The Sage of Confucianism and Taoism

Fang Yun took the invitation and saw that there was nothing special about it. It was the same as the invitations to literary gatherings he had received before. It was obviously not specially arranged by Li Wenying.

Feng Zimo, the Lord of the Court, said: "Since Lord Li has invited you, there must be a deep meaning."

Yu Xingshu said: "Based on my understanding of Lord Li, the word "try your best" is not his original intention. If Lord Li really wants you to go, he will directly invite you, and he asked his followers to say so, I am afraid he was entrusted by others."

Fang Yun said: "Since Lord Li values ​​it so much, let's go and take a look. However, Lord Li only said that I should go, but didn't say that I should participate in the dragon boat race, right?"

Everyone was stunned, Feng Zimo smiled and said, "You are quite clever. However, the prizes for dragon boat races have always been high, and they have even become higher in recent years. You'd better participate."

"What prizes can there be?"

"In the past, each country offered a cultural treasure from a Juren degree as a prize, and Lord Li added a piece of dragon blood ink this year. Naturally, Qingguo was not to be outdone. They even offered a "mountain and river chessboard" and even accused Lord Li of being stingy, asking Yuhai City to offer more treasures as prizes."

"Mountain and river chessboard? They are really willing to give it up." Fang Yun said.

The material of the mountain and river chessboard is a very rare stone in Qingguo. The stripes on the stone have the geographical direction of mountains and rivers. It has no magical power itself, but once it is made into a cultural treasure chessboard, once the game is launched, it can turn into a piece of mountains and rivers to trap the enemy.

The cultural treasure of Go is quite special. The chessboard, black pieces and white pieces each become a cultural treasure. The three pieces together are a complete Go cultural treasure. It is useless to take them out separately.

In the hands of an ordinary chess player, a set of Go treasures is almost as powerful as an ordinary treasure, but in the hands of a master who is proficient in Go, a set of Go treasures can exert several times the power.

However, Go, like painting and zither, requires years of learning and practice, which will take a lot of time and energy. Unless someone is extremely talented in this area, it is better to learn the classics of the saints.

Qingguo only produces four or five qualified mountain and river chessboards a year. Even if they are refined into Hanlin treasures, it is not a waste, and the value is much higher than a dragon blood ink ingot.

"Are you interested?" Feng Zimo said.

Fang Yun said: "Before I practice calligraphy to the fifth level, I will not study the music, chess and painting in depth. It's okay to try it occasionally when I relax. The mountain and river chessboard is of no use to me."

"That may not be the case. You have already shown your talent for painting. Maybe you can achieve success in the music and chess with a little effort. You can't keep good music, chess and cultural treasures in the future without using them."

"Maybe." Fang Yun didn't say it for sure. The main reason is that there are too many things in the library. As long as they can enhance the power of the human race, they can be taken out and used. Maybe they can be of great use.

General Yu said: "The mountain and river chessboard is useless to you. You can exchange it for other useful things. It is still possible to exchange it for a Jinshi cultural treasure."

"This month, I want to prepare for the exam with peace of mind." Fang Yun said helplessly. He wanted to climb the mountain of books so much. Only by winning the literary heart can his strength be qualitatively improved. Otherwise, he will never be able to stand alone without verbal battles.

Yu Xingshu nodded and said, "Okay. After you enter the Book Mountain, you must strive to move forward. The higher you climb, the greater the benefit to my Jing country!"

"Oh? I don't know about this. What are the benefits?" Fang Yun asked.

Yu Xingshu glanced at everyone. Except for Feng Zimo, everyone around him left tactfully.

"After the prefectural examination, the top ten scholars from each prefecture of the ten countries will enter the Book Mountain. The country whose scholar climbs the highest on the Book Mountain represents the prosperity of the country's education, and the Holy Academy will reward holy pages, longevity fruits, or life-giving fruits. When the scholar climbs the Book Mountain, it is not a big deal. When the Juren climbs the Book Mountain, it is said that the semi-saints of the ten countries will pay attention. Because those who can climb to a high place will inevitably become the pillars of our human race and have great potential. Generally speaking, the four great talents of each generation will emerge when the Juren climb the Book Mountain and gradually become famous all over the world."

"I see." Fang Yun said.

Yu Xingshu said seriously: "The holy way is very difficult! Humans have to fight with monsters and barbarians, and people have to fight with each other. You have to fight for the holy page treasure so that you will not be killed by monsters and foreign enemies; you have to fight for the qualification of the holy land, so that you can grow faster than others; the most important and cruel is the fight for the holy way concept. For example, your "Three Character Classic" has offended the Xunzi family."

"Ah? I understand." Fang Yun was stunned for a moment and then reacted immediately.

The opening of "Three Character Classic" is "When people are born, their nature is good", and Xunzi, the second sage, is the founder of the "theory of human nature". This "theory of human nature is evil" does not mean that people must be evil and bad, but believes that people have an evil side since birth, which is innate.

But Mencius believes that people are born with compassion, shame, resignation, and right and wrong, that is, people are good and born kind, so he is regarded as the ancestor of the theory of human nature.

This led to the confrontation between the Mencius family and the Xunzi family, which lasted for hundreds of years and could not be reconciled to this day.

Xunzi's disciples did not even accept the ideas of the second sage Mencius. If they had the chance in the future, they would naturally suppress Fang Yun.

Fang Yun also knew that there were conflicts of ideas within each family. For example, although the Han Fei family and the Li Si family were both legalists, they still had an irreconcilable hatred because of the power struggle between Han Fei and Li Si. Some new saints also had private grudges and national hatred.

Fang Yun sighed lightly, because the Xunzi family was in Qingguo, and Jingguo and Qingguo had always been at odds, the Xunzi family would naturally spare no effort to suppress him.

Feng Zimo comforted him: "The Xunzi family is not strong in my Jingguo. As long as you don't leave Jingguo, they can't do anything to you."

"I hope so." Fang Yun said.

Yu Xingshu asked: "If the Xunzi family sends someone to reprimand you, what should you do? Should you surrender or escape?"

Fang Yun thought for a moment and replied firmly: "I will neither give in nor escape. No one can stop my holy path! Not even the Yasheng family!"

"Okay!" Yu Xingshu and Feng Zimo looked at each other and smiled.

It was late at night, and the three of them stopped talking. Feng Zimo and others left, while Fang Yun and his family stayed in General Dinghai's Mansion.

Early in the morning, Fang Yun took Yang Yuhuan and the Yu family to have breakfast, then got on an armored ox cart and headed to the house prepared for him under the escort of a group of soldiers.

After arriving successfully, the family started to get busy. The state army also asked two veterans with clean wealth and rich experience to serve as Fang Yun's followers to protect Fang Yun closely.

The new Fang Mansion has a two-entry courtyard, which is one less than the previous Dayuan Mansion, but it is still enough.

Before lunch, Fang Yun sent Fang Daniu to buy some high-end Four Treasures of the Study gifts, and visited Pang Juren's house next door on the right. Neither of them revealed their identities, but just chatted for half an hour like ordinary neighbors, but overtly and secretly They talked to each other to reassure each other, and Fang Yun also expressed his full gratitude.

In the afternoon, Fang Shouye sent someone to invite Fang Yun to his house for a casual meal. Since it was his uncle's invitation, Fang Yun had no choice but to comply.

Before going to Fang Shouye's place, Fang Yun visited General Lai Pian, his neighbor on the left. General Lai Pian was very enthusiastic and wanted to stay with Fang Yun for dinner. When he learned that Fang Yun was going to Fang Shouye's place, he regretfully stopped keeping him.

Fang Yun and Yang Yuhuan took a carriage to the South Vice City. At six o'clock in the evening, they arrived in front of Fang Shouye's general mansion.

This place is far less elegant than the Fang family in Dayuan Mansion. Like Fang Yun's new house, it is an ordinary two-entry house. It does not have the slightest sense of luxury. Instead, it exudes the iron-blooded atmosphere of a soldier. It is not so much a residence as it is a house with two entrances. This is a fortress.

When Fang Yun saw the concierge, he nodded slightly and said, "I'm Fang Yun, please let me know."

The concierge immediately looked happy and shouted loudly inside: "Master Yun is here!" Then he hurriedly asked Fang Yun to come in and lead the way.

Fang Yun followed and walked inside. When he entered the second courtyard, he saw four people in casual clothes but with a military look coming out to greet him in the main hall. Behind the four people, there was also a delicate young woman.

Fang Yun only knew Fang Shouye among them, and vaguely guessed that the young woman was Fang Shouye's concubine here.

"You brat, you've been very prosperous recently! You came to Jade Sea in a flying boat, and I didn't get this treatment!" Fang Shouye punched Fang Yun on the shoulder. It was useless at all, and Fang almost lost his strength. Treat him as a comrade in the army.

"Fang Yun has met all the uncles and aunts." Fang Yun immediately cupped his hands and said, but Yang Yuhuan didn't say anything, just put his hands on his lower abdomen and bowed slightly.

Fang Shouye and other four men accepted the gifts from Fang Yun and Yang Yuhuan, while Aunt Fang, like Yang Yuhuan, bowed slightly in return without saying a word.

Fang Yun is not used to elders saluting him, even if they are concubines. He is still not used to some of the concepts of this era, but now he keeps everything in his heart, but a certain thought in his heart is getting stronger and stronger, and he even vaguely feels that It is a huge opportunity. Once grasped, future achievements will be limitless.

"Let me introduce you!" Fang Shouye put his arm around Fang Yun's shoulders and introduced three people to Fang Yun one by one. His words and deeds were not like those of a scholar, but were full of the masculinity and directness of a soldier. Once accepted, he made people feel close to them.

After everyone got to know each other, they went into the house to eat and drink together.

Fang Shouye liked to joke and talked non-stop. When the meal was almost done, the three generals left, and Aunt Fang also called Yang Yuhuan away, saying that she would give her some jewelry. Only uncle and nephew were left at the dinner table. both.

Fang Yun knew in his heart that the three people came here to meet and get to know each other first, and they would not talk in depth. They would gradually deepen their relationship in the future, and now was the time for the uncle and nephew to talk about business.

Fang Shouye took a deep breath, and the drunkenness in his eyes immediately diminished.

"Yuhai City is safe, but not necessarily comfortable." Fang Shouye looked at Fang Yun and said solemnly.

"Please ask uncle for advice."

"Do you know what gossip I heard?"

Fang Yun shook his head.

"Have you heard of Tong Chengling?"

"Of course, the Minister of War, a Hanlin scholar." Fang Yun said.

"His eldest grandson Tongli lives in Yuhai, and he took part in this year's government examination. He has already promised that he will win the first place among scholars and become a 'maocai'." Fang Shouye looked at Fang Yun.