Chapter 296: Being honest and humble

"Ziling Xian claims to be a respectful and righteous gentleman and says that he has an ancient book called 'Ghost Valley Master: Middle Scripture' that he wants to present to a talented person."
"She wants the two of us to recommend someone, but Diao'er is cautious and used the excuse of 'my husband has been immersed in studying recently' to evade the request."
"Diao Er said that she will think about introducing you to Zhuling Xian after she has formed a deep friendship with her."
……
"One night in the study of the Liu Mansion in Lin'an at dusk."
"Gao Er came over from West Lake in the second year of high school and after talking about the hidden meaning of 'Flower Fairy's Private Appointment,' she brought up the conversation of the Fairy Lady of Rui Shi Mountain - Mrs. Ziling."
Liu Yan nodded and agreed with Di'er's cautiousness, saying, "A gentleman does not judge others by their words, nor dismiss their words based on people."
"Regardless of the sincerity or insincerity in his words, it is right to be cautious upon first meeting Di'er."
"'Being cautious can prevent fraud, and it is also a form of 'central tactics'."
"'The key to the 'central way' lies in 'adhering to the center' and 'being cautious'."
"'Being cautious' means that one's words and actions are like playing chess, thinking three steps ahead. It does not make sweeping generalizations and does not take a biased view."
"The moderate person does not judge good or evil, right or wrong, but sees oneself as moderate and sees others as moderate. They treat people and handle affairs with impartiality, regardless of their words or actions, they treat them with moderation."
"As long as a gentleman does well in 'maintaining moderation' and 'maintaining prudence', there will be no mistakes and no antagonizing of the wicked and resentful."
"The way to maintain the center is to practice the right path of the heart, so that righteousness is not harmed."
"In the second year of high school, he loves to listen to his explanations of principles, and his eyes are full of smiles as he looks straight at this brother."
"When Liu Yan discussed it to the end, he noticed that his second sister's gaze was different, and her eyes were clear and upright. 'Did I say too much?'"
"For some unknown reason, ever since I began cultivating my mind, the knowledge within me always wants to burst forth, or rather, I always desire to expound upon the principles to others."
"Just like today, when I took a boat trip to West Lake with Lianyun..."
"One simple sentence from the boatman can inspire my eager pursuit of knowledge, and my mind starts to race as I interpret his words."
"Even during yesterday's investigation at Su Mansion, my mind was already actively assisting my thoughts without my conscious effort."
"I don't know if it's due to my strong spiritual brightness, or if it's because of my righteous heart and full spirit."
Speaking of this...
High School Second Year interrupts: "Genius, you said the last sentence correctly. The reason you can control your mind and cultivate your studies to elucidate the Dao is because of the four words 'righteous heart and full spirit'!"
"With a full and spirited mind, it becomes a normal state of attaining the Way, and operating in harmony with the heaven and earth."
"These words were spoken by Master Mo!"
"Master Mo said, 'After rectifying the mind, one's true nature becomes as one with the Dao,' which means 'unified in both coming and going, the true nature is deeply profound.'"
"The Junzi is in such a state of mind, with the spiritual and profound aspects constantly active within the body. This is the state of 'the Way of Heaven'!"
"Once one attains a righteous mind, they enter the Way of Heaven, and the Way of Heaven keeps them engaged all day long."
"Is the world now in the state of 'Qian Qian'?"
He suddenly became enlightened when he heard her comment.
He is now in the state of 'Qian Dao'.
The ruler's mind is constantly functioning and does not harm his thoughts, assisting in understanding the truth.
During my sophomore year of high school, I observed that when he understood, Gao continued, "Master Mo also said that the virtuous man of the Qian (Heaven) Dao cultivates his mind and assists his thinking. This greatly benefits him in achieving clarity of thought, as if he has the assistance of ghosts and gods."
“那鬼神，即身中灵明之物。”
“这时君子因当守住自心，让鬼神内在运作，还要忍住‘道理从口出’。有些话说出，不利于行。”
Liu Yan has gained great understanding, and is very well-versed in the teachings of Confucius. He asked, "Master, how should one guard their thoughts and words?"
Gao Er nodded and turned to Ah Jiu, saying, "Go and bring me the things I brought back."
Ajiu flies up the building and holds a yellow bag, with one arm longer or shorter, inside of which is a scroll of article, already framed.
Gao Er opens the bag and unties the red rope, cooperating with Ajiu to take out the scroll.
"This scroll of article is a gift from Mr. Mo to his worthy brother as a gratitude for helping him with the divorce letter to eliminate the karmic ties."
Saying so, he placed it on the desk and slowly unfolded it.
Liu Yan stood up and watched from the side, only to see the entire text shining with literary brilliance, consisting of no less than a thousand words!
首行第一句为【艮山谦，君子以裒多益寡】。
再看中间，一幅《易经六爻图》烁烁入目。
其卦体结构为【上卦为坤为地，下卦为艮为山】。
六爻之下，书写一个大大的【谦】字！
Even just from the calligraphy and the meaning of the character, it is enough for him to carefully ponder, explore, and interpret.
而书卷中千字真学文章，皆是围绕这个【谦】而解，阐述其易理！
Liu Yanguanzhi saw it as a great opportunity and treasure, and exclaimed: "A modest gentleman humbles himself to cultivate. This is the interpretation of the 'Qian Gua' in the Book of Changes!"
"Did Master Mo give me this divination text to encourage me to 'keep a humble heart and be humble all day long'?"
"Brother Xian is truly astute, and Master uses him for this purpose."
Smiling, the second high school student looked at the 'gua script' with admiration and pointed, saying, "When Master presented it, he said, 'Cultivate a righteous heart and follow the path of Qian. This will enable you to constantly glimpse the clear principles, occasionally see great righteousness, and avoid minor righteousness.'"
"Therefore, when faced with people who lack morality or some who have small morality, one's heart will become light and arrogant."
"At this time, one must be vigilant against being arrogant and conceited, otherwise one will break the path of righteousness, so one must 'maintain a humble heart, hold on to humility, in order to be diligent all day long!'"
"He said that this ‘Gen Mountain Humility’ hexagram was given to him by his teacher during a time when he achieved a righteous state of mind. He was told to use this hexagram to stay on the right path and achieve good fortune."
"He is now passing it on to you with the same intention."
"Confucius said, 'In the Book of Changes, there are sixty-four hexagrams, and the hexagram Qian represents a noble person.'"
"Once you comprehend the will of heaven, you can fully utilize this hexagram to uphold the principles of a ruler."
"Using the Qian and Kun hexagrams carries potential dangers, as stated in the saying 'Arrogant dragons will encounter regrets, as dragons wage war in the wild.'"
"The 'Modesty (Qian) hexagram' embodies the virtues of Earth (Kun), the principles of Heaven (Qian), and the solid qi of the Mount Ge (Gen), perfectly aligned with the moral standards of a noble person."
"Confucius said, your mountain may be high, but there are even higher mountains beyond. Instead of competing with others, it is better to conceal your own greatness beneath the ground and not make yourself appear superior."
"Therefore, be modest and there will be no harm!"
"When he asked me to pass it on, he didn't even know Shicai had already gained 'righteousness of the heart', and specifically instructed that 'only after gaining righteousness of the heart can you read it'."
"He said that when the time comes, you will understand three parts at a glance."
"Now looking at it, Confucius's words are spot on!"
Liuyan listened carefully as her second sister recounted Confucius's words, and the reasoning became clear in her heart, with a warm flow of benevolence surging inside her.
The feeling she obtained was like the one she had when her senior brother from Donghu taught her the way.
In the second year of high school, through our gaze, we can feel the heart of Jun and laugh while looking at Ah Jiu.
"Truly, one's talents are truly helped by the Dao. This time, [we] received Master's generous gift of the 'Modesty Hexagram Text,' which is also due to your diligent application of heart and practice of righteousness."
"Mofuzi's final instructions were to give you this divinatory text, not as a means of accepting disciples, but as a source of inspiration for future learners."
"It is the path that should be pursued by the enlightened, known as the Way of Kong, the Way of Benevolence, and the Way of Confucianism."
Liu Yan tucked his sleeves and said, "This is also my way in the future. The Confucianists are noble."
After speaking, with a calm heart and composed mind, he had Ah Jiu collect the scrolls of "Qian Gua Wen" and smiled while asking his second sister, "What will you gain from this journey?"
In the second year of high school, I was invited to a symposium and said, "What I have gained is also 'relief'."
"I no longer bear any grudges against my younger sister, but the old family affection has also faded, with the blood ties removed."
"Although I still regard her as a younger sister, it is not as close as with my dear brother."
When he saw her smiling, Liu Yan also smiled sincerely and said, "It's good like this too. Initially, I advised my sister to understand her, with the intention of 'resolving grievances'."
"If this resentment is not resolved, sister's heart will always be concerned, how can she settle down and focus on her pursuits? She needs to advance further in the path."
"Brother, so this was your intention."
Watching him, Gao Jiaoyou said, "I thought you wanted me to bridge the gap and form an inseparable pair with Sanmei! You made me shamelessly go to the Mo family and face their icy treatment."
Ajiu interjected, "Will we be looked down upon by the Mo family this time?"
Gao Er laughed and said, "It's fine. The Mo family knows that my family is no longer involved, so they don't interfere with my relationship with Sanmei. This is all thanks to my virtuous brother."
"By the way, when I go there, I will meet a gentleman from Shu."
"His name is Mengchuan, his courtesy name is Ziyu, he is just like Xi Cai, a master of both Confucianism and Mencius..."
"However, he became a student of Confucianism later than you, so he is one level lower in status. He has just obtained the 'Understanding the Classics' certificate, but has already 'Established the Way' and possesses a resolute aura of righteousness."
"He became a disciple under Master Mo's tutelage and closed the door as a student."
"Talking about this gentleman, Second Sister goes into detail."
"As for the main room, Lianyun joined the conversation in the study after serving the old lady to rest."
A group of people gathered in a room, discussing topics while enjoying the cozy and harmonious atmosphere illuminated by candlelight.
……