Chapter 3: The Minister of State

Years ago, the streets of Jianye City bustled with life. Xu Xuan, carrying a basket of herbs on his back, had just returned from gathering medicinal plants in the mountains.

His face bore the marks of simplicity and kindness, and his eyes shone with curiosity and goodwill toward all things in the world.

In a small alleyway, Xu Xuan discovered an old man. The elder’s clothes were tattered, his face gaunt, and he appeared gravely ill, weakly leaning against the wall. Without hesitation, Xu Xuan hurried forward.

“Sir, what has happened to you?” Xu Xuan asked with concern.

The old man lifted his head slightly, his voice faint. “I am a stranger here. I fell ill on my journey and now have no money, no place to go.”

Xu Xuan’s heart tightened. He quickly helped the old man up. “Don’t worry, sir. I am a physician. I will treat you.”

He brought the elder to his home, carefully taking his pulse, prescribing medicine, and preparing herbal decoctions. Under Xu Xuan’s attentive care, the old man’s condition gradually improved.

Filled with gratitude, the old man looked at Xu Xuan and said, “Young one, your kindness is rare. I have spent my life studying the classics. Though I possess little, I wish to repay your lifesaving kindness.”

Xu Xuan smiled. “Sir, you need not say such things. Helping others is simply my duty.”

The old man shook his head. “I must show my gratitude. Though you are a physician, your manner and speech suggest you are a person of great potential. I have studied the Confucian classic, the Book of Documents, deeply. If you are willing, I will teach it to you.”

Xu Xuan’s heart leapt with joy. He had long been fascinated by Confucian classics but had never had the chance to study them deeply due to his humble background. “Sir, then I will gratefully accept your instruction.”

In the days that followed, the old man taught Xu Xuan passages from the Book of Documents daily. His explanations were clear and profound, revealing the principles of governance and human conduct embedded within the text.

Xu Xuan studied diligently, drinking in the knowledge as though starving for nourishment.

As time passed, the old man’s health fully recovered. One day, he said to Xu Xuan, “Young man, I must depart. Remember the lessons of the Book of Documents; you are destined for greatness.”

Reluctantly, Xu Xuan replied, “Sir, you are leaving now? There is still so much I wish to learn from you.”

The old man smiled gently. “You have learned well. From here on, continue your studies on your own.”

With that, he turned and walked away. Xu Xuan watched his retreating figure, his heart brimming with gratitude.

Years later, in a teahouse in Jianye City, Xu Xuan overheard others discussing the current court affairs.

“Do you know? The prime minister, Wei Zheng, is a renowned statesman. His mastery of the Confucian classics is profound.”

“Yes, I’ve heard his scholarship and character are admirable beyond measure.”

Xu Xuan was stirred deeply. He suddenly recalled the old man who had taught him the Book of Documents long ago. Quietly, he wondered, “Could that elder have been Prime Minister Wei Zheng?”

“No, that can’t be,” he shook his head in doubt.

Many years later, when fate brought him to Chang’an again, Xu Xuan was both shocked and moved. To think that he had once saved and learned from such a great figure—it was a marvel of destiny.

Returning home, Xu Xuan took the Book of Documents from his shelf. He gently caressed its cover, as if once again seeing the patient face of the old man explaining its wisdom.

He knew deeply that this experience would forever shape him—in how he conducted himself and how he understood the world. With the knowledge passed down from the elder, Xu Xuan resolved to continue walking his path, embodying the wisdom and philosophy of the Book of Documents.

What Xu Xuan did not know was that this book was a supreme Confucian classic, a treasured scripture equal in stature to the Buddhist Diamond Sutra and the Taoist Tao Te Ching.