The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 25

"This matter has been on my mind, and by chance, I had some thoughts and ideas about it, and even took some action. Today, I'd like to share them with you, Brother Cui," Xu Tian said.

"Well, please tell me."

"I think that cultural enlightenment should at least require two kinds of articles. One is to summarize simple principles and knowledge into short phrases, like the Hundred Family Surnames, with rhythm and preferably easy to pronounce."

Another type is purely about rhythm and meter. Nowadays, people value poetry highly, and rhythm and vocabulary are the foundation of poetry, so they are very important.

I attempted to write two articles on this topic, both of which were initially started, but due to various commitments and limitations in my energy and abilities, I haven't continued writing them.

"I thought this idea was good, but I didn't expect Xu Tianzhen to be so thoughtful. He has already surpassed me in the field of enlightenment studies. Please take a look at your new work."

"Wait a moment, I'll go get it." A little while later, Xu Tian brought over two sheets of paper from his room.

“Look, the first article I wrote is titled ‘The Three-Character Book’.”

"Huh, Xu Tian writes horizontally, from left to right, which is quite different from what I'm used to. I'm used to writing from top to bottom and from right to left, so it's a bit hard to get used to," Mr. Cui said in surprise.

Since Xu Tian had not prepared in advance, the manuscript he used was his own notes, which were naturally written in the format of later generations.

"Oh, how about this, it'll be better if I read it aloud." Xu Tian then began reciting the Three Character Classic.

The above is the initial section on encouraging learning, its main purpose being to persuade people to pursue knowledge. Of course, this section can be further expanded to explain the principles more clearly.

The Three Character Classic is an ancient classic for beginners, but unfortunately Xu Tian didn't memorize it specifically. He only remembered the first few lines, which he recited, but ignored the rest that were scattered and incoherent.

After listening attentively, Mr. Cui said, "At the beginning of life, people are inherently good. Xu Tian's explanation of this passage is indeed very elegant. The Three Character Classic uses extremely simple and easy-to-understand language, yet its meaning is profound, making it suitable for enlightenment and education. Please continue. Besides the 'Exhortation to Learning,' what else is there?"

"After that, I also have a history section in mind, which will tell the general history from Fuxi, Shennong, Yanhuang to the present day, including dynastic changes. In addition, there are also sections on literature, geography, famous people, emperors, and so on."

"Anyway, it can be expanded infinitely; whatever else comes to mind can be added later. In short, each piece has its own theme and can be used for teaching separately as needed," Xu Tian explained.

“Good, I think Xu Tian’s idea is excellent. The Three-Character Book can be our next step. If we can complete each chapter in its initial stage, it can truly be called a book.” Mr. Cui nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining.

They seemed full of fighting spirit and had found their direction.

"Brother Cui, let's look at another article first. I call the second one 'Rhyming Couplets.' Since the beginning of this dynasty, poetry has flourished, and there is much we can do in this area of ​​enlightenment..."

He then recited several hundred words from the "Rhyming Dictionary"...

Xu Tian first encountered this kind of question on prosody in an extracurricular book during his junior high school years. At the time, he was truly astonished and overjoyed, never expecting such articles to exist. They were indeed very valuable for beginners and enthusiasts of poetry. However, he only remembers the portion selected from the book now.

Mr. Cui was stunned for a moment before exclaiming, "Excellent! I must praise you again, Xu Tian, ​​you are truly admirable."