Chapter 164: Studying behind closed doors, cultivating oneself and managing the family
Chapter 164: Studying behind closed doors, cultivating oneself and managing the family (Subscription required)
"Zifu Yuanzong?"
After reading this transcript, Xu Qing knew that the matter of using Qi to condense the physical body seemed to have to rely on the Zi Fu Yuan Sect of Zi Yang Zhenren, the founder of the Southern School of Quanzhen Taoism.
Of course, there are definitely more than just Zifu Yuanzong’s methods of cultivating Zifu in the world.
But Zifu Yuanzong sounds very professional.
What's more, what Xu Qing has learned is closely related to Quanzhen Taoism, so Zifu Yuanzong is definitely the best choice.
"But there's no need to rush about Zifu Yuanzong's affairs. We've gained a lot this time. After digesting it, it won't be too late to move on to the next step."
Xu Qing closed the notebook and calmed his mind.
He took out his sac.
Because it contains the universe, it is actually a storage bag in the novels of cultivation. Xu Qing named it "Qiankun Nang", which means it contains the universe.
The material of the Qiankun Bag is human skin, but it is definitely not ordinary human skin.
He must have been an extremely powerful being when he was alive.
Xu Qing's Wuji Sword could not leave any mark on the Qiankun Bag.
This shows how amazing the material is.
Unfortunately, the storage space of the Qiankun Bag is only the size of a utility room in a residential building like the Li family’s old house. It is suitable for children to play hide-and-seek, but it would be a bit cramped if adults were inside.
In any case, with an extra Qiankun Bag, it will be much more convenient for Xu Qing to go out in the future.
As for how the space inside the Qiankun Bag was formed, he currently cannot figure it out.
Xu Qing then sorted out the things in the Qiankun bag with Feng Wu. The most important things were naturally placed in the Qiankun bag and handed over to Xu Qing for safekeeping.
The other things were taken out to make room for the Qiankun Bag.
After all, such storage space is extremely precious and can be of great use at certain times.
When summarizing materials.
There are two main types of elixirs that are useful for cultivation.
One is the elixir from the inner storehouse, which has a good effect on those who are masters of organ training, nourishing yin and blood, strengthening the foundation and replenishing the vital energy.
One is the elixir from the outer storehouse, which mainly has the function of strengthening the bones and muscles and strengthening the qi and blood. Of course, for the masters of internal organ training, the effect is not so obvious.
In addition, the inner treasury also has some Quanzhen Taoist elixir recipes from the past. If these recipes fall into the hands of useful people, their value will be greater than the elixirs themselves.
Xu Qing took a look and found that the only difficult thing was that the medicinal materials inside were very difficult to get, and they came from all over the world. In particular, there were several rare medicinal materials produced in the Western Regions.
Now the influence of the Dayu Dynasty on the Western Regions is far less than that of the previous dynasty. It is not easy for Xu Qing to obtain this rare medicinal material in Nanzhili.
He was not in a hurry. He first gave it to Danxi Weng, Xu Fu and others for research, and slowly produced results.
In fact, although his current power is not very large, it is comprehensive enough and has a foundation in all aspects.
These are currently just the process of laying the foundation. As our power grows in the future, they will naturally take root and make some achievements.
The meal must be eaten one bite at a time, and the road must be walked step by step.
To outsiders, Xu Qing seems to be hasty in his work, but in fact, every step of Xu Qing's expansion of power is very solid. He will never take what he should not take, and he will never be stingy with the benefits that should be distributed.
During the sorting process, Xu Qing also found the Wisdom Sword that Yan Kong wanted. Xu Qing learned the origin of the Wisdom Sword from Yu Yangzi's notes.
Its actual name is the Forgetful Sword, made of ten thousand years of cold jade. It is better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes than to help each other in times of adversity. It has the effect of calming the mind, cutting off distracting thoughts, and eliminating inner demons. And as a flying sword, its power is not bad.
This is one of the swords worn by Chongyangzi’s former Taoist companion.
Red-haired Yankong wanted this thing in order to use it to destroy the spiritual nature of Yankong that was still left in his body.
"Do you want to use this sword? If not, give it to me." Feng Wu didn't like the peach wood sword very much. The Xiangwang Sword was more to her liking.
"The Xuantian Treasury is the secret of your master's inheritance. If you want it, just take it."
"Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. I am a member of the Xu family now, so my things are naturally yours."
Xu Qing was a little dazed for a moment. Yes, although Feng Wu was a cultivator who yearned for freedom in her heart, she was essentially a woman of this era, and some of her concepts were different from his previous life.
"What's wrong?" Feng Wu saw that her husband looked dazed.
Xu Qing smiled and said, "It's okay. You can take charge of the family affairs. This way I can concentrate on doing big things."
Feng Wu: "Of course, you want to make the decision on these matters, but I don't agree with that."
She quickly got into the role, as if to make up for her mother's regrets. In her opinion, her mother also hoped that after her father became successful, the woman would take care of the household and the man would take care of the outside affairs, so that the Feng family would prosper.
This is also a relatively happy ending in many stories about talented men and beautiful women.
A lady from a wealthy family marries a poor scholar, who then passes the imperial examination, and the two are reunited. She is recognized by the lady's family, and even curries favor with them...
Xu Qing nodded.
He now has a new understanding of starting a family and building a career.
The ancients first got married and then started a career, which is indeed reasonable. With a family, you will have more motivation to work hard and feel at ease.
In later generations, it seems to be the other way around.
He also didn't think there would be anything right or wrong since the customs in later generations would be different from those at present.
After all, different eras cannot be compared.
If you are not satisfied with it, then make yourself stronger and change it. Of course, complaining is also a way to vent your inner feelings. Not everyone is destined to get good results if they work hard.
Nor should we belittle our efforts just because there are no results.
If we move forward towards a better life, what is there to blame even if we don't do it well or there are no results?
Does Xu Qing think that his success is entirely due to his own talent?
Even with a bronze mirror, there is still some element of luck involved.
Besides, getting a bronze mirror is also a kind of luck.
Many people who have achieved certain success always like to attribute their achievements too much to their personal abilities and boast about their talents.
It is okay to be flattered by others, but if you feel the same way, you will inevitably lose your caution and become arrogant, which is not a good thing.
Self-confidence is an excellent quality, but conceit is unnecessary.
A gentleman works hard all day and is vigilant at night. If he is strict, he will not make any mistakes.
After Xu Qing's self-reflection, he felt more down-to-earth. Now that he had a family and a career, he no longer had the worries of ordinary people. Instead, he had more courage and determination.
After sorting out the things in the Qiankun bag, Xu Qing picked up the pen.
Feng Wu, regardless of being tired, continued to grind ink for Xu Qing.
She likes watching Xu Qing write, which gives her a sense of security and comfort.
In fact, when two people work together, it is not easy to feel tired, and they may even enjoy it.
Xu Qing did not write any articles or poems, but instead wrote an ancient text:
In ancient times, those who wished to manifest the illustrious virtues throughout the world… first put their families in order… first cultivated themselves… only after they had understood the nature of things could they attain ultimate knowledge; only after they had attained ultimate knowledge could their intentions be sincere; only after their intentions were sincere could their hearts be right… all of this was based on cultivating the self.
In a word, it means to cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the country and bring peace to the world.
The profound meaning of these words fully explains the relationship between self-cultivation and family, country and the world.
He has done a lot of things. If he wants to continue to expand his strength and influence, he must continue to cultivate himself.
In the following days, Xu Qing focused on reading.
In particular, he planned to re-read the Four Books and Five Classics to comprehend the profound meanings contained therein. In addition, he also read Taoist Canon and Buddhist scriptures as a change of pace.
This was the approach taken by Master Chongyang back then.
The three religions are harmoniously integrated, and one can understand the mind and see the nature, thus preserving the truth.
Of course, Red-haired Yankong's Quanxing Dao has its own unique features, but it is not suitable for Xu Qing now.
In his spare time, he often went to Tianji Academy to exchange reading experiences with members of Fushe.
A wise man will lose one thing after a thousand worries, and a fool will gain one thing after a thousand worries.
His current academic exchanges have a hint of the charm of the pre-Qin Jixia Academy.
During this process, Xu Qing also went to the fields to work.
A labor force that is a master of dirty work, that is beyond doubt.
However, at the beginning, Xu Qing also made a fool of himself, but he didn't care and directly asked the old farmer for advice.
No matter how low the status of farmers was in reality, the atmosphere of the dynasty still attached importance to agriculture.
The country and the people.
Xu Qing's understanding is that "she" means the society, which is his power, and "ji" means food.
If I have people and food, I will naturally have a country and a people.
Xu Qing's stability also has a kind of calm and unmoved demeanor. Originally, he was suppressing pirates, measuring the land, and converting rice to mulberry... Each of these things was a big deal.
But at present, it seems to be developing smoothly.
In addition, the beautiful lady of Haisha Gang, Mrs. Hai, had taken the initiative to join Xu Qing after being tamed by Su Lianqing, and was temporarily released back to Haisha Gang. She had a very high status in Haisha Gang, and after returning, this beautiful lady was indeed very skillful, so she managed to cover up the matter.
In fact, deceiving superiors and hiding the truth from subordinates is also common practice.
No matter how good Prince Yu is at planning and disguising himself, he is still the crown prince under the emperor's nose. He is not a god, so how can he find out everything?
Moreover, Mrs. Hai hinted that she and Xu Qing were doing business.
Now Xu Qing is a hot figure in the southeast, and it is definitely not a bad thing for Prince Yu to be on good terms with him.
As for the later events where the cunning rabbit dies and the running dogs are cooked, that is something that happened after he became emperor.
There is no hunter who starts out with hunting dogs.
...
...
After Feng Wu obtained the Xiangwang Sword, he devoted himself to the practice of the Annihilation Book.
This sword and the practice of the Way of Exterminating Emotions complement each other.
The process of her refining the sword was also exceptionally smooth.
Of course, she didn't like the peach wood sword simply because she didn't like the Lotus Sect. The peach wood sword was the sacred weapon of the Lotus Sect. The Xiangwang Sword was very suitable for her, and she made rapid progress in practicing it.
Plus the elixirs from Xuantian’s treasure house.
Feng Wu's spiritual foundation became stronger.
She was laying the groundwork for her later spiritual connection with Xu Qing.
The more solid the foundation, the better the effect of spiritual communication.
Moreover, Xu Qing's soul is improving very quickly. If the two of them have their first spiritual intercourse when he touches the threshold of possession, the effect will be very good, and may even help Xu Qing break through to the realm of possession.
As a result, Feng Wu was able to experience the state of possession during the process of spiritual communication.
In addition, the two of them would comprehend the Xuantian Miaoyin Marrow Cleansing Method in their spare time.
Xu Qing practiced the sounds of nature, while Feng Wu practiced the sounds of earth.
This is a gradual process, there is no rush.
Xu Qing also used this opportunity to comprehend the higher realm of Tiger, Leopard and Thunder Sound.
After all, if Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound is practiced to a higher level, it can also have the effect of cleansing the marrow.
...
...
Capital city, Yanyue Hall.
Although the Prime Minister is busy with all kinds of affairs, he still keeps an eye on the movements of Mr. Xu from Jiangning Prefecture. This seems to have become a snack for him after dinner.
If you don’t eat, it feels like the day is incomplete?
He took the information in his hand and looked at it.
After discovering that Xu Qing had returned to Jiangning Prefecture from the sea, he did not cause any trouble at all.
He studied behind closed doors, cultivated himself and managed his family. He had the demeanor of great Confucian scholars since the Middle Ages.
The Prime Minister frowned.
"Yuanfu, what's wrong?" asked Chen Fu, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
The recent reforms have been going smoothly, and his power is getting stronger and stronger. Originally, Wang Gong, the Minister of Finance, was the chief minister's man. Of course, at this level, he was more of an ally and a close comrade-in-arms than his own man.
But in fact, Wang Gong was secretly flirting with Prince Yu and had actually become Prince Yu's person.
However, Wang Gong supported the reform.
This is also because Prince Yu himself supports the reform.
Sooner or later the world will be his.
No matter what, the reform will only benefit Prince Yu.
When he comes to power in the future, he will clean out the reformist veterans who have offended various forces, but that will be a matter for the future.
After all, a new emperor appoints new ministers. Regardless of whether they are reformists or not, it is absolutely right to clean up the veterans of the previous dynasty and promote ministers in the palace.
Chen Fu had no chance, but Wang Gong could jump ship. Besides being the Minister of Revenue, the real key was the Wang family of Nanzhili behind him.
Although Chen Fu's family has been officials for generations, they cannot be compared with the Wang family, a noble family.
In the Middle Ages, in dynasties like the Western Jin Dynasty, a family of the Wang family's level could be considered one of the shareholders of the imperial court.
Of course, it is impossible for the aristocratic families nowadays to be so powerful.
Times are different.
Even so, it also determined that Wang Gong's voice as the Minister of Revenue was more important than that of previous Ministers of Revenue. However, his flirting with Prince Yu also gave Chen Fu a chance.
Chen Fu did not dare to jump off the ship, because if he did, he would be punished by the Prime Minister. So he worked harder and was naturally more valued by the Prime Minister.
Cheng Guang has the integrity of an ancient scholar-official, and is a prime minister. He is only there to be admired, but he still has to rely on Chen Fu and others to do things.
The better he does his job, the greater his power naturally becomes. Now he can enter and leave Yanyue Hall more freely.
The Prime Minister showed Chen Fu the information about Xu Qing.
After Chen Fu saw it, he was also surprised.
The Prime Minister asked, "What do you think of Xu Gongming's situation?"
Chen Fu pondered and said, "This is a good thing. To get things done, we need a stable internal environment. If Xu Gongming continues to be high-profile and cause trouble everywhere, it will easily delay the important things that the Prime Minister is doing now. He is now studying behind closed doors, cultivating himself and managing his family, and keeping calm, which is effective for the stability of the overall situation."
Prime Minister: "He chose the right time. The more he did so, the more I felt that I was getting old. Young man, can you be this good?"
He looked at Chen Fu dimly.
Chen Fu felt that his heart and soul had been seen through, and hurriedly said: "Xu Gongming must have awakened his wisdom, and cannot be judged by his normal age. Yuan Fu is also in his prime, and now he is in charge of the world. How can Xu Gongming's light of a firefly be as bright as the moon?"
The Prime Minister smiled and said, "You don't have to be nervous. I was just speaking casually. This time we are suppressing the bandits, in fact, we are testing the Taoist way. Lord Chen, do you still remember the eunuch Sanbao's voyage to the West in the early years of this dynasty?"
"I know a little bit. It is said that when the eunuch Sanbao sailed to the West, he always brought tens of thousands of soldiers and horses with him. Wherever his troops went, everyone surrendered. That was also the time when our dynasty's maritime trade was at its peak."
Chen Fu was a capable man, and his words were completely different from the common people's understanding of the eunuch Sanbao's voyage to the West.
In the propaganda of the ordinary Qingliu, the eunuch Sanbao sailed to the West with silk, tea, porcelain, etc. from the Celestial Empire to reward overseas countries, publicize the majesty of the Celestial Empire and demonstrate the style of a great power.
This may sound good, but in fact it also implies that traveling to the West is a waste of money and time.
Anyway, that’s how the common people will understand it.
The Qingliu people could also use this as an excuse to prevent the court from organizing similar actions again.
In fact, the eunuch Sanbao led tens of thousands of soldiers and horses to sweep overseas countries. Wherever the ship went, he did business and brought back huge profits from maritime trade.
He also eliminated the giant bandit Chen Zuyi who was entrenched in the South Pacific Islands, and set up a Xuanwei Office in an important port in South Pacific to govern the affairs of the South Pacific countries.
It can be said that during that period, the Yu Dynasty was the de facto emperor of the Southeast Asian countries.
However, with the decline of the central authority of the Yu Dynasty, the fact that the civil officials represented the interests of the wealthy and powerful gentry behind them, the rapid decline in the navy's combat effectiveness, and the rise of Fang Xiandao overseas, the Yu Dynasty could no longer benefit from maritime trade, and even lost the Xuanwei Office in Southeast Asia.
Instead, it allowed the wealthy and powerful to gain huge profits from maritime trade through smuggling.
The civil servants pushed forward by these forces also became staunch opponents of the open sea policy and insisted that the court choose to continue the sea ban.
The Prime Minister said, "Mr. Chen is indeed a capable minister of the state. This time, the crackdown on pirates seems to be to escort the land survey and the implementation of the One Whip Law, but in fact it is to pave the way for subsequent maritime trade. The One Whip Law is just a stopgap measure."
At this point, he sighed and said, "Even if the Single Whip Law is implemented, it will only increase the revenue of the national treasury temporarily. In the final analysis, it will exploit the interests of the common people and farmers. In this way, the lives of the common people will become more difficult, and civil unrest will easily occur."
"I understand what the Prime Minister means. After the sea is opened, taxes can be reduced, which is conducive to the long-term stability of the country."
"This matter is more difficult than surveying the land. However, no matter which matter it is, it cannot avoid the administration of officials in the end. Without clear administration of officials, the personnel reform will be difficult to implement. The previous dynasty's Wang Jingchuan's affairs failed due to personnel issues. This is a warning that we must not ignore." The Prime Minister's thinking was very clear. He did one thing after another, mostly by trial and error. In the complex struggle, he found out which people could be used, which people were firmly opposed to him, and which people he could win over.
Only after these things are clear can we find the right people and clarify the administration of officials.
If he cleared up the bureaucracy from the beginning, how would he know whether the people he employed were easy to use, whether they would hold him back, or harbor evil intentions?
Only through repeated struggles can we distinguish between ourselves and the enemy.
Of course, it is not ruled out that there are deeper hidden secrets, but these struggles are necessary. Otherwise, there is no way to purify the team, and naturally there is no way to use people.
Wang Jingchuan was defeated because he was too hasty and did not have many available people.
Shang Yang was able to carry out his reforms successfully because he had the support of a new military merit group.
The Prime Minister will naturally be more cautious in light of history.
He seems to act rashly and riskily, but in fact, every step he takes has a purpose and he is cautious.
But man proposes, God disposes.
Whether it can be accomplished or not depends on God's will.
(End of this chapter)