Chapter 146 The Land of Tao

Along the way, everyone was silent.

When they arrived in Chang'an, they were even more shocked and speechless.

The population was prosperous, far exceeding that of previous dynasties.

There were pedestrians and caravans everywhere, as well as a group of scholars wearing strange hats and robes. The streets were even paved with stone slabs, flat and smooth, and there was no garbage or sewage on both sides of the road.

Don't think that the roads in the capital are good. Most of them are still dirt roads. When the emperor travels, he often needs to sprinkle clean water on the streets and pave the roads with yellow soil. Otherwise, the carriage really can't pass.

"Go to the restaurant to find out the news." Tang Ming said.

This is the third time I have come to Chang'an. I never thought that this place has become like this.

Wasn't it said that there would be starving people everywhere and blood everywhere?

Why is it different from what I imagined?

The restaurant here is also very large. In addition to wood, the building materials also include some very hard soil. The entire hall can accommodate more than a hundred people.

Now it is full, and there are actors singing operas in the middle of the hall. Although it sounds very straightforward and vulgar to scholars, it is really not easy for ordinary people to enjoy these.

The group sat at two tables. The tea was not expensive, but they ate a lot. They spent more than a hundred coins on sugar cakes, chicken feet, pork belly, and fried dough sticks.

There was another table near the group, with only two young scholars.

Seeing Tang Ming's gaze, one of them smiled and nodded to them. If he hadn't known that he had changed his appearance, Tang Ming would have thought that they were exposed.

"Brother, where are you from?"

"I am from Taiyuan. My surname is Li and my name is Changsheng." The younger one said.

"I am also from Taiyuan. My surname is Li and my name is Jianxing." The older Confucian scholar on the right smiled.

After a while of asking questions, everyone knew that the two were also children of declining aristocratic families who came to the capital to take the imperial examination.

"Imperial examination, what is that?"

"An examination for appointing officials. Regardless of origin or age, those who pass the examination will have a reputation. Only those with a reputation are qualified to be appointed officials. Those who pass the examination can meet the Great Immortal."

Everyone present was shocked and moved.

This is more brutal than killing the noble families. In this way, how can they survive?

"May I ask, brother, are the imperial examinations held every year?"

"Yes, every year. Those who pass the provincial examination can come to participate in the joint examination. Those who pass the joint examination can be called Jinshi and directly appointed as officials." At this point, Li Changsheng glanced at Tang Ming and others, "You are from the south, right? Don't show such an expression. Just don't break the law and don't make trouble. Haha."

"Haha, brother, you are joking."

Everyone continued to ask questions, and the more they understood, the more frightened and confused they were.

The Taoist clans invested too much in education. This is clearly to cultivate a class that depends on them and is controlled by them.

There are 100 Jinshi every year, which is not much. The huge number of scholars and candidates is the foundation. Most of them cannot directly become officials, but they can become officials or clerks through examinations in various departments, such as water conservancy, law, tax law, government affairs, etc.

Those who pass this kind of examination must have mastered professional knowledge, and it is they who replaced the status of the noble families.

In this way, they have become useless waste.

Everyone was silent.

Could it be that without us, things will really get better?

Thinking of this, someone secretly sent a message to Tang Ming.

"We must fully cooperate with the Hu people to get rid of the Dao clan, the evil obstacle that destroys the Dao orthodoxy, otherwise China will be in danger."

For new things, they did not accept them at the first time, but were afraid and rejected them.

"I want to take the imperial examination, and after passing the imperial examination, I will assassinate Lu Jing in the hall." Cui Wen said coldly.

His eyes were cast on Li Changsheng and others.

He wanted to take their documents and then disguise himself to take the imperial examination.

As for whether he could pass the imperial examination, he didn't care about it. With his knowledge, if he didn't pass, who else in the world could pass it?

"Don't kill people." Tang Ming said.

"Yes."

That night, everyone sneaked into the room of Li Changsheng and others and knocked out two people.

Take their certificates and disguise yourself as them to take the imperial examination. During this period, they will not wake up.

On the other side, the masters of Xuanmen were also investigating this place.

"Can the prosperity maintained by killing really last long?" Wang Dao thought.

Prosperity is short-lived and cannot withstand wind and rain.

Moreover, this prosperity is too extreme. The Daoists do have their merits, but they are not incapable of learning, and they can even do better than the Daoists.

The prosperity of the Daoists is only the prosperity of the Han people. The strength of the Han people is often accompanied by the suffering of foreign races. They should not be killed directly, and they cannot be killed completely. They should be assimilated by the means of great Confucian scholars.

And the Daoists are even more cruel in killing their own people.

There are only 6 or 7 million people, and at least 450,000 people were killed. They did not die in the war, but died in internal cleansing.

In the future, if they want to rule the world, I am afraid that 5 million people will die? What a huge number, and what a bloody horror.

Wang Dao could not imagine such a scene.

"It is not a long-term solution. We must solve the culprit Xu Xuan in Chang'an."

"Maybe it can be done." Ge Miao said.

Anyway, he likes this place very much.

Wang Dao glanced at him, and Ge Miao shut up. This old man Ge Miao was not low in EQ, he just wanted to stimulate Wang Dao.

He thought about world peace and eternal peace all day long.

Lingnan clan.

Several elegant young men and girls dressed in men's clothes walked on the street, curiously looking at the prosperous scene.

As the descendants of the ancestors who migrated south, they still admired the style of the northern clans, but they were a little unhappy with the way the aristocratic families dealt with it.

"It's different from the legend! What a prosperous place."

"Yes, a leaf blinds us. We claim to be smart people. This imperial examination is not bad. Why don't we try it?"

"Okay!"

The Lingnan clan and the Taoist clan have always had business dealings. There is no conflict between the two sides for the time being. As the heirs of the Song clan, they will surely give them a face.

People from all factions came here one after another.

Their thoughts began to change.

As the three-day imperial examination began, the prosperity of this place was unimaginable.

This is not a boastful prosperity, but a real prosperity of all walks of life. The prosperity of business and literature far exceeds their imagination.

Confucian scholars have read the classics and boasted about the Three Dynasties for thousands of years, but there is no such scene.

What is even more unacceptable to them is that the status of Confucius has declined, even to the same level as Laozi, Zhuangzi and Mozi; in the eyes of people here, Confucius is a sage who has made contributions, but not much. His words can be used as a reference, but don't follow blindly.

As a result, some people hate Xu Xuan even more and have the intention of assassinating him.

"We must kill Xu Xuan, kill this monster, and the world can return to normal!!"

"Kill the Taoist thieves and restore orthodoxy!!"

If they continue to prevail, I am afraid that the common people will be brainwashed by them.

Some people's thoughts have also begun to waver.

Most of them come from poor families, or are in the class that is eaten within the aristocratic family.

It's just that the time is not right now, and the contradiction has not been completely intensified.

The three-day imperial examination is over.

As expected, all the people in Tang failed.

In the inn, Cui Wen Lu Ting's face was red.

"The Four Books and Five Classics, poetry and songs account for a very small proportion, and there are more craftsmen, water conservancy, geography, and even medicine. Oh my God, these craftsmen who have learned hundreds of arts dare to insult the temple of saints."

Yun Qiong held a book, the content of which was a must-test, called Taoism.

At first they thought it was a theory of pretending to be gods, but they were wrong.

There were more than a dozen similar books on the table, and everyone opened them curiously. They mainly talked about Taoism.

But this kind of Taoism is not magic, but seeking Tao. There is no worship of gods, but pointing directly to the fundamental Tao.

Seeking Tao, seeking knowledge, and seeking truth. That is to explore the world, understand the world, and cultivate oneself.

Completely abandon the backward idea of ​​worshiping the ancestors, affirm the contributions of the ancestors, but admit that the ancestors are not omnipotent.

The ancestors are not enough to follow, and the destiny is not enough to fear.

This is the idea of ​​cultivating immortals brought by Xu Xuan. Cultivating immortals is also a way to explore nature. Cultivating immortals is not about worshipping Yuanshi Tianzun Taishang Laojun to become stronger.

This is the meaning of cultivating Taoism, not being a praying man.

"Is this the Tao Kingdom on earth?"

Everyone felt like they were falling into an ice cave. Some were terrified, while others had a flame of hope in their hearts.

The invisible war has begun.

This is a battle of ideas.

The battle of ideas is more terrible than physical killing. This is a way to kill people thousands of miles away.

Everyone does not know the horror of this matter.

By the time they know it, it is too late.