Disciples

Chapter 23

Original
Call the elders, don't call them by name;
To the elders, don't see what you can do.

Translation
When addressing elders, one must be polite and not call them by their names directly; in front of elders, one must know how to be modest and prudent, and don't show off one's talents.

allusion
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a great man named Zhai Fangjin, nicknamed Ziwei.He studied hard, became a prime minister, and was named Gaolinghou.

When Zhai Fangjin was only twelve or thirteen years old, his father passed away.Later, there was a chance that Zhai Fang entered the prefect's mansion as a small official. His job was to run errands, deliver documents and so on, and his salary was not much.Zhai Fangjin was very sad because of this, and also developed a strong sense of inferiority.So he went to Runan to find Cai Wen, who was good at reading photos, and let him see what kind of business he was suitable for.Cai was very surprised when he saw him, and said to him: "I see that you will have the fate of becoming a marquis and a minister. Therefore, you should start by studying the scriptures." After Cai Wen said this, Zhai Fangjin was very happy .

After Zhai Fangjin returned from Cai Wen's office, he bid farewell to his mother and prepared to go to the capital to study with him.After Zhai Fang came to Beijing, he began to work hard to study "Spring and Autumn", and humbly asked his doctor for advice.After ten years of hard work, he has become proficient in classics and history, and has profound knowledge.Later, when he reached the high position of prime minister, he became famous for a while.

(End of this chapter)