After hearing Xiao Liu's words, Mr. Zhu couldn't help but look at Xiao Liu in confusion. "Well, what does Deputy Yan mean by this?"
In Mr. Zhu's view, although the scholar was smart when he was young, he is now down and out, and even his ancestral property has been almost ruined. Isn't this the Fang Zhongyong described by Wang Anshi?
Looking at Mr. Zhu's confused eyes, Xiao Liu smiled, but he did not directly answer Mr. Zhu's question, but asked instead.
"I wonder what Mr. Zhu thinks of this Confucianism?"
Mr. Zhu couldn't help but say contemptuously after hearing this.
"Haoshou is poor in scriptures and has no understanding of world affairs. He uses the opinions of the ancients to serve the purpose of his family and country. He sticks to etiquette and does not know how to adapt. If he is a corrupt and despicable person, he will be the source of disaster for the world."
Mr. Zhu spoke with all his might and with disdain in every word. It was obvious that he really looked down upon Confucianism.
But after hearing Mr. Zhu's words, Xiao Liu couldn't help but asked curiously.
"That being the case, I wonder why Mr. Zhu and Magistrate Lu are close friends. Presumably Magistrate Lu is a Confucian?"
Xiao Liu's words were a little abrupt, but Mr. Zhu didn't care. He sighed softly first, then looked out the window and said with some feeling.
"Speaking of which, that was over forty years ago. At that time, I had not abandoned Confucianism and Taoism, and he was still a high-spirited young man. At that time, the two of us..."
Mr. Zhu recounted his past with Magistrate Lu, while Xiao Liu listened quietly.
When it comes to happy moments, Mr. Zhu can't help but smile lightly and his tone is brisk; when talking about sad moments, he can't help but frown and sigh.
The classmates of the past ten years, whether they were having fun or having grievances, all appeared in front of Xiaoliu's eyes.
When Xiaoliu heard this, he couldn't help but recall his past campus life. Being moved by the scene, he couldn't help but raise his hand to wipe the two small crystal tears from the corners of his eyes.
"Since then, the two of us have gone our separate ways. I abandoned Confucianism and followed Taoism and traveled around the world, while he obtained fame and entered an official career. But what is ridiculous is that only in the second year after becoming the prefect, he Gone, sadly gone!"
At the end of the sentence, Mr. Zhu couldn't help but shake his head and sighed.
Xiao Liu was originally very sad when he heard Mr. Zhu's words, but Mr. Zhu's last words shocked him. 'Sad to go?' '
"Mr. Zhu, could this Magistrate Lu be..." Xiao Liu asked in surprise, but before he finished speaking, Mr. Zhu said.
"Ashes return to dust, soil returns to soil, everything is over. The deceased has passed away, and returning to heaven and earth is also a kind of relief." Mr. Zhu said with a smile.
Then he looked at Xiao Liu and warned.
"Everyone says that rivers and lakes are dangerous and people's hearts are unpredictable. But they don't know that the officialdom is even more sinister than the rivers and lakes. The higher the official, the greater the danger. Especially if you want to go against the current in this era, it will be even more dangerous. risk."
When Xiaoliu heard this, he felt like he had some enlightenment, he cupped his hands and thanked him. "Xiao Liu understands, thank you sir for your advice!" Xiao Liu didn't expect that he would dig out such a shocking secret.
"Well, the past is in the past. Aren't you talking about my useless grandnephew?"
"Yes." Xiao Liu quickly calmed down and said. "Since you are a Confucian scholar, I wonder if you know that there are differences between Confucianism and Confucianism."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhu looked at Xiao Liu and motioned for him to continue.
"Although Xiaoliu's knowledge is shallow, he has heard that Confucianism can be divided into gentleman Confucianism and villain Confucianism."
After hearing this, Mr. Zhu subconsciously brushed his long beard and looked like he was thinking. However, when his hand touched his chin, he remembered that his long beard had been burned off by Xiaobei.
Mr. Zhu couldn't help pinching his chin in embarrassment and said.
"This statement comes from the Analects of Confucius, but when Deputy Yan made this statement at this time, could he mean that my useless grandnephew is a gentleman and a scholar?"
After saying that, Mr. Zhu couldn't help but shook his head and smiled bitterly.
A gentleman and a Confucian can look up at astronomy, look down at geography, and spread his knowledge among all people. Such a person, not to mention the current generation, has never been seen in all eternity.
When Xiao Liu heard this, he looked at Mr. Zhu with a smile and replied. "Normally a villain is a Confucian, but in times of crisis, a gentleman is a Confucian!"
"Well, what should I say?" After hearing Xiao Liu's words, Mr. Zhu couldn't help but asked curiously.
Xiao Liu spoke carefully.
"Although the scholar is usually mediocre and straightforward, and can only show off some superficial articles, and the poems he writes are also very rotten. Judging from these, he is probably not even qualified to be a little Confucian. But the scholar also has some qualities. Based on his strengths, he is not afraid of danger and has uncanny plans in emergencies. This can be said to be a person capable of great things."
"Oh, how can you tell?" Mr. Zhu asked in confusion.
"This..." Mr. Zhu's question directly asked about Xiao Liu's lifeline.
Xiao Liu then remembered that Ji Wuming, Gongsun Wulong, and Simpson had not come yet, and the scholar had indeed never done anything remarkable before. How could he give an example?
Mr. Zhu looked at Xiao Liu quietly. Xiao Liu hesitated for a while and had to change his words.
"If Peng doesn't sing, that's it. He is an astonishing person. Sir, please watch carefully. It can take as little as three years, as long as ten years. The scholar will definitely regain the glory of his ancestors."
Xiaoliu's words were full of momentum and confidence.
But when Mr. Zhu heard this, he sighed, chuckled and shook his head. He thought Xiaoliu was just trying to defend the scholar, and there was no real basis for it.
However, he didn't dislike Xiao Liu because the discussion with Xiao Liu made him feel very comfortable. It had been a long time since his old friend died and his beloved disciple left, and he hadn't talked to someone so freely for a long time.
After all, sometimes being too senior is not a good thing. In addition, he is an old man and a villager, so he is high-minded and aloof.
He looked at Xiaoliu, as if he was looking at a year-end friend.
Interested, he smiled.
"Since Deputy Capt. Yan said that he will come soon, then the future will be clear. With his old body and bones, I can still wait for ten years. I only hope that he will be able to live up to what Deputy Capt. Yan said."
"It will be as you wish, sir!" Xiao Liu responded firmly.
Seeing Xiao Liu like this, Mr. Zhu couldn't help but be more interested in Xiao Liu. He looked at Xiao Liu and asked curiously.
"I heard that Deputy Capt. Yan has only been here in Qixia Town for half a month. I wonder why Deputy Capt. Yan has so much confidence in my incompetent grandnephew?"
Xiao Liu smiled and replied after hearing this. "Probably we felt like old friends at first sight and cherished each other."
Mr. Zhu listened to Xiaoliu's almost perfunctory answer without delving into it, so he changed the subject.
"Then what does Deputy Chief Yan think of classmate Xiaobei?"
After listening to Mr. Zhu's question, Xiao Liu pondered for a while and replied.
"Sir, are you worried about Xiaobei's previous troubles in the academy? As he said before, Xiaobei is lively and intelligent by nature, and has a tough character. If he can be taught properly, he will become a great person in the future."
"Oh, Deputy Capt. Yan also thinks that Xiaobei is talented? But it seems that my teaching is not suitable for Xiaobei at the moment. If I teach like I did before, I am afraid that Xiaobei will easily go astray?"
Mr. Zhu couldn't help but sigh. Xiaobei's talent was extremely high, which was rare in his life, but his character was not good.
Xiao Liu couldn't help but frown when he heard this. Mr. Zhu seemed to have something in his words. However, although he felt that Mr. Zhu's words were a bit strange, Xiao Liu still answered accordingly.
"Why should you worry, sir? From Xiao Liu's point of view, sir, I'm afraid he has already made a plan. Xiao Liu once heard that the way of heaven is like a bow drawn. Those who are high suppress it, those who are low lift it. Those who have more will damage it, and those who have less will make up for it. .”
"The Taoist way is not just about being born without being, doing things without sustaining them, and over time not being able to kill them. This is also a kind of Taoist way."
Mr. Zhu smiled when he heard this and looked at Xiao Liu. "I didn't expect Deputy Chief Yan to know something about my Taoist doctrine."
"I heard it all from the sidelines. Today, I was busy working in front of Mr. Yu's house." Xiao Liu said humbly.
Mr. Zhu looked at Xiao Liu like this and couldn't help but look at Xiao Liu with interest.
"I had heard about Deputy Yan's feat of killing thieves before, and thought that Deputy Yan must be a guest of the heroes. But when I saw him today, it was completely different from what I had thought before. Deputy Yan's manners were elegant and his words were noble. He is totally different from the ordinary gangsters." Mr. Zhu praised.
"No, sir, you are overly complimentary." Xiao Liu said modestly.
Looking at Xiao Liu's appearance, Mr. Zhu smiled and said. "Deputy Yan's arrest reminds me of one of my former students."
