Chapter 62 You are confused!
Canglong County School.
Xu Chong came to visit with a young child and found Wang Hezhi in the back garden.
Wang Hezhi was dressed like an old farmer, with his sleeves rolled up, and was trimming flowers and plants with a pair of big scissors.
This county magistrate is... too idle, isn't he ?
Xu Chong was slandering in his heart.
"Well, you're here."
Wang Hezhi saw Xu Chong, put down the scissors, walked to the stone table and sat down, "Whose child is this?"
"A yamen runner named Li, he didn't make it this time, leaving behind a pair of orphans and a widow."
Xu Chong walked closer, holding Li Xiangxue's hand. "His mother wanted him to study, so I brought him here to show him to the teacher."
Compared to before, Li Xiangxue is much calmer.
At his age, he didn't quite understand what death was, but he knew he would never see his father again.
"I see."
Wang Hezhi sighed, "I have been hiding all this time, which is really hard for you."
"It's already not easy for you to keep the county school."
Xu Chong shook his head.
Wang Hezhi did not do nothing during this period.
There were many scholars with weak constitutions in the county school. After the mummy incident broke out, Wang Hezhi spent his own family fortune to purchase a lot of medicinal herbs to replenish the bodies of these people.
Regardless of whether it actually saved lives or not, the fact is that these people survived.
Someone is going to die eventually, so it's normal for everyone to make their own choices. Xu Chong is not so confused as to not understand this .
"Xiangxue, call teacher."
Seeing that the teacher had no intention of refusing, Xu Chong let go of Li Xiangxue's hand and said, "From now on, when you are here, you must listen to the teacher. Do you understand?"
"teacher."
Li Xiangxue called out obediently, and Xu Chong pressed his head and made him bow.
"Well... I've never taught such a young student before."
Wang Hezhi did not avoid it either. He pulled his white beard and said, "How about this? I'll have someone take him to get familiar with this place first."
"Master, please go ahead. I will be waiting for you here."
Xu Chong bowed.
Wang Hezhi heard that Xu Chong had other things to do, so he didn't say much and pulled Li Xiangxue away.
This time, Li Xiangxue did not look back.
"The ones who are really in trouble are the ones who have suffered such misfortune."
Xu Chong felt a little emotional.
About a quarter of an hour later, Wang Hezhi came back.
"This child is good. He can recognize a lot of words at such a young age."
Wang Hezhi sat down on the stone bench again with a hint of satisfaction, "Tell me what you want to say, as long as you don't want me to handle government affairs."
"Well……"
Xu Chong touched his nose helplessly, "There are some problems with my practice."
"Um?"
Wang Hezhi's expression changed. "Tell me more about it."
"The student... has reached the third level of enlightenment."
Xu Chong took out the prepared speech.
"The third... the third level of enlightenment?!"
Wang Hezhi screamed.
It was a real scream, a very shrill one.
"How long has it been since you entered the Daqing Arsenal?! You're already at the third level?"
Wang Hezhi's face darkened. "You didn't lie to me, did you?"
“It’s really triple.”
Xu Chong nodded and expressed his affirmation again.
"All right……"
Wang Hezhi tugged at his beard fiercely and said unhappily, "You're talking about cultivation issues... can't you find anyone to show off to?"
"Master, you misunderstood."
Xu Chong waved his hands quickly, "I am afraid that practicing too fast may leave some hidden dangers."
"Hidden danger?"
Wang Hezhi frowned and thought for a moment, then shook his head: "It's rare to reach the third level of enlightenment in less than two months, but it's not uncommon. You don't have to worry."
Xu Chong was a little depressed, thinking that he was too conservative. If he had known earlier, he would have said it was six, seven, or eight layers...
Just as he was about to say goodbye and leave, Wang Hezhi suddenly changed the subject.
"But...if you are really worried, I can say a few words for your reference."
“Students are all ears.”
Xu Chong was overjoyed.
"Um."
Wang Hezhi nodded and began to narrate, "It is undeniable that there are always some people in the world who, as soon as they step into the martial arts, show an astonishing speed of cultivation."
"Among them, only a very small number are born with such good qualifications."
"And the vast majority of the rest are from scholarly backgrounds."
Wang Hezhi pointed at Xu Chong and said, "You are exactly the same as you were before."
"Are you from a scholarly family?"
Xu Chong suddenly thought of something, "Could it be the imperial examination?"
"You guessed it right, it's the imperial examination."
Wang Hezhi chuckled and patiently explained, "There are three lists of honors: the Gui list for Juren, the Xing list for Gongshi, and the Jin list for Jinshi. These three lists do not just represent reputation. For those on the lists, their levels and rankings are different, which means they are sincere and upright to different degrees."
"Sincere and upright?"
Xu Chong became even more confused.
He still has the memories of his original body, so it can be said that his knowledge of Confucianism is not bad.
Isn’t sincerity and uprightness the integrity that a gentleman should have?
Wang Hezhi saw Xu Chong's doubts and shook his head, saying, "This sincerity and righteousness are not the same as that sincerity and righteousness. It refers to a process of cultivating the mind."
Cultivate the mind?
Could it be that what we need to cultivate is our state of mind?
Xu Chong was greatly encouraged.
Sure enough, Wang Hezhi’s next words were highly consistent with what the water ghost said.
“To cultivate the mind, to cultivate the heart, is to cultivate a clear mind.”
“The heart of a gentleman is the heart, the heart of a villain is also the heart, the heart of generosity is the heart, the heart of greed is still the heart.”
"No matter good or evil, high or low, as long as you understand it clearly, you can advance bravely in the martial arts and be unstoppable."
At this point, Wang Hezhi's tone became a little low, "In fact, when scholars read books, they can cultivate their minds. However, the direction of this cultivation is based on the books. If the original mind is not consistent with the book, it is difficult to have any effect."
"But it's different for those who are on the three lists. No matter what your original intention is, as long as you are on the list, there will be an effect. And the higher your ranking and the higher the level of the list, the stronger the effect."
"Wu Wenjing is the best example. His true intentions are far from those in the sage books, so he can only show his sincerity and integrity by having his name on the three lists. However, his three names were all at the back of the list, so being able to cultivate to the ninth level of enlightenment is already the limit."
When talking about Wu Wenjing, Wang Hezhi's tone revealed a hint of disdain, "If he hadn't gained fame three times, with his aptitude, I'm afraid he wouldn't even be able to enter the martial arts world."
"So that's how it is."
Xu Chong slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, "So, I still need to read and write more?"
Although the effect is slow and weak, far less than being nominated in the top three lists, it is still effective.
"maybe."
Wang Hezhi changed the subject and said, "Wu Wenjing's three great achievements only gave him the aptitude for martial arts. He was able to reach the ninth level of enlightenment by relying on the method of expressing his emotions."
"Send love?"
Xu Chong's mind moved slightly.
"To be precise, it is about expressing one's true feelings."
Wang Hezhi said disdainfully, "Do what your heart desires. Wu Wenjing is greedy by nature, and amassing wealth can help him become more enlightened in disguise. However, he is just like someone who indulges in beauty, and is the worst of the worst."
"What is the superior one?"
Xu Chong asked.
"It all depends on one's heart, such as being attached to mountains and rivers, the sun and the moon, martial arts, one's country, and so on. There are many more."
Speaking of this, Wang Hezhi paused and looked at Xu Chong deeply, "It is also about expressing your feelings to the people."
“…”
Xu Chong's expression changed slightly and he didn't say anything.
"In short, you are already an official, and you can't count on the imperial examination. If you are worried about practicing too fast... you are confused!!"
Just when he was halfway through his words, Wang Hezhi suddenly blurted out a catchphrase and slapped it in Xu Chong's face.
Xu Chong was full of questions.
How come everything was fine when I became confused again?
"I originally thought that you were just a scholar, and you had the hope of passing the imperial examination and reaching a state above Tongmai after the palace examination."
Wang Hezhi was filled with grief and shook his head while pulling at his beard. "But now it seems that you are not only a good student, but also a martial arts genius?"
"Think about it, if you continue to study, let alone win the top three places in the provincial examination, you have a chance of winning the top five in the imperial examination. As for the palace examination... you may become a Jinshi?"
"In short, if you pass the high school, with the three lists to help you be sincere and upright, and with such excellent martial arts talent..."
"Hiss—my heart aches so much!"
Wang Hezhi was angry and sad, and wished he could turn back time and bring Xu Chong back on track. "Tell me, are you confused?"
"It's really confusing..."
Xu Chong nodded helplessly.
The purpose of this trip has been achieved, but he knows he can't leave.
Because it’s time for the Master’s solo show.
