Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Datianjie Temple.

On the high mountain peak, Dao Yan looked at the long sacrificial procession, stretching past like a group of moving black ants.

The morning breeze blew by, and the black cassock on Daoyan's body was blown up. His eyes were a little glazed, as if he was caught in some kind of memory.

At this moment, footsteps came from behind.

Daoyan turned around and saw his eldest disciple Huikong walking up to him.

The delicate-looking Huikong was dressed in an apricot-yellow monk's robe, but he was dressed as a warrior monk. He exposed half of his arms with very clear muscle outlines, and saluted him with his hands clasped together.

The strange thing is that Huikong didn't say a word.

Dao Yan also returned the favor.

On the mountain peak, the two were silent for a long time.

"Huikong, your silence will come in handy next year."

Huikong nodded, still silent.

The so-called closed-mouth meditation means to reduce the karma of the mouth, eliminate sins and avoid disasters, and reduce one's own sins. Opening the mouth is a sin. Close-mouthed meditation is when one opens the mouth to the extreme, and the mind also has enlightenment. Get great results.

And monks who practice this Zen method have another advantage.

- Confidentiality.

"Jiang Sheng will be released from prison next year. At that time, you will need some manpower around you. You are intelligent by nature, and clear in mind and body. With this closed-minded mantra, go protect Jiang Sheng and listen to his arrangements. Don't you listen? He said, this is the reason why I chose you as my teacher, and it is also your opportunity."

Daoyan motioned to sit down and rest on the big rock on the top of the mountain. Huikong didn't do it. Instead, he took out a rolled-up piece of paper from the apricot-yellow monk's robe and handed it to Daoyan.

Dao Yan took it, shook it open, looked at it, and handed it to Huikong.

Huikong didn't refuse. If the master asked him to read it, he would read it.

When Huikong finished reading, he was a little surprised and looked up at Master Daoyan with a little doubt in his eyes.

"Teacher, speak slowly, and you listen slowly."

Dao Yan spread the paper out on the cold rock and read it word by word.

"You probably think it's ridiculous for a teacher to be so fussy, right?"

Ignoring Huikong's reaction, Daoyan continued to talk to himself.

"If the so-called Little Ice Age can be proven through changes in historical data and calendars, then probably no one will believe it anyway."

Huikong was speechless.

"Actually, the key point here is that what matters is not what dream the immortal entrusted to you, but who the immortal is."

Huikong narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at his master.

"On the contrary, if you are a minister, what you are concerned about must be what dreams the emperor has given him and what he wants to do under the guise of a dream given by an immortal."

"I believe that not only His Majesty and His Highness the First Prince think so, but also all the civil and military officials."

"But what I want as a teacher is not this ridiculous dream."

"But let Jiang Sheng appear in front of the world!"

Daoyan looked calmly at this silent monk who had been raised by him and knew almost all his secrets.

"With His Majesty, he needs an immortal; with Master, it doesn't matter whether Jiang Sheng is an immortal or not. What matters is that his knowledge can open up a new world like Pangu's giant axe."

"And according to Jiang Sheng's somewhat lazy temperament, if His Majesty asks him to come out and be a national advisor, Jiang Sheng will definitely refuse."

Daoyan paused and gave another example.

“And from the incident of ‘Prison Writing’, it can be clearly seen that Jiang Sheng’s humanity has not been lost, but has become more complicated.”

"In other words, when Jiang Sheng preached and received his karma, he seemed to be the incarnation of immortal Buddhas all over the sky, omniscient and omniscient."

"But once Jiang Sheng leaves this state and becomes an ordinary mortal, then although he will lose some greed for worldly money, beauty, and status, his own humanity will never be lost."

Dao Yan's eyes became a little complicated, and he looked in the direction of the prison.

"My master has been paying attention to Jiang Sheng."

"He has the impulsiveness of a teenager, the fatigue of a traveler, a rare sense of empathy, and the helplessness of lying down and accepting being manipulated."

Daoyan stood up and Huikong looked at him seriously.

"In this world, there is no shortage of a Saint Jiang who can do things. What is lacking is a Saint Jiang who can bring out his best characteristics and spread his thoughts to the whole world."

"I will smile to the sky from my horizontal sword, leaving my liver and gallbladder intact."

"Jiang Sheng wants to be as famous as Kunlun, so I can give it to him as his master. It just so happened that Zhang Yuchu proposed to send the elixir of fertilizer in the name of the immortal."

"The name of an immortal is no less impressive."

"And only in this way, by putting Jiang Shengxian in such a high and invincible position, can he have the qualifications and motivation to do what he should do."

"Otherwise, Jiang Shengruo is just a mortal in the eyes of the world. No matter what he does, he will be criticized verbally and writtenly to the point where it is impossible to start."

After listening quietly, Huikong understood what Master Daoyan meant.

In Dao Yan's view, the difference between Jiang Xinghuo's 'immortal' and 'human' attributes is extremely obvious. When Jiang Xinghuo is in a lecturing state, he is a true immortal; and when Jiang Xinghuo returns to normal, The humanity in him is also easy to understand. He is like a young traveler who "went to his country with a sword and left his relatives to travel far away" for a long time.

He had been away from home for too long and too far. On his way home, he missed his hometown and recalled his past experiences, but he still had to face the difficult journey now.

He doesn't care about the treasures he encounters during the journey. He can't take them with him. He will brag solemnly to his companions. He will also think about how to die more decently when facing danger. Similarly, he will also encounter treasures on the road. When a person is in trouble, provide sympathetic help. Maybe he has fallen to this point in his past journey.

And when faced with a young traveler who wants to go home, how can we keep him behind?

According to his master, the best way is to make him have to stay temporarily due to his lofty status, rather than giving him a position of power in the eyes of ordinary people.

There is no shortage of people in this world who want to gain power, and there is no shortage of people who can do things.

This world lacks someone who can guide them to the right future.

After all, what every idealist whose passion has not cooled down in his heart does not need money, beauty, power, or other things at all. What he needs is to realize his ideals.

"Seventy years are rare in life."

"I don't know how many more years I can live, or more than ten years."

"I don't miss the desires in this world as a teacher."

"A few months ago, I felt that I had finished performing the Dragon Supporting Technique with my own hands and that I would have no regrets in this life."

"But now as a teacher, I hope that if I can live for a few more years, I will pave the way for my new ideal and make a good start."

Daoyan pinched the rosary beads in his hand and said leisurely with his back to Huikong.

In the past, Dao Yan's ideal was to abandon his family and career to rebel and prove his "dragon-supporting skills".

As for Dao Yan now, his ideal is to shape the future with his own hands in the last stage of his life and guide the Ming Dynasty towards that "Great Harmony Society."

He wants to show

——Dragon Slaying Technique!

Yes, that's why Daoyan didn't go crazy and started to handle official duties normally.

Because after a long period of thinking, Daoyan finally realized that he was destined not to see the emergence of the dawn similar to the "Datong Society" in this life.

But it doesn't matter, there is no need to be depressed about this, because his life has undergone earth-shaking changes since he listened to Jiang Xinghuo's lesson.

The "Great Harmony Society" does not appear out of thin air, but is the result of the progress of manufacturing forces and historical evolution.

Just like a phoenix rising from the ashes, a new society is always born from the body of the old society.

The historical mission that Daoyan has given himself is to promote the advancement of manufacturing and incubate the classes that will form the next new society in advance. In other words, he has also promoted the creation of the necessary class foundation for the "Great Harmony World" in advance.

And this class base is businessmen.

Therefore, Dao Yan must go all out to promote colonization and trade in the West and overseas.

In Dao Yan's judgment, if the Ming Dynasty continues to follow the old path, then according to his understanding of the Ming Dynasty and the strong inertia of the agricultural society, it is almost impossible to embark on this new path, unless there is an external force to interrupt the old path. path of.

By then, I'm afraid it will be the blood-stained stone city that Jiang Sheng said.

Therefore, Dao Yan has the obligation, ability and responsibility to follow the direction pointed by Jiang Xinghuo, quietly reverse the future path of Ming Dynasty, and lead the old Ming Dynasty to a new path.

But you must know that hundreds of civil servants were unwilling to go to the Western Sea. For this reason, it was the emperor who raised money from the vassals and nobles to start the shipbuilding plan necessary for the first voyage to the Western Sea.

And if you want to conquer Japan and expand overseas trade and colonization, this amount of funds is simply not enough.

As for the so-called existence of gold and silver in Japan, civilian officials will not believe this reason at all.

Therefore, if he wants to get the civil servants to agree to spend such a large sum of money out of thin air, which is also the necessary start-up capital to cultivate a new class, Daoyan must plan a plan, one that looks ridiculous, but can make all civil servants unknowingly Jump in and be grateful for his innings.

"Jiang Sheng knows too little about the ways of strategizing."

"Today, as a teacher, I will first explore the path for Jiang Sheng."

Dao Yan was determined and gave Huikong a few more instructions before Huikong left quietly.

And then, another expected person came to report.

Jin Youzi was dressed in a green robe and an official hat, and he walked up the steps calmly.

"how?"

Daoyan didn't put on any airs, twirled the beads in his hand and asked with a smile.

Looking at Dao Yan's smile like a sick tiger staring at food, Jin Youzi said repeatedly: "Everything goes well, everything goes well."

"How did the officials react when they learned the 'truth' about Xia Shangshu's proposal for the Ming Dynasty's national debt?"

Jin Youzi said with a joking smile: "They all look quite ashamed, but I guess these old foxes are just pretending."

"It's just a show."

Dao Yan said disapprovingly: "The civil servants of the Manchu Dynasty should have been criticizing Xia Yuanjikou in the morning, right?"

"Of course." Jin Youzi nodded.

"What do you think their motives are?" Dao Yan's words had a hint of a school exam.

Jin Youzi thought for a while and then said: "There are some people who are really not willing to deal with Xia Shangshu and take the opportunity to make trouble, but these people are only a very small number, and there are still some who have fallen into the wind. Seeing their superiors and teachers speak, they will also Follow up with a few words of reprimand to show off."

"Then tell me." Dao Yan turned the rosary in his hand, "Those ministers and ministers, with their status, why do they want to speak? Since they are not the grass that falls in the wind, they have no grudges against Xia Shangshu, let alone anything. Disputes of interests. The most important thing is that if the deduction of one month's salary and the "Ming Dynasty National Debt" really affects anyone, it will definitely not affect them. Which of these high-ranking officials is not rich? With one month's salary deducted and starved to death, it is those who There are really things that junior officials can’t reveal.”

"Referring to mulberry trees and scolding huai trees."

Jin Youzi is straightforward and straightforward.

"Obviously I am scolding Xia Shangshu, but I am scolding him for His Majesty to hear. Isn't it true that Xia Shangshu deceived His Majesty and failed His grace?"

"But." Jin Youzi's face finally became a little confused, "Master Daoyan, there is something I really don't understand, and I would like to ask the master for advice."

"Let's talk about it."

A strong wind blew by, and Dao Yan's black cassock moved wildly on the hill.

"Withholding a month's salary from hundreds of officials to subscribe for the Ming Dynasty's treasury bonds. On the surface, this is ridiculously stupid."

Jin Youzi said helplessly: "You don't know that the court's rules mean that no matter how difficult the country is, officials' salaries cannot be affected."

Seeing that Daoyan didn't speak, Jin Youzi continued.

"Moreover, even if he wants to set an example, he can't deduct his salary for a month. Could some petty officials force him to starve to death?"

Daoyan patiently listened to Jin Youzi's words and then said.

"It just makes them feel like they were almost starved to death."

Jin Youzi was stunned for a moment.

"It doesn't make sense." Jin Youzi said earnestly, "Even if the officials who have subscribed a lot are given some worthless honors, it is much better than killing them all."

Dao Yan looked at the other party with extremely cold eyes.

"Repeat those eight words that I asked you to tell Xia Shangshu before."

"Build the plank road openly and visit the old warehouse secretly." Jin Youzi said.

Dao Yan nodded slightly and asked, "How do you understand?"

"On the surface, they are using the 'Ming Dynasty National Debt' to suppress civil and military officials, but in fact they are trying to follow this trend and direct the matter to the 'fertilizer elixir'."

"You only know one, but not the other."

Dao Yan shook his head and said calmly: "Your guess is correct. Lao Na's layout does have this meaning, but the most important thing is another meaning."

"Master Daoyan, please come and speak. I am all ears."

"Most of the officials are from the gentry class, and their nature is like this. They can't care about the immediate things. No one cares about what will happen a hundred or even hundreds of years after their death. Therefore, they just pretend to feel guilty towards Xia Shangshu. The purpose of the Ice Age will also be indifference.”

"They only care about one thing, their own interests."

"What the gentry relies on for maintenance is nothing more than farming and reading."

"The greatest benefit to them from the chemical fertilizer elixir is that it can increase their grain yield per acre!"

Daoyan revealed the secret with one word.

Jin Youzi nodded. Although he said it more bluntly, it was indeed the case. He said: "The officials may not believe that this is really a gift from the immortal, and they may question whether it is effective at first, but as time goes by, , they will naturally discover the value of chemical fertilizer elixir and then change their attitude.”

Jin Youzi's speculation was certainly correct, but Daoyan's next words surprised him even more.

"The cost of the so-called fertilizer elixir is not as high as imagined. The reason why it became the 'elixir' in His Majesty's mouth is because the civil and military officials do not know this and subconsciously think that it can double the yield per mu. The elixir is definitely worth a lot of money. I want to take advantage of the mentality of the officials to make them truly realize the benefits they have gained."

"Benefits?" Jin Youzi frowned.

Dao Yan said with a smile: "The reason why these national debts of the Ming Dynasty have to be deducted from the salaries of the civil and military officials of the capital is that these national debts are actually used to establish the first batch of fertilizer elixir refining workshops, and All the civil and military officials in the capital will therefore have part of the income from this workshop."

"What?!"

Jin Youzi opened his eyes in disbelief.

"Isn't this a huge benefit for all the civil and military officials? You know, the fertilizer elixir must be relatively expensive to sell at the beginning. Isn't this a hugely profitable business?"

"It is precisely because of the huge profits that we should extend our kindness widely."

Dao Yan's smile became more and more incomprehensible: "Although you are a close minister of His Majesty, you are also one of the hundreds of officials. After going through this process, what kind of changes will happen to your psychology?"

Jin Youzi said frankly: "Naturally, I went from angry and confused to ecstatic."

At the beginning, the officials learned that their salaries for the next month would be forcibly withheld and used to subscribe for Ming Dynasty treasury bonds. Needless to say, the officials were angry.

After you have worked hard for a month, your boss tells you that your salary next month will be used to buy the company's own bonds, and you will not be able to get it back until five years later.

Anyone else would be angry!

But if after you get angry or even yell at your boss, your boss tells you that this bond is bound to the company’s latest product, and you know that this latest product is the only one on the market and has a monopoly effect. It will definitely become a hit when it is launched. Sometimes the income is ten times, a hundred times, or a thousand times.

So how do you feel at this time?

ecstatic!

Thank you!

Long live the boss!

The company is my home!

"What I want is for them to be so happy and sad that they have no time to guess my true intentions."

Dao Yan said calmly: "Next, His Majesty will announce that there are a large amount of materials necessary for refining the fertilizer elixir overseas, but it requires continuous funding from the court for several years. The new construction includes ports, docks, docks, and hiring sailors. Training of sailors and other expenses.”

"Do you think that at this time, the civil and military officials who have tasted the sweetness will agree to this plan without hesitation, which they would never agree to at ordinary times?"

Jin Youzi clenched the fists in his sleeves tightly.

It turns out that this is Master Daoyan's method of practicing the plank road openly and secretly cultivating Chen Cang!

At this time, Dao Yan turned around, looked at the line of people heading towards the great altar, and murmured in his heart.

"With this money, the facilities and personnel needed to go to sea will be met, and the facilities established and the talents cultivated will become the first step for Ming Dynasty to move towards ocean trade."

"As long as the first voyage to the West is over and the Ming Dynasty begins to realize the benefits of maritime trade, then it is natural that maritime trade will bring about improvements in manufacturing and then promote the growth of the merchant class. matter."

"Maybe hundreds of years later, when the merchant class has grown enough, the material foundation will determine the top structure, and the merchant class will inevitably seek to change the status of the temple."

"That's when the giant dragon of feudal monarchy will be slain."

"Although I couldn't see that day coming, I personally wielded the first sword to slay the dragon."

Dao Yan closed his eyes, and he seemed to see himself slashing out an invisible sword at the giant blood-sucking insect that had been entrenched in the sky for thousands of years.

The vampire's body was cut open with a small opening.

But it was still unconscious, and there was even a little blood-sucking insect gestating in its belly, drinking its mother's blood and gradually growing up.

"However, when the merchant class takes control of the country and forms a new society, there will be a new class that will become the next butterfly to struggle out of the chrysalis of the old society."

Dao Yan's eyes became extremely deep, as if he had seen the future.

A blood-sucking worm disguised as harmless to humans and animals gradually grew up, and hidden inside the body of the blood-sucking worm was a red butterfly.

"The day the butterfly spreads its wings is the day when great unity comes."

Dao Yan stared blankly in the direction of the prison.

Looking at the bottom of the mountain, the clouds and mist, the many complicated lights and shadows in the eyes, finally turned into a ray of light.