Chapter 131: (1): Scholar's Disciple
Wu Yuan left the Li Clan's manor on Fortune Street with one of his trusted scholarly secretaries. As he was walking along the street in his official attire, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, then balanced himself on one foot as he removed one of his boots to pour out the sand inside. The scholarly secretary was already accustomed to seeing this.
However, Fortune Street was far more lively and bustling than?it had been in the past, so the young scholarly secretary felt the need to conceal Wu Yuan as much as possible so that he didn't make a fool out of himself in front of the surrounding bystanders.
At the same time, he said in a quiet voice, "Li Hong had already told us that he was willing to set an example by making a compromise when it comes to the matter regarding the immortal tomb, so why has he suddenly changed his mind? Is he not concerned that he'll tarnish his image and be regarded as a fickle and unreliable man in your eyes?"
There was a weary look on Wu Yuan's face as he sighed, "I'm assuming it's because Li Hong's second son, Li Baozhen, has managed to make a name for himself in the capital. Perhaps he's already found a powerful backer and sent a letter back to inform his clansmen of this, telling Li Hong not to make any rash decisions or something like that.
“Alternatively, it could be that reclusive eldest son of Li Hong's who advised him that it's best to stay put and observe for now. It's hard to say what led to this decision. In any case, we're the ones who have to suffer the consequences. All of our original arrangements were made on the basis that my teacher would... Let's not talk about this anymore.
“Where there's a will, there's a way. Let's go and have a couple of flagons of spring peach blossom wine. I'll treat you, but I don't have any money on me, so you'll have to pay this time. I'll pay you back later."
The scholarly secretary was already accustomed to this type of shameless gesture from Wu Yuan, and a curious look appeared on his face as he remarked, "There's a story circulating around the town, stating that a fortune teller had once foretold that the two sons and the daughter of the Li Clan on Fortune Street were destined for great things, isn't that right?"
Wu Yuan rubbed his own thin and pale face as he smiled and replied, "You believe in stuff like that? Everyone who wants to make a name for themselves in the capital city of our Great Li Empire has some insight when it comes to establishing connections and forging reputations, particularly those who come from humble upbringings.
“Even so-called wealthy and powerful clans aren't guaranteed to do well. Your Fu Clan has always been renowned for its tremendous wealth. Outsiders may be unaware of whether that reputation is deserved or not, but I'm sure you're well aware of the truth. isn't that right, Fu Yu?"
Fu Yu was quite disgruntled to hear this, and he protested, "Why are you bringing up my clan all of a sudden?"
Wu Yuan's mood was buoyed by Fu Yu's indignant display, and he burst into laughter as he patted Fu Yu on the shoulder as he said, "We're both in the same boat, each of us is just as unsightly as the other."
Fu Yu also burst into laughter upon hearing this. "Isn't it much better to say that we share the same ambitions and outlook on life?"
"That's rather pretentious, is it not?" Wu Yuan chuckled. "It's really tiring having to keep up the facade of a gentleman. Instead, it's much easier to embrace being a scoundrel."
"You've really let yourself go, haven't you?" Fu Yu sighed with a wistful shake of his head.
Wu Yuan also heaved a forlorn sigh, then changed the subject as he mused, "I miss my wife."
Fu Yu smiled as he said, "Isn't it about time that we lifted the restrictions on brothels in our Dragon Spring County? Fine wine is decent on its own, but its?flavor is ultimately lacking with no beautiful women in accompaniment."
Wu Yuan nodded in response as he replied with a serious expression, "There are some women among the prisoners of the Lu Empire that would be perfect for the?job. As opposed to forcing them to work themselves to death in the forests and mountains, we may as well give them another choice.
“Of course, we can't force them into this, so the decision will ultimately be up to them. Fu Yu, from now on, you don't have to accompany me on these trips and be shunned by the town's residents anymore. Instead, I'm going to put you in charge of overseeing this matter."
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Fu Yu was very much taken aback to hear this. He had only brought up this subject as a joke, and a perplexed look appeared on his face as he asked, "Are you being serious right now?"
Wu Yuan adjusted his collar slightly, then smiled as he replied, "Why would you think I'm not being serious about this? With all those mountains being developed, the majority of their future residents are going to be immortals. How are we going to keep those esteemed immortals around and convince them to spend money in our town? Are you going to be able to do that, or do you think I'm up to the task?
“I'm just an insignificant little governor who's about to be stripped of his title of kiln supervision official. I've heard from my teacher that those immortals are generally not attracted to mortal women for their looks alone because female cultivators possess far superior physical bodies to mortal women.
“Hence, the only thing about mortal women that could present some measure of allure to immortals would be their status. For example, the princess of a fallen empire or the young mistress of a powerful clan that had fallen from grace would be like rare delicacies in the eyes of immortals, and those prisoners of the Lu Empire are not lacking in this area."
An indignant look appeared on Fu Yu's face as he grumbled, "Why has the imperial court decided to assign a new kiln supervision official at a time like this? It's clear that you're being screwed over! During the past two months, you've explored every single one of the 60 or so mountains on foot and spent countless time and effort negotiating with those sly old foxes.
“From the construction of the county office and the city god pavilion to the site selection of the wenchang pavilion and the martial sage temple, from the preparation of the construction materials to the placement of those prisoners from the Lu Empire, you've overseen every single task on your own, no matter how trivial, and there hasn't been a single day when you've gotten over six hours of sleep!
“Yet now, those old farts in the imperial court are condemning you for failing in your duties? Perhaps someone from the imperial court has been manipulating the four surnames and ten clans all along, instructing them to pose obstacles for you at every turn! I bet they're trying to ensure that your political career never makes it out of Dragon Spring County!"
Following his indignant tirade, Fu Yu seemed to have realized that this was a rather unrealistic conspiracy theory, and he grumbled, "At the very least, they're trying to ensure that you won't be in charge of any of the ministries before you turn 50. All you'll be able to do is slowly progress up the ranks without receiving just reward for your efforts."
Wu Yuan opened his mouth as if to say something, but remained silent in the end.
All of a sudden, Fu Yu burst into laughter, and Wu Yuan turned to him as he asked, "What's gotten you so happy all of a sudden?"
Fu Yu replied, "Dragon Spring County is a small place, but compared with the luxurious capital, I much prefer living here. There's fine wine, pastries, and meat buns every morning. If I want to eat anything, I can just come here on foot to purchase it, and the return trip would only take me an hour at most.
“Sometimes, when I'm in a bad mood, I would go to the wine shop and order half a liter of wine, then sit on my own in peace and quiet for an hour or two without anyone approaching me or calling out to me. If I'm in the mood for it, I can order a small bowl of braised meat and a dish of pickled vegetables to help the wine go down.
“I really want to keep spending my days like this, and that gives me even more incentive to do well here, even if there are many hardships ahead."
Wu Yuan nodded in response. "If all we did was laze around and rely on others to carry us up the ranks, then what's the point in serving as officials? We have to put our foot down and actually do something to benefit the people.
“I have to say that you're better than me in this regard. I came from an impoverished background, so I know how difficult things are for the general public. In contrast, you're a young master of the esteemed Fu Clan, so it's quite surprising to me that you can think this way."
The two of them walked along beside one another, and Fu Yu sighed, "Therein lies the problem. You can do things for the sake of the people, but the people won't necessarily be grateful to you. In the history books, there is?certainly no lack of examples of capable officials diligently working for the sake of the people, only to be denounced and stripped of their official titles in disgrace.
“Over the past few centuries, there have been some cases of such officials being posthumously lauded for their deeds, but those examples are far and few in between, and what does it matter anyway when they're already dead?"
"That's not the right way to think about it," Wu Yuan disagreed with a shake of his head. "If you set out to do something, then that should be your focus. Your purpose should be to accomplish something that you can feel proud of. As for whether the people will be grateful to you and whether the imperial court will approve of your deeds, that's not for you to think about now.
“Overthinking such matters will only result in disillusionment, and you could easily find yourself losing your will and drive before you've even done anything. As Confucians, we are not like Daoists and Buddhists, who are always seeking out the limits of the teachings that they believe in."
Fu Yu heaved a faint sigh upon hearing this.
Meanwhile, Wu Yuan continued, almost as if he were speaking to himself, "Among the three teachings, Daoism has a focus on peace and tranquility. It is a teaching that revolves solely around oneself. Even if the heavens fall and the earth shatters, as long as one attains immortality for oneself, that is enough.
“They do not place any importance on past and future lives, instead focusing on the life that they are presently living, because they need their current body to complete the journey to immortality. In contrast, Buddhism is split up into Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism.
“Theravada Buddhism is similar to Daoism, while Mahayana Buddhism tells its believers that all pain and suffering in this life will lead to blessings in the next life, thereby instilling within its believers immense hope for the future. As for Confucianism, it is the most closely intertwined with the secular world out of the three teachings.
“Furthermore, it raises a predicament where the more well-learned and advanced one's cultivation base is, the more cautious and restricted they become as they always feel like their words and actions could break certain rules or encroach upon certain boundaries.
“For example, my teacher's doctrine is that practical ability should be valued above theoretical knowledge, and his objective is to weed out the Confucians who have nothing but empty knowledge. Unfortunately, all those who propose radical new ideas are bound to be ostracized and make many enemies."
Wu Yuan shook his head as he continued, "My teacher had the right idea, but anything will inevitably go sour when taken to the extreme. Furthermore, there is a sense of inertia present in everyone.
“There's a very good chance that during extended periods of peace, say 500 or even 1,000 years, scholars will still be reading the same books that contain the teachings of sagely figures, but they'd?be doing so in a conceited and sanctimonious manner, rather than actually trying to better themselves. At the moment, this is not a problem.
“The three eternal pursuits of Confucianism are to establish a strong moral compass, make contributions to society and empire, and ensure that one's words and writings are worthy of being passed down to future generations.
“At the moment, Confucians are still striving for the three pursuits in equal measure, but if my teacher's doctrine were to be implemented, then the emphasis would gradually be skewed solely to the contributions one can make to society and empire. If such a mindset were to set in, then scholars would renounce the establishment of a strong moral compass and the pursuit of theoretical knowledge. That would truly be a terrifying world to live in."
Fu Yu was stunned to hear this, and an alarmed look appeared on his face as he grabbed firmly onto Wu Yuan's arm, then said in an urgent voice, "Wu Yuan, you absolutely cannot say this to your teacher no matter what! You're not a cultivator, so you don't know how cruel and brutal the pursuit of the Great Dao can be. Any careless words or actions could lead to your demise!"
Wu Yuan patted the back of Fu Yu's hand as he replied with a wry smile, "Of course I don't have the courage to say this to my teacher. Furthermore, given my teacher's immense intelligence and wealth of knowledge, perhaps I have simply failed to comprehend the full breadth and nuance of his doctrine. I'm sure my teacher would scoff at my ideas."
Fu Yu released Wu Yuan's arm, then cautioned once again, "Make sure you don't ever let these ideas slip out. I don't want to see you follow in Song Yuzhang's footsteps and..."
Fu Yu's voice trailed off there as he knew that it would be unwise to speak excessively on these topics.
Wu Yuan changed the subject as he said, "Fu Yu, if I ever stray down the wrong path, you have to remember to rebuke me and denounce me to my face, no matter how lofty my status is at that time. You have to make me see reason and guide me back to the right path."
"Rest assured, if that time comes and my words can't get through to you, then you can expect a punch from me, Minster Wu."
"A minister of one of the six ministries is only a second-rank official, that's too paltry a post for me to settle for."
"Not at all! Think about it, once our Great Li Empire takes over the entire Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, would you still think the minister of one of the six ministries is too paltry a position? In my opinion, that's already a very lofty goal to aim for.
“Let me make this clear right now: all I'm good at is coming up with some ideas here and there, and I'm not a very adaptable person, so I'm going to follow you until the day that I die. If you become a minister in the future, how about you make me your right-hand minister?"
The pair of scholars continued to jokingly discuss this subject as they returned to the county office.
Inside the Yuan Clan's manor, an azure-robed scholar picked up his book as he smiled and murmured to himself, "Wu Yuan, your thought process is correct when it comes to the excessive emphasis on practical contributions that could result from my doctrine, but it's also true that you have indeed failed to comprehend the full depth of my doctrine."
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