Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Zhu Guoxiang was still talking about astronomy in the yard. Out of boredom, Zhu Ming ran to the study to get the "Book of Changes" to read.

Ju Ming had all the "Analects of Confucius" and "Mencius" that were required for the imperial examination in his mind, and they were also Zhu Xi's annotated editions, which scorned most of the current scholars.

With this plug-in alone, you can pretend to be half a Confucian master.

If you want to pass the imperial examination and become an official, you have to choose one of the remaining scriptures as the main scripture.

Although Ju Ming had read "The Book of Songs", he read it from a modern annotated version. Taking it for exams would be more serious than handing in a blank paper, and would be judged by the marking officer as having ideological problems.

"Zhou Li", I'm sorry, Ju Ming has never touched it.

Although Zhu Ming had also read "The Book of Rites", he only flipped through it, and only a few chapters could be read in his mind.

The opening chapter of "Shang Shu" was too boring. Ju Ming picked it up several times but could not finish reading the three chapters of Yao, Shun, and Yu.

There is only the "Book of Changes". Zhu Ming has carefully read the "Book of Changes" part of the "Complete Collection of Five Classics" of the Ming Dynasty. Although the content related to cosmology and ideology, Ju Ming felt that most of it was bullshit, but he endured reading it in order to make a video.

Why is it bullshit?

Because in the "Complete Collection of Five Classics" officially compiled by the Ming Dynasty, many contents deviated from the original meaning of the Five Classics and were far-fetched and relied on Neo-Confucianism. The outer skin is still the outer skin of the Five Classics, but inside it is full of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism.

The "Book of Changes" in my hand now is called "Zhengyi Zhengyi". It was annotated by Wang Bi of the Wei and Jin Dynasties and commented by Kong Yingda of the Tang Dynasty.

Ju Ming carefully read the book and compared it with the Ming Dynasty version.

Boy, this is so refreshing!

To make an inappropriate analogy, the "Book of Changes" of the Ming Dynasty is like a middle-aged woman wearing heavy makeup, while the "Zhouyi Zhengyi" of the Tang Dynasty is like a young girl in bloom.

This time, Ju Ming was really enjoying watching it, and he suddenly forgot about the passage of time.

By the time Ju Ming came to his senses, Mrs. Yan had finished her work and gone home, and was cooking in the kitchen.

Shen Yourong washed the rice and went into the house, putting the pottery pot on the stove.

Grandma Yan added firewood and asked, "Mr. Zhu is still teaching Brother Qi to study?"

"I have been teaching from noon to now," Shen Erniang said happily, "Xianggong Zhu is very patient. He has repeatedly explained the things we don't understand ten or twenty times, and he doesn't dislike us for being stupid."

Grandma Yan was delighted when she heard this and asked again: "Which one is better educated, Mr. Zhu or his son?"

Shen Yourong thought about it carefully and said, "They should be similar, but Mr. Zhu is willing to go into detail, and Zhu Dalang only gives a general outline."

"Young people are more impetuous and can't bear their impatience." Grandma Yan said.

Shen Yourong suddenly whispered: "Aunt, these father and son are very powerful. They know astronomy from the top and geography from the bottom. The astronomy Zhu Dalang teaches is something that ordinary scholars can learn. But the astronomy Zhu Xianggong teaches is something that even my father can't learn. He has heard that he knows how the stars in the sky rotate. Zhu Dalang should also understand this. When he listened to Zhu Xianggong's lecture, he was not surprised at all."

Grandma Yan was horrified and said: "You also know the secrets of astronomy, could you be someone like Master Chen?"

Under the deliberate propaganda of the imperial court and the interpretation of legendary novels, the ancestor Chen Tuan had already become a household name in the Song Dynasty, and even the village women had heard of it.

"Anyway, he is not an ordinary scholar," Shen Yourong said in a low voice, "Zhu Dalang has been reading the Book of Changes."

The son of Yan Dapo and the deceased husband of Shen Yourong, the canon he ruled was "Zhou Rites". He once told his family that the "Book of Changes" is too mysterious and profound, and he can only read it casually. If he wants to study it intensively, he must be guided by a famous teacher.

Therefore, in the minds of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, anyone who can read the "Book of Changes" is very powerful!

After the meal was ready, Shen Yourong went to move the tables and stools, and Grandma Yan went to get the dishes and chopsticks.

When I came to the yard, I saw Zhu Ming squatting on the ground, throwing out a few small sticks made of dead branches.

Grandma Yan asked curiously: "What is Dalang doing?"

"I haven't done fortune telling for a long time." Zhu Ming replied casually.

He is really good at fortune-telling. This thing is not difficult. You can learn it by knowing addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The difficult thing is how to calculate accurately.

Occasionally, Ju Ming will broadcast live to tell the fortunes of those netizens who are trolls.

Grandma Yan quickly ran to her daughter-in-law and whispered: "She can also tell fortunes."

Zhu Guoxiang didn't like fussy things, so he helped Shen Yourong place the tables and stools and stood there shouting: "Stop engaging in feudal superstition and come over to eat!"

Ju Ming walked over and sat down. He arranged small sticks of different lengths on the table and said, "I am testing our fortune and future. Don't you want to listen?"

Although he doesn't believe in Feng Shui fortune telling, people dare not completely ignore such mysterious things. Zhu Guoxiang looked at the sticks and said, "Tell me about it."

Zhu Ming arranged all the long and short sticks and began to tell the hexagram: "This hexagram is Zeshanxian. There are marshes in the mountains, and the mountains and rivers are connected. A gentleman should be open-minded and accept other people's suggestions humbly. If you marry a wife, you will have good luck. The original text of the Xian hexagram is, Heng. , benevolent and chaste, auspicious for women."

When she said this, Shen Yourong's face turned red, while Grandma Yan smiled with her teeth exposed.

Ju Ming continued: "If you want to do something big, you must not be impatient. You should wait for the opportunity to act. When something strikes, it will make a sound. Know the opportunity."

"So, don't mess around, farm the land for development with peace of mind." Zhu Guoxiang reminded his son, don't think about fighting and becoming emperor all day long.

Ju Ming said: "The complete meaning of this hexagram is to have great ambitions, not to follow blindly, to be open-minded and wait for opportunities to act."

After saying this, Ju Ming began to change the hexagrams, breaking the fourth long stick from top to bottom into two short sticks and putting them back: "Ninety-three lines are moved, and the hexagrams are changed into marshes. In this hexagram, the rivers are overflowing, and the seas are flowing across them. Floods submerge the earth, all living beings are in dispute, and crises are everywhere. You must obey the destiny and take precautions. Only by making preparations and acting in accordance with the times can you achieve great success."

Zhu Guoxiang thought of the troubled times in the late Northern Song Dynasty and said in surprise: "Is it so evil? You must have made it up."

Zhu Ming continued to explain the hexagrams: "This changed line, the line sign is: salty, but also not in place. The ambition is to follow people, and to stick to it."

"What do you mean?" Zhu Guoxiang asked.

Ju Ming explained: "The general meaning is that it's time to rush, don't think about living in peace and quiet, and don't think about self-restraint. But if you don't restrain yourself and follow the crowd and follow other people's actions, you will be tied up by others. Therefore, you must Stick to your true intentions, don’t follow the crowd blindly, and don’t be constrained by others. Get restless when you need to, follow your own ambitions, and fight as you like!”

Zhu Guoxiang was silent for a moment, becoming more and more suspicious that his son was making it up, trying to trick him into changing the dynasty and conquering the world.

Ju Ming smiled and said: "I also feel it's quite weird. Believe it or not, it's up to you. This change is called Cui Gua, and Cui means gathering and unity. If you want to achieve something in the future, you and I must unite, and it is best to gather and unite more people. .”

"Unity, I understand, this is the most important." Zhu Guoxiang nodded.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were listening, half understanding, and vaguely feeling that they wanted to do something big.

But no matter what, the elder man of the Zhu family can definitely tell fortunes, and he also understands astronomy, so he is probably not an ordinary person.

Grandma Yan originally wanted to recruit a new wife, but she felt a little guilty at this moment.

This small and broken temple in her family may not be able to accommodate a great Bodhisattva. The better Zhu Ming and his son are, the less Mrs. Yan dares to mention marriage.

Putting away the fortune-telling sticks, Ju Ming got down to business: "Old madam, my father and son are penniless. We only have one valuable writing brush left, and we want to sell it to Mr. Bai in exchange for some money. But the Bai family's The concierge doesn't know anything about things, how can he meet Bai Yuanwai in person?"

Grandma Yan said: "Lao Bai had a serious illness last year, so he didn't go out much, and we don't see him very often. On the second day of March, it's the Bai family's 90th birthday, so there will definitely be a feast. Not only the neighbors You can go to have a meal, and passers-by can also come, and maybe you can meet them."

"What day is today?" Zhu Guoxiang asked.

Erniang Shen said: "The twenty-seventh day of the first lunar month."

"There's still more than a month left," Ju Ming thought seriously, then raised his hand and asked, "Old madam, can I stay in your house until the second day of March? I'll wait for the pen to be sold in exchange for food and accommodation, and then I'll pay for the room and board."

Because the father and son acted too knowledgeable and now said they had good pens that could be sold for money, Mrs. Yan no longer dared to bring up the matter of recruiting a bride.

After all, what capable man is willing to marry into a wife if he is not at the end of his rope?

Grandma Yan said: "I studied for a few days when I was a child. Although I don't know much about literacy, I also understand the truth. I am not that kind of philistine. You two gentlemen can stay here and don't pay much for room and board. If you can find time to teach me, Brother Qi, just read and study."

Zhu Guoxiang cupped his hands and said, "I promise to teach you carefully."

Ju Ming asked curiously: "Are there no village schools or private schools nearby?"

Grandma Yan said: "Lao Bai's mother-in-law has a private school and hired a teacher, but he only teaches his own children."

Shen Yourong said: "A few miles to the west of the county, there is a big village, and there is a village school there. My father is the village school teacher. When Brother Qi is two years older, he will stay at my grandfather's house to study."

"It turns out it's due to family background. I'm disrespectful. I'm disrespectful." Zhu Guoxiang said flatteringly.

Shen Yourong added: "My father is just a school teacher in the village. He has never obtained any honors in his life. He can naturally teach Meng children. If you want to learn scriptures, you have to go to the county. Those with money in their families even send their children to Yangzhou, where there are academies. The teacher is very famous. Mr. Sanlang, the wife of Mr. Bai, is studying in an academy in Yangzhou, and he will definitely go home to celebrate his grandmother’s birthday this time.”

Grandma Yan said: "Sanlangjun and my son are classmates. Every time he returns to the village, he always comes to visit me and gives brother Qi pen and paper."

The father and son looked at each other and had an idea in their minds.

It seems that there is no need to wait for the birthday banquet on the second day of March, as the Bai family master will be back in late February.

A scholar who studied in Zhoucheng would definitely be more knowledgeable, and that Hu pen would be sold at a higher price!

Just when the father and son were secretly happy, a voice suddenly came from outside the yard: "Hey, we are all living here and washing clothes. Is Mrs. Yan trying to recruit a son-in-law? I have seen a son-in-law for his daughter, but I have never seen a son-in-law. My daughter-in-law brought her into the family."

Ju Ming turned around and saw a man in his thirties standing on the path outside the courtyard with a playful smile.

Grandma Yan's face suddenly darkened. She stood up to get the wooden stick for washing clothes. She took the stick and cursed loudly: "Bai Fude, you are a murderer. Last year, you took over a ridge of my family's land. I haven't settled the score with you yet. Don't you dare to do it again." You are chewing your tongue, and I will risk my life to fight you!"

Baiford ignored Mrs. Yan and looked at Shen Yourong: "I have lost my wife, and you, Erniang, have lost your husband. We are so perfect for each other. You look down on me because I haven't read a book, so you can remarry with a white-faced scholar." But what do you mean by finding two poor people to settle down? These two strangers are just like beggars. Yesterday they went from house to house begging for food. Don’t raise men like this. It will make people laugh if word spreads."

Shen Yourong sneered: "Don't pretend, who doesn't know what you are thinking? Aren't you just thinking about my family's twenty acres of land? I will marry a beggar instead, and I won't marry you. I'll get rid of that evil intention as soon as possible!"

"Get out of here!" Mrs. Yan roared angrily.

Anger flashed across Byford's face. He felt slighted. At that moment, she didn't mess around anymore, but turned around and left quickly. When she walked to a nearby house, she suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs: "Shen Erniang raises a man, pick up two beggars and bring them into the house..."

"Shameless!" Shen Yourong was so angry that he was shaking all over.