By the time spring arrived in the Central Plains, the mountains and forests in the Southwest were already filled with beautiful purples and reds.
In Xiaoliang Mountain, which was like spring all year round, the passing of winter did not leave a deep impression on the people. Compared to the snow-covered mountains during the Small Canghe period and the barren Northwest, the winter here was only a term for time and had no actual concept.
Naturally, there was a big celebration at the end of the year. Unknowingly, it was already March. Seedlings were planted in the fields. Every day, under the morning light, one could see lush trees and flowers between the high mountains and low ridges. Other than the fact that the roads were difficult to traverse, the vicinity of Ji Shan was like a paradise on earth.
There was a mountain in the east of the city where the trees had long been cut down. Terraced fields, roads, and houses had been built. In this era, it could be considered a delightful scene.
This was the residence of the Black Flag personnel.
He Wen woke up early every day. Before the sky had even brightened, he would get up to exercise, read a book, and carefully prepare for class. By the time the sky brightened, there were already people walking around the front and back of the house. The craftsmen of the factories and the Institute of Physics and the teachers of the school basically lived together. From time to time, the sound of greetings, greetings, and conversations could be heard.
In the society of the Wu dynasty, the classes of scholars, farmers, merchants, and businessmen had already begun to be fixed. The status of craftsmen and scholars was originally as different as heaven and earth. However, since Takeshi had joined the Huaxia army for more than ten years, the craftsmen under Ning Yi had gradually trained and formed their own system. Later on, many of them had also learned to read and write. Now, there were not too many barriers between them and the cultured people. Of course, this was also because the small society of the Huaxia army attached great importance to the cooperation of everyone and paid attention to the equality of people in their work. At the same time, it naturally weakened the role of scholars, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
He Wen naturally had some opinions about the latter, but there was nothing much to say. His current identity was, on one hand, a teacher, and on the other hand, a prisoner.
He Wen, this man, was originally a disciple of a large clan in the Zhejiang region, a scholarly hero who was well-versed in both pen and sword. Several years ago, the northern region was in turmoil, he went to the Central Plains in an attempt to contribute his strength. Later on, by chance, he entered the Black Flag Army, and became friends with quite a few people in the army. Last year, when Ning Yi came back to clean up the spies, He Wen was captured because of his contact with the outside world. However, after he was captured, Ning Yi did not make things too difficult for him. He only kept him in Mount Ji to teach Confucianism for half a year and promised that when the time was up, he would let him go.
He was well-versed in both literature and martial arts. He was proud and arrogant. Since there was an agreement, he began to teach here. In class, he analyzed the vastness of Confucianism with a group of young students and analyzed the possible problems of the Huaxia Army. At first, he was rejected by people, but now he has gained the approval of many disciples. This was the respect he had won with his knowledge. In the last few months, members of the Black Flag had often come over to "debate" with him. He Wen was not a pedantic scholar. He was a Confucian hero in his thirties. His knowledge was profound, and his temperament was sharp. He was able to refute people's arguments every time.
The time for him to leave was getting closer and closer.
He Wen did not doubt Ning Yi's promise at the beginning. Including this half a year, he had already stayed in the Black Flag for three years. During his time at He Deng, he was respected by everyone. Later, when he was discovered to be a spy, it was not good for him to continue teaching at He Deng, so he transferred to Mount Ji, but he did not receive too much trouble.
Zhuo Xiaofeng, who was in charge of security in Jishan County, was familiar with He Wen. He had founded the Yongle Youth League and was a person who was obsessed with equality and the Great Harmony. He would often bring out deviant ideas to debate with He Wen. Among the people in charge of Jishan County's businesses, a young man named Qin Shaoyu was originally Qin Siyuan's nephew. During the chaos when Qin Siyuan was killed, Qin Shaoyu was severely injured by Lin Zongwu and had been confined to a wheelchair ever since. He Wen admired the name Qin Siyuan and also admired the old man's annotations of the Four Classics. He often chatted with him. Qin Shaoyu was not well-versed in Confucianism, but he told him many things about Qin Siyuan truthfully, including the old man's relationship with Ning Yi and how he had risen from being a spoiled brat to where he was today under Ning Yi's influence.
Due to Black Flag's history of regicide, there were not many Confucian disciples in the military, and the number of learned Confucians could be counted on one's fingers. However, the higher-ups of Black Flag treated them with respect, including He Wen. There were many precedents of letting people leave after staying for a period of time, so He Wen was not worried that the other party would harm them.
During his three years in the Huaxia military, he had been vigilant most of the time. Now that he was about to leave, he looked back and suddenly realized that this place was like a different world compared to the outside world. There were many monotonous things in this world, but there were also many chaotic things that people could not see clearly.
With He Deng as the core, they promoted the "Four Citizens"; the young people of the Yongle faction in Tyrant Blade promoted the most radical "everyone is equal"; the "Logic" promoted in the Physics Department, some young people pursued the Mohists' thinking that everything was connected; Jishan County promoted the "Spirit of Contract", greed and laziness. They were all the core of this chaos.
After all, the Huaxia military was a military organization. After developing for so many years, its combat power was enough to shake the world, but the entire system only had about 200,000 people, and it was in a difficult crevice. It was still impossible to develop a systematic culture. Most of these cultures and sayings came from Ning Yi and his disciples. Many of them were still slogans or in a budding state. The discussion of a hundred people could not even be considered a "theory". Scholars like He Wen could see that some of the sayings were even contradictory, but Ning Yi's method was confusing and thought-provoking.
In comparison, slogans like "everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of Huaxia" were more simple and mature.
Of course, these things made him think. But there were other things that troubled him.
Not long after the morning exercise, the sound of footsteps came from outside. Someone opened the fence door and came in. Outside the window was the figure of a woman. She walked past the small courtyard, then started a fire in the kitchen and prepared breakfast.
He Wen read loudly, then prepared the lessons for the day. When he finished and walked out, the porridge for breakfast was already prepared, and the woman in a coarse dress had already left with her head lowered.
The woman's name was Lin Jingmei, and this was one of the things that troubled him.
In all fairness, even though the Huaxia Army had slaughtered their way through a sea of blood, it did not mean that the army only revered martial arts. In this day and age, even though it had weakened a bit, scholars were still admired. He Wen was thirty-eight years old this year, well-versed in both literature and martial arts. He was also a talented person, the age when his knowledge and temperament were at their best. When he first entered the Black Flag Army, he said that his family's wives and children were all killed by the Female Spiritual Master. Later on, he became familiar with the Black Flag Army, so he naturally obtained the hearts of many women. Lin Jingmei was one of them.
When He Wen first entered the Black Flag Army, he was filled with a heroic and tragic feeling. When he threw himself into the devil's den, he had long disregarded life and death. This young lady named Lin Jingmei was nineteen years old, a full year younger than him. However, in this day and age, this actually wasn't that big of a deal. The other party was the daughter of a martyr of the Huaxia Army. She looked weak on the outside, but her temperament was firm and tenacious. After taking a fancy to him, she took great care of him, and there was also a group of older brothers and parents who added fuel to the fire. Even though He Wen claimed to be heartbroken, as time went by, he couldn't go too far. Later on, the young lady washed and cooked for him. In the eyes of outsiders, they were already a couple who would soon be married.
In reality, in this day and age, male chauvinism was prevalent. He Wen came from a scholarly family. Even though he learned martial arts, he always kept a respectful distance from cooking. With Lin Jingmei taking care of him, it really made his life a lot better. He didn't directly destroy her innocence. It was only after becoming familiar with the Black Flag Army that he maintained a bit of rationality.
Who knew that half a year ago, the news of He Wen being a spy would be exposed. Perhaps the protectors by Lin Jingmei's side received a warning and didn't make things excessively difficult for him. Lin Jingmei, on the other hand, was grieved and disappeared for a good while. Who knew that in winter, she would be transferred to Mount Ji again. Every day, she would come over to wash and cook for He Wen, but she didn't communicate with him anymore. People weren't plants and trees, they couldn't be emotionless. This kind of attitude made He Wen even more distressed.
After eating breakfast, he cleaned up the dishes and went out to the Huaxia Army's school not far away on the mountainside. Relatively advanced Confucian knowledge also required a certain level of foundation. Therefore, He Wen wasn't teaching children for initiation. Most of them were youths of fourteen or fifteen years old. Ning Yi actually attached great importance to Confucian knowledge. Some of the children he arranged had also received personal lessons from him. Many of them were quick-witted and would occasionally ask questions in class.
Today, there were a few more people. Among the youths who sat in the back of the class was Ning Yi's eldest son, Ning Xi. He Wen had seen him before. Therefore, he knew that Ning Yi had most likely come to Ji Shan District.
This class wasn't peaceful again. He Wen's class was talking about "The Book of Rites: Etiquette". Combining Confucius and Laozi, he talked about the concept of a harmonious world and a well-off society. It was hard for the Huaxia Army not to discuss this content. When the class was about to end, a few youths who came with Ning Xi stood up to ask questions. The questions were relatively superficial but they couldn't beat the persistent pestering of the youths. He Wen sat there and refuted them one by one. Later, when it came to the Huaxia Army's strategy, he talked about the chaos that the Huaxia Army wanted to create in the world. This class lasted until noon. In the end, Ning Xi couldn't help but participate in the debate but was still beaten up by He Wen.
Although the Huaxia Army had a lively atmosphere in class and couldn't refrain from asking questions, they had always been strict in respecting their teachers. Otherwise, someone as articulate as He Wen would inevitably be beaten up as a reactionary.
After the class, he returned to the courtyard. The food was a little cold. Lin Jingmei sat in the room waiting for him. Her eyes were slightly red as if she had been crying. He Wen entered the room and she got up to leave. She said in a low voice, "Watch your words this afternoon."
He Wen sat down and waited until Lin Jingmei left the room before standing up again. "Thank you for taking care of me these days, Miss Lin. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. "
Lin Jingmei left quickly. She must have been crying.
In the afternoon, He Wen went to the school. As usual, he organized his books and quietly prepared for class. Around 5pm, a girl with the same scar on her face came to find him. She asked him to see Ning Yi. The girl's eyes were cold and her tone was unfriendly. This was the seventh daughter of the Su family. She was Lin Jingmei's best friend. After He Wen was captured, he had met her a few times. Each time, he didn't get a good look from her. Naturally, it was normal.
He Wen followed Miss Seven out of the school and along the road, they went to a market not far away. He Wen looked at the surrounding buildings and sighed. Along the way, he saw a short man shouting and handing out leaflets to the passersby. "… Everyone is equal in this world. Those important people have hands, feet, and heads. You and I also have hands, feet, and heads. There is no difference between people …"
This was someone from Tyrant's Blade Camp. He was also the subordinate of one of Ning Yi's wives, Liu Watermelon. They had inherited Yongle's legacy and were very particular about equality. They also had 'democratic voting' in Tyrant's Blade Camp. Their demands for equality were even more extreme than Ning Yi's' Four Citizens'. They often promoted in Ji Shan and had a gathering every day. Even some merchants from outside the mountain would be influenced and go take a look at them at night out of curiosity. But to He Wen, these were the things that puzzled him the most. For example, Ji Shan's business system was about greed and the pursuit of profit. Gewu School was also about intelligence and efficiency. These systems would ultimately divide people into different classes. With such conflicting ideas, there would be internal strife in the future. He couldn't understand Ning Yi's stupidity. But it was easy to beat up Ning Xi and the other kids with similar doubts.
In the past, He Wen was puzzled and didn't think much of these promotions. Now, he actually felt a little nostalgic. After all, these 'twisted theories' didn't exist outside the mountain.
Not long after, He Wen saw Ning Yi at the Chinese Army's office before he reached the bustling area of the market. In the courtyard that was heavily guarded, he could see Ning Xi and her companions copying things with their heads lowered. When He Wen came over, Ning Yi was sending away a Dali merchant. He then invited him to sit and brewed a cup of tea for him.
Most of the time, Ning Yi smiled when he met people. It was the same when he met He Wen previously. Even if he was a spy, Ning Yi didn't make things difficult for him. But this time, the man who could shake the world with a stomp of his feet had a serious expression. He sat in the chair opposite and was silent for a moment.
"I met Jing Mei in the morning," Wang Yao said.
"Yes." He Wen finally understood why Lin Jingmei's eyes were red in the afternoon.
Ning Yi thought for a moment and sighed. After some deliberation, he said, "I'm sorry.
After some deliberation, he said, "Jingmei's father is called Lin Nian. Ten years ago, he had a famous nickname, Five Phoenix Blade. At that time, I was still managing Takeshi and had connections with the Office of Secret Investigations. Some martial artists came to kill me, and some came to join me. Lin Nian came at that time. He was a hero. Although he was skilled in martial arts, he didn't bully others. I remember when he first came, he was very thin from hunger. Jingmei was even worse. She was weak and had little hair. She was a really pitiful girl … "
Ning Yi's voice was low and unhurried as he reminisced, "Later on, the Lady Zhenren came. I led my men out to assist the Prime Minister's residence in strengthening the defenses and clearing the fields. After a fierce battle, the entire army was routed. I led my men back to Qi County to burn the rations. Master Lin Nian died on that road. He fought with the Perfected Woman until his last breath. His only wish before he died was that we could take care of his daughter. "
"And then?" He Wen's eyes were calm and emotionless.
"I treated Jingmei as my own daughter." Ning Yi looked at him. "You are older than her. You can be her father. At first, I objected to her liking you. But she is soft on the outside and hard on the inside. I thought, you are a good person after all. No one minded, so I let it go. Later … the first time I found out about your identity was a month before I took action against you. When I found out, it was already too late. "
He Wen raised the corner of his mouth. "I thought Mister Ning called me here to either let me go, or to discuss the world's affairs with me, or because I humiliated your son in the school this morning and you want to get back at me. I didn't expect you to talk about love affairs with me. "
He had already mentally prepared himself and was not moved by the other party's words. Ning Yi did not care about the sarcasm in his words. He sat there, bent down, and wiped his face a few times with his hands. "You can talk to anyone about anything in the world. I just hope that you can consider staying for Jingmei. That way, she will feel happy. "
"Mister Ning thinks this is more important?"
Ning Yi looked at him. "Is there anything more important than this?"
"I can't see any hope. How can I stay?"
"Defeating the Female Enlightened Master isn't considered hope?"
"Knowledge that can't stand up to scrutiny has no hope."
He Wen went tit for tat. Ning Yi was silent for a moment. He leaned back in his chair and nodded. "I understand. Whether you leave or stay today, I was going to talk to you about this."
He Wen laughed. "Mister Ning is straightforward."
"It's not that I'm straightforward. I just want to see how you feel about Jingmei. You avoid talking about it, but there are still some. "
Only then did He Wen fall silent. Ning Yi looked out the door. "What Mr. He wants to know is the problem of how to rule the world in the future. However, I want to talk about the problems in your thoughts, the problems in the Confucian school of thought, and the problems in the minds of many people."
"Mister Ning has said a lot before." He Wen opened his mouth. His tone wasn't as deliberately unfriendly as before.
"… When I was young, my thoughts were no different from those of ordinary people. I was smart and had a good brain. Those with a good brain must think highly of themselves. I was also very confident. Mister He, like many Confucian scholars, didn't talk about saving the world. I always felt that if I did things, I would be different from others. What others couldn't do, I could do. The simplest thing was, if I was an official, I naturally wouldn't be a corrupt official. What does Mister He think? Did you think like this when you were young? "
He Wen looked at him. "Even now, I am definitely not a corrupt official."
Ning Yi's smile was complicated. "Yes. At that time, did you feel that money was so important? Was power so important? The suffering of poverty, the right path, was it really impossible to walk? Until one day, I suddenly realized something. Those corrupt officials, bad people, incorrigible people, they were also very smart. In fact, many of them were even smarter than me … When I deeply understood this, there was a question that changed my life. My entire view of the world began to turn upside down. "
Ning Yi looked at He Wen coldly. "Why did Mister He fail?"
He Wen raised his head. "Hmm?"
"Why did an outstanding person like He Wen become a corrupt official? Why did an outstanding person like Qin Siyuan fail? There are countless outstanding people in this world. What is the inevitable reason that caused them to become corrupt officials, causing them to be unable to adhere to their original righteous thoughts? Mister He, even if you beat me to death, I wouldn't want to be a corrupt official. Do you think you're the only one? Or is it just me? The answer is actually everyone. Almost everyone is unwilling to do bad things and become a corrupt official. And among them, there are countless smart people. Then what they encounter must be more terrifying than death, a more reasonable power. "
"When I encounter a situation, will I slowly and unavoidably fail? After this question … I began to truly understand this world … "
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