Chapter 891: Extreme Envy PLUS (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
The Mohists were surprised that Shen Tang agreed so readily.
The beliefs upheld by the Mohists were, to some extent, at odds with those of a warlord like Shen Tang. Although both Confucianism and Mohism valued benevolence, the former emphasized kinship, respect for elders, and seniority, while the latter preferred "universal love and mutual benefit."
Although they made the request, they didn't have high hopes for the outcome, since the identity of "Grand Master" wouldn't bring Shen Tang any benefit. Even if she didn't accept the identity of "Grand Master," they would still do their best to follow her.
The identity of the tycoon may still be a hot potato.
These Mohists hadn't thought that far ahead, nor had they considered promoting their doctrines. The mere prospect of passing on their teachings was suffocating them; even basic survival was a problem. For the sake of continuity, they were willing to make sacrifices. For instance, the title of "Grand Master" was merely an honorary one; they wouldn't, and dared not, force Shen Tang to adhere to the Mohist rules. They hoped she accepted this title simply to curry favor. They were the ones who truly benefited!
I never imagined that Mr. Shen would be so magnanimous!
Shen Tang chuckled and teased, "Why does Zhou Kou look so surprised? Didn't expect me to agree so readily?"
Bei Qiu honestly replied, "I really didn't expect that."
Shen Tang said, "Actually, there's nothing inconvenient about being a 'Grand Master.' I just have one question—shouldn't the Grand Master be the leader of your Mohists? Although I don't know much about it, I do know that there can only be one Grand Master at any given time. What about the previous Grand Master?"
The next leader will only be chosen after the previous leader has passed away.
The gap period shouldn't be too long.
Without a leader, chaos is likely to ensue over time.
Shen Tang didn't think it would be such a coincidence—the previous Grand Master had just died not long ago, and they didn't have time to select the next one, so they simply let Shen Tang take over—or was this generation's Grand Master among them, temporarily stepping down to make room for her?
Two guesses, one of which was wrong.
Bei Qiu said, "That tycoon has moved away."
Shen Tang: "???"
Bei Qiu's use of "moved away" is a more respectable way of putting it. A more realistic interpretation is that he took the legacy of the Mohist lineage and fled to a politically stable place to re-establish himself. For survival, the Mohist lineage has always encouraged this kind of drastic measure. In special circumstances, it is even permissible for more than one leader to emerge simultaneously, depending on which one can survive to the end.
The one that has been passed down is the orthodox one.
In earlier years, under the rule of its old ruler, Xin was the most powerful and politically stable state in the Northwest. It was then that a group of Mohists fled there. Fleeing from place to place, even though their lineage hadn't been completely severed, they couldn't figure out where their ancestors originated. They only knew that a tree dies if transplanted, but a person thrives; when faced with annihilation, they had to find ways to survive.
Those Mohists who remained were essentially sitting and waiting to die.
I never expected this—
On the verge of death, a salted fish turns its life around!
Their choice of Shen Tang as the leader is spot on.
"Do you have any other way to contact them?"
In nature, female animals choose the strongest and most viable offspring to nurse. Similarly, the Mohists, who fled this war-torn land to increase their chances of survival and continuation, would also be the elite of the elite.
The elite Mohists, with their innate 007-esque aura, perfectly embody her group's corporate culture, don't they? Born to be Kangguo's working class! If there's a chance, she'll get them all!
Bei Qiu said with difficulty: "Contact has been basically cut off."
However, it's not impossible to stay in touch.
When conditions improve, we can send people to other places to look for the special communication symbols left by the Mohists, and follow the clues; perhaps we can still find a few. However, the situation is chaotic, and it's hard to say how many survivors there will be. Shen Tang couldn't do anything about it.
She composed herself and looked at her precious children: "From now on, feel free to send someone to tell me what you need. Although my wealth is not abundant, I will not mistreat those who have rendered meritorious service. As long as it benefits the people's livelihood, I will spare no expense!"
Let's not even think about the other Mohists for now.
Let's first digest this group of Mohists and see how much value they can create. What kind of technology competition, what kind of equipment demonstration contest, let's make it all come together! Shen Tang's few words stirred up the passion of the Mohists.
They responded in unison, "Yes!"
Serving a lord is different from serving a powerful figure.
The combined buffs of the lord and the grandson are incredibly powerful!
With the title of "Grand Master," it became much easier for Shen Tang to send people to observe and study the "qi" of the Mohists. Mohists with "qi" were even more cooperative, sharing everything they knew without reservation, revealing any cultivation insights or unexpected discoveries. One of these insights was about the channels for increasing "qi."
Literary scholars attract the energy of heaven and earth into their meridians and dantian through recitation, meditation, and sitting meditation, extracting it into "literary energy"; martial artists achieve this through combat and martial arts training; and Mohists increase their "energy" through creation and understanding.
The literary monogram and the martial tiger tally would be engraved with the individual's name.
The Mohist principles of universal love and non-aggression also have their own symbols.
When the Mohists discovered this, cries of despair filled the air.
Shen Tang: "...Isn't it said that all Mohists are literate?"
At least they can read, so they can't possibly give a terrible name.
Bei Qiu was on the verge of tears: "A humble name makes a child easier to raise."
Many Mohists also like to name themselves after objects, such as pots and pans, cabinets, beds, doors and windows, chisels, rulers, planes, and ropes. Some even use the first object they ever made as their formal name. This naming style leads to many people sharing the same name, which they don't seem to mind; in fact, they feel that sharing a name with their Mohist ancestors brings them protection! Among peers, having the same name isn't terrible; what's terrible is being less skilled. For example, losing one's original name, like going from XX to Little XX, or even Little Little XX…
Only truly exceptional individuals can enjoy the title of "Big XX".
Shen Tang was at a loss: "...Um, my condolences?"
Once a name is engraved, it can't be changed.
These Mohists will most likely only be able to emulate the martial arts masters, like Zhao Wei, without wearing the Martial Tiger Talisman. They can't exactly flaunt their love for all sorts of things all day long. Sigh, what's the difference between this and wearing fine clothes in the dark? They've missed a chance to show off!
Bei Qiu secretly broke out in a cold sweat.
Fortunately, her teacher did not follow the custom when naming her.
Since he had become the "Grand Master," Shen Tang also offered the Mohists some small perks, such as allowing them to choose children with Mohist talent but no innate talent for cultivation as their successors. This was a good opportunity for those who couldn't pursue either the literary or martial paths. According to Shen Tang's initial plan for the Mohist lineage, the Mohist school would surely flourish in the future!
The Mohists are kings of involution, both above and below.
Shen Tang made grand promises, and they went and made them themselves.
However, this sudden incident left Liao Jia short of his most elite craftsmen, and the remaining workers were also insufficient. These transferred craftsmen also had an important secret mission: to construct the prototype of the capital!
Shen Tang initially planned to establish his capital in Sibao County or Longwu County, but Chu Yao and several others rejected the idea as soon as he started.
Longwu County is remote and right next to Shiwu.
Although the Ten Crows have been dealt with to the point that they have no chance of causing any more trouble, we cannot let our guard down. With the valiant general Chu Jie guarding Yonggu Pass in Longwu County, he has the strength, experience, and troops. More importantly, he has dealt with the Ten Crows for many years and knows the ways of them well.
Sibao County has only just begun to take shape.
Kunzhou, not far away, has not yet been captured, and beyond Kunzhou lies the Northern Desert. Sibao County and Minfeng County could become the front lines for conquering Kunzhou at any time, making it unsuitable to establish the capital there. Looking across the territory, Yanzhou and Ganzhou are the most suitable. Yanzhou has flat terrain with only the man-made natural barrier of Chaoli Pass, while Ganzhou is protected by the Miao River. Crucially, this is the place most frequently chosen as the capital.
Let them choose, and they choose the area within Ganzhou.
Actually, Cunshan is quite good; it's a fortress that Zheng Qiao built with a lot of manpower and resources. As a second choice, Aoshan County would also work. Their finances are currently tight, and they don't have the capital to build something from scratch. It's better to make repairs and maintain the existing territory from the previous dynasty.
When we become prosperous and wealthy in the future, we'll build a new house.
Shen Tang prefers the Yanzhou region.
This place is neither too far nor too close to her neighbor Wu Xian. The terrain is flat, suitable for farming and military training. Except for its weak defensive stats, it meets her needs in every other way. Whether she wants to take over Kunzhou or Wu Xian in the future, it will be more convenient to send troops from this place.
Both sides have their own reasons.
The powerful families of Yan and Gan provinces wanted to voice their opinions, but they lacked the courage. Who wouldn't want the capital to be located on their doorstep? No matter how barren and dilapidated a place might be, once it's designated as the capital, their ancestral graves would be like rockets launched into the sky!
The small amount of farmland lost is negligible.
As the year draws to a close, the number of urgent matters to be dealt with has increased rather than decreased.
Except for the border garrison commanders who were unable to leave due to the need to guard the border, everyone else made arrangements and tried their best to come. Shen Tang was still living in the camp, and there was no festive atmosphere around him, except that there were more people coming and going every day.
Literary minds and scholars are protected by their literary spirit, making them impervious to heat and cold.
Even at this frosty temperature, most scholars were still dressed in loose-sleeved Confucian robes. A gust of wind would cause their robes to flutter, making them appear as if they could ascend to immortality on the spot, exuding an indescribable air of elegance. However, Qin Li was an exception.
He was the only person Shen Tang saw wearing a fox fur cloak.
This fox-fur cloak was pure white, without any other colors. A thick, fluffy trim around the neck accentuated Qin Li's refined and noble air. It looked beautiful and warm, and some people couldn't take their eyes off it. Qin Li's attire was completely out of season compared to theirs!
Qin Li: "Wear clothes appropriate for the season."
It was clear that Qin Li was in a good mood.
He also brought Shen Tang a bright red coat.
According to Qin Li, this was the spoils of Zhao Feng and several of his generals who had gone hunting in the mountains. Under the jurisdiction of He Yin County, the common people had no worries about food and clothing, and even in winter, few went hunting in the mountains for a living. Over the years, the wild animals in the mountains multiplied rapidly, and Zhao Feng and his men had a bountiful harvest. This also indirectly praised Xu Jie. Without his years of governance and the stability of the common people's lives, where would the wild animals in the mountains be?
"Even so, you probably couldn't possibly gather such precious leather, could you?" Shen Tang was used to a frugal life and was not comfortable with extravagance.
The items are luxurious, but they are wasteful of resources and manpower.
Qin Li explained with a smile, "Indeed, we couldn't gather enough. Da Yi and the others only managed to hunt one red fox by chance. The rest were all collected by Xu Wenzhu from his own storeroom. He was afraid that our lord wouldn't accept them, so he asked me to pass them on. Thanks to our lord, he also gave us this fox cloak, which he said was a royal item that he acquired by chance."
Xu Jie was also catering to their preferences.
Qin Li had previously owned a similar white fox fur cloak, but it was part of his mother's dowry and later given to him. However, due to financial difficulties at the time, Qin Li had to pawn it. Although it wasn't the same cloak, he was still touched by Xu Jie's thoughtfulness when he received it.
Shen Tang clicked her tongue in amazement: "They really went all out."
Xu Jie is truly wealthy!
|ω`)
The reason why the Agricultural School is categorized under the broader category of literati rather than being specifically subdivided is because the Agricultural School was not a major school among the Hundred Schools of Thought, and few of their works have survived. Their ideas are mostly scattered among the documents of other schools. The Agricultural School specifically has two branches: one focuses on planting trees and cultivating fields; the other deals with politics.
Lin Feng is developing in the latter direction.
Lin Feng's initial development path was to follow Chu Yao, but thanks to Tang Mei's guidance, she took a different approach. Furthermore, the Agricultural Academy's recruitment efforts forced her to open the academy. This academy is different from the agricultural academy we understand today.
Needless to say, the Mohists are roughly divided into three factions. The Mohist lineage that submits to Tang Mei is the Ink Calculators, who are more focused on science and technology.
The reason why the Literary Palace could not be opened before was because no pure Mohists had entered the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas before, and the ratio of male to female Mohists was one to nine.
With the opening of the Mohist Temple, male Mohists in other parts of the continent can naturally condense Mohist energy once their skill level reaches a certain point, but women cannot for the time being.
Why is the Temple of Medicine still not open?
Because doctors need to undergo standardized residency training, medical skills cannot be acquired in a day or two.
_(:з」∠)_
Therefore, Mohists and physicians are separate from the general category of literati, and have special entry requirements.
PS: The Mohist ethical thought is that love has no hierarchy, which is called universal love. This is different from Mencius's love, which has a hierarchy. Therefore, Mohists do not have the same class distinctions as ordinary scholars.
(End of this chapter)
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