Meet the Gentleman

Chapter 58: The Cave in the Painting
In the academy, I studied classics, history, and literature in the morning and practiced the four-six arts in the afternoon.

The classics, history, philosophy and literature are not only compulsory studies for students, but also the foundation of the holy way for students. They must be learned. The four and six arts are the six arts of etiquette, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy and mathematics, and the four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy and painting. Students can study all of them, choose one or two of them, or choose not to study them...

However, all students must master the basic six arts, especially etiquette.

After the first "etiquette class" of the academy in the morning, all the students came to the etiquette courtyard on the west side of the academy to prepare to learn the etiquette art of the Six Arts.

In addition to the lecture hall and history academy, the academy also has an academy of six arts.

The Liyuan, located on the west side of the academy gate, ranks first among the six arts academies...

When students walk into the Liyuan, they can see a small square paved with bluestone, surrounded by flowers, trees, lotus ponds, small bridges, and pavilions, exuding a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

At this time, it was not yet time for class and the students gathered in groups of three or five.

thump—

A distant bell sounded.

The students stopped talking and stood up and walked towards the auditorium.

Feng Qingyan, Zhou Chang and other students also walked into the auditorium together and knelt on clean straw mats.

After a while, the old teacher walked into the auditorium, and the students stood up to salute. After returning the salute, the old teacher knelt down, signaled the students to be quiet, and said: "Today, I will learn etiquette with you."

"Li said: To raise the sons of the state with the Way, one must teach them the six arts: the first is the five rituals, the second is the six musics, the third is the five archery, the fourth is the five charioteering, the fifth is the six books, and the sixth is the nine numbers."

The students listened quietly.

"What you and I are learning today is the Five Rites."

The old teacher smiled and said, "Students, how do you know the five rituals?"

"Auspicious ceremonies, inauspicious ceremonies, military ceremonies, guest ceremonies, and auspicious ceremonies." As soon as the old instructor finished speaking, a student answered first, asking if he could get a B rating.

A review is impossible.

"Yes, these five gifts."

The old teacher nodded and said, "Sacrificial offerings are auspicious rites, funerals are ominous rites, military affairs are military rites, guests are guest rites, and weddings are auspicious rites. These are the most important etiquette and system in the world."

"Dear students, do you know how to perform auspicious sacrifices?" the old instructor asked again.

At this time, most of the students were a little hesitant, and did not quite understand the specific process of the auspicious ceremony and what preparations they needed to make.

Because there are too many and too complicated.

How can today's young students have the time to learn these things?

Seeing that the students were silent, the old teacher said, "The Ji Ceremony is the most important of the five ceremonies. It is a ceremony of offering sacrifices to the gods of heaven, earth, and human ghosts. Do you know how to offer sacrifices?"

The students shook their heads.

Although I knew the auspicious rites, I did not know how to offer sacrifices.

The old teacher smiled and asked again: "What is the etiquette for offering sacrifices to the gods of heaven? What is the etiquette for offering sacrifices to the sun, moon and stars? What is the etiquette for offering sacrifices to the Si Zhong, Siming and Yu Shi?"

"I don't know, please teach me, sir."

The students said respectfully.

"good!"

The old teacher nodded and said, "Although offering sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth is the duty of the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan, as disciples of Confucianism, you also need to know a thing or two. Who knows, among you students, one day you will hold the position of the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan."

“Among auspicious ceremonies, offering sacrifice to heaven is the highest sacrifice.”

As the old teacher spoke, he looked at the students and then asked, "So, students, do you know what we need to prepare for the first step of offering sacrifices to the heaven?"

The students looked at each other, and one of them said, "Set up an altar."

The old teacher nodded with satisfaction and asked, "Is the altar round or square?"

"The sky is round and the earth is square, so the altar for offering sacrifices to the sky is naturally round." A student answered.

"The sky is round and the earth is square, so is the altar." The old teacher nodded, looked at the student and asked, "If it is the altar of the land and grain, how should the altar be placed?"

"If it is the altar of the land and grain, it needs to be decorated with five-colored soil."

At this time, Helianshan said, "The five-colored soil is blue, red, white, black, and yellow. It will be delivered to the sacrificial site five days before the sacrifice, corresponding to the five directions of the land: east, west, south, north, and center..."

"You can comment." The old teacher smiled and nodded, saying, "If it is spring and autumn, when the king of mankind offers sacrifices, how much five-colored soil will be used?"

"Ten bags of yellow soil, nine bags each of green, red, white, and black soil."

Zhou Chang replied.

"If it is a sacrifice by the princes, how much will it be?"

The old teacher looked at Zhou Chang and asked again.

"Five bags of yellow soil, and five bags each of green, red, white, and black soil." Zhou Chang said again.

"You can get a second-class rating."

The old teacher nodded.

Feng Qingyan didn't understand the five rituals, so he could only listen carefully and take notes seriously.

However, what he needs most right now is probably Kaiwen Palace.

thump—

The bell rang and an hour passed.

"Today I will learn etiquette from you all." After the old teacher finished his speech, he stood up and said.

The students stood up and saluted.

After Feng Qingyan left the Liyuan, he went to the academy's library.

When he arrived at the library building, he was a little surprised to find that the library was not as big as he had imagined.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of books.

The library has only one or two floors, filled with bookshelves.

Feng Qingyan took a quick look and came to the second floor, where he saw a painting hanging in the middle of the second floor.

In the painting, there is a quiet path that seems to lead to an unknown place.

Just as he was wondering why there was a strange painting hanging in the middle of the second floor, he saw a flash of light in the painting, and a quiet woman in white walked out from the quiet path in the painting.

Feng Qingyan was a little surprised. He didn't expect that such an ordinary painting could have such a hidden world.

The woman in white bowed slightly to him and went downstairs.

After Feng Qingyan returned the gift, he looked at the painting curiously, and reached out to touch it. His hand actually stretched out. When he was surprised, he became even more curious, so he walked in...

There is actually another world in the painting.

Feng Qingyan was greatly shocked.

In the painting, there are mountains, water, trees, flowers, birds singing and flowers blooming, and the four seasons are like spring. There are bookshelves arranged around, and the bookshelves are full of books. There seems to be a strong literary atmosphere in the air.

There are even quite a few bamboo slips.

Around them, some teachers were reading books, and they didn't seem to notice Feng Qingyan coming in. Feng Qingyan looked around, then came to a bookshelf and pulled out a book...

It is a very common collection of classics, history, and philosophy, and has been read many times.

Feng Qingyan looked for a while and then left. When he went downstairs, he saw an old man in Confucian clothes in front of the stairs. When the old man saw him coming downstairs, he nodded slightly and asked in surprise: "You entered the painting?"

"Into the."

Feng Qingyan bowed and said.

"Really?"

The old man was a little surprised. After seeing Feng Qingyan nodded, he didn't say anything. He just looked a little strange. "You entered for the first time?"

Feng Qingyan returned to the wooden house and calmed down to read.

The next day, before dawn, he got up early, and asked Jiuge to take him to the top of a mountain, ready to face the east and recite...

……

(End of this chapter)