Chapter 51: On Teaching

Leaving Weiyang Palace while it was still early, Liu Jin had matters to attend to and immediately departed the imperial palace.

He merely felt that he had spoken a little more with Emperor Wu of Han today, slightly easing their relationship, completely unaware that his grandfather had already begun positioning him among the high-ranking ministers of the court.

Grand Tutor Shi lived on Hengmen Street, near the south-central section. This was considered a relatively remote area from the imperial palace, and Shi De had to walk a long distance every day to report for duty at the Crown Prince’s Palace.

It was not to say that anyone who became an official in the Han Dynasty automatically became a member of the elite; while those with military peerage could afford carriages and horses, civil officials who entered purely through recommendation remained relatively poor.

This, however, did not include Shi De, for he had not entered through recommendation. Instead, he inherited his grandfather’s official position. His grandfather had been enfeoffed as Lord Wan Shi and lacked no money.

It remained a mystery why Shi De chose to live so far away instead of enjoying a life of ease.

"Master, a young gentleman outside requests an audience. He says his name is Liu Jin."

A servant found Shi De, who was currently tutoring his young grandson.

Shi De hastily said, "Quickly accompany me to welcome him."

"Understood!"

Shi De led all his household dependents to welcome Liu Jin. Liu Jin waved his hand, signaling everyone not to make grand bows, and then said to Shi De, "Teacher Shi, might we have them disperse first and find a quiet place to talk?"

"Very well."

"Grandfather, Grandfather, I want to go too! I want to go too!"

Shi De looked with a warm smile at his young grandson, who was tugging at his waist and jumping up and down. He straightened the boy's head and slapped him across the back of the head.

"You fail to study properly, yet whenever it's time to play you get all energetic! Get lost and go learn your characters!"

Liu Jin’s eyes widened abruptly. Before he could even envy the heartwarming scene of grandfatherly affection and filial piety, the Grand Tutor’s actions utterly shattered his expectations.

The man had actually bothered to straighten the kid's head right before smacking him—what a ruthless fellow!

"The Imperial Grandson must find this amusing."

"If a little fellow isn't smacked, he won't be shaped. He's already six or seven years old, yet he hasn't even completed his primary enlightenment. It is truly a disgrace!"

No wonder the Grand Tutor was so furious. The Shi family was a household of great Confucian scholars, and for a grandson of six or seven to have yet to complete his enlightenment was indeed a supreme humiliation to the family, especially since Shi De had been at a loss for how to properly teach him.

Liu Jin followed Shi De to a secluded pavilion where Shi De ordered servants to bring fine wine, and the two exchanged cups.

Liu Jin put down the wine flagon and said earnestly to Shi De, "I heard from my father that Teacher Shi intends to resign from the post of Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince."

"Teacher Shi need not blame yourself. The dispute between my father and my grandfather did not arise because the straight-plow plows were few and failed to benefit the common people; in other words, these matters have little to do with Teacher Shi."

"The people my father can rely on in the court are already dwindling. Is Teacher Shi going to abandon my father as well?"

Shi De shook his court cap and replied, "Even if I am no longer in the court, I remain a man of the Crown Prince. I have already planned to write a letter to the Three Elders of Huguan. He is superior to me and will certainly be able to offer the Crown Prince greater assistance."

Liu Jin pondered for a moment, then asked, "Does Teacher Shi still harbor self-blame?"

Shi De fell silent before speaking, "This matter was truly my fault, and I am unworthy of the Crown Prince's cultivation."

"I am the Crown Prince's teacher, yet I am unable to impart the Way, resolve doubts, or offer solutions. Far from being able to help, I have instead caused the Crown Prince to be reprimanded because of me. I am unworthy of being a teacher."

Liu Jin slowly stood up, looked at Shi De, and said, "The scholars of antiquity must have teachers. A teacher is one who imparts the Way, teaches professional skills, and resolves doubts."

"...Those born after me, if they heard the Way earlier than I did, I shall follow them as my teacher. I take the Way as my teacher; why should I care whether they were born before or after me? Therefore, whether noble or humble, whether old or young, wherever the Way is, there too is the teacher."

"...Therefore, a disciple does not necessarily have to be inferior to a teacher, and a teacher does not necessarily have to be wiser than a disciple. Hearing the Way may come earlier or later, and each has their own specialized expertise. That is all."

Shi De listened in a daze, raised his head to look at Liu Jin, and then slowly closed his eyes to savor Liu Jin's words. His expression shifted unpredictably, his fists clenched tightly, until finally, he wore a look of utter defeat and distraction.

This essay shattered Shi De's self-esteem and pride; he could never compose such an essay himself, nor articulate such profound principles.

"Teacher Shi, if you still cannot untie the knot in your heart after hearing this, then you need not return to the Crown Prince's Palace."

Shi De possessed both the stubbornness and the pride of a Confucian scholar. To untie the knot in his heart, one had to use a fine essay to reason with him.

To be honest, whether Shi De resigned or not was not something Liu Jin cared deeply about—it was mere affectation, and the Crown Prince's Palace could function normally no matter who was missing.

Yet he had come today anyway.

First, because of the deep bond between his father and Shi De, and second, because he held a favorable impression of Shi De.

Of course, these were not the primary reasons. The most crucial factor was Shi De's political status.

He was the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. If even he chose to leave the Crown Prince's Palace at this moment, what would outsiders think? What would those officials who secretly still leaned toward the Crown Prince's Palace think?

It would serve as a political signal that the Crown Prince's Palace was about to collapse.

Liu Jin could not allow such things to happen, yet he could not bluntly tell Shi De these petty calculations of his; it was not an honorable thing to do, and it even carried a hint of manipulating Shi De.

"No man is perfect. Even if Teacher Shi were to become Confucius... Master Kong still made mistakes. Can I then consider that Teacher Shi intends to surpass Confucius and become the most perfect sage in history?"

Shi De hurriedly stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "How would I ever dare to compare myself to the sages, let alone surpass them!"

Liu Jin said, "Yet is not everything Teacher Shi has done implying precisely that? You feel you ought not to make mistakes—is that not striving to surpass the existence of the sages?"

Shi De was left speechless.

Liu Jin did not disturb him, standing quietly inside the pavilion as he waited for Shi De's answer.

After a long while, Shi De let out a long breath, suddenly enlightened, and bowed deeply. "My realization is inferior to that of the Imperial Grandson!"

"The Imperial Grandson is wise!"

"I was wrong!"

When he was wrong, he admitted it cleanly. Shi De was a straightforward man, and such people were commendable—their self-esteem had a bottom line.

"If I may be so bold, I dare ask the Imperial Grandson if he might repeat the sentences he spoke just now."

Liu Jin asked, "Why do you ask?"

"This essay can be used for primary enlightenment."

Liu Jin: "..."

"I shall go to the Crown Prince's Palace this afternoon. Once I have written it down, Teacher Shi may come and take it."

"Many thanks, the Imperial Grandson."

Liu Jin smiled and said, "Then, Teacher Shi, I shall take my leave first. See you this afternoon?"

"Indeed!"

Liu Jin let out a long breath of relief. He had finally managed to pull the man back.