The Three Teachings Converge into One: The Path of the Mortal and the Saintly is the Same

Poetry:

The morning sun shines brightly over the land, bringing beauty and peace to the mountains and rivers year after year.

The peaceful and prosperous world is a testament to the timeless wisdom of our ancestors.

As dawn breaks, looking down from 30,000 meters above...

The landscape of the Great Xia Dynasty is like a slowly unfolding brocade scroll.

The Kunlun Mountains were covered in silver, the snow line shimmering with gold in the early morning sun.

It resembles the spine of a giant dragon stretching across the western border;

The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, like two jade belts, meander eastward from south to north, nourishing hundreds of millions of hectares of fertile land.

In the water towns of Jiangnan, white walls and black tiles stand amidst a network of canals, and awning boats glide through the morning mist, the sound of oars echoing through the air.

On the northern plains, waves of wheat ripple across the fields as combine harvesters move through the land, cascading golden grains like waterfalls.

The city is awakening.

On Longjing Third Ring Road, the morning rush hour traffic has already turned into a river of light.

In the subway station, commuters scroll through their phones as they enter, the screens flashing today's news:

"The 'Xi Fu' controlled nuclear fusion demonstration reactor has achieved continuous operation for 500 days."

"The 'Heavenly Court' space station welcomes its third batch of permanent astronauts."

"The annual power generation from solar power in the Northwest desert exceeds that of the Three Gorges Dam"...

The driverless bus stops precisely, and students board with their backpacks on.

They were discussing last night's online class.

Through the central education platform, children in the Tibetan pastures...

Students from Donghai Fishing Village can simultaneously listen to top-level teachers explain the Analects of Confucius.

The vegetable market was bustling with activity.

Mushrooms from southern Yunnan, apples from Shandong, hairy crabs from Yanghu Lake, and Hami melons from western Xinjiang.

Freshly transported from the production area via cold chain this morning, they are displayed on the stall looking crisp and fresh.

The woman used her phone to scan a QR code to pay and bargained with the vendor.

"Your chives are three yuan and fifty cents? The one next door is only three yuan and twenty cents!"

"Sister, this is my first batch! Look how thick the leaves are!"

It was noisy and bustling, full of the lively atmosphere of everyday life.

The roads connecting every village extend like capillaries into every mountain valley.

In a Dong village in southeastern Guizhou, elderly people sit under a drum tower.

Using a smartphone to video chat with children and grandchildren working away from home:

"Child, don't worry about home. The food at the village nursing home is delicious!"

Full signal, clear picture.

This is the "Hongyi" satellite internet system, which has covered the entire territory of the country.

Deep in the Qinling Mountains, ranger Lao Zhang patrols the mountains with a drone.

The screen displays real-time infrared footage: a giant panda playing with its cub in a bamboo forest.

A family of golden snub-nosed monkeys leaps among the treetops.

Within the ecological red line, the forest coverage rate has been restored to 65%.

Xia Nanhu, who had disappeared for many years, has reappeared in the mountains of western Fujian.

On the reefs of the South China Sea, the intelligent net cages of the "marine ranch" are slowly unfolded.

Robots feed the fish, sensors monitor water quality, and a five-year fishing ban has allowed fish populations to flourish again.

Fishery patrol vessels cruised by, the national flag of the Great Xia Dynasty fluttering in the blue sky and sea.

From the air, this land appears prosperous, peaceful, and vibrant.

On the streets, sanitation workers are sweeping, and deliverymen are busy at work.

There were police officers on duty, and on everyone's face...

They all have a sense of security that "life has a future to look forward to."

This is the best era in the decades since the founding of the Great Xia Kingdom, and in the millennia-long history of civilization on this land...

……

Longjing, Trinity Abode Viewing Platform

Su Qingxuan, dressed in a blue robe, leaned against the railing and gazed into the distance.

The morning breeze brushed against his temples, revealing a few fine strands of white hair.

Appearing and disappearing in the sunlight—

Four years have passed, and the former "saint" has also shown signs of vicissitudes.

Behind her, Lin Wanqing came over with a tea tray and gently placed a cup of Wuyi rock tea on the railing.

She followed Su Qingxuan's gaze and saw Longjing City awakening in the morning light.

Changping Street is bustling with traffic, and the glazed tiles of the Wannian Imperial Palace gleam with golden light.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.

Su Qingxuan did not answer immediately.

He closed his eyes, and his divine sense spread out like ripples, covering this megacity with tens of millions of inhabitants.

Touching every ray of life:

At a breakfast stall, a mother tidies up her child's red scarf.

Inside the subway car, young people were listening to music with headphones on.

In the park, an elderly man practices Tai Chi, his movements flowing smoothly and gracefully.

In the office building, white-collar workers begin their day's work in front of their computers;

In the school, children's voices recited "At birth, man's nature is good"...

There was no war, no famine, and no displacement.

"Wanqing," Su Qingxuan began slowly, his voice carrying a sense of timelessness and profound wisdom.

"I've lived too long."

Lin Wanqing was slightly taken aback.

"In my previous life, I was Su Lie, who sacrificed myself to suppress the demon. That was 100,000 years ago."

Reincarnated as Su Qingxuan, he lived through the Jinghe era and created the so-called "Jinghe Prosperity"—

Historical records state that "no one picked up lost items on the road, and doors were left unlocked at night," indicating a peaceful life for the people and the arrival of foreign envoys from all directions.

Su Qingxuan picked up his teacup, and in the rising steam, his eyes seemed somewhat unfocused.

"But even in the Great Xia Dynasty at that time, there were still people starving to death."

Floods in the south, breaches of the Yellow River, and an epidemic that can wipe out an entire village.

So-called prosperous times are nothing more than fewer people starving to death and fewer people freezing to death.

The tragedy of exchanging children for food... if it happens two or three times in ten years, then it's considered a peaceful time.

He looked at the tall buildings in the distance: "But what about now?"

Last year, the total national grain output was 6.8 trillion jin, with an average of nearly 1,000 jin per person.

The national grain reserves are enough to feed the entire nation for two years.

Nine-year compulsory education has been fully implemented, and the gross enrollment rate in senior high school is 60%.

The gross enrollment rate in universities is 65%.

Wanqing, when I was the prime minister, the national literacy rate was less than 40%.

The best wound medicine from the Imperial Medical Academy wasn't as effective at stopping bleeding as it is in modern pharmacies.

Yunnan Baiyao, a traditional Chinese medicine, costs ten yuan a bottle;

"A military intelligence dispatched by express courier over 800 li is no match for a WeChat message now."

Lin Wanqing remained silent.

She knew that Su Qingxuan wasn't comparing, but rather confirming something...

A fact that is almost miraculous.

"That's not all," Su Qingxuan said, pointing to the distant horizon.

"Look at those high-rise buildings, they use new carbon fiber materials, which are earthquake resistant to magnitude nine."

Underground, the integrated pipeline network contains fiber optic cables, electrical cables, gas pipelines, and direct drinking water pipes.

The subway network transports tens of millions of people every day with an on-time rate of 99.9%.

In the hospital, robots perform minimally invasive surgery with an error of less than 0.1 millimeters.

Farmers use mobile apps to control temperature and humidity in greenhouses, doubling their yields...

He paused, then lowered his voice:

"In my past life, I cultivated Taoism and pursued the idea of ​​'traveling to the North Sea in the morning and visiting Cangwu in the evening,' thinking that was the ultimate freedom."

But now, an ordinary person can travel 3,000 miles a day by high-speed rail;

By plane, it takes less than two hours to get from Longjing to Guangzhou.

They can see their relatives thousands of miles away anytime using their mobile phones;

By accessing the internet, one can access the knowledge accumulated by humankind over thousands of years.

Isn't this another kind of "supernatural power"?

Lin Wanqing walked to his side and gently took his hand.

His hands were cold.

"But all of this came so hard."

Su Qingxuan grasped her hand in return, his knuckles turning slightly white.

"Wanqing, you've read history books, but you haven't experienced it firsthand—"

Let me tell you what this land has been through.

He closed his eyes, and ten thousand years of memories surged forth like a tide…

"A long, long time ago, before the name 'Great Xia' existed."

Our ancestors lived together in clans on this land, observing celestial phenomena to determine their calendar.

"Observe the geography to develop agriculture."

Su Qingxuan's voice seemed to come from the depths of time:

They discovered that the movements of the sun, moon, and stars follow a regular pattern, with spring bringing forth life, summer fostering growth, autumn harvesting, and winter storing away in an orderly manner.

Therefore, the twenty-four solar terms were established to guide agricultural activities.

They observed the contours of mountains and rivers, and came to understand the principle of "harmony between man and nature"—

Humans should adapt to nature, not conquer it.

This wisdom was later called "Tao".

Thus, civilization came into being.

"We developed a writing system 100,000 years ago and started making pottery 80,000 years ago."

Rice was cultivated 70,000 years ago, and silkworms were raised and sericulture was carried out 60,000 years ago.

The city-state was established 50,000 years ago, and bronze was cast 40,000 years ago.

When the early inhabitants of Xizhou were still drawing totems on the rock walls...

The Great Xia Dynasty already possessed the "Ancient Classics" and the "Book of Changes";

While the New World was still in the tribal stage, the Great Xia had already established a system of rites and music.

Education was flourishing, and order was well maintained.

"We have the most sophisticated astronomical observations in the world—"

In ancient times, Heng Gong invented the armillary sphere, and Jing Gong compiled and distributed the calendar.

They realized the Earth was a sphere tens of thousands of years earlier than Western astronomers.

We have the most advanced mathematics—the method of equations in the *Nine Mathematical Classics*.

The Pythagorean theorem laid the foundation for algebra and geometry.

We have the most systematic medical system—the *Qihuang Medical Classic*, which proposes the concepts of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements.

The principles of meridians and the flow of qi and blood still guide clinical practice tens of thousands of years later.

"We have long been the center of the world."

Su Qingxuan opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a sword:

"From the southeast, northwest, and all directions, people come to pay homage."

Eastern Yi, Southern Man, Western Rong, Northern Di—

This is not a derogatory term, but an objective description of the level of civilization.

The Silk Road echoed with the sound of camel bells, and the capital city of Luoyang was filled with merchants from the Western Regions, envoys from various countries, and students from foreign lands.

They came to learn, to trade, and to pay tribute.

Because this place is prosperous, powerful, and civilized.

"At that time, most of the Western Continent was still the domain of nomads and pirates."

The original inhabitants of the New World lived in the Stone Age.

The early inhabitants of the East China Sea islands risked shipwrecks and loss of life to cross the sea.

All for the sake of copying a single book and learning a skill.

"Our nation's tribute is not based on war, but on culture."

Our benevolent governance, our nature, our compassion

This value system has won the hearts and minds of the surrounding ethnic groups.

They took pride in speaking the Bactrian language and considered wearing Bactrian clothing to be beautiful.

Using the Bactrian script was considered elegant; this reflects the centripetal force of civilization.

Lin Wanqing asked softly, "Then...why did it decline later?"

Su Qingxuan remained silent for a long time.

The sunlight outside the window moved, casting alternating shadows on his face.

"When things reach their peak, they must decline; this is the natural cycle."

But the decline of the Great Xia Dynasty was not entirely due to natural disasters; it was more a result of human error.

His voice deepened, "Ten thousand years of civilization have accumulated too many burdens."

Powerful clans monopolizing power, land annexation, bureaucratic corruption… in the later stages of every dynasty,

These are all relapses of these chronic diseases.

But what truly nearly caused the Great Xia civilization to perish was something that happened more than four hundred years ago—”

He uttered four words: "The Northern Barbarians are invading from the south."

Lin Wanqing's body trembled.

She studied traditional culture, so naturally she knew about that long-forgotten period...

A history of devastating destruction for civilization.

"That was the Di people, who originated from the extremely cold icy plains of the northern frontier. They were originally a nomadic tribe from beyond the borders."

Civilization was still in its primitive stage, and nations were established entirely through plunder and warfare.

Taking advantage of the fragmentation of the Xia Dynasty by regional warlords and the ongoing internal strife at its end,

They bribed treacherous officials in the court, broke through the pass, and marched south, eventually taking control of the Central Plains.

They ruled for over 270 years.

Su Qingxuan's voice was as cold as ice.

"The Di people knew that their cultural foundation was shallow and that they could not govern the Great Xia, a civilization with ten thousand years of history, with their own culture."

Thus, the national policy of "weakening the people, keeping them ignorant, and severing the cultural lineage" was established.

We must eradicate the cultural identity of the Daxia people from their very core.

He stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and pulled out a yellowed copy of "A Record of Forbidden Books".

"Changing one's appearance and clothes is not just about changing clothes or hairstyle."

Our bodies, hair, and skin are given to us by our parents; this is the foundation of filial piety.

Etiquette and manners are a sign of civilization.

They forced the Bactrians to change into Di clothing and abandon their traditional crowns.

It is about spiritually dissolving the roots of this nation, so that future generations...

No one remembers who they are anymore.

"Literary inquisitions flourished for over two hundred years."

A single line of poetry or prose that expresses a slight nostalgic sentiment can lead to the execution of nine generations of one's family.

If a piece of writing mentions the old system of the previous dynasty, the entire family will be executed.

They not only killed scholars, but also burned books—

More than 70% of the historical records of the Xia Dynasty were destroyed.

Medical books, agricultural books, craft books, mathematical books—anything involving the distinction between the Xia and Yi peoples…

Anything that praises the previous dynasty must be burned to the ground.

"The most insidious strategy is to keep the people ignorant."

Su Qingxuan closed the book, his fingers tracing the cover.

"They shut down private schools and deliberately suppressed literacy rates."

By the end of his reign, less than one percent of the country was literate.

Officials were selected based solely on rigid, contemporary essays, and discussion of current affairs was strictly prohibited.

The study of physical phenomena and practical knowledge is forbidden.

Scholars spend their entire lives studying the classics, just to memorize the officially designated annotations.

Thoughts were completely imprisoned.

"Two hundred years is enough for a nation to forget its glory."

He turned to look at Lin Wanqing: "And this is only the beginning of a catastrophe..."

"The Di dynasty closed itself off from the world and the sea, and was arrogant and self-important."

When the Western nations underwent the Industrial Revolution and invented the steam engine...

They were still using horse-drawn carriages to deliver official documents;

When foreign countries built railways and erected telegraph lines...

They viewed it as "strange and ingenious tricks" and dismissed it with disdain.

"The result was that, more than 180 years ago, several ironclad warships of the powerful Western Continent..."

They forced open the country's doors.

Su Qingxuan walked to the map and traced the coastline with his finger:

"The Battle of Zhenhai, the Battle of Dongjin, the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the invasion of the border by the Nine Allied Forces..."

One defeat after another.

It's not that the people of Great Xia aren't brave—

The defenders of Zhenhai Fort fought to the last man, and none of them surrendered.

It wasn't that the generals lacked strategy—in the Battle of the Yellow Sea, Admiral Deng Xiaoping rammed an enemy ship and died for his country.

It's a generational gap, a crushing disparity in the development of technology and tools.

Ironically, their firearms were based on the gunpowder formula of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Their nautical compass originated from the Sinan of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Even the papermaking technique they used to print the treaties was passed down from Bactria a thousand years ago.

Then...they turned around and used these things to plunder this land.

Su Qingxuan's fingers trembled as he tapped on each place name on the map:

The Treaty of Haijin ceded Xiangjiang Island and imposed an indemnity of 21 million silver dollars.

The Treaty of Cangming ceded Cangming Island and the Pengcang Islands, and imposed an indemnity of 230 million taels of silver.

The Treaty of Gyeonggi Province stipulated that nine foreign powers would demand an indemnity of 450 million taels of silver, to be paid off over thirty-nine years.

The principal and interest totaled nearly one billion taels—

That was the total national fiscal revenue for twelve years at that time.

"What's even more heartbreaking is the plundering of civilization." Su Qingxuan's voice trembled slightly.

"The imperial city's treasures were looted, and the transport wagons stretched for dozens of miles."

The ancient books in the royal library were burned for half a month without stopping.

The 40,000 scrolls of scriptures, murals, and silk paintings in the Thousand Buddha Caves of the Western Frontier

Swindled away by Western explorers with a few silver coins, they are now scattered throughout various museums in Western Africa.

"They stole more than just cultural relics."

The Great Xia Dynasty's "Encyclopedia of All Things" and "Essential Techniques of Hundreds of Crafts" were translated and sent to the Western Regions.

To serve as a reference for their industrial development;

The prescriptions in the "Medical Classic of Herbs" were stolen and incorporated into their pharmacopoeia;

The secret porcelain-making techniques of Changnan Town were stolen, and they built a porcelain kiln in Xizhou.

Furthermore, there was the plundering of real gold and silver, with hundreds of millions of taels of silver flowing overseas like water.

That was the blood and sweat of the people of the Great Xia, toiling in the fields from dawn till dusk.

"The most deadly plunder is the theft of a nation's self-confidence."

Su Qingxuan closed his eyes, and scenes of humiliation flashed through his eternal divine consciousness:

A sign in a Shanghai concession park that reads "No people or dogs allowed in summer";

In the Tianjin Concession, Western District police officers beat a rickshaw driver in the street.

At Jiaowan Port, the werewolves of Dongzhou wantonly humiliated the people, and the people of Daxia around them dared not speak out against them...

"The sick man of the East." He slowly uttered these four words.

"One that built the Great Wall and dug the Grand Canal."

A civilization that has given birth to countless timeless inventions is being treated with such contempt.

"And the Eastern Continent island nation, which once submitted to the Great Xia for ten thousand years..."

After the reforms, they learned a little bit about the Great Xia and the Western Continent.

They dared to turn against their suzerain state.

In the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the entire Xia navy was annihilated.

Then came the fourteen-year-long war between the Eastern Continent and the Xia.

Su Qingxuan's voice was as deep and cold as a thousand pounds of ice:

"When Jiangning fell, hundreds of thousands of unarmed civilians were massacred."

They treated human life as worthless, killing for pleasure, conducting experiments on living people, and burning down villages to exterminate entire households.

When sweeping through the rear, they even implemented a vicious plan of burning everything, killing everyone, and looting everything.

A thousand miles of land were reduced to scorched earth.

"In fourteen years, 35 million compatriots died in the war."

On average, seven thousand lives were lost every day under the iron heel of the invaders.

Lin Wanqing was already in tears.

She had read these historical materials before, but never like today.

Hearing this account, soaked in blood and tears, from the mouth of a saint who has lived through countless ages.

"Why?" she asked, her voice choked with sobs. "What did we do wrong?"

It is:

The rise and fall of our cultural heritage is a source of sorrow for a thousand years; the glory and disgrace of our land are a source of deep regret for a lifetime.

The blood and tears of the past dynasty are etched in our bones; we will not fail the grand plans of this prosperous era.