When Kangxi was young, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang asked him, “What do you want?” Kang Xi said, “I do not want, just want the world to be peaceful, the people are happy, and share peace with the people, I will be enough.” The Empress Dowager was surprised by her grandson’s ambition and hired a teacher for him to tutor him properly.
Emperor Kangxi’s Chinese language teacher, according to the Imperial Secretary of Ying Yu Ting, was a southern scholar. His name was not recorded in the history books, but was only called “Nan Shi”. This southern scholar went to the capital to take the examination, but failed, so he packed up and prepared to go home. That night, he suddenly heard a knock at the door. When the scholar opened the door, he saw several sturdy guards accompanying a rich man who said, “I have heard a lot about your moral writings and admiration. I have a child whom I wish to entrust to you for instruction.”
Nanshi said modestly, “I am only a junior scholar from the south, and I failed to pass the exams in the capital. How can I be a teacher for my child when I am going to return on a certain day?”
The rich man insisted, “My sister-in-law has been widowed for many years and has only this one child. Now I hope to find a good teacher to teach him. Since you are here, why don’t you wait patiently for three more years, and maybe you can still pass the exam?”
Seeing that the rich man was really sincere, Nanshi thought that it was not a bad idea to stay in Beijing for three years, educating the child while waiting for the next examination. So he agreed.
The next night, the rich man sent an escort and a carriage to pick up Nanshi. The group traveled a long way and brought him to a mansion, where the servants prepared everything for him, including food, clothing, shelter, and everything else. Nanshi felt very strange, but it was not convenient to ask.
The next day, the rich man came with a child. The child paid respectful homage to Nanshi in accordance with the etiquette of worship. Nanshi saw that the child was really smart, and was happy to be his teacher. For three years, the rich man was very generous to Nanshi, often came to hush and warm. All the money and letters that need to be sent to the family, without the hands of Nanshi, the rich man sent someone to take care of it properly, so that three years have passed.
Nanshi wanted to take the examination, but the master did not allow it, saying: “Why should you be so anxious, sir? One day you will be a great success! You can teach the boy for another three years.” Nanshi had no choice, so he taught him for another three years. Although the rich man treated him very well and had everything he needed, he had everything he needed. But he was homesick and asked to return to his hometown.
On that day, the rich man came to him and said, “My boy has grown up after being taught by you. I dare not stay any longer because you are so anxious to get a good reputation. Some other day, I will send you off.” Nanshi was very happy.
One evening, the servant took him to a place. Here Nanshi saw four or five men in the clothes of eunuchs. The eunuchs led him through the corridors of the magnificent palace, and he was amazed in his heart. When he entered the great hall, he saw a young man sitting on the dragon chair, none other than his disciple. This young man was the Kangxi Emperor of the dynasty. When Nanshi witnessed the dragon’s face, he was so surprised and happy that he couldn’t help but kneel down and worship the emperor. Emperor Kangxi gave him the top official position.
Thanks to the teachings of his Chinese teachers, the Kangxi Emperor learned to read the Four Books and Five Classics in Chinese. He drew a lot of nourishment from the Chinese classics, and in the “Aphorisms of the Court” he taught his imperial sons to be familiar with the scriptures and history, and not to read novels. He said that if you open the books of scripture and history, it will be beneficial to cultivate your body.
Kangxi Emperor liked to read the Chinese classics, due to reading too hard, so tired that coughing blood. History, where the Kangxi Emperor sat, surrounded by a ring of books. In his study, hung with several mottoes, are written by the Kangxi Emperor himself, written in the middle of “respect for the sky”; the left side of the “love of people with love for themselves”; the right side of the “to blame others with blame for themselves On the right side, it reads, “To rebuke oneself with the heart of rebuke”. These mottos, is also a reflection of Kangxi Emperor’s life of virtue.
(According to the “Qing dynasty celebrity anecdote series” of the “Holy ancestor Kangxi Xuan Ye”)
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