Li Junxian stood at the door and scanned the room. He noticed that there were quite a few important officials among these 'students', but none of them had the airs of important officials of the court. All of them were engrossed in reading the sutras before them.
"This is … the Grand Preceptor!"
At the very front of the crowd was a plain-robed elder kneeling on the ground. Li Junxian's eyes widened in shock as he recognized him.
This elder kneeling in the middle of the thatched cottage seemed no different from the other old and revered Confucians. It was none other than the Grand Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty, Zhan Zhongmi. This Grand Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty, someone who even the Holy Emperor revered, was kneeling on the ground like a student, studying scriptures and learning.
If news of this got out, the world would be shaken.
Moreover, the Grand Preceptor was nearly eighty years old. There were few people who had the right to be his teacher and make him treat him like a disciple.
But Li Junxian knew that the person in the thatched cottage was precisely the person who had the right to teach the Grand Preceptor. Because he was the spiritual leader of the Confucian school. Since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods and the Eastern Han Dynasty, he was the only person who could call himself a 'Zi'.
Master Zhu!
A teacher revered and revered by all the Confucians of the world!
A 'leader of the Confucians' who had been worshipped by Emperor Gaozong, who had done everything possible to invite him into the palace but had been refused. Left with no other choice, he had built a palace for him so that he could stay here, in the capital, by his side!
A great scholar who had lived for more than one hundred and twenty years, who had annotated the Four Books and Five Classics, including the Analects of Confucius, and whose works had been passed down through the world. Today, all Confucians of the world were able to proofread and study these works as the golden rule. The Four Books and Five Classics, especially the Analects, were the sacred scriptures of the Confucian school.
These were the books written by the Sages of the Spring and Autumn Period!
This sort of scripture was not something that anyone could annotate just because they wanted to. If one's knowledge was lacking and carelessly annotated it, they would be condemned by all. When that time came, no matter how vast the world was, there would be no place for them. One could easily imagine how profound and virtuous this person was to be able to annotate the Analects.
He was born in the era of Emperor Gaozu of the Tang dynasty. At the age of eight, he was summoned to the palace by Emperor Gaozu.
Later on, he confronted Emperor Taizong and was invited by Taizu with the position of Prime Minister. However, he was politely declined and was worshipped as a living saint of the Tang dynasty.
Although he had never entered the imperial court, many of his disciples had served as Prime Minister, Grand Preceptor, and Grand Tutor. It could be said that almost all of the civil officials, important officials, and famous scholars in the world were under his name!
This was Master Zhu!
This was also the important person Li Junxian wanted to meet this time.
Li Junxian looked up and saw a thin, white-haired elder in a wide-sleeved robe and a tall hat. He was currently lecturing on the scriptures, and his face was stern and inflexible. He held a black ruler in his hand and exuded a dignified and dignified aura.
This elder was far older than the elderly, and although the old Confucians in the audience were old and had white hair and deep wrinkles, they seemed like youths in front of this elder.
Moreover, even though he didn't know any martial arts, the old man's aura was like that of a high mountain. The profound aura of knowledge was endless, enough to make any scholar or great scholar in the world revere him.
"… Fish is what I desire, bear paw is also what I desire. If I cannot have both, I will give up the fish and take the bear paw. Life is what I desire, righteousness is what I desire. If I cannot have both, I will give up life to obtain righteousness!
"… Confucius said to seek benevolence, Mencius said to obtain righteousness. To sacrifice one's body for righteousness, to give up one's life for righteousness! Benevolence and righteousness are the foundation of the thoughts of the Most Holy Sage and the Second Holy Mencius, and also the source of our Confucian school. To study the essence of these two words is to comprehend the essence of the thousands of scriptures of the Confucian school. "
As his scholarly voice drifted down, the elder's voice was calm and gentle, possessing a soothing power. Each word seemed to speak to the depths of the mind, making one feel enlightened.
All the Confucians in the audience, including the Grand Preceptor, respectfully listened and carefully analyzed, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
The thatched cottage was a land of learning and also a holy land. Li Junxian stood at the door, not daring to act rashly, and silently waited.
After an unknown period of time, an ancient and melodious bell chime rang out, followed by rustling sounds, and robes fluttering in the wind. The class was over, and the great Confucians, old Confucians, and great Confucians, finally stood up and left in an orderly manner. At the same time, a voice rang out at his ear.
"Master Zhu is very old. Do not delay for too long!"
As he was leaving, the Grand Preceptor paused and gave Li Junxian a profound glance. Li Junxian was taken aback, but then he nodded.
"Understood!"
The Grand Preceptor said no more, brushing past Li Junxian and quickly leaving. He did not attract anyone's attention. It was at this moment that Li Junxian heard a familiar voice.
"Junxian, come in!"
This voice was mellow and deep, imbued with the power to see through one's mind. It made one feel like one's secrets had been completely seen through before one even spoke.
Li Junxian took in a deep breath and composed himself. Straightening his robe, he did not dare to tarry and respectfully walked in.
When he was still a few paces from Master Zhu, Li Junxian stopped and bowed respectfully.
"Junxian pays respect to Senior Brother!"
Li Junxian finally spoke, but the information he revealed was enough to move anyone.
Master Zhu, who was already one hundred and twenty years old and had been bestowed the title of 'Teacher of All Confucians' by Emperor Gaozong, was actually Li Junxian's senior brother.
"Sit!"
Master Zhu sat high above, his eyes drooping. He extended a thin finger and pointed at the seat next to him, his face as calm as an ancient well.
"It's been around ten years since we last met, right?"
"Yes!"
Li Junxian immediately grew much quieter, a hint of sorrow appearing on his handsome face. Ten years ago, he had only been seventeen, but Master Zhu was already Master Zhu. He had once often entered this plum forest and this thatched cottage to find this senior brother who was one hundred years older than him.
But after that incident, he had not come here for a very long time.
The two of them had also not conversed for a very long time.
"I've heard all about your affairs outside!"
Master Zhu indifferently said. His hands were hidden in his sleeves, his Confucian robe draped over the ground, and his expression was indifferent and lofty. After living for so long and experiencing so many things, it was very difficult for anything to shake his mental state.
Li Junxian was quiet for a long time.
"Junxian is slow-witted and has insulted Senior Brother's eyes and ears!"
"Your talent is unparalleled in the world, and you are the Child of Providence personally chosen by Master. But the Confucian School has an inner and outer sect. I am the outer sect, and you are the inner sect. You should know that I do not interfere in the matters of the Confucian School! "
Master Zhu shook his head.
The people of the world only knew of the Confucian School or the Confucian Sect, but very few people knew that the Confucian School was divided into the inner and outer sects.
The outer sect only cultivated knowledge and was the spiritual leader of the world. It appeared in public, educated the hearts of the people, and pursued the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. The inner sect, on the other hand, was the Confucian School. It cultivated both the civil and martial arts, and focused primarily on the martial path. There wasn't a single person who didn't know martial arts and was an expert in the Confucian Sect.
Pure knowledge was not enough to govern the world and educate the hearts of the people. Thus, even though Confucius had lobbied the world for decades and met with the sovereigns of the various countries, he had never been placed in an important position. The Confucian School had never been able to promote its teachings and was often pushed aside by the militarists. This could be said to be the origin of the Confucian School's cultivation of martial arts. Sage Confucius had seventy-two disciples at his side, and there were also martial artists like Zilu who escorted him along the way to ensure his safety.
In truth, the Confucian School also had martial arts passed down by Zilu.
But later on, the Confucian School had gradually separated itself from the Confucian School in order to conceal itself. Even so, the two were still inextricably linked. Li Junxian had relied on Master Zhu's influence to order around the Grand Preceptor and all the civil officials of the court, including sending some civil officials into the court.
"Junxian understands, but this matter has nothing to do with the Harmonious World or the cause of the Confucian School, but with the ideals of the Confucian School that have existed for thousands of years."
Li Junxian sternly said.
"The King of Foreign Lands?"
Master Zhu's expression flickered as he finally opened his eyes.
"Senior Brother already knows?!"
Li Junxian was taken aback.
"That child, Zhongmi, has already told me."
Master Zhu calmly said from his seat.
Li Junxian was stunned, finally understanding why the Grand Preceptor had appeared here.
"Senior Brother, the matters of the Imperial Court are secondary, but the situation among the people is extremely serious. Might makes right, the law of the jungle, the strong preying on the weak … before this, no one has ever systematically proposed such an idea, and no one has ever written a book to spread this idea to the world. At the start, I believed that he would not succeed, but now, fathers and brothers are fighting among the people, and even children know about the law of the jungle. If this idea is not stopped and is allowed to spread, the foundation of the Confucian School that has existed for thousands of years will be completely shaken.
"If this idea is spread throughout the world, people will eat each other, and all familial ties between father and son will be obliterated. We will return to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, when rites and music are ruined and birds and beasts eat each other. At that time, all the efforts of the Sages and our predecessors will have been wasted! "
Li Junxian sternly said to Master Zhu.
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