Chapter 8 Teaching Students in Accordance with Their Aptitude

Chen Heng felt lucky to meet a teacher like Wang Xianming.

Perhaps most people would despise Wang Xianming for being an old student. He himself failed the imperial examinations many times, so what good things could he teach? But things are not seen that way. Wang Xianming is 49 years old this year. He has long given up the idea of ​​continuing to take the imperial examinations and is concentrating on teaching and educating people.

Unlike those scholars who have to teach while preparing for the imperial examinations, they are all cramming teaching. Whether they learn or not depends on the students themselves.

In addition, when Wang Xianming was young, he studied under his father-in-law and broadened his horizons. He can barely comment on the quality of the article. He can also say three or four about the meaning of the Four Books and Five Classics.

After more than 30 years of continuous study, Wang Xianming deeply understands the detours and mistakes on the road of the imperial examination. It's a pity that he woke up too late. A person's best learning time is limited. After the time point, studying again is just to pursue the answer to life.

Now, all these things will be transformed into nutrients and watered on Chen Heng's seedling. Just like in the Four Books, most people start reading from "The Great Learning", but Wang Xianming believes that it is better to start from "The Analects of Confucius".

He explained to Chen Heng like this: If "The Great Learning" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" are compared to the mountains that support the sky, then "The Analects of Confucius" is the land that supports them. Climbing the mountain at the beginning can certainly broaden people's horizons and open the door.

But "The Analects of Confucius" is what determines how high your mountain can be, whether it is the peaks of the Five Mountains that overlook all the mountains, or the arrogance of the hills that rise from the flat ground.

Only by laying a deep and thick foundation and letting yourself comprehend the subtleties, can your mountain continue to rise until the clouds are cleared and the moon is seen, overlooking the world. By then, although the mountain is high, you have also exercised your leg strength, and it will be more effective to climb it.

"What about "Mencius"?" Chen Heng asked.

Wang Xianming shook his head and said, "It is a clear spring flowing down from a high mountain. When you reach the top of the mountain, you can stand at its source, go down the river, and ride the wind to the river overnight. Isn't it wonderful? So we should read "Mencius" last."

Chen Heng understood, and threw his mind on "The Analects" without any distraction.

Thanks to the benefits of one-on-one teaching, Wang Xianming can always use the time he teaches other people to explain the classics to Chen Heng, breaking up the knowledge and feeding it to him. One teaches in detail, and the other learns quickly, so the progress is naturally fast.

After the morning classics class, the afternoon time is still calligraphy. The popular style in the imperial examination is the official style, because it is clear at a glance and has regular strokes. It has been very popular with examiners since the establishment of the Yong Dynasty.

But Wang Xianming still insisted that Chen Heng start practicing from regular script, although regular script takes a lot of time and takes a long time to show results. But as long as you practice it, you can apply it to other calligraphy styles in the future, and it will be easy to write.

When this class is over, there will be about half an hour left for the day's study. During this time, the two usually chat. Wang Xianming will talk about some things he encountered or saw, such as anecdotes in the imperial examinations and the current situation.

This is one of the few opportunities for Chen Heng to understand the outside world, so he always turns into a curious baby during this time and asks questions. Wang Xianming treats him as his own child, and the two of them talk behind closed doors, so naturally they will not be too restrained.

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One day, the two teachers and students finished a day's class and sat and chatted with each other. The two were talking about a scholar in Jinling who was dismissed by the examiner because he used Li Tang's story as an example in his article when he was taking the exam for a scholar.

"Can it be like this?" Chen Heng blinked, wondering what taboo this good Li Tang had violated in the Yong Dynasty.

"Why did the current emperor choose Wuding as the reign title when he ascended the throne?" Wang Xianming played a clever trick. Seeing that Chen Heng couldn't figure it out, he explained, "The emperor still lives in the palace now."

Chen Heng suddenly realized, as if he had discovered a big secret, and was about to spit out: "Could it be Xuan..."

"Shh, shut up." Wang Xianming patted Chen Heng's little head and joked again, "Now you know why your teacher asked you to take out the Filial Piety Classic and read it when you have nothing to do. The current court attaches the most importance to filial piety."

"The one who started it is also afraid of the one who comes later." Chen Heng nodded in agreement.

Wang Xianming laughed. He liked the cleverness of this child. He understood everything at a glance, and it was very pleasant for him to teach.

"Then what else can you see from the reign title?" Wang Xianming picked up the teacup and continued to expand Chen Heng's thinking. Since he accepted Chen Heng as his disciple, he naturally didn't want to teach a pedantic scholar who only knew how to talk about things.

Everyone can recite the Four Books and Five Classics, but what really determines Chen Heng's future is the things that can be applied to other cases.

Chen Heng thought hard for a long time before trying to speak: "Your Majesty used Wu because he understood military tactics and was good at military affairs. You used Ding because you wanted to become a great leader?"

As soon as Chen Heng finished speaking, Wang Xianming's hand holding the tea stopped in mid-air. He looked at him for a long time before saying: "Young people are formidable. When I figured out this truth, I was already over thirty."

"Before, I failed the imperial examination again and again, and I often blamed the examiners for being blind and having different preferences." Wang Xianming shook his head and sighed, "Now think about it again. When the emperor was in power, he was getting older and liked the articles of the prosperous times of singing and dancing. I was not talented enough, and the words in my articles were difficult to be original, and I suffered again and again. When the new emperor ascended the throne, I was still working hard on this road, wasting my time, and I didn't understand the emperor's intentions. How could I pass the exam?"

"Then think about it again. After the reign of Wu Ding, what kind of reign will the emperor choose?"

"Probably something like Wen."

"Why?" Wang Xianming asked with great interest.

"Hardness cannot last long, and softness cannot be defended. Only when civil and military power are combined can we have a prosperous era. Emphasizing military power over civil power, or emphasizing civil power over military power, are all actions that lead to troubled times." Knowing that he was talking to his own teacher, Chen Heng's words were inevitably more unrestrained.

Wang Xianming nodded and reminded him: "Unless you pass the imperial examination, you cannot say such words to outsiders."

"Yes, teacher."

Chen Heng understood the teacher's deep meaning and naturally would not refute.

"It has been ten years since Wu Ding, let's wait and see if your guess is correct."

"What if it is not correct?" Chen Heng was curious about the teacher's hidden meaning.

"Then punish you to copy the Four Books and Five Classics three times." Wang Xianming smiled very proudly.

"Yes." Chen Heng looked bitter. He did not ask for the reward for guessing correctly. The teacher did not take the initiative to mention it, so naturally there was no reward. It would be useless to ask.

In the days that followed, Chen Heng continued to maintain this rhythm, reading in the morning and practicing calligraphy in the afternoon, and he did not dare to slack off for a day. After more than half a year, Chen Heng had memorized the Four Books by heart.

At this point, Chen Heng will enter the next stage, choosing one of the Five Classics as his own classic. At the same time, at Wang Xianming's request, he will also start reading articles by literary masters such as Sima Xiangru, Han Yu, and the Three Su.

These literati who have left a deep impression in history have been tested for their wonderful words and the prosperity of their articles. Reading their articles often can cultivate the context and intention of writing.

In order to get these articles for Chen Heng, Wang Xianming has to take the village ox cart to the county bookstore to buy them every fifteen days when it is his turn to rest. This money is not paid by the old Chen family, but by Wang Xianming himself.

Don't think they are cheap and don't cost much. Take the books that Chen Heng read before, for example, a book of "Three Character Classic" with few words costs one thousand wen. Like the Four Books and Five Classics, the layout is good, or with annotations by ancient sages, the price can be more than three taels, and this is just one book.

Looking back at the Chen family, they only earned more than 20 taels after working hard for a year, not counting the family's food, drink and taxes.

Wang Xianming's care for Chen Heng is evident.

It happened to be a day off.

Chen Heng was resting at home and taking advantage of the holiday to help his family with farm work. Wang Xianming got on the village ox cart early to pick up the books he had ordered before.

Today, a carriage came to Shanxi Village, and a thin scholar got off the carriage. Under the guidance of the villagers, he came to the door of Wang Xianming's house.

The scholar stood at the door and looked for a long time before speaking to lead the owner out. When Liu walked to the door and saw who was coming, she was surprised and then happy: "Mr. Lin! Why is it you?"

"Haha." The scholar laughed heartily and said complacently: "It's me, Senior Sister."

"Why are you here? I heard from my father that you have been in the capital."

"Haha, Senior Sister, you are unreasonable. We have met again after a long time, so why don't you let me go in first and have a cup of tea?"

"Look at me, come in quickly, come in quickly."