Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

"Ms. Zhu, the academy is right in front."

The person who led Zhu Guoxiang up the mountain was Fatty Zheng's book boy, and Zhang Guangdao followed as a bodyguard.

Zhu Guoxiang came to the gate of the academy and immediately saw the newly replaced couplets.

"The sound of wind and rain, the sound of reading..."

Zhu Guoxiang muttered: "Why does it look so familiar? I've only been out for more than a month, and that bastard has already changed someone else's couplet."

As expected, he is a Husky, and he can cause trouble if he lets go.

When school started, the bookboy helped Zheng Hong move his luggage to the academy, but he went down the mountain that day, so he didn't know what happened recently.

He didn't even know that Zhu Ming was on the mountain, so he led the way and took Zhu Guoxiang directly to Zheng Hong's dormitory.

Having finished reading "Journey to the West", Fatty Zheng was so bored that he didn't even bother to go to class and was lying in the dormitory sleeping.

He planned to walk back to the city. The academy was really not fun.

"Xiao Guan, are you here?" The book boy shouted at the door of the dormitory.

Zheng Hong jumped up suddenly: "You're here just in time. Come and help me pack my things. I'm really tired of living in this academy."

The boy said: "Little official, Mr. Zhu is here."

Zheng Hong put on a smile and went out to greet him: "Hello, Minister Zhu."

Zhu Guoxiang clasped his fists and said, "I'm a good little official. Is the dog here?"

"Here you are, I'll take Mr. Zhu over there." Zheng Hong is quite energetic. As long as he is not allowed to study, he will be happy doing anything.

We walked all the way to the VIP dormitory of the academy, entered the courtyard, and saw five rough men practicing martial arts.

Bai Sheng put down his gun and stick, cupped his hands and said, "Ms. Zhu, Brother Zhang, why are you here?"

"Come and take a look." Zhu Guoxiang said.

"Brother Zhu is in the library. I'm going to report the news right away." Bai Sheng ran away.

Not long after, Ju Ming came back with a book.

Zhu Guoxiang had already sat down in the room and joked: "The conditions here are good, and there is a courtyard. It is much better than the student dormitory."

Zhu Ming saluted Zhang Guangdao and sat down next to his father: "Dad, don't you have to guard the spring plowing?"

"It's been arranged, and people are watching. I'll take a free boat to come over and have a look." Zhu Guoxiang explained briefly.

But it was Zhu Ming who brought the corn and sweet potatoes down the mountain, intending to deliver them to Lu Tixue. These two things weighed dozens of kilograms in total, and I thought they could take the Bai family's boat.

When they arrived at Bai's house, they learned that ships could not cross the Golden Gorge, so they left the corn and sweet potatoes in Shangbai Village and asked Lao Bai to help keep an eye on passing ships.

Unexpectedly, Lu Tixue couldn't wait any longer and sent a special official ship with money to Daming Village to buy corn and sweet potato seeds.

Ju Ming asked: "So, you came here on an official ship, and the seeds have been shipped to Lu Ti for study?"

"Yes, bring the roasted tea by the way."

Zhu Guoxiang waved, and Zhang Guangdao immediately opened the bag and took out more than twenty bamboo tubes.

Ju Ming said happily: "Did you make fried tea?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "We all went to the Waste Tea Mountain to pick tea for experiments. The tea frying went very smoothly, but the heat was not controlled well enough, and the quality control was a mess. The same tea, the same pot, produced several flavors. I brought it , they all taste relatively good, and they are used as samples to be given to wealthy businessmen in Yangzhou to try."

"Let's not talk about the tea for now," Zhu Ming turned to Zhang Guangdao and said, "There are three martial arts practitioners in the yard. Brother Zhang can go and compete with them in martial arts."

Zhang Guangdao didn't say much, turned and left the room.

Zhu Ming looked at Zheng Hong with a smile. Fatty Zheng scratched his forehead and took the bookboy out, asking the bookboy to close the door.

Only the father and son were left in the house.

Zhu Guoxiang asked: "Why are you so cautious?"

Zhu Ming said: "Dean Zhu, you have become a great scholar."

"What's going on?" Zhu Guoxiang was confused.

Ju Ming explained: "A famous Confucian came to Yangzhou Academy. I told him some theories and said they were your old ideas. So, you are a great Confucian now, so don't reveal your secret."

Zhu Guoxiang asked: "What exactly did you say?"

Ju Ming explained in vernacular: "The people are the foundation of the country, the country and the world are composed of the people, and the people should actively exert their subjective initiative. The ethics and items used by the people every day contain the Dao. Studying the daily use of the people can seek the Tao, and seek the Tao. After that, it’s time to benefit the people. I told the famous Confucian about the yin and yang of male and female flowers. I also gave him a brief explanation of buoyancy, and then I will trick him into learning mathematics and mechanics."

"This is very good," Zhu Guoxiang smiled and nodded, but suddenly stopped laughing, "You tell people that these are all theories I proposed?"

"Yes, I am young, so I may not be able to convince the public. You are older, and your reasoning is more convincing." Ju Ming said.

Zhu Guoxiang looked depressed: "I don't know ancient Chinese, and all the Confucian principles come from the compulsory education stage. Others are still famous Confucians, how can I communicate, how can I tell lies?"

Zhu Ming smiled and said: "Dean Zhu, don't belittle yourself. Neo-Confucianism has continued into the 21st century and has been integrated into every aspect of life. If you just say a word, it may scare the Confucian. You just need to remember one thing, you are You are an expert outside the world, and you have returned to your original nature. When others want to talk about Confucianism, you avoid talking about it and only focus on agriculture and physics. The more you act like this, the more incomprehensible you appear."

Zhu Guoxiang pondered: "I don't understand anything, but I have to show that I understand everything without letting people see the flaws. This... I can try."

"Let's go act together." Zhu Ming stood up and walked out.

There is a small clay stove in the yard, which is reserved for distinguished guests to make tea.

Zhu Ming asked Bai Sheng to light a fire and collect firewood, while he fetched a bucket of well water. The father and son gathered around the stove and waited for the audience to appear.

Chen Yuan had received the news a long time ago. After carefully taking care of his appearance, he came to the courtyard with his personal entourage. He bowed his hands and said, "Chen Yuan, I have met Mr. Zhu."

Zhu Guoxiang stood up, clasped his fists, smiled and said, "Please sit down."

I don't know whether Dean Zhu acted well or if Chen Yuan had preconceived ideas. I just felt that sitting there, Zhu Guoxiang had the bearing of Yue Linyuan. It seems ordinary, but in fact it is calm and restrained, and a little aloof. This self-cultivation effort seems to have reached the state of returning to nature.

He is indeed a hidden scholar!

The well water in the small stove began to bubble, and Ju Ming stood up to set the tea cup.

Zhu Guoxiang gently pulled on his sleeves, and the ordinary narrow-sleeved civilian clothes had the feeling of a wide robe with big sleeves. He pulled out the bamboo tube cover, poured the tea leaves into the cup, raised the stove and poured water into it.

Immediately, Zhu Guoxiang said calmly: "You can drink the tea after it cools down a little."

Chen Yuan's mind was full of questions, but he couldn't say much. Should he blame the other party for serving loose tea to guests? I can only think in my mind: Using loose tea instead of group tea, this gentleman is willing to live in poverty.

Zhu Ming said: "Mr. Chen, this loose tea is not that loose tea. My father invented his own method of frying tea to remove the bitterness and retain its fragrance."

Chen Yuan didn't know that tea could be fried, so out of curiosity, he asked, "Don't you need to wash the tea?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "If your heart is clean, you don't need to wash your tea."

There is really no need to wash the tea. That thing is unscientific and purely a commercial selling point.

At this moment, Min Wenwei came over after hearing the news, and everyone bowed to each other again.

Zhu Guoxiang raised the stove and made Principal Min a drink as well.

Min Wenwei regarded Zhu Guoxiang as a master of both Confucianism and Taoism, and immediately praised him: "With Mr. Zhu's ability, he even drinks loose tea, which is also a form of spiritual practice. When heaven is about to entrust this man with a great responsibility, he must first work hard on his bones and muscles and his mind. . Tasting the bitterness of this loose tea is a sign of happiness in poverty, and it can train a gentleman’s mind.”

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Poverty is not about enduring hardship, and it cannot temper your will."

Chen Yuan understood that the time had come to ask, so he raised his hands and said, "Sir, please make it clear."

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Poverty is easy to come by, but it is achieved by enduring hardship. Not having enough food to eat and not having enough clothes to keep you warm is poverty. It is the same for everyone in the world. However, people who know how to endure hardship and are willing to endure hardship are rare in the world."

Ju Ming quickly praised: "What's the difference in enduring hardship?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "There are two poor farmers. They are generally poor and work hard to farm."

"One of them came home at night and had some free time, so he lay on the bed to rest, or went to the village to chat about family affairs. He had some spare money, bought some delicious food, and made two new clothes. He was confused, day after day. He also suffers from poverty, but he doesn’t know how to endure hardship.”

"Another person, when he had a little leisure time, stood outside the village school window and listened to books, and asked children to teach him how to write. When he was farming, he did not stick to the methods passed down by his ancestors, but paid attention and observed every day. Trying to think of some ways to harvest more food. He had extra money, so he bought pens and papyrus to practice writing and doing accounting. But all of what he did seemed to be of no use. Instead, it was a waste of money and energy. The villagers laughed at him. He was overestimating his abilities and gave him the nickname "Nong Xianggong". Even his family did not understand him. He had to work and study, and he was isolated and ridiculed by everyone. He was tired physically and mentally, but he was still happy. This is called Endure hardship!”

"The suffering of the body is easy to bear, but the suffering of the heart is unbearable. Only those who can bear the suffering of the heart without breaking their will are the true meaning of a gentleman who is poor!"

Isn't it just showing off?

Zhu Guoxiang is very good at it, and he does it one by one. Chicken soup for the soul can be boiled in a big pot.

Min Wenwei clapped his hands and praised: "This is a true gentleman!"

Chen Yuan was also very impressed and said: "A gentleman is poor. This is a wonderful explanation. There are many scholars in the world who are poor but do not want to make progress. They also deceive themselves and others by thinking that a gentleman is poor. If they listen to Mr. Zhu's words, He must be ashamed and cover his face."

Zhu Guoxiang pointed to the tea that was gradually cooling down and said: "This is fried tea, which is different from steamed tea. Astringency is distracting thoughts, bitterness is the original taste. Fry it with strong fire, just like a gentleman practicing in the furnace of heaven and earth. Keep the bitterness, remove the astringency, and preserve the original intention. Strengthening one's ambition is the tea for a gentleman. Gentlemen, please endure hardship!"

Ju Ming was so dumbfounded by this. He was already good at bullshitting, but he didn't expect his father to be even better than him.

As expected of a leader, I’m afraid I’ve cooked soup for students a lot in the past.

According to Zhu Guoxiang's explanation, fried tea has become a gentleman's tea, bitterness has become a gentleman's true intention, and enduring hardship has become a way of cultivating one's character.

Even the process of frying tea has been sublimated. Tea is a gentleman, the wok is the oven of heaven and earth, and frying tea leaves is the gentleman's practice in the world.

That strong style went up in an instant.

Min Wenwei particularly liked this kind of chicken soup for the soul, and made up his mind to tell it to students in the future. He couldn't get used to Chen Yuan, and he couldn't get used to Ju Ming, but in his eyes, Dean Zhu became more and more pleasing to his eyes - he was indeed a great scholar!

Min Wenwei prided himself on being a true gentleman. He couldn't wait to pick up the tea cup and said with a smile: "Gentlemen, please endure the hardship!"