Qin Mu agreed to start classes after the spring planting season because he thought of Confucius. Confucius not only had three thousand disciples but also opened schools to teach. Besides spreading his teachings, there must have been other intentions behind this. So he wanted to try it out and see if it would be beneficial to their cultivation. As for why he chose to start after the spring planting season, it was simply to temper their character and screen the students. He wasn't willing to teach just anyone.
The sudden appearance of a large number of ferocious beasts gave Qin Mu a strange feeling, as if a sense of crisis was driving him. This kind of situation, which had only occurred a few times before, had become far too frequent in recent years. Who knew how many large creatures were lurking in those uninhabited deep mountains?
Although the monkey tribe is now docile, military preparedness cannot be relaxed at the border. 150,000 troops and over 20,000 wounded and demobilized soldiers were scattered and assigned to manage and guide the monkey tribe. Of course, most of them have become concubines of the soldiers, and some people from Lingnan, upon hearing that women were being distributed, rushed over with eyes shining. Before, people worried about safety, but now who cares? Haven't they seen the monkey tribe defeated and forced to surrender?
Good heavens! The holdouts who were originally unwilling to leave the mountain are now so afraid of missing out on their share that they're ready to fight to the death if anyone tries to stop them from leaving!
The population of Luofu Prefecture and Tang Prefecture rapidly increased, and spring plowing was in full swing. Large-scale production was underway, with everything prioritizing production. Even war elephants were brought out to help reclaim wasteland. Despite the mountainous terrain and limited flat land, vast tracts of wasteland were cleared. Although Lingnan couldn't compare to the black soil of Northeast China, the land, uncultivated for countless years, was still extremely fertile. Coupled with abundant rainfall, large-scale irrigation projects were unnecessary; a village pond and a drainage ditch were sufficient to weather water shortages.
After spring planting, the weather warmed up, and the people began to engage in sideline occupations, such as growing vegetables and fruits, fishing, and firing kilns. Meanwhile, the 50,000 carefully selected soldiers, along with 10,000 members of the Black Ape tribe, began training. Qin Mu always advocated for practical combat training. Therefore, their target was the 100,000 mountains of Lingnan!
Clearing out the mountains would not only provide a large amount of meat to replenish the soldiers' supplies from training, but also ensure the safety of the people and create more activity areas; the medicinal herbs in the mountains are also a much-needed resource in Lingnan.
Tens of thousands of people swept through the mountains with ample logistics, resulting in a very good harvest. This was because they did not go on a solo expedition; Han Chen's medical team ensured that the training team would not encounter any accidents and could also assist in collecting medicinal herbs.
Qin Mu was not content with simply obtaining resources from nature. Several years ago, he suggested that the Qin family cultivate medicinal herbs. Now that they had the opportunity to do so on their own territory, they naturally had to make use of it.
Fruit trees deep in the mountains should, of course, be transplanted nearby, which is much faster than planting them. Of course, there's no need to transplant very large ones, as they are prone to dying. With the addition of new fruit trees transplanted from Southeast Asia, Qin Mu believes that in just a few years, Lingnan will be wealthier than most parts of the Tang Dynasty.
As for the remaining 20,000-plus White-Eyed Wolf Clan members, they've gone mining. After attacking the Monkey Clan, they have no other use. Although mining is hard work, Qin Mu didn't skimp on their food, so the White-Eyed Wolf Clan members are relatively obedient.
One hundred scholars from various places met Qin Mu's selection criteria and began studying under him after the spring planting season. These students were different from the young children who were just beginning their education; they had already passed the stage of learning to read and write. Therefore, Qin Mu chose to teach them according to their aptitude. He may not have much else, but he had a vast collection of books in his mind, not to mention the precious classics, which was more than enough for him to teach these students.
The more Qin Mu taught, the faster the students' cultivation speed increased. Moreover, the students would ask many questions, some of which Qin Mu needed to ponder deeply, and even discuss with them. This allowed Qin Mu to thoroughly understand areas he previously didn't understand or didn't fully comprehend.
Although Qin Mu didn't enter the Dao through the Six Arts and Eight Refined Arts, he possessed some knowledge of them all, at least to those who hadn't yet entered the Dao, making him a top-tier practitioner. He had a considerable number of calligraphy models, paintings, musical scores, and chess manuals to imitate, which broadened the students' horizons and enhanced the learning atmosphere. In particular, the books Qin Mu presented, though handwritten, contained many texts they had never seen before.
Privately, the students all acknowledged Qin Mu's vast knowledge, and their attitude towards learning became increasingly devout.
When it comes to teaching students, Qin Mu has always believed that knowledge is only part of the equation; the most important thing is character. He doesn't want to teach a bunch of hypocrites.
Confucius valued benevolence, wisdom, propriety, and trustworthiness above all else, and Qin Mu also agreed with this. Understanding propriety is essential for knowing shame; furthermore, loyalty and filial piety are paramount. Even if a loyal and filial person turns bad, they won't go too far astray. Of course, Qin Mu would also explain the undesirable aspects of blind loyalty and filial piety.
As for Dong Qichang's theories of the interaction between Heaven and humanity, and the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, he would never mention them, especially his advocacy of Confucianism as the sole state ideology, which he vehemently opposed. If any student brought it up, he would berate them mercilessly. He believed that a hundred schools of thought contending and a hundred flowers blooming was the most correct way to develop; competition was essential for progress. At least in his view, the Mohists and the medical school were given greater importance and better treatment.
Propriety, righteousness, loyalty, filial piety, integrity, selflessness, and the common good—these are the values instilled by Qin Mu. Although he didn't use the memory palace to brainwash them, these students' thoughts and values were gradually changing under his subtle influence.
Spring planting, summer weeding, autumn harvest, winter storage—a busy year, but also a bountiful one. The people of Lingnan are living better and better lives. Qin Mu even specially released some monkeys to go back to visit their relatives. He believed that the monkeys, accustomed to life in the Tang Dynasty and now with new homes, would never return to their previous hard lives.
"These monkeys are ruthless; they raised a million in compensation in just one year!" Cheng Huailiang exclaimed as he ate his seafood hotpot. Although there hadn't been any fighting that year, he had found hunting wild beasts in the mountains quite enjoyable.
“They must have captured other tribes, especially the group we went to fight last time.” Yu Chi Baoqing said, tapping a large crab leg in his hand.
"That's their business, we don't need to worry about it. Next time we trade, we can give them more good stuff to tempt them. That way, without saying a word, they'll capture more prisoners to exchange for them. Things won't be peaceful in Southeast Asia from now on!" Qin Mu said with a smile.
"What good stuff? You can't exactly bring out a crossbow, can you? Canned food won't do either, but they have plenty of fruit!" Cheng Huailiang asked.
"Alcohol! Buy some cheap liquor and sell it to them. The price isn't high anyway, so we can make a profit. Also, dried fish, those with bad flavor, we can sell those too," Qin Mu said, raising an eyebrow.
"This is a great idea!" Cheng Huailiang exclaimed in admiration.
Little Qin Ying is already over a year old, a very active and energetic age. Together with little Han Geng, the two little ones played and frolicked in the yard, adding a lively atmosphere to the yard.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Suddenly the ground shook violently, the hot pot rattled, and the doors and windows swayed.
"Earthquake!" Qin Mu jumped up, rushed over, picked up the two little ones, and shouted, "Everyone, get to the middle of the yard!"
The earth-shaking tremors didn't last long, but soon it started shaking again.
At this moment, there was nothing else to do. Qin Mu felt a sense of powerlessness. In the face of nature, even a great scholar's strength was so insignificant.
After waiting a while, the shaking finally subsided. Qin Mu immediately said sternly, "Brother Han, lead the men to treat the injured. Huai Liang, you lead the troops to rescue the people trapped in the collapsed houses! Issue a general order of martial law! Anyone who takes advantage of this to cause trouble will be executed without mercy!"
"Yes, sir!" The others, realizing the seriousness of the situation, responded loudly and rushed out immediately. At the same time, the guards from the prefectural governor's mansion also rushed out onto the street.
Fortunately, there were no skyscrapers in this world, and most of the houses in Lingnan were made of wood. Although there was chaos in the city, order gradually stabilized after the soldiers took to the streets.
"Fortunately, the earthquake wasn't strong!" Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the mostly undamaged houses. Without the iron army and powerful nation of that other world, their ability to treat and resist natural disasters was far inferior.
When the news came back the next day, Qin Mu finally relaxed completely. Although it wasn't a false alarm, there wasn't much loss either, but quite a few people were still injured.
What Qin Mu didn't know was that this tremor wasn't limited to Lingnan.
…………
Chang'an! After the earthquake, Li Shimin was in a very bad mood. In the past, when there were earthquakes, droughts, or floods, the emperor was always the one to take the blame. The people and the ministers would say that it was because the emperor had lost his virtue and that the heavens had sent down disasters! Moreover, this time it happened in Chang'an, so the blame would be directed at him, the emperor.
Besides worrying about the troubles to come, Li Shimin was also concerned about how many people would be affected by the disaster. He spent a day in a state of anxiety before finally breathing a sigh of relief, because although many people in Chang'an had been affected by the disaster, most of them were just injured, and they were all from the common people's area.
"Your Majesty, three hundred people died in Chang'an last night, all from houses collapsing, and two thousand were injured. It is worth noting that none of the houses in the wards and markets that were renovated a few years ago collapsed, so the people only had a false alarm. I suggest that we take advantage of this collapse of civilian houses to continue the renovation of Chang'an's wards and markets," Fang Xuanling said, bowing.
"Good! Granted! Instruct the Ministry of Works to come up with a reconstruction plan for the old market districts of Chang'an, starting with the areas most severely damaged this time," Li Shimin said with a smile.
"I obey the decree!"
The imperial decree was quickly issued, and the timely response swiftly calmed the public, allowing them to return to their peaceful lives. However, their lives were now filled with more gossip, ranging from the court's handling of the aftermath to the amusing anecdotes that unfolded on the day of the earthquake. Stories arose of whose wife had run out naked that night, and whose widow had a man emerge from her house.
For the common people, Li Shimin's good mood lasted only a day. Starting from the third day, he began receiving memorials from all over the country, reporting that the earthquake had been felt throughout the nation. Fortunately, the memorials indicated that the response was timely and that there was not much damage.
"Your Majesty! Urgent report from Longyou! Outside the Tianshan Mountains, in the desert, a large mountain range has suddenly appeared. Its size is unknown, and a large number of strange and ferocious beasts have rushed out of the mountain range."
"Your Majesty! Urgent report from Shandong: A huge island has appeared in the sea, stretching as far as the eye can see. There are enormous birds of prey on the island, and many coastal residents are being hunted."
"Your Majesty! Urgent report from Jiangnan: what was once a vast sea has turned into land, and a gigantic beast is vaguely visible!"
"Your Majesty! Urgent report from Jianghuai: the former plains have turned into massive mountain ranges. It seems the land has widened overnight!"
A series of messages reached Chang'an, shocking the entire Tang Dynasty. People couldn't understand why the world had suddenly become so unfamiliar. It felt like someone else's yard had suddenly appeared in their own home.
Investigation and vigilance were, of course, essential, and the army was quickly deployed to the scene.
"Your Majesty! The spiritual energy between heaven and earth has suddenly become denser!" Late at night, Yuan Tiangang, Li Gang, Kong Yida, and more than a dozen of the most outstanding spiritual cultivators of the Tang Dynasty entered the palace.
"My esteemed ministers, could this be related to the great changes in the world? Is this good or bad for our Great Tang?" Li Shimin asked solemnly.
“Your Majesty, if I am not mistaken, these suddenly appearing mountains and islands were isolated in ancient times and have reappeared for unknown reasons. For the Tang Dynasty, this is both a disaster and a blessing,” Kong Yida replied.
"Why was this world isolated? Could there be other ancient masters inside?" Li Shimin asked again.
"It's unclear whether they were isolated by a combined force of experts or caused by a major battle. As for those experts, it's unlikely they could have survived this long. The biggest concern is the ferocious beasts inside, and the Nightmare Mountains, with their massive numbers of ferocious beasts—whether they'll break out because of this," Yuan Tiangang replied.
"Your Majesty, we must also find out whether the beastmen of the grasslands and the northeast have been affected. If beastmen appear in those new mountain ranges, that would be our greatest crisis, since they come from places with abundant spiritual energy and are much stronger than the current beastmen," Li Gang reminded him.
"You are absolutely right, my dear minister. This is truly a turbulent time!" Li Shimin sighed, feeling powerless in the face of the sudden turn of events.
"By my decree, for the sake of the Tang Dynasty and the safety of the world, all spiritual cultivators should work together with the court to resist foreign enemies. Once the world is stable, I will reward you handsomely! Anyone who takes advantage of the situation to cause trouble shall be punished by everyone!" Li Shimin said, his spirits lifted.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"Taoism, Mohism, and Confucianism are the largest religious schools of our time. I hope you can integrate them first to deal with any potential crises. But you must not suppress other religious schools!" Li Shimin added.
"Your subject obeys the decree!" With foreign enemies at hand, no one dared to be careless, after all, they were all sects with a long history, and their past events were recorded.
"Has any news come from Lingnan?" Li Shimin asked with a frown after Li Gang and the others left.
"Your Majesty, apart from the news that the earthquake occurred a few days ago and no one was injured, there has been no other news," an old eunuch replied in a soft voice.
70
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