They had been studying for quite some time now, and everyone recognized the two sentences that Zhao Hanzhang had written!

Even so, Zhao Hanzhang still led them in reading it once through, then asked, “Can you all understand these two sentences?”

Most wore confused expressions, while the rest, especially the slightly older children, nodded directly, “It means that people are born inherently good…”

When Zhao Hanzhang wrote down these two sentences, Zhao Cheng had already straightened his posture. His eyes gleamed as he stared at the characters on the blackboard, listening as she explained to the students what it meant that human nature is inherently good.

Zhao Kuan and the others who had also come to audit the class were very interested as well. After class, they couldn’t help but discuss it, “Whether human nature is inherently good or inherently evil has not yet been definitively determined—how can Sanniang simply declare it so?”

“This isn’t a definitive declaration,” Zhao Cheng glanced at them and said, “This is merely one perspective. You can also write a book and use it to educate students accordingly.”

Write a book? How could that be so easy?

Zhao Cheng had already stood up and beckoned Zhao Hanzhang over, extending his hand toward her.

Zhao Hanzhang immediately and obediently presented the book to him. As Zhao Cheng leafed through it, he asked, “Who wrote this book?”

“It was written by someone named Wang Yinglin.”

Zhao Cheng frowned, “Such a renowned scholar, yet why have I never heard of him?”

Zhao Hanzhang said nothing.

Zhao Cheng read through it roughly once and frowned, “Why are there missing lines?”

Because the people mentioned in those lines hadn’t been born yet, and she temporarily couldn’t find good allusions to replace them with, so she could only leave them blank for now.

Zhao Hanzhang said, “I forgot what those few sentences were, so I didn’t write them.”

This was also quite normal in the present day, which was precisely why knowledge was so especially important.

However, Zhao Cheng was very displeased and said, “Never mind other books, but how could you forget a book so catchy and memorable?”

Zhao Hanzhang looked at him with an innocent expression.

“Forget it then. Where did you see that book? From whom can you borrow it again for another look?”

“That book was originally just one of the miscellaneous books in our home. I don’t know who bought it from where. When I was young, I happened upon it and memorized a section,” Zhao Hanzhang lied without changing expression, saying, “When we fled south to return home, I packed it in my trunk, and it was lost along with numerous other valuables and luggage.”

Zhao Cheng was heartbroken and said dejectedly, “How many classical texts and traditions have been destroyed in the chaos of war.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded in agreement.

Zhao Cheng then turned to look at Zhao Kuan and the others, “So you shouldn’t always be thinking about entertainment. Whenever you have free time, spend more of it copying books.”

“Copying books not only allows you to memorize them once more and perhaps gain deeper insights, but it also preserves more classical texts. If war truly strikes, who knows whether the handwritten copy in your hands might become the only surviving copy in the future?”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded repeatedly, deeply agreeing, and encouraged them, “If elder brothers work hard at this, you might leave your names in history in the future.”

Zhao Kuan and the others’ faces turned the color of vegetables. As students, whether in the future or in the present, copying books was definitely never very popular, especially this kind of copying entire books from beginning to end.

Zhao Hanzhang had made deletions and changes to the *Three Character Classic*, but she had reproduced the *Thousand Character Classic* exactly as it was. She said to Zhao Cheng, “Uncle, I believe all students entering school should learn these two books, as well as the arithmetic that Tinghan has written. After completing these three books, the students will have finished their basic education and can proceed to specialized education based on their learning situation and wishes—whether to turn to learning other crafts or to continue their studies.”

Zhao Cheng flipped through the *Thousand Character Classic* she had handed him and exclaimed in astonishment, “Was this also written by Wang Yinglin?”

“No, this was written by Zhou Xingsi.”

This person came much earlier than Wang Yinglin. In another hundred and fifty or sixty years, he should be born.

Zhao Cheng became absorbed in reading. Zhao Kuan and the others also crowded around to look.

After a long while, he sighed, closed the book, and handed it to them. Looking at the two lines on the blackboard, he said, “To summarize so incisively—only someone who is extensively learned in both ancient and modern knowledge could accomplish this.”

He turned to look at Zhao Kuan and the others and asked, “These two sentences starting with ‘At the beginning of life’—do you know where they originally came from?”

Zhao Kuan and his brothers exchanged glances, and finally, under their gazes, he had no choice but to step forward stiffly, “They should come from Mencius’s theory of ‘human nature is inherently good.’ In *Gongsun Chou, Part One*, there is ‘All people have a heart that cannot bear to see the suffering of others’…”

Under Zhao Cheng’s gaze, Zhao Kuan stopped talking and lowered his head, “This student knows his error.”

Zhao Cheng looked at him expressionlessly, then turned to look at Zhao Hanzhang, who was watching gleefully from the sidelines. “What do you think?”

Zhao Hanzhang froze, and under Zhao Cheng’s increasingly stern gaze, she stammered, “If speaking of the earliest, it comes, it comes from the *Book of Changes*?”

Seeing Zhao Cheng’s expression soften slightly, only then did Zhao Hanzhang continue, “The fourth hexagram of the *Book of Changes* is the Meng Hexagram, which says ‘The ignorant youth seeks me’—this speaks precisely of basic education. Confucius once expounded upon this hexagram, saying ‘At the foot of the mountain issues forth a spring; this is Meng. The noble person acts decisively to nurture virtue.'”

“What does this have to do with human nature being inherently good?”

“How can it have nothing to do with it? This is a metaphor,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “A newborn child is like spring water flowing from the mountains—clear and transparent, innocent and unblemished. This is ‘at the beginning of life, human nature is inherently good’—the basis from heaven and earth.”

Zhao Cheng nodded, then rebuked them, “You never apply yourselves when reading books, and when it comes time to use what you’ve learned, your minds are completely empty.”

He said, “The Meng Hexagram, First Six: In developing the ignorant, it is beneficial to use legal restraints on people, to employ the release from shackles and fetters; to proceed otherwise brings regret.”

Seeing confusion in their eyes, he couldn’t help but rage, “Although I have never taught you the *Book of Changes*, have you really never read such an important book?”

Zhao Kuan and the others lowered their heads.

Zhao Cheng then turned to look at Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang suddenly felt like she was being stared down by her middle school Chinese teacher. She instinctively said, “This means that First Six is at the beginning of ‘Meng’ and should receive basic education in order to establish proper character and avoid committing evil, so as not to end up in shackles.”

She paused before continuing, “At the beginning of life, human nature is inherently good; natures are similar, habits make them different. If not taught, nature will change; the way of teaching values dedication. These two sentences both come from the Meng Hexagram, both speaking of the importance of basic education.”

Zhao Cheng nodded with satisfaction, then glanced at Zhao Kuan and the others, saying leisurely, “And yet Sanniang is several years younger than you all~”

Zhao Kuan and the others all flushed red.

“Your martial skills cannot compare to hers, and even your scholarly attainments fall short—what use are you?”

Seeing that the young men’s faces were about to drip blood, Zhao Hanzhang ventured boldly, “Uncle, the Meng Hexagram also says, ‘Strike ignorance, it is unfavorable to act as a bandit.’ You are being too harsh with elder brothers.”

Having said this, she turned and ran.

Zhao Cheng was quite angry, but he couldn’t chase after her, so he could only turn to stare at Zhao Kuan and the others. “Is your teacher very harsh?”

Zhao Kuan and the others shook their heads repeatedly, their heads nearly shaking off.

Only then did Zhao Cheng’s expression improve somewhat. After a cold snort, he said, “The *Book of Changes* is too difficult, so you have no interest in it, and I won’t force you to study it. But you should still read through it. If you can comprehend even one part of the principles within, it will serve you for a lifetime.”

“Sanniang is still your younger sister, after all.”

Zhao Kuan and the others felt deeply ashamed and promptly agreed.