Da Tang Si Zi: My Six Super Rich Little Nuggets!

Chapter 18 Who is Xiao Deyan?

One day, Uncle Xiao Deyan was having a serious conversation with Emperor Gaozong in the palace, while Little Sizi was playing happily nearby.

Li Zhi: "Teacher, what do you think is the beauty of the Zuo Zhuan (Commentary of Zuo)?"

Xiao Deyan: "Your Highness Prince Jin, the history inside is so vivid that it makes one want to explore it further!"

Little Si interjected: "Holy crap!! It's all about immersion!! Finding the key to dominating the world!"

Li Zhi laughed heartily: "Then teach me how to turn the Zuo Zhuan of the Spring and Autumn Annals into a book as pure and virtuous as the Classic of Filial Piety!"

Little Sizi continued, "You mean 'bestselling history books', right?!"

A bestselling book? Xiao Deyan couldn't understand what the child was saying. He smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness Prince Jin, you can better understand this masterpiece by adding a little lighthearted fun."

Li Zhi looked puzzled.

Xiao Sizi quickly explained, "I mean, it's the kind of funny historical story that makes people laugh out loud, a light-hearted version of 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'!"

Li Zhiguo and Teacher Xiao looked at each other and burst into laughter: Haha, Sizi is so clever, he can even make history laugh throughout the world! He must have absorbed it all!

The learning atmosphere in the palace was relaxed and pleasant.

Little Sizi stared curiously at the Classic of Filial Piety and asked, "Uncle Xiao, what does the phrase 'Words that fill the world have no faults' mean?"

Xiao Deyan said mysteriously, "Simply put, it means that even if what you say spreads throughout the world, no one will say you're wrong!"

Little Si blinked: "Then what about 'doing good deeds without resentment or evil'? Does that mean that everything we do will be praised?"

Xiao Deyan laughed heartily: "That's right! Even if the whole world knows you're doing a good deed, no one will throw eggs at you!"

Little Sizi said smugly, "So, we need to speak kind words and do good deeds to have a smooth journey and become incredibly popular!"

Xiao Deyan gave a thumbs up: "That's right! That's how you become a 'people-pleasing' and popular benevolent person!"

Xiao Deyan continued to gently guide his brother Zhinu, his fingers gliding across the pages of the book, "Look, this is about filial piety, it's practically a must-memorize mantra!"

Little Sizi curiously leaned closer, her eyes sparkling: "Zhi Nu Guo Guo, I want to read too!"

Xiao Deyan laughed and said, "Alright, then you give it a try. Remember to be imposing!"

Little Sizi read aloud in his childish voice: "If it is unjust, then we should argue against it. How can obeying one's father's orders be considered filial piety?! Uncle Xiao, what does this mean?"

Xiao Deyan's analysis: Advising a monarch or elder to understand and correct their mistakes or faults. To fail to offer advice when it is due is to be blind loyalty or filial piety, and may even lead the monarch or elder into injustice.

Little Sizi: "What does 'zheng' mean? Does it mean making money?? Is it like a 'cash bonus' falling from the sky??!"

Xiao Deyan couldn't help but laugh: "Haha, this kid is amazing, many of his self-created phrases are very interesting!"

Little Sizi said earnestly, "I've got it all! Filial piety fills every home with love, which is why people earn a lot of money. I want to 'recharge' myself as much as possible!"

Xiao Deyan then explained, and wrote it down: "诤" does not mean "to struggle," but rather "to remonstrate," referring to frankly pointing out others' mistakes and prompting them to correct them: such as in "诤谏," "诤言," and "诤臣." Furthermore, "诤友" refers to a friend who can sincerely advise and persuade.

Little Sizi replied, "Ah, I understand now! I also know they are the dwarfs from ancient legends!!"

Li Zhi looked at his younger sister with admiration: "That's right, our Princess Jinyang has truly read a lot. 'Zhengren' is also called 'Jingren,' the little dwarf from the Snow White story you told me about."

While flipping through another book, Xiao Sizi asked, "Brother Zhinu, where did this Zuo Zhuan come from?"

Brother Zhinu replied with a smile, "Actually, it's an 'expanded version' of the Spring and Autumn Annals, just like the sequel to the movie in my dream that you told me about!"

Xiao Sizi frowned: "A sequel? Wouldn't that always be too complicated?"

Xiao Deyan couldn't help but laugh: "Princess Jinyang, it records some events from that time in detail to explain those brief records in the Spring and Autumn Annals."

Li Zhi nodded: "That's right! Zuo Qiuming was probably worried that later generations would have all sorts of different interpretations, so he wanted to avoid a situation like a debate where there are many different opinions and the facts are distorted!"

Xiao Sizi was a little anxious: "What should we do with him?"

Xiao Deyan pretended to be mysterious: "Princess, don't worry. He just took Confucius's records, explained them in detail, added details and made it more relatable, and wrote the Zuo Zhuan."

Xiao Sizi suddenly realized: "Oh! It's like when the teacher gives the students 'tutoring materials'!"

Li Zhi laughed and said, "Is that so! Then Zuo Qiuming is the 'history teacher' that Xiao Sizi was talking about!"

Hearing the conversation between the brother and sister, Xiao Deyan felt ashamed of his own lack of knowledge and, thinking of the boundless ocean of learning, sighed:

"Indeed, he specifically corrected some 'historical misunderstandings' among the public, which was a difficult task and very arduous!"

However, Xiao Sizi still admires Teacher Xiao very much.

She knew that no matter how learned Uncle Xiao was, he couldn't compare to Nannan, who had traveled through time. Haha, after all, there was an information gap.

After the teacher left, Xiao Si pestered Zhi Nu to tell him gossip about this uncle: "Guo Ge, Guo Ge, tell me quickly, who is this Xiao Deyan? What are his skills?"