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A team of Zhao Army Cavalry arrived under the cover of night, reaching the outskirts of the village where Luzi had just departed. Sima Shang pulled on the reins and rode to the front of the troops, peering into the village but seeing no signs of human presence. Turning back to Li Mu, who was following closely, he quietly asked, "Second Brother! Can you confirm that this group of Qin Army infiltrators is hiding in the village?"
The dark doorways and windows looked particularly eerie against the snowy night, resembling hungry monsters with wide-open mouths, waiting motionlessly for someone to approach so they could swallow them whole.
It was easy to sense whether anyone lived in the village with just a brief glance. However, the village appeared lifeless; there wasn't a single person in sight! Li Mu checked again and reassured Sima Shang that the soldiers on high alert need not be tense. "We've been chasing all day; let's rest here tonight!"
Sima Shang had initially intended to order an encirclement but did not voice any objections upon hearing this. Even if people could go without rest, the horses could not withstand such exhaustion! He waved forward, allowing the Cavalry Unit to enter the village and rest.
As a large-scale search commenced, signs of human activity were discovered. This confirmed that Li Mu's direction was correct. The village near the front lines had been cleared months ago, so it was impossible for such unusual circumstances to arise again.
Even if one could restore the environment to its original state, some hard evidence would still remain. This was an undeniable fact; dust was one such indicator. Li Mu and Sima Shang entered the room where Luzi had stayed, surveying their surroundings. Bending down, Li Mu picked up a grain of rice from the weedy floor, examined it, and then slowly chewed it.
"Alas! Ever since I followed the general, you've missed out on this year's New Grain!"
The Sima Family was already renowned as military generals in Zhao State, and among their peers, they stood out. Having heard and witnessed military affairs since childhood, they naturally understood what it meant for an army to consume New Grain. Hearing this now startled Sima Shang greatly. He quickly bent down to pick up a grain from the weeds, using the torchlight to inspect its color before imitating Li Mu and chewing it. As he crushed the grain, a fragrant taste quickly activated his already hungry stomach, prompting him to swallow hard to suppress his hunger.
"This shouldn't be our food, right?!"
Li Mu snorted and set his weapon down on the ground. He received firewood from the soldiers and began stacking it into a pile, using straw to ignite it. After blowing and fanning it for a while, he finally managed to light a campfire.
Sima Shang had no idea how to do this and could only stand aside watching as the flames began to rise. He intended to help by tossing in some wood but was stopped by Li Mu just in time. "If you do that, you'll smother the fire! Wait until it gets bigger before adding more!"
If they didn't warm themselves soon, they would surely freeze! Sima Shang quickly halted his actions and watched Li Mu skillfully tending to the fire. His eyes suddenly became moist as he raised an arm to wipe them away. He tried to cover up his emotions by saying, "The smoke is really irritating!"
Li Mu's family was well-off, but his own circumstances were extremely poor. Ever since his father died in battle, his relatives gradually became distant. His elderly mother struggled to make ends meet by doing sewing and mending, yet she managed to raise a son and a daughter to adulthood all on her own.
Li Mu did not give in to despair despite being mocked by the neighborhood children; instead, he was determined to study hard. Lacking the money to attend a private school, he would sneak outside the window whenever he had the chance to listen to the lessons. It was fine for a time or two, but eventually, he was discovered by the teacher. Being driven away was inevitable, as the teacher needed to earn a living to support his family. If he allowed this to continue unchecked, he would have no choice but to face hardship.
The wealthy children attending school looked down on this dirty little boy with a runny nose, and whenever they spotted him, they would drag him out and beat him. The old teacher naturally turned a blind eye; if this could scare the poor boy away, it would save him from trouble.
What surprised everyone was that this boy had a remarkable ability to endure pain. Even after being beaten black and blue, he always found opportunities to listen to lessons, rain or shine. Day after day, Li Mu managed to impress his mother with his eloquence.
One day, the old teacher could no longer tolerate seeing this stubborn boy being beaten. He shouted for the students to stop and took off his shoes, intending to deal with the boy himself. The ragged little boy stood up without fear and brushed off the dust from his clothes.
Xiao Li Mu placed his hands on his hips and said to the teacher, "As a teacher, your role is to educate and nurture talents for the strength of our nation. I, Li Mu, am destined to be a pillar of our country; why must you crush this young sapling while it is still in its infancy?"
His words left the old teacher speechless, unable to bring himself to strike with the raised shoe. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that this dirty little face was surprisingly handsome.
Before Xiao Li Mu could finish speaking, he straightened up and looked at the children surrounding him. "Confucius said: 'When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher.' We should choose what is good and follow it while correcting what is not good. Since I am willing to come every day to listen to your teachings, I am naturally following Confucius's principle of choosing what is good. If a gentleman wishes to transform the people into customs, it must begin with learning! Is there anything wrong with that?"
Hearing such eloquent words from a poor illiterate child made the old teacher burst into laughter. If these words had come from a young adult, they would have likely been met with ridicule. But coming from this uneducated child made it all the more precious! He raised his hand and instructed all the laughing students to return to class before putting on his shoes that had been tossed aside.
"You have some insight! Let me ask you: do you truly wish to read and write?"
Xiao Li Mu had already made up his mind; at most he would face some harsh scolding. Although he felt regretful about being discovered, he thought he could just go home for lunch and sneak back later! Suddenly hearing the teacher's question, he fell to his knees and cried out, "I wish for you to teach me!"
The old teacher nodded with a smile and stroked his long beard as he asked, "If one’s own conduct is correct, one can lead others without issuing commands! What comes next?"
Xiao Li Mu did not hesitate at all and replied, "Sir! It should be that if one’s conduct is not proper, even if commanded, it will not be followed."
The old man looked up at the blue sky, which was completely cloudless at that moment. If a gentleman wishes to transform the people into customs, he must start with learning! Having thought this, he bent down to help Xiao Li Mu up. "If the Way is not cultivated, it is the shame of us; if the Way has been greatly cultivated but is not used, it is the shame of those who govern! I still need someone to clean here; would you be willing to do so?"
Not only cleaning, but even doing laundry would be fine! The clever Xiao Li Mu naturally understood that this was the old man’s intention to take him in, and hurriedly bowed again, giving the old man three respectful bows.
From that day on, the Eager Students had an additional classmate who never entered the house to attend lessons. It was also during this time that Sima Shang began to associate with Li Mu, thus forming a bond between the two. Kind-hearted Sima Shang, knowing about Li Mu's family situation, would always have the kitchen prepare two portions of lunch for him whenever he went out...
"Finally done! Come over and sit down to warm up!"
With Li Mu's reminder, Sima Shang was suddenly brought back to reality from his childhood memories...
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