Chapter Ninety-Five: Passing Down Knowledge (Second Update)

The group emerged from the ice cellar. The Wise Prince turned to Yang Yaozong and said, “Yang Yaozong, would you gift me the poem you composed earlier?”

Yang Yaozong smiled, replying, “That poem was written for Your Highness. To present it to you is only natural.”

The Wise Prince laughed heartily, tears brimming in his eyes. As he strode proudly toward the gates of the palace, he recited the poem with fervor: “By lantern light in drunken haze, I inspect my sword; dreams recall the horns that echo through the camps. Eight hundred miles, the roasted meat is divided among the ranks; fifty strings resound with the music beyond the frontier. Autumn on the battlefield, troops are mustered. Steeds gallop like lightning; bows crackle like thunder. When the emperor’s affairs are settled, fame comes in life and after death. Alas, for the white-haired man!”

The Wise Prince needed to return to his residence to settle certain affairs. Early tomorrow, he would hasten back to the imperial palace, prepare to impersonate the Emperor at court, and announce the Crown Prince’s regency and related matters.

Eunuch Shun returned to the Emperor’s usual resting palace, ready to handle emergencies.

Yang Yaozong, Lord Jingyi, and the Crown Prince all went back to Lord Jingyi’s residence together.

Lying on his bed, Yang Yaozong felt relieved; a great matter in his heart had been resolved. He began chatting idly with the Crown Prince. “Your Highness, from tomorrow you will be acting as regent. If you encounter difficult problems or issues you cannot solve alone, you should consult the Wise Prince, Lord Qin, Lord Zuo, and other ministers trusted by the late Emperor. Of course, you must also cultivate your own unique insights.”

The Crown Prince nodded obediently.

Yang Yaozong smiled. “I, as your tutor, have not fulfilled my duties as much as I should. Still, there are some matters I wish to discuss with Your Highness. If you feel tired, we can speak another day.”

The Crown Prince, delighted to converse with Yang Yaozong, fetched a stool, placed it by the bedside, and sat down. “I’m not tired, Grand Tutor. Please speak freely—I’m all ears.”

Lord Jingyi gazed tenderly at the Crown Prince, then cast a worried glance at Yang Yaozong, speaking softly. “Are you sure you’re not tired? If you are, you two can chat another day.”

Seeing the Crown Prince’s eager expression, Yang Yaozong smiled. “I’m not tired. I’ll keep you company for a while longer.”

Lord Jingyi nodded, sitting gently by the bed, massaging Yang Yaozong with just the right touch.

Yang Yaozong gazed lovingly at Lord Jingyi’s exquisite face. He had never expected that the always aloof Lord Jingyi, after being betrothed to him by the Emperor, would become so gentle and attentive, his heart filled with warmth and happiness.

Lord Jingyi blushed under Yang Yaozong’s affectionate gaze, lowering her head, her heart beating wildly.

“Ahem!” The Crown Prince, watching their affectionate exchange, laughed and deliberately coughed twice, his fist at his lips.

Yang Yaozong also coughed twice, then turned to the Crown Prince and asked seriously, “If someone told you there was a tiger in the marketplace, would you believe it?”

The Crown Prince was surprised by the odd question, but answered seriously, “I would not believe it.”

Yang Yaozong continued, “If a second person said there was a tiger in the marketplace, would you believe it?”

The Crown Prince thought for a moment. “I would be somewhat doubtful.”

Yang Yaozong pressed on, “If a third person claimed there was a tiger in the marketplace, would you believe it?”

The Crown Prince frowned. “I suppose I would believe it.”

Yang Yaozong smiled. “There can be no tiger in the marketplace—this is obvious. Yet after three people say so, it almost seems true. What I wish to teach Your Highness is that even baseless rumors, when repeated enough, can seem real.”

The Crown Prince pondered this and nodded.

Yang Yaozong continued, “The reason such talk is called a rumor is precisely because it is fabricated. There will always be flaws. If you do not let rumors cloud your judgment and analyze them carefully, you will always see through them. Thus, rumors cease with the wise. Your Highness must develop the ability to analyze for yourself. When you attend court, ministers will report many matters concerning the Great Zhou—some good, some bad. Some you’ll enjoy hearing, others not. As regent and future ruler, you need not attend to every detail yourself, but you must learn to analyze and think independently. You cannot simply believe everything others say.”

Lord Jingyi felt warmth witnessing Yang Yaozong’s careful guidance and the Crown Prince’s earnest willingness to learn.

The Crown Prince said solemnly, “I will heed Grand Tutor’s teachings.”

Yang Yaozong asked, “Has Your Highness heard of Zou Ji?”

The Crown Prince smiled. “Zou Ji, a statesman of Qi during the Warring States era. Served as an important minister under Duke Huan of Tian Qi, became prime minister under King Wei of Qi, and later served King Xuan of Qi.”

Yang Yaozong continued, “Do you know the story of Zou Ji advising King Qi to accept criticisms?”

The Crown Prince nodded. “Zou Ji realized that his wife favored him, his concubine feared him, and his guests sought his favor, so all claimed he was more handsome than Lord Xu from north of the city. Zou Ji realized he was being deceived, and thus advised King Qi that he too was surrounded by flatterers—palace women, attendants, ministers, and the people—who concealed the truth from him. He recommended that the king open the court to honest remonstrance, which ultimately led Qi to political strength over other states.”

Yang Yaozong looked at the Crown Prince with approval. “Once a person holds high office, it becomes difficult to hear unpleasant truths. Remember, good medicine is bitter but cures disease; honest advice may offend but benefits action. If you wish to be a wise ruler, you must cherish worthy ministers and keep away from petty men. Of course, discerning who is worthy and who is not is up to you.”

The Crown Prince mulled over Yang Yaozong’s words, nodding gravely.

Yang Yaozong continued, “Does Your Highness know that life offers three mirrors? Do you know what they are?”

The Crown Prince shook his head, curious. “I have never heard of them, Grand Tutor. Please enlighten me.”

Yang Yaozong smiled. “The three mirrors in life are: the mirror of bronze, the mirror of history, and the mirror of people. With a bronze mirror, you can tidy your attire; with history as a mirror, you can understand the rise and fall of things; with people as a mirror, you can discern your gains and losses. The bronze mirror lets you dress properly; history lets you learn from past successes and failures, for many things happening now have happened before, and from them you gain experience. With people as a mirror, you compare yourself to others, see your strengths and weaknesses, and correct your flaws. You can also evaluate the effects of your policies and make adjustments.”

Seeing the Crown Prince somewhat puzzled, Yang Yaozong smiled. “You need not grasp all these truths right now. As you grow, you will naturally come to understand them. To become a wise ruler and bring about a prosperous age, you must govern by law, never according to personal whims. And to govern well, you must treat your people kindly. Only when the people live in peace and contentment can the nation remain stable and thrive. Remember, water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. The emperor is the boat; the people are the water, capable of both carrying and overturning the boat.”

The Crown Prince frowned. “If I want to be a wise ruler, how can I know whether my people live well?”

Yang Yaozong was pleased that the Crown Prince had his own ideas and could raise questions. Smiling, he said, “Let me tell you a story, and you can tell me its meaning. Would you like that?”

The Crown Prince nodded eagerly.

Yang Yaozong began, “A farmer caught a pig. The pig screamed and struggled. The sheep and the cow, finding the pig’s behavior annoying, criticized it, saying, ‘We are often caught, but we never make such a fuss.’ The pig replied, ‘They only shear your wool and milk you, but they intend to eat me.’”

The Crown Prince burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.

Lord Jingyi, restraining her laughter, blushed and cast a shy, annoyed glance at Yang Yaozong.

Yang Yaozong raised his brows, looking at the Crown Prince. “If Your Highness is done laughing, can you answer my question?”

The Crown Prince remembered the question, straightened up, and after thinking seriously for a moment, scratched his head in embarrassment. “Is it saying that the sheep and cow don’t understand the pig’s suffering?”

Yang Yaozong smiled. “That’s part of it. More precisely, the sheep and cow cannot see things from the pig’s perspective, so they can never truly understand its pain. The lesson is that to understand others, you must learn to put yourself in their place.”

The Crown Prince suddenly understood. “Grand Tutor means I should often consider things from the people’s point of view, so I can truly know if their lives are happy?”

Yang Yaozong looked at the Crown Prince with great admiration. “Your Highness is very clever—grasped it at once! With your intelligence, applied rightly to governance, it will indeed be a blessing for the people of Great Zhou.”

The Crown Prince blushed at the praise, lowering his head.

Yang Yaozong smiled, “It’s getting late, Your Highness. You should go rest now. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”

The Crown Prince stood, “Alright! I’ll be going now.” Then, chuckling, he added, “You and Aunt should rest early as well. Tomorrow I’ll come see you again.”

Lord Jingyi, teased by the Crown Prince, stifled her embarrassment and glared at him, making him shudder.

Yang Yaozong said, “Tomorrow I’ll be leaving the palace. If you need anything, have your aunt send a message to me.”

The Crown Prince frowned. “Grand Tutor, are you leaving the palace so soon? Aunt is now your wife; if you leave, naturally she’ll live with you outside the palace. It wouldn’t do for you both to reside in the Southern Palace Mansion. Near Egret Isle, there is a royal villa. I’ll grant it to you as your residence. If you wish to shed the status of a son-in-law, I can speak with General Nangong tomorrow—”

Yang Yaozong understood what the Crown Prince meant and replied gratefully, “Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness. I wish to handle this matter myself, as it is a family affair. For now, I must ask your aunt to bear some inconvenience.”

Lord Jingyi, seeing the apology in Yang Yaozong’s eyes, replied shyly, “Since I am now your wife, I will follow your wishes. The residence bestowed by Jing Sheng I’ll accept on your behalf—but not as the Prince Consort’s mansion, rather as the Yang residence. After all, Father Emperor betrothed me to you, not as a consort for the Prince.”

Yang Yaozong looked at Lord Jingyi with deep emotion.

The Crown Prince said, “In any case, the house is granted to Grand Tutor. Name it as you please. If you need maids, servants, or guards, Aunt can select some from the palace to take with you. You both rest now; I’ll go back to my rooms.”

And with that, he departed.