Chapter 297 Nan Kong comes out of the mountain, the secret of Xuanmen!
浙江
Quzhou Prefecture

During the reign of Emperor Taizu, Quzhou Road, which had been ruled by the Yuan Dynasty, was changed to Longyou Prefecture. At the end of Emperor Taizu’s reign, it was changed back to Quzhou Prefecture.

It is located inland, close to Jiangxi.

Among the eleven prefectures in Zhejiang, Quzhou Prefecture is really nothing to write home about.

It is not a rich place in terms of either population or resources.

It is precisely here that another top-notch force of Confucianism and Taoism is hidden.

Outside Quzhou City.

There are crisscross paths between the mountains and fields.

It was the busy farming season, and people were busy harvesting in the fields.

Looking at the golden rice and yellow ears of wheat, it is not difficult to see that it is another good year with a bumper harvest.

“Hahaha, it’s a pleasure to have friends coming from afar!”

“Marquis Jing’an is here!”

“Why don’t you show up and see me.”

At this moment, the majestic energy flowed, and a powerful voice echoed within a radius of a hundred miles.

A stream of light fell, revealing Jia Cong’s figure.

Look at the person in front of you who just spoke.

He was wearing rough linen clothes and a straw hat on his head.

His hair and beard were all gray, and he looked quite old.

But his palms are thick and have many calluses, which shows that he has been doing rough labor for many years.

If he had not seen it with his own eyes, Jia Cong would never have recognized that the person before him was the strongest among the Nan Kongs, another branch of the Kong family!
Instead, the boy behind him was about fourteen or fifteen years old, a little older than Jia Cong.

Although he was also wearing the same coarse cloth shorts, his fair skin and bleeding palms could be seen.

It is not difficult to see that he has been spoiled since childhood.

“May I ask your Excellency…”

“I am Kong Congwen, and I am honored to meet Marquis Jing’an!”

“I never thought that Jing’an Hou would come so soon. I’m sorry to make you laugh.”

Kong Anli, dressed like an old farmer, stood up and bowed to Jia Cong with a smile.

When he was transmitting the sound with literary energy just now, he was full of inspiration, and the feeling he gave Jia Cong was no less than that of Wenhou’s Dharma body which he had just killed not long ago.

With such terrifying strength, he has actually reached the late stage of Semi-Saint!

“So you are Mr. Congwen from Nan Kong. Jia Cong is honored.”

Jia Cong returned the Confucian scholar’s greeting with a bow, still looking at Kong Congwen curiously.

In fact, I came all the way from Qufu, Shandong.

Especially after arriving at the territory of Quzhou Prefecture.

Jia Cong had seen many similar situations along the way.

In the fields, there are often second-level Confucian scholars, third-level great Confucian scholars, and even fourth-level great Confucian scholars appearing.

Either a short-sleeved shirt of coarse linen or a worn-out scholar’s robe.

They are all busy in the fields, doing farm work with the people.

All together, there are at least thousands of people.

“My Lord, are you wondering why I am here?”

Kong Congwen saw Jia Cong’s confusion and explained with a smile.

“Everyone thinks that the Southern Kong family originated in the Song Dynasty, but in fact, the Kong family had already split up as early as the Five Barbarians’ Invasion of China, but some of the clan members migrated south during the Song Dynasty.”

“My ancestors once said, ‘Eating simple food, drinking water, and using one’s arms as a pillow are joys. Wealth and honor gained through unrighteousness are like floating clouds to me.'”

“I have forgotten how long ago this was. Perhaps it was my great-grandfather or my great-great-grandfather who established this rule.”

“The people of the Southern School of Confucius, from the age of thirteen until the age of coming of age.”

“I have to go to the fields every day to understand the sufferings of the people.”

“Secondly, to cultivate one’s mind and clarify one’s will, so as to avoid falling into the wrong path in the future.”

“My young grandson has been very smart since he was young. He could read at the age of two, wrote poems at the age of three, and was familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics at the age of five. He entered the realm at the age of seven. Now he is only thirteen, and has already broken through the second realm.”

“No one of my peers can match me. After a while, I can’t help but become arrogant.”

“That’s why I personally brought him with me to the fields to train him.”

Kong Congwen touched the head of the young man next to him.

At this time, the young man was looking at Jia Cong with curiosity, and he had obviously guessed Jia Cong’s identity from their conversation.

“When you are young, your mind is still undetermined and you are most likely to go astray.”

“I traveled all the way south from Shandong, and just on the way to Quzhou Prefecture, I have already seen four great scholars in the fields…”

“With such a mind-refining and aspiration-clarifying attitude, it is no wonder that the Southern School of Confucius is so full of talented people.”

Seeing this, Jia Cong sighed in admiration.

This matter sounds simple, but with Nan Kong’s status, all the great scholars of the fourth realm put aside their airs and walked around in the fields like ordinary farmers.

It’s not a show, but they are really doing farm work like ordinary farmers.

It is already commendable.

“No, this move is not just to let the descendants of the Kong family temper their minds and clarify their aspirations.”

“Our ancestors once said, if you want to establish yourself, help others to establish you; if you want to succeed yourself, help others to succeed.”

As he spoke, he pointed to a mother and son who were busy harvesting crops nearby.

In Jia Cong’s perception, the older woman was not very old, but she looked very old due to the wind and sun.

The boy next to him was about seven or eight years old. He was wearing clothes full of patches, but they were washed very cleanly.

Help my mother with some work within my ability.

The people in the fields had obviously long been accustomed to the actions of the Kong family. When they saw Jia Cong falling from the sky, they just looked at him for a few seconds, then lowered their heads and continued to do their own things.

“This child’s name is Erhu.”

“My biological father was a slacker all day long. Two years ago, he was caught stealing someone’s money and accidentally killed someone. He was sentenced to death by the government.”

“This orphan and his widow are left to live in misery.”

“His biological father used to hang around in the market, and his friends were all gangsters. Although there were two loyal people who came to visit him a few times and expressed their willingness to take Erhu with them to make a living.”

“But if he hangs out with them, the only way out for this child in the future is to commit petty theft and robbery.”

“In the end, just like his biological father, he will cause great trouble one day and be executed by the government, and he may leave behind a pair of orphans and a widowed mother, who will be left to take care of their children.”

“It will continue like this for generations, there will never be any hope!”

“I asked the younger generation of the clan to find three mu of thin land and exempted the rent for the orphans and widows to live on. In their spare time, my young grandson taught Erhu to learn to read and write in the fields.”

“Even if you don’t seek fame in the imperial examination, you can always find a way to make a living in the future.”

“The Kong family paid only three acres of insignificant land, but in return they were able to get a child and his descendants on the right path.”

“Isn’t it beautiful!”

Kong Congwen spoke in a relaxed tone, but Jia Cong felt emotional in his heart.

Three acres of thin land means nothing in the eyes of the aristocratic families.

Considering the land price in Quzhou Prefecture, it is only a matter of twenty taels of silver.

But it can help a child or even his future descendants to walk on the right path.

Nine out of ten educated people in the world can give a long speech on such profound truths.

But there are probably very few families willing to put it into practice.

The innate gods rented land cheaply in the south of the Yangtze River, and they could be called Buddhas in thousands of families, but it was just to collect incense and faith.

I don’t think I can be so selfless.

“Mr. Congwen is so righteous, I admire him!”

“No wonder I haven’t seen a single hungry person since I entered Quzhou Prefecture. It turns out that the Kong family has been spending all their wealth to help the people.” “It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish!”

Human nature is inherently complex.

The fact that he himself could not do this did not affect Jia Cong’s admiration.

“It’s better to teach a man to fish than to teach him to fish!”

“Excellent!”

“This statement is similar to the sentence in Huainanzi Lanming Xun: “It is better to get a flint than to beg for fire, and it is better to dig a well than to draw water from a well.”

“It coincides with what our ancestors thought!”

“As expected of the Marquis of Jing’an…”

“It’s really wonderful!”

Jia Cong casually mentioned an old saying from his previous life, but he didn’t want Kong Congwen to feel so impressed.

He kept praising.

Then he stroked his beard, smiled and shook his head.

“But if Marquis Jing’an thinks that my Kong family is spending all our wealth to help the people, then Marquis Jing’an will be disappointed…”

“Well, this is not the place to talk…”

“My Lord, please follow me.”

As he said this, he stood up and brushed the dirt off his hands, then turned around and said a few words to his young grandson.

He took Jia Cong with him and turned into a stream of light, and came to another direction of Quzhou City.

But I saw a big house standing in a place with beautiful mountains and rivers.

The scale is grand, in no way inferior to the Three Holes that Jia Cong saw in Qufu!

There is also a Confucius Temple built with a plaque of “Confucius Mansion” for worship.

However, the square in front of the Confucius Temple is not as dignified and solemn as the North Confucius Temple. Scholars can be seen paying homage from afar.

Instead, there were more than twenty children from nearby villages playing in front of the door.

The guards from the Kong family who were on duty did not drive the children away when they saw them. Instead, they would remind the children from time to time to be careful of bumping into things.

After entering the Confucius Mansion, Jia Cong felt the scene inside was even more strange.

The house has carved beams and painted buildings, and the scenery is beautiful. The luxury of the decoration inside is in no way inferior to that of the Kong family in Qufu.

Only the Kong family members inside.

Some people were wearing coarse clothes and running around with farm tools in their hands!
There are those who dress simply and study hard!
There are also those who hide in the courtyard and enjoy the service of beautiful maids and wives!
In the huge Confucius Mansion, the busy figures seem out of place, yet there is an indescribable harmony.

After leading Jia Cong all the way to a study and having the boy serving him serve him fragrant tea, Kong Congwen continued to speak with a smile.

“My Lord, I am wondering why the Confucius Mansion is decorated in the same luxurious way. This is not in line with the noble act of giving away all your wealth to help the people that you had imagined before.”

“But I have some doubts. I would like to ask Mr. Wen to solve them.”

“Hahaha, how can I be worthy of being called a teacher by the Marquis? If I really want to talk about it, I should treat the Marquis as a teacher!”

“Everyone knows that the Northern School of Confucius has been honored and rewarded in every dynasty, but few people know that the emperors of every dynasty have also rewarded our Southern School.”

“Most of the land in Quzhou Prefecture is the Kong family’s sacrificial fields.”

“Our ancestors once said, ‘Wealth and honor are what people desire; if they are not obtained by the right way, they will not stay. Poverty and humbleness are what people hate; if they are not obtained by the right way, they will not leave!”

“My Nan Clan members, apart from the rule of going to the fields for three years to refine their minds, do not require their members to do anything after they reach adulthood.”

“Those who have the holy way in their hearts study literature and cultivate Confucianism!”

“Those with good hearts help the people!”

“Those who seek pleasure seek pleasure in business!”

“Just follow your heart. Now, you can see members of my Southern Clan in all kinds of industries in Quzhou Prefecture.”

“There is only one thing: no one in my Nan Clan commits crimes or harms the people!”

“Otherwise, once the facts are verified, according to the clan rules, there will be no pardon for the crime!”

……

“There is no good or evil in the body, but there are good and evil intentions in the action. Knowing good and evil is conscience, and doing good and avoiding evil is the study of things.”

“He who knows begins by doing, and he who does completes his knowledge.”

“What Nan Kong did is the true unity of knowledge and action!”

After hearing this, Jia Cong finally understood why Kong Congwen had said before that he should treat him with the respect of a teacher.

After seeing the luxurious scene in the Confucius Mansion, Jia Cong was not disappointed. Instead, he felt that Nan Kong Mansion seemed more vivid and lively.

If they really spent all their wealth to help the people, it would be fine for one person, but human nature is complicated and unpredictable. How could it be possible for all the members of such a large family to live a hard life?

It is inevitable that one feels that one is just wasting one’s time to gain fame.

Only at this moment, listening to Kong Congwen tell everything frankly, does it seem more sincere.

Kindness is true kindness, not foolish kindness!

We restrain ourselves with high standards and high moral requirements, and guide the younger generations of our tribe to do good, but we will not use moral kidnapping to force others to do anything.

Their state of mind is probably better than those who enjoy themselves all day long but talk about “dedication” all the time.

“My Nan Clan ancestors witnessed too much suffering among the people in the past, which is why we have this family tradition…”

“The rise and fall of the world, the change of dynasties, are all caused by the suffering of the people!”

Kong Congwen sighed softly.

“Mr. Congwen, with Nan Kong’s ability, it should be easy for him to send some of his clansmen to the court, so that the government can be clean and the people can live and work in peace and contentment, not to mention protecting the whole world.”

Jia Cong felt that the other party seemed to be trying to give him some advice, so he opened his mouth to test the water.

This is not just a casual remark.

Confucian and Taoist practice is the most focused on cultivating the mind among the three major mainstream cultivation systems.

The members of the Nankong clan cultivate their minds for three years before coming of age, and although their subsequent practice of Confucianism and Taoism may not be smooth sailing, they are much better than other officials.

The experts who had seen it along the way could also guess it.

The foundation of this less famous Southern Confucius is definitely superior to that of the Northern Confucius that was massacred by Jia Cong.

“easy?”

“If my Southern Sect really dares to send people to the court to make the government clean and benefit the people, I’m afraid the day of its demise is not far away!”

“My Lord, what do you think is the reason why dynasties have changed more and more frequently in the past thousand years?”

Upon hearing this, Jia Cong’s mind suddenly exploded!
All the previous speculations are finally connected together at this moment!

There are only three mainstream cultivation systems in this world, and there is also Buddhism, which is not considered mainstream!
Among them, martial arts is the most popular, but we will not talk about any top-notch forces for now.

Among the remaining three.

There are hundreds of schools of Confucianism and Taoism, and the rules of Confucianism and Taoism are given birth to by the spirits of great scholars and above who return to heaven and earth after death!
Buddhism connects the boundless Buddha lands into one piece, and finally achieves the goal of ruling the heaven and the earth!

The only thing Jia Cong didn’t understand was the layout of Xuanmen.

Being reminded by Kong Congwen at this moment, many speculations flashed through his mind, and Jia Cong found the truth in an instant.

Since the destruction of large areas of Buddhist temples in the Southern Dynasties, after several changes of dynasties, there has been basically no sign of any major Buddhist sects taking action.

Instead, several Taoist sects are supporting each side behind the scenes.

Fight for the dragon!

Fight for the dragon!

In fact, just from this term, you can see the layout of Xuanmen!
To sum it up in two words!

Improve your luck!

The concept of luck is illusory!

But it really exists!

This is especially true for innate gods who are born knowing a lot of the secrets of heaven and earth.

……

(End of this chapter)