Chapter 575: The Rites of Lu

Li Er rode a green ox, heading east.

After leaving Cheng Zhou, he wasn't in a hurry to rush; he just let the green ox walk slowly.

The fields beside the road gradually became more open, villages grew denser, and travelers increased.

After seven or eight days, a city appeared ahead.

LuGuo, Qufu.

This was the fief of Zhou Gongdan, a state of propriety, a place scholars across the world longed for.

Li Er had once heard Shang Rong mention it, saying the scholars there were courteous and refined, and the academic atmosphere there was sincere and ancient.

He raised his head to look at the ancient characters on the city wall, then gently patted the green ox's head.

"Let's go in and have a look."

The green ox lowed, carrying him through the city gate.

…

Qufu's market was quite different from Cheng Zhou's.

Cheng Zhou, beneath the Son of Heaven, gathered people from all directions, bustling and prosperous, yet also mixed with good and bad.

But Qufu's market had a bit more order, a bit more ease, and an indescribable sense of "propriety."

Shops lined both sides of the street, yet no one shouted loudly to sell their wares.

Passersby came and went, their steps unhurried; when they met, they would slightly turn aside and nod in greeting.

Occasionally there were disputes, but they were spoken in low voices, and soon an elder would step forward to mediate.

Li Er rode the ox slowly past, his gaze scanning the surroundings.

In front of a bookshop, he stopped.

The bookshop was small; a low table stood at its entrance, with several bamboo slips placed on it.

An old man sat behind the low table, his head bowed as he turned a volume, his expression focused.

Li Er dismounted and walked up to him.

The old man raised his head, glanced at him, and gave a slight nod.

"What would you like to see, sir?"

Li Er's gaze swept over the several bamboo slips.

They were all common classics.

He casually picked one up, flipped through it, then set it down.

The old man watched his movement, a flicker of unusual color passing through his eyes.

"Young friend, are you a scholar?"

Li Er nodded.

"I have read a little."

The old man smiled, reached out and pointed behind him.

"There are some more inside; if you're interested, you can go in and have a look."

Li Er thanked him and stepped into the bookshop.

Inside, there were indeed many more bamboo slips, neatly stacked on the shelves.

He browsed casually, when his gaze suddenly stopped on one bamboo slip.

It was a volume of the "Rites," but not a common edition.

He picked it up, unfolded it, and saw that its content differed slightly from the Zhou Rites, with many added details and some commentary.

"This is…" he raised his head to look at the old man.

The old man walked over, glanced at the bamboo slip, and said with a smile:

"This is a copy of the 'Rites' personally revised by Zhou Gongdan back then, handed down."

"You probably won't see this outside of LuGuo."

Li Er nodded, then lowered his head to look a while longer.

Those commentaries were written in exquisite detail, explaining the origin of each rite and the meaning of each action clearly.

It was evident that the person who wrote these commentaries had a profound understanding of "propriety."

He looked at it for a long time before gently setting it down.

"How much?"

The old man waved his hand.

"If you like it, sir, take it; after all, keeping it here, few people could understand it."

Li Er was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

He took out a few coins from his sleeve and placed them on the low table.

"Thank you. I can't take this book for nothing; this money is just a borrowing fee."

The old man looked at the coins, then at Li Er, his eyes gaining a touch of admiration.

"You are a genuine person." He put away the coins and added:

"If you're not in a hurry to rush on, you can go to the academy east of the city; these days someone is giving lectures on the Rites."

Li Er nodded.

"Thank you for the guidance."

…

The academy east of the city is a courtyard, shaded by green trees.

The courtyard is not large, but it is kept clean and tidy.

On the central podium, a middle‑aged man sat upright, a Bamboo Slip spread before him, lecturing on something.

Below the podium, twenty‑to‑thirty people sat, old and young alike, all listening intently.

Li Er stood at the courtyard entrance, not going inside.

He just stood at the doorway, listening to the sounds coming from within.

The middle‑aged man was lecturing on the "Village Wine‑drinking Ritual" in the Li.

From the guests' seating order, to the sequence of toasting, to the placement of instruments, to the protocol of each movement, he spoke with meticulous detail.

"... Li is the order of Heaven and Earth. Holy establishes Li, not to bind people but to settle them. It lets people know when to advance or retreat, what to do and what not to do. Thus it says: the purpose of Li is that harmony is precious..."

Li Er listened, nodding slightly.

The lecture was good.

But he always felt something was missing.

The middle‑aged man spoke in detail, accurately, each detail explained clearly.

But the things behind those details, the reasons of "why", were not fully explained.

Li is order.

But where does order come from? Why must such order exist? What supports this order?

He did not speak of it.

Li Er stood at the doorway, listening quietly, neither entering nor leaving.

Only after the middle‑aged man finished and the crowd dispersed did he turn and leave.

……

In the following days, Li Er roamed around Qufu City.

He visited the market, observing how the people of LuGuo traded.

He walked the lanes, watching how the people of LuGuo interacted.

He went to the fields outside the city, seeing how the farmers of LuGuo cultivated.

At each place, he only watched silently, listened silently, speaking rarely.

The townsfolk, upon meeting, would exchange greetings, ask after each other, make small talk.

When buying and selling, they would haggle, but disputes were rare. When conflicts arose, they would ask an elder for judgment; once the elder spoke, they accepted.

Everything was orderly.

Everything conformed to Li.

But Li Er always felt this Li was somewhat off.

It wasn't wrong; it was too "right".

It seemed deliberately crafted, as if drawn stroke by stroke from the book's rules, lacking that natural spontaneity.

He recalled Qu Ren Li.

The people of Qu Ren Li also helped each other, respected the elderly and cared for the young, and had their own customs.

But those customs were not written in books; they grew in the heart.

No one taught them how; they simply knew what to do.

That was a more simple thing.

More fundamental than Li.

He thought for a long time, without reaching clarity.