Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

There was a strange atmosphere at the entrance of the inn.

Jia Yu's words made the expressions of the three great scholars suddenly become subtle.

Pei Yanzhi frowned slightly, a hint of coldness flashed in Sima Hui's eyes, and Cui Gaoxuan's smile froze for a moment.

They knew it very well - Chu Ning deliberately let the two children hold them back!

If they agreed, they would no longer have the opportunity to plot secretly.

If they refused, it would appear that they were narrow-minded and didn't even dare to teach their two children.

Cui Gaoxuan forced a smile and said, "The princess and the prince are young, and what I have learned is obscure. I am afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?"

Wu Xiuning suddenly interrupted him, tilting her head with an innocent look on her face.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Chu said that the great scholar's knowledge is the best in the world. Aren't you willing to teach us?"

Chu Tian also blinked his eyes and added in a baby voice, "Or... you actually don't know how to do it?"

The three great scholars were speechless for a moment, secretly cursing Chu Ning for being cunning - how could he come here to ask for advice?

He's clearly here to cause trouble!

But faced with the two children's innocent questioning, they were unable to refuse directly.

Pei Yanzhi took a deep breath and said slowly, "Since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Chu and the Empress have such trust in me, I will do my best."

Jia Yu raised the corners of his lips slightly and said with a cupped hand, "Then I'll trouble you three."

"Please come in, everyone!" Sima Hui gestured for everyone to go in before talking.

They have to agree to this matter even if they don't want to.

There is no way. This is the capital of Chu State, they are great scholars, and they are envoys.

If they refused, and word got out that the three great scholars were afraid to teach others, their reputation would be ruined.

Inside the inn, the charcoal fire was blazing, and the air was warm.

The three great scholars welcomed Jia Yu, Wu Xiuning and Chu Tian into the main hall. The maids had already prepared hot tea. Wisps of white mist rose from the celadon teacups, and the fragrance of tea filled the air.

As soon as Wu Xiuning entered the room, she unceremoniously pulled Chu Tian to sit in the main seat. She patted the cushion beside her with her little hand, motioning Jia Yu to sit down as well.

Jia Yu hesitated for a moment, and finally just stood behind the two of them, his hand on the hilt of his sword, looking around coldly.

Pei Yanzhi saw this and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal, stroking his beard and smiling:

"It's cold outside. Princess and Prince, why don't you drink some hot tea to warm yourself up first?"

The maid came up with hot tea.

Wu Xiuning picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then frowned: "This tea is too bitter."

Chu Tian also tasted it, blinked, and said seriously: "It's far worse than what Daddy drinks."

Cui Gaoxuan's smile froze, while Sima Hui gently waved his feather fan and said calmly, "This is our Han Dynasty's top-grade Longjing tea. The prince is young and may not be able to appreciate its flavor."

Wu Xiuning curled his lips, put down his teacup, and said bluntly: "Three great scholars, we are here today to seek advice. Why don't we get started directly?"

Pei Yanzhi's eyes flashed, and he nodded slowly: "Princess, you are quick-witted and outspoken, and I really appreciate it, but——"

He paused, his eyes scanning the two children.

"Since you want the three of us to teach you, I wonder what your current level is? Why don't you let me give you a few questions to test your foundation?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Sima Hui and Cui Gaoxuan immediately realized that this was a great opportunity!

If they came up with a few extremely difficult questions that stumped the two children, they would then have the right to say that they were "unqualified" and not worthy of teaching.

In this way, he could get rid of these two troubles, avoid giving others a chance to criticize him, and even turn the tables on Chu Ning!

Sima Hui immediately waved his feather fan and said with a smile, "That's right. When we teach people, we always teach according to their aptitude. We need to know your abilities first."

Cui Gaoxuan held his beard and nodded, "That's right."

Jia Yu frowned, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

How could he not see what these three people were planning?

If they agreed, if Wu Xiuning and Chu Tian couldn't answer, they would definitely take the opportunity to shirk responsibility.

But if they refused, it would seem that the two children were guilty and would be at a disadvantage.

He was just pondering when Wu Xiuning suddenly spoke up, crisply saying, "Okay! Each of you three can ask us a question, but don't ask us questions beyond what we've learned. Otherwise, you're deliberately making things difficult for us, and I'll report you to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Chu!"

Chu Tian also nodded in agreement: "That's right, we can't go beyond what we have learned!"

Pei Yanzhi laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Don't worry, I will never bully you two kids again, will I?"

He sneered in his heart - how much can two little kids learn?

Just asking a few difficult questions from "Thousand Character Classic" and "Gu Wen Guan Zhi" is enough to leave them speechless!

Pei Yanzhi stroked his beard and asked in a gentle tone, "There's a line in the Thousand Character Classic: 'The heavens and the earth are dark yellow, the universe is vast and desolate.' What does the word 'vast and desolate' mean?"

This question seems simple, but it actually contains a mystery.

Many adult Confucian scholars may not be able to accurately explain the word "Honghuang", let alone a six-year-old girl and a three-year-old child?

Wu Xiuning blinked and suddenly smiled: "Grandpa, are you testing us or yourself?"

Pei Yanzhi was stunned: "What do you mean?"

Wu Xiuning tilted his head, looking innocent. "The word 'primordial' refers to the ancient chaos before the beginning of time, when heaven and earth were first separated and all things were not yet formed."

"But you're testing us with such a simple question, even a three-year-old knows it. Could it be that you can't remember it yourself?"

Pei Yanzhi's face froze, and Sima Hui and Cui Gaoxuan also looked surprised.

Chu Tian added, "Daddy taught us the first sentence of the Thousand Character Classic a long time ago."

Pei Yanzhi took a deep breath and forced a smile, "Not bad, not bad, the princess and the prince are indeed smart."

Seeing this, Sima Hui snorted coldly, gently waving his feather fan, and said, "Since the Thousand Character Classic doesn't stump you, then I will test you with the Complete Collection of Ancient Prose."

He thought for a moment, then slowly said, "In the Analects of Confucius, on government, Confucius said, 'If one studies without reflection, he will be lost; if one thinks without studying, he will be in danger.' What does 'lost' and 'dangerous' mean?"

This question is more tricky than Pei Yanzhi's. Even an adult Confucian scholar may not be able to accurately distinguish the subtle difference between "wang" and "dai".

Wu Xiuning was not at all flustered. She held her chin with her small hand and said slowly:

"'Wang' means lost, which means that if you study without thinking, you will gain nothing; 'Dangerous' means dangerous, which means that if you think without studying, you will easily go astray."

She paused and added, "What this means is that if you read without thinking, you will be confused and gain nothing, but if you only daydream without reading, you will be in danger."

Sima Hui's pupils shrank slightly, and the feather fan in his hand paused for a moment.

Chu Tian blinked and suddenly asked, "Sima Daru, do you think we can't answer it?"

Sima Hui's face darkened, and he forced a smile, "Your Highness, you are joking. I am simply amazed at your knowledge."

Cui Gaoxuan was secretly shocked when he saw that the previous two men had failed to stump the two children, but he still did not give up.

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "The princess and the prince are indeed extraordinary. Then I will ask one more question."

He said slowly, "In the Gaozi chapter of Mencius, Mencius said: 'Fish is what I desire; bear's paw is also what I desire. Since I cannot have both, I will give up fish and take bear's paw.'"

"Excuse me, what does Mencius mean by this?"

This issue involves the debate of righteousness and principles, and even adult Confucian scholars may not be able to accurately explain the profound meaning.

Wu Xiuning smiled slightly and said, "Grandpa Cui, are you testing our judgment on how to choose?"

Cui Gaoxuan narrowed his eyes and said, "Princess, please speak."

Wu Xiuning said slowly, "Mencius's words weren't really about having your cake and eating it too. Instead, they were metaphorically comparing the trade-offs between 'life' and 'righteousness'."

“If you can’t have both, then sacrifice your life for righteousness.”

She paused, then gave a sly smile. "However, if the Crown Prince of Chu were here, he would definitely say—'Why can't I have them all?'"

Cui Gaoxuan: “…”

The three great scholars looked at each other, their eyes full of disbelief.

They thought that by giving the two children a few difficult questions, they would be able to give up.

But who would have thought that Wu Xiuning and Chu Tian not only answered the questions fluently, but could even draw inferences about other situations from one instance, and there was a hint of turning the tables on them in their words!

Pei Yanzhi's face was gloomy, Sima Hui had already stopped the feather fan in his hand, and Cui Gaoxuan even had a little sweat on his forehead.

Jia Yu stood aside, a slight sneer on his face.

Now, how will the three great scholars end up?