When the servants of the Cui Residence saw the thick smoke coming out from Cui Hao's courtyard, they thought that it was on fire and rushed over to help. When they rushed into the courtyard, they saw Cui Hao standing outside the study with his hands behind his back. Looking at the fire in the study, he instructed, "The fire in the study is too big. There's no need to take the books out. Just don't let the fire spread to other places!"
The annotated books in the study were a disaster to the Cui Family.
Because Cui Hao's ability was too great, the books that he annotated had a huge impact on the scholars. Those who had read them all viewed them as treasures. Later on, there were even people who suggested that the books that Cui Hao annotated should be printed all over Northern Wei to replace the other books so that all the scholars could learn from them.
Although the person who suggested that Cui Hao's annotated books should be the 'standard teaching material' for all the scholars in the country was trying to curry favor with Cui Hao, it also showed Cui Hao's ability.
Of course, this was also one of the reasons why the Cui Family was destroyed. The emperor of Northern Wei was willing to disown his own family in order to consolidate his power. How could he allow a Han to have such a high status among the scholars in Northern Wei?
The real reason was that the Xianbei royal family could not tolerate a Han nobleman who had a strong Han background sitting in Northern Wei and threatening their rule.
Others might not know the reason why the Cui Family was destroyed, but Xia Pingan was very clear about it. The reason for the destruction of the Cui Family was because of the Literary Prison. This was a fatal trap that the Northern Wei royal family had set for Cui Hao. The royal family was the one who wanted the history of the country to be revised, and the one who ordered Cui Hao to write the 'true records' was also the royal family. After the history books were completed, they carved them into stone tablets and displayed them to the Xianbei nobles in the capital. In the end, because the history books were filled with the bad deeds of the Xianbei ancestors, the 'evil of the country' was exposed. Using the history books to instigate the wrath of the Xianbei nobles was also the royal family.
Looking at the books in the room being burned to ashes, Xia Pingan finally let out a sigh of relief.
As long as no one was hurt, it was not a big deal to burn down a study room.
The Cui Clan of Qinghe was one of the Four Great Clans of Northern Wei. Cui Hao's seventh ancestor, Cui Lin, was an official during the Three Kingdoms period. Cui Hao's great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all high-ranking officials. His father was even bestowed the title of White Horse Duke. For such a family, burning down a study was a small matter.
In the afternoon, Cui Hao's study room had been torn down. The Cui family had found a new craftsman to build a new study room for Cui Hao.
Right after lunch, Grand Scribe Wang Liang came to visit.
After hearing Ming Of Silla's intentions, Xia Pingan heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. He secretly thought that he had lit the fire at the right time.
"Lord Wang, I'm sorry. My study caught fire today, and all the books in the room have been burned to ashes. My decades of hard work is also gone. The book 'Ten Wings' that I annotated is also gone …" Xia Pingan said bitterly as he shook his head.
"Ah, how did it catch fire?" Wang Liang also had a look of shock and pity on his face.
"Perhaps I was in too much of a hurry to enter the palace this morning and accidentally knocked over the lampstand in the study room when I left. Sigh, this is also a tribulation. A few days ago, I divined that my residence might catch fire, but I didn't expect it to land in my study room!"
"Last time, Lord Zhou Dan, the Imperial Physician, said that he was lucky enough to come here and read Lord Cui's annotated version of 'Ten Wings'. He was so shocked that he was enlightened. There were many things in the 'Book of Changes' that he didn't understand. After reading Lord Cui's annotated version of 'Ten Wings', he instantly understood them. I wanted to be thick-skinned and borrow it to study. What a pity, what a pity.
"Recently, my energy has been lacking, and I've been feeling dizzy. As for those books, I can only slowly recover my energy and annotate as many as I can recall …"
…
In the next three to four months, Xia Pingan pretended to be ill. He said that his study room had caught fire, and all the books that he had annotated in the past had been burned to ashes. He was sad and depressed, and basically stayed at home. Every day, he would regulate his Qi-circulation and exercise his body. When he was free, he would observe the descendants of the Cui family to see if he could find any useful talents.
There was no other way. Cui Hao was good at everything. His intelligence was almost monstrous, and he was also very handsome. He often compared himself to Zhang Liang, but his body was a little weak. Even the history books said that Cui Hao looked like a woman. He was handsome, but his body was not strong.
There were no records of Cui Hao's descendants in the history books. Perhaps it was because Cui Hao was weak and had no children.
When Tuo Basi heard that Xia Pingan's study room had been burned, he was sad and depressed. He even personally asked the palace eunuchs to send Xia Pingan hundreds of new books and some medicine, and urged Xia Pingan to take care of his body.
These books were not cheap in this era.
…
Cultivating the Dao Yin required at least a hundred days to build the foundation. After three to four months of training, Cui Hao's meridians were opened, his internal organs were harmonized, and he gradually improved. Xia Pingan's daily energy also became more exuberant. Finally, he was no longer weak and could even draw a bow.
Among the descendants of the Cui family, Cui Hao also found a few talents that could be used.
With a better body, there were many things that could be done. Xia Pingan began to inspect the Cui family's fields and properties.
Cui Hao of the Cui family in Qinghe had Cui Lin as their ancestor. Since it was a big family, it was needless to say that they were rich. The whole family had more than ten fields and various businesses. They were very rich.
After a round of inspection, Xia Pingan had a plan in mind. He began to plan.
Since he was Cui Hao now, he naturally had to avoid the tragic fate of the families related to Cui Hao. This era was too chaotic. The Sima family in the south was not a good family, and there were many strong families in the north. They could change their banners at any time. He did not have to talk about dominating, but at least he had to ensure that Cui Hao's line could continue.
…
After being in the Realm Pearl for more than four months, Xia Pingan made some preparations and entered the courtyards of the Cui family's backyard for the first time.
Seeing Xia Pingan coming in with a box in his hand, the two maids at the entrance of the backyard were shocked. They did not expect Cui Hao to come here. Cui Hao almost never came to the backyard. The relationship between the master and the madam was not harmonious. Although they were in the same family, they basically avoided each other. Everyone in the Cui family knew that. A few months ago, the master's study was burned. When the madam found out, she only sent her personal maid to ask about it. After finding out that the master was fine, she did not care about it anymore.
"Greetings, master …" The maid in the backyard hurriedly bowed to Xia Pingan.
"Is the madam back?" Xia Pingan asked while knowing the answer. He knew that the madam had just returned from burning incense in the temple today, so he deliberately asked.
Cui Hao's two wives were both daughters of Guo Yi of the Taiyuan family. They were sisters. Madam Guo died a few years after marrying Cui Hao, and then Madam Guo married Cui Hao. This was a political marriage between the Cui family and the Guo family. It was a union of interests, so there was not much affection between them. In addition, Cui Hao was proficient in Yin and Yang mathematics and advocated Taoism, while Madam Guo believed in Buddhism. Their beliefs were different. The conflict between Buddhism and Taoism was particularly fierce in this family. Cui Hao once burned the Buddhist scripture that Madam Guo was reading to ashes and flushed it into the toilet.
Madam Guo also came from a rich family, so she naturally did not treat Cui Hao well. Although the husband and wife maintained a husband-and-wife relationship, they had been in a cold war for a long time.
Xia Pingan muttered. There was another reason why Cui Hao did not have an heir. Maybe the relationship between Cui Hao and his wife was very bad.
"The madam has returned and is in the Cloud Hall …" The servant girl said in a panic.
The Xianbei nobles of Northern Wei had many believers in Buddhism. When Cui Hao advocated Taoism and suppressed Buddhism, he had unknowingly offended many Xianbei nobles and was hated by many of them. This was also one of the reasons why the Cui family would be destroyed in the future.
The ones who wanted to suppress Buddhism were actually the Northern Wei imperial family. The prosperity of Buddhism in Northern Wei had also threatened the Northern Wei imperial family's rule.
…
Xia Pingan walked towards the rear courtyard. As for the two maidservants, one led the way for Xia Pingan, while the other hurriedly went to report.
The Cloud Hall was the place where Madam Guo prayed and chanted scriptures at home.
After passing through the winding corridor and the lotus pond, Xia Pingan quickly arrived at the Cloud Hall. Standing outside the Cloud Hall, Xia Pingan saw a woman with a head full of fine black hair with a golden hairpin. She wore a long green dress and was currently reciting sutras in front of the Buddha statue in the shrine.
The woman's back was extremely beautiful and graceful. She had the temperament of a socialite from a respectable family.
Outside the Cloud Hall, there was an even older servant girl. She was the personal servant that Madam Guo had brought from the Guo family. Seeing Xia Pingan walk over, the servant girl was surprised. She looked at Xia Pingan cautiously and hurried into the Cloud Hall to report.
When the woman who was chanting heard the maid's warning, she also turned her head and glanced at Xia Pingan.
She had phoenix eyes, willowy eyebrows, a tall nose, an oval face, and fair skin. She was indeed a beautiful woman.
It was shameful to say that this was the first time Xia Pingan saw what his wife looked like.
Madam Guo was also surprised to see Xia Pingan. She knew that Cui Hao didn't like her chanting scriptures at home. She was afraid that Xia Pingan would come and ruin her Buddha Hall again. Therefore, she hurriedly asked her personal servant girl to close the curtain in front of the shrine. Her calm face immediately turned cold. She was ready to "insult" him …
"Wait …" Xia Pingan stepped into the Cloud Hall and stopped the servant girl from closing the curtain. He raised his head and looked at the gilded bronze Buddha statue in the shrine. Then, under the shocked eyes of Madam Guo and her servant girl, he came to the futon in front of the shrine. He took out three incense sticks, lit them, and inserted them into the incense burner. Then, he knelt in front of the Buddha statue, put his palms together, and said, "Please forgive me, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. I'm here to repent for my ignorance and destruction of the Buddhist scriptures. I'm willing to print tens of thousands of Buddhist scriptures to atone for my sins!" After that, Xia Pingan bowed three times to the Buddha statue. Then, he stood up gently and said to Madam Guo, "If you want to pray and chant scriptures in the future, you don't have to hide it from me. I'll support you!"
"What do you mean, husband?" Though Madam Guo was shocked, she still asked calmly. She couldn't believe that her husband had changed his mind.
Xia Pingan glanced at Madam Guo's servant girl and waved his hand to let her leave. The servant girl glanced at Madam Guo. Madam Guo nodded. Then, the servant girl walked out of the Cloud Hall and closed the door behind her.
"I've been busy these days and haven't come to see you for a long time. I want to have a good chat with you. Please take a seat!" Xia Pingan came to Madam Guo's side and sat down. Madam Guo also sat down. She felt a little relieved and relaxed, but still looked at Xia Pingan with suspicion.
"I burned your Buddhist scriptures last time and objected to your belief in Buddhism. I even spoke ill of you. It's my fault. Today, I'm here to apologize to you!" Xia Pingan stood up and bowed slightly to Madam Guo.
Madam Guo hurriedly stood up and bowed back. She said politely, "I didn't know you were a Taoist. It was inappropriate for me to chant scriptures at home. Please forgive me, husband!"
Listening to Madam Guo's "diplomatic politeness", Xia Pingan could only smile bitterly. "Maybe it's hard for you to believe me at the moment, but I do apologize to you sincerely. I used to think Buddhism and Taoism were opposites. There's no Taoism and there's no Taoism. Only recently did I realize that Buddhism, Taoism and Taoism are originally one family. Red lotus, white lotus root, green lotus leaf, and green lotus root belong to the same family. Red lotus, white lotus root, and green lotus leaf don't belong to different families. It's just that their names and appearances are different. There's only one Dharma in the world. All the Dharma is Dharma, and all the Dharma is Taoism. Buddhism seeks for liberation, Taoism seeks for freedom, and all the Dharma is benevolence at the heart. What's the difference?
Hearing Xia Pingan's words and looking at his sincere and apologetic eyes, Madam Guo was really surprised. Cui Hao would never say these words before. If anyone dared to say something good about Buddhism, Cui Hao would immediately retort. Because of this, Cui Hao not only made things difficult for himself, but also turned against his cousin Cui Yi and others. They were like fire and water.
The apologetic look in Xia Pingan's eyes when he looked at Madame Guo Xiaoguo was not an act. It came from the bottom of his heart. It was because of Cui Hao that Madame Guo Xiaoguo was buried with him. Even the Guo Family was killed. If Cui Hao could not change his fate, the Guo Family of Taiyuan would end the fate of their entire family by marrying such a son-in-law.
"Darling … why did you change so much?" Madam Guo asked curiously. "Let me know.
Recently, I went out for a walk. Just two days ago, I wandered into the forest for a rest. Suddenly, I saw a monk from the Western Regions sitting under a tree. That monk had a dignified appearance. When he saw me, he didn't say anything and suddenly began to recite a Buddhist scripture. You know my temper. I have never liked Buddhist scriptures. When I heard that monk reciting the scripture, I turned around and was about to leave. But when I took a few steps, I suddenly heard that the Buddhist scripture was very similar to the teachings of Confucius in The Analects of Confucius.
Madam Guo Xiaoguo frowned slightly. She was very familiar with many of the Buddhist scriptures translated from the Wei Kingdom, but she didn't know which one Xia Pingan was talking about. "Which words made my husband think that the Buddhist scriptures were the same as what Confucius said?"
"Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you. This saying came from The Analects of Confucius. I often talk about it to educate the disciples in the family. You should know it, Madam!"
"Yes, that's right!"
"I didn't expect that the Buddha would say almost the same thing as Confucius …" Xia Pingan said with a shocked expression on his face.
"Oh, really? Which words?"
"… A kind man says that the Bodhisattvas are not his own and do not impose on things. If the Bodhisattvas guard this dharma, they can break all the prohibitions of the Buddhas. Why? If one cherishes his life, he shouldn't kill. If one values his property, he shouldn't steal. If one protects his wife, he shouldn't violate her. All these are the same dharma. If a kind man obeys the words of Buddha, he should always remember this dharma. Why? There are no sentient beings who are happy with suffering. Those who have done something seek peace and happiness. Even the Bodhisattvas seek Annutara-Samyak-Sambodhi are happy for him. A kind man says that this is righteousness. I say, 'Don't impose on things if you don't do it.' This dharma is what the Bodhisattvas should always guard! "
Xia Pingan recited a paragraph of the Buddhist scripture and said with emotion, "Madam, listen. The Buddha's teaching to the Bodhisattvas is' Don't impose on things if you don't do it. 'Isn't this the same as Confucius' teaching to the Confucians, 'Don't do to others what you don't want others to do'? That day in the forest, I heard this saying and felt shocked. I suddenly understood and realized that I had misunderstood Buddhism before …"
"Don't impose on things if you don't do it … Don't impose on things if you don't do it …" Madam Guo was shocked. "Just like what you said, the Buddha's teaching is exactly the same as Confucius' saying, 'Don't do to others what you don't want others to do' …"
"Madam, it's not just that!" Xia Pingan also became spirited and immediately began to speak, "There are also scriptures in the Buddhist scriptures that say this … Good man, as you asked, what is the Dharma that is like coming and going? A kind man has no less dharma is the Buddha's realization. Why? The Buddha's realization is not realized. A kind man has no birth of dharma is the Buddha's realization. A kind man has no destruction of dharma is the Buddha's realization. A kind man has two sides of dharma is the Buddha's realization. For a good man, the nature of all karma is Tathagata's realization. For all dharmas to be born from karma is Tathagata's realization. For the dharma of karma to be like lightning is Tathagata's realization. For a good man, the dharma of one aspect is Tathagata's realization. What is the Buddha's realization? All dharma is neither coming nor going, neither arising nor destroying, neither taking nor giving up, neither increasing nor decreasing. A kind man has the nature of all dharma. Everything is indescribable and is not something that can be argued with words. Such a dharma is the realization of the Buddha. "
Xia Pingan casually recited another paragraph of scripture, "Look, Madam. Isn't this scripture the same as what Laozi said about the formless Great Dao, the Great Dao can be understood, the Great Dao can be understood, the Great Dao can be named, and the Great Dao can be named. After listening to the scripture recited by the monk from the Western Regions, I was suddenly enlightened. I finally understood that Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism were originally one family. I also finally understood how narrow-minded I was before. I was too obsessed with the differences between sects and names instead of seeing through the true meaning behind the three sects.
Mrs. Guo murmured to herself with a slight frown. She was also surprised. "Husband, I've read many Buddhist scriptures translated by the Wei State, but none of the scriptures you just mentioned are the same as the one you just mentioned. I wonder which Buddhist scripture they are from!"
Xia Pingan thought to himself, "Of course you don't know now. This Buddhist scripture was only translated in the Tang Dynasty."
"I was greatly shocked at that time and also asked the monk from the Western Region what Buddhist scripture it was. The monk smiled and said that this Buddhist scripture hadn't been introduced to the Wei State yet. I was the first person in the Wei State who was fortunate enough to hear this Buddhist scripture. The name of this Buddhist scripture is' Mahayana Li Script Universal Light Scripture '!"
As a devout Buddhist believer, Madam Guo became anxious when she heard that this Buddhist scripture hadn't been introduced to the Wei State yet. She immediately asked, "I feel that this scripture is extremely exquisite just by listening to you recite a few sentences. I've never heard of it before. I wonder if you still remember the other parts of the Buddhist scripture?"
"Madam, you know that I've always had a good memory. It's strange that when I heard the Western Region monk recite this Buddhist scripture, I immediately remembered the entire scripture in my head. However, that Western Region monk disappeared for some reason. Today, I came to see you because I wanted to give this scripture to you and share it with you!"
As Xia Pingan spoke, he opened the wooden box he brought and took out an exquisitely bound thin book from the top of the wooden box and handed it to Madam Guo.
Madam Guo flipped open the Buddhist scripture. After just a few glances at the scripture, she couldn't put it down and her eyes lit up.
However, in the blink of an eye, Madam Guo also discovered the abnormality of this Buddhist scripture. This Buddhist scripture wasn't copied, but printed. Moreover, the printing was extremely exquisite. The words of the scripture were arranged neatly and the characters were beautiful. It was very pleasing to the eye. Few Buddhist scriptures that could be seen in the market could be printed so exquisitely.
"My dear, why is this Buddhist scripture so exquisite?"
Xia Pingan smiled and finally revealed the second reason why he came to see Madam Guo. "Ahem, this is the second reason why I came to see you today. I have a business here that I want to hand over to the Guo Family. If this business is successful, all the scholars in the world will be able to read such exquisite books at a lower price. The Guo Family will become the world's largest bookseller and make a lot of money every day!"
"Ah, what kind of business is it? It's so amazing!" Madam Guo wasn't an ordinary woman. As a woman from the Guo Family, she naturally knew how much profit the Guo Family would bring to the whole family once they became the world's largest bookseller. In the Wei Kingdom, it wasn't shameful for the rich and powerful to do business. As long as there was money to be made, there were plenty of people who would do it. Seeing that the pawnshop in the temple could make money, even the royal family wanted to open a pawnshop. It was much better to be a bookseller than a pawnshop.
"Madam, this is the business …" Xia Pingan opened a wooden board at the bottom of his box and saw that under the board were wooden carvings of movable type seals. When the seals were arranged together, they formed an article.
"Why are these words arranged one by one? They can even move …"
Xia Pingan casually changed two words. "Madam, you're so smart. You should know the secret behind this …"
With Xia Pingan's explanation, Madam Guo immediately understood the secret of movable type printing. Her eyes sparkled and she looked at Xia Pingan in a completely different way.
"This kind of business is unique in the world. Whoever controls it will have great profits. My dear, are you really willing to let the country manage it?"
"Madam and I are originally a family. My branch of the Cui Family and the Guo Family are also one. There's no need to distinguish between us. Madam, you don't have to worry too much. You can find time to return to the Guo Family. I'll also write a letter to my father-in-law to let him know how to handle it …"
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