Wang Su responded, "I am not the director of astronomy, but I am sure that it will not rain that day." The Emperor asked why. Wang Su answered, "Your majesty, you prepare to pray for rain when you know that it will rain soon. Thus you do not have any sincerity. How can you move the heavens without any sincerity? That's why I know it will not rain."

Arranged in simple three-character verses, it has five parts detailing the rules in a variety of settings. As the second most influential text for children, (the most influential being the Three Character Classic (1)) Teachings for Enlightening Children teaches filial piety, respect, cautiousness, honesty, forbearance, tolerance, etc.

Confucianism teaches that people should deal with each other with good faith, respect, understanding and trust instead of suspicion. Only then can people get along with each other harmoniously.

Cheng Hao wrote to a friend, "I believe in using humanity to educate the citizens." Once a thief was arrested, Cheng Hao said to the thief, "If you promise to mend your behaviour, I will settle your case with leniency." The thief promised that he would change and Cheng Hao released him. When the thief committed another crime, a county officer arrested him. The thief felt so ashamed to see Cheng Hao again that he killed himself.

Emperor Song Renzong, who was born Zhao Zhen (1010-1063), was the fourth Emperor of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). He ruled the country for 41 years, the longest reign in the Song Dynasty. He was a very good man, acting with tolerance and altruism. He was good at taking people's suggestions and being self-disciplined. During his rule, the country was peaceful, prosperous, and full of culture. He was referred to by people as the "Emperor with Integrity," and "King of Wisdom and Holiness."

Many of those in ancient times who had ambitions made great achievements after having learnt tenacity and perseverance through adversities. Though they suffered in poor and tough environments, they upheld their unshakable beliefs with great willpower and perseverance. They became models for later generations. Their stories are remembered, encouraging people to conquer all difficulties and hardships to succeed.

Zengzi replied in a serious tone, "Children should not be played with like that. They are too young to know any principles; they rely on parents to teach them and will learn from their parents. If you lie to him today, you will teach him to lie. If a mother lies to her son, the son would not believe in the mother and could not be educated."

Hunter Hailibu had no interest in any treasure, but being able to understand the languages of animals had great appeal to him. He asked the dragon's daughter, "Is there really such a precious stone?" She replied, "Yes. But whatever you hear from animals, you have to keep it to yourself. If you tell it to others, you will turn into a rock."

In the era of Kang Xi Xinhai during the Qing Dynasty, a married couple was irrigating the fields at the foot of Mt. Xielu in the Kunshan Mountains. Without warning, a thunderstorm started. There was a sudden clap of thunder, and the husband was struck by lightening and killed. People who knew him said that he had been a fairly honest person, and they did not understand why this had happened to him.

After waking up, he felt puzzled, so he told other people about this dream. One person said, "Isn't the (Chinese) character 'drunk' made up of two parts, Xin and You, and when combined, Xin and You indicate a specific year in the Chinese Lunar Calendar? It probably means that you will become the Number-One Scholar on the highest imperial exam in the year of Xinyou."

The meaning of the Chinese idiom "Good Advice Jars the Ear" is that a piece of sincere advice is often different from one's own ideas and thus one might find it difficult to accept it. This idiom came from Historical Records - Old and Well-known Families. The whole sentence reads, "Good advice jars the ear yet benefits one's action; poisonous (effective) medicine tastes bitter yet is good for curing one's illness. I hope you will listen to what Fan Kuai had said."

Tao Kang, an official during the Jin Dynasty, moved 100 ceramic containers outside every morning and carried them back to the house every night. Others were curious and asked him why. He said, "I'm trying my best to work for the country. If I'm too comfortable, I'm afraid I cannot fulfil my responsibility well. Therefore I work out often." Later, he became governor of eight states and was very famous

When Kublai Khan (1215 – 1294), grandson of Genghis Khan and Khagan of the Mongol Empire, led the Mongol army to invade Song, Wen led the Song forces in defense. When Wen was captured by Kublai Khan and was faced with imminent danger; Zhang did what he could to help. Wen was escorted to Jizhou City, and Zhang secretly visited him. In tears, he told him, "Prime Minister, you will be sent to Yanjing City (present Beijing). I will go with you."

He thought, "I'm decreed by fate to be poor. I sought refuge with the Wang family, but was driven out because I would bring bad luck to the household. How could I have the good luck to enjoy this good fortune? Also, the owner of the the silver might have needed it in case of an emergency and might have left it here by accident. This silver may have a bearing on several lives. If I take it, I could be something that damages my virtue. I'd better wait here, so that if someone comes back to look for it, I will give them back." Having had these thoughts, he just waited there for the owner

"... Other pawn shops buy items at less than their value and sell them at high prices, but Mr. Jin is always very fair, gives a good price, and lets you keep your items in the shop longer. If the customers are old, weak, or poor, he forgoes the interest. He chooses not to mark-up winter clothes in the winter, nor summer clothes in the summer. He does this every year. The heavens protect good people, so the spirit of good fortune is guarding him!"

Yuan gave up on the thought of getting the 300 pieces of silver back. It was close to the Chinese New Year. He begged Miu to loan him some money so that he could get through the Chinese New Year. In order to get rid of Yuan, Miu promised to deliver some money to his home on New Year's Eve. The day before the Chinese New Year, Yuan waited at home from dawn to evening, but Miu did not show up. All the neighbours lit their lanterns and were excitedly preparing for the New Year. But Yuan's family had nothing. His wife wept. They were in misery.

When he heard this, Li Gao was furious. He said, "When a person is home, he should be obedient and kind to his family. When he is away, he should be respectful to the elderly. If he has extra time and energy, he could pursue more achievements. How could these two brothers with such low morals be government officials?" He wrote a letter to the emperor about the matter. As a result, Li Jun and Li E were both fired from their official posts and banned from serving in the government.

Once, there was a man named Huang Xian, (or Shudu) living in Runan County, Shenyang District during the Eastern Han Dynasty. His family was not well off and his father made a living as a veterinarian. Even though Huang Xian was a poor and lowly person, he gained the respect of top officials, famous intellectuals, and others due to his knowledge, superior moral character, and especially because of his extraordinary tolerance.

He asked his son to come and instructed him, "Some people do bad deeds. It is not because their nature is bad, but merely because of their old habits. The man on the rafter is just this type." When he heard it, the thief came down from the rafter and apologised to Chen Shi by kneeling before him. Chen Shi said, "You don't look like a bad man. That you want to steal must be caused by your poor living conditions." Then Chen Shi gave the man two rolls of clothes. The thief was so touched that he never stole again.

Before dawn, Lou Shide returned to the human realm and woke up from the dream. Like the man in the purple robe had predicted, Lou recovered from his illness very quickly. Later he was indeed appointed as a imperial government official. The positions he held and the time of each career advancement were exactly the same as what he saw in the book of fate in the netherworld.

When Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty led an army to suppress a rebellion in Bingzhou, he made a stop at the farmer's home. The Emperor called all the elder members of the family and asked them, "What is the secret to having five generations living under the same roof?" The farmers replied, "We have nothing special other than all being tolerant." Upon hearing these wise words the emperor commended them.

Zi Xia (507 B.C. - 420 B.C.) was a student of Confucius and a famous educator. Marquis Wen of Wei once asked Zi Xia, "When I wear my court clothes and listen to ancient music, I quickly lie down and fall asleep. But when I listen to music from the Zheng or Wei Kingdoms, I never feel tired. Please tell me why the ancient music tires people and the new music appeals to people?"

Wang Dan replied, "This is very reasonable, because I served as the Prime Minister for many years and must have made many mistakes in my job. Kou Zhun hasn't tried to hide my mistakes from you, Majesty. It shows his loyalty to you even more, and this is also why I think highly of him." The Emperor's admiration toward Wang Dan grew even more after their conversation.

Huang Jianji told Zhang Yong, "I haven't done many meaningful deeds. I bought some wheat at the regular price when it was ripe. The following year, I sold it at the original price to the poor farmers before their wheat was ripe. I didn't make money when I bought and sold the wheat. The weight of the wheat was the same. I didn't lose anything but I helped those poor people."

Han Qi possessed great tolerance and a natural disposition to be simple and honest. He never resorted to the use of sly tricks. He accomplished a great deal and had a high position in society, but he was never prideful. No matter how important the responsibilities he held and whatever unexpected disasters and dangers he faced, Han Qi never seemed to be worried.

Fan Chunren, a famous scholar and government official from the Song dynasty of ancient China, once said, "What I've learnt through my lifetime of study can be summarised in two words: loyalty and forgiveness. My whole life has been benefited from practising these two words. I always live by these two words when I serve the Emperor, communicate with colleagues and friends, and treat people from my clan."

When the villagers celebrated the building of the bridge, they all felt sad for the good girl—although poor, crippled, and blind—who had inspired it all. The little girl did not feel sad for herself, however. She smiled broadly, showing genuine happiness for the villagers.

"Able to lead the troupes during war time and able to give wise advice during peace time," "married to an unequalled emperor," and "rare virtuous Empress" were descriptions of Empress Changsun's life. It also was said that Emperor Tang Taizong not only could rely on his royal cabinet, but also on his virtuous and kind wife Empress Changsun.

The thief wept so much in the hallway that his clothes were drenched. Cheng Renba happened to walk past him and thought the prisoner might have been wronged. He told him, "If you have been wronged, please tell me. I will certainly uphold justice for you." The thief told Cheng what happened. Cheng transferred the man to another prison and wanted to try him fairly. However, the local official and the prison warden transferred him back and sentenced him to death.

During the dead of winter one year, Zhong Liyi was ordered to escort some prisoners, who had been sentenced to hard labour, to the Henei District. Most of these prisoners wore very little clothing, and some were very sick and could hardly walk. When they passed the Hongnong area, Zhong Liyi ordered the local county government to make warm coats for these prisoners. When Emperor Guangwu learnt this, he praised Zhong Liyi as a good and decent official. The Emperor commended his benevolent heart.

Journey to the West is one of the most famous works of classical Chinese literature. In the book, Tang Monk led his three disciples to the Western Paradise and achieved Consummation after experiencing a lot of troubles and difficulties. Some people regard it as been purely fictional. In history, there was a real Tang monk who risked his life and travelled tens of thousands of miles from China to India to bring Buddhist scriptures back to China. The journey he took was also the cultivation process of a cultivator who was eventually able to let go of life and death.

Confucius said, "These recommendations illustrate that Qi Xi recommends the truly capable for public posts. He did not kiss up to his enemy. He sees merits in his enemy. He recommends his son to replace him, but not out of selfishness. He recommends his right arm man’s son, but not for building his faction. According to The Classic of History, ‘Without favoritism or factions, the imperial court becomes righteous.’"

Han Xin, a famous general during the Han Dynasty about 2,200 years ago, made great contributions in helping Emperor Liu Bang to establish the dynasty. Han Xin's achievements have been praised by Chinese till this day, so is his great capacity to endure humiliation.

Kuang Heng was a man of Cheng County in Donghai area during the Western Han Dynasty. He was eager to learn and had many insights into both history and current events. He was recommended to the emperor for his wisdom, capabilities, and superior knowledge of the I Ching, also known as The Book of Changes.

When Mr. Xiao Deyan was Scholar at the Hongwen Institute he always took baths, kept his body and mind clean, wore clean clothes, and sat upright seriously and respectfully each time he began to read scriptures or to teach a class. Once, his wife said to him, "At such an old age, why do you have to make things so hard for yourself?" Mr. Xiao Deyan replied, "Scriptures are teachings passed down from our ancestor saints. How could I be afraid of being laborious?"

Emperor Guangwu Di (6 B.C.-57 A.D.), the first emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, established an advanced institute for the teachings of Confucianism. The institute's principal learnt teachers were called Boshi. Among these teachers was Zhen Yu, a clean-hearted, upright scholar who had few desires and who often modestly declined personal benefits.

Confucius, the most famous Chinese thinker and educator of the 5th Century BC, once took lessons on the harp with the musician Shi Xiangzi. One day, Shi Xiangzi gave him a new piece of music without mentioning its name. Confucius started to practice.

Sun Simiao, a renown physician from the Tang Dynasty, possessed superb medical skills. Because he was upright, honest, and noble, and healed many people, he was thus respectfully named the King of Medicine.

When Wen Wang heard words beneficial to the public he would follow and put them into reality. When he heard upright criticism and advice, he would definitely accept and follow the advice. As a result, catastrophes and dangerous situations stopped occurring in his kingdom, and suffering and epidemics no longer existed.

For several thousand years in the history of China, other than the Pre-Qin and Qin dynasties, the Chinese people have used brilliant colours. Today, red is a very popular colour in modern China. But the ancient people before the Ming Dynasty did not pay special attention to the colour red, contrary to modern people's assumptions.

Xiao Yixin, the wife of Liao State (916--1125 A.D.) official Ye Lunu, was known for displaying the traditional virtues of a Chinese lady. Her father was the emperor's son-in-law and her mother was Princess Hutu. Xiao Yixin, who was beautiful both inside and outside, married at 20 and never failed to respect her parents and love her family.

Mr. Zhu Xi (1130 A.D.-1200 A.D.) lived in the Nan Song Dynasty (1127 A.D.-1279 A.D.). A renowned scholar and educator of his time, he has been respectfully referred to as "Sir Zhu" (pin yin "Zhu Zi") by later generations. Mr. Zhu Xi was a person worthy of respect with a calm personality. Even in his everyday life he cared a great deal about the dignity of his appearance and behaviour. As a very knowledgeable person who produced an abundance of works, he has greatly influenced Chinese traditional culture, moral values, education, propriety and religious beliefs.

Guan Yu was a man of the Three Kingdom Period (approximately 3rd century A.D.). He was very loyal, fair, and courteous. As a youth, he befriended Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, and the three became blood brothers. Since then, Guan Yu maintained his loyalty and accompanied Liu Bei in many fierce battles. He was conferred the title of a general of the Shu Kingdom. His character is well known in China throughout history.

In the Chunqiu Dynasty King Jinlinggong of Jin the Kingdom had no integrity as king. His official, Mr. Zhao Dun was able to repeatably persuade Jinlinggong, whilst simultaneously greatly annoying him. King Jinlinggong secretly sent an assassin, Chu Ni, to kill Zhao Dun. Chu Ni arrived at Zhao Dun's house very early in the morning, and found his door open.

In Morocco, in India, around 500 monks lived in a temple which was located six to seven miles away from the city. They were all strictly trained Picchu. Among them, there was one elder monk called Mokelu who was famous for his "stupidity." No matter how hard people tried to teach him anything, he still did not get it. He couldn't even recite a single Zen proverb and so all the 500 Picchu looked down on him. Nobody liked to be with him making him feel very lonely.

The mayor insisted that he wanted to purchase the property and offered Lu twice as much money. Still, Lu Yuanfang politely declined his offer and firmly stated that once he had promised someone something, he would keep his word. The mayor was not at all happy and asked Lu Yuanfang to go back and think it over.

Wang Shouren was a prominent Neo-Confucianist and educator during the Ming Dynasty of ancient China. One time, a father and a son sued each other, and asked Wang Shouren to judge their case. Wang Shouren merely had a few words with them, and the father and the son hugged each other and wept. Then they went home. Someone asked Wang Shouren: "What did you say to them that prompted them to repent so quickly?"

"Filial piety is fundamental in educating the public. It is demonstrated through providing food and money for the parents. It may be easy to provide food and money for the parents, but difficult to do so with respect. Even if it can be done with respect, it is difficult to do it naturally. Even if it can be done naturally, it is difficult to do it throughout one's life."

Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu 5 BC-57AD), was highly respected by his ministers and people because of his broadmindedness, modesty, respectfulness, and approachability. Unlike despotic rulers, he was never opinionated, conceited, arrogant, or patronising. Even people who had a bias against him would swear allegiance to him after they got to know him better.