The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 85 Gods and Buddhas in the Heart

Wu Jialiang: "I know you have concerns, but they are completely unnecessary. You don't need to fight when you send your troops. You just need to discipline the militia, guard the villages, and stay out of our way. We will deal with the main force of the bandits. Your men need to guard against small groups of bandits that sneak into the villages and cause chaos after the bandits are defeated."

At the end, Wu Jialiang suddenly grinned and said, "If we really wanted to harm you, why would we need to inform you in advance? Wouldn't it be better to just sneak attack in the middle of the night?"

Ma Sheng's eyes lit up.

The Ma family was extremely powerful in Laiyang County. Over half of the county officials were Ma family members. Ma could tell whether the farts of the officials were fragrant or foul. In fact, he didn't need Wu Jialiang to tell him. He already knew that the two county magistrates had failed to reach an agreement in a letter a few days ago, and he also knew that the officials in Laiyang were useless.

Before Wu Jialiang came, the Ma family had already been thinking about taking action themselves and organizing local militia to deal with the bandits.

Wu Jialiang arrived at the perfect time!

Ma Sheng seemed embarrassed yesterday, but he was actually very happy. He was just dozing off when someone brought him a pillow.

The only thing he was worried about was whether Prince Gong would take the opportunity to burn, kill, and loot in Laiyang County, or even take over his Ma family.

But Wu Jialiang's words, "Why should I inform you in advance? Wouldn't it be better to launch a surprise attack in the middle of the night?" completely dispelled his concerns.

After the biggest trust issue was resolved, everything else became easy to talk about.

Ma Sheng said, "In that case, please ask Brother Wu to go back and inform Lord Gong that the Ma family of Laiyang will take charge of this matter. I will immediately organize the local militia to defend the villages bordering Jimo County. When Lord Gong arrives, I will restrain the local militia from engaging in hostility. We will quickly crush the bandits and restore peace to the area."

Wu Jialiang clasped his fists and said, "It's a deal."

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Ma Sheng suddenly said, "Brother Wu, it's getting late today. It's still over a hundred miles from here to Jimo County. Why don't you rest at my house for a night and set off tomorrow? Although my house is still undergoing major construction, it's still better than being out in the wilderness."

Wu Jialiang did not refuse and bowed in thanks.

The Ma family's steward came out and took Wu Jialiang and his group to the backyard to settle down.

Many of the Ma family's houses were in ruins, and they hadn't even bothered to build guest rooms. So they had no choice but to arrange for Wu Jialiang and his group to stay in the backyard. There was a newly renovated wooden house there, and you could still smell the fresh scent of wood and the rich aroma of paint.

The main raw materials of paint in the Song Dynasty include plant lacquer (such as cliff lacquer, white lacquer and yellow lacquer), plant oil (such as linseed oil, tung oil and walnut oil), natural resin (such as rosin) and mineral pigments (such as cinnabar, malachite green, azurite, etc.). It is a purely natural product, so there is no need to worry about harming your body by smelling the paint for a long time.

Everyone was arranged to stay in a small room, seven people in one room, which was a bit cramped, but the Ma family couldn't provide more rooms to accommodate guests.

Yue Wenxuan followed here, but felt there was nothing to see. He was about to switch his consciousness back to the outside of the sand table. Suddenly, he saw Ma Congyi's little head popping out from behind the rockery outside. He took a few glances at the wing where the seven people lived, then retreated back.

Yue Wenxuan pushed open the door and walked into the yard. When he went around the back of the rockery, he saw Ma Congyi standing behind the rockery, looking at him with curiosity.

Yue Wenxuan smiled: "Little friend, do you have something to ask us?"

He was now using Master Ye's body, and when Master Ye smiled, he had a kind of affinity. Ma Congyi was not afraid of him, staring at his hairstyle: "Uncle, are you a monk who just returned to secular life?"

Both Master Ye and Bruce Lee had short hair, which was a strange hairstyle in that era. Usually only monks who had just returned to secular life had this hairstyle, so Ma Congyi asked this question.

Yue Wenxuan smiled and said, "I'm not a monk, I just like this hairstyle."

Ma Congyi: "This hairstyle is so weird."

Yue Wenxuan: "Fashion trends always change in waves. Now everyone thinks it's weird, but after a while, maybe everyone will think it's cool." Ma Congyi nodded thoughtfully: "So he's not a monk. Oh, there are so many things I want to ask, but I can't ask anymore."

Yue Wenxuan: "Are you interested in monks?"

Ma Congyi: "I am somewhat interested in Buddhist scriptures."

Yue Wenxuan thought: Although Ma Yu was a Taoist priest, he also had to read Buddhist scriptures. Historical records say that Ma Yu advocated the integration of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. If he wanted to advocate integration, how could he integrate the three religions without reading all the books of the three religions?

A sage is different from a charlatan or a liar.

While charlatans are uneducated and only know how to fool people, truly enlightened people are well-read and have read far more books than the trolls. They are well-versed in Buddhist and Taoist scriptures, extracting the essence from them and discarding the dross, constantly refining their thinking and consciousness.

The thirst for knowledge is amazing!

Yue Wenxuan said, "Although I'm not a monk, I've learned a lot. If you have anything you want to ask me, just ask. Maybe I can help you."

Ma Congyi: "Then I have to ask, are there really gods and Buddhas in heaven?"

This question made Yue Wenxuan stunned. He thought: I was just playing tricks on the rebel army. If I said there were no gods or Buddhas, it would be a bit of a slap in the face. But if I said there were gods and Buddhas, it would be a bit of a slap in the face of my materialistic education.

Which side of the face should I slap?
Forget it, just talk nonsense.

Yue Wenxuan spread his hands and said, "Let's not talk about whether there are gods and Buddhas in heaven. Let's talk about the gods and Buddhas in our hearts first."

Ma Congyi: "In your heart?"

Yue Wenxuan: "Buddhism says 'If you have Buddha in your heart, you will be at peace.' Taoism also says 'Man is within the Tao, and the Tao is in your heart.' Both Buddhism and Taoism believe that gods and Buddhas reside in the human heart."

Ma Congyi: "Uncle, you are really amazing. You understand everything about Buddhism and Taoism. Oh, it turns out that there are gods and Buddhas in my heart, but I have never felt it before."

Yue Wenxuan: "It's normal not to feel it. I believe that the gods and Buddhas in people's hearts are a person's self-cultivation and conscience. People who have gods and Buddhas in their hearts have principles, and their behavior and actions will be in accordance with rules and regulations."

If you say this to an adult, I'm afraid it won't fool him, but it's enough to say it to a child.

Ma Congyi: "Do I have gods and Buddhas in my heart now?"

Yue Wenxuan: "Would you steal the pears from your younger brothers and sisters?"

Ma Congyi shook his head: "No, I will give the big pear to my younger brothers and sisters."

Yue Wenxuan: "Do you respect your parents?"

Ma Congyi: "That's for sure."

Yue Wenxuan: "Would you bully your maids, servants, and tenants?"

Ma Congyi: “No.”

Yue Wenxuan patted his shoulder and said, "You already have gods and Buddhas in your heart, but they are not yet big enough, so you can't feel them. You still need to learn more knowledge, more skills, and more principles. One day, you will be able to feel the gods and Buddhas in your heart."

(End of this chapter)