Chapter 176 Three Young Men, Three Ambitions

There was silence for a moment in Dong Xingshu's study.

Although great Confucian scholars such as Tang Anshi, Zhang Shizhong, and Wang Jizhen did not look at Qingkongming, they looked like their eyes were looking at their noses and their noses were looking at their hearts.

But Qingkong Ming had the illusion that he was being constantly scrutinized.

Maybe this isn’t just an illusion.

After the third rank, one possesses the orthodoxy of Taoism, and no matter which school one belongs to, one has a certain ability of deduction.

Why did Si Min Dong Xingshu ask himself to write a petition to establish the Railway Department?

This is the token of allegiance!
Although he had just explained how he had invested in the Railway Chamber of Commerce, he stated that he and the Si Lu Mansion he represented were not biased towards Zhou Tieyi.

But that's what was said.

In fact, what I did was to give gifts first and then invest.

What you say and what you do are not the same. It would be strange if Simin Dong Xingshu could be at ease!
But as long as he wrote a letter himself, advising the establishment of a railway department, he would be setting up his chariot and competing with Zhou Tieyi for the right to speak in the Railway Chamber of Commerce.

Even if he had been vaguely biased towards Zhou Tieyi before, he would inevitably become enemies with Zhou Tieyi after this incident!
Political stance is not static; on the contrary, it will be constantly wooed or instigated as the situation develops.

The most typical example is the right general Yuchi Pojun.

As one of the three officials, he was the first to be won over by Zhou Tieyi and publicly supported the Tianjing News, making the promotion of the Tianjing News unstoppable.

Should I agree to it then?
Qingkong asked himself.

Today, Dong Xingshu called me in for questioning alone, and he would definitely not let me make excuses to delay and go back to ask my father.

Otherwise, why didn't you go home and ask your father when you joined the Railway Chamber of Commerce? Now that I'm questioning you, why don't you go back and ask your own father?

It was also my fault for being too careless. I had seen Zhou Tieyi using a chamber of commerce to win over military honors, and I thought I could supervise him by relying on my status as an elder and a legalist.

But I never expected that the other party had set such a deep trap for me, just waiting for me to jump into it!

After thinking for ten breaths, Qingkong Ming bowed and replied, "This is a matter that benefits the country and the people, I will act impartially!"

Qingkongming answered this way for two reasons.

First, the alliance of the three departments has become precarious due to the vacillation of the right general. The Confucian and Legalist schools cannot fight among themselves at this time, otherwise how can the power of the three departments be maintained?

Second, there is an order of hierarchy among scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, which is not only advocated by Confucianism, but also by Legalism!
Zhou Tieyi wanted to promote the Mohist theory of "universal love" in the Railway Chamber of Commerce. Now that he has seen it clearly, Qingkongming, as a son of the Legalists, will certainly not sit idly by.

Thinking of this, Qingkongming glanced at Wang Mingyi, who behaved in a measured manner.

As expected, he was worthy of being the disciple chosen by Che Wenyuan at the end. He had not really participated in the Railway Chamber of Commerce, but had only checked the accounts once, so he had not discovered that Zhou Tieyi was secretly doing the Mohist stuff. However, Wang Mingyi was the first to react.

After hearing Qingkong Ming's answer, the heavy atmosphere in the study suddenly became much lighter.

Tang Anshi, the Minister of Education, smiled and said, "It's good that you can think this way."

Dong Xingshu also nodded.

They haven't even seen the train yet, so they can only make such arrangements first. The rest will be done only after they see the train and determine what this thing is and what its function is, then they can do more.

He tapped the business manuscript of the Tianjing Newspaper on the table and asked, "What do you think of the Tianjing Newspaper he produced?"

If the Railway Chamber of Commerce is a long-term concern, then the Tianjing Daily is an immediate worry.

Dong Xiu De did not mention the matter of Tianjing News first, but said coldly, "Father, these businessmen should be killed as a warning to others!"

This is a stupid way, but a stupid way is not necessarily a bad way.

It is even possible that the stupid method has been used from ancient times to the present because it is simple and easy to use.

Since ancient times, if one cannot kill the monkey, one would kill the chicken first to intimidate its followers.

Of course, the reason used was definitely not the matter of the Tianjing News. Businessmen pursue profits, and all kinds of people gather in the Chamber of Commerce. A little investigation can reveal many problems.

Wang Jizhen, the Minister of the Elephant Department, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up, "I heard that Junior Brother Dong has been investigating the affairs of Zhou's disciples and former officials recently, and now he is investigating the Chamber of Commerce. Can you handle it?"

This sentence woke Dong Xiu De up.

Investigating a case is never an easy task, because once you investigate, you have to deal with it.

Any case involving a second-rank general or a salt merchant would take at least three months and at most half a year to handle.

The reason why Zhou Tieyi wanted to buy time was for now.

Every day we delay, the Zhou family will have more followers and connections. When you want to investigate the case, it won't just be the Zhou family alone.

It is unwise to expand the enemies of political struggle and affect others!
Dong Xingshu sighed, then looked at Wang Mingyi with appreciation. After answering, he fell silent. "I am also planning to publish a newspaper. Are you willing to be the editor-in-chief and compete with that Zhou family man?"

Dong Xingshu bypassed his son and asked Wang Mingyi directly, which made Dong Xiude blush. This was more embarrassing than beating him up!
This shows that his previous answer made his father very dissatisfied, so his father was even unwilling to let him do the task, but instead gave it to Wang Mingyi, his junior!

Wang Mingyi stood up again and answered, "I am a student with limited knowledge and talent, and I dare not take on this important task..."

Dong Xingshu smiled and waved his hand to stop him, "It's okay."

Logically speaking, Wang Mingyi should not have refused what Dong Xingshu said, otherwise it would be too ungrateful.

At this time, the chief priest Zhang Shizhong spoke up, "Mingyi, just say what you think. We are all your elders and we won't blame you."

Even within Confucianism, there are many factions.

Since Che Wenyuan said that his disciple would have to wait ten years before he could fight Zhou Tieyi, Zhang Shizhong would naturally not send Wang Mingyi to the battlefield now.

Wang Mingyi received Zhang Shizhong's affirmation before he could answer, "Reporting to the Minister, it's not that I'm cowardly, but I have indeed learned a lot in the Railway Chamber of Commerce these days. I feel more and more that what I learned before was only in books. I should study things to gain knowledge and encourage myself to study."

Dong Xingshu looked at Wang Mingyi quietly for a while before nodding, "It's good that you think so. We can't lose our temper."

Then he looked at his son Dong Xiu De and didn't say a word for a long time.

Qingkong Ming, who was sitting next to Dong Xiu De, was very familiar with this scene!
He suspected that if there had not been so many outsiders present today, based on Dong Xiu De's conversation just now, Dong Xingshu would have gone to ask Zi Bang for advice!

Tang Anshi, the Minister of Education, said, "Why not let Wenshu be the editor-in-chief, Hanchen be the chief writer, and Yuntai be the editor?"

Wenshu is the courtesy name of Wang Jizhen, Hanchen is the courtesy name of Qingkongming, and Yuntai is the courtesy name of Dong Xiude.

Dong Xingshu then nodded and said, "Okay."

Even if you are a Simin, someone needs to give you a way out.

······
Qingkong Mansion.

When Qingkong Ming came back, he immediately told Dong Xingshu what happened in his study.

Qingkong Gui thought for a moment and said, "You answered very well."

Qingkong Ming couldn't help but smile.

The best answer to his question is not to help Confucianism as a pioneer.

It's the four words 'benefit the country and the people, and act impartially'!

He has a clear understanding of the current struggle between Zhou Tieyi and Confucianism. Both want to seize the reputation of righteousness, but are reluctant to give up the power in their hands.

Zhou Tieyi didn't have the ability to seize power from the three departments and nine ministries, so he took another approach and wanted to establish another department.

Confucianism certainly would not be willing to give Zhou Tieyi more power, but Zhou Tieyi was moderate and upright in his actions, and his actions benefited the country and the people. Many Confucian methods were difficult to use, such as Dong Xiude's "killing the chicken to scare the monkey."

Hasn’t Confucianism used this stupid method before?

It's just that it's not appropriate to use it on Zhou Tieyi and his followers now. If you get involved, as long as you can "benefit the country and the people, and act impartially", then even if you grab power, Zhou Tieyi and Confucianism will have to admit it.

After all, as long as we hold the power of the world in a proper way, I, the Legalist, am capable of taking it!
Seeing his son smile, Qingkong Gui snorted coldly, picked up the "Business Edition" of the Tianjing Newspaper in front of him and continued to study, "It seems that the beating you received a few days ago was not in vain. I thought that before, I thought it would be difficult to beat you because you were older, but now it seems that you still have to be beaten even if you are older!"

Just one sentence made Qingkongming feel a chill down his spine.

Who started this trend of using the stick to teach children?

······
Suzaku City, Yun Palace.

This is a strange theater, half in a dream and half in reality.

It is also the novelist's base in Tianjing.

The bright sunshine passed through the motionless clouds and fell into the yard, without the heat from the outside world.

Facing the senior novelists seated there, Hu Wenlang repeated the matter of the distribution channels of Tianjing Daily.

"My dear seniors, what Mr. Zhou means is that all major novel teahouses and opera houses need to build a newspaper and sell newspapers..."

He hasn't finished speaking yet.

Someone snorted coldly, "You, Hu Wenlang, are disloyal and want to be someone else's running dog. Don't drag us into this!"

Hu Wenlang was called a running dog in person, but he didn't get angry and looked at the person who spoke.

The other party's name is Qiao Yongen, and his novel and storybook "The New Biography of Xue Ren" was inherited from his master's storybook "The Loyal Biography of Xue Ren".

Novelists' stories can also be passed down. Those who inherit them can not only inherit the reputation of the orthodox school, but can even directly inherit part of the teacher's power.

In addition, because it is a renovation of an old storybook, there is less need for objective facts, making it easier to write a book and turn it into its own strength.

Unlike Hu Wenlang, who has no Taoist heritage, any story needs to be experienced and recorded personally in order to be transformed into a part of his own power to the greatest extent. Therefore, the sixth rank of novelist is called "seeing the world".

Just listen to what others say and then imagine describing it. Even if it becomes a book, the power of the book will be fed back to oneself with little or no feedback. This is the limitation of a novelist.

Qiao Yongen is over 40 years old, has a dignified appearance and a beautiful beard, and looks like someone who has walked out of a book.

Hu Wenlang said with a smile, "Brother Qiao, what you said, I thought Brother Qiao was a Confucian dog!"

You, Qiao Yongen, dare to scold me and scold me, isn’t it because of the instruction of Confucianism?
When someone's dog is not a dog, are you more innocent than me?
"you!"

Qiao Yongen stood up and glared.

"What me!"

Hu Wenlang retorted directly, "If you, Qiao Yongen, were both loyal and righteous, Confucianism would have invited you to become a sage long ago. Would you allow us novelists to beg for food? Why are you pretending to be so high and mighty?"

Mo Fei, who was standing behind Hu Wenlang, covered her hands with her sleeves and chuckled.

Qiao Yongen stared at Hu Wenlang fiercely, and the literary aura on his body turned into ink and wrapped around him, like two cuffs.

"All right!"

One of the three people sitting in the middle spoke up, "If General Zhou asks for the imperial decree, we novelists will naturally follow it. However, if there is no decree, and there was no newspaper established before, we naturally cannot change the rules set by our ancestors."

The most important things for novels, operas, and other genres are the rules set by their ancestors. Many of these rules will be passed down for thousands of years even if they are known to be inappropriate.

Hu Wenlang sneered and said, "If that's the case, I'll go and answer your question myself."

After saying this, without waiting for the other side to reply, he left with Mo Fei.

Seeing this, Qiao Yongen bowed to the old man who had just spoken and said, "Shan Lao, he is so ignorant of etiquette, it seems that he is determined to join the Zhou family. How can we choose him as the heir?"

Elder Shan looked at Qiao Yongen. It was obvious that the Qiao family was speaking for Confucianism.

Although novelists as a whole rely on Confucianism, there are different sects within the novelists, and their reliance on Confucianism varies. There are even a few sects that are directly denounced by Confucianism as heresies and are forbidden to be circulated.

His lineage was not as close to Confucianism as the Qiao family, so he naturally did not want to offend the Zhou family too much, so he said, "We will discuss it when we worship our ancestors on the second day of the second month of next year."

In a word, let's put it off for a year first.

After a year, the situation has become clearer.

As people get older, they become more cunning, and no one wants to die early.

I left the Cloud Palace and got on the Cloud Fragrance Carriage. In my dream, a white horse was riding through the streets, just like an ordinary horse.

While driving the Yunxiang Car, Concubine Mo created a clone who sat in the car and looked at Hu Wenlang. She said angrily, "Wenlang, Qiao Yongen is so annoying. Why don't you teach him a lesson?"

Hu Wenlang looked at Mo Fei, showing some helplessness, "You don't want to see me teach Qiao Yongen a lesson, you just want to watch the show."

Hearing Hu Wenlang's words, Concubine Mo's anger disappeared, and she showed an amused expression, "Wenlang still knows me best."

Hu Wenlang looked at Mo Fei seriously, and after a moment he said, "This body made by Wen Mo has no heart after all, so it is difficult to help you control the distracting thoughts of all living beings."

Hearing this, Concubine Mo's expression changed again, this time becoming cold and aloof, "It's a blessing to be able to survive a disaster, how can you ask for more?"

After saying this, her expression changed again, turning into that gentle and considerate tutor, "Besides, it's great to be able to find you."

Hu Wenlang naturally knew what Concubine Mo was talking about. He sighed and said, "I am not him."

Concubine Mo covered her mouth and laughed, "Fool, do you really think that you can trick me down the mountain with your story of infatuated men and resentful women?"

Hu Wenlang rubbed his forehead, not wanting to argue with Mo Fei about this matter anymore, so he changed the subject and said, "How about we not interfere in Qiao Yongen's affairs and let Zhou Tieyi solve it himself?"

Mo Fei thought for a moment and replied, "In martial arts practice, being competitive is an inevitable flaw. Or rather, it is not a flaw. As long as you can win all the time and make great progress in martial arts, the road ahead will be smooth."

"I have watched him these past few days and it feels like he is cooking in a raging fire. I am afraid that he has already completed the eighth level of martial arts. The martial arts gods cultivate their spirit, and the heart is of the element of fire. He is now overpowering the powerful people in Tianjing. His spirit is boiling and hot, which will inevitably affect his decisions and actions, making him think of taking action and wanting to use his opponent to hone his martial arts."

Hu Wenlang nodded in agreement, "Yes, if it is just a competition with the guards, it is just a competition after all, leaving room for maneuver, and it cannot be considered a martial arts duel. It is not very helpful for honing one's own martial arts. His political tactics are beyond the reach of others, but in the end, strength is the key to success in this world, and he will never give up practicing his own martial arts."

"He just asked us to pass on the message, but didn't ask us to do anything. He should want to do it himself, so just leave it to him."

Hu Wenlang knows exactly when to work hard and when not to.

······
Shantong Mansion, Xiaoshi Town.

A mourning hall was set up in the yard, and my father's uncles, brothers, and former co-workers all came to pay their respects and burn incense.

Mother Li brought her two sons to express their gratitude one by one.

Although Confucianism advocates mourning for three years, it is not realistic for the vast majority of ordinary people, especially the few schools such as Mohism that advocate "simple burials" and firmly resist Confucianism on this etiquette.

Half of the miners in Xiaoshi Town rely on the Mohist school for their livelihood, and of course they respect the Mohist school's "simple funerals". Generally, the mourning period is only seven days, and in special circumstances, only three days is enough.

At night, after finishing her chores, Mother Li pulled her eldest son aside and said, "Don't think about the money. It's better not to have it. Just fight for your dignity. I've heard your father say before that if you are an eighth-rank martial artist, you must be a martial artist god. The more you are, the better..."

At this point, her eyes welled up, but she still held back her tears. "There is some extra money at home, which was originally intended to be used for your father to break through to the eighth level of martial arts. Now that he is gone, the money will be left. I will borrow some more from my uncles and aunts, which will probably be enough to last through the next two years. So you don't have to worry about the expenses of practicing martial arts for the time being, but you must practice martial arts well. After you reach the ninth level, you have to support your brother in practicing martial arts."

Li Jianhu nodded, knowing what his mother meant. She wanted to use all the family assets on herself, which was a desperate gamble.

"I know."

Seeing her son nod seriously, Mother Li spoke up, "Since you know, after the three days of mourning, you should go practice martial arts and don't delay the gathering of your own Qi and blood. Your brother and I will take care of the rest of the funeral matters."

Although Li's mother did not practice martial arts, she knew that practicing martial arts is like rowing against the current, especially when a young man is cultivating his energy and blood, which cannot be delayed. Naturally, worrying about the funeral will hurt her heart and energy.

Li's mother patted her son's shoulder and said, "You haven't had a good rest all day. Go to your room and get some sleep. I'll call you out to keep vigil later."

Li Jianhu did not refuse and returned to his room. He lay on the bed and entered the dream with the Ether Mask.

(End of this chapter)