I put my two fingers on Yan Hui's wrist, and my brows couldn't help but frown. It was the pulse of an old man, so weak that I could barely detect it.

"Doctor, what's wrong with my father?" The young man kneeling on the edge of the bed took a step forward and asked in a low voice.

"What does Master Yan do on weekdays? What to eat? ”

"My father corrected ancient books from various countries every day, ate a mouthful of food when he was hungry, drank two sips of water when he was thirsty, and slept against the wall for an hour when he was sleepy."

According to Shi Mo, when Confucius traveled around the world, he collected many ancient books scattered in Qi, Lu, Song, Wei, Chen, Cai, Chu and other countries, including poems, music, Yixue scrolls and Zhou ritual classics of various countries. He and his disciples have been proofreading and sorting out these broken books for many years, and then compiled them into five scriptures, "Poems", "Books", "Rites", "Yi", and "Music", for the world to read and study. It was precisely because of Kong Qiu's reluctance to enter the Jin Dynasty that Shi Mo came up with the idea of sorting out and compiling the history of the Jin Dynasty.

"Does he do this every day? How long has it been"

"It's been more than three years."

Three-year ...... A person who lives in the cold and eats simply, and has been thinking about it for three years, how can he not grow old.

Before I went to Qi, I helped proofread and sort out some of the Yixue classics handed down from the Taishi of the Jin Dynasty in the Taishi Mansion. From sunrise to sunset, I sat at my desk for three days, and I was dizzy and my shoulders and back ached. But Yan Hui, he persisted for three years.

This broken bamboo slip hollowed out his body and drained his qi and blood. Now, he had run out of oil, and the last trace of breath seemed to be ready to be extinguished at any moment.

Yan Hui is about to pass away soon...... But looking at the mother and son in front of me who were holding back their grief, I couldn't tell the cruel truth.

"Seeing for a long time hurts blood, and sitting for a long time hurts flesh. Master Yan has worked hard for many years, so that he loses both qi and blood, and he will be weak and weak before he will fall unconscious. I put Yan Hui's wrist back in the quilt, got up and walked to the long case, took a bamboo slice and wrote down the names of a few flavors of medicine and handed it to the young man, "I have a few flavors of medicinal materials here that replenish qi and blood, you can go to the pharmacy to buy them first, and then decoction three times a day, and then supplement it with warm medicinal porridge during the period of taking the medicine." It's just that proofreading the book is such a laborious and laborious thing, and Master Yan can't do it anymore, otherwise he may have to worry about his life. ”

The young man pinched the bamboo piece and hesitated in front of the long case for a long time, before he blushed and asked in a low voice, "Doctor, how many coins do you need for this medicine?" ”

Because the medicine that replenishes blood and qi is scarce and difficult to collect, the price is much more expensive than ordinary herbs. When I saw that the young man's face was embarrassed, I knew in my heart: "You can give me the bamboo chips." I retrieved the bamboo chip from the young man's hand and handed it to Si'er, who had been waiting outside the door: "Si'er, you help me go to the pharmacy to buy some medicine." If you don't have these last few things in a store, run a few more. ”

"Okay, made a note of it." Si'er nodded, turned around and walked out of the courtyard.

"Doctor, by all means." The young man didn't have time to galoshe, so he jumped down the steps and grabbed Si'er, "It's not a gentleman's trip to accept favors from others for no reason, and my father would blame me if he knew." ”。

"If you don't want to accept the favor of outsiders, then the medicinal materials on the bamboo slices will be bought by Mayyang." I waved to Si'er, then turned to look at Duanmu Ci, who was standing beside me.

Duanmu Ci is a wealthy businessman in Lu State, and Yan Hui is not only his fellow disciple but also has the reason to help each other.

Duanmu Ci's mind is transparent, and he naturally understands what I mean. He sighed lightly and said, "Hey, Ziyuan has always disliked me for giving him money and wealth. But today, the situation is very bad, and we can only disobey him once. Duanmu Ci took out a brocade bag from his sleeve and handed it to Mayyang beside him: "Mayyang, you go with the fourth girl, go and come back quickly!" ”

"No!" Mayyang took the brocade bag with both hands, bowed and ran to Si'er's side, "Sister Si'er, let's go!" ”

"Hmm." Si'er glanced at the young man, pulled up Mayyang and ran out of the courtyard quickly.

Seeing that he couldn't stop the two of them, the young man was so anxious that he walked back and forth in the courtyard twice: "Uncle Duanmu, my father just quarreled with you about this a month ago, why are you like this again!" My father will wake up in a moment, and he will not spare me. ”

"Little brother, don't be afraid, Master Yan hasn't woken up yet, when he wakes up, you just say that those herbs were picked by you and me on the mountain." I comforted the young man on my lips, but secretly said in my heart, this young man looks like he is only eleven or twelve years old, but I didn't expect to be so stubborn in the way of a gentleman, I think it must be related to Yan Hui's strict teachings on weekdays.

"No, how can I lie to my father?" The boy listened to my suggestion and quickly shook his head.

I smiled and beckoned the young man to my side: "Little brother, I heard that Kan Zhi, the right minister of Qi State, once asked Confucius in the way of a gentleman, and the master said that a gentleman can be bullied, not reckless (1). A gentleman can accept a white lie, and if you think that the medicine is unreasonable and fools your father, then we can go into the house and think of a better explanation, how about it? ”

"Ah Xin, you go into the house to take care of your father! I'll explain this to your father! Duanmu Ci pressed the young man's shoulder and pushed him into the room. After the young man entered the house, Duanmu Ci gently closed the door and led me to a corner of the courtyard: "Brother Fool frowned when he saw Brother Xian when he saw him, but Ziyuan's illness ......"

Seeing that Duanmu Ci wanted to speak and stopped, I understood the meaning of his words, and I didn't want to deliberately hide anything, so I nodded lightly: "Master Yan's pulse is extremely weak, and it comes and goes. His illness was the result of years of hard work, and if he had been carefully recuperated at the age of twenty-nine, he would have lived past sixty. But now that he's all in a bad situation, the medicine I prescribe today can only save him from breathing. If you want to prolong your life, I'm afraid you have to think of other ways. ”

"Is there any way to save Ziyuan, just say it."

"The younger brother has not been practicing medicine for a long time, and his medical skills are still shallow, but in his early years, he read about a similar illness to Master Yan's in a medical book. The medical book was left by the divine doctor Bian Que, so the younger brother thought that if he could invite Bian Que to diagnose and treat Master Yan, this disease might still be saved. ”

"The name of Bian Que has also been heard, but it is not easy to find a miracle doctor whose whereabouts are uncertain."

I looked sideways at the blank bamboo slips that Yan Hui was drying under the eaves, thought for a moment, turned my head to Duanmu and said: "Master Yan is here for the time being, I will first use the medicinal soup to recuperate, before the younger brother heard that Bian Que was in Jin, I will send someone to the Jin Kingdom to investigate for Master Yan when I go back today." If you can find a miracle doctor, you will immediately ask someone to send him to Qufu. Master Yan is known as a virtuous person, and he will not refuse to go on this trip if he wants to come to the divine doctor. ”

"If you can really invite Bian Que to see Ziyuan, it would be great. The foolish brother will first replace Ziyuan and thank Brother Xian! Duanmu Ci raised his hands and bowed his body.

"Sir has tormented my little brother." I hurriedly leaned over and helped Duanmu Ci up, "The little brother came all the way to Ludu this time just to have the opportunity to sit with the sages of Confucius and ask questions. Today, it is a great blessing for the younger brother to be able to help Master Yan with his meager efforts, and Mr. must not say thank you. And the little brother still has something unclear here, I want to ask Mr. first. ”

"Brother Xian, please speak." Duanmu Ci let go of his frowning eyebrows and smiled.

As soon as I arched my hand, I said, "Dare to ask, Mr. or Confucius, who is virtuous?" ”

Duanmu replied with a smile: "Master and saint, you can't be virtuous. For example, a thirsty man drinks water in the river and the sea, and goes away with a full belly, and knows the depth of the river? ”

Duanmuci's answer surprised me a little, I thought that a talented person like him would always be a little proud, but he put his stature so low.

"Why is the gentleman so humble? Four years ago, Mr. lobbied the Five Kingdoms, Cunlu, Chaoqi, and Wu, and after the Battle of Ailing, the pattern of the world changed because of Mr. 's words. Two years ago, Mr. was in charge of defending the country, and the Wu people tried to detain Wei Hou unscrupulously, and it was also Mr. Wu Dazai who persuaded Wu Dazai to make Wei Hou return to China safely. Zi Huang even heard that Mr. now wants to go to Qi to persuade Qi Hou to return the "Chengdi" that originally belonged to Lu State. The talent of the gentleman is known to the whole world. But Mr. compares himself to a drinker, and Confucius to a bottomless river. ”

Duanmu Ci smiled and didn't answer after listening to my words, he turned around and took out a roll of reed mats from the house and spread it in the center of the small courtyard: "Brother Xian, please take a seat." So saying, he took off his shoes and sat down on his knees on the reed mat. I bowed and sat down in front of him.

"Give the power of the master, such as the palace wall, and the wall of the gift is also shoulder-length, and you can get a glimpse of the goodness of the family. The wall of the master is counted, and he is not allowed to enter the door, and he does not see the beauty of the temple, the wealth of the officials, and the people who have the door or the widow. (2)”

Can't enter the door and don't see the beauty of the temple? I pondered Duanmu Ci's words in my mind and asked, "What does Mr. mean is that Zi Di's ignorance of the Master's ability is due to his own low realm and the reason why he has not entered the door without getting it?" ”

"The foolish brother has been serving the master for more than 20 years, and he does not dare to claim that he has entered the door. In this world, only Ziyuan can best understand the realm of the master. ”

Duanmuci's humility once again amazed me.

"Mr. Yan, Master Yixian, Mr. Yu?" I asked.

"Of course, give one to know two, Ziyuan to know one to know ten, and give Fu as Ziyuan." Duanmuci turned his head to look at the wooden house.

If it is said that the master admires Kongqiu, then what I admire is Duanmuci. Although his appearance in a golden crown and gorgeous clothes is far from the appearance of a Confucian student that I imagined in my mind when I was a child, his talent, everything he has done over the years, I admire him from the bottom of my heart. But he actually put himself so low in front of Kongqiu, I looked up at him, and he looked up at Kongqiu. What kind of great existence is there within the walls of that palace, in the world that I can't enter?

Because of Duanmuci's words, a flame suddenly ignited in my heart—I want to see Kongqiu, and I want to explore the unknown world within the palace walls!

"The younger brother is willing to study under the master, and Mr. Wang is recommended." I leaned down and bowed to Duanmuci.

Remark (1) "A gentleman can be bullied, but not reckless." From "The Analects of Yongye". Deception: Deception. Fool.

(2) The original text is from "The Analects of Zizhang"

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