Tang Dynasty Little Godfather

Chapter 8 A Master!
"Open your own academy?"

Li Jieman, Wang Shuang, and Huangfu Sengnian said in unison.

This is truly an unimaginable road!
Seeing their terrified expressions, Wang Xi asked timidly, "Is it alright?"

"it is good!"

Wang Shuang slammed his hand on the table, excitedly saying, "Brother Que, your idea is brilliant! If we can't be good students, we can become teachers!"

Li Jie nodded vigorously and said, "Yes! Being a teacher is much easier than being a student. There are no exams or homework. All we do all day is discipline students and punish them. That's what we're good at!"

A flicker of excitement crossed Huangfu Sengnian's eyes, but he quickly added, "Don't get too excited yet. Opening an academy isn't as simple as opening a shop. Besides, our father definitely won't agree."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shuang and Li Jieman immediately deflated.

Even a child could see that this is impossible.

It was all for naught.

Wang Xi thought about it carefully for a while and said, "Leave this matter to me."

"Brother Que, do you have a solution?" Wang Shuang asked expectantly.

Wang Xi asked, "Is our father as smart as us?"

Li Jieman and Wang Shuang shook their heads at the same time.

Huangfu Sengnian hesitated for a moment before shaking his head very slightly.

Wang Xi said, "That settles it then. We just need to put on a show to fool them." As he spoke, he waved his hand, and four heads immediately gathered together.

half a month later.

Wangfu.

Wang Shouyi, Li Qiao, and Princess Xue looked at the old man in front of them, dressed in a green robe, with white hair and a youthful face, and an air of otherworldly grace, with a hint of doubt in their eyes.

Wang Xi said in a serious tone, "Father, this old gentleman is truly a master. It is a blessing I have accumulated over many lifetimes to be able to accept him as my disciple."

"Shut up first."

Wang Shouyi gave Wang Xi a low scolding. He had only said it in anger, telling Wang Xi to find the academy himself, but he hadn't expected the kid to actually find a teacher. He then glanced at Li Qiao, who, being illiterate, wouldn't know how to talk to these experts.

Li Qiao understood immediately, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "May I ask how to address you, sir?"

The old man stroked his beard and smiled, "I never leave my name when I take on disciples; it all depends on fate. That's why many people call me Nameless."

Anonymous? Hmm, sounds like a master.

Li Qiao then said, "So you are the nameless old gentleman. I am truly sorry for my rudeness." After a pause, he tentatively added, "I suppose the nameless old gentleman has many disciples all over the world. Perhaps I know many of your beloved students."

The old man said calmly, "Perhaps! I travel all over the world and do not like to be bound by fame and fortune. There are many students whose names I do not even know."

Is it really that tall?
After a moment's thought, Li Qiao said, "My son is mischievous and has not offended you, sir, which is already a great blessing. May I ask how he came to have a connection with you, sir?"

The old man countered, "Didn't he tell you?"

Li Qiao shook his head and then looked at Li Jieman.

Li Jieman said in a low voice, "The other day, I was drinking with Que Ge'er. When we came out, I accidentally bumped into the old gentleman and we had an argument. That's how we met."

These words left Li Qiao, Wang Shouyi, and Princess Xue dumbfounded.

Uh... it really was a connection formed by a clash!
But this is a tragic fate.

At this moment, the old man laughed heartily and said, "Your son is exceptionally intelligent!"

This was the first time Li Qiao had ever heard anyone praise his son like this; he had never done so before. Confused, he asked, "What do you mean by that, sir?"

The old man laughed and said, "Your son bumped into me. I originally wanted to hold him accountable, but your son said that I was the one who bumped into him and asked me to apologize to him."

Li Qiao's lips twitched upon hearing this. There was no mistake; it was this kid who did it. He quickly said, "My son was reckless and offended the old gentleman."

The old man waved his hand and said, "Your Highness, please don't apologize yet. May I ask, Your Highness, your son was traveling east while I was traveling west. How can you determine who bumped into whom?"

Li Qiao said, "My son has always been reckless; he must have bumped into you, sir."

The old man shook his head and said, "As a teacher, one should persuade people with reason, not with the excuse of old age or weakness."

Wang Shouyi and Princess Xue nodded slightly.

He really does have the air of a master. Li Qiao said awkwardly, "I wonder how you think it should be judged, sir."

The old man said, "Your son and I are moving towards each other, and both of us have good eyesight. When we collide, we each have our own reasons. At this time, a third party is crucial."

At this point, he looked at Wang Xi.

Li Qiao immediately understood that Wang Xi must have colluded with Li Jieman to deceive the old gentleman.

"What kind of expert is this? Two kids managed to fool you." Li Qiao asked incredulously, "Is that why you're willing to take them as your disciples, sir?"

The old man laughed heartily and said, "Can Your Highness refute them?"

Li Qiao remained silent.

Need a rebuttal?

One slap revealed the truth.

The old man continued, "Actually, there are three types of disciples I will not teach: those who are unfilial, those who break the law, and those who follow the rules."

The first two are easy to understand, but the third one is incomprehensible to all three.

Wang Shouyi asked curiously, "Shouldn't students follow the rules?"

The old man laughed and said, "That was taught by a mediocre person. In my opinion, a truly clever and quick-witted person will not follow the rules and will be lively and active. If someone is not good at moving their hands and feet, they probably won't be good at using their brain either! It's just a pity that they met a mediocre person who didn't know how to teach them, thus wasting their talents."

Wang Shouyi suddenly realized that this made a lot of sense, and recalling his own experience, he nodded and said, "The old gentleman is right."

Princess Xue rolled her eyes slightly.

Li Qiao asked, "May I ask what wonderful method you possess, sir?"

The old man said, "Lao Tzu said, 'The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without striving, and dwells in places that others disdain, therefore it is close to the Tao.'"

The same principle applies to teaching and nurturing students. We must teach according to the students' temperament, not according to our own. If a student loves reading, he is better than a famous teacher; if he does not love reading, even a thousand lashes will not work.

Therefore, the first step is to cultivate their interest in reading and make them love reading; then everything will go smoothly.

Princess Xue nodded and said, "Old sir, your words are truly invaluable. I have benefited greatly from them, but I do not know how to cultivate their interest."

When Wang Shouyi heard his wife say this, he immediately believed her without a doubt. She was truly a wise person!

The old man stroked his beard and said, "Whether it is Confucius, Mencius, or Mozi, the principles they speak of all come from life. Children also love to listen to stories. You can hide those profound principles in simple and interesting stories and guide them to read them. First, let them understand the principles, and then teach them the Five Classics. They will be able to quickly comprehend and understand them."

After saying that, he took out a book from his sleeve and handed it to Li Qiao, saying, "This is a textbook that I personally compiled. Please take a look, Your Highness."

"How dare you, how dare you."

Li Qiao was stunned. He took the book with both hands, opened it, and his eyes lit up. He nodded thoughtfully, "Wonderful! Wonderful!"

After looking at it for a while, he handed it to Wang Shouyi.

Wang Shouyi was very unhappy.

Are you kidding me?!

I am illiterate, didn't you know that?

Princess Xue quickly took the book, opened it, and found it filled with interesting little stories that contained the wisdom of Confucius and Lao Tzu. She nodded and said, "This textbook is truly simple and profound, a return to the basics. It's just... the ink is a bit new."

Upon hearing this, Li Jieman couldn't help but cast an admiring glance at Wang Xi.

Brother! You're so observant! You even figured this out.

Wang Xi secretly gloated, "I'm a screenwriter by trade, what's this?"

The old man smiled and said, "Although I am unwilling to be bound by fame and fortune, I also know how to be polite. The old copy is too worn out and is not presentable in this elegant hall, so I will rewrite it."

Princess Xue hurriedly said, "Old sir, you have gone to great lengths for my son. As his mother, I am truly grateful."

As she spoke, she glanced at Wang Shouyi.

Wang Shouyi immediately understood and was overjoyed. He hurriedly said, "Que'er, Xiaoman, hurry up and pay your respects to your teacher."

Wang Xi and Li Jieman immediately stepped forward and knelt down, saying, "Students pay their respects to their teachers."

The old man's face darkened, and he waved his hand, saying, "These formalities can be avoided if possible. When you have completed your studies, it will be the end of our relationship. There is no need to worry about it afterward, and you should not mention it to others."

Wang Shouyi was teary-eyed. "Why didn't I meet such a great person when I was young!"
God is unfair!
(End of this chapter)