Kong Mingde even invited Yan Xiangdong: "Xiangdong, you and my old man live in a tent." ”

Facing the kindness of the head of the Kong family, Yan Xiangdong waved his hand again and again: "No, no, no, I am young and strong, and I can bake the fire at night and stay overnight, so I won't hinder it!" ”

Kong Mingde had no choice but to do it.

It's not enough to have a tent, you have to find some firewood, otherwise the young men who are keeping vigil outside tonight won't be able to survive.

So, a group of young people, one foot deep and one foot shallow, stumbled into the depths of the forest, and came back with a lot of dead branches and leaves.

Although the dampness of these branches and leaves is a little heavy, it is not unnoticeable.

At this moment, the sky was already dark, and the fire was deep.

And they made two fires, and sat apart and sat around, and it was just right.

It's okay to be busy just now, but now that I'm free, my heart is empty.

That is, everyone can't help but start worrying about the future.

Today is the night of the past, but what about tomorrow?

Thinking of this, everyone thought about the comfortable life at home in the past.

Full of food all day long, there is no shortage of fish and meat, there is a cool fan in summer, and there is a stove in the east.

In the past, I thought it was very common, but today I realize what a pleasure it is.

Thinking of this, many people couldn't help but sobbed secretly.

When Kong Mingde heard the sobbing, he wanted to scold everyone to stop speaking, but then he thought that these days have changed a lot, and it is not easy for the clansmen to persist to this day.

Let them vent.

Thinking of this, Kong Mingde didn't speak, but silently took out a small piece of dry food from his arms, which was distributed by the soldiers on the ship.

Everyone has a share, and if you save a little food, you can last for two or three days, but after two or three days, you can only figure out your own way.

Suddenly, Kong Mingde seemed to think of something, and touched Yan Xiangdong, who was sitting beside him: "Xiangdong, do you have dry food?" If not, I will give you some. ”

Yan Xiangdong hurriedly took out a small cake from his words: "Yes, yes!" ”

As he spoke, he took a bite hard, but this one, he used all his strength to bite, and then he bit it down, as for swallowing it......

It's so dry that I can't swallow it.

Although Yan Xiangdong's family conditions are not good, he has never eaten such unpalatable dry food. I couldn't swallow it for a while.

"To the east, drink some water!" Kong Mingde's voice came.

Yan Xiangdong was about to smile bitterly, where did the water come from at this time.

But then his eyes widened, and he saw Kong Mingde grab a handful of snow from the ground and stuff it into his mouth.

Kong Mingde also couldn't eat it, so he had no choice but to swallow the blood and water.

Yan Xiangdong looked at it speechlessly for a while, and then he could only stuff snow water into his mouth in the same way.

In his heart, he was even more crazy hypnotizing himself: "Mencius said: Heaven will descend on the people, and they must first suffer their minds, strain their muscles and bones, starve their bodies and skins, empty their bodies, and act chaotically, so they are tempted to endure and benefit what they can't ......."

A small piece of dry food, saved to eat, is only a matter of one or two bites, and this little thing can't withstand the cold.

Especially since it's close to the bay, the wind blows especially biting at night.

Even with a campfire, the effect is very limited.

At this time, Kong Mingde couldn't help but think of the withered bed when he was at home.

It was a big bed made of Nanmu, with a blanket of Wusizang and a layer of mink-inlaid lynx, which was covered with green silk in Suzhou and Hangzhou, which was not only warm but also very expensive.

Just that Nanmu withered flower bed is enough for ordinary people, and the daily expenses are twenty years!

But that's all in the past, and now, I can only sit on the snow and roast around a fire......

If you don't believe it, you can't always be immersed in the things of the past, you should ...... Oh, and all of that!

Kong Mingde seemed to have thought of something, and hurriedly ordered the old butler behind him a few words.

The old housekeeper listened, but his face hesitated: "Master of the house, it's all this time, why do you still want to watch that thing?!" ”

Kong Mingde's face turned grim, and he scolded: "You old man, what do you know?!" That's the treasure of my Kong clan! ”

The old butler had no choice but to turn around.

Yan Xiangdong, who was sitting next to him, heard the words of the master and servant clearly, and suddenly became curious, and he was looking forward to what the old butler was about to bring.

After a while, I saw the old butler, dragging a large wooden box over with great effort.

This big wooden box, in fact, Yan Xiangdong noticed it when he was talking to Kong Mingde during the day, and he was still wondering at that time, all the things of the people who were assigned here were all scolded, why did this Kong family still bring a big wooden box?

Yan Xiangdong couldn't hold back any longer, and couldn't help asking, "Mr. Mingde, what is this?" ”

Kong Mingde smiled slightly, just opened the box and took out an object, and handed it to Yan Xiangdong: "Look! ”

Yan Xiangdong was stunned, this seems to be a book.

While muttering in his heart, he took the book, and by the light of the fire, he saw the two words on the cover: "Analects? ”

At this moment, Yan Xiangdong's tears were about to fall.

Fate makes people! Didn't I come to this ghost place because of the books of the saints!

To be honest, when he came to the cold Americas at this time, Yan Xiangdong didn't regret that it was fake, but if he was given another chance, he would still be willing to be a student of Dongshan College, or willing to support Liu Fulin and Zhang Hong.

Of course, there are some thoughts that can be entered through these people, but more of them are the dedication to the Four Books and the Five Classics and the study of the saints.

After all, this is what he has been doing for almost most of his life!

At this moment, looking at this Analect, Yan Xiangdong suddenly felt that this cold and frozen wild place was really a little unsupportable.

Just when his mind was agitated, Kong Mingde said with a smile: "Xiangdong, you open it and take a look!" ”

Yan Xiangdong was a little puzzled, the Analects, he had already memorized them backwards when he was ten years old, listening to Mr. Mingde's meaning, is there anything new in this Analects?

Yan Xiangdong was dripping, but he still turned the page, and saw that between the lines of a vertical and vertical familiar sentence, there were actually lines of small characters!

"It's ...... Is this a commentary on the Analects? Yan Xiangdong looked at it for a while, and then he recognized it.

Kong Mingde smiled and asked, "Guess again, who is this commentary?" ”

Now Yan Xiangdong asked, he turned a few more pages, only to see that the paper was yellowed, and the ink was also a little browned, it seemed that this Analect should be some years old.

Commenting on the Analects?

As far as Yan Xiangdong knew, there was a ...... on the Southern Confucian Ancestor

Thinking of this, Yan Xiangdong had a stirring in his head, and asked in a trembling voice: "Could it be ......?"

"Yes, it is the ancestor of my Nankong, who crossed south with Emperor Gaozong, Duanyou Gong, as a generation of scholars, his handwritten annotations are very rare!" Speaking of this, Kong Mingde couldn't help but feel proud.

Yan Xiangdong was even more excited: "In this life, you can see the annotation handbook of Duan Yougong, and Xiangdong has no regrets in this life!" ”

Kong Mingde smiled, patted the big wooden box behind him and said: "There are also "Mencius", "Zhou Yi", "Spring and Autumn" annotated with public manuscripts, ...... here."

"All my Confucian classics, Duan Yougong has annotated, this time exiled to a foreign land, I brought all of these, to the east, you can read as much as you like!"

Yan Xiangdong listened, and only felt that his blood was boiling: "Mr. Mingde, such a great kindness, Yan Xiangdong is unforgettable!" ”

After saying that, without saying much, after paying homage to Kong Mingde, he carefully looked at the annotations of the Analects in his hand page by page.

Kong Mingde saw that Yan Xiangdong admired his ancestors' masterpieces so much, and he was satisfied.

The other people surrounding this bonfire at this moment are either Kong Mingde's cousins or Kong Mingde's children and nephews.

At this moment, Kong Mingde also said to them: "The night is cold, the fire is very good, you can also take a look at Duan Yougong's manuscript!" ”

The origin of the Southern Confucian family, that is really not an empty word.

In this generation, Kong Mingde's academic kung fu is the best.

But his cousins and a group of nephews are actually not bad, if the imperial examination has not been reformed, they will still take those four books and five classics.

These people don't dare to say that they can all take the Jinshi exam, but it's absolutely no problem to take the exam.

But as soon as the imperial examination system was reformed, the things they learned were basically useless.

Therefore, the reason why Kong Mingde has the confidence to help Hou Fang, Zhang Hong and others to run Dongshan College this time is that the support of these brothers and nephews has to play a great role.

This time I was exiled to this wild place, and I was glad to have escaped death, but more than that, I was disappointed, angry and desperate.

At this moment, when I heard the head of the family say that these ancestors could read the manuscripts of the fathers, I was overjoyed.

You must know that these manuscript annotations contain the essence of public learning, as long as these things are there, they have the confidence to recreate a Confucian clan in this wild world, and reinvigorate the study of sages.

The most important thing is that there is no longer a distinction between the north and the south, it is a real and unique Kong!

In this excitement, everyone couldn't wait for a manuscript to be handed.

I watched it hungrily, and for a while, it was quite a bit of an atmosphere of hard reading all night.

It's just that as time goes by, this atmosphere can't hold up anymore.

Without him, as the night gets deeper and deeper, the wind gets colder and colder, like a sharp blade, and the face of the person who cuts it hurts.

Even if there is a campfire, the amount of heat it can provide is quite limited.

But that's not all, the worst thing is that the branches they picked up don't seem to be enough!

Now the trouble is big, there are no branches to burn the fire, and it won't be long before this bonfire will be extinguished, and once it is extinguished, those of them outside are afraid that they will have to freeze to death tonight!

As soon as they thought of this, they suddenly couldn't read the books in their hands.

The temperature is getting lower and lower, the cold wind is getting colder and colder, and finally a son and nephew of the Kong family can't help it: "Family master, let's go to the forest to pick up some branches and come back!" ”

Without waiting for Kong Mingde to speak, Yan Xiangdong opened his mouth bitterly: "We have almost picked up the outermost branches, if we want to pick them up again, we can only go deeper into the forest......

"But we don't know if there are any beasts in the depths of this dense forest, and if they do, then ......"

At this time, Kong Mingde also nodded: "Not bad!" At this time, the wind and snow are even greater, and I am afraid that if I go into the depths of the forest, I will get lost, and then the danger will be even worse! ”

As soon as these words came out, everyone fell silent.

But some people still muttered: "How should that be, is it really going to freeze to death tonight?" ”

No one can take this from this, because this is the cruel situation that everyone is facing now.

So, in a depressing silence, time passed silently bit by bit, and the bonfire in front of him was also slowly decreasing the fire!

Dozens of pairs of eyes stared at the slowly decreasing fire.

Feeling the warmth in front of them, it subsided little by little, and everyone's mood began to become anxious.

Everyone involuntarily began to have a thought, if only at this time, there would be something to continue to burn and warm......

Thinking of this, everyone was stunned for a moment, and then they all turned their eyes to the book in their hands, and then to the big wooden box full of Dengden behind Kong Mingde......

No way!

I can't even think about this kind of mind!

Everyone was shocked by the bold idea in their hearts, this is simply a big rebellion!

Kong Mingde's brothers and nephews blamed themselves one after another, as a saint blood, how could they have such thoughts?

Although Kong Mingde didn't speak, he could see the actions of the clansmen just now.

He knows...... Now it's time for life and death, and if there are no more measures to deal with it, I'm afraid that something unbearable will really happen tonight.

It's just that the stakes are very high, if he really does this, how will he Kong Mingde face the ancestors of the past generations and how will he face Kong Sheng under Jiuquan in the future?

Kong Mingde's face was cloudy and uncertain for a long time, and he looked at the clansmen whose faces were becoming more and more pale, and finally let out a long sigh.

Then he said slowly: "Everyone, the fire is about to be extinguished, you throw all the books in your hands into it to start the fire!" ”

"What!"

As soon as these words came out, the clansmen sitting around the bonfire stood up in shock.

Although this thought flashed through their hearts, it really flashed.

If you really want them to burn books at this time, they will definitely be emotionally unacceptable.

The most important thing is that these books can be called the way of the wilderness, the only learning of saints, if they are burned, they will be completely gone.

Among them, Yan Xiangdong, a person with a foreign surname, was the most excited: "Mr. Mingde, why do you say such a lake?!" If we burn books for the sake of survival, then what is the difference between us and the faint king who was reformed from the imperial examination? ”

"If we burn Duan Yougong's manuscript, then what is the point of our exile to Yinzhou? Mr. Mingde, don't be a lake! ”

Yan Xiangdong's hoarseness was exhausted, and in exchange for the approval of many Kong clansmen.

"Yes, the head of the family can't be in the lake!"

"What is the pity of waiting for me to die, but this saint's learning, don't hurt it!"

"Master of the house, don't do it!"

In the face of everyone's dissuasion, Kong Mingde still sighed, he pressed down with both hands, and everyone quieted down.

Kong Mingde first looked at Yan Xiangdong: "Let me ask you, why are the three talents in the world the most expensive?" ”

Yan Xiangdong said without hesitation: "Zi said: The nature of heaven and earth, people are precious...... Naturally, people are the most expensive! ”