Xiangye

Chapter 20
As a scholar with fame and reputation, there are great Confucians in talking and laughing, and there is no white man in his contacts.Especially in the highly hierarchical Ming Dynasty, if you said one more word to the lowly slaves, you would lose your status.However, Boss Yu has been in business for more than ten years, has made money with harmony, and has had a lot of dealings with ordinary working people on weekdays. Compared with his classmates in the same year, he doesn't have many such outmoded ideas in his heart.

In addition, I read a lot of story books and novels on weekdays, and my mind is not quite right when I read them.According to later generations, even if they have been brainwashed by novel stories, there are countless stories of princes born from poor families in novels, and it is not inconceivable that a surprisingly talented person suddenly appears among the poor in the government office.After all, most of the people who write words are low-spirited scholars who have no ambitions.If he really did well, he would have been an official a long time ago. Who would write this thing for three meals a day so poorly?
Not only did Gao Wen not be underestimated as a citizen, but Yu Xingyan was a little surprised, and he was secretly proud of his insight.

Sitting down and talking, he was even more amazed.In the eyes of the world, even the feet and teeth of the car and boat shop should be killed if they are innocent.These four kinds of people are all low-moral city people, with rude behavior and hideous appearance.But this Gao Wenyi spoke in a gentle and elegant manner, and used many stalks and allusions that only scholars understand.Speaking of common ground, both of them smiled knowingly.Moreover, there are often refreshing viewpoints among them, which make people admire secretly.If he hadn't known his identity in advance, he would have thought that Gao Wen was a well-educated man.

In fact, he didn't know that in the modern society of later generations, Gao Wen was the editor of social sciences.Although Guoxue is not as good as the ancients of the Ming Dynasty, it can be regarded as an introduction.Moreover, many of what he said are the research results of later generations, and they are copied here. I dare not say anything else, and it is okay to fool an old scholar.

After talking for a long time, Yu Xingyan sighed in his heart: If he was not mistaken, this Mr. Gao Wen and Mr. Gao must be a talented and intelligent person, but it is a pity that he cannot take the imperial examination because of his humble background.Otherwise, I'm afraid he would have gained fame long ago.It's no wonder that when we were in the bookstore that day, if we didn't agree with each other, we got into trouble like that with the old man.This is also understandable. Putting myself in the situation, if the old man has the same talent, but because of his status, he can't take the imperial examination, and he can't show his revenge. I'm afraid it will be more extreme and unreasonable. My Ming Dynasty's official election system is actually unreasonable. place.

Yu Xingyan sympathized with him and regretted it.

Since Gao Wen was identified as a cynical genius, he couldn't directly talk about such dung things as money.Otherwise, if you open your mouth and be rejected outright, this matter will not be able to continue.

It's impossible not to mention this matter, after a long time, Yu Xingyan's heart became anxious.I was thinking about telling an allusion, bringing the topic to the economy and people's livelihood, and then pretending to be casual and asking about Gao Wen's manuscript.This is also the unspoken rule in the communication of literati in this era. If you cut into the topic in a hurry as soon as you open your mouth, you will be underestimated.Talking about things is not about writing words to get straight to the point. If you really want to compare them, it is roughly equivalent to writing.Wen seems to look at the mountains and doesn't like flatness, and it won't show your education and level without making some twists and turns.

So, what allusion is good? "Wenjun is a furnace" or "there is a way to make money?"

Boss Yu naturally didn't know about Gao Wen's thoughts. The reason why he didn't directly mention the manuscript before was that Yu Xingyan had already realized the value of "Journey to the West" and how much profit it could bring him.Since he intends to buy manuscripts and he intends to sell manuscripts, the next step is how much it costs.

Business negotiations should not be rushed. Whoever speaks first will show his cards first, and there will be less room for maneuver.

But this old man talked about useless things for a long time, and he didn't get into the topic, but he was a trouble, what a profiteer!Forget it, don't waste time, let me talk first.

After eating a few tangerines, Gao Wen wiped his hands with a cotton towel, and said with a smile, "I've talked so much with the old man, I really don't see each other so late, I don't know why you came here today to find me?"

Yu Xingyan said: "Recently, my old man is reading "The Analects of Confucius". There is a sentence in it, 'Those who are not benevolent cannot stay in a long-term contract, and cannot be happy with their strengths. A benevolent person is safe, and a wise person benefits benevolence.' I wonder what brother Gao thinks?"

This sentence comes from the benevolence chapter of "The Analects of Confucius", which means that people without benevolence cannot live in poverty for a long time, nor can they live in peace for a long time.A benevolent person is content with the way of benevolence, while a wise person acts benevolence only when he knows that benevolence is beneficial to him.

This is a famous article in "The Analects of Confucius", which involves the relationship between righteousness and benefit.In this article, Confucius believes that people without benevolence cannot live in poverty or happiness for a long time, otherwise, they will be chaotic or extravagant.Only the benevolent are content with benevolence, and the wise will practice benevolence.This kind of thinking is to hope that people will pay attention to personal ethics, be steadfast and maintain integrity under any circumstances.

Of course, Confucianism does not believe that poverty is justice.Gentlemen love fortune, in a proper way.

"The Analects of Confucius" is the first of the Confucian classics "Four Books", and it is also the scope of questions from the beginning of the imperial examination.The exams at the provincial and central levels are nothing more than that. The first county exam of the three exams for boys is mostly based on sentences in the book.There were more than 1000 counties in the Ming Dynasty. Every year in the county examination, there are probably five or six hundred counties with the titles "Xue Er" and "Li Ren Wei Mei". If scholars want to participate in the imperial examination and become an official, they must study these books intensively.

When a student is studying and getting enlightened, he should start with "Hundred Surnames" and "Thousand Characters", and then "The Analects of Confucius".

Liren's allusion can be described as a bad street, how could Gao Wen not know about it?
Hearing Yu Xingyan's question, Gao Wen cursed secretly in his heart: Good old man Yu, can you speak human language?You said this because you wanted me to take the initiative to bring up the topic of money, just to be straightforward, why make it so complicated.The way the ancients spoke was really speechless, it was too strenuous.

Cough, which song to sing on which mountain.

Gao Wen smiled: "In my opinion, there are two words missing in Dacheng's most holy teacher's sentence 'benevolence is beauty'."

Yu Xingyan was amazed: "May I ask which two words are they?"

"Money," Gao Wen said sternly, "Liren regards money as beauty."

"What!" Boss Yu let out a low voice, stood up abruptly, his face flushed with anger, "Humiliation to a saint, nonsense, is tolerable or unbearable. What kind of status are you, how dare you speak nonsense..."

As he spoke, he subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to slap Gao Wen directly on the face.

As stated in this "Liren", if a person has no morals, he can neither keep poverty nor wealth.However, most people in the world who read this article think that what Confucius said is to make people live in poverty and live in peace, and not be moved by material desires.

(End of this chapter)