Confucian and Taoist Cultivation Starting from the Equipment Slot

"Good morning, junior brother! Would you like to try some snowflake cake?"

Gu Qing'e waved a piece of pastry in front of Chen Zhuo.

"Thank you, senior sister, but I've already had breakfast at home."

Feeling the fullness in his stomach, Chen Zhuo shook his head and refused.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qing'e said with some regret, "That's such a pity! I made this myself!"

"But then again," Chen Zhuo thought to himself, his heart stirred when he heard his junior sister say that.

"I felt a bit hungry again while traveling, so I need to eat something."

He then took the pastries.

He definitely didn't eat it because it was made by his junior sister; he ate it to save face for her.

Yes, that must be it.

The two finished all the snowflake cakes they had just finished when they arrived at Minglun Hall.

"Senior sister's cooking skills are truly superb," ​​Chen Zhuo couldn't help but praise.

"That's not true!"

Gu Qing'e said with a hint of pride.

Today's morning tutor was not Song Zhiyuan, but Qian Wenbi, another instructor from the College of Literature, a senior scholar.

It is said that he became a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) more than a decade ago, but he has not produced any works with sufficient influence, and his literary career has stagnated.

However, his study of the scriptures over the years has been very profound.

Therefore, it is more than enough to teach them.

"Today we'll talk about some knowledge about literary and moral schools of thought."

Qian Wenbi, with a full head of white hair, stroked his beard.

"Since the First Emperor established the literary tradition over the past twelve hundred years, the literary tradition has continuously developed and evolved, eventually forming the academic school and the practical school."

"The academic school originated from the Imperial Academy established by the First Emperor, and later the prefectures and counties throughout the country followed suit, establishing literary academies and county schools."

"This path aims to inherit the culture and traditions, study the writings of heaven and earth, and cultivate scholars."

"Take our Qingshan Academy, for example, me, and Song Juren, for example, we all practice the ideals of the academic school."

"What we pursue is the 'Dao' of literature and the Way, which is the ultimate mystery of the universe and written language, the eternal righteousness of the Great Wall, and the continuation of human civilization."

When this was mentioned, Qian Wenbi's eyes revealed a longing.

It was a yearning for the truth of heaven and earth.

"The Practitioner School began with the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, when the court needed a large number of scholars to govern the country and suppress the long night."

"This path aims to enter officialdom, wield power, and defend the territory."

"Take our Magistrate Zhou, for example, and some of the staff in the county government."

"Those who follow this path pursue the practical application of literature and morality, which includes governing a region, vanquishing demons, and protecting its people."

He paused at this point.

"Over such a long period of development, the two have long since merged, and the current boundary is not so clear."

"We can also serve as officials in the court, and those who serve as officials can also pursue their studies; both can be done simultaneously."

Qian Wenbi spoke with great enthusiasm, and the audience listened attentively.

Listening to Qian Wenbi's explanation, Chen Zhuo suddenly understood.

So is that why Zhou Wenyuan didn't try to win him over that night after hearing that he had become Song Juren's student?

The morning class ended quickly.

"Junior brother, there are no classes in the Literature Department today. Do you have any plans?"

After the morning class, Gu Qing'e asked in a low voice.

"I need to go to the Tibetan Library."

Chen Zhuo had already planned ahead; he currently had no new equipment items available.

He was going to the Tibetan Library to see if there were any scriptures that he could use to analyze literary texts.

As for the issue of the upper limit of comprehension that the master mentioned.

Anyway, he hasn't felt it yet.

Moreover, he discovered that after being promoted to the novice level, he could learn several more literary arts.

"That's a real shame. Some people in the Faculty of Arts are counting on you to explain your poem 'The Long Night' to them!"

Gu Qing'e said regretfully.

As she spoke, she glanced at Chen Zhuo and said, "I heard they've even prepared some tuition fees."

"Tuition fee?" Chen Zhuo's eyes lit up.

These guys who are good at learning literature and philosophy are not short of money; if they bring out something of low quality, they'll be laughed at.

"Um, Senior Sister, I think we can go to the Tibetan Pavilion anytime. Let's see what you think is best!"

Upon hearing Chen Zhuo's words, Gu Qing'e smiled.

She found that her junior brother was good in every way, except that he was a bit greedy.

But she didn't think it was a bad thing.

Who doesn't like good things?

As the junior sister led them to a room, there were already more than twenty people waiting eagerly inside.

"Brother Chen, Brother Chen is here!"

Among his peers at the academy, those who excelled were given precedence. Chen Zhuo, with his poem "Long Night," gained great fame and naturally deserved to be called "elder brother."

Chen Zhuo naturally walked to the front of the stage and found an inkstone placed there.

[Green Stone Inkstone: A medium-quality inkstone produced in the Qingshan Mountains; it can slightly improve the color of ink when grinding.]

"There are even graded equipment!"

Chen Zhuo was somewhat surprised; green equipment, these people were really willing to give it up!

After glancing at the inkstone, Chen Zhuo looked away.

"Next, I will analyze this song, 'The Long Night,' in detail."

Chen Zhuo spoke very earnestly, and the audience listened very carefully.

He even noticed someone taking notes nearby; the person looked familiar, as if they were one of the recorders from the literary gathering.

"I estimate that within a few hours, my analysis will be spread all over the streets and alleys."

Chen Zhuo thought to himself silently.

But he doesn't reject this behavior, since it's entirely beneficial to him.

He desperately wanted someone to better understand the literary techniques contained in his "The Long Night"!

The more people who understand him, the stronger he becomes.

"Look at the last paragraph, 'Promoting Yulong to be your ruler...'"

Before Chen Zhuo could finish speaking, he saw someone below the stage with a surge of literary energy beside them. The dissipated literary energy formed a character in the air, and the character was "war"!

In the darkness, his "battle" became even stronger.

Below the stage, Dongyang suddenly opened his eyes and quickly suppressed the literary aura around him.

He then bowed respectfully to Chen Zhuo.

"Thank you, Professor Chen!"

The people around him looked on with eager eyes, filled with envy, not jealousy.

We're both listening to lectures, how could I be worse than him?

They looked at Chen Zhuo with even greater awe. They had only heard that Chen Zhuo had resonated with the writing of heaven and earth, but now they were witnessing the results firsthand.

It's amazing that one can actually grasp the essence of literature from it.

My personal explanations are far easier to understand than dry scriptures!

Seeing this, Chen Zhuo analyzed "The Long Night" from beginning to end again, but this time no one else understood it on the spot.

This made him feel a little regretful, but one was already an unexpected surprise, and he couldn't ask for too much.

After finishing his explanation, Chen Zhuo played with the inkstone and left the room.

"Senior sister, why don't you try to comprehend it? I feel my 'battle' is pretty good."

Chen Zhuo looked at his junior sister who was guarding outside the door and asked her curiously.

Upon hearing this question, Gu Qing'e said smugly:

"Hey, don't forget, your senior sister is a scholar, and she has already grasped other meanings!"

During the preliminary stage of learning literature, one acquires literary skills; by the time one reaches the county-level scholar stage, the focus should be on deepening one's literary skills, rather than trying to acquire a vast amount of knowledge.

"What was the effect of Senior Sister's battle?"

Upon seeing a literary technique with a different effect than his own, Chen Zhuo's curiosity was instantly aroused.

Gu Qing'e hesitated for a moment, glanced around, then opened her mouth slightly, "Follow me!"