Chapter 19: The gentleman stays away from the kitchen

After preparing everything, Zhang Yang walked to the kitchen.

"Are you going to cook?" Pang Hui asked suddenly.

Zhang Yang held back. He didn't understand what happened to Pang Hui, but he nodded.

"Do you know the saying of a gentleman staying away from the kitchen?"

The so-called gentleman stays away from the kitchen, which comes from the "Letter of King Hui of Liang" in "Mencius" during the Warring States Period. Mencius advised King Xuan of Qi to practice benevolence.

However, people in later generations took things out of context and eventually became gentlemen who needed to stay away from the kitchen.

"Hear!" Zhang Yang nodded, he looked down on this dregs at all, and said, "What do you think Meng Sheng meant when he said this?"

"But......"

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "Nothing is true. Meng Sheng just hoped that King Xuan of Qi would do a benevolent government at that time. The chef is the chef! Who is the chef? A butcher! Staying away from the chef actually means staying away from killing. But look, the scholars in later generations made excuses for their laziness and used this sentence to make a statement. Do you think you are a gentleman if you don't go to the chef?

Those people repeatedly only know how to pick up people's wisdom. On the left, Confucius said, Mencius said, "What you say is benevolence, righteousness and morality is all dirty things." Confucius said, "There is no difference in teachings." But looking at historical books, from Shang and Zhou dynasties to the so-called scholars of the previous dynasties, have they really achieved the difference in teachings? Didn't they keep their own treasures and treat culture as a tool for their inheritance of the family."

Let’s take the previous dynasty as an example. Emperor Yang of Sui really is the foolish and indifferent book as mentioned in history books, who is very happy with merits and indulge in lust and beauty? I don’t think so!”

Whether it is the earth or in a parallel world, the official description of Emperor Yang of Sui is almost the same as the foolish emperor.

But in fact, if you study history books carefully, it is not difficult to find that this is not the case.

Emperor Yang of Sui was extremely intelligent since childhood. He also had a great scholar Li Gang who taught carefully since childhood. Later, he became more literary and resourceful, and even became a treasure as a weak brother.

Will such a person be stupid? Will he be a fool?

To be honest, no one will believe it even if you use your toes.

Besides, he indulged in lust and beauty. How many concubines did Emperor Yang of Sui have? Three palaces and six courtyards, seventy-two concubines? They are all over the clouds.

At least in terms of the word "beauty", it is many times worse than the great contemporary king.

As a king, especially in ancient times, Emperor Yang of Sui was really not considered as indulging in lust and beauty.

As for being stupid and incompetent, the three campaigns of Goryeo and building the Grand Canal despite public grievances is even more nonsense.

When Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, the eight pillar states in China and the aristocratic families in various places had already formed a clan with Guanrong Group as the core. These people held the Analects of Confucius in one hand and held the long sword in the other to hold their own troops.

In this case, why did Yang Guang not conquer Goryeo three times and consume the martial arts of the aristocratic families through defeats again and again?

At least Yang Guang is not wrong from the perspective of the emperor.

However, the Grand Canal has achieved great success and benefits for generations.

The Grand Canal has made an indelible contribution to the reason why Jiangnan has become a home of fish and rice.

Even the reason why the great Tang Dynasty was able to quickly recover its vitality in the war was not the shade of the Grand Canal?

So history is actually a joke, a narrative book depicted by the winner, that's all.

Zhang Yang didn't want to say too much. Once he continued, he might be guilty of deceiving the emperor. He took all the things and went into the kitchen.

Pang Renzha kept silently watching everything that happened in the courtyard, and Zhang Yang's thoughts were very much for his appetite.

Especially sometimes, when the master and apprentice sit down and discuss the truth, they always make amazing remarks, and even he feels suddenly enlightened.

Zhang Yang cooked quickly, and in a short while, a plate of fragrant bean sprouts came out of the pot.

However, Pang Hui was standing outside and tangled with the saying that a gentleman was away from the kitchen.

It is undeniable that today this liar's junior brother gave her a feeling she had never had before.

If the revision of the opening chapter of the Three Character Classic last time made her feel that Zhang Yang’s eyes lit up, then what she did today would refresh her eyes.

It is not that simple to subvert most people's thoughts. As a great scholar, her grandfather wanted to speak out, but was suppressed by countless scholars.

Isn’t this a manifestation of solidification of thinking?

Zhou Hui was a little surprised. What kind of environment does it take to give birth to a freak like her junior brother?

"Teacher, senior sister, come and try it all. This is the bean sprout I plan to sell!"

Zhang Yang naturally didn't have that much trouble. He came to the main hall with the bean sprouts, put the bean sprouts on the table and respectfully said to Pang Renzhai: "Teacher, these bean sprouts are tender and juicy, and stir-fried with ginger and garlic, which is most suitable for wine!"

As he said, he took the wine glass that Pang Hui brought and stomped it on Pangren and continued, "The autumn fruits and winter are hidden, and everything witheres. When the weather is severe in winter, it is difficult to have new vegetables in the field. This bean sprout is not afraid of the environment and can grow all seasons. This is a new dish!"

Pang Renzhai picked up a few chopsticks and put them in his mouth to chew them gently.

Suddenly, a faint fragrance came into my mouth.

The crisp and refreshing smell immediately made him feel very excited.

He is still in his sixties, his mouth is old, and his daily food is often light. It is not bad in the season, but he suffers in winter. Now he tastes bean sprouts and can't help but linger.

For him, it was really a rare delicacy.

After a brief taste, Pang Renzhai took another sip of wine and said to Zhang Yang with a smile: "It's a good thing. If you take this as a business, it's enough to support your family. However, Zhang Yang, don't be too entangled about business about merchants. It is said that you are a tyrant businessman and businessman. In our court, the word "shanghai" is at the end. If you want to become an official, you must not have too deep entanglement with it. On the other hand, it will affect your Qingming Festival."

Since ancient times, in the Confucian viewpoint, merchants are greedy by nature and have losses in their personal morality, so even if they are rich and powerful, they are extremely low in social status.

There is even one thing in the imperial examination that the son of a merchant is not allowed to be the imperial examination.

But in fact, which family who are rich and study has no business?

It's just affiliation with relatives and friends.

This is also a secret that everyone knows, and no one can break it.

Pang Rendha’s reminder also made Zhang Yang realize that the bean sprout business that wanted to enter the imperial examination was really not suitable for the Zhang family to take the lead.

"Thank you for your advice!" Zhang Yang hurriedly thanked.

Pang Renzha said again: "I originally thought you were just a first-time friend of Wenmo. After this period of time, your literary talent is not low. I wonder if you have any plans for the spring exam next year?"

Speaking of the Spring Examination, it actually refers to the encore of the next year's Wang. Of course, Zhang Yang took it as the first choice. He said: "Students naturally want to refer to it, but the students' calligraphy is a bit ugly and their skills have not increased even though they practiced for several days at home!"

This is also Zhang Yang’s shortcomings.

As a later generation, the first person who came into contact with a pen was to become a computer, and even if he had attended a calligraphy class, Zhang Yang's level could only be considered as able to see it.

The ancients paid special attention to the words as someone else. No matter how beautiful an article is, it would not be accepted if it was full of ghost-drawn peach talismans.

Therefore, Zhang Yang practiced calligraphy hard whenever he had time during this period, but his progress was not great.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Pang Renzha laughed, then took out a copybook from his arms and handed it to Zhang Yang and said, "It's still more than three months before the county examination. This copybook is written by Du Gong Ruhui, the right prime minister of the dynasty. You can take it back and copy it well and you will definitely gain something when you get it!"

Zhang Yang was overjoyed and reached out to take the copybook. However, after he caught the copybook with both hands, not only did he sink his hand, but he almost landed the copybook on the ground.
Chapter completed!