I Gave Birth to a Cub without Telling the Head Assistant - Chapter 20.1

Chapter 20.1

Mr. Zhou Ge was already in his sixties and had limited energy. Apart from giving lectures for one and a half hours in the morning, he spent the rest of the time recuperating.

After the lectures were over, students either went on an outing in the spring or competed with each other, holding various debates.

It was common for young, energetic men to argue and get into fights or disagreements with each other, and Yu Zeqi had to serve as a mediator at those moments because Mr. Zhou Ge always ignored the disputes between those young men.

He had more important things to do.

***

Xinghui Pavilion was surrounded by tall pine trees, blocking it from the sunlight. 

An old man and a handsome young man were sitting with their legs crossed, meditating.

The old man didn’t have fancy clothes on; he just wore a simple brown linen cloth. His face had deep lines that showed the ups and downs of life, like an old monk deep in thought. Looking from a distance, he seemed to be connected with the ancient pine trees. 

The young man was wearing a blue dress with a belt. It made his waist and shoulders look wider and his back straight. 

They both sat still and meditated for a long time.

A bee came from nowhere, fanning its wings and buzzing beside his ear, and Li Zhulin couldn’t help but pursue his thin lips.

For three days, he spent his days either copying scriptures or meditating.

Li Zhulin came to Yangzhou this time for important reasons, not just past his time like this. 

He had so many troubles on his head rather than copying scriptures and meditations: the Japanese pirates, the Jin bandits, the fake Taoists from Tubo, and the Liao thieves.

As he thought, he imagined running on a battlefield, seeing lots of dead bodies and lots of blood.

His blood began to boil.

Mr. Zhou Ge was keenly aware of the emotional changes of Li Zhulin. He slowly opened his eyes and asked with a deep voice, “How can you nourish your mind when your mind is filled with chaotic emotions?”

Mr. Zhou Ge was a great Confucian teacher and believed in governing the world with benevolence, righteousness, virtue, and filial piety.

The late Empire, who was a student of Mr. Zhou Ge, ruled the country to Mr. Zhou Ge’s satisfaction. 

But what about Li Zhulin?

Less than six months after becoming the chief minister, big changes happened in the court.

If Li Zhulin had been kinder at that time, he, his sister, who was the queen, and his baby nephew, who was the prince, would have been dead now.

If you only cut the weeds and didn’t pull out the roots, more problems would come back later.

Being unable to make a decision could cause trouble.

So what if he killed people? Those who didn’t obey and rebel should be punished to death.

Was he really wrong?

Li Zhulin acted calm and unemotional in court, but he couldn’t hide his true feelings in front of Mr. Zhou Ge.

As a student of Mr. Zhou Ge, Li Zhulin knew he should respect and obey his teacher. However, today he felt strangely rebellious.

His back became stiff; he held his fists tight, and he frowned while whispering something. “Only by being in silence and contentment can one nourish one’s nature without desires or demands. But this disciple dares to ask the teacher: everyone in this world is hindered by desires and demons, and they all have countless troubles. Even sages have worries. Who can truly cultivate one’s nature? How can it truly be regarded as nourishing one’s nature?”

Old Zhou Ge’s eyes became dark. He was surprised when Li Zhulin, who had always been obedient, said something bad.

‘If Li Zhulin doesn’t change, I’m worried the child will make bad choices in the future.’ He thought for a while and replied, “You are right; wise people also have concerns.”

They both became silent for a while. 

‘But do the wise men of Confucius and Mencius have a violent and uncaring nature? Are they only concerned about what they can gain or lose, or do they think carefully before acting?’Mr. Zhou Ge’s thoughts were going here and there.

[Tl: Mencius was an ancient Chinese philosopher who was most famous for his interpretations of the ideas of Confucius].

“You slaughtered all the rebellious ministers and all the surrendered troops, causing people in the government and the public to panic. Even the trees and grass seemed like they were ready for battle. You promoted people like chickens, dogs, and thieves. No one with talent dared to be an official anymore. Is this the world you want?” Mr. Zhou Ge’s voice became a bit louder. “I thought you would be more relaxed now, but I didn’t expect you to still be so determined.”

The old man’s upset and angry voice came from the courtyard, surprising the birds flying around.

After scolding his favourite student, Mr Zhou Ge started to cough a lot while holding his chest.

“The disciple is to blame. Teacher, please don’t be mad.” Li Zhulin felt sorry for what he did and quickly got up, reached out to Mr. Zhou Ge’s arms, and tried to help him get up.

However, Mr. Zhou Ge was still angry. He turned around and pushed Li Zhulin’s hands away. “What did you do wrong? It’s all your teacher’s fault! It’s your teacher! He taught such a cruel person! A cold-blooded and cruel person!”

One person wanted to help the other, and the other person wanted to avoid him. 

There stood a very pretty girl in a yellow dress at the entrance of the courtyard.

“Uncle Zhou and Master Wang, I want to talk to both of you about something important.”

Suddenly, there was a deadly silence in the country yard. 

After a short break, Mr. Zhou Ge coughed again, “Ahem.”

Have a nice day!