The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 27

"Brother Zheng, I'm sorry I didn't come out to greet you today."

"Scholar Xu, I apologize for bothering you. I came here today only to have a meal, and I had no other intentions. I just learned that you were not out, so I invited you to come and have a chat."

"Yes, I have plenty of free time. I rarely go out, and I also really enjoy chatting."

"I recently heard that you and Scholar Cui are planning to write two books, namely 'The Three-Character Book' and 'Rhyming Dictionary,' and you hope to gather ideas from all sides. Such practices are more commonly seen in government offices than in the common people."

I've read the beginning, and it certainly has many merits. If it can be perfected into a book and circulated widely, it would be a truly good thing. You two have ambitious goals, and I greatly admire that.”

"Hehe, as we both mentioned in the letter, the reason we wanted to write these two books is that we feel there are very few available primers available today, so we wanted to make some contributions in this field, but we also felt that we were not capable enough, which is why we asked for your help," Xu Tian explained briefly.

"Indeed, the path of enlightenment has not been valued much by the government or ordinary people in the past. It was only after reading your two letters that I realized this path can indeed be very promising."

Confucius advocated education for all, regardless of social class, and is therefore revered as the teacher of all ages. If your efforts succeed, it will be of great significance.

"Brother Zheng, you flatter me. In fact, Mr. Cui and I have already completed an introductory text called 'The Hundred Family Surnames.' It is relatively simple. It is to collect common surnames and compile them into a text for children who are just beginning to learn."

"If Brother Zheng is interested, I have the draft here; you can take a look and offer some suggestions."

"Oh, and the 'Hundred Family Surnames'? Now that you mention it, I'm really interested in seeing it." Zheng Xie became interested.

"Please wait a moment, I'll go get it right away."

Before long, Xu Tian brought over the "Hundred Family Surnames". This manuscript has recently been used as teaching material for training the store's employees, and the effect is indeed good.

Zheng Zhuangyuan took the bound booklet and began to read it page by page, appearing quite serious. Fortunately, the book was not long, less than five hundred words, and he finished reading it in no time.

"I have studied the Hundred Family Surnames on my own in the past, but I never imagined it could be compiled into a text based on phonetics. Now that I have seen it, it is truly excellent," said Scholar Zheng in admiration.

"Brother Zheng, do you think there's anything that can be improved?"

“You all put a lot of thought into this article. It seems simple, but it’s not. How could I possibly have any objections? After reading it, I have an idea that I think is feasible,” Zheng Xie said.

Xu Tian didn't speak, but listened quietly.

"The current emperor is wise and eager to find talented people. Recently, he is also celebrating his birthday, and many people from the common people have offered him rare and auspicious objects as tribute."

I thought it would be a good time to present the "Hundred Family Surnames" to the emperor. This is a cultural practice, far superior to ordinary curiosities. If the emperor were to hear of it and take a liking to it, it would be no small matter.

Although discussing rewards at this point is too cliché, it's still a good thing, bringing both fame and fortune. Even if the emperor doesn't ultimately favor the matter, the fact that it's recorded in the court and spread far and wide will still bring reputation, which isn't a bad thing.

This will also help spread the article. It's a beneficial and harmless thing to do. What do you think?