Chapter 9, Striving to Become a Scoundrel

There are wise sages on Shouyang Mountain

For instance, he feels quite uncomfortable if he does not change and wash his clothes at least once a day, even though he only has two tattered garments

Is it not better to starve than to abandon the dignity of the scholar-officials

In this world, the wicked thrive one after another, while the good can only rely on selling their misfortunes to leave a mark; even a fool knows how to make choices.

As he watched Yun Lang turn into charcoal, Taizai let out a long sigh and took out a piece of formed charcoal, saying to Yun Lang: "The craftsmanship of the hundred artisans is of great benefit to the state, and this is a universally acknowledged truth. In the past, all artisans in our Qin Dynasty were under the control of the state, and the Great Liang appointed the sixteenth rank to oversee the artisans, which cannot be said to disregard their importance. Unfortunately, those who manage the artisans are mostly household slaves. Once you take over my position as Taizai, you will ascend to the ninth rank of the five great ministers, and if you continue to meddle in these lowly trades, you will incur the wrath of the Left Minister and invite ridicule from others"

Dragged back to the stone house like a dog by a tiger, Dazai sat leisurely in the very clean stone house tidied up by Yunlang, sipping water

Before the tiger could take a bite, that pig's leg bone was taken away by Taizai, who complained while eating: "Feeding such exquisite food to livestock is truly a waste"

Dazai sighed again and said: "What I worry about is your complacent nature. A scholar-official is the son of a thousand golds; one should not sit idly in the hall. Even if it is just a ladle of drink and a basket of food, one must uphold the proper demeanor, remaining true to one's original intention even in death. Without such determination, even if one holds the title of a marquis, one is merely a monkey wearing a crown."

No wonder the tiger and the doe have been fond of resting above the charcoal kiln at night these past few days

Yunlang began to add charcoal to the furnace while laughing, "I now need a pair of shoes. Before making the shoes, I first need to find a suitable awl. Now, with only the two of us here, I have no reservations in front of you; as long as I am comfortable, anything goes."

Since the Son of Heaven lost the realm, various heroes have risen across the land, and the states are engaged in continuous warfare. Ingenious strategies and brilliant plans emerge one after another, while extraordinary individuals and remarkable talents appear with increasing frequency, akin to bamboo shoots after a spring rain

He acknowledges that Yunlang is a very intelligent student and is certain to have great prospects in academia

After a whole day, a considerable amount of charcoal was used, and Yunlang, exhausted, finally completed a pair of the smallest tongs.

The stove is ready; the next step is naturally baking, followed by keeping it warm, otherwise the stove may explode

No matter what Yunlang creates, it cannot touch the heart of the samurai within Dazai

After the bellows were worked, the furnace showed great favor to Yun Lang, with flames roaring and the color shifting from orange-red to blue. Under the high temperature, it didn't take long for a broken iron sword to glow red hot.

After all, he only wants to forge a small knife and a few awls, and if possible, he also hopes to create a practical kitchen knife

Tazai got up very early, sitting by the fire pit and carving wooden tablets with a knife. Recently, due to Yunlang's arrival, there are many matters that need to be recorded

However, both of these individuals died in a tragic manner

For those engaged in reclamation, there will be no land tax for nine years. Those who excel in farming and weaving, and accumulate a substantial amount of grain, will be exempt from taxes and labor duties

Yunlang looked at his own dirty hands, then at the raggedly dressed Taizai, and he could not discern any difference between the two.

The furnace has been fired very well, with no cracks, and the inner cavity is not large, which is sufficient for Yunlang

He, feeling at ease, held the fire tongs crafted by Yunlang, using them to toss the charcoal that Yunlang had prepared into the fire pit

Yunlang believes that Dazai is conducting a brainwashing campaign against himself

Each and every thing, every kind has its laws to follow, and everyone acts in accordance with the law. The laborers sustain themselves through their various trades, while the scholars and officials offer counsel for the nation. They govern and shepherd the people for their livelihood, each following their own path, without any transgression whatsoever.

The leopard leaves its skin upon death, the wild goose leaves its call as it passes, a person leaves their name after death; these are indeed the achievements that endure through the ages, while life and death are but trivial matters.

When one dies, the body decays, and nothing remains; what use is there in leaving a name

Any great principle holds true at a specific time, until it is overshadowed by an even greater principle

The thick wild boar leg bone, accompanied by a large piece of fatty pork, does not need to be cooked. After being cooled by Yunlang, it is placed in front of the tiger

The words of Confucius are merely the thoughts of one family and should not be taken as absolute truth

Yunlang did not destroy the furnace or discard the hammer at the first opportunity, which greatly disappointed Taizai

In the future, if possible, one must definitely stay away from such people. Standing with them is worse than being struck by lightning. God knows that on that day, just because of being close to them, one could be implicated by their ideals and ultimately be torn apart by a powerful individual.

Yun Lang turned his head in pain, deciding not to speak to someone who treated their own life so lightly

At the same time, it is acknowledged that the path to truly educating Yunlang into a genuine aristocracy remains long and arduous

Those who contend for the world are the scholars, those who command the world are the scholars, and those who govern the world are the scholars

Therefore, adhering to the principles is in accordance with the natural order and should not be changed lightly; otherwise, one will inevitably suffer the consequences of self-inflicted harm

It takes a great deal of strength to swing a large hammer, and Yunlang did not possess this ability. He had no choice but to use a small hammer to pound the broken iron sword into two layers. Then, taking advantage of the fact that the iron material was still hot, he swung the hammer forcefully, driving the carbon out of the soft iron

Since the last time Yunlang used a gray pottery pot to simmer a pot of wild chicken soup, Taizai has basically stopped cooking.

The grace of saving a life is greater than that of heaven, and Yun Lang naturally would not hold such matters against anyone. After being dragged back by the tiger, he still struggled to get up and prepared chicken soup for everyone

Just now, the Tiger King, who was unable to contain his grief and anger, staggered and took two steps on the ground before collapsing to the ground

The first tool needed for blacksmithing is the tongs; the tongs brought by Dazai are imbued with the style of the Qin and Han dynasties, ancient and clumsy

Yun Lang felt that he was just an ordinary person; if he were not ordinary, he would not have ultimately fled from home due to his wife's incessant nagging.

It is only natural for ordinary people to enjoy mundane matters, whether it is haggling with a vendor to save a penny, harvesting an extra dou of wheat from the field, or simply taking a moment to admire a beautiful woman on the street; the pleasure of daydreaming is indeed a good thing

Dazai watched in astonishment as Yunlang skillfully wrapped a strange stove with strips of clay, his craftsmanship remarkably proficient, as if he were accustomed to such tasks.

Yunlang's mouth opened wide in surprise as he exclaimed, "Are we Legalists?"

The cooling time of the charcoal kiln has been sufficient, yet upon opening, hot air continues to surge out from within

As for future generations reading about their tragic history and developing great ambitions, he feels no pride in this whatsoever

The tiger king roared, and before it could pounce to seize the food, a thick wooden stick struck heavily on the tiger's head, and it is unclear how Taizai managed to strike it.

The dried wild boar meat is rendered of its fat by hot water, and the fat is then thoroughly mixed with star anise, Sichuan pepper, mountain ginger, and wild onion, resulting in a rich aroma that permeates the stone house

The tiger has now developed a preference for cooked food, although most of its diet consists of bloody meat. Nevertheless, the nightly meal of cooked food seasoned with salt remains the tiger's greatest delight.

Yunlang was busy all night long. Taizai saw him go out countless times, and it was not until dawn that he collapsed onto the bamboo slips and fell into a deep sleep

Yunlang put down the wooden spoon and clasped his hands, saying: "Jin, I have been taught! It is beneath one's dignity for a gentleman to compete for food with beasts"

Once again, ten households shall form a group, mutually supervising one another; if one household commits an offense and conceals it without reporting, the other nine households shall be held collectively responsible

Dazai habitually gazed at the white clouds floating in the sky and said: "It is only with Shang Yang's reforms that my Qin state became one of the Seven Heroes of the world. It is with Li Si's legislation that we had the opportunity for the unification of the Great Qin. There is nothing inappropriate in our self-identification as Legalists"

The pursuit of exquisite food and meticulous preparation has always been Yun Lang's aspiration. Life has become unbearably difficult, and if there is no anticipation for food each day, then life loses all quality.

Dazai dropped the wooden stick in his hand, cast a sidelong glance at the tiger, and then looked at Yunlang, saying: "A beast is just a beast; it must learn the rules to continue living. If one day it develops a desire to kill its master, it should be skinned and boiled for its bones"

Standing barefoot on the cold stones can drive one mad, yet Yun Lang, with his feet wrapped in two pieces of wolf skin, still trembles from the cold

Yunlang looked at his hands, which were covered in mud, and smiled. Frequently doing things that were unexpected by Taizai would be greatly beneficial for their long-term relationship.

After he scraped away the ashes completely covering the stove, his mood improved somewhat

Without coke, under the influence of the bellows, the charcoal quickly burned away. As he watched the charcoal diminish little by little, Yun Lang was almost ready to abandon his grand plan

Yunlang, you must remember that as a scholar, you may possess a heart of compassion, but it should not be indiscriminately applied

Just like today's tiger, which has become accustomed to eating raw meat and drinking blood, if you rashly provide it with cooked food, once it gets used to cooked food, it will become lazy in hunting, and we will lose our source of food

It is the way of heaven for an old man to seize the food of the beast slaves to satisfy his hunger

Disputes among individuals should be referred to the authorities, private duels are prohibited, and rewards are based on the number of enemy heads taken in battle; one must achieve military merit to be promoted, and noble merchants, if lacking in military accomplishments, cannot hold government positions

With the assistance of Dazai, Yunlang placed the anvil on a sturdy wooden stump, which was of suitable height for his current stature

Dazai set down the pig's leg bone he was about to eat and said: "The slave and the gentleman, one on the ground and the other in the sky, the slave stands alongside the beast"

The two have only been together for a short month, and this fellow has already disregarded his life twice for the sake of fame and fortune

Beasts are all protective of their food, and this is unrelated to whether they are tamed or not

This individual does not enjoy working, yet he greatly appreciates the conveniences brought to him by Yunlang

Nonsense, our Great Qin establishes the nation based on law, forbidding fathers, sons, brothers, and sisters from sleeping on the same bed until the entire country adopts standardized measurements of sheng, dou, jin, and liang.

Is it acceptable to quench one's thirst with the water from a stolen spring?

Scholars control the common people as one would manage cattle and horses, driving the populace and slaves into the arena as if it were a child's play. It is the scholars who are the true rulers of the world, and what they desire is a gift bestowed by heaven