Chapter 1288: Chapter 1286: Master and Disciple Discuss Politics
The ng Family Study.
Old Mr. ng held the piece of calligraphy Wufu had transcribed, clicking his tongue in admiration and said, “The verses are indeed excellent, but the handwriting…”
He glanced at Wufu and, restraining his irritation, asked, “Did you not practice calligraphy when you were young?”
Wufu lowered her eyes and replied, “I’ve had little practice with the brush, mostly with tree branches. Moreover, life was hard back then, and all we thought of was how to fill our stomachs, leaving no ti for practicing calligraphy.”
Old Mr. ng was almost rendered speechless by her retort. After a mont, he said, “Nonsense. If one truly wants to learn, one can always find the ti.” As he spoke, he turned and pulled a calligraphy copybook from the bookshelf behind him, handing it to Wufu. “Practice more. A fine verse deserves to be matched with fine writing.”
“My writing is quite lively, like a dragon dancing,” Wufu argued.
Old Mr. ng glared at her, “Who do you see writing poetry and prose with a charcoal pencil?”
“Just so happens that I am the pioneer of writing poetry and prose with a charcoal pencil!” Wufu shalessly chuckled, seeing Old Mr. ng’s skeptical look, she scratched her nose and took the copybook. “Understood.”
Only then did Old Mr. ng give a slight hum of approval. “Grind the ink; we cannot allow you to ruin such fine verses.”
“These aren’t mine; they’re soone else’s, a classic work by a certain great general,” Wufu quickly said.
“Oh?” Old Mr. ng raised his eyebrows, “All the more reason you shouldn’t ruin it. Which general?”
“General Yue Fei.”
“Never heard of him. If you’re going to fabricate a na, at least make it soone recognizable,” Old Mr. ng replied, not waiting for her to respond, “Since it’s not your own creation, do you understand the aning of these verses?”
Wufu looked up at him and replied, “I understand. The first part speaks of the sorrow and indignation of losing the land to the enemy. The latter part expresses deep hatred for the enemy and the desire to regain the territory and unify the country.”
“This poem is filled with passionate and heroic fervor, radiating a sense of righteousness and heroic spirit. If placed in a military camp on the battlefield, it could inspire the soldiers. Alas, so people here in Nanyue have forgotten that the true enemy is the Tatar invader, not…” Old Master ng sighed longingly.
Wufu glanced at him, finished grinding the ink, and stood by respectfully.
Old Mr. ng, himself a master of calligraphy, wrote the verses in cursive script with such vigor that the brush strokes seed to penetrate the Xuan paper, exuding an aura of intense determination.
Even with limited understanding, Wufu knew that her teacher’s calligraphy was more formidable than many masters from her previous life. After all, he was an ancient scholar accustod to calligraphy from childhood.
“What is your view on the division between Beiyan and Nanyue, Master? If one day the two nations unite, would you think it better than now?” Wufu suddenly asked.
Old Mr. ng quickly finished the entire poem, and having expressed his passion, he tossed the brush into the cleaning basin with heroic spirit, took the handkerchief handed to him by Wufu to wipe his hands, then looked at her, “What is there to see? The world undergoes cycles of unification and division based on whether a great hero or wise emperor erges. As for whether it would be better, if it were a wise ruler, naturally they would govern the world into a prosperous era; if not, they could still conquer the world.”
If he were not a wise ruler, how could he unify the world? If he were a wise ruler, how could he fail to govern the country well after unifying it?
Wufu pondered briefly and then asked, “What if a wise ruler appeared in Beiyan?”
Old Mr. ng’s eyes imdiately turned towards her, a flash of wisdom and keen insight gleaming within them.
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