Chapter 169 The tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn’t stop
After hearing from his mother some things that were not clearly explained in "Tonggu Jilue", Zhou Tieyi was satisfied and turned to look at the new buds in the dew-receiving plate.

The stories of the Nine Gods, Five Emperors, and Three Saints are just for listening. There is no point in studying them now. After all, they are still too far away from us. They are really as unattainable as the sun and the moon.

The reason why Zhou's mother told her son these things was because her son had grown up and needed to know these key information to make judgments.

But she would not give more subjective guesses, for fear of affecting her son's judgment. After all, she has never been good at these things.

She stretched out her fair palm and scooped some water from the dew-collecting plate.

That day, the golden water did not leak out from between her palms, and it wrapped the tender buds and was held out intact.

Zhou Tieyi hurriedly picked up the white jade chessboard, and Zhou's mother's palm passed through the space of the white jade chessboard unhindered. In the huge space that could cover several streets, a pair of palms fell from the sky, naturally causing changes in the thunder and majestic energy that had not yet fully stabilized inside.

However, the two extremely powerful forces fell on Zhou's mother's palms without even leaving a single burnt mark on her skin, allowing the palms to fall on the Tianyuan position in the center of the chessboard.

Mother Zhou pulled one hand away, picked up the pottery jar again, and dug out the soil in front of the Confucian sage's seat. After the soil full of divine blood and Confucian orthodoxy was dug out, it fell on the chessboard and formed a stable 'moat' that could not only nourish the new seedlings, but also prevent the power of thunder and the great aura from being too strong and destroying the seedlings.

After all, even if you are applying fertilizer, it has to be a gradual process.

After doing this, Zhou's mother nodded with satisfaction, and then said to Zhou Tieyi, "Next, it depends on your methods."

······
After lunch, Zhou Tieyi did not let Mei Juncang drive this time. These two days, Mei Juncang was discussing the first version of the manuscript and typesetting with Wu Qian. It was estimated that he would be able to show him a preliminary plan in the next two days.

The car stopped in front of the residence of Changsun Dan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. The butler who had been waiting inside went out personally to greet him to show his respect for Zhou Tieyi.

After entering the door, Changsun Dan's son Changsun Zhao was waiting for him in the small garden. Zhou Tieyi took a few quick steps with a smile on his face. He thought it was great that the other person, who was 10 or 20 years older than him, could wait for him in the small garden.

"Brother Shi."

Zhou Tieyi bowed and greeted first.

Chang Sunzhao bowed in return, feeling naturally happy.

"Father is handling government affairs. Let me take you to see it."

Zhou Tieyi nodded, "Okay."

Following Chang Sun Zhao, they entered the secret room of the Minister of Justice's house after many twists and turns. There were three book boys there, constantly copying things. Many papers could only be kept for a while before being burned, and only those that could stand the "test" would be left.

Chang Sunzhao brought Zhou Tieyi to a desk, where two documents had already been stacked. Each document was one finger thick, and this was the result of simplification.

Zhou Tieyi stopped talking and picked up the document to start reading.

He had made some achievements in martial arts training. He could think quickly and read ten lines at a glance. Coupled with the experience he gained from reading documents in his previous life, he finished reading the two documents in just half an hour.

After reading the document, Zhou Tieyi did not rush to talk to Chang Sunzhao, but quietly recalled, thought, and organized the contents of the document.

Just as he expected, as the Zhou family had been powerful generals for three generations, there was nothing shameful about it.

The Zhou family's income mainly comes from four parts.

One part is from more than a dozen large military camps, one part is from hundreds of martial arts schools, one part is the land bestowed by the emperor or purchased by the emperor himself, and one part is the filial piety from the subordinates.

The Dabingfang and the Wushu Hall can even be regarded as the main source of income for the Zhou family, earning millions of taels of silver every year! Even more than the land income and the tributes from the subordinates!
Because both businesses are related to spiritual practice.

In this world where people can practice cultivation, the gap between the rich and the poor between practitioners and ordinary people has widened greatly, no less than the capital empire in the previous life, or even slightly more, maintaining a tenuous balance.

Even many cultivation resources cannot be bought with money.

Take the magic weapons produced by Zhou's Huwei Weaponry as an example. These weapons are made by fifth-grade "forgers". Their sales strategy is similar to that of Hermes. They are available, but each one comes with complicated conditions. Many of them require you to bring better forging materials, plus a large amount of silver, before you can buy them.

What's worse, they will ask you to swear that you must deal with some troubles for the Zhou family in the future.

In short, it limits the upward class path for ordinary people, but does not completely block it, so that ordinary people can see hope and will be willing to be exploited by the aristocratic families.

The Zhou family’s income is clean, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need respect from their subordinates.

Receiving the tribute is one thing, making the subordinates feel at ease, and on the other hand, there are a lot of resources, which the Zhou family actually does not have enough, so they need to rob!
For example, ink stone!
This is a complete military supply resource, controlled by Daxia’s Moshisi.

There is only so much inkstone mined each year. If it is really handed over to the Inkstone Bureau first, then to the Ministry of Revenue, and finally to the Ministry of War, the Ministry of War will then distribute it to the generals.

There was corruption at every link, and even if it was small, the amount that fell into the hands of the generals was definitely not enough.

For each army, the more ink stones you have in stock, the more you can afford to support more Mohist and Gongshu monks, operate more powerful mechanical creations, and have fewer deaths.

This means that every general will try to find ways to use some tricks to obtain inkstone directly from its production areas, rather than waiting for the Ministry of War to allocate it.

As the founding military hero, the Zhou family naturally did the same. They let their meritorious officials obtain the mining rights of the inkstone mine, and most of the products they dug out were handed over to the national treasury, while they kept a small portion for themselves.

The Wu family in Xiaoshi Town is a member of this network.

This is truly the lifeline of the Zhou family.

Zhou Tieyi pondered in silence.

Inkstone is a strategic resource. Although everyone knows that there is corruption, if it were to be exposed, it would definitely anger the emperor. After a thorough investigation, the Zhou family would also suffer a lot.

But I must fabricate the Moshi case!
Precisely because this would cause great damage to the Zhou family, no one would suspect that he was the one who fabricated this case at the beginning. After all, even if there was a self-torture trick, no one would dare to use it to cut off the aorta.

Even other second-class generals' offices wouldn't dare to do that!
There are two reasons why Zhou Tieyi is so confident.

First, the Zhou family wants to trap the Taoist fish dragon. Compared to trapping the Taoist fish dragon, even if the emperor is furious about the ink stone case, he will give the Zhou family time to explain. As long as there is time for himself to operate, he can give the emperor a roughly satisfactory result.

When the blame is revealed, it will no longer be my Zhou family's problem. Everyone needs to share it fairly, and as the person who cooked it up, I, Zhou Tieyi, will be the one to share the blame.

The reason why the emperor agreed was that investigating the inkstone case would bring him huge benefits. Not only could he warn his ministers, but he could also recover some of the power over the inkstone mine.

Second, I have to find a good day to investigate this case.

It’s better to choose after autumn.

Zhou Tieyi smiled. Yuan Meng had already started testing the border last year. This year, the emperor began to practice Taoism and fell from the throne. Yuan Meng's testing would only become more intense. At this time, the emperor could no longer be ruthless to the generals, especially since they had already taken advantage of generals like Mo Shi.

I cannot be ruthless to the generals leading the troops, but the emperor's anger will not diminish, so I can just divert it. The Mo family has a lot of ink stones, so I must get a bigger share of the blame.

After sorting out the general idea, Zhou Tieyi also figured out how to proceed.

Of course, he would not even reveal the specific process to his commander Sun Dan, and he wanted to make the Li Jianhu ink stone case a huge coincidence.

Thinking of this, Zhou Tieyi began to flip through another pile of papers with names on them. This was the list that Changsun Dan and Gongshu Sheng had already screened.

Now he picked them out one by one, among which there were officials related to inkstone, officials related to salt and iron, officials related to the military...

Without exception, these people all needed to be abandoned, but one of them happened to be the He family of Shantong Mansion, the direct superior of the Wu family. It was the He family that had followed the Zhou family for generations.

"Don't let them know. Instead, give them the feeling that we are supporting them, and at the same time, start secretly cutting off ties and clearing accounts."

If you want to settle a debt, there will naturally be deaths involved.

This is unavoidable in modern society.

Because there is no evidence of death.

Zhou Tieyi stood up and walked out of the quiet room without further explanation.

Cut off the connection...

Chang Sunzhao sighed in his heart.

However, he did not think that Zhou Tieyi did anything wrong. In the current situation, he needed to protect the big and let go of the small. Otherwise, why would his father have worked so hard to compile this information?

"Yes, I will arrange it."

Chang Sunzhao bowed to Zhou Tieyi's back.

Zhou Tieyi walked to the door and thought for a moment, "When their families are ruined, you can go to their homes one by one and test their attitudes. If they are reasonable, ask them to select the best and youngest descendants and change their surnames to Zhou. After three generations, change it back."

"Yes."

Chang Sun Zhao bowed again, this time with more sincerity, and the feeling of grief for the loss of his loved one was also much lighter.

Zhou Tieyi said that if he could change his surname to Zhou, it meant that he would keep the incense and would bear the expenses of these people's cultivation in the future. As long as the other party's descendants were not too bad, he could change his surname back after three generations to continue the incense. After leaving Changsun Mansion, Zhou Tieyi did not go back directly, but went to Xuanwu Lake, found a tea stall at random, sat under the willow tree, drank tea, and relaxed.

The beautiful sunshine fell from the white clouds, passed through the green willow trees, and together with the breeze, made the willow branches dance, like algae and waterweeds intertwined in the lake.

Zhou Tieyi blew on the tea bowl, looked at the beautiful scenery, took a sip of tea, and then sighed, "The tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop."

······
Suzaku City, Huwei Soldiers’ Fort.

With the help of Gongshujia's mechanical skills and the original old dormitory, the new dormitory was renovated in just a few days.

Anyway, for the workers in this era, having a large bunk bed to shelter from the wind and rain is enough.

The Huwei Military Quarters not only provided large bunk beds, but also had public toilets and bathhouses for use, which made everyone overjoyed.

In the past few days, three hundred teenagers aged fifteen or sixteen are receiving training from Zhou’s personal guards.

Because everyone wanted to have a chance to practice, they were particularly serious. Many people who fainted while practicing martial arts under the sun were carried aside to rest for a while, and they wanted to continue training.

However, too much is as bad as too little, especially since these young men were not trained to be warriors, so the guards who came for training had already been told that it would be enough for them to have a basic spirit, but they must not be trained to waste their energy, nor should they be allowed to focus only on practicing.

"stop!"

The sun began to set, and several guards called a halt so that the three hundred young men could find a place under the shade of a tree to rest.

"Brother Yi, how was the boxing I just practiced? Was there anything wrong?"

A simple-looking boy with a shaved head came up to Wang Mingyi and asked. He was wearing a brown open-top jacket and his trouser legs were only seven-tenths long. These were work clothes that Zhou Tieyi had altered to make them more suitable for work in the workshop.

In this era, giving new clothes was already a reward from the master. Except for Wang Mingyi, everyone was from a poor background, so they were naturally happy to accept them.

Wang Mingyi also dressed like this, but he still combed his hair in the morning and fixed it with a bamboo stick.

"good."

Wang Mingyi did not give instructions directly in public, but prepared to give instructions in private without anyone else.

It’s not that he has any ulterior motives, but if he gives instructions in public, then the work of instructing three hundred people will fall on himself. Where would he find so much time?

I had tried this a few days ago, and even explained it sincerely to these teenagers, but in the end, I still turned against others.

When he saw the playful smiles of the guards in General Huwei's mansion, he immediately understood that this was intentional.

These bodyguards only teach the basic boxing techniques. As for whether you can practice it or not, they don’t teach in detail.

However, Wang Mingyi was willing to teach, and his guards did not stop him.

This is a case of one person willing to fight and the other willing to be beaten, so he can only accept it.

You can do things according to your ability.

So as not to mislead others and yourself.

Wang Mingyi thought so in his heart. In the past few days, he really learned a lot of things that he could not learn from books.

"Brother Yi, you are so capable, why do you suffer with us?"

The person who was talking to Wang Mingyi was called Chen Daxing. Although he didn't know Wang Mingyi's background, when they registered that day, Wang Mingyi felt out of place with everyone else. After spending the past few days together, the gap between them became even bigger.

For example, when everyone was discussing what kind of woman was good at giving birth, this brother would just smile awkwardly on the side. Even when people were passing around erotic comic books, this brother almost ran away.

This has always been laughed at by the leaders among the other teenagers.

Wang Mingyi looked up at the azure sky with white clouds and answered seriously, "Because I want to defeat someone."

How do winners come to work in the workshop?

Chen Daxing's mind raced, and he suddenly thought of a reason, "Brother Yi, you want to be Master Zhou's personal guard, so that he can teach you martial arts, right?"

The true martial arts skills that Zhou Tieyi displayed that day really left a great shock to the young men.

Wang Mingyi smiled and did not refute.

Just as Chen Daxing was about to speak, he saw several tall and strong young men approaching. The leader of the group laughed jokingly, "What's going on? Brother Wang, are you giving this sloppy boy some special treatment again? Why don't you teach us brothers how to practice martial arts?"

This young man was named Zhuang Xiang. Unlike the others, his uncle was the purchasing manager of the Zhou residence, so he could have a say with the Zhou residence's personal guards. From the personal guards, he learned that Wang Mingyi was sent by the Confucianists to cause trouble. Zhuang Xiang volunteered to target Wang Mingyi everywhere.

Even if you, Wang Mingyi, are a powerful person, as long as I don't use my hands and only provoke you with words, you can't beat me to death in the Huwei Weaponry Square. If I can force Wang Mingyi away, it will be considered a credit and will naturally be valued by Young Master Zhou Er.

Chen Daxing wanted to stand up and refute, but was stopped by Wang Mingyi.

Wang Mingyi looked up at Zhuang Xiang, stood up and brushed the dirt off his body. Because he was older, his height was no less than that of Zhuang Xiang, who practiced martial arts at home.

"You want to practice martial arts? Why don't we try it together?"

After saying that, Wang Mingyi raised his hand, and an invisible sense of oppression made the young men around him dare not act rashly.

Wang Mingyi was originally the son of a local prominent family. He was gifted since childhood and became a student of Che Wenyuan. He had already entered the seventh rank of Confucian "self-cultivation".

After Che Wenyuan died that night, through the word "righteousness" that Che Wenyuan left in his mind, Wang Mingyi was already on the verge of entering the Confucian sixth level of "Haoran Qi". How could a nephew who was a manager compare to him?
Even the guards who were smiling jokingly around them changed color slightly. A direct descendant of the seventh rank Confucianism, these eighth rank guards without spiritual power might not be able to defeat him in martial arts.

One of the guards stepped forward and shouted, "What are you doing? I told you to have a good rest, but you don't want to rest, right?"

When Prime Minister Zhuang saw the personal guards from General Huwei's mansion coming to take charge, he immediately felt confident and muttered, "I just wanted to ask you about martial arts, but I didn't expect Brother Wang to be so angry. I really got a few years older than you!"

Wang Mingyi sighed in his heart. He had never been subjected to such humiliation before. Normally, no matter which literary gathering he attended, even if he was not a guest of honor, he would be personally advised by the fourth-rank bigwigs, so that his peers around him would not dare to underestimate him. However, he had to endure this humiliation today. This was what it meant to see the warmth and coldness of the world.

Just as Wang Mingyi was thinking about how to solve the problem, a hearty voice suddenly came from a distance, "Since you want to ask questions, then practice. You can't succeed in martial arts without practice."

Everyone looked over and saw Zhou Tiege, the eldest son of General Huwei, striding over in a dark blue brocade robe. Although his expression was calm, he was intimidating without being angry.

Zhou Tiege told his brother that he would come to see how the training was going from time to time, and of course he was not talking nonsense.

"Young Master."

Zhuang Lian hurriedly bowed, but Zhou Tiege lifted him up from a distance with great force, so he couldn't bend his waist.

"During training, you only need to clasp your fists and salute, you don't need to bend over. This is the rule."

Then Zhou Tiege looked at everyone and pointed at Zhuang Xiang and Wang Mingyi, "If the two of them are not convinced, then clear a place and have a fight. The loser will naturally be convinced. This is also the rule. I will pay for the medicine!"

"what?"

Both Zhuang Xiang and Wang Mingyi were stunned.

Prime Minister Zhuang whispered, "Young Master, he is a seventh-rank Confucian..."

Zhou Tiege sneered, "Now that you know that others are seventh-rank Confucianists, how can you practice martial arts if you are afraid of the strong and bully the weak?"

This sentence made Zhuang Xiang's thoughts sink to the bottom of the valley. He made a difficult decision for ten breaths, then clasped his fists to Wang Mingyi and said, "Please teach me martial arts, brother Wang."

If he didn't leave today and was nailed to the ground by Zhou Tiege's words, then not only would the Zhou family not tolerate him, but his uncle would not tolerate him either.

After Prime Minister Zhuang left the stage, the young men around him dispersed with an expression of enjoying the show, leaving only Wang Mingyi.

Wang Mingyi also looked conflicted. He was a Confucian of the seventh rank, so how could he fight?
Zhou Tiege laughed and said, "Why? Your teacher didn't teach you how to fight, do you still need me to teach you?"

It was fair for him to criticize each person one by one.

Wang Mingyi suddenly realized that his current situation was the same as when Zhou Tieyi was in Taixue Academy.

However, he did not have Zhou Tieyi's decisiveness and ability. He simply kicked his junior brother to the ground with one foot, and then used half a sentence of poetry and the power of the Taoist orthodoxy of the chief priest to suppress the entire Tai Academy students and prevent them from making trouble.

Now it seems that this is the most effective way to deal with it, just like when I beat my junior fellow apprentices that night. Instead of letting them die, it is better to take on the responsibility myself, even if this responsibility will bring the stigma of bullying the weak.

He raised his hand, wanting to bow to Zhou Tiege to thank him for his advice, but he finally put his palms together and bowed, "Teacher taught me, and today I just practiced it."

After that, he stretched out his palm, and the righteousness condensed into a stick. He held it in his hand and said to Prime Minister Zhuang, "Please give me your guidance."

(End of this chapter)