Chapter 3 Where to Go and Where to Come From

  "Thanks, brother-in-law!" Deng Zixuan replied. He had learned from Xiaohong's mouth that his sister's name was Deng Yimei and her husband's name was Hao Shizhu. His first impression of his brother-in-law was not good, especially since he was a smooth-talking and cunning official who was skilled at observing people's words and guessing their thoughts. However, this experienced and worldly-wise official did not realize that his young brother-in-law was no longer the naive child he once was. The key was that Deng Zixuan's "soul" had changed greatly since then. As for himself, Deng Zixuan knew best, after all, he had just finished his studies and had not yet entered society to experience life's trials and tribulations, so he was still somewhat innocent.

  Seeing his brother-in-law with narrowed eyes and a round, chubby face, Deng Zixuan felt some disgust and disdain, but just nodded slightly. Hao Shizong saw that his younger brother-in-law was expressionless and thought he might still be ill, so he patted Deng Zixuan's shoulder and walked away. In fact, the past two days of guarding the spirit had allowed him to see the human outline of this era, and he felt a gap between himself and people of this era. Therefore, he set a rule for himself: it's better to speak less, lest trouble come from his mouth. The reason is that things in ideology are deeply ingrained, and although he was familiar with history, some unbelievable words and deeds or habits were not something he could control just by thinking about it, especially when facing this old cunning brother-in-law, he had to be more cautious.

  Back in his room, Deng Zixuan felt a sense of relief wash over him. To be honest, the old man's departure was a good thing for him - at least there wasn't a strict elder to discipline him anymore. Although his father was no longer around, his older brother was now the authority figure, but Deng Zixuan could see that he was kind and sincere, without any ulterior motives, and didn't have enough energy to control him. His mother, on the other hand, was a devout Buddhist who spoiled him rotten - the key was that she had a soft spot for him, which he would have to use to resist his older brother's authority.

  These two days of mourning, the greatest gain is to see how people treat each other in this era, which is especially important. The next day, early in the morning, Deng Zixuan went to his mother's room to pay respects, and his sister was still sitting in her mother's room, it was clear that she would be staying at her parents' home for a few days, accompanying her mother through this difficult time. "Mother! I know I was wrong. These two days I have been unable to eat or sleep well, no matter what I said or did, it wasn't my intention, please forgive me!" Deng Zixuan slightly bowed his head to his mother. His mother's eyes showed a hint of a smile and she said: "Xuan'er, Mother doesn't blame you, the fact that you can hold on is more delightful for Mother than anything else, if your father knew about it in the afterlife, he would be smiling with joy."

  "Xuan Di! After this ordeal, I've found that you've grown up and become more sensible. Sister is delighted for you and the Deng family. You're still young and have a long way to go, sister believes that Xuan Di will definitely pass the imperial examination and bring glory to our ancestors!" Seeing his sister's beautiful face and caring gaze, Deng Zi Xuan solemnly nodded. After finishing breakfast, he returned to his room and calmed down to think about what to do next.

  It was perhaps the will of heaven that I unexpectedly traveled through time and space to this era, and since it is the will of heaven, I must do something. At present, the Qing dynasty is vigorously reforming and rejuvenating, and a new atmosphere has emerged in society as a whole. Although this declining dynasty will eventually perish, there are no signs of this at present, and neither internal nor external conditions are ripe for its collapse. To live a life of ease and pleasure as a wealthy gentleman? Deng Zixuan immediately rejected the idea.

  Want to be a rich and powerful man, living a life of luxury and freedom. Deng Zixuan, who is familiar with history, immediately thought of the red-topped businessman Hu Xueyan. If nothing unexpected happens, Hu Xueyan's business group should be thriving at this time. As a wealthy merchant who can rival a country, he has no equal in the Qing Dynasty. But what about his ending? He was defeated in the competition with foreigners and ended up bankrupt and dying with hatred.

  Hu Xueyan made great contributions to the Qing Dynasty, but in the end, the imperial court was ungrateful and he became a plaything for others. Becoming rich is not worth it, this path does not lead anywhere. Being moderately wealthy and living a peaceful life is achievable, but if one cannot make a big impact or achieve greatness, then even rebirth would be meaningless.

  Deng Zixuan couldn't help but stand up, took a few steps on the ground and thought to himself: Since I have come to the Qing Dynasty, it must be the will of heaven, and I must achieve something. If I want to achieve something, rebelling against the corrupt dynasty is the shortcut. If I follow the usual path, struggling for N years, using my own foresight, climbing up to a high position and grasping great power may be possible. But it's too difficult, and with just a little carelessness, it will bring about fatal danger, even small mistakes can produce variables.

  How was the Guangxu Emperor? Was his power great or not? Even if he was a puppet emperor, there were still a group of ministers who tried to reform and supported him, but in the end they couldn't escape the old hag's palm. I have to admire the old hag's intelligence, she could do it behind the scenes, fully demonstrating her ability to control and manipulate power, and her skill in playing politics was high, this fact has long been proven. How about Zeng Guofan? How about Li Hongzhang? How about Zuo Zongtang? These prominent figures, whether in terms of ability, intelligence or power, all reached the highest level. To say that they didn't have the idea of reaching the top is nonsense, but in front of Cixi, they had to surrender. Loyalty was one aspect, the old hag's energy and means were the main factors.

  The only way out is to rebel, as the saying goes: "Daring to peel off one's skin and pull down the emperor from his horse." However, during this period, not to mention rebelling, even having rebellious remarks would likely result in beheading. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom caused a huge shock to society, but what's crucial is that ordinary people suffered greatly, and trying to rally support with a single call was simply nonsense.

  Rebellion must have a suitable soil and external conditions, and a breakthrough point must be found. Deng Zixuan followed this line of thinking and suddenly his eyes lit up - the Sino-French War! Yes, it was an excellent opportunity. What about the victory at Zhennan Pass? The incompetent and weak imperial court still squandered the victories won with the blood of brave soldiers and signed a humiliating treaty with France.

  Thinking of the Sino-French War, Deng Zixuan's blood was boiling. But when he calmed down, his heart cooled again. Cultivating one's own strength requires time and money, and in this era, without benefits, no one will be with you to taste the sweetness of victory. The key is to cultivate a group of talents loyal to oneself, which requires time and a lot of silver, but where does the money come from? His family was at most a small well-off family, and all their income and property compared to his grand plan were simply a drop in the bucket. It's difficult to take action to cultivate power while having enough silver, it's even harder than ascending to heaven.

  Go rob, go steal? Deng Zixuan quickly vetoed it. His brain hurt from thinking, and he couldn't figure out the reason. His mind was filled with silver, making him restless. The door creaked open, and Deng Zixuan looked up to see Xiaohong entering. Last time, Deng Zixuan had kissed her, so naturally, the girl's thoughts were complicated now. At this moment, Xiaohong's eyes seemed a bit unusual when looking at Deng Zixuan.

  "Master! Madam asked me to invite you for dinner. She said you're doing well and working hard, but I found you sleeping soundly!" Little Red laughed. "I'm tired from reading and just resting for a bit, go tell Madam I'll be right there!" Little Red left, and Deng Zixuan couldn't help but notice Little Red's full chest, swaying waist, and sexy buttocks, his heart fluttering with excitement, his lower body stirring slightly.

  When eating, his mother reminded him to take care of his body and not overwork himself. His mother's reminder made Deng Zixuan realize that he should first memorize the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as the Analects of Confucius, otherwise others would not believe he was a candidate for the imperial examination. After dinner, he returned to his room and saw his books neatly arranged on the Eight Immortals table, with a calligraphy poster next to them that caught his attention.

  He casually flipped through Deng Zixuan's music scores and was delighted to find that the handwriting resembled his own. In another world, Deng Zixuan's father loved calligraphy, so he had been forced to practice it since childhood. Although his own brushwork wasn't particularly distinctive, Song Kai's regular script was passable. Excited, Deng Zixuan ground some ink and began writing a few lines.

  The two sides were a match, the font was very similar, and the words he wrote himself were slightly better than that kid's. Deng Zixuan thought to himself with some satisfaction: It seems that no one suspected me of being an imposter after all. He casually picked up a copy of the Analects, read a few lines, and couldn't bear to continue, it was so dull. The idea that half of the Analects could govern the world was simply nonsense. As a history major in college, he was completely unfamiliar with authentic calligraphy, so it wasn't difficult at all. Deng Zixuan casually tossed the book onto the desk, feeling annoyed.

  Suddenly, he found that the few lines of words he had just read appeared very clearly in his mind, as if he had discovered a new continent. He picked up the book again and read a few more lines, then closed his eyes to savor them, almost reciting them from memory. "Haha! When did my memory become so extraordinary, able to achieve photographic memory? Is this an ultimate skill bestowed upon me by heaven?" "Young master, what's making you so happy that you're dancing with joy!" Deng Zixuan turned his head to see that it was the maid, Xiao Hong.

  "Oh! I just saw the brilliant phrase, and couldn't help but recite it!" Deng Zixuan lied. Xiaohong poured water into the teacup while giggling and said: "This is the first time I've seen Young Master being so happy when studying! Ah! Young Master's calligraphy has improved a lot!" Xiaohong looked surprised, couldn't help but pick up the paper to take a look, with a charming expression on her face like a young girl.

  In this situation, Deng Zixuan's desire was ignited again, and he couldn't help but grab Xiaohong's hand and pull her into his arms. Xiaohong let out a sharp cry and struggled to break free, running wildly away. As she ran out the door, she almost collided with someone opposite her, and when she looked up, she saw it was the mistress. She immediately turned pale and stood aside with her head bowed. "What's going on? Don't you know any rules?" The mistress frowned. "Mistress, it's not...it's my fault, Young Master he...he hugged me!" The mistress was taken aback, knowing that Xiaohong wouldn't lie.

  The lady was silent, and Xiaohong suddenly knelt down on the ground and said in a choked voice: "Lady, please don't drive me away, it's not my fault!" The lady seemed to be thinking to herself and said: "Xuan'er has grown up and should get married. Although we have arranged for him to marry, he must observe three years of mourning. Xiaohong, since the young master likes you, just follow him." After a while, I will take charge and establish you as his concubine." "Thank you, lady, I will do my best to serve the young master!" Xiaohong was overjoyed.

  Mother's words made Deng Zixuan feel deeply moved, and he was overjoyed. His mother came into the room to remind him that although she had given Xiaohong to him, he couldn't neglect his studies. Actually, his mother was also worried that her son would be entangled with Xiaohong every day and lose interest in reading books. Her son had already been stimulated once and become infatuated, and she didn't want him to fall ill again.

  Half a month passed quickly, and Deng Zixuan shut himself in the house to make up for the basic knowledge and level that an aspiring scholar should have. During this time, the maid Xiaohong carefully served him, which made Deng Zixuan's spirit full, and soon he read through the Four Books and Five Classics, Analects of Confucius and other books several times. Deng Zixuan's theoretical level increased greatly, and he often shook his head and showed off in front of Xiaohong.

  Sanqi returned from burning paper at his father's grave and as soon as he entered the house, Xiaohong greeted him at the door and told him to go to the old lady's room for a moment.

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