Chapter 13 2. Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish

The bright rays of the rising sun sprinkled into the windows of the abode from the dense morning mist, like the pulsating water from the stream outside the walls of Ziyuan Academy, trickling down to the floor, walls, and couch, turning everything in the room The upholstery is clean and bright. Next to the red sandalwood table, Xuan Tongzi was sitting on the mat, holding in his hand the letter of recommendation written by Xun Shuang handwritten by Sima Yi, quietly staring up at the rising red sun outside the window. Tears welled up unknowingly.Just over two months ago, on the day Dong Zhuo was assassinated and killed by Wang Yun and Lu Bu, Xun Shuang, a erudite and virtuous scholar, also died of illness suddenly.In fact, before he died, someone sent a secret letter to him.The letter of recommendation presented by Sima Yi was another time when Xuan Tongzi had witnessed his handwriting.Touching things creates emotions, even though Xuan Tongzi has a good cultivation base and a calm mind, he can't help but shed tears.

In the previous secret letter, Xun Shuang said sincerely to Xuantongzi: Today, the Han Dynasty is uneasy, the world is in chaos, and the strife between the heroes has become apparent. Two unrivaled geniuses.One of them is his nephew Xun Yu, who is 30 years old with high moral character and extraordinary strategy. Under his arrangement, he has already gone to the Kanto to find wise people who can help him and wipe out Kyushu.The other is Sima Yi, the son of his close friend Sima Fang, who was born in a Confucian family in Hanoi. Although he was young and inexperienced, he was resolute, decisive, smart and eager to learn since he was a child. With experience, you will be able to achieve a great cause that will shake the world in the future.However, Xun Shuang knew that he was old and frail and did not have enough energy and time to train Sima Yi, so he had to send a letter to solemnly ask Xuan Tongzi to train him on his behalf.Xun Shuang also sincerely encouraged Xuantongzi in his posthumous letter: Only with his great talent, erudition and great virtues can Sima Yi be able to fully discover his talents and stand out, so that "the blue is better than the blue".

After reading this suicide note and reading Xun Shuang's letter of recommendation, Xuan Tongzi couldn't help tears welling up in his eyes, deeply moved: "My parents are the ones who gave birth to me, and Xun Jun is the one who knows me!"I, Xuan Tongzi, is Guan Ning, the twenty-eighth grandson of Guan Zhong, a well-known prime minister in the Spring and Autumn Period. He is also a peerless sage who is well-read and full of knowledge. Only because he has witnessed the intensification of the prison of the party in the past few years, he knows that the way of a gentleman is poor. , Only then had to concentrate on suppressing ambitions, living in seclusion in deep valleys, and turning people into wilderness.However, when he overlooked the four universes and saw that the common people in the world were about to fall into a chaotic world of dire straits, he couldn't bear it in every possible way and couldn't bear it.Now I want to go out of the mountains to assist the court to put down all rebellions, but I am too old and unable to do what I want; I want to live in seclusion in the mountains to protect myself, but I am deeply ashamed of what I have learned in my life, and I can't turn a blind eye to this troubled world.Now, the former classmate Xun Shuangjun recommends the young and talented Sima Yi to his school, which happens to solve this problem that has been haunting his heart for a long time!There is an old saying: "Cultivate people to continue your aspirations, build people to enrich yourself." If you can cultivate and educate a talented person who will benefit the world, wouldn't it be the same as going to save the world with your own hands?

Strange to say, the night before, he happened to have a strange dream: he dreamed that he was reading scriptures in the Ming Dao Hall, when suddenly a big tiger with hanging eyes, white forehead and wings, leaped out of the window and roared loudly. Come in, throw yourself down and kneel down in front of you!In fact, Guan Ning seldom dreams, but this strange dream the night before made him very surprised.Back then, King Wen of Zhou, Ji Chang, met Jiang Shang when he was flying a bear in his dream, but now he is flying a tiger into his dream, and what kind of extraordinary people will he meet?Sure enough, the next morning, three Confucian scholars came to study with their teachers, and one of them was Sima Yi, whom Xun Shuang admired so much!Although Sima Yi's performance in the Ming Dao Hall yesterday was suspected deliberately, his words and deeds were indeed exactly the same as Xun Shuangjun's recommendation-"Ambition is firm, resolute and intelligent", which is worthy of being a rare "extraordinary character" Material, extraordinary tool"!

Thinking of this, Xuantongzi Guan Ning slowly relaxed his brows, gently put down the letter of recommendation written by Xun Shuang, wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, got up and walked to the hall where Guan Zhong, Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi, etc. stretched out their hands to caress the portraits of sages and sages one after another, and murmured, "The prosperity and prosperity of my way lie in the number of students and disciples? One or two sages are as important as they are." Cultivate it with all your heart, and in the future, it will advance in accordance with the times, and it will surely benefit the world, clarify the kingly way, and create the first prosperous age after the three generations of Yao, Shun and Yu! I only ask the sages and sages to help them with the help of the spirit of heaven, so that they will live up to the expectations of the common people in the world!"

Sima Yi, Hu Zhao, Zhou Xuan and others arrived at Mingdao Hall early, but they saw that the wide hall was filled with all the disciples who came to listen to the lecture: there were old men with gray hair, and some were about ten years old. Tall young man, some dark-skinned farmer's man, some gentle and demure ladies...and their identities are also different: some are farmers and some are businessmen, some are officials and some are scholars, some are rich and poor, some are noble and some are humble, they truly embody the The purpose of Confucian preaching - "There is no distinction between teaching and learning".

When the three of them hurriedly squeezed to the third row of seats in the front hall, the seats were already occupied by the students who came earlier.Zhou Xuan frowned, and angrily wanted to step forward to reprimand him.But Sima Yi and Hu Zhao didn't want to cause trouble, so they tried to dissuade him, saying, "Let's go to the hall earlier in the morning!" Then they sat down at the corner of the front hall, as close as possible to Mr. Guan Ning's place. Sitting on the mottled bamboo couch. When there was a sound, the bronze cloud panel hanging on the door frame of the side door in the front hall was suddenly knocked, and the whole audience fell silent, and the hundreds of disciples held their breaths together, not even a cough could be heard.They straightened their upper bodies one by one, turned their eyes to the side entrance of the front hall, and waited for the arrival of the master, Xuantongzi Guan Ning.

In the silence, Guan Ning was still dressed in the same elegant clothes as yesterday, with his hands arching his sleeves, and lightly holding the jade-handled stag tail to whisk the dust, he walked slowly behind the ebony table in a graceful and graceful manner.Ke Ling stepped forward to give him a hand, and helped him onto the bamboo couch. After Guan Ning sat down, he waved the tail of the stag with the jade handle in his hand, and said to all the disciples: "If you have any troubles recently, please come to my teacher one by one, and I will explain your doubts one by one here."

When Sima Yi heard this, he was startled and suspicious when he saw an elder in his 50s leave the table with his hands raised, and he fell on the ground and said: "Master, this old man is Qiu Hong, the elder of Fangdou Village at the top of Linglong Valley. There is a special matter for Master to preside over the decision: Fangdou Village is located on the top of a valley, and there is only one well in the whole village. Everyone draws water for use every morning. Recently, due to the shortage of well water, many villagers fought over water. A certain painstaking mediation has been done many times, but it can't be solved——and ask Master to guide and resolve it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding disciples from Fangdou Village also said in unison: "Oh! What Elder Qiu said is very true-there are too many neighbors turning their faces and fighting over water... ..." "Yes, yes! When I went to draw water from the well yesterday, I saw a group of guys surrounded there with sticks, hoes and shovels. I was so scared that I dropped the bucket and ran away. I waited until the third watch. Dare to go to draw water in the dark." Guan Ning didn't say a word, just sat on the mottled bamboo couch and listened quietly to what they had to say, then he lifted the jade-handled stag tail to the dust, slowly opened his eyes, and said lightly: " Let’s do this! In my Ziyuan Academy, the male apprentices who are over fifteen years old and under forty-five years old each brought their own poles and buckets to carry water from the Yujian River at the bottom of Linglong Valley this afternoon. Let them use it for the villagers of Fangdou Village! What do you think?"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was already a sound of consent in the hall.But Qiu Hong and the apprentices from Fangdou Village all showed shame, and said on the ground: "Young disciples are ineffective in teaching in the village, and they have disturbed the master and the students' clean up, and delayed everyone's time. What a shame! Sins, sins! Master, I don’t dare to trouble you and your classmates—you can give the little disciples and others a dose of convenience for teaching the people!” "Students will help you carry water to Fangdou Village this afternoon, and temporarily help those old, weak, sick, and disabled villagers who are unable to draw water. You took it back and implemented it." Guan Ning still had a calm expression on his face, and said, "You invite all the villagers in Fangdou Village to make a village regulation agreement in public, and publicly agree: the well in Fangdou Village Usually, it can only be used by the elderly, the weak, the sick and the disabled and the villagers who arrange weddings, sacrifices, gatherings and other temporary emergencies. Those who are healthy and strong in the village must go to the Yujian River at the bottom of the valley to draw water. The sages Grand Tutor Zhuo Mao once said: "The reason why ordinary people live in groups and are different from animals is that they have the foundation of benevolence, courtesy and righteousness in their hearts, so they can respect each other." In your Fangdou Village, from now on, from Qiu Hongjun Let’s start with fellow students. We respect each other and give in to each other, and exchange what we need, so where does the noise and strife come from? Even if there are rebels who try to be brave, you can strictly enforce the rope according to the village rules and regulations. They will not dare to commit another crime under the warning.” After hearing this, Qiu Hong suddenly realized that he kowtowed to the ground together with the students from Fangdou Village, and praised again and again: "What the master said made the young disciples suddenly enlightened! After we return to the village, we will do what the master taught us, and do our best. Let's go!" After Guan Ning dealt with the water dispute among the people in Fangdou Village, he sat on the couch and adjusted his breath quietly for a while, and then asked all the disciples in the hall: "What difficulties do you have, gentlemen? Let's talk about them one by one." At this time, I saw a young disciple raised his hand and left the seat and prostrated himself on the ground: "Master! I have something to report to you: A few days ago, I was traveling with my classmate Liu Yinjun. Liu Yinjun picked up a bag of copper on the side of the road. So I kept guarding the place for nearly three hours, and finally returned the bag of copper baht to the loser when the lost person found it along the way. The lost person took out several strings of copper baht from the bag to thank Liu Yinjun He just didn’t get any money, so he said goodbye to the apprentice and left. The apprentice thought Liu Yinjun was good at picking up money, so I came here to inform the master today, and ask the master to praise him!" "Huh? Liu Yinjun has such kind deeds? I am very pleased to be a teacher!" Guan Ning raised his eyebrows, his face was full of joy, "Liu Yinjun, come out of the line, and I have something to say to you face to face as a teacher." But Ke Ling approached a step from the side, and said in a low voice: "Report to Master: Because Liu Yinjun's mother suffered from an emergency yesterday, he asked for leave to take care of his mother at home, so he didn't come to school today to attend classes." After hearing this, Guan Ning's face froze, and he immediately calmed down.After a while, he said leisurely: "Liu Yinjun has always been in a poor family and has always kept his righteousness. It is really rare. Ke Ling, after class, you should bring twenty catties of dried meat, twelve stones of white rice and eight strings of copper baht on your behalf. The master went to his house to greet him, and conveyed to him the teacher's praise for his righteous deed of collecting money." "Okay. I have written it down." Ke Ling leaned slightly and replied loudly. "Is there anything else you need?" Guan Ningfu turned to look at the disciples in front of the case again, and asked politely. "Little, little, I have one more thing." I saw a fat apprentice dressed brightly and dressed as a businessman standing up with his face blushing and raising his hands, and said, "Little, little, little disciple: the world has been declining recently, It's really inappropriate to lose people's hearts. Two or three of the cows raised in the pen in the apprentice's mansion have been stolen by thieves in the past half a month... I also ask the master to give the apprentice a dose of cattle protection .” Hearing this, Guan Ning raised his eyes to look at the fat apprentice with a fat head and upturned nostrils, sighed secretly in his heart, pondered for a moment and said: "Of course it is very wrong for others to steal cattle from your house. Since you As a teacher, if you ask for advice on how to protect cattle, as a teacher, you will tell me frankly that if you want to keep the cattle in your pen, you have to hide the cattle from the people, there is no other way." "Hiding the cattle for the people?" the fat apprentice asked in astonishment. "Yes!" Guan Ning looked at him directly, and said solemnly, "How can your family take care of so many cattle? Now it's time to use cattle for farming, and you will lend the extra calves in your house to The neighbors and villagers use it...to ensure that your cattle will not be stolen by anyone, and will be taken care of by the villagers." "Oh! Master's idea is quite reasonable!" The fat apprentice scratched the back of his neck with his hand and said in a low voice, "It's just...it's just that our family lends those cows to the neighbors on weekdays." , they all need to collect some copper baht as rent..." "You disciple, at this time of the year, you are lending the cow out and asking someone to take care of it for you." Guan Ning raised his eyebrows, and said to him in a serious manner, "Are you still ashamed to collect the rent from others?" ?” As soon as he said this, the Ming Dao Hall suddenly burst into laughter.The fat apprentice also looked very embarrassed, looked around, smiled silly for a while, and sat down embarrassingly. After seeing, hearing, and laughing, Zhou Xuan, who was sitting in the corner of the front hall, rubbed his lower abdomen that hurt from laughing just now, straightened up and panted to Sima Yi and the two beside him while laughing: " Hahaha... This gentleman is really funny! He seems to take care of these trivial and trivial matters with relish, and he really makes people laugh when he teases this fat man." After hearing Zhou Xuan's words, Sima Yi seemed to have no expression on his face, neither surprised nor smiled, and did not answer, but just glanced at Hu Zhao who was sitting beside him.After Hu Zhao met his gaze, he also withdrew his smile, turned his head sideways, and whispered to Sima Yi: "Mr. Zhong Da, there is a saying: 'Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish.' According to what Hu saw, Xuan Mr. Tongzi lived in the grasslands and was able to teach great things, but in fact he showed his great talent in the trivial details-it really makes people "yearning for it, wishing not to come"!" Hearing this, Sima Yi turned his head with a slight smile, looked at Hu Zhaolue and nodded. At this time, the class was quiet again—Mr. Xuantongzi Guan Ning finally started to give a lecture: "...the state has four dimensions, if one dimension is destroyed, it will fall, if two dimensions are destroyed, it will be in danger, if three dimensions are destroyed, it will collapse, and if four dimensions are destroyed, it will be destroyed." .Incline can be upright, danger can be safe, overthrow can be raised, and destruction can’t be remedied. What are the four dimensions? One is propriety, the other is righteousness, the third is honesty, and the fourth is shame. , Integrity does not cover up evil, shame does not follow injustice. Therefore, if you do not exceed the festival, the superior will be safe; if you do not advance yourself, the people will have no cunning and deception; After hearing this, Zhou Xuan couldn't help shaking his head slightly and sighed: "Alas... I didn't expect that Mr. Xuan Tongzi, who is called by the world to have profound virtues and skills, is like those ordinary school teachers who can only preach such clichés. Really disappointed Zhou." Sima Yi and Hu Zhao sat aside, didn't say much, just listened silently. Before I knew it, Mr. Guan Ning's lecture this morning was over.With a bang, the bronze cloud board was knocked, and all the disciples got up and left one after another.After most of them go home for lunch, they will be led by Qiu Hong to help the villagers of Fangdou Village to carry water to relieve their difficulties before noon.The rest of the apprentices went home and went about their business.Suddenly, the huge "Ming Dao Hall" quickly emptied.