The prince only allowed me to have a baby, so the pressure is a bit high!

Chapter 91: The Gaze from the Academic Master

The next day was the class of Fahai, the new teacher who took office this year. He was only in his twenties when he was chosen by Kangxi to be the teacher of the princes, which shows how knowledgeable he was.

His lectures were humorous and full of philosophy. He would patiently guide students when he met them who did not understand. In addition, he was a member of the Tonggiya tribe and the second son of Tong Guogang. It can be said that there were very few people who made trouble in his class. Even a mischievous student like the Fourteenth Prince was attentive when facing Fahai's lessons.

If we were to name Fahai's favorite student in the few short months since he joined the Shangshufang, Hongye would undoubtedly be on the list. He understood things quickly and could apply them to other situations. Even when he spoke quickly, Hongye could still follow his train of thought. What teacher wouldn't like such a student?

If Hongye hadn't been the crown prince's eldest son and he wasn't a Tonggiya, so they couldn't get involved, he would have already discussed the idea of ​​taking in a disciple with Yinreng. Geniuses are common, but those who can keep up with one's teaching pace are rare.

Fahai was also called a genius since he was a child, but in his opinion, he was not as good as Prince Hongye when he was three years old. Not to mention that he had read so many books, even the calmness and self-discipline were far beyond his reach at that time.

Today's course is mainly about studying "The Analects of Confucius", which I have been studying for the past month. The Four Books are read in order: first read "The Great Learning" to establish its scope; then read "The Analects of Confucius" to establish its foundation; then read "Mencius" to stimulate its development; and finally read "The Doctrine of the Mean" to understand its subtleties.

Reading the Great Learning first is like building a house by first laying the foundation. The Great Learning contains the outlines of how to be a good person and how to study.

The meaning of "university" is to teach people to be adults. To be a good person and to study, one must first establish a standard for being an "adult". The standard for being an "adult" is from "seeking truth from facts, being sincere and upright" to "cultivating oneself, governing the country and bringing peace to the world".

An "adult" not only cares about and understands the universe and examines every thought in his heart, but also cares about his family, country and the world. More importantly, an "adult" connects all things, himself and the world into an interconnected whole.

Next, I read the Analects. The Analects is a record of the conversations between Confucius' disciples. It records everything Confucius said, did not say, did not speak, and did not move, making it a very accessible and trustworthy work. It also encompasses the essence of Confucianism. Reading the Analects allows one to understand and appreciate the sage's path of moderation and peace.

Next, I read Mencius, which says, "I cultivate my great and righteous spirit." The writing in Mencius is extremely majestic, just like Mencius himself, a towering mountain. Confucianism originated with Confucius, and Mencius further developed its source.

Finally, read The Doctrine of the Mean to fully grasp its subtleties. The Doctrine of the Mean is difficult to read and should not be taken seriously by beginners. It should be read after you have finished reading the other three books and have a deeper understanding of their principles.

Zhu Xi, in his Commentary on the Doctrine of the Mean, called it "the inner teachings of Confucius," which he described as "the universal principle of the universe when it is spread out, and the innermost being when it is rolled up." Therefore, the teachings of the Doctrine of the Mean are profound and should be studied last.

After class today, Hongye took the initiative to keep Fahai and asked questions together with the Fourteenth Prince. The Fourteenth Prince was puzzled, and so was Fahai. Without keeping them waiting for long, Hongye asked directly: "Master, please enlighten me. If I do not praise others' virtues and do not advise others' mistakes, I will also be guilty of it."

Fahai was puzzled as to why Hongye asked this question since he had taught him this before. However, it was the teacher's responsibility to answer the student's questions: "This sentence means that we should not easily judge the merits and demerits of others and should not point out their mistakes, including our own mistakes."

Hongye nodded and then asked, "Then why don't you worry about people not knowing me, and don't worry about people not being able to do what I want?"

Fahai: "What this means is that I am worried that others don't understand me. What I fear most is that others are stronger than me, so I must study hard."

Hongye asked while looking at the Fourteenth Prince. Fahai finally realized that Hongye did not not understand what these words meant, but wanted to use them to clue the Fourteenth Prince. It seemed that the Fourteenth Prince had offended Hongye recently?

Fourteenth Prince is not a fool. It would be fine if he only said one sentence, but he said the same thing for the second sentence. Could it be that he is asking questions openly and mocking me secretly?

The Fourteenth Prince's guess was answered when he asked the third question. Hongye then continued to ask: "Teacher, what about Confucius' saying: 'I do not blame others for their praise, nor do I blame others for their mistakes?'"

The Fourteenth Prince was now completely unable to stand his ground. It turned out that Hongye had pulled him over to ask questions today, all of which were directed at him. Didn't he just see Jingyi's handwriting was ugly yesterday and said something directly? Why did he make such a fuss and embarrass himself in front of the teacher?

But at this moment, even if the Fourteenth Prince understood the truth, he could not just run away. Seeing that the Fourteenth Prince's face was getting redder and redder, Hongye stopped asking questions, thanked Fahai, and took the Fourteenth Prince away.

After leaving the crowd, the Fourteenth Prince complained quietly, "My nephew, if you have something to say, why don't you just say it directly? Why do you have to do this? It's so embarrassing."

Hongye faced the Fourteenth Prince seriously: "Fourteenth Uncle also felt embarrassed just now, but that was only in front of the teacher and me. The teacher won't say anything about this matter. But yesterday, when Fourteenth Uncle criticized Sister Jingyi for her ugly handwriting, it was in front of the whole class. At that time, many people followed you to laugh at Sister.

My sister and I both wrote for the first time yesterday. Mom said it's normal to write poorly the first time, and that you need to practice more and learn more, and over time, you'll naturally become good at it. No one has beautiful handwriting from the start; even Huang Mafa started from scratch, practicing every stroke.

Last night, Jingyi went home and practiced writing non-stop because of a remark made by her fourteenth uncle. Her wrist became red and swollen. Later, her mother asked the imperial physician to apply medicine, and only then was she able to pick up the brush and continue practicing calligraphy today.

After saying so much, Hongye told his fourteenth uncle, "Don't do to others what you don't want done to you."

After Hongye finished speaking, the Fourteenth Prince's face had already turned red. He said that yesterday because he was itching to talk, and he didn't expect that his eldest nephew would come to him directly to get back at him today. However, it was indeed his fault as an uncle.

He also had to thank his eldest nephew for only coming to him to resolve the matter privately instead of making a big deal out of it. He didn't dare to think that if this matter were known by the Crown Prince or the Emperor, would he still be able to just listen to a few simple questions like he is now?

Thinking of this, the Fourteenth Prince mustered up his courage and ran straight to Jingyi's desk: "Niece, what happened yesterday was my uncle's fault. I shouldn't have laughed at you. This is how it is when you first learn to write. When I was six years old, my first attempt at writing was not as good as yours. I take back what I said about your ugly handwriting. I hope you don't take it to heart."

When the Fourteenth Prince ran to Jingyi, everyone in the school stared at him. When they heard the Fourteenth Prince apologize to Jingyi, everyone's jaws dropped to the ground.

You have to know that before Hongye and Jingyi entered the Shangshufang, the Fourteenth Prince could be said to be a little bully in the entire Shangshufang. He did whatever he wanted, and when the emperor knew about it, he would just give him a light reprimand and let it go.

Unexpectedly, within just a few months of the twins entering the Shangshufang, the Fourteenth Prince had not only curbed his overbearing behavior, but was now even proactively apologizing to others. Was this still the Fourteenth Prince they knew before?

If the Fourteenth Prince knew what these people were thinking, he would definitely shout: This is my young master, the real young master. Do you think my young master wants to bow his head? Isn't it true that people have to bow their heads under the eaves!

First of all, the fault lies with him and he can't escape it; secondly, Jingyi is a junior and still young, so it is wrong for him to bully her no matter what. Even if he reports it to the emperor, no one will support him.

Finally, there is the identity of the twins. They are the emperor's biological grandchildren. In the eyes of the emperor, they are much more precious than his own son who is mediocre, especially after his mother completely fell out of favor.

It can be said that since Concubine De lost her position as a concubine and the emperor's favor, the Fourteenth Prince has restrained himself a lot and has experienced the ups and downs of the palace. If he had not blurted out the truth yesterday, he would never have provoked the twins.

He'd actually regretted saying it yesterday, but given the situation and the commotion surrounding them, and the twins' generally good tempers, he'd taken the opportunity to test their limits. Back at the South Third Residence that night, he'd tried to make amends, but today, back at the Shangshufang, he felt like backing out again.

Unexpectedly, Hongye pointed it out directly in this way, which not only saved his own face, but also established a good image for himself of correcting his mistakes. From then on, he was no longer a little bully in the Shangshufang, but a prodigal son who returned home.

In Yuqing Palace, Buerhe was leisurely thinking of ways to make delicious food. The good thing about not having a woman in Yinreng's backyard was that she only had to see the three of them off every day and occasionally ask about Yuqing Palace and the properties outside the palace. The rest of the time was her own. If she hadn't been pregnant recently, her life would probably have been more comfortable.

It has been two or three days since I last paid my respects to the Empress Dowager. Today the weather is good, and Buerhe wanted to go out for a walk, so he ordered the kitchen to make some spicy shredded beef that he had been thinking of these past two days.

This dish is inspired by the beef jerky found in the Empress Dowager's palace. Simply shred the braised beef by hand, stir-fry with chili oil, and sprinkle with white sesame seeds. To satisfy the Empress Dowager's taste, Buerhe also had the kitchen prepare a five-spice flavored dish to prevent her from getting irritated.

The Empress Dowager's Palace was as lively as ever. This time, when Bull and Slowly came over, several concubines were already waiting in the Empress Dowager's Ciren Palace, eager to play mahjong.

Yes, even after playing for several years, the Queen Mother's enthusiasm for it has not diminished at all. Even after the emergence of poker that can be played by fewer or more people, the Queen Mother and her group of card partners are still fond of mahjong.

Burhe's arrival was welcomed by everyone in Ciren Palace, and the Empress Dowager even came to greet him in person.

Burhe: "I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager and all the concubines." The Queen Mother glared at her angrily, helped Burhe up, and pulled her towards the main hall.

The Queen Mother asked, "How have you been these past two days? Has the child bothered you? When I returned to the palace earlier, the servants said you were feeling a little dizzy. What did the imperial physician say?"

Buerhe took the Empress Dowager's hand and said, "Don't worry, Madam. I'm fine now. I came here today just to let you see me because I didn't want you to worry. The imperial physician said it might be because the carriage was too bumpy that day, and he didn't prescribe any pregnancy-preserving medicine, but just told me to rest for two days. The imperial physician came to take my pulse yesterday and said I was fine. I didn't send anyone to tell you because it was getting late. Today is a good day, so I came here to pay my respects to Madam."

After entering the room, I saw that the card table was already set up, but it looked like the game hadn't started yet. Bull and I couldn't help but joked, "Have I disturbed the Royal Madam and the Concubines' interest today? Are they going to fight for 300 rounds?"

Concubine Shuhui rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You're the only one who dares to say that. What do we old folks do if we don't play mahjong every day? The weather isn't so hot anymore. If we don't play a few games, we'll really be wasting this wonderful time."

The remaining concubines also laughed. The concubines who often visited Ciren Palace were all from Khorchin. They knew each other before they got married. After decades in the Forbidden City, they were already familiar with each other. Now they were all concubines, and with each passing day, they could be said to be more and more free to do as they pleased.

Bu Erhe envied the life of the empress dowager very much. She didn't have to worry about anything and was always flattered and served by people wherever she went. In this palace, as long as she didn't interfere in government affairs, the emperor would only support her even if she turned the Ciren Palace upside down.

The Queen Mother ignored the jokes of the few people. After all, this kind of thing happened frequently and she was used to it. But today she was very interested in the food boxes carried by Bull and the palace maids behind him.

Knowing the Queen Mother's intention, Burhe signaled the palace maids to bring up the shredded beef he had brought. The novel snacks were more appealing than the daily games, and in no time, the Queen Mother and several concubines gathered around the table, staring at the two snacks Burhe had brought.