Chapter 131 Twenty-five Filial Piety
The heavy clouds in the sky moved away, and the sky and earth were cleansed, revealing the snow-white moonlight and the stars in the sky. The light fell on the puddles in the pits of the white marble, reflecting spots of light, as if the Milky Way had fallen into the mortal world.

Mei Juncang suddenly raised his head, looked at the night sky, and exclaimed, "This bright moon is so beautiful."

It was very different from the night he was on his knees.

He didn't say this out loud, as he felt there was no need to tell his father.

You are not a child anymore. You should know how to make choices and pay the price for your choices.

He squatted down, opened the lunch box, and took out the layers of warm food inside.

The sturgeon tendons were simmered over low heat for several days. This sturgeon was very different from the one in Zhou Tieyi's previous life. It was a real sea beast with dragon blood, which needed to be hunted by a cultivator of high level. This dish alone was worth ten gold coins!
In addition, dishes such as bear paws and leopard fetus were served one after another. Even Zhou Tieyi, the son of a general, did not eat them every day.

The luxurious aroma floats far away in the cool breeze of late spring.

Mei Juncang also carefully prepared a pair of bamboo chopsticks for his father to use at home. These chopsticks were carved from green bamboo that was nurtured by the family's noble spirit, and were one of the few personal possessions that his father loved.

After setting the table for Mei Qingchen, Mei Juncang set one for Zhou Tieyi and said respectfully, "Teacher, you have been busy all night too."

As for teacher Zhou Tieyi, at the beginning, Mei Juncang could only say that it was a helpless choice.

Afterwards, he thanked Zhou Tieyi for enlightening him.

So tonight, what Zhou Tieyi said and did at the gate of Taixue College made him particularly admire him.

He has been through it all.

Naturally, he also knew the threat posed by student Che Wenyuan to Zhou Tieyi.

But even so, this younger teacher still tolerated Wang Mingyi and even dared to bear the hatred of this generation of Tai Academy.

Such a broad mind and courage should not be wasted on one's own father.

Zhou Tieyi sat cross-legged with confidence.

Mei Juncang also squatted down, looked at his father, and said softly, "Father, let's eat. The teacher taught me so well. Our Mei family should at least treat the teacher to a meal, even if we don't have to pay tuition. Otherwise, it would be impolite."

Mei Juncang's words "not in accordance with etiquette" were particularly harsh and actually made Mei Qingchen feel chilled.

He looked at his son and no longer had the heart to focus on Zhou Tieyi. He wanted to know what had happened in the past few days?
He actually made his spoiled son have a head full of white hair and become well-versed in human nature!

Mei Qingchen still didn't move his chopsticks.

After a while, he said, "Do you know what it means to Confucianism and the world if I pick up my chopsticks?"

After all, he was a wise man. Even in such a situation, he did not get angry and scold Zhou Tieyi and Mei Juncang.

He suddenly felt so powerless, and the idea of ​​managing his family, governing the country and pacifying the world faded from his mind.

"Everyone has their own ideas. You don't have to worry about them."

Zhou Tieyi interrupted, "Mei Qingchen is a wise man, and everyone admires him, but it doesn't mean that a wise man can govern the world well!"

Mei Qingchen glanced at Zhou Tieyi, then turned and looked at the towering Noon Gate. The red bricks and golden tiles looked even more eye-catching under the snow-white moonlight.

"You do not understand."

Zhou Tieyi was amused by Mei Qingchen's stubborn temper. Even at this point, he still said that he didn't understand.

"What don't I understand?!"

This time, Mei Qingchen did not answer and remained silent, as if he had determined that he would not eat this meal.

Mei Juncang took out another bowl of rice from the food box. This bowl of rice was made of green jade, and the grains inside were crystal clear, just like the white jade seeds washed under the Kunlun Mountains. Mei Juncang handed the rice over and said, "Father, I don't care what people in the world do, but you have to eat this meal today."

"Kneel here. As a son, I am unfilial for not even bringing you a meal. I was also unfaithful for neglecting my duties before. If you don't eat the meal I brought you today, it means you haven't forgiven me. I am unfaithful and unfilial. From now on, I have no face to live in this world."

Mei Qingchen looked at his son blankly.

Suddenly I burst into tears.

He is a scholar who would rather die on his knees in front of the Meridian Gate, but he is a father after all.

He didn't understand why his son was willing to bear the crime of disloyalty and unfilial piety even after his death, and work for Zhou Tieyi so that he could make a living from it.

What did he do wrong?
Mei Juncang sighed, then bowed respectfully to Zhou Tieyi and said, "Please prepare the cooking utensils, teacher. Since my father doesn't want to eat, I will eat this bowl of rice and give an explanation to His Majesty, which is considered loyal. Then I will scrape off my own flesh and give it back to my father, which is considered filial piety and can also help fulfill my father's reputation as a saint. Otherwise, I, an unfaithful and unfilial son, will be left behind to teach the world how to behave in the future! One day, I can also be included in the Confucian Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars and add another filial piety!"

Zhou Tieyi was stunned when he heard this.

In fact, I didn't think of making such a big deal out of it. Didn't you just force your father into a dead end? If we try to persuade him gently, he will definitely eat it. Why do you have to do this?

Zhou Tieyi sighed to Mei Qingchen and said, "I told you I'm not good at teaching apprentices, but you insisted on having me teach you. Now look what's going on. Neither of us is in any good of it!"

After hearing what his son said, Mei Qingchen sobbed and burst into tears.

He had never been so sad in his life.

Even when I was bullied by those playboys on my way to school, I didn't feel so sad and wronged.

And looking at his son's current condition, if he doesn't do this for a living, he will really do such a thing!
If that happens, how will Mei Qingchen face the people of the world?
In this world, Confucianism also compiled the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars according to the twenty-four solar terms, originally to promote filial piety.

But if this happened today.

Then it must be Mei Qingchen, the third-rank Confucian sage teacher who killed his disciple and used his son's flesh to repay his foster father's name!
If this "filial piety" is passed down, who in the world would dare to send their son to a Confucian school!

Who in the world even dares to learn literature!

Zhou Tieyi watched the other person finish crying quietly. At this moment, he felt that Mei Qingchen in front of him was somewhat human, and not the sage who was destined to be worshipped by Confucianism.

He took Mei Juncang's bowl of rice and said, "I have a lot of debts, so I don't worry about it. I have made a ten-year agreement with others, so why not make another one-year agreement with you?"

Mei Qingchen looked at Zhou Tieyi and said nothing.

Zhou Tieyi said, "I think the current path of Confucianism is sick. It only teaches people to be sages in books, but does not teach people how to eat. You are the most typical example."

"If you are sick, you need to seek medical treatment. Only by teaching people how to eat and making sure that everyone in the world can eat well, can you teach them the truth. If even you, a Confucian sage, can't eat, how can you teach others the truth?"

"After you eat this bowl of rice, you have to wait here for a year to see how the world changes. We will see the result in a year!"

Mei Qingchen looked at Zhou Tieyi for a long time before he took the bowl from Zhou Tieyi's hand and began to eat with big mouthfuls. Tears fell silently into the bowl again, but he didn't care.

He also wanted to see whether he was wrong or Zhou Tieyi was wrong.

This time it has nothing to do with the justice of the world, it’s just that Mei Qingchen wants to see it!
Zhou Tieyi saw the desire in Mei Qingchen's eyes and smiled.

This is what a human being is like!

He picked up the daughter's red wine in front of him, toasted towards the Noon Gate, and drank it in big gulps.

He drank the cold wine and said with a smile, "You guys are just talking too much nonsense, so Confucianism is losing its original flavor."

(End of this chapter)