Hanging pot to help the world, I just want to live forever

Chapter 282
Two people and two donkeys.

Gu Dan and Gong Shang Guo rode out of the Xia Dynasty's imperial capital together on an ordinary donkey.

Today is the 43th year of the Xia Dynasty.

They're going to take another look outside.

Gu Dan is alright, he always goes wherever he wants to go, Gong Shangguo has never had any free time except for his hurried deeds due to official business, and he really has to take a look at his career that he has worked so hard for all his life.

When the donkey actually carried them out of the imperial capital, the old man, who was full of reluctance before, suddenly said, "Why don't you go to Yuzhou to have a look?"

"Oh?"

Gu Dan's original intention was to wander around casually, donkeys can go wherever they want, since Gongshang Guo mentioned the specific location, he didn't care, and said: "Of course."

If I remember correctly, Gongshang Guo is a person who came out of Yuzhou.

After so many years, it is human nature to want to go back to my hometown to take a look.

The speed of the donkey is not fast, but slow, and the scenery on the road is enough for them to appreciate it.

What is visible to the naked eye is that the Xia Dynasty has a lot more official ways.

The official road is not only allowed to pass by officials, the people of the Xia Dynasty and even business travelers can use it, but business travelers need to pay a part of the tax to pass through the official road, and if the people pass, as long as it does not hinder the normal use of officials.

As the saying goes, if you want to get rich, you must first build roads. The number of official roads has greatly increased, which has greatly facilitated business travelers from all over the country, and even people's exchanges with each other.

In fact, Wang Mang has never given up on foreign exploration in these years. The business traveler has traded a lot of good things from other countries and brought them to the Xia Dynasty.

In addition, every ten years or so, Wang Mang would travel around the official road, throwing money along the way.

Literally throwing money away!

"Last time I heard Wang Mang tell me that the officials who distributed money privately said that the people are rich, and the copper coins distributed are few, and they are not even willing to pick them up. In Yangzhou, this situation is particularly serious."

Gu Dan complained.

"Yangzhou is a land with smooth waterways, prosperous commerce, and the largest number of high-ranking households. Business and travel gather together, and it has always been prosperous."

Gong Shang said subconsciously.

"We are here to play, don't bring your occupational diseases."

Gu Dan waved his hand casually, "We are all ordinary people in the Xia Dynasty now, why think about so many reasons?"

Gongshang Guo was speechless for a while, and he had been the prime minister of the Xia Dynasty for dozens of years, and many things were about to go deep into his bones.

Such a leisurely and comfortable day, actually felt a little uncomfortable.

However, after all, he is a martial artist who has mastered viscera. After a period of leisurely touring, his overall improvement has improved a lot, and he has gradually adapted to it.

When passing by Yuzhou, you can see large golden wheat waves churning.

The sun was high, and people were sweating under the scorching sun.

Such hot weather is really good weather for Maizi.

What surprised Gu Dan and Gong Shangguo was that there were Confucianists giving lectures under a big tree!

The content of the lecture is not some unfathomable content, and his audience is not students in the school, but a group of farmers.

"Nowadays life is better, and many people are reluctant to spend the money they have accumulated. This is unreasonable. Clothes woven from hemp mulberry are not as comfortable as silk and satin; wheat with wheat bran is not as delicious as flour ; Money that is not spent is as good as nothing.”

The Confucian scholar was actually a business traveler, and he spoke seriously about the Tao he had learned, "Only when everything is in operation, can money have meaning. Many people earn money to live a better life, but after earning money, But start wanting more.

Comfortable silks and satins lack the splendor of jewels; the delicacy of flour lacks the embellishment of mountain delicacies; the money that cannot be piled up is still being filled.”

Gu Dan and Gongshang went over to listen for fun.

The Confucian scholar was talking about the way of business, he was trying to explain the operation of business travel, and even why people make money, to a group of ordinary people who have never seen the big world.

After listening silently for a while, after the Confucian scholar had preached for a while, a servant came over with mung bean porridge, and everyone present could share a bowl.

Although the weather is hot, mung bean porridge is cold.

Pumping new well water from well water to eat food is a skill that people in this era have long mastered.

Then the Confucian scholar started selling things.

What is sold is not any valuables, but all kinds of utensils related to farming.

On a very hot day, the Confucian scholar held the agricultural tools and made various demonstration actions under the tree to show the usefulness of his agricultural tools.

"The name of a person, the shadow of a tree. I come here every year. If there is any problem with the farm tools you bought from me, you can come to me without any excuses."

The Confucian scholar said so.

"This is probably the Confucian businessman Xun Ke mentioned?"

Gu Dan looked at Gong Shang Guo who was at the side.

Xun Ke once mentioned his views on the way of business.

Although all dynasties have historically emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce, of course business travel also played an important role.

In other words, no matter how suppressed, there will be no business travel.

No matter how many shackles you put on, someone will always take advantage of the loopholes.

That being the case, Xun Ke simply proposed the concept of Confucian businessmen.

First of all, the most important point is: you must operate with integrity, focus on personal cultivation, have a sense of responsibility, and be able to explain your products clearly to different people.

The ultimate goal of Confucian businessmen must go beyond utilitarianism itself, have the idea of ​​saving the world and helping the people, clarify the quality of business, and pursue the concept of achieving and benefiting the world.

To establish ourselves and others, to achieve ourselves and others.

In human terms, it is mutual benefit.

Doing business can no longer be limited to doing business, but the communication between people.

"Probably so."

Gong Shangguo nodded slightly and declined to comment.

They didn't stay here for too long. After drinking a bowl of mung bean porridge, they continued to walk forward.

When wandering to the land of Yangzhou, they went to the most famous restaurant in Yangzhou, drank a meal of the famous Xianren drunk in the Xia Dynasty, and also tasted the sweet-scented osmanthus cake there.

"I'm afraid an immortal can't get drunk."

Gu Dan played with the cup in his hand.

The wine is like a throat, clear and mellow, warm and accessible, but not drunk.

"I'm kind of drunk."

Sitting in front of the window of the restaurant, Gong Shangguo looked down.

There is an endless stream of pedestrians coming and going, and there are passenger ships stopping here on the distant river, and there are merchant ships traveling far away.

Busy and prosperous.

Here in Yangzhou, everyone seems to be very busy, bustling and thriving.

Even the people who ate wine upstairs mentioned where the business was good and what things were easy to sell.

There were even well-informed people who pretended to be low-pitched, but actually mentioned the prime minister of the Xia Dynasty without restraint, and now it has been replaced by the benchmark of Confucian scholars, Xun Ke.

The previous role model for hundreds of officials didn't like the way of business much, but he didn't deliberately suppress it either.

And Xun Ke wanted to try to guide the business path to the right path.

In contrast, they naturally felt that Xun Ke was more kind and gentle, at least he was more active in business matters.

Those people were discussing about the temple, and after a while, a large number of people joined in.

Gu and Dan just listened and did not participate in the discussion.

At this time in the Xia Dynasty, people had not yet started to be convicted for their words.

Even inside the temple, there are Confucian scholars and Mohists. If the truth is not discernible, what are you afraid to say?
This country is still young, and there is still a lot of momentum. In addition, Mohists and Confucian scholars have been playing games for a long time, and the people are more or less affected by it.

Just judging from the general trend, Confucian scholars have already gained the upper hand.

In troubled times, the Mohist school was the leader and the leader.

Now in the prosperous age, everyone praises Mo Zhe one after another, but they refuse to become Mo Zhe.

Boasting in the mouth is the most unnecessary.

Perhaps, it is precisely because of this that Xun Ke wants to stand up and be different from the Mohists.

If you don't conform to the trend of the times, the trends of the people, how glorious and beautiful deeds will gradually become lonely.

What Xun Ke has been working hard to do is to make many problems that have not been solved in the past can be put on the right track.

Regardless of the result of the harvest, he at least dared to do it.

After a meal of wine, the two walked out of the restaurant and continued towards the land of Yuzhou.

In the 45th year of the Xia Dynasty, it took more than two years, and the two finally moved to their destination slowly.

Speaking of the destination, there is actually nothing special to see.

"It's changed a lot."

As soon as he entered Yuzhou, Gu Dan didn't react, but Gong Shangguo was already emotional.

It has been more than forty years since that war.

More than forty years, the time of two or three generations in the mortal world.

All the traces of the war in the past have faded away, even the city that was slaughtered by Daqing's commander in the past is still bustling with people coming and going, which is comparable to the prosperity of Yangzhou.

The Xia Dynasty and the surrounding countries are still in the honeymoon period.

Especially after the masters left, several countries lowered their tariffs.

This has led to the fact that even in the frontiers, there is no shortage of business travelers running around.

Although they are not involved in production, just like blood vessels can transport blood, the existence of this group of porters is still necessary. As long as everything does not depend on money, it is still acceptable.

In the borderlands, it is visible to the naked eye that there are more and more people in various 'outlandish clothes'.

"Boom!"

In the bustling city, there was a deafening sound of gongs and drums.

Immediately afterwards, a group of people in plain white clothes could be seen running side by side on the emptied street.

On both sides of the group of people, there are people with white lion sets dancing.

Gu Dan moved the donkey aside, and asked the old man beside him, "Dare to ask me, what do you do?"

The old man said with a frosty face: "To pay homage to the spirit of the immortal."

His expression was very gloomy.

But apart from him, many young people actually had smiles on their faces.

More than forty years are enough for the mortal world to be replaced.

Those who experienced it back then, I am afraid that there are not many left.

This kind of memorial day seems to have become a special kind of festival for later generations, and they ran out to watch the fun.

Gu Dan and Gong Shangguo followed in the footsteps of the crowd, walked out of the bustling city and came to the riverside.

Many people started throwing small paper boats into the river, and some people lit white lanterns.

The mighty music resounded through the vast heaven and earth.

Gu Dan heard that some people were grateful for the kindness of their ancestors.

"I don't know which hero I am thanking, what deeds can I hear?"

Gu Dan was a little curious.

With such a grand spectacle, it seems that the people paying homage to it are not ordinary people.

"It's a prince of Da Yue."

Someone in the know informed.

"Oh?"

Gu Dan frowned slightly, good guy, there is something for the prince who paid homage to Dayue in the Xia Dynasty!
Mentioning this, something in memory seemed to be awakened, and Gu Dan looked at Gong Shang Guo who had never said a word.

Sure enough, Gong Shangguo stared at the lights by the river with a gloomy gaze, and his mind seemed to be immersed in memories.

"Second prince?"

Gu Dan leaned over and mentioned a person.

To be precise, that person should be Gong Shang Guo's father.

"It's him."

Gong Shangguo nodded slightly, "He died here at the beginning."

"From what you mean, you don't seem to like him very much?"

Gu Dan was slightly surprised.

Thinking about it carefully, Gongshang Guo never mentioned the situation of his own family.

"He's not a nice guy."

Unexpectedly, Gong Shangguo was unceremonious when he opened his mouth, "As the second prince, he has neither an admirable mind nor admirable moral character. No matter how you look at it, the throne has nothing to do with it. His wish is to leave a name in history."

Mentioning this, Gong Shangguo showed a little disdain on his face, "But apart from the idea of ​​leaving a name in history, he has no ability, so his status is a little more noble. So under the counselor's advice, his head froze. So hot, he dared to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to reprimand Emperor Zongming for seeking immortality and asking for ignorance of the people.

But if you ask him how to treat the people, he will only say some words that can be heard in his ears, such as diligent government and love for the people, hard work, benevolence and courtesy. But if you ask him how to do it, he is not at all. Will do.

After being thrown to Yuzhou, he was annoyed at first, but some folks praised him for his wisdom, saying that he could understand people's feelings and love the common people greatly.

So he threw away all the troubles in his heart, drank and had fun every day, hired "sages" from all over the world to come to his attic, and kept boasting about his "great achievements".He even gave people money in private, and begged others to write books for him."

Gong Shangguo shook his head, and the expression on his face became a bit complicated, "I don't know why he stayed behind after the Yuzhou incident, I'm afraid he really believed in his great achievements and was framed up. Don't you want to lose face?"

"Since ancient times, deeds have been ignored."

Gu Dan thought for a while and said.

Arguments don't matter.

No matter what the second prince's original intention was, whether he just wanted to save some fame or not, his existence did give some people hope, so that even today, some people are grateful for his deeds and set a festival for him.

He did succeed.

Gongshang Guo said nothing more.

He walked to the river, picked up a folded small white boat, and put it on the river.

With a light push, the little white boat swayed with extremely fine ripples, swaying forward and drifting with the current.

Compared with the vast river surface, it is certainly not worth mentioning.

But it is also enough to carry a ray of nostalgia.

(End of this chapter)