Silence spread through the hall.
Jin Honghu stared fiercely.
The oppressive atmosphere at its extreme, ordinary people might really find it hard to bear.
However, Chen Yun had no pressure at all, constantly thinking about acting techniques.
Time ticked by second by second.
Jin Hong seemed to lose patience, some impatience opened up and said, "Have you decided?"
Seeing that the time had passed, Chen Yun took a deep breath and said, "I would rather die than live with Jin's family."
"Good! Very good! Good!" Jin Hong, seething with anger, laughed sarcastically, stood up with his hair standing on end in anger and said, "Since you've chosen this path to death, then I'll send you on your way!"
As he spoke, he angrily yelled outside, "Come on!"
As soon as his words were spoken, three footmen with broad shoulders and muscular waist burst into the room.
Jin Hong didn't waste any words with the footmen. He simply pointed at Chen Yun and said, "Tie this rascal up!"
The three footmen stepped forward and restrained Chen Yun, binding him with rough ropes.
Chen Yun this time didn't even struggle, allowing the footmen to bind him well.
Jin Hong roared, "I'll ask you one last time, are you really not afraid of death?"
"Death, I certainly fear it." Chen Yun looked at Jin Hong, resolutely said: "Jin Prime Minister, you accuse me of destroying Qiao Qiao's reputation. The only way to make amends is by dying. Although I am not a person of great virtue, I also know that a woman's reputation is as precious as an unblemished gem. Today, if my death can redeem Qiao Qiao's reputation, I am willing to be struck by Jin Prime Minister on the hall!"
With Chen Yun tied up, Jin Hong seemed not to be in a hurry.
He tiptoed to Chen Yun's front and squinted his eyes to look at him, "You would rather die than marry into the family, is it because you really can't bear the shame of being a son-in-law?"
A concubine, in simple terms, is a man who 'marries' into a woman's family. He not only has to settle down in the woman's household, make her parents his own parents, and follow her family name for his children, but also must continue the ancestral line from the mother's side.
In ancient times, a concubine was not only a symbol of disgrace.
It was even a symbol of "bondservants" and "criminals," enduring bullying and discrimination.
For example, in the Records of the Later Han Dynasty. Yan Zhu Pass, it was recorded that "in Huainan custom, selling children to others as bond servants is called 'excessive son,' and after three years if cannot be redeemed, they will become bond servants."
The term "excessive son" refers to a concubine.
If the family didn't come to redeem them within three years, they would become true bond servants.
Since concubines usually come from humble backgrounds, wealthy families would not marry their legitimate daughters to them. Instead, they would often match them with a lesser daughter or even directly with a female slave.
Therefore, it can be said that the role of a concubine is purely reproductive, and he will not be respected as the son-in-law by the family of his wife.
The Zijing from the pre-Qin period, "Geli," has also mentioned the humble status of concubine: "In the end, far away from brothers, others call me father, none of them have a look at me...others call me mother, none of them have a look at me...others call me brother-in-law, none of them have a look at me."
Hence, marrying into a family as a son-in-law was considered a shame.
"No," Chen Yun shook his head, "Jin Prime Minister wants to entrust his only daughter to me, and I don't think it's shameful for me to marry into the Jin family."
Jin Hong was surprised and said, "Then why don't you want to marry into my Jin family? My Jin family has millions of taels of silver, and in the future, I can help you advance your career. I really can't understand the reason why you refuse to marry into the Jin family. If it were ordinary people, they might break their heads to get married."
Chen Yun didn't answer the question directly but asked in return, "Prime Minister Jin, I've always had a question that I haven't been able to figure out. You have seen a lot and have wide knowledge. Can you ponder it for me?"
Jin Hong nodded and said, "What question is it? Go ahead."
Chen Yun looked at him with an earnest expression, "What happens to a person after death?"
Jin Hong was taken aback, then laughed, "A person dies like a lamp goes out. How can I know where they go?"
He had been transformed by Zhongli Quan, how could he not know where a person goes after death?
But these words couldn't be said out loud, otherwise, it would be discovered.
Hmm, Zhongli Quan still thinks he has done a great job with his acting, without revealing any flaws.
Although Zhongli Quan was confident about his acting, he always felt that something was not right, as if Chen Yun's attitude was a bit too self-assured.
Chen Yun nodded in agreement, "Yes, when a person dies, it's like a lamp goes out. What use are millions of taels of silver? Can wealth be brought in life and taken away in death?"
Upon hearing this, Jin Hong's eyes shone with an air of incomprehensible brightness.
At the door, the old Zhao, Cai Rujin and Wang Zixi who played footmen were also the same.
Chen Yun continued, "Whether you were a king in life, after death, you're no more than a pile of earth. So, I want to ask Prime Minister Jin, what is the use of money? What is the use of power?"
“After death, power and wealth naturally become useless.” Jin Hong agreed with a sentence and then refuted, "However, life is only several decades. Without power, you will be like an ant. If there is no wealth, you will suffer a lot of hardships. Don't you want to have silk clothes and food, as well as to vigorously sweep aside the whole world? Isn't it that you don't want to establish a great career and leave your name on bamboo scrolls to be revered by future generations? Although people die, their spirit can last forever."
Chen Yun gently shook his head, "To achieve greatness and make a career is for the sake of a country. My aspirations are towards all under heaven, all living beings, everything comes naturally. Therefore, Chen Yun, with one heart on the path of cultivation, seeks only longevity, to nurture the world like rain."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was shocked!
All living beings, everything comes naturally?
This statement is like Laozi's words, "Man follows the Earth, the Earth follows the Sky, the Sky follows the Tao, and the Tao follows Nature," which is astonishing and resonates profoundly!
What is meant by "Man follows the Earth, the Earth follows the Sky, the Sky follows the Tao, and the Tao follows Nature"?
The general meaning of this sentence is: People live and work according to the land, reproduce and survive; the land follows the sky for changing seasons and nurturing all things; natural climate and celestial phenomena follow the "Tao" in the universe; the Great "Tao" follows the nature, following its nature to achieve what it is supposed to be.
Ordinary people strive for achievement and career, and even emperors govern a country, it is no more than educating the people of the state.
However, Chen Yun's words indicate his ideal, which is to grasp the yin and yang of the world and let everything develop naturally.
This is Daoist spirit of great love!
The Daoists advocate "Great love without love," that is, "The Earth and Heaven are not benevolent, they treat all things as grasshoppers; the Sage does not have benevolence, he treats the people as grasshoppers."
The Earth and Heaven are indifferent to benevolence. They have no mercy, treating everything in the world as cattle, allowing everything to exist or perish naturally.
The Tao is always without action, yet it accomplishes all things.
Jin Hong's gaze on Chen Yun completely changed.
He finally knew what kind of Daoist aspirations the youth sitting in front of him had.
Wang Laozhi, Cai Rujin, and Wang Zixi, who were acting as servants at the door, all looked at Chen Yun in disbelief.
Not only them, but also He Xiangguo and Zheng Wenshu, who were hiding in the doorway "watching the drama," were the same.
Everyone was thoroughly astonished by Chen Yun's words.
Such aspirations are not something that just anyone can say!
But this kind of enlightenment about Dao, unlike that of a young man.
Even Zhongli Quan, who had transformed into Jin Hong, was somewhat suspicious that someone must have taught Chen Yun these words beforehand.
His gaze immediately turned to He Xiangguo and Zheng Wenshu waiting outside, then swept across Wang Laozhi's cheeks.
If someone had prepped Chen Yun, it could only have been these three.
Because although Cai Rujin and Wang Zixi's cultivation was not weak, their understanding of Dao did not reach this level.
Unexpectedly, as Zhongli Quan looked over, their gazes all flowed with surprise and astonishment.
It was evident that He Xiangguo, Zheng Wenshu, and Wang Laozhi were also surprised to hear Chen Yun express such a grand aspiration.
Then, it can be said that there is no one to teach him this.
But Zhongli Quan was still suspicious.
He thought it was impossible for a teenager of 16 or 17 years old to understand such profound principles.
He decided to do something drastic to see the true situation.
Thinking of this, Jin Hong suddenly smiled coldly, "Your intention is that you will never marry my daughter, no matter what?"
Chen Yun said, "Yes."
Upon hearing this, Jin Hong's hair and beard bristled and said, "This little thief barged into my daughter's room and stained her purity. He refuses to take responsibility. Does he really think that my Jin family is easy to bully? Fine! Today, I will castigate you in the hall. Use your thick purple blood to wash off the shame of my daughter's purity!"
With that, he drew a sword from his waist, pointing it directly at Chen Yun's neck, "Little rascal, I ask you again, will you marry my daughter or not?"
Chen Yun decisively said, "If I can't achieve longevity by following the Dao, I am willing to die without hesitation!"
"Then you may die!"
Jin Hong suddenly plunged the tip of the blade into Chen Yun's heart.
At this point, Chen Yun still believed that the other party was acting, showing no concern.
He felt that the other party would not really kill himself.
However, what was unexpected was that Jin Hong didn't spare any effort at all.
Puff!
The tip of the blade pierced through the skin and penetrated into the internal organs of the rib cage.
A sharp pain shot from his heart, Chen Yun couldn't believe his eyes and looked down at the chest that was pierced by the waist knife and bleeding profusely. His face turned white in an instant.
Is it... am I wrong?
Is it not someone who has been transformed by a high-level teacher in the Daoist community?
He couldn't believe that the other party would really drive the knife into his heart.
At this moment, Jin Hong's face was hideous, and his sleeves were dyed crimson with the blood spurting from Chen Yun's chest.
He almost went crazy and asked again, "Little thief, do you regret it?"
He felt the vitality was slipping away.
Chen Yun's body trembled with pain, and his consciousness began to blur.
Will you regret today's decision?
To be honest, Chen Yun is more afraid of death than anyone else.
And he realized that all his previous guesses were wrong.
In theory, he should be regretting it with intestines turning green.
But for some reason, when he really stood between life and death, Chen Yun's heart suddenly became calm.
Life is but a few decades.
If one cannot attain immortality and eternal life through cultivation, it makes no difference whether one dies early or late.
If Chen Yun marry into Jin family and sneak to survive, he would lose the chance to become immortal. What is the point of living in that case?
As Emily Dickinson wrote in "If I Never Loved You": "I could endure the darkness, if I had not seen the sun."
Yes.
If I had not known that there is a way to attain immortality and eternal life, perhaps I could have willingly lived an ordinary life.
But...
I have seen the light!
With his consciousness becoming increasingly blurred, Chen Yun suddenly raised his head, looked sad and smiled, mumbled from the 76th back of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "Jade can be broken but not change its white, bamboo can be burned but not destroy its principle. I will die, but my will cannot change!"
After saying this, Chen Yun's vision went black, and he lost all consciousness.
However, this situation didn't last long.
In the next moment, a burst of laughter rang out in his ears.
"Hahaha!"
"Good! Good a jade can be broken but not change its white! Good a bamboo can be burned but not destroy its principle! Good a I will die, but my will cannot change!"
"Chen junior, why don't you wake up quickly?"
With the laughter, Chen Yun felt a flash of light and color in front of his eyes.
Then, he saw himself standing safely under a sunny sky, with the carved beams and painted eaves gone, replaced by a stretch of wilderness.
Hm?
I'm not dead?
Chen Yun was puzzled and looked carefully. To his astonishment, he saw He Xiangguo, Zheng Wenshu, Wang Laozhi, Cai Rujin and Wang Zixi standing before him; as well as a middle-aged man with a bun on his head, a beard hanging over his abdomen, holding an umbrella, exposing his chest and abdomen with relaxed ease.
By his appearance, this man was none other than Zhongli Quan.
