Chapter Nine, the retribution for the scheming young boy comes swiftly
The little girl reached the character "盈" but could not continue, as the last character of the third line is "昃 (ze)" which does not rhyme with the previous two lines, making it somewhat difficult to pronounce. The little one's mind momentarily went blank. Finally, with her lips pouting, she seemed on the verge of crying out loud, but her good upbringing held back her tears, making her look exceedingly pitiful.
The sound of the ruler striking... is indeed more pleasant when it lands on someone else than on oneself, and even that cruel ruler seems much more agreeable. As the one being punished, Li Zhi grimaced in pain, completely oblivious to the gloating expressions of Li Yin and Li Zhen.
Hmph, disturbing the school and bullying the younger sister, both offenses shall be punished together, with a severe beating of twenty strikes, extend your hand! This old master truly deserves to teach the princes, as he speaks of punishment without any hesitation.
"Li Zhen, Li Zhi, what do you both have to say for yourselves?" Old Master asked angrily. Just as he finished speaking, he saw the child holding a pile of origami, and his anger flared even more as he scolded again, "Your Highness, what is it that you are holding? How can such demoralizing items be brought into the classroom?"
The last few words of the old master left Li Yun both amused and exasperated. It seems that this pedantic master truly considers himself a mentally challenged child, even giving himself a little loophole when it comes to being punished.
As an elder brother, you should not neglect your responsibilities, yet you waste expensive rice paper on such trifles. You ought to be punished with thirty strokes!" At this point, the old master suddenly changed his tone, "However, considering this is your first offense and you are unwell, the punishment will be halved. Extend your hand!
The tears of the child flowed continuously like a curtain of water droplets, with a red nose and eyes. Yet, he obediently extended his hand, while Confucius raised his ruler, ready to strike.
"In the classroom, whispering is not allowed!" Before Li Yin could speak, a stern and aged voice shouted, startling several young ones into a shiver. Li Yin looked up and saw Confucius approaching with a face full of anger. The other students in the classroom were drawn to the master's furious shout, and the sound of reading immediately ceased. The voices of the few young ones were not loud, and they were surrounded by the sound of reading; how could the master hear them? Could this old fellow be the legendary 'classroom search radar teacher'?
However, before Li Yin and the others could plead for mercy, they heard the old master continue: "Considering your youth and that this is your first time in school, I will give you a chance to make amends. If you can recite the four lines of the Thousand Character Classic that I just taught you, then these ten strikes of the ruler will be forgiven." Upon hearing this, Li Yin and his two brothers simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that with Zi Zi's intelligence, the four lines of the Thousand Character Classic should pose no challenge for her. With this thought, they all turned their gaze towards Zi Zi.
"Bage, you are really too shameless. Do you also want to snatch something from Zizi?" Li Zhi, standing nearby, chimed in with a look of disdain.
After enduring a beating with great difficulty, Li Yin sat down, covering his hand and taking a breath of cool air. He glanced around and noticed that many of the little kids in the classroom were stifling their laughter. That rascal Li Zhen was sitting in his seat, wiping away tears, while the scheming young Li Zhi was earnestly pretending to read a book. Little Si Zi still clutched a pile of origami tightly, his big eyes looking pitifully at the teacher
Haha... Li Yin opened his mouth, wanting to laugh heartily and discuss books, but was shot down by a glare from the old master, nearly causing him internal injury from holding back his laughter, so he could only cover his mouth and chuckle quietly. What a relief! It was so satisfying! I didn't expect this scheming young boy to face his retribution so quickly, and the slight resentment I felt towards the old master immediately dissipated, replaced only by respect. Just look at his method of education; it is far superior to the later generations' crude approach of punishing everyone equally when faced with issues. There is a reason behind the punishment, and it is delivered in such a way that you cannot help but be convinced and even admire it. Just now, Li Zhen, who had been secretly shedding tears, perked up upon hearing this, stopping his tears and looking at Li Zhi with excitement.
"Is what Jin Wang said about Li Zhen true?" Laofuzi turned his gaze towards Li Zhen
"Si Zi, give me one to play with!" At that moment, a little fellow sitting in front of Li Yun called out softly. This boy was also Li Yun's brother, the eighth in line, named Li Zhen, whose mother was Yan De Fei. He happened to be sitting right in front of Li Yun. Seeing Li Yun folding paper to play with Si Zi, he did not dare to ask Li Yun directly and could only ask the younger Si Zi.
Respectfully reporting, Master, these are the toys that Sixth Brother made for the child, and I have no connection to them
Puh! Li Yin almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Just now, he had misjudged the situation. He did not expect that Li Zhi was not only a fence-sitter but also a scheming little boy. After all, he had indirectly saved Empress Changsun's life, and even just now, Li Zhi had expressed his gratitude. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he had sold him out. The so-called ruthlessness and lack of virtue could not be more evident than this. No wonder he would later marry a more ruthless and cunning Wu Zetian as his empress. It turns out that the two of them were kindred spirits who regretted not meeting sooner. Li Yin even maliciously thought that most of their nighttime activities were likely spent exchanging insights on their scheming ways.
Clearly, Li Yin and the others overestimated the psychological resilience of a three-year-old girl. Seeing her three older brothers being punished one after another, and now it was her turn, the little girl was terrified. If it were any other child, they would have likely burst into tears and called for their mother. However, the reason why Si Zi was able to remain silent while only shedding tears was due to the strict early childhood education in the palace.
After finishing with Li Zhi, Li Yin thought that the old master would cease his actions, but he clearly underestimated the old master's stubbornness. Kong Yingxue turned to Si Zi with a gloomy expression and said: "Your Highness, the princess, not studying earnestly in the academy but instead playing and frolicking, should rightly be punished with ten strokes of the ruler."
I ... ... actually ... ... '' Li Zhen is after all just a nine-year-old child, who does not dare to lie in front of the teacher, and her speech has become hesitant.
After finishing with Li Zhen, the old master, disregarding the pitiful gaze of Si Zi, picked up a paper crane, examined it, and said: "This item is exquisitely crafted; it must not have been made by a princess!" At this point, the old master's gaze shifted to Li Yin and Li Zhi, for Si Zi was only three years old, and among those present, only they had the ability and dexterity to create such origami.
"Respectfully reporting, Master, this matter is not my fault; it was the magpie who attempted to snatch the origami from the hands of the child. I could not bear it and thus spoke a few words in defense of the child." Li Zhi, this little fellow, truly deserves to be an emperor; his skill in shifting blame is remarkably adept, and he swiftly placed the responsibility on Li Zhen. After all, the child is still young, and I believe the Master would not be harsh in punishment.
And wait! At that moment, a firm voice resembling that of a book shouted loudly.
Under the encouraging gazes of his three elder brothers, the wise and somewhat precocious child stopped his tears and hesitantly began to recite: "Heaven and Earth... Heaven and Earth, profound and yellow, the universe vast and primordial, the sun and moon waxing... waxing..."
At that moment, Master! Li Zhi's small frame trembled, and he reflexively stood up to respond
Li Zhi! It is possible that he was moved by the innocent gaze of the young child, and the old master did not mention the child's name, but instead called out Li Zhi's name
Hmph, the Thousand Character Classic is the foundation of elementary education, simple as conversation, easy to recite and remember. If you cannot memorize even four lines, it is evident that you are only focused on playing. Extend your hand! Confucius was also greatly angered. Initially, he had intended to spare the child, after all, it is difficult to be harsh on a three-year-old girl who is as delicate as a finely carved jade. However, he did not expect that the usually intelligent Princess Jinyang could not even memorize four lines of the Thousand Character Classic, which he could not overlook. In fact, Confucius held another perspective; he opposed the idea of the child attending school, believing it to be detrimental to moral standards. Yet, since His Majesty Taizong had issued the decree, he felt powerless to oppose it. If he could allow Princess Jinyang to realize the difficulty herself, it would be a mutually beneficial solution for him.
Li Zhen did not dare to resist. Not to mention him, even the Crown Prince Li Chengqian had made mistakes here in the past and could not escape the master's ruler, obediently extending his hand. The master's imperial ruler swung down, and with the first strike, his palm turned red. After twenty strikes, Li Zhen's small hand was beaten to look like a steamed bun. Tears began to flow from the third strike, but in the end, he endured and did not dare to cry out loud, because crying and making a fuss in the classroom would add an additional five strikes to the punishment. The master's imperial ruler swung down, and with the first strike, his palm turned red. After twenty strikes, Li Zhen's small hand was beaten to look like a steamed bun. Tears began to flow from the third strike, but in the end, he endured and did not dare to cry out loud, because crying and making a fuss in the classroom would add an additional five strikes to the punishment.
As a younger brother, you actually reported your elder brother, committing the crime of disrespect, and shall be punished with twenty strikes!" The old master said in a stern manner. In ancient times, the emphasis on moral principles was paramount, and brotherhood was one of the five cardinal relationships. To act against one's elder, regardless of right or wrong, is a serious offense. You have already violated the first principle of disrespect.
Upon hearing that the old master was going to hit the child, Li Yin and his brothers Li Zhi and Li Zhen all changed their expressions simultaneously. It was one thing for the older ones to be beaten; after all, boys are tough, and a few hits are nothing to worry about. However, the child was only a three-year-old girl, her small hands as tender as tofu. Wouldn't a hit downwards just turn her to mush? The little girl was even more frightened, her face turning pale, large tears streaming down her delicate face, and she bit her lip tightly to keep from crying out.
"I won't give it to anyone. This was given to me by Sixth Brother, and I want to take it back to Mother. No one can have it!" The little girl formed a circle with her two small arms, cradling all the origami in her embrace, pouting as she spoke.
"Master, this matter is my fault, please punish me!" Li Yun stood up honestly and said, but he did not forget to glare fiercely at Li Zhi with his lowered head. However, Li Zhi, with his already well-developed thick skin, was completely unfazed by Li Yun's small attack and continued to look at Li Yun with a cheerful smile.
Li Yin extended his hand to receive the ruler, and as he watched it strike others, he felt certain it must be very painful. Now, as it struck his own hand, he realized it was even more painful than he had imagined. After all, the hand is one of the areas of the human body with the densest distribution of nerves, making it highly sensitive to pain. After fifteen strikes, his hand was swollen like a loaf of bread
"Not giving it? If you don't give it to me, I will go tell the Master that you are not studying properly!" This Li Zhen fellow is clearly lacking in character, threatening his own younger sister over such a trivial matter