infodatos Chapter 756 Wuyi is a scholar
Chapter 756 Wuyi is a scholar
After leaving Taiping Domain, Lu Zheng went directly into Wei, intending to enter Qi from Wei.
Along the way, they passed through several prefectures and counties of the Wei Kingdom.
The reform of Buddhism in Wei State is still in full swing, but the situation varies from place to place, and the progress of the reform is also different.
Lu Zheng also heard that some local temple monks, fearing being purged, directly rallied their servants and local gentry to rebel, causing quite a stir.
However, due to the joint suppression by the Buddhist community and the imperial court in Wei, the impact was not too widespread.
A reform that could affect the very foundation of a great dynasty would naturally not be smooth sailing.
This is also a struggle for interests and power, and there will certainly be those who will not sit idly by and try to increase their bargaining power through resistance.
Due to the complex and intertwined relationships among local powers in Wei, the efficiency of governing local areas is not very high, at least not as rapid as in Taiping Domain, where dramatic changes can occur in a short period of time.
After all, in the Taiping Domain, Lu Zheng could use ruthless methods to punish all those who disobeyed him.
However, in the state of Wei, if it were to truly overthrow all existing systems and rebuild like Lu Zheng did, the entire state of Wei would be in complete chaos.
Even the Emperor and Crown Prince of Wei wouldn't dare to do something like Lu Zheng. It was only under the pretext of the Buddhas manifesting their divine power that they dared to stab a few members of the powerful and wealthy class in the back.
Lu Zheng estimated that Wei's major overhaul this time would not be completed in three to five years.
It is difficult to predict whether any unexpected events will occur during this period.
Lu Zheng hoped that Crown Prince Yuan Tao could sit in that position and do his job peacefully.
After gaining a general understanding of the situation in some parts of Wei, Lu Zheng headed east, leaving Wei and entering the territory of Qi.
After venturing into the Qi state for only a dozen miles, Lu Zheng could clearly sense the difference in Qi.
The Confucian and Taoist cultural atmosphere in this area is more pronounced than in Anguo.
Here, it is easier to communicate with Confucian and Taoist sages through literary means.
It's no wonder that some people wondered before if the Taiping Domain he established lacked Confucian and Taoist cultural atmosphere.
The decline of Confucianism and Taoism can be attributed to the fact that they are no longer under the protection of Heaven, Earth, Confucianism, Taoism, and the sages.
At the beginning of the establishment of Taiping Domain, more than one person wanted Lu Zheng to invite the saint to offer incense and protect the region, which would also be a legitimate way to occupy the land. However, Lu Zheng rejected all of them.
Please grant my request; it's merely a matter of borrowing a name.
Just as the Buddha manifested himself in the mortal world, whether or not the Buddhist order can be restored still depends on the power of the living.
Instead of wasting energy and money building temples to worship the saints, we should do more practical things.
Once you've truly achieved a certain level in your career, there's no need to pray to gods or Buddhas.
Lu Zheng flew slowly through the air, with endless green mountains in his eyes.
As the sun sets, a wisp of smoke rises from a green mountain.
Lu Zheng looked closely and saw a house faintly visible in the mountains.
Lu Zheng slowly landed and walked along the rugged mountain path for a while before arriving at a small courtyard.
The courtyard, enclosed by a bamboo fence, contains two thatched huts, several vegetable plots, and some rough farm tools scattered around.
Footsteps echoed through the mountains.
Lu Zheng glanced to the side and saw a disheveled man with messy hair and beard walking towards him.
The man was tall and thin, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, with slightly dark skin, and looked to be in his thirties or forties.
The man, dressed as a farmer from the mountains, was carrying a bundle of firewood. When he saw Lu Zheng, he was slightly taken aback, looking blankly as if he hadn't seen a stranger in a long time.
Lu Zheng cupped his hands in greeting and said, "My name is Lu Zheng. I was traveling and passed through this area when I saw signs of human habitation in these mountains, so I came to take a look..."
It took the man a moment to react. He dropped the firewood he was holding, bowed slightly, and said, "A guest is a guest, please come in, please come in... My name is Huang Jing, a hermit from the mountains, and I haven't seen outsiders for a long time..."
Perhaps because he hadn't communicated with others for a long time, the man spoke intermittently and somewhat unclearly.
Hearing the voice, Lu Zheng felt that the other person was younger than him, but because he didn't dress up much, he looked older.
Huang Jing cheerfully led Lu Zheng into the courtyard and poured him two bowls of cold water.
Huang Jing took a big gulp from the bowl, then said, "My place is quite remote, far from the main road. It must have been difficult for you to find it all by yourself, brother."
Huang Jing looked at Lu Zheng and found that although Lu Zheng was dressed in ordinary clothes, his temperament and appearance were not like those of an ordinary person.
Lu Zheng took a sip of cold water and smiled, "I read some books before and learned some skills to survive in the world, otherwise I wouldn't dare to run around aimlessly on my own."
As he spoke, Lu Zheng lightly tapped the tip of his right finger, and a glimmer of light flashed and disappeared.
"Cultivator?"
Huang Jing's eyes brightened slightly, and he exclaimed in realization, "I knew you had an extraordinary bearing! May I ask what kind of cultivation method you practice?"
Lu Zheng smiled and said, "I've learned a bit of everything, and I don't have a fixed teacher."
Huang Jing couldn't help but sigh, "Studying a wide variety of things? That's quite impressive. A cultivator can't learn too much without skill..."
Lu Zhengdao said, "Brother, aren't you also a scholar, and even a member of the Confucian school?"
Huang Jing's scholarly talent was impossible to hide from Lu Zheng's eyes.
Upon hearing this, Huang Jing's expression changed slightly, and the joy on his face diminished somewhat.
“Brother, you have a discerning eye. But what kind of scholar am I? I have no skills; I'm just a country bumpkin now.”
Huang Jing's tone was somewhat low as he changed the subject, saying, "Please sit down first, I'll go tidy up. Nobody usually comes here, it's a mess everywhere..."
Huang Jing put down the rough bowl, strode outside to pick up firewood and piled it in the yard, then tidied up the yard.
While working, Huang Jing said, "Brother, you didn't bring any servants or anything with you when you went out?"
Lu Zheng smiled and said, "I come from an ordinary background. I've never been served by anyone, nor do I have the habit of being served. Why would I need servants?"
Huang Jing asked in surprise, "I thought you were from a noble family!"
Lu Zheng couldn't help but chuckle, "Do they really look that similar?"
Huang Jing looked at Lu Zheng and pondered, "It really doesn't seem like it..."
He vividly remembered the aristocratic youths he had met; weren't they all arrogant and looking down on others? They practically plastered their social standing on their foreheads for others to discern.
A young man as easygoing as Lu Zheng doesn't really seem like that kind of person.
He guessed that the person who landed must have joined some kind of immortal cultivation sect, because the temperament they had developed was extraordinary.
Huang Jing asked curiously, "Brother, have you given up eating grains?"
He had heard that there were highly accomplished cultivators who did not eat human food and instead fed on spiritual beings to cultivate themselves.
Lu Zhengdao: "No, not at all."
Huang Jing grinned, "I caught a snake this morning and made a small pot of meat soup. I'll share some with you later..."
Huang Jing raised his chin and looked towards the simple kitchen, where the firelight flickered and a faint aroma wafted through the air.
Lu Zheng nodded and said, "Okay."
Huang Jing tidied up the courtyard and house, then brought out two large bowls of steaming hot meat porridge and shared them with Lu Zheng.
Huang Jing, holding a bowl, sat down casually next to Lu Zheng. "Brother, is your cultivation usually very strenuous?" Lu Zheng replied, "It's alright. I have pretty good talent and learn things quickly, but I still have to work very hard."
Huang Jing couldn't help but ask, "Is that so? Do your cultivation sects also have a system of status and seniority...?"
Lu Zhengdao said, "I guess I'm a rogue cultivator. I've been to some sects before, and they do have a lot of rules, not much different from ordinary people. In any sect, there are just a group of people who are a little more powerful than ordinary people."
Huang Jing couldn't help but sigh, "It seems that it's the same everywhere. I really envy you, brother. It's a pity that I don't have any ability and can't go out to see the world."
Lu Zhengdao: "Brother Huang, aren't you a scholar? Is it possible that in Qi, scholars are so numerous that they've become obsolete?"
Huang Jing couldn't help but glance sideways and said quietly, "Brother Lu, aren't you from Qi?"
Lu Zheng slowly shook his head.
Huang Jing took a sip of porridge and sighed, "Brother Lu, have you ever heard the saying..."
Lu Zhengdao: "What?"
Huang Jing's expression was solemn, yet tinged with self-mockery. He said softly, "A scholar is utterly useless!"
Lu Zheng remained silent upon hearing this, quietly watching Huang Jing.
Huang Jing said indignantly, "So what if you're a scholar? In Qi, without a proper background, a scholar's degree is practically useless!"
After saying that, Huang Jing drank the hot soup in big gulps, turning his grief and indignation into appetite.
He was originally from a local village family, and his elderly parents scrimped and saved to support his education.
Huang Jing failed the imperial examinations several times, initially thinking it was because his skills were lacking. Later, he worked hard to study on his own and broke through to the level of a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations).
At the time, he thought he could change his fate and give his family a better life.
As a result, after registering at the county government, no one gave him a second glance.
He spent money and pulled strings to find a decent job in the city, but even becoming a minor official in the county government required him to be a candidate.
After repeatedly being rejected when he offered his services, Huang Jing finally understood a principle.
Those people didn't value that he was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations; they valued his family background more.
He was just an ordinary farmer with no background whatsoever, and not worthy of being promoted.
There are plenty of scholars in Qi, and it's not his place as a mere scholar to be valued.
More than a decade of hard study could not compare to a single recommendation from a prominent family.
Back then, many students who passed the county-level imperial examination before him did not necessarily have better exam results. They were chosen because of their good family background, and were then given priority in the selection process. They were then given literary blessings at the Confucian Temple and easily entered the county-level imperial examination.
Knowing the truth, the harsh reality dealt Huang Jing a heavy blow.
Then his parents fell seriously ill one after another, and died because they had no money and no medicine. This became the last straw that broke the camel's back.
To pay for his parents' medical treatment, Huang Jing sold his ancestral home and land. After that, he had nowhere to go and did not want to be bossed around, so he shed the respectable facade he once had and went into seclusion in the deep mountains.
Huang Jing finished his meal in silence, but he wasn't in a good mood.
Lu Zheng, who was standing to the side, remained silent. He could roughly guess what this young man had gone through to be able to say those things.
The weather in the mountains can change in an instant.
Before night had fully fallen, a storm began to blow.
Huang Jing hurriedly invited Lu Zheng into the house to take shelter from the rain, and even gave the bed to Lu Zheng while he slept on the floor next to him.
After a while, the sky became completely dark, and a light drizzle continued.
Huang Jing lay on the floor, his emotions fluctuating.
"Brother Lu, do you think it's really that hard for ordinary people like us to turn our lives around?"
After hearing this, Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "It is indeed not easy."
Huang Jing said quietly, "Am I not good enough? I used to want to continue my studies and become a Juren! But when I thought about how even if I became a Juren, people might look down on me, ostracize and suppress me... what's the point of studying then?"
Throughout the entire Qi state, there were many ordinary people like him who tried to change their fate through studying and taking the imperial examinations, but how many of them could actually succeed?
Huang Jing said bitterly, "If I had just stayed a farmer, my parents wouldn't have had to work so hard, and they wouldn't have gotten sick..."
Lu Zheng gently comforted him, "That's not your problem, it's the world that has a problem."
Upon hearing this, Huang Jing sighed and said, "The world is in trouble. What can we do?"
He really didn't know what he could do to live like a human being in this kind of world.
Lu Zhengdao: "There's always something of value we can do. Haven't all the sages and virtuous people throughout history wanted to make the world a better place?"
Huang Jing's eyes flickered slightly, and he said in a low voice, "How can they compare to someone like that..."
Lu Zhengdao said, "Even if we can't compare, they still left behind many valuable things that we can learn from."
Upon hearing this, Huang Jing roughly understood what Lu Zheng meant, but he had no interest in reading those classic texts and remained silent for a moment.
Outside, the rain was getting heavier and heavier.
Inside the thatched hut, rainwater dripped down through the cracks.
"pat..."
The coldness of the rain startled Huang Jing, and he sat up abruptly from the ground.
He scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, "It's leaking again. This place is really too shabby. I should renovate it properly. Did Brother Lu get splashed by the rain?"
Huang Jing turned to look at where Lu Zheng was, and in the darkness, he could only see a dark figure.
"It's alright. As Confucius said, 'If a virtuous person lives here, how can it be considered lowly?'"
Upon hearing this, a radiant light flashed throughout the room.
In an instant, the thatched hut changed. The hut was the same as before, but many parts had been reinforced.
The leaks have been completely covered up, the surrounding walls and floors are now sturdy and smooth, and all the furniture and belongings look brand new...
Huang Jing's eyes widened in shock, and he stammered, "Brother Lu...you, you...you're a Confucian cultivator?"
He read the words of the sage, but he could not do it at all.
Lu Zheng simply smiled and said, "I have a wide range of knowledge, and I naturally know some of the words of Confucian sages. You see, I can do this much with just a few words, enough to sweep a room. If a sage were like that, he might be able to sweep away the dust and chaos of this world."
"How others read the classics is not important; what matters is what you can learn from them yourself..."
Huang Jing stared blankly, momentarily moved by Lu Zheng's words.
Huang Jing didn't know how he got through the rainy day. He only remembered talking to Lu Zheng for a while before he fell asleep without realizing it.
The next morning, Huang Jing woke up from his sleep and hurriedly got up, only to find that Lu Zheng was nowhere to be seen.
However, stacks of books were placed on the originally empty bed.
Huang Jing took a curious look and found that they were all books he had never seen before, and they were exquisitely made.
"Thoughts? What kind of book is this..."
Huang Jing couldn't help but pick up one of the books and start flipping through it. (End of Chapter)