Chapter 1: The Confucian and Daoist World

Indeed, in this world of Confucianism and Daoism, thought is the most formidable weapon. Scholars are no longer powerless; once a learned individual awakens their intellect, they can absorb the sacred power from the Great Wall constructed by the sages. Through characters, poetry, verses, and even essays, they can harness the primordial energy of heaven and earth, transforming it into tangible manifestations of power to vanquish their foes.

Undoubtedly, the higher the level of enlightenment, the greater the potential achievements in the future. By invoking the words of the sages, even the lowest utterance of a semi-saint, the first infusion of sacred power absorbed after enlightenment is extraordinarily immense, possessing a momentum akin to a soaring bull. Whenever such a prodigious talent emerges, it is a great fortune for the nation. This signifies the arrival of another scholar who is likely to reach at least the level of a great Confucian.

He could not feel even a trace of the legendary holy power within him. Reflecting on his memories, Su Lin realized that his fifteen-year-old body had yet to awaken its intelligence

In the Tianren Continent, Confucius achieved sainthood through Confucian benevolence, teaching without discrimination, and assisted various schools of thought in attaining the status of sub-saints or semi-saints. He then united the power of all saints, using thought as the bricks and stones to construct the Great Wall, enclosing the entire realm of humanity and completely blocking the incursions of the four tribes of monsters and barbarian nomads. At the same time, the various sages established the Holy Temple, setting up the Ten Great Literary Positions, and each nation selected officials through the imperial examination, thereby solidifying a Confucian and Daoist world.

The autumn wind is bleak, and the temperature is dropping sharply; winter is just around the corner. However, at this moment, Su Lin, dressed in a light blue robe, sits before his desk, with the doors and windows left open, completely unaware of the cold wind blowing in.

If he lost his status as a gentry, Sulin would effectively become a commoner and would no longer be able to attend the free school provided by the state for the children of the gentry. The gentry status is a symbol of identity and status granted by the state to Confucian scholars who hold a degree. The degree of Xiucai grants gentry status, while Juren can become a doctor, and Jinshi is a minister; those above Jinshi are nobles and lords.

The status of a scholar-gentry is a hereditary reward from the state for those with literary degrees, allowing them not only to attend the gentry school for free but also to receive a monthly stipend of one tael of silver from the county office. Currently, under the coercion and abuse of the Su and Liu families, my life is already very difficult. If, upon reaching adulthood, I were to lose my status as a scholar-gentry, I would likely starve to death on the streets

The Book of Rites states: "A woman must follow three obediences and has no independent path. Therefore, before marriage, she follows her father; after marriage, she follows her husband; and if her husband dies, she follows her son." Now, my father has passed away, and I am the legitimate eldest son of the Su family, inheriting the status of a gentry family, truly the head of the household. You, a mere woman, do not keep to your place, managing the family affairs of the Su family, yet you repeatedly take advantage of my youth and mistreat me. Do you not fear that I will report you to the county magistrate, leading to your imprisonment and public humiliation, so that the entire county will know your name as a wicked woman!

He, now known as Su Lin, is from Fengle County in the Wu Kingdom of Tianren Continent. He is fifteen years old, orphaned with both parents deceased, and has a wicked stepmother who is the daughter of a merchant

As Su Lin thought about how poetry could transform into tangible objects and forces, he felt a surge of excitement and ripples in his heart. This was because, although the history of the Tianren Continent was similar to that of ancient China, it had diverged into nine nations after the Han Dynasty, and the history and figures following the Han Dynasty were entirely different from those of ancient China

Of course, the wisdom of the enlightened is not an absolute constraint on future development potential. Among the nine nations, there have been instances where the interpretations of the classics by grand scholars have led to enlightenment, ultimately achieving the status of a semi-saint.

After Su Lin finished speaking, he abruptly picked up the bowl of thin porridge and smashed it at Su Liu's feet. The porcelain bowl shattered into pieces, and the porridge splashed onto Su Liu's bright red silk skirt, startling her so much that she retreated against the wall, looking at Su Lin with a face full of terror.

This must be a punishment from heaven for me, or perhaps a cruel joke. I criticized the Analects as useless, claiming that Confucianism poisons people's minds, and yet heaven has sent me to such a Confucian and Daoist world, where everyone respects and practices Confucianism, venerating Confucius as a sage and governing the country with Confucian and Daoist principles. And here I am, still a scholar desperately studying the classics of Confucianism

The process of enlightenment is one that every scholar in the Tianren Continent must undergo, or more precisely, without achieving enlightenment, one cannot be considered a true Confucian. Enlightenment, in this context, refers to the act of unlocking wisdom through a phrase rich in thought. This phrase may be the words of the sage Confucius, or it could come from the teachings of the sub-sages and semi-sages, and further down, it may include the doctrines of great scholars, as well as the interpretations and discourses on the classics by the Hanlin and Grand Scholars.

Throughout the centuries, it seems that only Mencius and Zisi, the grandson of Confucius, have truly been able to gain wisdom from the words of the sage Confucius. This is because the teachings of Confucius are exceedingly obscure and profound; often, beneath a single statement lies a deeper meaning. Moreover, many of Confucius's sayings have numerous interpretations, and even those who have attained the highest scholarly ranks, such as Jinshi or Grand Secretary, cannot fully comprehend them. How, then, can mere children, barely in their teens, hope to grasp the sacred intent and thereby unlock their own wisdom?

However, such geniuses are exceedingly rare, and the number of books is also limited. In a population of hundreds of millions across nine nations, among the millions of Confucian scholars, it is estimated that only one genius who enlightens through the words of the sage is born every hundred years. Moreover, these individuals almost exclusively achieve enlightenment through the words of a semi-sage, ultimately attaining accomplishments that are all above that of a great Confucian. As for those who enlighten through the words of a sub-sage, nearly all of them end up achieving the status of a semi-sage

The status of a gentry is hereditary, but it can only be passed down to the legitimate eldest son. Su Lin's father, Su Jingtian, was fortunate enough to attain the degree of Xiucai at the age of thirty, thus gaining the status of gentry. Following the unexpected death of Su Jingtian, the gentry status naturally passed to Su Lin, the legitimate eldest son. However, if Su Lin has not attained the status of a Confucian scholar by the age of sixteen, according to the laws of the State of Wu, this gentry status could be inherited by his half-brother, Su Wen, the son of his stepmother, Su Liu.

I ... ... I actually traveled through time.

Having thoroughly understood the world he is in, Su Lin could only manage a bitter smile. "In my previous life, I only had to study the Analects in the subject of Chinese literature, but now, if I want to stand out and live well in this world, I must study the Confucian classics that are as high as mountains, and I must also be able to write poetry and lyrics"

Ah! At this moment, it is no longer a matter of the words of the Jinshi and Da Xueshi; even a poem from a Juren, this Su Lin has been unable to awaken his intellect. Generally, children from other families, at the age of six or seven, recite the "Thousand Character Classic" and "Hundred Family Surnames" to learn to recognize characters, and they gradually begin to awaken their intellect, with the latest being by the age of twelve or thirteen. Yet, this Su Lin... is so dull that even the nearly colloquial verses of a Xiucai or Juren cannot awaken his intellect. How could I have ended up in the body of such a useless person?

Without enlightenment and lacking the sacred power, even if one does not attain the true status of a Confucian scholar, it is even less likely that one would qualify for the imperial examination. Su Lin further contemplated that if by the age of sixteen, upon reaching adulthood, he had not achieved enlightenment and become a Confucian scholar, even his status as a member of the gentry would be seized by that malicious and wicked son of his stepmother, Su Wen.

Just as he was thinking this, Su Lin heard a woman's cold snort at the door: "Su Lin, this is your meal for today"

With a somewhat vacant gaze, Su Lin still found it hard to accept the current reality. Just a moment ago, he was merely an ordinary senior high school student, grumbling about the essential passages from the "Analects" during Chinese class in preparation for the college entrance examination. Yet now, in the blink of an eye, he was no longer himself, but had transformed into another person

However, when Sulin thought about the fact that he was already 15 years old and still had not achieved enlightenment, a chill immediately ran through him, leaving him feeling quite disheartened.

She could never have imagined that the usually dull and weak bookworm, Su Lin, would actually use the Three Obediences and Four Virtues from the "Book of Rites" to attack her. Su Liu wanted to retort and slander Su Lin, but faced with the sacred words from the "Book of Rites," she found herself speechless and dared not resist in the slightest. In this world where Confucianism and Daoism reign supreme, how could a woman like her, who is illiterate and merely a long-haired matron, dare to refute the words of a sage?

Bold Su Liu! Even if I cannot enlighten myself, I still hold the status of a gentry. How dare you, a mere commoner, treat me with such disrespect

The more Su Lin thought about it, the more alarmed he became, cold sweat streaming down his face. Although his family background in his previous life was ordinary, he had never experienced a lack of clothing or food. However, now, in this unfamiliar Confucian and Daoist world, both of his parents were deceased, and he was being pressured by a wicked stepmother and her children. If he were to lose his status as a member of the gentry, Su Lin did not know how he would survive

Struggling to digest the memories in his mind, Su Lin gasped in shock. He never expected that the exam-oriented textbook he had scorned as utterly useless, the "Analects," would hold such a prestigious status in the Tianren Continent

No! I must attain enlightenment; even if it requires the words of a scholar, I must achieve enlightenment before I come of age next year

Su Lin turned around and saw his stepmother, Su Liu, dressed in a bright red silk skirt, adorned with gold and silver, yet her face bore a malicious expression. Holding a bowl of thin porridge, she stepped forward and flung it onto Su Lin's desk, splattering porridge everywhere. Noticing the few open books on the desk, she sneered with malicious words: "You little brat, stop wasting your efforts. Even if you see the dead, you will never gain wisdom. The noble status of the Su family is certainly my son Su Wen's."

Indeed, there exists such a world under the heavens, where Confucius is the supreme sage, and the "Analects" is the sacred text of the Tianren Continent. The entire Tianren Continent comprises nine countries, all of which adhere to Confucianism and implement the imperial examination system to select officials. This is simply a world of Confucianism.

In history, there have been no literary giants or historical figures after the Han Dynasty. This signifies that the poems and essays stored in Su Lin's mind, if they were to emerge in this Confucian and Daoist world, would surely create tremendous waves.

Upon seeing this wicked woman, the scene of Su Lin being bullied by her immediately resonated with him. Su Lin's heart was filled with rage, and he stood up abruptly. For some reason, the words from the "Book of Rites" regarding the three obediences and four virtues of women suddenly surfaced in his mind. He pointed at Su Liu and began to curse vehemently.