Zhuge Liang (181 – 234 A.D.), was a great historical figure that lived in the Three States Period (220 – 280 A.D.). Zhuge Liang's teacher was Sir Shuijing, who lived a recluse life in the Village of Shuijing south of Xiangyang City. Sir Shuijing had a rooster that strutted about in his yard. Everyday at noon the rooster would crow three times and Sir Shuijing would end his lesson as soon as he heard the rooster's crows. Zhuge Liang loved studying and always wanted to listen a little more. He did not like the rooster that always called on time. He came up with an idea. He stitched a little pocket on his pants and filled it with rice. When the rooster was about to crow, Zhuge Liang quietly spread the rice outside the window. By the time the rooster had finished all the rice, two hours would have passed.
 
Eventually, Sir Shuijing found out about this secret tactic. He took it as if little Zhuge Liang was playing a trick on him, and he sent him home. After Zhuge Liang left, Madame Shuijing spoke on his behalf. She said, "Zhuge Liang did this solely for the purpose of getting more out of the lessons you give. You should forgive him this time." Sir Shuijing knew that Zhuge Liang was extremely sharp and diligent. He also liked him. But before calling him back, Sir Shuijing decided to find out more about his character. He sent one of his young servants to Longzhong (now Nanyang City, Henan Province), where Zhuge Liang lived, to privately investigate.
 
The young servant came back with three stories about Zhuge Liang. The first story was that Zhuge Liang's mother was afraid of the cold weather during winter, so he would go into the mountains to get a rare type of grass to place in his mother's bed. Each evening, he would first lay in his mother's bed until the mattress was warm before asking his mother to sleep. The second story was that Zhuge Liang's home was only two patches of vegetable fields away from a well. But since he was young and short, he worried that the water buckets that he carried might hang down too low and damage the neighbors' fence, so he always took a long detour by going around the base of the hill. The third story was that Zhuge Liang once sought answers from a young man who lived nearby. Later on, although Zhuge Liang had become much more learned than the young man, he still respected the young man and treated him humbly.
 
After Sir Shuijing heard the three stories, he nodded in appreciation, "Zhuge Liang will be an outstanding fellow!" He immediately asked the young servant to take him to Longzhong to invite Zhuge Liang back in person.
 
Sir Shuijing appreciated Zhuge Liang's character and passed onto him all his knowledge. Later Zhuge Liang became an outstanding politician and military strategist. Besides his breadth of knowledge, more importantly he was respected by others for his moral character.
 
诸葛亮求学
 
诸葛亮的老师是水镜先生，隐居在襄阳城南的水镜庄，院里还喂养了一只花颈大公鸡。这只公鸡有一个习惯，就是每天正晌午总要叫三声，水镜先生一听鸡叫就下课。诸葛亮爱学习，总想听先生多讲些课，一听到鸡叫，就打心眼里厌烦这只公鸡。后来他就想了个办法，在裤子上缝了个小口袋，每天装上几把米，估计那只大公鸡快要叫的时候，就悄悄的把米撒到窗外，等公鸡把一小口袋米吃完了再叫唤时，下课已经晚了一个时辰。
时间一长，水镜先生发现了这个秘密，误以为小诸葛亮在故意捉弄师长，便把他辞退回家了。诸葛亮走后，师娘替他求情说：“诸葛亮这样做，也是为了求学，我看就饶他一次吧！”水镜先生知道诸葛亮聪明过人，十分好学，也挺喜欢他的，是收是退，还要再好好的看看他的品行如何。于是就派了书童去诸葛亮住的隆中这地方暗中察访。
 
书童回来向水镜先生讲了三件事：一是诸葛亮的母亲冬天怕冷，他就上山割来水晶草铺在床上，并且每天晚上他都要自己先去睡一会儿，为母亲暖床，等把床被都焐热了，再让母亲安睡；二是诸葛亮家离井台只隔两畦菜地，他人小个矮，挑水时，生怕水桶碰坏了别人家的麻秆篱笆，所以每次挑水都要绕过山脚的地边，多走许多的路，再往家拐；三是诸葛亮曾向附近的一个青年请教过，后来，虽然他的学问超过了这个青年，但他仍然虚心待这人。
 
水镜先生听罢，高兴的点头说：“诸葛亮日后必为俊杰！”当下就催书童带路，要亲自到隆中接诸葛亮回来读书。
 
水镜先生对诸葛亮的品德非常赞赏，就将平生的学识都传授给他。后来，诸葛亮能成为一位杰出的政治家和军事家，主要原因是他博学多才，但更重要的还是诸葛亮的人品让人敬重。