CHAPTER 266: CHAPTER 260 MENG TRIGRAM

They have been studying for some time, and they all recognize the two sentences Zhao Hanzhang wrote down!

Despite this, Zhao Hanzhang led them in reciting it once and then asked, "Can you all understand these two sentences?"

Most people looked confused, while the remaining ones, especially the slightly older children, nodded directly, "It means that people are inherently good..."

Zhao Cheng had sat up straight when Zhao Hanzhang wrote these two sentences. He stared at the words on the blackboard with bright eyes, listening to her and the students explain what is meant by nature’s goodness.

Zhao Kuan and the others, who also came to audit, were very interested and couldn’t help but discuss after class, "Whether human nature is inherently good or inherently evil is still undetermined. How can Third Lady conclude it directly?"

"This is not a conclusion," Zhao Cheng glanced at them and said, "This is just one perspective. You can also write a book and use it to enlighten students."

Writing a book, is it that easy?

Zhao Cheng had already stood up, beckoning Zhao Hanzhang and reaching out to her.

Zhao Hanzhang obediently handed the book to him, and as Zhao Cheng flipped through it, he asked, "Who wrote this book?"

"Someone named Wang Yinglin."

Zhao Cheng frowned, "Such a prominent scholar, why have I never heard of him?"

Zhao Hanzhang said nothing.

Zhao Cheng skimmed through it, frowning, "Why are there missing lines?"

Because the people mentioned in it hadn’t been born yet, and she couldn’t find a suitable anecdote to replace them for now, so she temporarily left it blank.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "I forgot what those sentences were, so I didn’t write them."

This is also very normal nowadays, which is why knowledge is particularly important.

Zhao Cheng was very displeased and said, "Other books are fine, but how can such a catchy book be forgotten?"

Zhao Hanzhang looked at him innocently.

"Forget it, where did you see that book, and with whom can you borrow it again?"

"That book was originally one of the miscellaneous books in the house; I don’t know who bought it from where. When I was a child, I happened to see it and memorized a section," Zhao Hanzhang lied without changing expression, "When I went south back to my hometown, I packed it in a chest, and it was lost along with many other valuables and luggage."

Zhao Cheng was heartbroken and said sadly, "How many classics’ inheritances have been destroyed in the war?"

Zhao Hanzhang nodded in agreement.

Zhao Cheng turned to look at Zhao Kuan and the others, "So you guys should not always think about playing. As long as you have free time, copy books frequently."

"Copying books not only helps you memorize them again, perhaps providing deeper insights, but can also preserve more classics. If you truly encounter war, who knows if the handwritten copy in your hands might be the only one in the future."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded repeatedly, agreeing earnestly, and also encouraged, "Brothers, if you work hard, maybe your names will be recorded in history in the future."

Zhao Kuan and the others looked ashen-faced. As students, whether in the past or now, copying books has never been popular, especially when copying entire books.

Zhao Hanzhang had made revisions to the "Three Character Classic," but the "Thousand Character Classic" was copied exactly. She told Zhao Cheng, "Uncle, I believe all students entering the school should learn these two books, as well as the arithmetic written by Ting Han. Once they finish these three, they complete their enlightenment and can be divided into different education levels based on their learning situation and willingness, whether to learn other crafts or continue their studies."

Zhao Cheng flipped through the "Thousand Character Classic" she handed over, astonished, "Was this also written by Wang Yinglin?"

"No, it was written by Zhou Xingsi."

This one is much earlier than Wang Yinglin, and in about a hundred and fifty to sixty years, he should be born.

Zhao Cheng was mesmerized by it, and Zhao Kuan and others also gathered to look.

After a while, Zhao Cheng sighed, closed the book, handed it to them, and looked at the two lines on the blackboard, saying, "Such a precise summary could not be achieved without extensive knowledge of the past and present."

He turned to look at Zhao Kuan and the others, asking, "Do you know where the two sentences about the beginning of human nature originally appeared?"

Zhao Kuan and his brothers exchanged glances and ultimately had to bite the bullet under their gaze, "Perhaps it originated from Mencius’s theory of ’nature’s goodness,’ with ’all humans have a heart that cannot bear to witness others suffer’ in ’Gong Sun Chou Part 1’..."

Zhao Kuan stopped his words under Zhao Cheng’s gaze, lowered his head, and said, "Student acknowledges the mistake."

Zhao Cheng looked at him expressionlessly, then turned to look at Zhao Hanzhang, who was watching from the side with schadenfreude, "What do you think?"

Zhao Hanzhang froze, stammering under Zhao Cheng’s increasingly unfriendly gaze, "The earliest might have, have originated from the ’Zhou Yi’?"

Seeing Zhao Cheng’s expression slightly easing, Zhao Hanzhang continued, "The fourth Hexagram of Zhou Yi, Meng Trigram, talks about ’the young seek me,’ which is precisely about enlightenment. Confucius once commented on this hexagram, saying ’from under the mountain springs forth the source, Meng, the gentleman makes conduct grow and virtue flourish.’

"What does that have to do with nature’s goodness?"

"How could it not," Zhao Hanzhang said. "This is a metaphor," Zhao Hanzhang said, "A newborn child is like a spring emerging from the mountains, pure and clear, also innocent and unblemished, which is the natural basis of the statement ’at the beginning of human nature, it is originally good.’

Zhao Cheng nodded, then told them, "You never focus when reading; when you need it, your mind is empty."

He said, "Meng Trigram, first six, dispel ignorance, use to punish criminals, with explanation and shackles, sorrow in the past."

Seeing confusion in their eyes, he became angry, "Although I haven’t taught you ’Zhou Yi,’ how could you not have read such an important book?"

Zhao Kuan and the others lowered their heads.

Zhao Cheng turned to look at Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang suddenly felt like she was being stared at by her middle school literature teacher. She instinctively said, "This means at the first stage of ’Meng,’ one should receive enlightenment education to rectify one’s qualities and prevent committing crimes, avoiding entrapment."

After a pause, she said, "At the beginning of human nature, it is originally good; nature is similar, habits diverge. If not taught, the nature will be altered; the way of teaching is to focus. These two sentences come from the Meng Trigram, emphasizing the importance of enlightenment education."

Zhao Cheng nodded in satisfaction, glancing at Zhao Kuan and others, and said quietly, "Third Lady is a few years younger than you, you know~"

Zhao Kuan and the others blushed furiously.

"You can’t match her martial skills, nor her literary attainments. What use are you?"

Zhao Hanzhang saw the boys’ faces almost dripping with embarrassment and dared to say, "Uncle, the Meng Trigram also states, ’not beneficial to be a bandit,’ you are too harsh on the brothers."

Then she turned and ran.

Zhao Cheng was furious but couldn’t chase after her, so he turned to glare at Zhao Kuan and the others, "Am I really harsh?"

Zhao Kuan and the others shook their heads vigorously, almost shaking them off.

Only then did Zhao Cheng’s expression improve a bit. After snorting, he said, "’Zhou Yi’ is too difficult, so you had no interest. I didn’t force you to learn it, but you should at least read it. If you understand even a fraction of the reasoning within, it will be enough for this lifetime."

"Third Lady is still your sister."

Zhao Kuan and the others were deeply ashamed and repeatedly agreed.