newbobooks Chapter 302 The Realm of Prudent Thinking
Chapter 302 The Realm of Prudent Thinking
Chapter 302 The Realm of Prudent Thinking
Upon hearing this, Ye Ru simply smiled faintly and did not reply. He knew that Xiu Hanlin was merely testing whether he was a madman.
Confucius once said, "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me." The core meaning of this saying is humility.
In the classics of the sages, whether it be the military strategist, the Confucianist, or other aristocratic families, there are descriptions of humility. If Ye Ru were to show an arrogant expression, it would inevitably make Xiu Hanlin look down on him.
"Sir, please don't slander me. Confucius, even the Sage Teacher, has not produced a new sage in the hundred years since. The highest he has reached is only half a sage, and I am afraid I have only reached the level of half a sage."
Ye Ru placed a piece on the board and then slowly spoke.
"Let me test you. I was not born with knowledge. I am a lover of antiquity and a diligent seeker of knowledge. What is your opinion on this statement?"
Xiu Hanlin said.
"Isn't this what Confucius said about humility? The gist of it is that I wasn't born knowing everything; my wisdom comes from learning from history and through diligent study. Am I right?"
Ye Ru frowned, his black piece swaying uncertainly, as if he was pondering the meaning of this sentence while thinking about the chessboard.
"No, if you interpret this sentence as you do, you've fallen into a low-level interpretation. What if Confucius's words were meant to show his arrogance?"
Xiu Hanlin placed another piece expressionlessly, then raised his head, seemingly giving Ye Ru some pointers.
These words undoubtedly made Ye Ru fall into deep thought. Confucius always revered humility and benevolence, and rarely showed any arrogance. If this statement was interpreted in this way, he would probably be attacked by others.
“I used to think the same way you did, but I changed my mind later. Although Confucius was a saint, he was just an ordinary person like us before he became a saint. He also had the three poisons of greed, anger and ignorance that ordinary people have. Even though he taught people to seek the Way, over time, it was inevitable that arrogance would grow.”
Seeing that Ye Ru remained silent, Xiu Hanlin once again offered a suggestion.
"So, in that case, the 'recluse' and the 'madman' are different, and the 'madman' is more likely to grasp the essence of the Analects?"
Ye Ru tentatively asked.
"How you think about it is up to you. The Analects was not written by one person, but compiled by Confucius's disciples and their disciples. It was completed in the early Warring States period. It mainly records the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples, so everyone's understanding and gains are different. I'm just pointing you in the right direction."
Xiu Hanlin pondered for a moment, then spoke.
He knew that if he kept reminding him, it would probably have the opposite effect, so it was better to let the other person figure it out on their own.
Ye Ru held the black pieces, seemingly lost in a state of deep concentration, remaining completely still. Seeing this, Xiu Hanlin also put down the white pieces and simply looked at Ye Ru.
"What's wrong? Is it impossible to go down?"
"Perhaps it's just an act, after all, Mr. Xiu's chess skills are exceptional."
Those below, seeing Ye Ru deep in thought, all spoke up.
"So that's how he is? He's just an incompetent fool. How can he achieve anything great with his current abilities? He still wants to take the imperial examinations. He's just asking for trouble."
Seeing that Ye Ru remained motionless, Yang Li suddenly sneered and said.
"What's going on? Why hasn't a single move been made for so long?"
Seeing that Ye Ru did not move, Zhao Mingcheng looked at the latter meaningfully and said to Chen Tianjian.
"It's not that he didn't play, but Ye Ru seems to have entered a state of deep thought. If he can figure this out, it will be far more important than winning this game."
Chen Tianjian glanced at Ye Ru and suddenly felt a bit of holy power spreading from Ye Ru's body, then dissipating in all directions, making his talent flow extremely smoothly.
"This is... the realm of careful thought? He's just a student, yet he's managed to reach the realm of careful thought that even Hanlin scholars can't achieve?"
Seemingly remembering something, Chen Tianjian's expression changed. He pulled Zhao Mingcheng's hand, pointed at Ye Ru, and whispered:
"Ye Ru has entered the realm of careful thought. It is said that once one comprehends this realm of careful thought, it is almost equivalent to having one foot in the door of becoming a Grand Scholar. Be careful and keep an eye on your surroundings so that you are not ruined by any malicious people."
"what?"
Zhao Mingcheng was also slightly shocked. He had been studying for so many years and had never experienced the state of deep thought. Now, a student had actually reached this level. How could he not be surprised?
"I will prepare."
Zhao Mingcheng nodded, and his mental power slowly spread outwards. As the city lord of Zicheng, he was entitled to the protection and blessing of the Holy Temple. Therefore, with the blessing of the Holy Temple, his mental power spread directly throughout the entire Mingtai Tower.
In an instant, Zhao Mingcheng saw every move of the people from Mingtai Tower.
“Someone is acting strangely, Lord Chen. You should be careful. He seems to be scattering something in this area.”
After a while, Zhao Mingcheng frowned, looked into the distance, and said in a deep voice.
Upon hearing this, Chen Tianjian also looked in that direction and saw a young man dressed in black without any insignia secretly sprinkling some black powder in a corner.
"Is that poison?"
Chen Tianjian took a deep breath, his figure flashed, and he disappeared into the crowd, quickly heading towards the man in black.
It seemed that the man in black had noticed the former's actions, and he immediately turned and ran.
"Want to run?"
Chen Tianjian sneered, suddenly accelerated, and appeared directly in front of the man, lifting him up in one swift motion.
"Tell me, what is that powder?"
“I don’t know either. The person next to me gave it to me, saying that he would give me a hundred taels of silver after the job was done. I thought it was a lot, so I did it. You see him over there.”
The man in black pointed ahead, and in the crowd, someone stared at Chen Tianjian, then smiled at him before slowly disappearing from sight.
"Oh no, we've been tricked."
Chen Tianjian was startled and immediately looked towards the high platform.
Ye Ru was still deep in thought, while Xiu Hanlin patiently observed the chessboard without disturbing him.
He also knew that Ye Ru had entered a state of deep thought. Once he gained some insight, he might be able to become a Grand Scholar, and it would also lay a certain foundation for his ability to discern right from wrong.
"The Analects consists mostly of sayings, but they are all concise yet rich in meaning. As long as you grasp the meaning contained within them, you may be able to understand the Analects."
Ye Ru closed his eyes, immersed in his own world of knowledge, which seemed as vast and boundless as the universe.
"This is the sea of knowledge. I never expected that you, a mere student, would be able to enter this sea of knowledge."
As Ye Ru marveled at the vastness of the place, a faint voice echoed from within, lingering in his ears like a thunderclap.