Meet the Gentleman

Chapter 12 Who is harming me?
Yayan is the correct pronunciation of the Zhou world.

Although the dialects of various vassal states were different, elegant language was used in official interactions, lectures by scholars, and sacrificial activities.

Confucius said: The elegant words you use in poetry, books, and rituals are all elegant words.

Therefore, as a scholar, it is necessary to learn elegant language, otherwise you will not be able to communicate with others. Although the local language that Feng Qingyan learned before, the Bocheng North dialect, is relatively close to elegant language, as long as you speak slowly and clearly, most people can understand it.

However, the northern dialect has a strong accent, and the further north you go, the stronger the accent. If you speak fast, people won't be able to understand you.

If a scholar cannot speak elegant language, can he be considered a scholar?
This will be laughed at.

"Given your learning ability, it's indeed too slow."

Dean An nodded, and after a pause, he said, "Starting from tomorrow, come to the school as soon as it gets light, and I will teach you one chapter every day."

"Thank you sir."

Feng Qingyan was overjoyed when he heard this and immediately bowed to express his gratitude.

"A teacher is someone who imparts knowledge and resolves doubts." Dean An waved his hand and walked out of the school.

……

Midnight, Xueyue Inn, Bocheng.

Che Gai, who was sleeping in a daze, woke up instantly when he heard the knock on the door again.

Again?
Che Gai was horrified and his face turned pale.

"Tuk-tuk-"

The knocking sound continued, like a death warrant hitting his heart, frightening him so much that he huddled at the head of the bed and dared not move. But seeing that the evil ghost kept knocking on the door and did not break in, he felt a little relieved. Then he got up bravely, tiptoed to the window, secretly opened a crack, and saw the evil ghost with bared teeth from last night.

The evil ghost seemed to notice the movement and slowly turned his head to look at him.

"Snapped!"

Che Gai slammed the window in fear.

At this time, the evil ghost came over and knocked on the window...

"Zizhi, save me."

Che Gai always felt that the evil ghost would eventually break in through the door or window, and he couldn't help but shout in panic.

"Eight extremes?"

When Fu Lin heard this, he jumped out of bed and rushed to Che Gai's room.

No knocking on the door this time...

"Baji, what's wrong?" Fu Lin knocked on the door anxiously.

"That evil ghost is here again." Che Gai said with lingering fear. He did not open the door immediately. He looked carefully for a while before opening the door. "You still didn't hear the knock?"

Fu Lin shook his head, but seeing the look of fear on Che Gai's face, it couldn't be fake.

Why is this?

Inside the inn, some students who were friends with Che Gai rushed over after hearing the noise, but when they saw Che Gai saying something like an evil ghost was knocking on the door, they shook their heads and left.

After a while, Che Gai and Fu Lin were the only ones left in the room.

"I feel like there are evil spirits targeting me."

Che Gai was silent for a while and said, "I know you don't believe it, but what is a demon? It's not surprising that you can't feel its existence..."

Fu Lin frowned.

He knew that evil spirits were very strange and could not be explained by common sense. They were not comparable to ordinary ghosts. However, he had never seen or come into contact with an evil spirit. His knowledge of evil spirits came from books.

What's more, the evil ghost is a scholar-level being. If a little scholar encounters an evil ghost, there is only one way to go, and that is death.

If what Che Gai said was true, then why did the evil ghost just knock on the door?
Instead of breaking into the door and harming people directly?
"The evil spirit is targeting you?"

Fu Lin was confused and asked, "Why do you feel this way? If the evil spirit is really targeting you, it means... you have offended it."

"I have a sinner? Ridiculous!"

Che Gai sneered, frowned and said, "Besides, evil ghosts harm the common people and poison living beings. Everyone can kill them! I offended it, so what?"

"Baji, that's not what I meant." Fu Lin was stunned for a moment, thinking that Che Gai had misunderstood his words, and quickly said, "What I meant is that only by finding the root cause of the evil spirits targeting you can we solve the problem."

Che Gai was silent, wondering if he had offended anyone.

"We can't sense the existence of evil spirits. I'm afraid even the scholars are helpless. We can only ask the Minister of Literature to help..."

Fu Lin hesitated for a moment and then spoke again.

But how could these two little literary boys afford to ask the Minister of Literature for help?

"Please ask Prime Minister Wen for help?" Che Gai was stunned.

"If we ask a scholar, it may not be able to solve the problem." Fu Lin hesitated for a moment and said, "We can't feel the existence of the evil ghost, which means it is not an ordinary evil ghost. It may be a fierce ghost, or even a vicious ghost..."

"how is this possible?"

Che Gai frowned and said, "I am just a little scholar, how could there be fierce and vicious ghosts targeting me?"

"It's indeed a bit strange." Fu Lin was also confused. After thinking for a while, he said, "If the evil ghost comes knocking on the door again tomorrow night, I will ask Master An to help with you."

"Will Dean An take action?"

Che Gai was a little worried. After all, Master An was one of the 81 masters of Confucianism and his status was extremely noble. How could he be invited by a little scholar?

"We have to try it," said Fu Lin.

……

Mountain stream.

Before dawn, Feng Qingyan got up, washed, and then went to the thatched cottage in the dark.

When he arrived at the cottage, the sky in the east was just beginning to turn white, but he saw Mr. An was already standing in front of the cottage.

"gentlemen."

Feng Qingyan stepped forward and saluted.

An Xiu nodded, walked into the morning hall and sat down on the podium. After Feng Qingyan knelt down, he said, "Elegant means being decent, measured, and appropriate."

As An Xiu finished speaking, a faint white word appeared in front of him.

"The elegant language has eight tones, which are derived from the eight trigrams in the Book of Changes, and are divided into yin and yang. Yin and yang are further divided into four tones: ping, shang, qu, and ru, namely yang ping, yang shang, yang qu, yang ru, yin ping, yin shang, yin qu, yin ru."

"The level tone should not be low or high, the sound should be loud and long; the rising tone should be loud and strong, rising and heavy; the falling tone is clear and mournful, the sound is light and sharp with a long tail; the entering tone is short and quick, the sound is very light, and it is quickly stopped..."

Feng Qingyan listened and learned, and An Xiu corrected his pronunciation from time to time.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the sky was bright and the sun rose from the east.

"That's all for today. We'll review it in the evening."

An Xiu stood up and said.

Feng Qingyan bowed respectfully, watched An Xiu leave, and then returned to his cabin. After finishing the breakfast that was delivered, he took a carriage to the morning hall again...

When he came out of the morning hall, he saw many students outside pointing at him, and some teenagers even looked at him with disgust.

Feng Qingyan frowned and looked at him. Did he offend someone?

"Looking at him in white clothes like snow, he looks quite elegant, but who would have thought he was such a shameless drifter." Someone shook his head at Feng Qingyan's back and said, "It's a pity that he has such a beautiful outfit, it's such a waste."

"Such a person should be driven out. How can we allow him to defile the sanctity of the academy?"

"It's just a monkey in human clothing. Don't mind it."

However, within two days, Feng Qingyan felt a vague sense of malice directed against him among the many students, and there were even young and aggressive boys who cursed at him.

However, he couldn't remember when he had offended the public.

Since he has not offended the public, then someone is harming him.

Who is harming me?
Feng Qingyan frowned. If no one was secretly fanning the flames, it would be impossible for a malicious attitude against him to form among the students.

snort!
……

(End of this chapter)