Zhao's family is at the foot of Mingsha Mountain, not far from the rooftop of the Bachelor's Mansion, so Zhao Xingde went to look for Li Rui, and he didn't need to ride a horse, but walked all the way to see the changes in the past three years.

There are more than 1,000 caves on Mingsha Mountain, all of which are hanging on the side of the precipice, and there are many disciples of the bachelor's house, who are accompanied by the green lantern scriptures here, and tirelessly study and preach. Several stone steps and paths winding and circling, it is winter, walking on the path, but the wind is as cold as a knife. Zhao Xingde climbed the stairs and climbed to the observation platform located at the top of the mountain in one breath. The disciple on duty there said that Li Rui was waiting for his old friend to visit in the cave where he lived. Zhao Xingde couldn't help but be stunned, and said secretly, "When will Dongyan actually be able to predict the prophet?" This was a great surprise to him, and he couldn't help but be full of doubts.

When he came to the cave where Li Rui lived, but saw that it was empty, the servant said that Mr. Li had gone out with his friends. The theory of divination is insignificant after all. Zhao Xingde had to leave in a huff, it was still very early before the sunset, he didn't want to run in vain, so he simply wandered around the bachelor's mansion. Three years ago, the pavilions and pavilions of the Bachelor's Mansion, together with the viewing platform on the top of Mingsha Mountain, Zhao Xingde felt that it was new and considerable. After three years of fighting, I revisited the old place, but I had a sense of closeness. On the way, he met a scholar and student with a wide robe and big sleeves, and he smiled and bowed his hand. He wore a newly sewn Confucian robe at home, and his demeanor was calm, and everyone thought he was a scribe who had come to study in the palace.

Just looking left and right, he suddenly heard someone behind him calling the name of "Xingzhi", Zhao Xingde turned his head to look, but it was not Li Rui. The person who came wore a scarf on his head, and his face was familiar. Zhao Xingde was slightly stunned, and only then did he recognize that he was Yuan Xingzong, the commander of Huaxian County, who went to Dunhuang from Chang'an in the past, and was one of the first people he knew when he came to Xia Kingdom.

Zhao Xingde arched his hand and smiled: "It's really a place where you don't meet in life, Yuan County Order, you are so polite in your later life." "Yuan Xingzong is already in his forties, and Zhao Xingde is a late child, of course.

Yuan Xingzong also returned the salute and said with a smile: "Don't come straight and be harmless." Walking to Xingde's side, Fang said, "I am no longer the commander of Huaxian County, and I work in the Tiance Academy of the Bachelor's Mansion. Yuan has been in the state and county for a long time, and it is also a rare opportunity to be able to practice the way of governing the country here. ”

Zhao Xingde was slightly surprised, and arched his hand: "Congratulations to Master Yuan." After three years in the army, he is also familiar with the imperial court system. The Tiance Academy, the Academy, is not a simple place to emphasize learning, but it is actually like the Hanlin Academy in the Song Kingdom. The officials who stood out in governing the prefectures and counties were put here to experience and broaden their horizons, and to plan the affairs of the country and the world with the mind of being the center of the imperial court.

Yuan Xingzong was very impressed by Zhao De back then, and knew that this son was not only brave, but also had considerable knowledge and knowledge, so he humbly said: "Acting straight is also terrifying." Seeing that Zhao De seemed to be wandering aimlessly, he said: "If you don't go to Zheng Xiangtang, if you go to Baoshan empty-handed." If you have time, you will go with Yuan to see it. ”

Zhao Xingde couldn't refuse, so he walked with him towards this Zheng Xiangtang. Along the way, Zhao Xingde asked: "Forgive a foolish person, which prime minister is this Zheng Xiang?" Yuan Xingzong said with a smile: "Zheng Xiangnai is the son of a sage. "He has been in the bachelor's mansion for a long time, and he usually interacts with erudite Confucianism, and it is rare for someone to know half of the Confucianism and Taoism of the Xia Kingdom like Zhao Xingde, so he explained it wholeheartedly.

Zhao Xingde listened to his explanation, and it turned out that Zheng Xiangtang, the bachelor's house, had the founding emperor's Leshi Ming oath, and wrote "Those who speak in the township school are not guilty". Later generations built the temple to remember it, because this is the will of the sage in the Spring and Autumn Period, the son of the son served as the Xiangguo of Zheng Guo, so after the completion of the palace, please give the emperor the name Zheng Xiangtang. Zhao Xingde had some doubts in his heart, and asked: "Please forgive me for being stupid, in this Zheng Xiangtang, is it unscrupulous to be a truth-teller, if there is a criticism of the court system, even a person with ill intentions, he will not be held accountable?" ”

Yuan Xingzong said in a deep voice: "Exactly." He saw that Zhao Xingde's face was different, and said, "In Zheng Xiangtang, people who come and go are all intellectual people, so they are naturally not bewitched by that demon. People are not sages, they cannot be without fault, they are wise men who talk about the township school and help the country. ”

Zhao Xingde was about to speak, he smiled slightly, and said, "However, the hearts of the people of the country are not yet divided, and if they are united, they will be strong, and if they are divided, they will be weak." If you let the discussion go unscrupulous, people's hearts will be confused, and it will be too much. The speaker is not left to his own devices. If you lie outside and deceive the people, you must be punished according to the law. He saw that Zhao Xingde still had a suspicious look on his face, and said, "When Yuan Zhi first came, did there ever be Buddhism and Taoism who wanted you to join the religion?" ”

Zhao Xingde nodded, and Yuan Xingzong said in a deep voice: "I can't help preaching in various religions, but the people still respect ghosts and gods and stay away. Why are you? ”

"Why?" Zhao Xingde was reminded by him, only to remember that this matter is very strange, according to the enthusiasm of the elders of various sects, the people of Xia should be believers everywhere, and he only saw that there are very few people in Xia who really believe in religion, and most of them are still in line with the ancient precept of "respecting ghosts and gods and staying away", and only burn two pillars of incense during the New Year's Festival.

"For this reason, it is in Zheng Xiangtang." Yuan Xingzong smiled slightly, "The so-called people will win the sky, the sages and wise men in the country will gather here, tomorrow the Taoist people, and then there will be a bachelor's mansion to promote it, and it will be the hearts of the people in the world." The hearts of the people are upright, and the people have something to rely on, so naturally there is no need to ask for ghosts and gods. Zhao Xingde felt a little as if he didn't understand, and subconsciously replied: "Really?" ”

Yuan Xingzong said with a smile: "Exactly, it is like the art of playing the sky, and the way to peek into the operation of the stars is to argue and study it in Zheng Xiangtang." I can't help but practice astronomy, and even more so that the Bachelor's Mansion is in charge of indoctrination, and it is proclaimed to the world, so that the people will not be confused, and the theory of ghosts and gods will be a little farther away. The lesson of the saint to worship ghosts and gods and stay away from them has been done a little more solidly. He paused for a moment and said in a deep voice: "Establish a heart for heaven and earth, and a life for the people." The avenue is endless, just step by step to do it, you can open peace for all generations. ”

The two walked while talking, and in a blink of an eye, they had entered Zheng Xiangtang. It was a large hall like a court, and it was almost everywhere full of scholars. According to Yuan Xingzong, in addition to the people of the Bachelor's Mansion, the officials of the Prime Minister's Mansion, the captains of the Protector's Mansion, and even the Pillar of the Pillar Mansion often come and go here. Even when the emperor was not on the throne, he often came here in disguise. The hall of magnanimity was full of people, and everywhere there were groups of learned people, and the voices of various topics were constantly discussed.

Yuan Xingzong was stopped by several familiar scholars in a blink of an eye, and discussed the topic of "whether to restrict hereditary princes from serving as protectors". One of them said, "I think that most of the hereditary princes have lasted for more than 100 years, and their familiarity with the local situation is better than that of the five prefectures, and they are also one with the local people." If restrictions are imposed and replaced by people with shallow foundations, it will not be conducive to protecting the interests of the people, and it is no different from the actions of the weakened areas in the Kanto region. ”

Zhao Xingde listened with great interest, it turned out that when the people elected the local protectors, they would generally elect the local hereditary princes with high moral integrity. Some officials from the Prime Minister's Mansion were quite dissatisfied with this, believing that the hereditary princes controlled the place by virtue of the legacy of their ancestors. On the other hand, there are also people who think that hereditary princes are the shares of the country, and the imposition of special restrictions will shake the royal family and weaken the region. This issue has been debated in the academy for decades, but there has been no real law, and the hereditary princes have been elected by the local people as tribunes year after year.

Zhao Xingde listened for a while, and roughly understood the situation, so he arched his hand to Yuan Xingzong and a few others, and Shi Shiran walked to other groups of people to listen. Suddenly, seeing Li Rui's figure in the crowd, Zhao Xingde couldn't help but be overjoyed, straightened his clothes, and walked over.

There were dozens of people in the circle where Li Rui was, and before he got closer, he heard a voice coming, and the people inside were impassionedly saying, "The workshop in Guanzhong is the stone mill of the Huangchao people, and the displaced people in the eastern part of the country are trapped and deceived by it, and they are like cattle and horses, and they will be broken down in a few years." ”

Zhao Xingde walked behind Li Rui and patted him lightly on the shoulder. Li Rui turned around, and when he saw Xingde, he exclaimed in a low voice: "Yuan Zhi!" He then came to his senses and glanced at Zhao Xingde. Zhao Xingde also smiled and said: "The uninvited guest visiting Brother Dongyan is not here, but he met here." Li Rui said with a smile on her face: "I am very happy to have friends from afar!" Reach out and pull him in.

In the circle of dozens of people stood two scribes, both wearing purple scarves, a symbol of Kanto Juzi's status. Although the Confucian clothes are half-worn and the soap boots have signs of wear, the spirit is very sufficient. The man who was speaking loudly was white-faced and bearded, and the other was dark-faced, short-lived, but his eyes were piercing. Li Rui told Xingde in a low voice that these two people were Dongren scholars living in Chang'an, and they came to Dunhuang to complain to the five mansions. And the Dongren Society is a literary society formed by the Great Song scholars who lived in Chang'an because of the implication of the exposé case.

Zhao Xingde stood in the crowd and listened to the man say slowly: "The workshop is surrounded by walls, and once the homeless people step in, they will be monitored day and night, whether it is labor or eating or sleeping, they are not allowed to take care of themselves. Three meals a day are extremely dirty and coarse, such as pig and dog food. The shack where they lived, crowded, in spring and summer, the epidemic was rampant, and there were countless dead, the owner only hired someone to pull him outside the city to be cremated, and the ashes were also thrown at will, and even the money for the straw mat pottery urn was reluctant to spend. In the bitter cold of winter nights, there is no heating, so the workers can only be "buried alive" in the sand, covered with straw to keep out the cold. ”

Speaking of this, the two Kanto movers both had a sad look on their faces. Unlike Zhao Xingde, who hurried past with the Iron Bone Army, these Kwantung scholars lived in Chang'an for a long time, and gradually discovered that in Chang'an and other places where the Guanzhong Chamber of Commerce was autonomous, the workshop took advantage of the opportunity of the Kwantung exiles to understand the Xia State system, and wantonly lured and recruited the landless refugees in the Kwantung region as apprentices, and oppressed them arbitrarily. Listening to what they said, Zhao Xingde thought that when he first arrived in the summer realm, many Kanto people came to persuade the villagers to go to the workshop. Fu Zhiren also specially reminded him not to believe in persuasion. was groaning, but he heard the man say:

"In particular, driven by the huge profits of mining, the mine owners forced the workers to dig wells, recklessly disregarded their lives, and buried themselves in dark places every year. There are even profiteers and tycoons, who communicate with the customs clearance officials of our Great Song Dynasty, and hundreds of thousands of people are lured to come to Kanto and sent them to the workshop as cattle and horses. The Guanzhong Chamber of Commerce has been accumulating disadvantages for a long time with the blood and sweat of the workers and the heavy profits of the huge families. Nowadays, there are hundreds of thousands of Kanto workers in the workshop, and every day of the month, there are people who die of hardship and illness, and they have become ghosts in other places. ”

"Is that so?" Li Rui is also like Zhao Xingde, who only passed by in Chang'an in a hurry. Chang'an occupies a vast area, and the workshop area is a separate piece outside the city, and unless it is led by an acquaintance, it is difficult to enter and know its internal situation. When he heard about this at first glance, he thought that all the households in the shade were protected by sergeants, and there were protectors who could avenge their grievances, and the chamber of commerce and the workshop would be somewhat restrained, so he couldn't help but ask: "Is it okay to sit back and watch such a mischief, Guanzhong place?" ”

Before the speaker could answer, the black and thin one next to him said first: "Xia Guobing is the autonomous government of the Chamber of Commerce, and the homeless people are deceived by others, and they are willing to become merchants when they are screened, and they have signed a contract to work as an apprentice for several years. Local convenience does not want to easily interfere in the affairs of merchants. He paused, and said even more indignantly: "What is particularly hateful is that there is a shameless scum who deceives his fellow villagers from Kanto. I have seen with my own eyes that some homeless people live in the workshop for a long time, it is difficult to see the outside scene, they are untouchable, they do not listen to the teachings of the saints, they are ignorant and stubborn, and their hearts are gradually no different from those of animals. The ears and eyes are stained, and the one who is close to the ink is black. There are many abusers, oppressors of the good, and servant of the tiger. He even injured several colleagues in our company who went to save people. ”

"I see." Several people in the crowd said one after another. Behind Zhao Xingde, someone whispered: "The world is turbulent for profit, how can this matter be so simple." ”