RBCT Chapter 8: Three Sentences Guiding Liu Boyan
Chapter 8: Three Sentences Guiding Liu Boyan
"That's right. It's just that Tao Yuanming and the fisherman didn't know about Penglai Island, so they called it Peach Blossom Spring. Although many people live on Penglai Island, there are very few cultivators."
They lived a peaceful and prosperous life, free from worldly strife. Apart from those born on the island, outsiders who wanted to enter needed a "divine connection".
That fisherman was one of them. In fact, there are many people like him, but you just don't know it. Once they are touched by the fairy island, whether they are fishing or chopping wood, they will be able to do so.
All would be guided to the island by it, and over the years, the number of people on the island has exceeded ten million. However, without the guidance of the immortal island, even the current emperor would never be able to enter.
Everything depends on fate, and those on the island cannot leave unless they are cultivators like us, but even then there are many rules.
For example, each time he would only be out for ten days. Old Chen was like that before. He would suddenly appear in the temple and then suddenly disappear from the temple. It was probably because my grandfather left a door here.
I also came through this gate, and I can only stay for ten days, once a month.
After Chen Yue finished speaking, Huang Fengzhi and the others in front of him were completely stunned. Although it was hard to believe, it was the truth.
"My lord, so you're saying that the path these reclusive cultivators practice is so that one day they can achieve a connection with the heavens and ascend to Penglai?"
Chen Yue's words completely shattered their original worldview and led them to think of many other things.
"You could say that. Alright, that's all I can tell you about Penglai. There's no need to ask any more questions. I've come from the Immortal Island to open Shennong City."
After Chen Yue finished speaking, he took out all the contents of the yellow cloth bag. Wang Xian and the others were immediately drawn to the white sugar and refined salt on the table.
Putting aside the salt and sugar, this strange soft leather bag has been a mystery to many. Now the truth has finally come out: it was made by the people of Penglai Island.
It's perfectly normal that ordinary people like them can't do it.
"Since this is my first time in the mortal world, I can only bring these things. The rules of Shennong City are the same as before: only mountain products from Zhongnan Mountain can be exchanged. This time, I will bring four kinds: ginseng, lingzhi, huangjing, and beeswax."
If this is successful, I will bring even more next time.
These mountain products almost disappeared from Zhongnan Mountain more than a thousand years later and were extremely difficult to find, but today, there are quite a few in the mountains.
Ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum were in high demand and expensive in the Tang Dynasty, but Polygonatum sibiricum and beeswax were much less valuable.
However, in later generations, both of these items became treasures worth hundreds of yuan per gram, and purely wild ones were even rarer.
As for other mountain products such as Codonopsis pilosula and ancient tea, we'll talk about them later.
The items he mentioned are the main mountain products that Chen Shan collects every time he comes here, and there's no need to worry about selling them after taking them back.
"My lord, are these not available on the Immortal Island?"
Chen Yue looked at the speaker, and Zhao Xiong's face turned pale instantly. He thought Chen Yue was angry and immediately wanted to kneel down to apologize, but Chen Yue raised his hand to stop him.
"Fine, I'll tell you. Old Chen was just a servant before, so there were many things he couldn't tell outsiders, but I'm different."
Even though I said that Grandpa wouldn't blame me, these things are available in Penglai, but not in large quantities, and these are nourishment for us cultivators.
"The cost is enormous, which is why I've come to exchange it."
This explanation was reasonable, and no one doubted it anymore.
At this moment, everyone's doubts about Chen Yue disappeared, and all they could think about was how to please this grandson of the old Shennong.
This person is of a much higher status than the previous Shennong envoy!
Wang Xian suddenly cupped his hands and asked.
"My lord, I am Wang Xian, the village head. I have a good friend named Liu Boyan who has long admired the Divine Farmer, but has never had the chance to meet him."
We just enjoyed some fruit-flavored milk candy at home. He came with me and is waiting outside the temple. May I ask if it would be permissible for him to come in?
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiu and the others looked at them in shock, their eyes filled with deep envy.
Chen Yue raised an eyebrow.
"Fruit milk candy?"
"That's right, it's the same candy brought by the former Shennong Envoy, a candy that has both fruity and milky aromas, with alternating yellow and white stripes, and red and white stripes..."
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Yue said "Oh".
"Oh, so this is it. We call it Alpenliebe candy where I'm from. You said you just ate some? That means it's been over ten years!"
Chen Yue's expression was somewhat strange. If he remembered correctly, the shelf life of this candy was two years. It was a product that the old man brought eleven years ago, and it had long since expired.
"That's right? Why not?"
"This is best consumed within two years and should be stored in a dry, cold place. It will easily melt if exposed to direct sunlight. Am I right?"
"That's right, that's what Old Chen said back then."
Wang Xian nodded repeatedly.
Seeing how energetic he is now, I guess he'll be fine. Although it's not recommended to eat it after the expiration date, it's not like you'll die if you eat it, so I'll just stop worrying about it.
"Let him in."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xian was overjoyed and immediately went out to call Liu Boyan in. Liu Boyan was very perceptive and immediately knelt down to Chen Yue with great respect.
"My lord, Boyan passed the imperial examination at the beginning of the year and is about to take up his post in Linyang County, Nanzhou. I dare to ask you to give him a few words of advice."
"Brother, what you've done..."
Liu Boyan was shocked and looked at Wang Xian with a face full of emotion.
Huang Fengzhi and the others remained silent, but they couldn't help but think more highly of Wang Xian. It was truly rare for a friend to be so devoted to him.
It should be noted that Chen Yue was Shennong's envoy, and his so-called warning was simply a few words of advice to Liu Boyan.
Given Shennong Envoy's status in the Tang Dynasty, if Chen Yue really said that, he would surely have a smooth career in the future, because both the officials in the court and even the Emperor himself held Shennong Envoy in high esteem.
Chen Yue hadn't expected him to make such a request, but looking at it from another angle, it was also an opportunity to showcase his unfathomable abilities.
He did not refuse and looked at Liu Boyan.
"That will do. I'll give you three sentences then."
Upon hearing this, not only Liu Boyan was stunned, but Huang Fengzhi and the others were as well. They had originally thought that Chen Yue would definitely not pay any attention to it, and might even get angry because of it.
This Shennong envoy was indeed different from the one before.
"Thank you for your kind instruction, sir. I will listen attentively and remember it well."
He bowed with his hands clasped in a sincere manner.
First: Treat the people as a boat, and yourself as water. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. You must guide its flow well and not assume the role of a shepherd.
Second: The foundation of governance lies in numbers, not techniques. Personally measure every inch of the land under your jurisdiction and count the population. In this way, you can handle any situation with ease in the future.
Third: The fundamental principle of good governance is to place a wooden box in the most conspicuous place in the county government office, in the unseen realm, informing the people: "Anyone with grievances or injustices may anonymously submit a letter. You will personally open it every day; inside lies the voice of the people."
I came across these three sentences a couple of days ago while researching, and later while browsing Douyin (TikTok). They were about how to be a good local official in ancient times. I have to say, big data is amazing! For the next few days, almost all the videos recommended to him were related to this.
Even the shopping links are no longer for electronic products, but for various literary books such as "Zizhi Tongjian" and "Tang Shi".
Chen Yuejue's words made a lot of sense, and they were different from some of the ideas of the feudal dynasty. They were novel and very suitable for being said now.