Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 210 The Method of Cultivating Righteous Qi!

It was already dark when Chen Ye came out of the Xuanjing Division office.

"My lord, shall we return to the manor?" Zhao Qi asked respectfully, leading his black horse, Ta Xue.

At this moment, the way he looked at Chen Ye was different, and his heart was filled with relief.

Fortunately, I was clear-headed at the time and sought refuge with the adults in time; otherwise, I wouldn't have this opportunity now.

I didn't see my master rise from a seventh-rank centurion to a sixth-rank military officer in just a few days!

Such a rapid rise in rank is rare even in the history of the Great Chen Dynasty.

"I'm not going back to the manor." Chen Ye mounted his horse. "Let's go to Zuiyun Tower."

"Okay!" Zhao Qi replied, following closely behind.

Zuiyunlou is one of the most famous restaurants in Yunzhou City, and it is currently bustling with activity.

When the waiter saw Chen Ye riding a tall horse, his eyes lit up, and he trotted over to greet him.

"Lord Chen, it's been a while since you last visited! Your guest is waiting for you in the private room upstairs!"

"Hmm." Chen Ye replied casually and went straight up to the second floor.

Pushing open the door to the private room, Hou En and Qian Yi jumped up from their chairs with wide smiles.

"Lord Chen!" the two called out in unison.

"Sit down." Chen Ye walked to the head seat and sat down.

Hou En and Qian Yi then dared to sit down, but they only sat on half of their buttocks, keeping their backs ramrod straight.

"Lord Chen, you really... you've really done something amazing this time!" Hou En was so excited that he was almost incoherent.

"Tsk tsk, a sixth-rank Zhaowu Colonel! My father said that when he was your age, he was still getting beaten by the teachers at the Imperial Academy!"

Qian Yi nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes! Lord Chen, you are now the idol of all the noble sons in Yunzhou!"

Chen Ye smiled and said, "Alright, let's not be so formal. I understand what you mean, and I won't treat you unfairly. But you have to prove your worth first."

Ever since taking these two men into his household that day, Chen Ye had been planning how to make them play a greater role, and now he finally had some ideas.

Upon hearing Chen Ye's words, Hou En and Qian Yi's eyes lit up, and they immediately straightened their backs, saying repeatedly, "Sir, please give us your orders, and we will do our best."

They were afraid that Chen Ye would neglect and distance himself from them, so they were very happy when Chen Ye said he had something to tell them.

You should know that sometimes being able to be used is already pretty good; at least it proves that you have the right to be on the table.

Haven't you noticed that many people who want to be taken advantage of are looked down upon?

This may sound harsh, but it's the truth.

"Actually, it's nothing. Although my position in the officialdom is getting higher and higher, my foundation is too shallow. If I want to develop further, I must build my own team and network."

"Therefore, I want you to gather together all the spoiled young men in Yunzhou City who are in similar situations to you and me, and build a loose alliance."

This matter seems unreliable at first glance, after all, they are all playboys who spend their days indulging in pleasure, and even if they are won over, it won't solve any problems. But in fact, Chen Ye has been thinking about this for a long time.

He knew that many noble sons in Yunzhou City were not actually spoiled brats, but had become marginalized figures in their families for various reasons. They were not valued and received no resources, so they had no choice but to use this method to numb themselves.

Therefore, if these disillusioned noble sons could be gathered around one's own side, even if each individual was weak, they would still be a force to be reckoned with.

Hou En and Qian Yi weren't stupid either; they immediately understood Chen Ye's meaning and agreed without hesitation.

After chatting for a few more minutes and drinking a couple of cups of wine, Chen Ye left Zuiyun Tower, intending to return to the Chen Marquis's residence.

Just two streets past, about to enter the alley, a carriage suddenly blocked the entrance. Before Chen Ye could speak, Zhao Qi had already rushed over.

"Who dares to block our way here?"

Sitting on his horse, Chen Ye could see clearly that it was a very ordinary carriage, the kind you could see anywhere on the street. He guessed it had broken down somewhere and that's why it was stopped here. So he was about to call out to Zhao Qi to stop him from acting rashly.

Just then, the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a pretty face that was looking at Chen Ye with great joy.

Chen Ye was stunned, because this person was none other than Taozi, the little maidservant beside Wu Mengwei.

Why is she here?

Despite his doubts, Chen Ye waved his hand, signaling Zhao Qi to step back, and then urged his horse to approach the carriage.

"Miss Peach, what's wrong with you...?"

"Lord Chen, this is a letter from my young lady. The Grand Tutor has been keeping a close watch on her lately, so she can't come out and has to ask me to deliver it."

As she spoke, Taozi took out a letter and hurriedly handed it to Chen Ye. Then she winked at Chen Ye and said, "If you want to reply, Lord Chen, I will come here to buy things again tomorrow morning."

After she finished speaking, she lowered the carriage curtain, gave an instruction to the driver, and the carriage drove away from the alley.

Chen Ye calmly put the letter into his pocket, then glanced back at Zhao Qi.

He was standing on a street corner in the distance, looking intently at the children's graffiti on the wall, as if it were the work of a master.

Chen Ye didn't say anything, rode back home, sent Zhao Qi away, and then went back to his study, took out the letter, and opened it.

The letter paper carried a faint fragrance of orchids, and the handwriting on it was delicate and elegant, with every stroke revealing the owner's care.

"To Chen Lang personally..."

The first few words made Chen Ye raise an eyebrow.

The letter was short, but it was filled with a young girl's love and longing.

She first congratulated Chen Ye on his promotion, her words filled with pride and joy. Then she brought up the case at Vice Minister Zhang's residence, her words revealing her concern for Chen Ye's safety, and she urged him to be careful in everything he did.

Finally, she subtly mentioned their secret rendezvous that night, saying that she often thought about the moonlight that night and the words he said.

"...I wonder when I will be able to see Mengwei again, Chen Lang? Even just a glimpse from afar would be enough for Mengwei."

Upon seeing this, Chen Ye seemed to see the image of that bright young girl looking at him with adoration and love, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. He then took out some stationery to prepare to write a reply.

“My beloved Mengwei…”

Chen Ye carefully considered his words as he wrote with great speed and fluency.

He first expressed his gratitude for Wu Mengwei's concern, and then explained what he had been doing recently in a somewhat helpless tone.

Then, with extremely gentle strokes, he responded to Wu Mengwei's longing.

“I feel the same way you do, Mengwei. Whenever the night is quiet, your image always comes to mind.”

"But now that we have special statuses, our every move is under the watchful eyes of others. In order to avoid gossip damaging your reputation, we must endure this pain of longing for the time being."

"...Once the storm has passed, I will definitely find an opportunity to see you. Until then, I hope you will take good care of yourself and not worry about me. If you are well, I will be at peace."

After finishing the letter, Chen Ye read it through from beginning to end again, and then nodded.

Indeed, it is watertight.

This both calmed Wu Mengwei down and left no substantial evidence against her.

After finishing all this, Chen Ye did not rest, but sat cross-legged on the bed and began to cultivate.

Through this brief encounter with the demoness from the Nine Nether Sect, Chen Ye also realized his shortcomings.

That is, his power system is incompatible with this world.

Whether it was the righteous spirit of Confucianism and Taoism or the evil aura of demons, these were all realms he had never encountered before.

Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle.

Therefore, Chen Ye must figure out the cultivation system of this world as soon as possible.

The next morning, Chen Ye first went to the entrance of the alley and saw the carriage again. So Chen Ye gave the reply to the little maid Taozi, and then instead of going to the Xuanjing Division, he rode directly to the academy.

The academy is located in the east of Yunzhou City, covering a vast area. Inside, there are pavilions, towers, ancient trees, and a quiet and elegant environment.

The air was filled with a faint scholarly atmosphere and a calming, righteous spirit.

Chen Ye handed over his visiting card, saying that he was Chen Ye, the Zhaowu Colonel of the Xuanjing Division, who had come to pay his respects to Master Yan.

The young servant in blue glanced at him and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Lord Chen, please wait a moment, I will go and inform him."

Soon the servant returned and led Chen Ye through a bamboo grove to an elegant courtyard.

Master Yan was sitting at the stone table in the courtyard, holding a book in his hands, engrossed in reading it.

"Master." Chen Ye stepped forward and bowed.

Master Yan then put down his book, looked up at him, and smiled gently: "Commander Chen, what brings you here today?"

Chen Ye did not hide anything and told him frankly: "I have come here today for two reasons. First, I am grateful to Master for saving my life the other day. Second, I have some questions about cultivation that I would like to ask Master for guidance."

Master Yan didn't stand on ceremony: "It's not a matter of being saved. We're just doing our jobs. As for any confusion you have about cultivation... feel free to speak up. I won't hide anything I know."

"I am very curious about your Confucian and Taoist methods of self-cultivation," Chen Ye said bluntly. "Would I have the honor of hearing you explain the intricacies of these methods?"

Upon hearing this, Master Yan looked at Chen Ye with a more scrutinizing gaze.

"Oh? You're interested in Confucianism and Taoism?"

"I know I'm not cut out for studying, but the way Master's words came true that day, and his methods of suppressing evil spirits, are something I truly admire," Chen Ye said sincerely.

Master Yan pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Very well, it just so happens that I am going to give a lecture to the students today, which is about the foundation of Confucian and Taoist cultivation. If you are interested, you may come with me to listen."

"That's wonderful! Thank you, Master!" Chen Ye exclaimed with delight.

Chen Ye then followed Master Yan to a spacious lecture hall.

The lecture hall was already filled with twenty or thirty young students, all dressed in Confucian robes and sitting upright.

Seeing that Master Yan was followed by Chen Ye, whose clothes were different from theirs and whose temperament was also out of place, the students all showed curious expressions.

"Today we will discuss cultivating one's inner energy." Master Yan stepped onto the platform, his voice not loud, but clearly carrying throughout the entire lecture hall.

"What is the cultivation of qi? The ancients said: I am good at cultivating the vast and righteous qi! This qi is extremely great and strong. If it is cultivated directly without harm, it will fill the space between heaven and earth."

"This is the foundation of our Confucian cultivation."

Master Yan paused, his gaze sweeping over each student below.

"So where does this righteous spirit come from? It doesn't fall from the sky, nor is it cultivated through meditation; it is nurtured in the heart of each of us."

"How to cultivate oneself? In eight words: nurture one's mind and character, cultivate virtue!"

"To achieve these eight words, one must first rectify one's mind. What is rectifying one's mind? It means being impartial and unbiased, not being moved by external things, and not being disturbed by selfish desires. That is rectifying one's mind. As the saying goes, if the mind is rectified, one's thoughts will be rectified; if the thoughts are rectified, one's words will be rectified; if the words are rectified, one's actions will be rectified."

"When your heart is filled with benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, and when everything you do is in accordance with your conscience, this righteous spirit will naturally grow and strengthen in your heart."

"This is the method of cultivating one's vital energy!"

(End of this chapter)