The best quality wine, with clear wind and light clouds.
Qin Bingzhong closed his eyes, the taste of alcohol lingering in his mouth. After a few breaths, he opened his eyes.
"This wine is no less delicious than Tianxiang!"
Fu Xiaoguan finally felt relieved. He had never tried Tianxiang, but had only heard of it. However, wine cannot be judged by listening but only by tasting. So although he was somewhat confident about his wine, it was not until this moment that he could truly feel at ease.
Dong Shulan also slowly breathed a sigh of relief, and suddenly remembered what she was worried about, and her face turned slightly red again.
"How much does it cost to add incense?" asked Fu Xiaoguan.
"One tael for one hundred wen, how much do you plan to sell this wine for?"
"One or two or three hundred coins!" Fu Xiaoguan stretched out three fingers. Qin Bingzhong was shocked, and Dong Shulan was also very surprised.
"Can you sell this...?" Qin Bingzhong asked doubtfully.
"Of course, Tianxiang wine is in short supply, and I don't have much of it. And the other reason I came to you is that this wine is still missing the finishing touch, and you're the only one who can do it."
Dong Shulan poured the tea and handed it over. Qin Bingzhong laughed and said, "You want me to help you spread the word?"
"Publicizing it isn't really important. I'm here to ask you for a few words."
"What word?"
"The words Xishan Tianchun, Xishan Xiangquan and rare wine."
"Nothing else? I can actually help you spread the word."
"It's really nothing else. I'd love for you to help me spread the word, but these few words are more important."
Qin Bingzhong stroked his long beard lightly and nodded. Xiaoqi went to the study and got the pen, ink, paper and inkstone.
"Small seal script, um... this size will do." Fu Xiaoguan gestured on the paper. These were very small characters. Of course, for the contemporary great scholar Qin Bingzhong, this was naturally not a big deal.
Soon, these words fell on the paper. Fu Xiaoguan held the paper in his hand and blew it carefully. It seemed extremely precious.
"What do you want to do with such small words?" Qin Bingzhong asked curiously.
"I want to print these words on this bottle and wine glass... Mr. Qin, from now on, your words will become one with my wine."
"Hahaha, you are quite calculating, kid."
Dong Shulan's eyes lit up when he saw Fu Xiaoguan's wine, coupled with the endorsement of the contemporary great scholar Qin Bingzhong. With such a combination and a little publicity, he was afraid that his wine could really be sold for three hundred coins.
Ask the literati in the world how much sorrow they have, and they will go to brothels after drinking two taels of liquor... In the future, when literati in Linjiang gather together, it can be foreseen that except for his wine, nothing else will be presentable.
No wonder he dared to sell it for three hundred coins per two ounces. This would have killed countless scholars.
"This is really taking advantage of you, Mr. Qin. So, from now on, every month, Yu Fu Ji will provide you with three pounds of Xiangquan and two pounds of Tianchun for free... Mr. Qin, please don't refuse. This is a token of my appreciation."
"I'm not short of money."
"This isn't a matter of money. A gentleman loves money but earns it in a proper way. Old Qin, you've done me such a great favor, and you're not short of food. This is all I can offer you right now. Anyway, I'll send it to you later. As for how you deal with it, that's your business, Old Qin."
Qin Bingzhong smiled and shook his head, then accept it.
This kid is very worldly-wise and has some brilliant ideas in his head. Why did he look like that before?
Qin Bingzhong also couldn't reconcile the Fu Xiaoguan in front of him with the Fu Xiaoguan he had heard of before. If he had to find a reason, it could only be as Dong Shulan said the day before, that he had an epiphany and became a completely different person.
In this case, we should guide him onto the right path.
So Qin Bingzhong slowly said, "Sir, why do you think people all over the world admire reading?"
Fu Xiaoguan was drinking tea and almost choked when he heard it.
"this……"
If we answer according to Fu Xiaoguan's true intention, he would immediately say that of course he studied in order to become an official, and of course he became an official in order to make money. However, he is already wealthy now, so he doesn't need to be an official, and if he doesn't need to be an official, he certainly doesn't need to study.
But he didn't say that, because the person sitting opposite him was a great scholar and leader of the literati. If he said that, he would probably be beaten out with a stick by Qin Bingzhong immediately.
So he thought of a sentence and answered carefully:
"I believe that it should be... to establish a mind for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to carry on the lost knowledge of the ancient sages, and to bring peace to the world for all eternity."
boom……!
Of course there was no explosion here, but Fu Xiaoguan's words were undoubtedly a shocking explosion to Qin Bingzhong and Dong Shulan!
The Yu Dynasty had the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, which was also called the Confucian school, but this sentence had not yet been born in the Yu Dynasty.
In the world of the past, this lofty aspiration has been enduring in history and has become the common goal of countless intellectuals. It is not an exaggeration to call it the great way of reading.
But in the Yu Dynasty, although there were many scholars who studied the teachings of Confucius and Mencius and put forward various views on what reading should be like, none of them was as thought-provoking as the words uttered by Fu Xiaoguan at this moment.
Time seems to have stopped here.
Qin Bingzhong pinched his long beard with his hands, his mouth slightly opened, and his eyes looked at Fu Xiaoguan, but his eyes were not focused on Fu Xiaoguan.
Dong Shulan placed the cup to her lips, her lips slightly opened, but she did not drink. Only the hot steam in the cup floated like mist, blurring her face in the dim light, but her eyes were as bright as stars.
Fu Xiaoguan was very nervous. He had never read the Four Books and Five Classics, the traditional Chinese studies. He had never read such books seriously since coming to this world. He thought that this sentence had spread in this world as well, but looking at the situation now... it seemed a little bad.
"This... I just said it casually. Please forgive me, Mr. Qin."
Qin Bingzhong didn't laugh at all. He swallowed and finally retracted his gaze. He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and paced slowly in the yard, muttering those words all the time.
"Establish a mind for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, carry on the lost knowledge of the ancient sages, and bring peace to the world for all eternity!"
“…”
Dong Shulan also woke up. She put down the teacup and looked at Fu Xiaoguan with tenderness in her eyes.
Qin Bingzhong suddenly sighed deeply. "I have been pursuing the path of study, and I am often confused. Why do scholars like me study? I used to think that studying is to understand the truth, to serve the country with what I have learned throughout my life, and to pass on culture..."
"After listening to what you said tonight, I finally understood... all the books I've read over the years have been in vain. And all the books that scholars around the world have read have also been in vain."
"To establish a mind for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to carry on the lost knowledge of the ancient sages, to bring peace to the world for all eternity... this is the most noble goal a scholar should have!"
"My friend, your words are worthy of being included in the sacred learning. They have pointed out the direction for scholars like us. Please accept my respects for all the scholars in the world!"
After Qin Bingzhong finished speaking, he really bowed respectfully to Fu Xiaoguan.
Of course, Fu Xiaoguan couldn't and didn't dare to accept it. He jumped up, dodged it, and supported Qin Lao with a wry smile on his face.
"Master Qin, you are embarrassing me. I am just a young man and I just said something nonsense. Please don't take it to heart."
Qin Bingzhong stood solemnly, his expression stern. "How can this be nonsense? This is the great way of studying! We should learn from the sacred teachings and spread them throughout the world. It will be a guiding light for scholars like us to establish our hearts, our lives, and our great ambitions!"
"There is no age limit in learning; those who are more accomplished come first. From now on, I will call you my little friend. If you think highly of me, Qin Bingzhong, then you can call me elder brother... Okay?"
Fu Xiaoguan was speechless on the spot, looking embarrassed, "This...is not appropriate."
Qin Bingzhong patted Fu Xiaoguan on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Brother, I've taken advantage of you." He took a deep breath and said, "After listening to your words tonight, all the thoughts I've had over the years suddenly became clear to me..."
As he spoke, he turned his head and looked behind him, shouting, "Zhu Yu, ask the kitchen to prepare some side dishes and bring over the jar of Tianxiang in my study."
Someone answered in the distance. Fu Xiaoguan looked over there, but saw no one.
"Haha, this is the guard my son assigned to me. Let's have some fun tonight, and we won't leave until we're drunk!"
…
A few dishes of side dishes were served, and Dong Shulan turned the pot and poured wine to add to the flavor.
"Brother, I have always been reluctant to drink this wine, but since you are here, I don't have to hide it anymore. Come on, let's drink this cup together. First, it is a farewell for Shulan, and second, it is a confidant for me in my old age. Cheers!"
Dong Shulan looked at Fu Xiaoguan with a smile, raised the wine glass in her hand and drank it in one gulp.
Fu Xiaoguan was not pretentious and took it calmly.
After three cups of wine, Qin Bingzhong spoke up. He said, "Brother, business is a minor art after all. Your Fu family is not short of money. I think you should take the imperial examination."
This was what Fu Xiaoguan feared most. He quickly waved his hand and said with a smile, "Brother, you don't understand me... I was originally a disaster in Linjiang. Don't look at me like that. I know how ridiculous I was before. Then I met Miss Dong, and that woke me up, but I know my own worth. I can write poetry occasionally when I feel inspired, but I really can't take the imperial examinations."
Dong Shulan asked, "Why are you so self-deprecating?"
"I'm not being too self-deprecating. Let me put it this way: I haven't really read the Four Books and Five Classics. And then there's my handwriting, which you've seen, but that alone is enough to make the examiner reject me. So, it's important to know yourselves. I might be able to do business, but I won't be able to pass the imperial examinations."
Qin Bingzhong and Dong Shulan looked at each other, thought for a moment, and understood what Fu Xiaoguan said.
"There are many great ways in the world, but studying is not the only one. I understand what you two are thinking. There are many scholars in the world, and I wouldn't need one more. I'm thinking of becoming a carefree landlord, free from the noise of music and the burden of paperwork, and simply seeking peace and prosperity."
This was Fu Xiaoguan's true inner thought. Several years later, when Qin Bingzhong was dying, he left behind these words: Is it the times that create heroes, or heroes that create the times?
No one can answer,
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