heaven money

The night is deep, the majestic palaces are seen in the distance, and the sounds of war are heard by the ears.

Two men in simple but old-fashioned clothes sat opposite each other in the room, silent for a long time.

After a while, the man with a short beard looked out into the dark night and sighed:
"Nations are at war, rituals and music are broken, the princes only know how to enjoy themselves and fight for supremacy, and they don't see the hardships of the world. Bones are everywhere in the grass, and they don't see the people living in humiliation. They live in the morning and die in the evening. People's hearts are sinking. When will this long night end?"

After the darkness, pure and clear light shines through the eyes, and the quaint and slightly old buildings around come into view.

There are several towering rammed earth platforms in the distance, with pavilions and pavilions built on them, with complicated patterns and extreme luxury.

"It's not a small city..." Meng Qi looked around and saw the people coming and going.

Some of them were of imposing bearing, wearing ancient hats and wide robes, with weapons on their waists, but there were very few of them. Only one or two could be seen occasionally, or passing by in a carriage. Most of them were ordinary people in plain clothes and in a hurry, or slaves with numb and dull expressions.

"Such a city must have high-ranking doctors or nobles who can help us with lobbying." Zhao Heng nodded slightly.

Meng Qi frowned: "How to lobby? The Mohist school of thought is in great conflict with the interests of the princes and nobles..."

In their hands, they each held a document given by Liudao, which was a brief introduction to Mohist doctrine.

Jiang Zhiwei looked around and said, "Let's find a hidden place to talk first."

The five men's attire was different from that of the people in the city, so they had to disguise themselves first to avoid being questioned as spies.

After a while, they found a house made of half mud and half thatch. There were only an orphan and a widowed mother in the house. The mother was weaving and the children were doing the kitchen work. They were living a very difficult life. White cloth was hung in some places, as if the man of the house had recently died.

There was a secluded and quiet place at the back of the house. After a few changes, Meng Qi and the others were no different from ordinary people.

"The heaven and earth here are full of vitality, but also full of a sense of desolation." Ruan Yushu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Perhaps it is because the Master Tongtian wanted to re-establish the earth, fire, wind and water, which caused the heaven and earth to be destroyed." Taking this opportunity, Meng Qi gave a brief introduction to the situation of the Conferred God that he had obtained from the immortal records, combined with his understanding of his previous life.

Jiang Zhiwei and the others listened very attentively, but tacitly did not ask Meng Qi about the source of the information.

"In short, try not to act separately, so that when you encounter someone with magical powers and terrifying secret treasures, you can have someone to look after. Even if you have to split up, each side must have a defensive secret treasure." Meng Qi emphasized.

"That's what I think." Zhao Heng agreed.

Jiang Zhi nodded slightly: "The Mohist school of thought sees the strict hierarchy and the hardships of ordinary people. Starting from them, they will definitely not be welcomed by the princes and nobles, and will inevitably be suppressed."

Fighting seemed inevitable.

"not necessarily."

Zhao Heng shook his head seriously:

“From the description, the Fengshen World only has the embryonic form of Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism and Mohism, which have not yet officially appeared. We can make some minor changes to the Mohist doctrine without deviating from the main idea, so that it will not be hated by the princes and nobles from the beginning and will have a basis for acceptance.

Moreover, I looked at the Mohist doctrine in my hand, and it was very brief, with only the main points but no details. In other words, Liudao might want us to develop on our own."

Jiang Zhiwei and Qi Zhengyan looked at the paper and found that there were only ten words written on it, "universal love, non-aggression, respect for the virtuous, respect for unity, Heaven's will, understand ghosts, non-fatalism, non-music, frugality, and frugal burials," along with the most general corresponding explanations. There was no specific elaboration, and it seemed that any explanation was fine as long as it was self-contained and did not contain any contradiction.

"It seems that the difficulty of the task is slightly lower than expected." After careful consideration, Meng Qi agreed with Zhao Heng's judgment.

Although the thoughts and ideas of the five of them were more or less influenced by certain Mohist doctrines, they had not actually studied them in depth. After all, they were too ancient and too idealistic and unrealistic.

Since the five people had only a partial understanding of Mohist doctrine, they had no choice but to develop their own ideas based on its essence.

"Universal love is not easy to change." Ruan Yushu suddenly said.

The Ruan family of Langya discovered many ancient scores, and their family tradition can be said to be deep in both zither playing and ancient books. Ruan Yushu knows more about Mohism than others.

Qi Zhengyan looked at the paper and said, "Love each other, benefit each other, everyone in the world is equal, the noble do not despise the humble, the rich do not bully the poor, the strong do not humiliate the weak, the majority do not bully the minority, fate is not determined by heaven, not born, not determined by position, as long as you keep improving yourself, you will surely have a chance to come to the fore... The Saint of Instruments is worthy of being a saint in the Middle Ages..."

He originally agreed that "universal love" was not easy to change, but as he spoke, he thought of "unnatural fate" and felt the same way, and sighed.

Zhao Heng frowned when he heard this: "Change it to: Those in power should be kind and love all people?"

"This is Confucianism. No matter how ancient it is, it shouldn't be distorted to this extent." Jiang Zhiwei shook her head in denial.

"Then let's conceal the concept of universal love first, promote other ideas, set an example ourselves, and slowly guide the princes and nobles to agree with it." Zhao Heng gave a helpless solution.

"Wait a minute." Meng Qi frowned slightly. "Old Zhao, from what you said, we must lobby the nobles from top to bottom?"

Mohist doctrine seems to be more suitable for starting from the bottom, a single spark can start a prairie fire!
Zhao Heng said without hesitation: "Of course, the princes and nobles are the descendants of immortals and gods and demons. They are very powerful and ordinary people can't compete with them no matter what. If we want to preach, we can only persuade them!"

"That's right..." Meng Qi nodded slowly.

Indeed, this is a world of gods, demons, immortals and saints where power belongs to oneself. Ten thousand ordinary people may not be as good as one noble or scholar-official. Without their recognition and help, it is almost impossible for a country to follow Mohist doctrine.

But the power of humanity lies in gathering the people, and the emperor of the past did not look down on the people... Meng Qi, Jiang Zhiwei, Ruan Yushu, and Qi Zhengyan looked at each other and saw the same meaning.

Ruan Yushu and Meng Qi also knew that the reason why Zhao Heng thought so was because he was a member of the royal family and his position was different from that of the common people. His first choice was definitely not to change from the bottom up, because that would inevitably involve rebellion in the end.

As a prince, it is impossible to lead the people to overthrow the imperial power no matter how you think about it.

Moreover, this will take a long time and will definitely not be achieved in a year or two. For now, let's try according to Zhao Laowu's suggestion.

After having a direction, the five people worked together to reform Mohist doctrine, trying to make it more moderate and less idealistic and unrealistic.

In the afternoon, Meng Qi, who was good at transformation, went out to investigate and found out that this world was Bole City in the Han Dynasty, and that there was Lord Bole, one of the four princes of the various countries. He was powerful, noble, well-educated, held great power, was chivalrous and generous, and had many followers. Apart from the Marquis of Han, he was the noble who should be lobbied the most in the Han Dynasty.

"Since you have recruited many followers, you won't be afraid of not meeting Lord Bole." Meng Qi and others decided to use the brother of the Marquis of Han as a test stone.

…………

The rammed earth platform is tall, and pavilions and buildings stand tall. Meng Qi pretends to be the "leader" and brings Jiang Zhiwei and others to the residence of "Bole Jun".

Seeing that the five people were all very impressive, the concierge did not dare to neglect them and greeted them: "Dear guests, what is your purpose?"

Meng Qi wore a black robe to make himself look mature, so that people would pay attention to him and be willing to listen to his "theory".

I will just treat myself as Juzi! He thought silently, and spoke calmly: "I have often heard that Mr. Bole has the ability to judge people, is approachable, and has many followers. He wants to eliminate the accumulated evils in the Han area, so we have come here without hesitation."

As he spoke, his aura was moving in a deep and mysterious way that was difficult to describe in words. Virtual images such as the sun were flying around him, shocking the concierge so much that he was stunned and felt that he was more powerful than most of the master's retainers!
If you don’t show your strength, you’ll probably only be received by the housekeeper or something like that. But if you show enough value, then with the reputation of being “approachable” and “informal”, Mr. Bole will definitely see you in person!

Sure enough, after the servant reported, "Lord Bole" Ji Wu came directly to the gate and treated him with great courtesy. He looked young, but his eyes were deep, with a hint of the vicissitudes of life. His clothes were neither simple nor gorgeous, and he wore a Liang crown on his head. His aura was slightly exposed, and the wind and thunder condensed, rejecting others.

"Grandmaster..." Meng Qi and others were slightly surprised.

Although I had anticipated how powerful the world of Conferred Gods was, I had never expected that any noble I would meet would be a master.

Bole Jun was very enthusiastic. He walked arm in arm with Meng Qi and was always smiling and talking to Ruan Yushu, Zhao Heng and others, making people feel like they were in spring breeze.

When passing through the numerous palaces and pavilions, Meng Qi sensed the atmosphere of many foreign scenes, including more than twenty subordinates of Lord Bole and retainers.

"With the power of a country's upper nobles, the number of external scenes is only less than that of the martial arts sects." Meng Qi felt thrilling.

It’s worthy of being called the World of Gods!
After entering the room, they knelt down at the table and exchanged a few pleasantries. Bole Jun bowed and said, "You have come from afar, why are you teaching me?"

"I've often heard that you want to eliminate the long-standing problems in the Han area. I overestimate my own abilities and have come here to show off my ugliness." Meng Qi knelt with his back straight.

Bole Jun said seriously: "I'm all ears."

Meng Qi followed the previously agreed contents and spoke slowly:
"First, we value the virtuous and employ talented people regardless of their social status. Although the nobles and officials are strong, their numbers are limited, while the common people and slaves are weak, their numbers are numerous. Even if the former are only one in ten and the latter are only one in ten thousand, they can still be ten, a hundred, or even a thousand times more talented than the former. This should not be overlooked."

"As long as you can select talented people regardless of their status, teach them martial arts, and provide them with help, in time, you will have no worries about not having anyone to use? You will also have no worries about not eliminating the accumulated problems."

Bole-kun pondered for a long time and changed his name:

"Sir, you have a clear vision of Wanli, but this is one of the accumulated problems. If I select talented people and teach them martial arts, I am afraid that they will be falsely accused of treason. Moreover, there is only one person who can be used among ten thousand people, which is much more expensive than noble doctors."

Meng Qi said without hesitation: "So we should save money and bury the dead frugally."

"How many warriors can be supported by building this high platform and this building? The way to immortality after death is illusory, why waste your life on this?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Bole Jun's face changed slightly: "I am a descendant of King Wen, a descendant of a god. After death, I can naturally reach heaven. How can it be illusory? Sir, there is no need to say more!"

Meng Qi was a little stunned. He didn't even mention the idea of ​​universal love and non-aggression, which was most likely to be opposed. The mere idea of ​​frugal burials aroused fierce opposition from Bole Jun. It was really difficult to spread the Mohist doctrine among the upper class.

Bole Jun didn't want to talk anymore, so he called his butler and asked him to take Meng Qi and others downstairs to become his retainers.

Meng Qi exchanged glances with Jiang Zhiwei and the others, then suddenly stood up and saluted:

"Since you cannot accept my words, I am tired of waiting and will take my leave now."

Bole Jun tried to persuade them to stay, saying, "You five are well-educated and capable. If you stay, you will be able to use your talents."

"Can you accept what I said?" Meng Qi asked seriously.

Bole Jun looked unhappy: "No."

Meng Qi laughed, bowed and turned around:

"Don't make plans with people who are not on the same path as you!"

Bole Jun's face was gloomy, but considering his reputation, he did not stop the five of them from leaving.

After leaving the mansion, Meng Qi sighed to Jiang Zhiwei and the others: "It's harder than I thought. The Mo family is indeed an enemy of the upper class."

"It seems that they attach great importance to matters after death. The idea of ​​frugal burial needs to be changed." Zhao Heng frowned.

As they walked forward with sighs, someone suddenly chased after them:

"Friends ahead, please stay!"

Meng Qi's hair stood on end immediately. Fortunately, it wasn't his fellow Taoist who asked him to stay!
This is the world of Conferred Gods, and the power of Shen Gongbao's words is extremely terrifying.

If it weren't for a few words missing, Meng Qi would have run away.

Without turning around, Meng Qi and the others could sense the appearance of the person who came.

He was about forty years old, with a sallow face and no beard, dressed like a doorman, with a long sword tied at his waist. His aura was connected to heaven and earth, and he looked like a famous outsider.

"Brother, what's the important matter?" Meng Qi asked puzzledly.

The yellow-faced, beardless man laughed and said, "I am Zhao Bai, a guest at Lord Bole's residence."

He explained his identity in two simple sentences, then bowed and said, "I was on duty outside the hall just now, and heard your profound remarks. I felt the same way, so I came to pay you a visit."

"Brother Zhao, are you from a humble background?" Zhao Heng, who was standing next to Meng Qi, interrupted and asked.

Qi Zhengyan was not good at speaking, and Jiang Zhiwei and Ruan Yushu did not like debating, so they had agreed beforehand that Meng Qi and Zhao Heng would take the lead when something required talking.

Zhao Bai nodded and sighed, "I am a commoner in Qin. I had a chance encounter and have achieved my current level of cultivation. Unfortunately, the Qin Kingdom has a strict hierarchy and the nobles are corrupt. I can't see any hope of advancement. Later, I heard that Lord Bole accepted many guests regardless of their status and treated them equally. That's why I came all the way to Han. Therefore, I can empathize with Mr. Su's theory of respecting the virtuous."

The king chooses his ministers, and the ministers choose their king. It is indeed an era of the collapse of rituals and the decline of music... Meng Qi nodded slightly. However, this was good for his and others' preaching. At least the idea of ​​"respecting the virtuous" had already sprouted in the minds of many knowledgeable princes and nobles.

After a few pleasantries, Zhao Bai said enthusiastically: "I have many good friends with similar experiences. I hope you will come to my humble home and give me some advice."

He showed a thirst for insight and perspective.

This was beyond Meng Qi's expectations. When he was in Lord Bole's mansion, he had only spoken a few empty words, talking about the current ills and the importance of selecting people based on their talents. He hadn't even had the chance to sell his core theories. So how come he was treated as a wise man?
Seeing them silent and hesitant, Zhao Bai said anxiously: "The world has been plagued by long-standing problems, and the people cannot survive, and the scholars cannot live. Although we can see this, we are like blind people on the road, unable to see the way forward, and it is difficult to be self-sufficient. Today, your discussion has greatly inspired me, and I can hear that you have something else to say, so I am bold enough to ask for your advice."

For the class he represented, this was indeed an era of confusion and bewilderment, and they could not help but sigh. Although Bole Jun recruited guests regardless of their identities and his reputation spread far and wide, he was not a monarch after all, and changes could occur at any time. This made Zhao Bai always feel uneasy, and he had no confidence in the future and was very pessimistic about the situation in the world.

They tried repeatedly to change this situation, but due to their limited knowledge, they could only curry favor with the nobles by using their martial arts. After repeated failures and frustration, they were able to grasp the slightest spark of hope. So even though Meng Qi only talked a few words about respecting the virtuous, frugality and frugal burials, he seemed to be quite inspired and hurried to ask for advice.

Meng Qi made eye contact with Jiang Zhiwei and the others, and they all vaguely understood the situation and current mentality of Zhao Bai and the others, so they nodded slightly, intending to give it a try and learn more about the reality, just like when they had just lobbied Bole Jun, in order to accumulate experience and make preparations for the formal lobbying of the princes of small countries.

From the very beginning, the three-month deadline allowed them to target small countries that were relatively remote and unable to attack the outside world!
Anyway, we have the secret treasure, so why should we be afraid that you have a trap? Meng Qi said secretly, and said to Zhao Bai: "Brother Zhao, please."

With the strength Zhao Bai has shown so far, even without the secret treasure, Meng Qi believes that he and Jiang Zhiwei can beat him. It is also impossible that his companions are all outsiders, otherwise they would have been an important force under Bole Jun.

Zhao Bai's face showed joy, and he hurriedly led the way. They went down the rammed earth platform, turned through several alleys, and entered a large house.

He asked Meng Qi and the others to wait outside the hall for a while, and he went in to gather his companions. After a while, he changed into a wide robe, walked out of the hall, and bowed, saying, "Gentlemen, please come in. Everyone is waiting for you."

Meng Qi's expression remained unchanged as he walked slowly into the hall, which was covered with straw mats. On both sides, there were 20 to 30 people kneeling. Apart from Zhao Bai, there were two people with a foreign aura. One was wearing a cold black robe with a long sword across his knees, and the other had a short beard under his chin, a sad face, and old clothes. (End of this chapter)