What is self-cultivation?

Upon hearing Yin Xun's question, Tian Feng and the others were taken aback, and then their brows furrowed slightly.

"Minister Yin, self-cultivation is the cultivation of virtue, character, and conduct! These three cannot be questioned, so they are combined into one! Only by regulating and perfecting oneself can one manage one's family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world!"

This is a principle even children understand. Are you mocking us by asking us this question...?

Tian Feng looked at Yin Xun with great displeasure. Asking him about things from his early education was clearly a sign of looking down on them! The others looked at Yin Xun with the same expression.

Facing everyone's gaze, Yin Xun simply laughed and said, "Haha~, not bad, but you only mentioned cultivation without mentioning the 'body,' so you're only half right!"

"Hmm? Can the word 'self-cultivation' be broken down into its components?"

Zhou Yi looked at Yin Xun with a puzzled expression, and the others were also confused. They had been studying for so many years, and this was the first time they had ever heard such a statement.

Yin Xun nodded. "That's right! Good and evil are different, and both are cultivated. The path of cultivation lies within oneself. Back then, Qu Yuan witnessed the destruction of the Chu Kingdom and sacrificed himself for his country. What do you think of his cultivation? Could he have done good?"

"It is permissible to do good!"

Everyone said in unison.

"But if everyone emulates Qu Yuan, seeing the country hopeless, and all are willing to die for the sake of preserving their good reputation, then who will protect the country?"

"this.....?"

The group looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

"I humbly request your guidance, Minister Yin!"

Zhang Zhao couldn't help but bow to Yin Xun, seeking his guidance. His expression and attitude became much more respectful. Although the others didn't speak, their expressions also softened considerably.

Yin Xun laughed and said, "No matter how well you cultivate, if you can't protect yourself, how can you do good? Similarly, if someone who doesn't cultivate well knows how to protect themselves, they can naturally continue to do evil!"

"Hmph~, going through all this trouble, isn't it just about being afraid of death and protecting oneself? If everyone were like that, who would do good deeds?"

Upon hearing the last part, Tian Feng finally understood and couldn't help but snort coldly.

"Alas, though that is true, if the body perishes, the will is gone. If one cannot preserve one's own body, how can one do good deeds?"

People may not be afraid of death, and they should stand up and resist evil deeds, but the premise is that your resistance is worthwhile.

When foreign enemies invade, we must fight back to protect our children and the future. For the children to succeed in the future, they must protect themselves and, once they have grown up, fight evil and do good!

Yin Xun sighed, then looked at Tian Feng and asked, "Do you know why the Emperor reprimanded you today?"

“I know perfectly well that His Majesty is trying to protect me, but a subject must die for his sovereign! No matter the reason, even if I die, I will never watch His Majesty be coerced by a villain!”

Yin Xun frowned at Tian Feng's appearance, and then said:

"Your Majesty is so wise, who has coerced Your Majesty?"

If you still can't see things clearly, then you should resign and go home. This will be better for both you and His Majesty! It will also save His Majesty from causing trouble and distracting him!

An official must understand and be considerate of his ruler, rather than stubbornly clinging to his own opinions! He must know how to leverage power, skillfully conceal himself, and wait for the opportune moment to eliminate evil!

"Alright, that's all I have to say. Think it over carefully!"

After glancing at everyone, Yin Xun shook his head and then walked towards the back hall.

As the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Yin Xun had been in contact with the Emperor for so long that he was naturally very clear about the relationship between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. They were like mother and son. Today's scene in the court was clearly a deliberate act by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

The emperor wanted to use the empress dowager to continue to clean up the corrupt officials in the court, while the empress dowager wanted to create a clean and upright Han dynasty for the emperor so that he could act freely.

Today in the imperial court, with the exception of a few individuals, it seems that everyone else is kept in the dark.

Of course, all of this was just Yin Xun's guess, but he believed in his guess. In any case, the emperor still needed the empress dowager to support him, so the empress dowager absolutely could not fall!

Once the Empress Dowager returns power to the Emperor, any policies he wants to implement will face immense resistance, forcing him to focus his efforts on competing with them.

Why not just have the Empress Dowager eliminate all those obstacles? That would save everyone a lot of trouble!

Finally, the emperor stepped in to be a good person, and everyone was happy!

After Yin Xun left, Tian Feng stood there, pondering Yin Xun's words. After a while, Tian Feng figured out the meaning behind them and bowed to Yin Xun's departing figure.

Subsequently, an imperial edict was issued from Changle Palace: the Grand Minister of Agriculture was ordered to allocate 500,000 shi of grain and 300 million coins, with the College of Engineering responsible for the repair and expansion of Chongzheng Hall!

At the national treasury, Cao Song watched with a long face as cartloads of money and grain were pulled out of the treasury. With each cartload pulled out, he felt his heart bleeding.

Meanwhile, Yuan Feng stroked his beard with a cheerful smile, occasionally turning his head to observe Cao Song's expression, his heart filled with delight.

"Haha! Grand Minister of Agriculture, the funds and provisions have been allocated. I shall take my leave now!"

After the last cart of money and grain was delivered, Yuan Feng laughed heartily, then bowed to Cao Song and left.

"Hmph, don't be so smug. I'll make you pay me back sooner or later..."

Watching Yuan Feng's departing figure, Cao Song couldn't help but snort coldly, and began to ponder the large amount of crude iron that had recently been refined in the engineering college.

Just as Cao Song was pondering to himself, a treasury official came over carrying the ledgers for the outflow of goods.

"Minister of Agriculture, these are the account books. Please take a look!"

"I'm not looking...! It's not like we've made any money, what's there to see...!"

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