Chapter 4
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Shortly after the big boss Xie Duo’s arrival, the youngest of the ten Princes, Xie An, hurriedly entered the study at the beginning of the third hour.
After greeting the Expositor-in-waiting, Xie An sat down in the second row, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and turned to look at a certain dangerous classmate at the neighboring table with an indifferent expression. “Ninth Brother, where did we leave off yesterday?”
Without waiting for Xie Duo to respond, the Eighth Prince, Xie Jing, suddenly turned his head, his eyes shining brightly. He raised his hand and quickly flipped through his younger brother’s textbook to find today’s lesson content, giving both of his brothers an encouraging glance.
It seemed that this academic genius didn’t blame his brothers for not sitting with him in the front row.
He was truly a generous brother.
This classroom had only two rows of long desks, with five chairs in each row. Xie Jing occupied a whole row by himself…
“Xiaobai.”
While silently observing the Princes’ every move, Han Jiao suddenly heard Elder Lin’s soft call. He quickly looked up, ready to serve.
“You also take a seat. If there’s anything I haven’t explained clearly, I ask you to help the Princes understand.”
Han Jiao looked at Elder Lin in disbelief.
Could he, an apprentice, sit with the Princes?
That was not how it was shown on TV shows.
There was a moment of silence.
Han Jiao’s hesitation caught the Princes’ attention.
Han Jiao immediately regulated his breathing, nodded to Elder Lin, walked around the desks, bowed to the three Princes, and bravely approached Xie Jing in the front row.
“Please go and guide those two.” Xie Jing pointed his thumb at his two troublesome younger brothers and smiled. “I already read today’s passage early in the morning and have no questions.”
This top student surprisingly didn’t need private tutoring services.
Han Jiao pulled his foot back and slowly looked towards the two struggling students in the back row.
Xie An in the back row quickly grabbed the chair between himself and his Ninth Brother, pulled it back, turned his head, and made a welcoming gesture to Han Jiao. The thirteen-year-old’s face showed an innocent and friendly smile.
In comparison, the Ninth Prince rested his cheek on one hand as he gazed down at the textbook, his long eyelashes framing his lowered eyes. Despite his striking looks, his handsome face only added to the air of aloofness that surrounded him.
Even though Han Jiao knew that Xie Duo wasn’t a terrifying person at the moment, he still worried about leaving a terrible impression on this final big boss. Carefully maneuvering past the back row, he walked to the middle seat.
Due to his guardedness, he instinctively pulled the circular chair closer to Xie An. Just as he was about to sit down, a certain pair of long lashes beside him suddenly lifted, and a pair of deep brown eyes sharply scanned Han Jiao’s profile.
In a critical moment, Han Jiao made the right decision: he slid the circular chair in his hand towards Xie Duo!
Subjecting the final boss to unfair treatment, wouldn’t that be seeking death?
In such a situation, it was necessary to be closer to Xie Duo, making it convenient for the boss to ask questions at any time.
After taking a seat, Han Jiao noticed the boss’ eyelashes were once again hanging down with indifference.
Alarm lifted.
Fortunately, the discussion in this class was on the first part of Mencius’ Ten Thousand Chapters. Han Jiao had already studied it thoroughly, so he didn’t need to worry about being questioned by the Princes.
In fact, the Princes didn’t ask him any questions, nor did they have the leisure to do so.
Elder Lin kept talking, not only explaining the meaning of the dialogue in the book but also citing other allusions to validate the sage’s response and extending it to various aspects of life and conduct.
The original text from Mencius described the following: The parents and younger brother of Shun conspired multiple times to kill him in order to seize everything he possessed. However, Shun miraculously survived these attempts and instead of seeking revenge against his parents and brothers, he enfeoffed his brother who had plotted against him as a feudal lord. Although he didn’t have the power to govern the country, his brother could enjoy wealth and glory.
In this dialogue, Mencius’ response emphasized using love and compassion to eliminate resentment among family members and to influence others with virtue.
Han Jiao thought that when Elder Lin explained this passage, he would use some lofty words about benevolence, righteousness, and morality, the kind of fake inspirational quotes that would be mocked in modern society.
Unexpectedly, Elder Lin didn’t emphasize Shun’s benevolence and righteousness. Instead, he discussed how after the attempted murder, Shun made use of his brother’s guilt to win him over with virtue, thus magnifying the remaining brotherly affection in his heart.
Elder Lin preached, “It’s often impossible to reach a life-or-death situation. This approach to handling matters could help resolve sharp conflicts in life.”
This perspective and analysis of explanation refreshed Han Jiao’s perception of the educated class. They dared to apply the words of the sage in practical ways, which explained why the Princes listened with great interest.
Since there was no bell signaling the end of the class, Elder Lin continued speaking until his throat felt uncomfortable. He then permitted the Princes to engage in independent review and discussion.
Unexpectedly, disaster struck during this break between classes.
“I have a question and would like to seek guidance from you, Master,” Xie Jing suddenly turned his head and looked at Han Jiao from the front row.
Wasn’t this top student supposed to not require private tutoring?
“Your Highness, please speak,” Han Jiao responded with a smile.
Xie Jing seemed slightly hesitant, paused for a moment, and then sincerely asked Han Jiao, “Master, do you believe that the notion of ‘subduing tigers without using a cage, suppressing evil without relying on laws, sealing falsehood without using symbol’ pose challenges similar to those faced by legendary figures such as Bi Gan and Yu, as well as the difficulties encountered by sage rulers like Yao and Shun? Consequently, the act of creating a cage isn’t just about trapping mice but rather empowering the timid and weak to conquer a tiger. Can this approach harmonize with the concept of using moral virtue to guide and govern people, as advocated by the sages?”
Han Jiao: “……”
What tigers? What timid and weak?
Does this passage exist in “Mencius”?
Are you here to disrupt the discussion?
Seeing Han Jiao’s eyes suddenly widening, Xie Jing thought he might have found his question offensive to the sages, so he quickly explained, “I’m just a bit confused whether the teachings of Han Feizi and the philosophy of Confucius and Mencius can be integrated, extracting their essence to inspire the people of all nations to move from fear to genuine compliance.”
Han Jiao: “…..”
Legalism?
[T/N: Han Feizi was an important Chinese philosopher known for his contributions to the Legalist school of thought, which advocated for strict rule by law and the centralization of power to maintain social order and stability yadayadayada]
This question had gone beyond the scope.
The unusual silence drew the attention of the two Princes beside Han Jiao.
Xie An eagerly awaited for Master Xiaobai to clarify things for his Eighth Brother, while Xie Duo…
Han Jiao was certain that Xie Duo’s gaze wasn’t one of confusion. It was clear that he was casting a skeptical look at Han Jiao.
Answer quickly.
I have to answer immediately!
“Your Highness, your thoughts have truly surprised me.” Han Jiao’s lips curved into a friendly and knowledgeable smile as he calmly looked at Xie Jing. “Are you asking whether both can coexist or whether you have a different perspective on the former doctrine?”
I need to buy some time and find a way to understand the specific meaning behind that statement of Legalism.
“I dare not pass judgment on the teachings of the sages.” Xie Jing’s voice lowered, clearly worried that his idle thoughts might contradict the way of the sages. After hesitating for a moment, he tactfully said, “It’s just that I find it hard to understand how Legalism advocates fairness throughout the world, yet it also wants to suppress tigers with a cage, enabling the timid and weak to conquer such beasts. It seems…”
Han Jiao encouraged with a gentle smile, “Your Highness, there’s no need to worry. It’s permissible to explore new insights within each school of thought. If one fears the opinions of others and hides great faults behind the teaching of the sages, it would be regrettable for both the nation and personal growth.”
Encouraged by Han Jiao’s words, Xie Jing spoke candidly, “I feel that subduing tigers while empowering mice can hardly be considered true fairness. If laws everywhere restrain fierce tigers, what would be the meaning of our diligent study of history and martial arts?”
Seeing Xie Jing finish speaking, Han Jiao, who had momentarily lost track, gave him a surprised look, allowing him to reflect on it himself.
However, he couldn’t let the conversation fall silent. Han Jiao quickly turned his head and looked at the obedient Xie An, smiling and asking, “Your Highness, what are your thoughts on this?”
Suddenly prompted, the mediocre student Xie An blushed slightly and awkwardly stammered, “My understanding is not as profound as my Eighth Brother’s. The phrase ‘enabling the timid and weak to subdue tigers’ seems to suggest that the law allows the weak to constrain the strong, which does seem somewhat unfair to the strong. Um… what does Master Han think?”
The pitiful mediocre student pitifully expressed his complete reliance on Master Han.
Xie An’s explanation in plain language finally made things clear to Han Jiao.
The idea was probably that laws were meant to restrain those who abuse their strength, enabling the weak to defend themselves using the weapons of the law.
In other words, Legalism advocated using laws to control people, which contradicted Mencius’ idea of influencing people through virtue.
Xie Jing appeared to hold the view that all philosophical doctrines emphasized the importance of fairness. However, he saw Legalism as excessively suppressing the strong and overly favoring the protection of the weak, which he deemed unfair to the strong and deprived them of the opportunity to leverage their advantages. It somewhat resembled a survival of the fittest concept.
Han Jiao breathed a sigh of relief, smiled at Xie Jing, and eloquently spoke, “Restraining the strong with laws and protecting the weak is unfair to the strong. At first glance, this argument seems reasonable, but it contains a hidden ambiguity that misleads people.”
Teaching at the Hanlin Academy naturally required careful wording.
If Han Jiao were to say that the Prince was misled, it would be directly pointing out his mistake. So, he had to say that it misled people in general, as a mistake that everyone could make, in order to avoid embarrassing the Prince.
“What ambiguity?” Xie Jing asked eagerly.
“The ambiguity lies in the interpretation of ‘strong’ and ‘weak,'” Han Jiao calmly met Xie Jing’s gaze with his charming smiling eyes. “If we consider physical strength, those skilled in martial arts would naturally be considered strong, but if we compare knowledge and talent, scholars who have passed the imperial examinations would be far stronger than illiterate individuals. Without constraints, those strong in martial arts could easily rob scholars in the streets, while clerks in various districts could manipulate legal documents or accounts, making it effortless for them to exploit strong men or even imprison them unjustly.”
Xie Jing’s eyes flickered, as if he suddenly realized his blind spot.
Han Jiao maintained eye contact with him and continued to guide, “There is no definitive conclusion on which is stronger or weaker between the two. Our laws in Great Chu prevent those strong in martial arts from using their strength to infringe upon others, and likewise, they prevent those talented individuals from using their intellect to harm the ignorant. This demonstrates equal treatment for the people of all lands.
“Strength does not merely lie in martial prowess or academic talent, but also in commercial acumen, weaving, dyeing, cooking, craftsmanship, and various other skills. Each type of expertise has its own strengths and weaknesses. In other words, the common people of Chu, without exception, possess strengths and weaknesses. However, the laws of Chu prohibit anyone from using their own strengths to infringe upon the legitimate rights of others.”
Han Jiao gazed at Xie Jing and reached a conclusion. “Your Highness, do you consider this fair?”
Xie Jing’s face lit up with understanding, his eyes sparkling as he stared at Han Jiao. “Master Han, you have enlightened me!”
Han Jiao’s heart, which had been holding its breath, finally relaxed. He smiled, telling Xie Jing not to be overly polite.
He had thought that today’s life-or-death ordeal had already passed, but unexpectedly, Xie Jing suddenly took out a square and tattered silk cloth from his sleeve and handed it to Han Jiao. “On this silk cloth, there are many passages that I cannot comprehend. Can I ask Master Han to enlighten me?”
Han Jiao paused for a moment but then reached out to accept the yellowed silk cloth from the infuriatingly talented student’s hand. “Your Highness, please wait a moment while I carefully examine it.”
Xie Jing nodded with delight and turned his head to continue reading.
Han Jiao slowly unfolded the silk cloth, and as expected, an assortment of weird and rudimentary characters resembling sketches came into view.
Without a hint of surprise, Han Jiao solemnly spread the silk book on the desk and examined it with a serious expression.
Each moment felt like an eternity. What on earth is written here?
Han Jiao remained as still as a statue, waiting patiently for a moment.
Suddenly, the dangerous entity who had remained silent all along leaned in closer, his voice clear as he whispered in Han Jiao’s ear, “Difficult, isn’t it?”
Han Jiao smiled in response, showed no signs of fear. “This silk book is quite ancient, so it is a bit cryptic.”
Without speaking a word, the dangerous entity simply raised his right hand and placed it on the edge of the silk book, gesturing for Han Jiao to release it.
What’s going on?
The big boss was so willing to help. Did he want to assist Han Jiao with the translation?
Han Jiao obediently raised his arm, very willing to accept the boss’ help.
Xie Duo’s slender fingertips pressed against the edge of the silk book. With a twist of his wrist, he rotated the silk book 180 degrees and pushed it back in front of Han Jiao. His voice remained pleasant as he said, “From this perspective, it should be easier.”
Han Jiao’s expression froze. “……”
Oops.
He had just placed the silk book the wrong way around.
And he had been examining it so seriously.
Han Jiao didn’t even dare to steal a glance at the boss’ expression.
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It’s funny, when I got to the point of Han Jiao being exposed for having the scroll upside down, the song I was listening sang, “Caught in a lie~” Keke.