadening horizons, Liu Zhiyuan intends to let his current disciple Fu Zihou see the world!
"Yes!" When Fu Zihou heard Liu Zhiyuan's words, he quickly raised his hand and saluted Liu Zhiyuan respectfully.

Liu Zhiyuan nodded, and began to teach Fu Zihou about the personnel in the Sui Dynasty officialdom and the current powerful officials with a wooden stick in this dilapidated wooden house.

"In the past, the Sui Dynasty had the 'Five Nobles'. They were Su Wei, the Minister of State, Yuwen Shu, the General of the Left Guard, Pei Ju, the Imperial Censor, Pei Yun, and Yu Shiji, the Imperial Censor. Among these five, Su Wei was the most straightforward..."

Inside the wooden house, from morning to noon, and then to dusk.

From sitting to walking, and from walking to sitting, over and over again, Liu Zhiyuan, who had just become a teacher, patiently introduced high-ranking officials of the Sui Dynasty throughout the whole process, including some famous generals. After summarizing some gains and losses, he also gave his own insights.

Of course, Liu Zhiyuan would not mention some obscure things.

The sky gradually darkened and the day's classes were coming to an end.

"How much of what was taught today do you remember?"

Seeing that it was getting late, Liu Zhiyuan stopped and asked softly, his arrogant eyes looking at Fu Zihou.

Through their contact, Liu Zhiyuan also discovered that the young Fu Zihou was more mentally stable than his peers.

As the first apprentice in his life, although Liu Zhiyuan did not say it, but at this moment, a trace of expectation and curiosity emerged in his heart instinctively, which was very subtle and even Liu Zhiyuan did not notice it.

Just like a mother giving birth to a child, like a father educating a son, especially when it is the first time for a teacher and he has only one disciple.

This was my first experience of being a teacher. After the strangeness gradually disappeared as we got to know each other better, the relationship between master and disciple also quietly became a little special in my heart.

And under this special feeling, when there is no second object or choice, he will instinctively and unnaturally pour all his attention and all his vanity as a teacher onto this only disciple.

Even Liu Zhiyuan didn't notice it, because he had never accepted an apprentice, let alone taught others. All day long, he kept questioning himself in his heart, how was his teaching method? Was it wrong? In his mind, he kept recalling the scene when his teacher Bao Kai taught him and other senior brothers.

"Teacher, I remember eight or nine!"

Upon hearing this, Fu Zihou looked up at the teacher without caring about his numb legs and buttocks, then bowed his head and responded.

After he finished speaking, seeing the teacher frowning slightly, Fu Zihou felt a little uneasy, wondering if there was something wrong with his answer.

However, when Fu Zihou thought about it carefully, he felt that this answer was not false. Although teacher Liu Zhiyuan said a lot, Fu Zihou really wrote it all down, almost correctly.

The reason why I answered that I remembered 1989 was already a very humble statement.

"Who is the Yellow Gate Minister mentioned today? Who is the Imperial Censor? How many provinces are there in the court? Who are the people in charge of each department?"

Liu Zhiyuan looked at Fu Zihou seriously and asked softly, implying that he was testing whether Fu Zihou's words were true or false.

Obviously, Liu Zhiyuan was not only dissatisfied with Fu Zihou's answer, but there was even a hint of disappointment in his eyes when he looked at Fu Zihou.

You have to know that he was the one talking today and Fu Zihou was listening. After a whole day, if Fu Zihou could remember five or six things, it would be enough to satisfy him, even surprising. As for seven or eight, he dared not even think about it.

And now, Fu Zihou's answer was actually eight or nine!

This almost made him certain in his heart that Fu Zihou's answer was boastful and his behavior was impetuous.

After today's contact, he had a lot of good feelings towards his disciple Fu Zihou, but now he began to feel disappointed.

He looked out the window through the broken doors and windows.

Recalling the time when he was studying under Master Bao in Xuezhai, the first time he received a lesson, Master Bao mentioned many classical names and stated their sources, asking all the students to remember them. At that time, after half a day, he and his other brothers could only remember seven or eight.

You know, classics all have dates and origins, and each has its own meaning. They are much easier to remember than the mixed officials in the court whose names are all two or three characters long.

He also only remembered seven or eight at the beginning, but he remembered clearly that when facing the questions asked by Mr. Bao, he was slightly better than many of his senior brothers. This made Mr. Bao constantly praise him in front of many senior brothers.

"Back to the teacher!"

When Liu Zhiyuan heard Fu Zihou's words, he did not turn around to look at his disciples. His expressionless face seemed to have foreseen the next outcome.

"Today, the teacher said that the Imperial Court has five ministries, including the Imperial Secretariat, Imperial Court, Imperial History, and the Ministry of Secrets. Later, the Imperial Palace was added..."

Fu Zihou raised his hand towards the teacher, thinking and slowly saying what he remembered.

The reason why Fu Zihou could remember it so clearly and accurately was that he was very familiar with the system of this dynasty. Although Fu Zihou claimed that he had not studied history in depth and was not very familiar with it, that was only compared with those people who could recite the birth and death inscriptions of figures from various dynasties by heart.

Fu Zihou knew that kind of monster and knew clearly that even history books were just little books full of errors and omissions in the eyes of those nerds.

The first time Fu Zihou heard that Li Mi was the 'Overlord of the Late Sui Dynasty', a tyrant who lacked destiny, was from the conversations among the people in the mansions. At that time, it was rare for Fu Zihou to see those people praising one person continuously.

In addition, most of the names that the teacher could say today were very famous in later generations. Therefore, when faced with the teacher's questions, Fu Zihou answered them effortlessly and fluently. He was even afraid to say something that the teacher had not mentioned today.

Inside the wooden house.

Liu Zhiyuan stood with his hands behind his back, listening. From disappointment at first, to frowning, when the young man next to him continued to speak in an orderly manner, Liu Zhiyuan's expression finally began to change.

Slowly, slowly, as the voice beside his ear spoke out names, official titles, and even some of his deeds that he had briefly mentioned today, Liu Zhiyuan's eyes began to show surprise, and finally there was a hint of hidden shock.

Turning his head, when Liu Zhiyuan looked at the young man who was sitting cross-legged respectfully on the ground, looking at the young man's face as he answered seriously, Liu Zhiyuan's eyes had already undergone a drastic change.

Soon, as time passed quietly, the young man finished speaking and was about to bow in response.

At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside the house.

"Young Patriarch! It's getting dark, go home early!"

Liu Zhiyuan could tell that the person outside was the old servant holding the sword yesterday. Looking at his disciple Fu Zihou, Liu Zhiyuan tried to calm himself down and told him to go back first and come back tomorrow.

Then, he watched the young man bow respectfully, turn around and leave obediently, then opened the door and left.

After the noise outside the house disappeared.

Liu Zhiyuan, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, finally breathed a sigh of relief and opened his hands. Only then did he realize that there were traces of sweat on his palms.

“I actually wrote it all down!”

Liu Zhiyuan muttered to himself in silence, his expression and eyes seemed to reveal absurdity. His heart was full of disbelief, and there was still a trace of shock that had not dissipated.

Looking at the open door, Liu Zhiyuan sighed dejectedly, and kept asking himself in his heart whether what he said was really easy to remember.

However, reason told Liu Zhiyuan that this was not the case. Even when he was young, he occasionally made mistakes when talking to others, not to mention that Fu Zihou was listening all day long.

It seems that this disciple of mine has the ability to see and hear things but never forget them!!!

"I have come across a piece of jade!"

Liu Zhiyuan shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He couldn't imagine how excited his former teacher, Mr. Bao, would be if he saw such a young man.

I didn't expect that my first disciple in my life would be so surprising!

(End of this chapter)