This was a way of thinking the Sixth Prince had never encountered before.
He had heard many lofty principles, and had seen many people who appeared to be upright gentlemen on the surface while harboring corruption and depravity within. But was that not simply the natural state of things?
Precisely because everyone was like this, no one bothered to look too closely at what lay beneath the other person’s veil.
Before today, he had truly assumed that everyone was simply this way.
Elder Sister Hua’s way of thinking was entirely new to him.
“Does that not mean that when a person does something wrong, it is simply because they have lost to the selfish nature within them?”
“Is there anything wrong with saying so?”
“Then why do we have right and wrong at all?”
“Who defines right and wrong?” Hua Zhi glanced at him, her eyes carrying both gentleness and severity. “Whoever holds the rules holds the power to decide what is right and what is wrong. And that right and wrong is not necessarily truly right — it depends on one’s position, on the circumstances of the moment, and on the vantage point from which the one setting the rules stands.”
The phrasing was somewhat roundabout, but the Sixth Prince understood it clearly.
He lowered his gaze so that Elder Sister Hua could not see the ripples stirring in his eyes. Right now, the one sitting in that position was the Emperor, his father — and so whoever his father decreed to be in the right was in the right. But when the day came that one of his imperial brothers sat in that position, and that brother declared a person to be in the wrong, then that person would be in the wrong. That, he supposed, was what Elder Sister Hua meant by it depending on the vantage point from which one stands.
Hua Zhi did not have the heart to press harder with her point, so she redirected toward the matter of Zheng Zhi. “That is not to say there are truly no people in this world with great love in their hearts — only that such people are so rare compared to the selfish that they are hardly worth mentioning.”
Hua Zhi smiled. “Among everyone I know at present, only Master Zheng comes close — and only halfway.”
“Elder Sister Hua holds Master Zheng in very high esteem.”
“A’jian, you ought to value the two teachers at the clan school more. They are both exceptional. Master Mu’s character and integrity are rare — when the clan school had over twenty teachers at the time, after receiving the Hua Family’s invitation, the others either avoided responding, or pretended the invitation had never been received, or made excuses, or politely declined. Only Master Mu — I was told by the steward that he came personally to receive the invitation and immediately sent back his acceptance. That he was willing to come and serve as a teacher when the Hua Family was in such straits tells you everything about his character.”
Looking at the young boy whose face had taken on a shade of shame, Hua Zhi continued, “Some things need not be taught — at the right time and in the right circumstances, understanding comes naturally with age. But character must be cultivated and refined. During this period around the age of ten, when a person’s temperament is forming, someone like Master Mu is far better suited to be a teacher than those renowned scholars. Do not look down on him, A’jian — he has a great deal worth learning from.”
“I understand, I was wrong…”
“As for Master Zheng, the essential difference between him and ordinary scholars and literati is that he never treated studying as a stepping stone to advancement. His goal was never to become an official. And because of that, he did not limit his reading to classical texts and the eight-legged essay. It is precisely for this reason that he was willing to leave behind the comforts of the capital to go out and see the wider world — which is why his mind is so broad. Compared to most men of letters, no one who has read as many books as he has has traveled as many roads, and no one who has traveled as many roads as he has has read as many books.”
The Sixth Prince looked puzzled. “But Elder Sister Hua, you said he was only halfway…”
“Because he has not yet fully won the battle against his own nature.”
Even Jiang Ziya still played the game of waiting for those willing to come to him. If Zhuge Liang had truly transcended worldly concerns, Liu Bei would never have had the opportunity to visit him three times. The first reason was that they both held ambitions in their hearts.
Did they know only classical texts? No — they understood astronomy above and geography below, and held their own distinctive views on affairs. Zheng Zhi had certainly not yet reached that level, but he was still young. What would he be in ten years? In twenty? If he continued walking that not-always-easy road and enriching himself along the way, it was not impossible that he might one day become a sage.
And he, too, carried ambitions within him. If he did not, he would never have left the capital.
Hua Zhi lowered her head and took a sip of tea. This was the difference between teaching a prince and teaching Bolin — she could not instruct the Sixth Prince in what to do. If he was to be the future Emperor, he would not need someone telling him what to do from on high. If he was to be the next leader of the Seven Lodges, she had no need to place herself in that position either.
She could only guide, and she only intended to be a guide — at a distance that was neither too close nor too far. He would remember her kindness, but he would not feel she had overstepped.
After the Sixth Prince absorbed these words, he felt as though the view before him had suddenly opened up. It was as if a wall had been blocking his path, and now that wall had crumbled — he could see much further ahead. There might be thorns out there, but he believed that amidst the thorns there would certainly be flowers.
Looking at the person across from him, who seemed perfectly unaffected, as though nothing of consequence had been said, Gu Chenggqian thought that Master Zheng’s formidability must indeed be real — otherwise Elder Sister Hua would not speak of him as she did. But he also felt that Elder Sister Hua was certainly no less formidable than Master Zheng, even compared to those widely renowned great scholars.
“Elder Sister Hua, if in the future I have doubts weighing on my mind, may I come and find you?”
Hua Zhi looked up with a faint smile. “Do you know — I never truly studied under any teacher?”
The Sixth Prince was mildly startled. In noble households, even the daughters would have private tutors engaged for them, would they not?
“My education began with my grandfather, and only when he had time would he come and offer me a bit of guidance. Most of the time, I read on my own. Everything I know came from books, and then from thinking it through myself — turning what I read into something truly my own. Knowing this about me, do you still want me to help you untangle your doubts?”
“Yes.” The Sixth Prince answered quickly and clearly. “I do.”
“Then I will agree.” A look of something the Sixth Prince could not quite read crossed Hua Zhi’s face. “Actually, what I am most skilled in is the game of Go. During your free time each day, you are welcome to come and play a match with me.”
The Sixth Prince had no reason to decline — he nodded so eagerly it seemed his head might fall off. He had long since heard from his companion Bolin about how formidable Elder Sister Hua was at Go. What was more, having been born into the imperial family, even without particular ambitions of his own, he hoped to be someone who could hold the reins. And the game of Go could teach him an enormous amount. He very much hoped that Elder Sister Hua would be the one to teach him.
Bolin had not known how the divorce papers for Hua Xian were obtained. He did know, because Shaoyao had told him with great pride. He only regretted learning of it too late — otherwise he would certainly have gone along. That fierce and sharp side of Elder Sister Hua, he very much wanted to see.
Shaoyao had asked him whether he would think poorly of Elder Sister Hua for being like that, since the imperial palace was hardly short of fierce people. He had said he would not, and he meant it wholeheartedly.
His mother consort had always been gentle and kind toward others, but if anyone dared set their sights on him, the severity she brought down upon them was nothing like her usual self. He felt Elder Sister Hua was the same sort of person — ordinarily however she pleased, but if someone laid a hand on those she cared for, she would absolutely strike back with full force.
He held his mother consort in such deep respect — how could he possibly think poorly of Elder Sister Hua?
The Sixth Prince rose and bowed deeply toward Hua Zhi, who accepted the gesture. As a teacher in the way of Go — she was willing to take on that role.