Chapter 90
Chapter 90
Ji Yuan calculated his next itinerary and followed his servants to the county town.
Xiao Huang was still seeing him off at the village entrance, but in the blink of an eye, the cow had disappeared. It was probably going to play with the children in the village.
It is true that Xiao Huang is the mascot of Anji Village.
Ji Yuan and his party went to the county, to meet Mr. Zhao and his wife, Village Chief An's family, and Uncle An's family.
Let’s go to the county town for a banquet together.
On the way there, they happened to meet Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang and his family were all beaming with joy, and all were dressed in silk and satin, looking like the wealthy family of a Mr. Zhang.
Ji Yuan was also wearing silk, but it was the official uniform made for him by the government office last time. He had worn it several times, but he still had no accessories on.
Mr. Zhang said, "You should buy some accessories to wear, even a seal will do, so that you can look like a juren."
Ji Yuan had nothing on him, but he did have a seal, a small seal with the words "Qingtang" engraved on it. Unfortunately, he didn't dare to hang it up.
Ji Yuan waved his hand: "Forget it, I don't have any money."
Everyone was speechless.
But there were some sent by the prefectural and county governments, didn’t you see them?
Ji Yuan indeed didn't read it. He locked up all the documents in a big box and kept them all at home.
He has had too many social interactions recently, which makes him feel more tired than studying.
What I said before is that it is true that you can enter the workplace from being a student.
The celebration banquet prepared by the government was naturally very lively.
The county also invited many scholars to join in the fun, most of whom were people Ji Yuan knew.
Even Li Jin and Cai Fenglan, who were busy with their wedding, were pulled over.
The two of them also complained to Ji Yuan in private, especially Li Jin, who said, "I'm already 26 years old this year. If I don't get married, it will be too late."
"So the wedding will probably be held in March."
ah?
At that time, he was going to the capital to take part in the imperial examination, right?
Li Jin also knew this and whispered, "We'll have a small gathering after you come back."
"Okay, I'll give you the gift first." Ji Yuan said.
Li Jin bowed and thanked him. He would not refuse such a thing. Since it was Ji Jieyuan's gift, he could talk about it in public.
"No, give me another one. My family will send the betrothal gifts before the New Year. Please give me one of the four treasures of the study that Ji Jieyuan sent me."
This was a small matter, so Ji Yuan naturally agreed and turned around to look at Cai Fenglan.
Cai Fenglan’s marriage?
"We won't do it that fast, but we'll get engaged after the New Year, and probably get married in the fall or next spring." Cai Fenglan said, "But you'll need to add some betrothal gifts, too."
Ji Yuan nodded, and then said: "I might as well give you another painting as a betrothal gift in the name of Qingtang, which should be more appropriate."
Li Jin doesn't need it for the time being. Qingtang is only famous in the provincial capital. It would be strange to put it here.
As for Cai Fenglan, if she received a Qingtang painting as a betrothal gift, it would definitely make the Zhou family happy.
Even the Zhou family knew who Qingtang was, but to outsiders, it must be different.
Cai Fenglan expressed his gratitude.
He failed to pass the imperial examination this year, and marrying Miss Zhou is already marrying up, so he has to be very polite.
Not to mention him, his whole family was extremely nervous.
These two are getting married and have a lot to talk about, so Ji Yuan would find it easier to study if he talks to Qian Fei and Li Ting.
Neither of them passed the imperial examination, but this was probably expected for them, and they were also prepared to study for a long time.
In other words, being able to pass the examination and become a scholar was already beyond their expectations.
For example, Li Ting has already had the idea of going home to help with business.
Li Ting is twenty years old this year, but in his own words, the more he learns, the more he knows his own strengths and weaknesses.
He will probably take the test twice more. If he fails, he will have to consider a way out.
Who makes there so many scholars nowadays?
It's not noticeable in the village, but it's also good in the county town.
But looking outside, it’s different.
Qian Fei is better off. He is only sixteen years old this year and his family can afford to send him to school. It won’t be a problem for him to study until he is thirty-six.
Ji Yuan said this and turned around to give them his notes. It would be good to have some progress.
During the celebration banquet, Ji Yuan also met Zhang Xun and Master Sun, both of whom are now Juren teachers in the county school, and they will also take the imperial examination next year.
However, we may not go together at that time, as each family’s situation is different. But we will still meet when we arrive in the capital.
After the banquet, County Magistrate Nie drank quite a bit of wine. Looking at his face, one could tell that he had aged a lot during these years as county magistrate, and was very different from when he first arrived.
Even in Zhengrong County, where things are going relatively smoothly, there are still problems of one kind or another.
For him, it means that his political achievements are not solid enough.
After all, whether it is the public security in Zhengrong County or the local teaching level, they are basically based on the foundation laid by the previous president.
Even Ji Yuan was recruited when County Magistrate Lin was in office.
To put it bluntly, County Magistrate Nie is still anxious about his political achievements.
Seeing that the banquet was over, Magistrate Nie looked at Ji Yuan eagerly and couldn't help but said, "Ji Jieyuan, do you have any good ideas to help our Zhengrong County move forward?"
Ji Yuan looked at the county magistrate and then at Zhengrong County.
He actually had an idea.
However, Magistrate Nie was already a little drunk, so Ji Yuan said to the old official beside him: "Integrate the local breeding industry."
Integrate local farming industry?
Local livestock farming includes cattle farming, sheep farming, pig farming, and silage farming.
Wait a minute?
Integrate this?
The old official and Magistrate Nie reacted at the same time.
Yes, since they have the resources, why can’t the imperial court take the lead and standardize everything before they sell to other counties?
With the government paving the way, everything will be much simpler.
Silage.
It is needed locally and also in other places.
It’s just that it’s difficult for local merchants to sell goods outside the area.
Ji Yuan looked all the way and heard An Xiaohe say that there were several companies in the county town that made silage, and they were all filling orders that Anji Village could not handle.
It seems that not only do locals have the ability to produce silage, but people outside the region also want to continue selling it.
There is demand and there is production, so why can't they be integrated together?
Let Zhengrong County benefit from this.
Among them, breeding is a legitimate livelihood. No matter cattle, sheep, or even horses, they are the most needed nowadays. Developing people's livelihood is naturally a good thing.
Ji Yuan's words helped County Magistrate Nie and his men find their direction. They still have one year left in their term next year, and they will definitely get this done.
Ji Yuan didn't say anything else. The two of them could definitely handle the rest.
However, because of this incident, when Ji Yuan mentioned the expansion of Zunjing Pavilion of Zhengrong County School, County Magistrate Nie agreed without hesitation.
Expanding the Zunjing Pavilion is a good thing, and he will definitely do it.
When the news reached Teacher Cheng, he nodded with satisfaction. If the Zunjing Pavilion was expanded, students would have more books to read.
After these things were over, many people came to try to establish a relationship with the house, but they were all stopped outside the house by the servants.
Jiyuan stopped for a short rest, and when he had nothing to do, he went to check on the silage cellar, and then went to visit the graves of Jiyuan's parents, and then he was about to set off again.
He came back around September 16th, and he would set off for the provincial school around October 16th.
Things are settled here.
Master Zhao was indeed in good health, so he felt relieved.
After a short rest, there is still a long way to go waiting for him.
And this time, we are leaving to go somewhere farther.
Going to the capital.
It takes more than one or two hours to walk from Anji Village to Zhengrong County.
It takes five or six days to get from Zhengrong County to the capital of Jianmeng Prefecture.
It takes nearly ten days by car to travel from Jianmeng Prefecture to the capital.
Step by step, it seemed to be getting further away.
Ji Yuan patted Xiao Huang's head and said to it, "This is our home. You can come here and have a look when you have nothing to do in the future."
"I will try to pass the imperial examination as soon as possible, and then I can take you with me."
His study journey has not yet ended, so he cannot take Xiao Huang with him.
Only when he achieves the final honor will these journeys come to an end.
Xiao Huang shook his head, as if he understood, but also as if he didn't understand, and he was still reluctant to leave Ji Yuan.
The two of them grew up together, so it’s okay for Ji Yuan to call him Brother Niu.
But no matter how reluctant you are, you have to leave.
No matter how peaceful the courtyard is now, it is not his home.
On October 15th, Ji Yuan packed up his things and locked up what needed to be locked up. There were people coming to check on him from time to time on weekdays, so there would basically be no problems.
He had more than 4,000 taels of silver notes on him, so he prepared himself and headed for the provincial capital.
Before Ji Yuan left, he did not tell many people, nor did he let Master Zhao see him off, but when he left, he gave his master's wife a silver note for five hundred taels.
This was even one of the important purposes after he came back.
Mr. Zhao's mother was seriously ill, which happened before the New Year. This silver will definitely be useful.
Moreover, Master Zhao would probably not teach after the new year, and there would always be a place where he could make money in the future. He had also given money in advance to the staff arranged for Master Zhao's family.
If you need anything, you can go directly to Dahai and the others, they will help you.
After everything in the village was arranged, Ji Yuan sent Xiao Huang to Uncle An's house before leaving in the carriage.
He also prepared the wedding gifts for Cai Fenglan and Li Jin, as well as the betrothal gifts, and sent them all out one by one.
Even the paintings are ready, so Cai Fenglan can just find someone to frame them.
But Cai Fenglan couldn't go with him either.
He wanted to take his family directly to the Zhou family in the provincial capital, and the marriage would be settled soon.
And Ji Yuan must go to Qingyun Temple where Monk Bai is.
Ji Yuan thought about it and decided to give the carriage lent to him by the government office to Cai Fenglan. Their whole family would definitely need the carriage and the driver.
He could just pull his stuff over there, so he might as well rent a horse and go directly to Qingyun Temple.
The main reason was that Monk Bai kept telling him to go and see it when he had time.
According to Monk Bai's character, there must be a reason for saying this.
On October 16, before it snowed, Ji Yuan rented a horse.
This was the first time he rode a horse by himself, except for the archery subject.
However, after practicing for two or three years, he had mastered horse riding.
Fourteen-year-old Ji Yuan mounted his horse, carrying a small package, and set off directly along the official road.
There are many convoys along the way, and he can just follow them.
Although Dr. Luo and the others were worried, they were more relieved that Ji Yuan had really grown up.
But think about it, ever since they met Ji Yuan, he seemed to be a very stable character.
Ji Yuan set out from the official road. Although he was not wearing official uniform, he was wearing a hat and a crown. One could tell at a glance that he was a man of honor, so basically everyone would avoid him.
This can also be considered a life-saving weapon.
After walking for three or four days, they were one or two days away from reaching the provincial capital, so Ji Yuan took another route.
This road leads directly to Yangdan Town, the capital of Jianmeng Prefecture.
The Qingyun Temple, where Monk Bai grew up, is located in this town.
Qingyun Temple is relatively close to the provincial capital, and the entire Yangdan Town is directly under the jurisdiction of the provincial capital, which shows how far away it is.
As for the reputation of Qingyun Temple, it was not very prominent in the past. It was just an ordinary temple.
Of course, the situation is better than that of Qiyan Temple.
Qiyan Temple can only be said to be a dilapidated temple, while Qingyun Temple relies on students coming to study and has a meager income.
But to say how rich he is, that is impossible.
After all, who would come here to study if they have money?
It’s because of the name of Qingyun Temple that it is very suitable for exam preparation.
It was not until the 34th year of Huayuan that Monk Bai passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, ranking first in Danyang Town and second in the entire Jianmeng Prefecture.
The reputation of Qingyun Temple suddenly rose.
With the proper management of the business by Monk Bai and his other brothers, within a few years, Qingyun Temple became a must-visit place for all students in Yangdan Town preparing for exams.
Every time I come here, I naturally spend a lot of money on incense, candles, and incense oil.
As time went by, more and more people came.
Monk Bai said that the students preparing for the exam in Qingyun Temple have also gone from being poor students to students from wealthy families.
His senior brother even set up a special meditation room for exam preparation. That meditation room was no different from a study room in an ordinary family, so children from wealthy families were also willing to come.
When Ji Yuan heard this, he just thought that Bai Heshang’s senior brother was really a wonderful person, and he was so good at making money.
It was fine in the first two years, but I heard it’s getting worse and worse now.
This is not surprising. Most people find temples and Taoist temples quite mysterious and awe-inspiring when they hear about them.
But in fact, there are many kinds of inside.
Some of them make money under the guise of religion, while others are implicated by these money-making activities.
There have been many cases in history of monks occupying farmland, bullying men and women, and defrauding others of their money.
So Monk Bai was worried about this situation.
The reason why he asked Ji Yuan and Cai Fenglan to come over was to ask them to help think of a solution and persuade his senior brother.
Monk Bai's master is very old, he is already 69 this year, and he seldom goes out. He doesn't care much whether the Qingyun Temple has simple meals or a lot of incense.
And no one would tell him what happened next.
Monk Bai was also concerned about his master's health, so they didn't fall out.
But now he has passed the imperial examination and ranked fifth in the provincial examination and fifth in the entire Jianmeng Mansion.
He was just afraid that his senior brother would continue to make a big fuss.
Ji Yuan thought about what Monk Bai had told him and thought that Monk Bai’s worries were not unreasonable.
It is always better to take precautions before they happen.
What Monk Bai experienced is also not uncommon.
If we replace the temple he belongs to with a family, it becomes easy to understand.
Since ancient times, there are only two reasons why scholars study.
One is the desire to achieve one's own success.
After all, studying can lead to the imperial examination, and passing the imperial examination can lead to becoming an official. Who doesn’t want to reach the pinnacle of life?
The second aspect is also extremely important, which is for the family’s education.
Like Yue Chang, his goal was to help the Yue family get rid of the reputation of being merchants.
The Zhou family also runs a bookstore, and because Mr. Zhou is a juren, everything is extremely convenient for him.
Cai Fenglan is also a very typical example. His family has a tradition of farming and studying. His parents, eldest brother and sister-in-law, and even his second brother and fourth sister all supported his studies.
This naturally expects a return.
If Cai Fenglan could pass the imperial examination, it would be a great reward.
Monk Bai grew up in Qingyun Temple since he was a child, and his fellow monks in Qingyun Temple are his "family".
It's a pity that the families above are of the same blood after all. Even if they are not single-minded, they will not really kill anyone because they are under pressure from their fathers.
Furthermore, because of their blood relationship, the Cai family can directly enjoy the benefits brought by Cai Fenglan's success in the imperial examination, such as the respect of their neighbors and preferential treatment from the government.
In the Qingyun Temple where Monk Bai is, everyone is a fellow disciple and has a brotherly relationship.
The entanglements in between will only become more difficult to explain.
They are not related by blood and are not registered under the same household, so if they want to gain benefits from Monk Bai, they have to find other ways.
It seems that after careful consideration, they decided to use Monk Bai's fame to enrich Qingyun Temple, which was the best solution.
With Monk Bai's intelligence, he must know it.
But thinking that it was not easy to live in Qingyun Temple, I didn't say much.
I'm afraid that my appetite is getting bigger and bigger, so I'm a little anxious.
As a good friend and classmate of Monk Bai, Ji Yuan would not sit idly by.
In less than half a day, Ji Yuan, who came on horseback, stepped into Yangdan Town.
Yangdan Town is not very big, and everyone lives in one place.
And Qingyun Temple is just on the outskirts of the town.
Ji Yuan rode his horse over there. There were many people selling incense and candles along the way. When they saw Ji Yuan dressed like a scholar, their first reaction was: "You are a scholar, buy some incense and candles. Buddha bless you and you will definitely pass the exam."
The person who was speaking did not recognize Ji Yuan's hat, and seeing that he was very young, perhaps about sixteen or seventeen, he thought that he had not yet passed the imperial examination.
Ji Yuan smiled and waved his hands, then simply took off the crown. He decided not to rush on his journey, as this thing was useless.
Unexpectedly, along the way, many villagers strongly recommended it.
Many people think that now it is October 21st, and there are still two or three months before the Tongshi exam, so scholars will definitely come to burn incense and worship Buddha.
"Young Master, please buy some. If you don't bring any incense or candles, they won't let you in."
"Yes, the incense in our house is the most effective. It was blessed by the master of Qingyun Temple."
"Yes, it was consecrated in the Zen room where Mr. Bai once lived."
"That's the room of the scholar. It's very effective."
Ji Yuan couldn't help but shake his head as he listened to them talking, and he also extracted some information from them.
1. If you don’t buy incense and candles, you will not be allowed to enter Qingyun Temple.
Second, the supply channel for these incense and candles is Qingyun Temple.
Wow, Qingyun Temple has become the largest wholesaler, selling wholesale to the villagers.
Then the villagers sell them to pilgrims, who then deliver them to Qingyun Temple.
Who wouldn’t find this process touching?
No wonder Monk Bai was so anxious.
Ji Yuan thought about it and bought some incense and candles. The other party was extremely grateful and said to him: "The Buddha will definitely bless you to pass the exam and become a scholar, he will definitely do so."
Ji Yuan was delighted and nodded, "Yes, I will definitely bless you."
"era!"
“You’re here!”
Monk Bai likes to say "Don't be anxious, don't be anxious" the most.
This time his tone was full of enthusiasm.
The people around him looked over and said in surprise: "Ji Yuan? This is Ji Jieyuan?! I've heard of your name for a long time!"
The villagers who sold incense and candles to Ji Yuan were dumbfounded.
First place?
No matter what, he knew that Jieyuan meant the first place in the provincial examination.
First in the provincial examination, first among all the successful candidates in Jianmeng Prefecture?
And he said that he would definitely pass the imperial examination?
But seeing that the other party didn't mind, he led the horse forward to find Mr. Bai.
Standing next to Mr. Bai was a scholar from a wealthy family who was staying at Qingyun Temple. He was pestering Monk Bai to give him "extra lessons".
With Monk Bai's temper, he was so annoyed that he was naturally very happy to see Ji Yuan coming.
Ji Yuan nodded slightly at the other party and said with a smile: "I just arrived, and I haven't told you about the prefectural school yet. Can I have a moment to talk with you?"
Ji Yuan spoke politely, but it was obvious that he wanted to get the person away. When the other party heard him speaking with a smile, he left in a daze.
After the others left, Ji Yuan followed Monk Bai and entered through the side door of the temple.
The main entrance was crowded with people, and there were indeed a lot of pilgrims.
The rented horse was handed over to the novice monk who was in charge of miscellaneous matters. The other party wanted to collect some silver, but when he saw that it was Senior Brother Bai who was leading the horse, he did not ask for any money.
Ji Yuan finally discovered that no matter what you do here, you need money.
Monk Bai looked at the incense and candles in Ji Yuan's hand and sighed, "Did the incense seller nearby say that you can't enter Qingyun Temple if you don't buy some?"
"Yes, you won't really do that, will you? If you do, I'm afraid you'll be in trouble soon."
"The eldest brother is not that stupid. He just lets people say that. In fact, you can go in." White Monk sighed again.
In other words, the temple deliberately said this to force pilgrims to buy, but if you really come in, it doesn’t matter.
This way of making money is both secretive and will not cause trouble.
"But after you come in, you have to pay for the incense and flower coupons again." The white monk said, "Five cents per person, otherwise you can't worship the Buddha."
ah?
this?
Shouldn't this be voluntary?
Ji Yuan listened to Monk Bai talk about all kinds of things.
In short, you have to buy incense and candles when you get to the neighborhood, and you have to buy incense and flower coupons when you enter the temple. There is also a merit box inside, and if you want to add lamp oil, you have to pay the oil lamp fee.
Furthermore, there are blessing sachets, consecrated bracelets, in short, whatever you want, we have them.
Wanna say the line?
Not really.
But it just brings together all the means of making money.
Most of the pilgrims here come to pray for their own students and are very generous with their money.
It is usually said that people do not study because they are poor, but those who come to the temple to pray for blessings are not truly poor.
The poor scholars who were actually staying in Qingyun Temple have long gone by now.
Monk Bai said, "I asked you to come here so that we can find a way to curb this trend."
It’s not that temples are not allowed to make money. There are people living in temples and they also need to eat and drink.
But we can’t just amass wealth like this.
"I'm always afraid that one day they will do something even more outrageous." Monk Bai looked at Qingyun Temple. This was where he grew up and it must be protected.
Ji Yuan said: "Are you really not going to tell your master?"
Monk Bai was helpless: "Now the eldest brother is the one who makes the decisions in the temple. It's useless for Master to say anything."
That's true. There is naturally a difference between following the abbot and eating coarse food and following the eldest senior brother and enjoying delicious food. It goes without saying who you should listen to.
Ji Yuan looked at Qingyun Temple and thought about the current situation, and he was at a loss for words for the moment.
Monk Bai also said, "Take a rest first. You have been traveling for a while."
As he was speaking, footsteps were heard outside.
A middle-aged monk in a monk's robe walked in. The monk had a somewhat mercenary look in his eyes, but he was very polite to Ji Yuan. He smiled and said, "I am the receptionist of Qingyun Temple. I am sorry that I was unable to greet you since you have come from afar. I hope you will forgive me."
The monk who knows guests is the monk in charge of reception, but the monk in front of him is naturally not an ordinary receptionist. He should be the eldest senior brother mentioned by Monk Bai.
The other party was very polite, and Ji Yuan also returned the greeting.
Ji Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Next year we will go to the capital together for the imperial examination. Since we are classmates and friends, we should go together. Senior brother, there is no need to be so polite."
The monk also smiled and said sincerely: "Junior Brother Fabin has always been the youngest among his peers in our Qingyun Temple. We will be on the same journey in the future, so please take care of each other, Jieyuan."
The white monk’s name is Bai Fabin. Fabin has been his Buddhist name since he was a child, so it is not wrong to call him that.
"Yes, but the journey is long and the mountains are high, and we don't know what will happen." Ji Yuan said simply, "Since we are going to take the examination, this reputation is very important. If there is any mistake, I am afraid that the life of the examinee will be in danger."
The eldest senior brother of Qingyun Temple was stunned. How could he not know this? But with so many people in the temple, he had to do this.
But, life is in danger?
Could it be that the champion in front of him was trying to scare him?
After the eldest brother left, Monk Bai asked, "You actually said it so bluntly? Is that appropriate?"
Ji Yuan said: "I didn't know if it was appropriate at first, but now that I see you two really have a brotherly bond, I don't have to be afraid."
Before the beginning of the era, people were afraid that the temple would use the White Monk as a tool, but now it seems that is not the case.
Of course, amassing money in that way does have some problems.
But Ji Yuan didn't think it was completely wrong.
After seeing the visit of the senior monk from Qingyun Temple, Ji Yuan probably had an idea, so he asked Monk Xiang Bai: "Brother Bai, have you ever thought that we can make money without interfering with Qingyun Temple?"
“On the contrary, it can help optimize the process.”
Wait a minute?
I asked you to come here to stop Qingyun Temple from making huge fortunes.
Why did you change your mind?!
Do you still want to help make money here?
Monk Bai was dumbfounded.
He knew Ji Yuan's abilities very well. If he wanted to help Qingyun Temple make money, he could even gild the body of the Buddha statue, or even create a Buddha statue with gold!
Wait, how can this be possible!
Ji Yuan smiled and said, "Why not? Your senior brother has no bad intentions, but his methods of making money are a little crude."
"Besides, if this matter is done well, it will benefit the people living nearby."
Is it beneficial to nearby residents?
"Yes, making money is not just a bad thing."
Ji Yuan has a different attitude towards temples making money.
Some extremely pious people naturally felt that Buddhism should not be defiled, but even as a time traveler, he felt that this matter had two sides.
It is just the same as whether one studies for the purpose of gaining merit in imperial examinations or learning the teachings of sages.
One thing he realized when he came back from his hometown was.
Both of these make sense, and they can even be combined.
If you only know the teachings of sages but don't put them into practice, then you are just learning in vain.
If one only studies for the imperial examination without truly learning to be "benevolent" and "benefit the people", it would be a waste of time.
Correspondingly, the issue of temples making money can also be viewed separately. They can make money, do good deeds, and also motivate the people around them.
For example, the villagers living under the temple have actually been driven to make money.
It's a pity that it's not standardized enough and too straightforward, which can easily make people disgusted.
And, it’s easy to have no limits.
Monk Bai looked at Ji Yuan and thought that Ji Yuan was gifted in studying.
Why do I feel like I'm not on the same level as him now?
But out of trust in Ji Yuan, Monk Bai reluctantly nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to you, but you have to tell me your plan first."
Ji Yuan smiled and said, "Of course, you will need help with this matter."
In the next two or three days, Monk Bai took Ji Yuan to stroll around Qingyun Temple and took a few turns around the local Yangdan Town.
Both of them can ride horses, so it is convenient for them to walk.
Apart from the fact that scholars come here from time to time to study, everything else is pretty good.
It is not a bad thing that there are scholars coming to study. The bad thing is that these scholars are those who have spent a lot of money to come here.
This seems a little wrong.
Around October 25th, the weather became increasingly cold.
Ji Yuan and Monk Bai found the eldest senior brother of Qingyun Temple and prepared to have a long talk with him.
When Senior Brother Bai saw the two people standing at the door of the Zen room, he actually had a feeling that, "It is as expected."
He knew that this day would come sooner or later.
That day, Ji Jieyuan said that candidates taking part in the imperial examination should pay special attention to their reputation, otherwise their lives would be in danger.
After hearing this, Senior Brother Bai actually understood a little bit, and even restrained himself a lot in the past few days.
But it can't last long, because the people below are waiting for food and money.
Furthermore, he had to pay tribute to the local government with the money he earned, and no part of it could be cut off.
These kids have no idea how difficult it is to run a temple.
Senior Brother Bai thought that Ji Yuan and the others didn’t understand, but in fact, Ji Yuan did.
Today's Qingyun Temple is like a moving carriage with no way to brake. The only thing to do is let it run until it can't run anymore, and then it can stop.
Otherwise, if you brake suddenly, the car may be destroyed and people may die.
"Come in, everyone wants to chat." Senior Brother Bai asked the novice monk beside him to leave, and took the younger brother and Ji Yuan into the meditation room.
Senior Brother Bai’s meditation room is still the same as before, but many of the decorations inside have been changed, and it is not so shabby.
After everyone sat down, Ji Yuan spoke directly: "You are Bai Fabin's senior brother, so I should call you Senior Brother Bai as well."
All of these monks have the surname Bai, so it's naturally acceptable for them to take their master's surname.
Ji Yuan continued, "Brother Bai, have you ever thought that earning incense coupons this way won't last long?"
Wait a minute?
Shouldn't we persuade him not to make any money?
Senior Brother Bai looked at Junior Brother Bai Fabin, and seeing that he also only half understood, he asked, "What does Jie Yuan mean?"
"What I mean is that we need to take both into account, to take into account our reputation, and to make Qingyun Temple's life easier."
"It's best if it lasts long and can't be faulted."
During this period, Ji Yuan's "inspection" was useful.
He discovered that Senior Brother Bai was indeed looking for such a method, such as asking villagers to sell incense and candles on his behalf, and stating that one cannot worship Buddha without buying incense and candles, but this was not actually the case.
It's a pity that these are too straightforward and easy to see through.
Therefore, when Ji Yuan opened his mouth, he touched the heart of Senior Brother Bai. He asked directly: "How to do it?!"
Senior Brother Bai knew he was getting excited, and cleared his throat: "What should we do?"
Ji Yuan did not keep the suspense and said directly: "Buddhism is a pure land after all. It is not good to be too straightforward."
“My suggestion is to charge two tiers.”
Two floors?
Senior Brother Bai didn’t read much, so he almost took notes.
Fortunately, Bai Fabin was here. In recent days, he seemed to have understood what Ji Yuan meant.
Ji Yuan also expressed his views openly.
Divided into poor and rich people.
It is free for the poor and charged for the rich. For ordinary people, at most they have to pay for incense. It would be best if the price is lower to attract popularity.
Just like many modern games, there are benefits for zero-paying players, but paying players are on another level.
Is it okay to not have zero-paying players? Definitely not. Some people even say that because of the existence of zero-paying players, all those who pay are willing to spend money.
The same applies in a Buddhist temple.
Do the rich care about these expenses? No, they may even give out porridge and money to help others, hoping to accumulate merit.
The more people who come to benefit from it, the better.
Qingyun Temple can also gain fame by treating the poor people well.
To put it bluntly, they take money from the rich and give it to the poor in the name of charity.
This will not only enhance the reputation of Qingyun Temple, but also satisfy the "charitable heart" of the rich.
It would be best if it could also help the surrounding people make money together.
With Ji Yuan's detailed explanation, Qingyun Temple gradually changed.
Qingyun Temple directly vacated a part of the meditation room and found the poor scholar who had been driven out before, and said: "The temple was too busy before, and there were too many people, so there was less space. If you are willing, you can go back and study again."
"This year's food and accommodation are free, so you can go back if you want."
At the same time, tell the people of Yangdan Town that incense coupons have been waived to accumulate blessings for the students.
Furthermore, the abbot of the temple would add incense oil personally to bless the scholars to have good luck in the imperial examinations.
For a time, the public's praise for Qingyun Temple increased greatly.
Those who previously said that Qingyun Temple only cared about money also changed their tone.
If Qingyun Temple becomes more famous, more people will be willing to come and add oil to their offerings.
The work of re-gilding the Buddha statue was also suspended, and Qingyun Temple directly announced that it would use the money to invite famous scholars to give lectures to local students.
When these words were spoken, even the scholar's family, who had originally been disdainful, were surprised.
Invite famous people to give lectures?!
This is definitely worth listening to.
So, who can come and listen?
Qingyun Temple replied: Everyone in the world.
Anyone who wants to can come and listen.
Qingyun Temple has cleared a place for lectures in the back mountain, and will often invite famous people to give lectures in the future.
Buddhist scriptures, Confucian scriptures, everything is fine.
When Senior Brother Bai was doing these things, his subordinates also had something to say.
Isn't this all spending money?
How did you make money?!
I don't see where to make money.
Senior Brother Bai silently opened the merit book and saw many names of wealthy families on it.
Those people who originally thought that Qingyun Temple was seeking fame and reputation also came here.
You can worship Buddha and listen to lectures at the same time, what’s not to like?
Senior Brother Bai thought to himself, reputation is so important.
He had tried his best to make money, but he would have been better off maintaining the reputation of Qingyun Temple.
To put it bluntly.
It’s the brand’s reputation.
Qingyun Temple is equivalent to the brand in their hands.
If the brand has a bad reputation, fewer people will be willing to come.
As his reputation grew, many people came here from thousands of miles away.
What Jiyuan wants them to do is to make this brand peaceful and quiet, mysterious and kind.
And that’s what they have to do.
Provide porridge every month to help the poor.
The better your reputation, the more willing rich people are to give you money.
At the same time, there must be substantial benefits.
Inviting famous scholars and asking people to lecture on the scriptures and discuss the doctrines are all elegant and pure things to do.
By the end of November, more and more people came to worship Buddha, and even the roads going up and down the mountain were crowded with pilgrims.
Not to mention that others were surprised, even Senior Brother Bai found it incredible.
Before, I just wanted to run Qingyun Temple well.
I didn’t expect that returning to basics and retaining a good reputation is the real thing.
It's just that the internal means have changed. He made the same amount of money and his reputation also improved.
In the past, Qingyun Temple only cared about receiving rich people.
Now he discovered that the better he treated the poor, the more willing the rich would be to come.
Ji Yuan said it bluntly in private.
Those rich people may not be unaware of what Qingyun Temple is doing, but they are also trying to gain fame for themselves.
Normally people say that the rich are unkind, so they want to use the Qingyun Temple's sign to clear their own reputations. Helping the poor is the quickest way to become famous.
Qingyun Temple is equivalent to a process of "whitewashing" for them.
Everyone has their needs.
After all, fame can be a killer.
This is one of the moral standards of society.
It is this mentality of theirs that Jiyuan takes advantage of.
As for the purpose of helping the poor and providing homes for poor scholars.
It’s not important for now.
Once these good things are done, they are truly done.
The poor families who got the porridge really got to drink it, and the poor scholars actually found a place to live.
In the future, real celebrities will come to give lectures.
Not to mention, by the beginning of next spring, the monks in the temple will teach the people living at the foot of the mountain how to make incense and Buddhist strings.
By then, several villages will become rich together.
By that time, who will care what these things are for, and Qingyun Temple has indeed helped many people.
Perhaps Monk Bai hasn't figured out anything yet.
But modern people can see some meaning from it.
Isn’t this the business model of modern tourist attractions!
It means that the tickets have been exchanged for the rich to add incense oil!
A temple, an attic, and a bridge.
It may not have much significance in itself, but after development, it can boost the local tourism industry. Isn’t that a good thing?
As long as the people around can benefit from it, it is a good thing.
But if you want to create a good tourist attraction, you have to create real content.
Some scenic spots are for viewing the scenery, while others are for viewing the culture.
Qingyun Temple provides emotional value and reading value.
Emotions satisfy everyone's desire to be a good person.
As for reading, it means providing people with a real place to read and inviting famous scholars to teach.
Qingyun Temple itself, having tasted the benefits of this virtuous cycle, will be more eager to be a "good person" and do "good things".
After a long time, who can still tell what the original purpose was.
Whether true or false, it is beneficial to the people anyway.
Monk Bai's senior brother is not stupid. He was able to use Monk Bai's reputation to transform Qingyun Temple from a poor temple with few followers into what it is today. This shows that he will consider the long-term.
After all, the above things are easy to say, and Ji Yuan just made suggestions with his mouth. He really has to go against the majority opinion and change the previous practices.
The mere fact that incense and flower coupons are not accepted has made many monks in the temple dissatisfied, as they believe that this is a direct loss of income.
It is not easy for Senior Brother Bai to continue doing this.
Furthermore, inviting the poor students back is also very troublesome, and even accommodating more poor students in the future will be a problem.
But they did it one by one.
Fortunately, things are indeed moving towards a virtuous cycle.
This may not be a true holy place for many Buddhists, but it is a place that can really help people.
Monk Bai never expected that things would turn out like this after Ji Yuan came over.
Why do I feel like this is a bit weird?
But is it bad to say so?
Looking at the poor families coming to receive winter bedding, it seems that they think there is nothing wrong with it?
The people in the queue expressed their gratitude profusely, and those who donated money also felt that this seemed much better than making a golden statue.
Even the government praised their temple for its kindness and compassion.
Monk Bai watched the whole process and his pupils also trembled.
There is only one sentence in my mind.
Is this ok?
But it does work.
Moreover, the atmosphere in the temples has also changed. At least people no longer look down on poor people who study. Instead, they treat them well to show their kindness.
Monk Bai was still digesting this matter, but another thought was certain.
That is, it was indeed the right decision to ask Ji Yuan to come over.
Things seemed to become easy in his hands.
Monk Bai couldn't help but say, "If you were made the chief of a place, you would definitely make the local people live a good life."
Ji Yuan smiled: "Your Qingyun Temple's foundation is already good, you just changed your thinking."
The main reason is that Bai Heshang’s senior brother also managed the business well.
He just changed the direction. It was just his words and his brain. It was nothing.
He said this, but Brother Bai Heshang admired Ji Yuan very much. He meditated and thought hard, and came up with ways to make the temple better, but he didn't know that there is always a mountain higher than the one you climb.
Ji Yuan knew that he had just seen a lot.
Later generations even compiled these into books. Many modern people may not be able to apply them, but they can understand them with just a quick glance.
In ancient times, information was blocked, so other temples might have done the same thing, but the news had not yet spread to Qingyun Temple.
Now that the issue at Qingyun Temple has been resolved, Monk Bai can finally relax.
As long as he didn't drive all the way down the slope, he wouldn't have to worry anymore, and he thought the extravagant atmosphere in Qingyun Temple could be slightly changed.
Ji Yuan came along for a visit and when he saw that Monk Bai’s worries had been resolved, he decided to return to the city as well.
Now it was December, and he was going to see Dr. Yin and bring Teacher Cheng's letter with him.
He should spend this year's Chinese New Year at Dr. Yin's home.
Moreover, he must concentrate on preparing for the imperial examination before and after the New Year.
Monk Bai naturally couldn't leave. He had also promised his senior brother that he would give extra lessons to other students, which could be considered as one of the charitable acts of their Qingyun Temple.
When Ji Yuan saw this, he thought to himself that every family has its own problems, everyone is like this.
He has no father, no mother, and no family, which means he has no one to rely on.
Monk Bai and his friends have a "family", so of course they help each other, but they are also subject to constraints.
It’s hard to say which one is better or worse at the moment.
The era begins again.
Still going to the provincial capital alone.
He has mostly been alone along the way, and now he is used to it.
Monk Bai originally said that the weather got cold early this year, so he wanted Ji Yuan to spend the New Year at Qingyun Temple, but Ji Yuan declined.
He had made an appointment with Dr. Yin and he certainly couldn't go back on his word.
Riding a fast horse, I finally returned to the provincial capital in December.
When he came back, Ji Yuan seemed to be more determined about studying.
Lu You once said that the original purpose of reading is to understand the world.
The original purpose of studying is to benefit the common people.
It would be fine if he was just a pure scholar.
It’s okay to go from a scholar to a juren and then enter the “workplace”.
As long as this heart remains unchanged, nothing will change.
When Ji Yuan returned to the capital, naturally there were countless people who wanted to visit him, whether for socializing or to establish connections, but he rejected them all.
This time when I returned home, I went to Qingyun Temple again.
I have interacted with those I should interact with, I have met those I should meet, and I have realized what I should realize.
In the following time, I just studied hard behind closed doors.
His goal is to take the imperial examination in April next year.
Ji Yuan opened the book at hand and read behind closed doors in the meditation room of Qiyan Temple.
Countless new candidates are trying to solve the problems at hand.
Whether for marriage, family, or social enjoyment, people are involved in interpersonal relationships.
Ji Jieyuan was already reading quietly.
Thick ice has no cracks, and short days have cold light.
A winter day of reading passed slowly.
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the thirty-eighth year of Huayuan.
Ji Yuan pushed open the window of the Zen room, but it was difficult to open it. When he went out, he found that the window was also frozen.
This year, the period before and after the New Year seems to be particularly cold.
Ji Yuan rubbed his hands and started to clean the snow off the windows.
The windows were tidied and Ji Yuan stretched.
It seems like we are about to set off again.
This time the destination is Beijing.
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