Confucian and Taoist Cultivation Starting from the Equipment Slot

Chen Zhuo was assigned to the first group, where he was responsible for the infusion of literary energy.

When he pushed open the door to the cultural heritage room, a familiar cultural atmosphere rushed towards him.

On the stone platform in the center of the room, a miniature cyan beam of light was slowly rotating.

Dozens of scriptures and classics, recently transferred from the capital region, floated around the pillar of light.

The pages of these classic books gleamed faintly under the light of the pillars of literary inspiration.

Each book, while actively absorbing the essence of the literary tradition, also feeds back its own literary spirit into the pillar of light.

The task of infusing literary energy is also very simple: to input the literary energy within one's body, which is of the same origin as the literary lineage of Qingshan, into the classics.

This will allow it to quickly integrate into the cultural heritage of Qingshan.

Chen Zhuo placed his hand on the Qi injection point at the edge of the light pillar and slowly channeled his Qi into it.

When his literary talent touched those floating ancient texts, a very subtle resonance would return to him.

The literary and philosophical implications of each scripture are briefly "unfolded" within the pillar of literary light, silently colliding with his own literary and philosophical insights.

While pouring the infusion, Chen Zhuo was also contemplating the meaning contained in the scriptures.

The feeling was strange, as if dozens of senior writers were whispering different topics in his ear at the same time.

But all these whispers eventually flowed into the same river of culture.

In between immersing himself in literature, Chen Zhuo also had the leisure to peruse the scriptures beside him, "A Study of the Mountains and Rivers of the Northern Regions".

The above records some of the mountains and dangerous places in the northern region.

These mountains and dangerous places have a special effect on the cultivation of knowledge and skills related to nature and literature.

For example, there is a place called Wudao Mountain. Climbing to the top can slightly increase one's enlightenment.

There is also a place called Ink Washing Pond, which is a must-visit spot for landscape enthusiasts and scholars.

As Chen Zhuo infused his literary energy into the scriptures, his own literary energy gradually increased.

He now understands a little better what his master's gaze was like.

This is indeed a significant opportunity.

Before long, Chen Zhuo's literary energy was completely depleted, and then another person came to help him.

Chen Zhuo sat to the side and quickly restored his literary energy by picking up the jade pendant.

Since it's the property of the College of Arts, several boxes were delivered this time, specifically for their rapid recovery.

Why not take advantage of it?

Meanwhile, Chen Zhuo was busy infusing the literary energy into his work.

The work of archiving the scriptures was also being carried out at the same time, and the person in charge of this part was the second senior brother, Li Zhao.

Every day, he would walk out of the Tibetan Library carrying a thick stack of newly compiled book catalogs, making marks and sketches on the catalogs with a brush as he went.

Once, Chen Zhuo passed by him and heard him talking to himself.

"The quality of this batch of scriptures is more than two levels higher than the original inventory of the Academy. It seems that the cultivation technique that my senior sister and I were stuck on can be improved further."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhuo instinctively shivered.

Now he understood a lot: his senior sister and second senior brother were practicing the Yin-Yang Dao technique.

This technique is an incomplete version; it is of high quality, but it is still an incomplete version.

The complete practice involves the mutual transformation between two people, including habits, bodies, techniques, and even gender.

The two switched roles, and then switched back after mastering the technique.

One person comprehends two experiences; this is the ultimate combination of Yin and Yang in the universe.

However, this is only a fragment, which has led to the situation Chen Zhuo is currently seeing.

During these past few days, the ones who really worked hard were Song Zhiyuan and several instructors.

They worked non-stop in the basement for four days.

Every time Chen Zhuo went to the Cultural Heritage Room for his shift, he could feel the ground beneath his feet vibrating slightly.

That was Song Zhiyuan personally adjusting the rate at which the newly added literary style was integrated with the local cultural context.

This adjustment cannot be too fast or too slow. If it's too fast, the local cultural context will reject the new cultural elements; if it's too slow, the window of opportunity for cultural context upgrading will be missed.

Occasionally, a low rumbling sound can be heard outside the cultural center, like a giant beast being slowly turned over while sleeping underground.

That evening, the continuous roaring sound suddenly stopped.

The pillar of light in the center of the cultural chamber was almost half again as thick as before, and all the scriptures and texts floating around it were absorbed by the pillar of light.

The words on the pages were completely imprinted into the textual context, and the essence of each scripture was integrated into that blue pillar of light.

When Song Zhiyuan came up from the basement, he looked obviously tired, but his eyes were unusually bright.

"The upgrade of the literary tradition is complete, and the specific procedures for the Xiucai examination will be announced tomorrow."

The following morning, a notice was posted outside Minglun Hall.

Chen Zhuo and a group of students waiting to take the imperial examination for the title of Xiucai (a lower-level scholar) gathered in front of the notice.

The next examination for the lowest degree of the imperial examinations was scheduled for a week later, and it was divided into three sessions.

The first session of questioning and answering questions on scriptural meaning tested the candidate's knowledge of the scriptures and their literary style and depth.

The second part of the literary skills demonstration will test the quantity and proficiency of literary skills.

The third round of policy discussions involved understanding and independent argumentation of the text.

The exam consists of three sessions, each of which must be completed within a specified time; failure to do so will result in disqualification.

Chen Zhuo stood in front of the notice, carefully studying its contents word by word.

He found that the above process was not much different from that of the preliminary examination for the young scholars.

His mind was focused on the literary arts he had mastered: "sun," "moon," "war," "speed," "stone," and "group."

Every dish is presentable.

He was no longer thinking about "which art form is the strongest," but rather "which art form is best suited to be displayed before the judges."

That evening, just as Chen Zhuo was about to leave, Song Zhiyuan called him to his study alone.

Chen Zhuo had some doubts in his mind. Could it be that he was going to get special treatment for himself again?

Chen Zhuo entered the study, where only a single lamp of literary oil was lit.

The bluish-gold light shone on Song Zhiyuan's face, clearly illuminating the weariness between his brows and eyes.

The process of upgrading the cultural heritage took four full days, and he, as the person in charge, barely slept a wink.

But he was sitting behind his desk, his back ramrod straight.

On the desk lay an open bamboo scroll, its edges worn smooth and shiny.

"sit."

Song Zhiyuan pointed to the chair opposite him.

After Chen Zhuo sat down, Song Zhiyuan did not speak immediately, but pushed the bamboo slips in front of him forward.

Chen Zhuo looked down and saw a passage of text on the bamboo slip. The very first sentence made him sit up slightly:

"The Book of Poetry contains six principles, with 'Feng' (folk songs) at the beginning. This is the source of all influences and the embodiment of one's aspirations."

Before he could think it over carefully, Song Zhiyuan's calm voice came through.

"Wind" is the soul of literary spirit; without wind, even if literary talent is abundant, it is like a withered tree without leaves. "Bone" is the backbone of literary expression; without bone, even if the artistic conception is beautiful, it is like floating clouds without roots.

The integration of moral integrity and intellectual spirit is the foundation upon which scholars stand.

He placed the teacup on the corner of the table. "Today I won't test your writing skills, only your comprehension. What's your interpretation of this passage?"

Chen Zhuo didn't rush to answer. He read the text again and then looked up.

"I believe this is not only the principle of writing articles, but also the principle of cultivating the Way of Literature."

"Wind" is the spirit of literature and the Way, not the literary spirit itself, but the will contained within the literary spirit.

During the long night, the disciple saw many scholars taking turns on duty on the city wall.

Some people are quick to act and have high literary skills, but their literary techniques don't have that "wind" effect when they hit demons.

The rogue scholar next to the disciples was not as swift as them, but when his spell pierced into the shadow's body, even the demons would pause for a moment.

The disciple guessed that it wasn't literary energy at work, but willpower.

Song Zhiyuan nodded, picked up his teacup, and remained silent.

"As for 'bone'," Chen Zhuo continued, "Master said that the foundation of landscape literature lies in inheritance."

The value of a stone lies not in its hardness, but in its ability to withstand pressure.

This has the same meaning as "bone". Literature without backbone is like a pile of loose sand; a scholar without backbone is like a reed in the wind.

"A harmonious blend of character and integrity means that both will and foundation are present simultaneously."

Song Zhiyuan placed the teacup back on the corner of the table.

He didn't say whether Chen Zhuo's answer was right or wrong, but simply took out another scroll of bamboo slips from the bookshelf, turned to one of the pages, and handed it to Chen Zhuo.

"This scroll contains annotations by predecessors. Take it back and read it. Before the county-level examination, you don't need to come to me again. Everything I need to teach you is in this bamboo scroll."

Chen Zhuo took the bamboo slip with both hands and glanced at it.

The characters on the bamboo slips are slender and powerful, and are indeed Song Zhiyuan's own handwriting.

He looked up as if to say something, but found that Song Zhiyuan had already picked up the official documents on the table again, seemingly reviewing them, or perhaps waiting for him to leave.

"Disciple understands."

Chen Zhuo rose, bowed, and left Yangzhengzhai.

As the door closed gently behind him, Chen Zhuo pressed the bamboo slips in his arms tightly.

He now understands that this really is special treatment!

It's estimated that the questions in the Xiucai examination were related to this.

After returning to his study, Chen Zhuo flipped through the entire bamboo scroll from beginning to end.

Song Zhiyuan's annotations did not directly explain the scriptures, but instead filled the edges of the bamboo slips with various scattered notes.

Some of his writings are cross-references with other scriptures, while others are his notes on ancient scripts recorded during his research on ancient relics.

These annotations show that Song Zhiyuan himself also compared words one by one and investigated clues one by one when doing his research.

Chen Zhuo suddenly realized that the reason he showed him this bamboo scroll tonight was probably not entirely to highlight the theme, but perhaps there was another meaning behind it.

For the next few days, he spent his time at his desk meticulously reviewing all the literary skills he had mastered.

From "sun" to "moon", from "war" to "speed", from "stone" to "group".

He carefully analyzed the flow of qi in each of these literary arts and its compatibility with the landscape kung fu.

He even drew dense notes on paper detailing the differences in effects under different terrains.

During this time, he occasionally went to the Academy of Arts for his shift and saw Gu Qing'e busy helping Qian Wenbi organize the newly compiled catalog of scriptures.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the day of the imperial examination for scholars, Chen Zhuo got up at exactly 5:00 AM.

Qingluo had already prepared breakfast and a change of clothes in advance.

After a simple meal, he tucked the writing brush that Gu Qing'e had given him into his waistband.

The pen name was "Tanshan," and it was specially lent to me by my junior sister for the scholar to try out.

【Wenbi Mountain Exploration (Green): Forged from the mountains, wielding it grants the blessing of the God of Literature, and can be equipped】

Chen Zhuo casually equipped it to the other person, and then gained a [Wenquxing Blessing] buff for himself.

I glanced at it and didn't find any specific function.

But adhering to the principle that something is better than nothing, Chen Zhuo didn't mind.

After checking the ink sticks and spare talismans in his bag, Chen Zhuo went out.

When I arrived at the Academy, the entrance was already crowded with people, several times more lively than when I took the preliminary examination.

This year's imperial examination for scholars was open not only to local students in Qingshan County, but also to students from three surrounding counties.

Students from several nearby counties received notifications from the Academy of Arts and Sciences through its cultural network as soon as the announcement was issued.

After the official road was opened, people could easily rush over in a short time.

Dozens of candidates were crowded in front of the notice board outside Minglun Hall.

Some were reading the notice word by word, some were reciting scriptures in a low voice, and a few, clearly from out of town, were wearing the local county school's standard robes and asking for directions.

The square in front of Minglun Hall has been set up in three areas according to the examination procedure.

The first session of the Confucian classics debate took place inside the Minglun Hall, the second session of the literary demonstration was held on a practice stage on one side of the square, and the third session of the policy discussion was arranged in a quiet room next to the Wenmai Room.

The layout of the examination hall was similar to that of the preliminary examination, but the scale was more than twice as large.

Besides Song Zhiyuan and Zhou Wenyuan, there was also an examiner sent from the Shengtianfu Academy of Literature on the podium.

They appeared to be sitting upright and serious, but in reality, they were already whispering to each other.

"Is it said that a disciple of the Song Dynasty scholar was among those taking the preliminary examination?"

"Not at all, Lord Shen, isn't this precisely the reason you've come?"

Song Zhiyuan's indifferent voice rang out, and the two tacitly skipped over the topic.

At exactly 7:00 AM, the bell tolled three times.

The imperial examination for the lowest degree in the imperial examinations has officially begun.

The first question-and-answer session on the classics took place inside the Minglun Hall.

More than 30 candidates took their seats in turn, each with a low table in front of them, on which were laid blank answer sheets and a uniformly provided inkstone.

The examiner opened the exam papers on the spot and read out the exam questions.

The exam question contained only one character: "竹" (bamboo).

"Write a poem on the theme of 'Bamboo.' The poem must contain at least a hint of literary and moral meaning and cannot be a mere description of the object. You have one incense stick's time limit."

The examination room was quiet for a moment, then a rustling sound arose.

Some people began grinding ink, some bit their brush handles and frowned, and some lowered their heads to write and draw on draft paper.

Chen Zhuo did not start writing immediately. He sat by the window, where a few bamboo stalks happened to be planted in the courtyard of the Academy of Arts outside the window.

The bamboo stalks are green and the joints are distinct. The morning light shines through the bamboo leaves and falls on the bluestone floor tiles of Minglun Hall, creating a faint green shadow.

He suddenly recalled a passage he had come across while reading "The Stone Marrow Manual":

"The principle of stone lies not in its hardness, but in its ability to support; the place where it stands is the root of the mountain."

There were no bamboos in the mine, but he had seen many tree roots.

Those tree roots crushed the texture of the rocks, finding a foothold for themselves in the slowest and most clumsy way deep underground where there was no light.

Bamboo and stone are similar yet different; stone is valued for its firmness, while bamboo is valued for its joints.

It grows upwards segment by segment, each segment being hollow, and because it is hollow, it can hold things.

Because it has joints, it can bend without breaking in the wind and rain.

He pondered this thought for a few moments, then remembered the poem he had read in his previous life.

The poem in his previous life used the phrase "clinging firmly to the green hills and never letting go," but this time he wanted to write not about clinging, but about taking root.

Clinging firmly to the green hills, its roots firmly planted in the broken rocks.

Chima Manto, Nishi-North-South-North.

With the brush and ink settled, the poem was complete.

The moment Chen Zhuo put down his pen, he felt his literary spirit throb slightly.

A very subtle resonance rose from the exam paper.

The illusory image of the bamboo lingered on the paper for less than half a breath before transforming into a faint blue light that merged into the text.

This realization was nothing like the grand spectacle of the entire city manifesting the written characters of heaven and earth when the character "stone" appeared; it was merely a slight tremor.

This subtle change caused several students in the front row who were engrossed in writing, as well as the people monitoring the examination room, to look up at the same time.