Santo Supremo do Confucionismo e Taoismo: De Escravo de Exames a Mestre Imperial das Nações

Page 1 of 3

On a spring morning in March, the village of the Xiao family was just awakening from a light mist and, unable to contain itself, quickly bustled with life. During the idle season, the industrious enjoyed a rare moment of leisure, yet the idlers and gossiping women had long since gathered in groups at the crossroads by the village entrance, beside the timeworn, gleaming stone roller, chattering animatedly.

“Tsk, tsk, look over there in the Xiao family’s courtyard—what strange antics are they up to again?”

A sallow-faced woman pursed her lips, gesturing toward the Xiao family residence diagonally across the way. The compound, with its mottled grey walls and half-open wooden door, revealed everything inside—a pair of weathered adult men, together with two half-grown boys, were stretching and contorting their limbs in the courtyard, making odd, noisy sounds, their movements peculiar and outlandish.

“Heavens above—what sort of spirit dance is this? Have they studied themselves silly?” sneered a lazy fellow in worn-out shoes, drawing a round of raucous laughter.

“What else could it be?” another chimed in, his scorn barely veiled. “That old Madam Yu is desperate for her two precious sons to win the top scholar’s title! The eldest, Xiao Boduo, and the second, Xiao Zhongyuan—haven’t they been trying for nearly ten years now? Tsk, the ancestral property’s all gone, there’s barely enough rice left for the pot, and the two of them are still only elementary scholars, nearly thirty years old!”

Then, lowering her voice and with a hint of