Chapter Ninety-Two: One Person, One World

Chapter 92: One Person, One World

Temples generally require incense burning; the more incense, the more devotees there are, and the more effective the temple’s deities are believed to be.

Confucian temples also burn incense, but not inside the hall of sages. Instead, three enormous incense burners stand outside the main hall, each filled with countless incense sticks. The rich aroma envelops the entire hall; even a blind person would know they've entered a temple upon arrival.

Naturally, there are no temple priests inside the Confucian temple. Instead, an elderly scholar with white hair and beard stands at the entrance, smiling warmly, much like an old gatekeeper, reaching out to gently pat each child’s head.

Seeing this old scholar, Tie Xinyuan was reminded of Old Liang, who used to hang pigs from flagpoles to dry after they were temporarily raised on the farm. Old Liang would always smile and feel the pork’s fatness to estimate how much meat could be harvested.

Wang Rouhua brought Tie Xinyuan before the old scholar and unexpectedly pressed his head to the ground in kowtow!

Tie Xinyuan felt some anger. Even if he were a pig, Old Liang never demanded every pig to bow to him. Why was this happening? He wasn’t a weak person.

Sensing her son’s resistance, Wang Rouhua whispered, “Kneel properly. This is your great-uncle.”

Hearing that he was bowing to a relative elder, Tie Xinyuan ceased struggling and obediently knelt, respectfully kowtowing and, following his mother’s guidance, called out “Great-uncle.”

Wang Yong patted Tie Xinyuan’s round head and smiled, “Just as your third uncle said, there’s a bit of rebellion in you.

I heard you went to the palace to see the emperor. Don’t tell me you looked like this in front of His Majesty?”

Tie Xinyuan whispered, “When your grandson entered the palace, the emperor was hammering a large hammer on a guard dressed in armor, so…”

Wang Yong chuckled, “Heh, you fear the emperor’s brutality but not his authority. Fear of cruelty is human nature, and since your natural instincts remain, you’re a child who can be taught well!”

Wang Rouhua smiled, stroking her son’s head. “This child has always been a comfort. Aside from everything else, his filial piety alone is admirable. Perhaps he is as mischievous as other children, but he never harms others.

Uncle, you might not know—His Majesty gave some rewards, but this child used them all to help some little beggars. Now those children can support themselves. I am deeply gratified; this pleases me even more than the emperor calling him a prodigy.”

Wang Yong was surprised, “Oh? Is that so?”

Wang Rouhua laughed, “If you have time, uncle, I’ll take you to Bolo Alley. Those children may not be wealthy, but they live warmly and eat well. Recently, a young lady from the Su family has been personally teaching them to read and write. I’ve visited once or twice—it’s quite impressive.”

Wang Yong laughed heartily, “Filial piety is the most important virtue. If this child is not lacking in filial piety, his character must be good. Knowing how to pity the poor and help the suffering shows a conscience. These two qualities suffice; the rest are minor.

A true man in the world only needs to possess one of these qualities to be a hero. Your grandson has both—he is extraordinary.

Good, good. With such character, he naturally belongs in my Confucian school, the Tie family’s school. Take him in to pay respects to the Sage. After the festival, he can start studying at my school.”

Wang Rouhua was overjoyed. After thanking Wang Yong, she took three incense sticks from the pile nearby. Lighting them, she placed one in the long incense burner in the center to honor Heaven, one in the square burner on the left to honor Earth, and the last in the round burner on the right to honor the Ancestors of Man.

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“Isn’t it said that Heaven is round and Earth square? Why are Heaven and Earth both square, but only Man is round?” Tie Xinyuan couldn’t help but ask Wang Yong, who was smiling as he watched him burn incense.

Wang Yong smiled, “The square shape symbolizes order. Heaven and Earth operate according to certain laws—this law is order, which must not be violated. Otherwise, at best, yin and yang become chaotic; at worst, the sky collapses and the earth sinks.

Humans, as spirits of Heaven and Earth, differ from beasts. Beasts mate, give birth, and die according to the seasons—they live by the laws of Heaven and Earth.

Humans are more complicated. Because we possess intelligence, we constantly seek to transcend the laws of Heaven and Earth and attain great freedom.

One or two people pursuing such freedom isn’t a problem. But if everyone disregards these laws and acts recklessly, great disasters are bound to happen.

Therefore, to enter the Sage’s school under me, one must first learn self-discipline, restrain their behavior, and not overstep bounds. Adhering to the Doctrine of the Mean is the best way.”

Tie Xinyuan was greatly impressed by Wang Yong’s explanation. Encountering such a far-sighted environmentalist in this era was rare. After respectfully bowing once more, he stepped into the Sage’s gate…

The greatest function of a temple is to provide solace for the soul, a place to calm the mind. Earlier, Tie Xinyuan had been worried whether the Wang residence had caught fire. But after immersing himself in the solemn atmosphere of the Sage’s hall, he decided to set aside worries about the fire and truly experience the changes the Literary Sage brought to the world.

Whether reciting the Analects or listening attentively to Confucian scholars explain the essentials of Confucian conduct, Tie Xinyuan was fascinated and actively participated, much to the delight of Wang Rouhua and Wang Yong, who saw his exceptional talent.

Yet when the final moment came, Tie Xinyuan stubbornly refused.

Wang Rouhua anxiously paced outside but could not change his determination not to have his head shaved.

Watching other children tearfully get their hair cut into the traditional five-section style only strengthened Tie Xinyuan’s resolve.

His head was left with two tufts of hair on either side of the crown, tied into a high ponytail. One mischievous child even pressed a finger to his cheek, pretending to be childish, drawing the elders’ applause. Seeing this made Tie Xinyuan want to vomit.

If he were truly a foolish child, it would be one thing—but he was not.

Helpless, Wang Rouhua led Tie Xinyuan out of the temple. Along the way, she kept pointing at his ponytail. “Do you think this looks good? Neither like a boy nor a girl. Children should look like children.

Look at that kid just now; with his finger on his cheek, he seems so well-behaved. Can’t you learn from him? Today is an important day. Why are you so stubborn?

Because of your messy head, you won’t even listen to your mother.”

Tie Xinyuan listened with a smile, knowing his mother’s complaints wouldn’t last long—she hated nagging herself.

The Tie family had few relatives in Dongjing besides the Wang family, so there were not many places to visit during the New Year.

No matter what, the children in Bolo Alley were helped by Wang Rouhua’s son. As their elder, she felt it proper to visit and hand out some New Year money. So mother and son drove their carriage straight to Bolo Alley.

Wang Rouhua fell silent. To ease the awkwardness, Tie Xinyuan asked, “Mother, why is great-uncle at the Confucian temple? Is he the temple priest?”

Wang Rouhua snorted, still annoyed, “Your great-uncle has been reassigned to the Ministry of Rites, responsible for auspicious and funeral rites and overseeing guests and officials. On New Year’s Day, it is his duty to receive disciples broadly at the Confucian temple.

Hmph, your hair isn’t shaved yet. I don’t even know if you’ve completed the initiation ceremony.”

Seeing his mother’s lingering anger, Tie Xinyuan refrained from provoking further. Seeing Bolo Alley ahead, he cheered and jumped from the carriage, heading straight to the small courtyard where Xiao Qiao and the others stayed.

Why the Wang residence had not caught fire weighed on his mind all day.

“Why didn’t it explode? I want to know too!” Xiao Qiao, sensing Tie Xinyuan’s accusing tone, flared up, dropping his wood and speaking angrily.

Forget it, this matter couldn’t be questioned. Tie Xinyuan was depressed as well. If he brought his bad mood to Xiao Qiao now, the only result would be internal strife.

“The problem might still be with the sealing. Steam in the waterway easily corrodes the oiled paper and wets the fuse.”

Xiao Qiao sighed as Tie Xinyuan started reflecting, “I tried making a small wooden barrel like those used for explosives and put the fuse inside, then steamed it. It didn’t work. When I opened it, the fuse was completely wet. Using gunpowder was a big mistake; it’s useless once wet.”

Seeing Xiao Qiao’s dissatisfaction, Tie Xinyuan said firmly, “Let’s end this here. Forget it entirely, as if we never did it. Previously, our carelessness let Zhao Yunran escape. Let’s just say it wasn’t his time to die. Forget it completely—no mention, no thought, no questions, no looking back.”

Xiao Qiao sighed again, pounding his fist on his head. Seeing Wang Rouhua enter the courtyard through the window, he hurried out to greet her. Wang Rouhua liked him even more than Tie Xinyuan.

Wang Rouhua’s eyes curved into a smile upon seeing Xiao Qiao. She pulled him close, spinning him around, inspecting him fondly, then patted his shoulder, “Well done, well done. After a year, you’ve finally grown into a man.”

Xiao Qiao gratefully said, “Thanks to Aunt’s care. Xiao Qiao and the younger siblings kowtow to you and wish you blessings as vast as the Eastern Sea and longevity like the Southern Mountains.”

Xiao Qiao led the children in the yard to kneel and kowtow, offering New Year’s greetings. Tie Xinyuan brought out stacks of clothes from the carriage and laid them on the wooden table.

“These are all your clothes. My mother wanted to bring them before the New Year but was delayed. It’s not too late to wear new clothes now.”

No one paid attention to Tie Xinyuan. The motherless children clung to Wang Rouhua, reluctant to leave. Especially Shuizhu, who nestled in Wang Rouhua’s arms, whispering flattery that made Wang Rouhua laugh heartily.

It was as if they were mother and children themselves. (To be continued.)

P.S.: Finished writing a chapter at dawn. I can’t help but sigh at my slow pace. I used to write over ten thousand characters a day without issue, but now I dare not write freely. With Silver Fox’s promising start, I must not let it fizzle out. Hence, planning the plot and direction takes a long time.