Chapter 35: Don’t Ask the Common People

“Brother Gu, why don’t you continue listening? I think what Master Mo said is very good!”

Wang Mang was somewhat reluctant to be dragged away.

"Okay or not, what you say doesn't count." Gu Dan shook his head slightly.

Moqiu wanted to use his own theory of "knowing ghosts" to replace the current evil trend of seeking immortality and doing nothing, which is certainly a good idea.

However, how can human desires be appeased by explaining some principles? Emperor Zong Ming had worked hard to govern the country, but it was only after he felt that everything in the world had no appeal to him that he began to completely give up.

Seeking immortality and asking for the way is just one way. Even if there were no alchemists, he might just stay in the palace and work as a carpenter.

Unless the emperor can be changed, Gu Dan doesn't think Mo Qiu's method will work.

"Brother Gu, do you think that Master Mo is doing useless work? Then why don't you persuade him?" Wang Mang understood after a moment's thought and asked immediately.

"How can I persuade him? What right do I have to persuade him? Brother Mo wants to do something for the people of the world. If I don't help, it would be heartless. Why should I continue to mock and dissuade him and make him feel upset? Doing something is better than doing nothing."

Gu Dan paused and said, "Some people have high status and enjoy all kinds of support, but they only care about their own little piece of land. Some people have humble status, but they really care about the people of the world. To the former, no matter how noble he is, he is humble; to the latter, no matter how weak he is, he is respectable."

"oh."

Wang Mang nodded as if he understood, thinking that the adults were really troublesome.

In the 27th year of Emperor Zongming's reign, the construction of Wanshou Palace finally began.

The number of forced labor imposed did not reach 300,000. After all, Emperor Zong Ming was not old and senile, and he still had some idea of ​​the situation.

The first batch of tens of thousands of conscripted laborers were mostly sons-in-law and businessmen. The impact was actually not that great, and it was far from being a waste of money and manpower.

But no one can predict how big the next scale will be.

The only thing that is certain is that the construction of Wanshou Palace is inevitable and unstoppable.

In the same year, Mo Qiu left the Mohist Martial Arts School and began to promote his own ideas.

Because it was a unique opinion, after Mo Qiu gathered a group of followers who believed in his ideas, people began to call his ideas "Mohism", and those who followed him were called Mohists.

The most important proposition of Mohism is: to understand ghosts and the will of heaven, supplemented by advocating the virtuous, advocating unity, opposing fatalism, opposing music, and advocating simple burials and thrifty spending.

There is no need to talk about the Ming Gui anymore. Tian Zhi is based on the principles established by the Ming Gui, which is the highest principle and the bright law of the world.

It seems that Mo Qiu is about to establish his own school of thought.

In contrast, the alchemists were extremely unhappy.

Moqiu's Minggui was just about to point his finger at them and call them evil. How could they tolerate this?

However, since Qingfeng Temple could not find any immortals in the world, the Mohists naturally could not find the whereabouts of the supreme gods and ghosts.

The two sides argued and quarreled, mostly with words, but it was still considered restrained.

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Emperor Zong Ming was wearing a Taoist robe and holding a Taoist scripture, flipping through it quietly.

Eunuch Fang at the side took small steps towards him.

"What is there to report?"

Emperor Zong Ming was fifty years old, but he still looked energetic and closed the Taoist scripture casually.

"Your Majesty, there is a new member of the Mohist School in the imperial capital. The leader is called Mo Qiu, and it is said that his martial arts are extraordinary. The most important thing is the philosophy he advocates." Eunuch Fang carefully and vividly recounted the interesting things that happened in the imperial capital recently.

Including the time not long ago when Qingpingzi personally came out to debate with Moqiu, but in the end he didn't win.

This move made Mohism famous, and it finally caught the emperor's attention.

"Oh? Ming Gui? The one that punishes evil and encourages good?"

The expression on Emperor Zong Ming's face made it impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry. "It's been a long time since there was anything new in the Imperial Capital. To be able to force Qing Pingzi to retreat, that Mo Qiu is quite amazing!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Eunuch Fang immediately understood.

"Do you want to summon Mo Qiu to the palace to meet him?" Eunuch Fang asked considerately.

Although Emperor Zong Ming did not attend court, he kept a close eye on all officials and summoned many eccentrics from the public.

Even when faced with complete non-belief in Buddhism, he once summoned Zen Master Guan Buwu to lecture on Buddhism for a few days.

He is really inclusive in this regard.

"Okay. I haven't seen outsiders for a long time. I'm tired of seeing the faces of officials." Staring at the Taoist scripture in his hand, Emperor Zong Ming nodded slightly.

Eunuch Fang knew clearly in his heart that the emperor was not fed up with the officials, but that he had almost reached the limit of his tolerance for Qingfeng Temple.

During the fifteen years of his quest for immortality, the annual expenditure on elixirs alone amounted to hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, not to mention other expenses.

But with auspicious signs coming one after another, how could there be any chance to ask for the Tao? Now the dragon's body is still safe, but it is difficult to calm down and continue reading the Taoist scriptures that were once regarded as the golden rule. It is not bad to let Mo Qiu, who suddenly appeared, give some eye drops to Qingfeng Temple.

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The opportunity to enter the palace came much faster than Mo Qiu thought.

The Mohist School had just gained some momentum, and had not yet done anything major to eliminate violence and protect the good, when it was suddenly summoned.

Mo Qiu can be said to have mixed feelings.

The good news was that Emperor Zong Ming was not completely unaware of what was happening in the outside world; the bad news was that he could not guarantee that this visit to the palace to meet the emperor would be able to change Emperor Zong Ming's mind.

Summoning a distinguished person is different from having a dialogue between the emperor and his subjects. The former depends entirely on the emperor's likes and dislikes, and every word must be carefully considered.

If you are not careful and make the emperor too lazy to listen, all your efforts will be in vain.

If you accidentally anger the emperor, it is hard to say whether you can keep your body intact, and you may even endanger your relatives and friends.

Didn’t you see that when the Second Prince gave advice in the Yangxin Palace, he was directly thrown into a bitter and cold borderland, and he also indirectly helped to establish the Crown Prince.

The severity of this issue still needs careful consideration.

Unconsciously, time passed, Mo Qiu bathed and burned incense, and the day for the emperor's summons had arrived.

After being checked by the palace guards, two eunuchs led him towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Just by the aura, Mo Qiu could be sure that the martial arts of these two eunuchs had definitely reached the pinnacle.

This does not include the imperial guards staying outside.

Obviously, if they were to summon a strong and dangerous man like him, the defenses would have to be extremely strict.

Following the two eunuchs into the Yangxin Palace, Mo Qiu saw Emperor Zongming at a glance.

Emperor Zong Ming was dressed in a Taoist robe without any other decorations. He looked at Mo Qiu carefully and clapped his hands, saying, "He is indeed a good man. Come, please give him a seat!"

A chair was brought over and placed ten steps away from the emperor.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Mo Qiu bowed.

His height was different from that of an average person, and if he stood, people would have to look up at him. Having a chair could somewhat alleviate the awkwardness.

"I heard that a few days ago, Qingpingzi challenged you to a debate, but you left him speechless?" Emperor Zongming sat on a chair, one hand on his cheek, looking very relaxed. "What do you mean by the Ming ghost you mentioned?"

(End of this chapter)