29: Chapter 29 Azure Element Heart Sutra

"?" Minister Wang Fugui froze.

The members of the Chamber of Commerce kneeling behind him also froze.

"Du... duty?"

As citizens of the city, wasn't it only natural and right for them to cooperate with the City Lord?

Not responding to the City Lord could be called shunning at best, or treason at worst!

But now... this City Lord actually said that this was just... duty?

"Furthermore..." Zhou Yun continued: "Even if you truly had thoughts of shunning me in your hearts, as long as you still live in Flower City, you remain the citizens under my rule."

"As the City Lord, protecting the citizens under my rule from the ravages of war and banditry—is that not common sense?"

!!!

Minister Wang Fugui felt a "boom" in his brain.

These words, like a great bell, shook his very Soul.

Common sense?

In this world, where is there so much "common sense"?

To repay malice with kindness—how then to repay kindness?

Could anyone really do such a foolish thing?

But looking at Zhou Yun's clear, hypocrite-free eyes, Minister Wang Fugui knew that this young City Lord was serious.

He really thought this way!

In fact, he had really done it!

"Hoo..."

Minister Wang Fugui let out a long, heavy breath, as if to exhale the foul air that had been pent up in his chest for half his life.

He bowed again to Zhou Yun. "I have been taught. I have a second question, and I hope the City Lord will enlighten me."

"Please speak." Zhou Yun nodded.

Minister Wang Fugui stood up straight, his gaze becoming slightly sharper.

"City Lord, do you believe that I am wrong for working hard to make money, being calculating, and saving up this vast family fortune?"

Zhou Yun did not hesitate, answering cleanly: "Of course not. A gentleman loves wealth, but obtains it through the right Dao. What is wrong with earning money through one's own ability?"

"Good!" Minister Wang Fugui shouted, his emotions becoming somewhat agitated.

"Since there is nothing wrong with making money, and nothing wrong with protecting one's own family business!"

"Then why did I end up with everyone betraying me?!"

He pointed at the busy crowd below the city wall, his fingers trembling slightly from agitation.

"Before you arrived, I clearly had so many people under me! I paid them wages, gave them food, and supported their whole families!"

"But why, as soon as you arrived, did everyone under me leave me without hesitation and turn to your side?"

"Even at the moment of life and death, they didn't even look at me!"

"Instead, it was you, a stranger I've known for less than two days, who took the lead to save me?"

"Is the money I gave them fake? Is my management over these years a joke?"

"That is, of course, because you weren't good enough to them, and the City Lord is better to them!" Lei Lie, who had been standing on the side, couldn't listen anymore and couldn't help but interrupt.

"You treated people like livestock, and the little money you gave was barely enough to keep them from starving!"

"You know what you did, yet you have the nerve to ask?"

"Yes!" This time, Minister Wang Fugui did not argue, but nodded heavily.

He looked at Lei Lie, then at Zhou Yun, admitting frankly:

"I admit it! The City Lord is better to them!"

"The City Lord can take out Spirit Rice worth a hundred silver coins per catty to feed them, can feed them Demonic Beast meat, and even Spirit Fruit!"

"These, I indeed have never provided before."

Speaking of this, Minister Wang Fugui changed the subject.

"However, with my financial resources, if I really wanted to supply them like this in the short term, it's not that I couldn't afford it!"

"Even if Spirit Rice couldn't be bought, I could still let them eat their fill of ordinary white flour and rice!"

"But..."

He stared fixedly at Zhou Yun, asking the question that troubled him most:

"Is there really any need for that?"

"They are just servants doing menial labor. They can work just fine eating coarse rice, so why give them Spirit Rice?"

"Why spend ten coins for something that can be done with one?"

"As I asked before, as I asked before, am I wrong for making money?"

He looked at Zhou Yun, his eyes urgent.

He was not afraid of losing, but he did not want to lose without understanding why.

He hoped that the young City Lord before him could give him a convincing answer.

Facing his persistent questioning, Zhou Yun smiled and said: "Because, a gentleman loves wealth, but obtains it through the right Dao."

"Obtains it through the right Dao?" Minister Wang Fugui was stunned, and then the confusion in his eyes turned into deeper perplexity.

"City Lord, I don't understand!"

"Although I, Minister Wang Fugui, love money and am stingy, I dare to swear to Heaven! I have always made money legally and have never used methods of stealing, robbing, or cheating!"

As he spoke, he raised his right hand, pointing to the sky to swear, his emotions agitated.

"Even for lending, I followed the interest rates stipulated by the law! Even when hiring people, I signed black-and-white contracts!"

"Including the members of the entire Chamber of Commerce, I have required them to do the same! Whoever dares to do illegal business, you don't need to do anything; I will be the first to expel them from the Chamber of Commerce!"

Following his words, the members of the Chamber of Commerce kneeling behind him nodded vigorously.

On this point, they believed they truly had a clear conscience.

They were merchants, not robbers.

"Heh, legal?" Lei Lie, who had been standing on the side, couldn't help but sneer, his face full of disdain.

"Yes, it is indeed legal!"

"You monopolized grain, raised prices, and forced everyone to sign indentures. You even wanted to control the water source, forcing everyone to work like cattle and horses just to drink water!"

"This is indeed legal! But in essence, it is nothing more than exploitation, exploitation, and more exploitation of the citizens!"

Lei Lie's words were rough, but they pierced the heart like a knife.

Minister Wang Fugui flushed red, wanting to retort that "this is business," but felt he couldn't say it in front of Zhou Yun.

Therefore, he ignored Lei Lie and just looked at Zhou Yun, wanting to seek a more specific explanation.

As a merchant, he made money—he was not wrong!

A gentleman loves wealth, but obtains it through the right Dao—he had not violated the law, so he was still not wrong!

Since neither was wrong, why did he end up in this state?

Why, despite sitting on half the city, was he easily defeated by Zhou Yun, who had only arrived in Flower City for two days?

Zhou Yun gently raised his hand, stopping Lei Lie's further mockery.

He did not entangle himself in "legality," but quietly looked at Minister Wang Fugui and asked:

"Minister Wang, the law is the bottom line for action. The Dao is the standard for the heart."

"How do you think the phrase 'A gentleman loves wealth, but obtains it through the right Dao' should be understood?"

Minister Wang Fugui calmed his mood, thought for a moment, and replied:

"Even a three-year-old child knows this saying."

"It means: People of noble character can pursue wealth, but they must obtain it through legal and proper means. One cannot steal, cannot rob, cannot cheat. Am I right?"

The members of the Chamber of Commerce behind him nodded in unison.

This was also the universally accepted understanding.

As long as the means were legal, how much money one earned was one's own ability.

"There is certainly no problem with that understanding." Zhou Yun nodded slightly, giving affirmation, but then he changed the subject.

"However, I do have a slightly different, humble opinion on this phrase."

"Oh?" Minister Wang Fugui bowed and said, "Please instruct me, City Lord."

Zhou Yun took two steps forward, looking at the land outside the city that was full of vitality under the Blazing Sun, and said slowly:

"My understanding of this phrase is..."

"People of noble character can pursue the wealth they need, and they must obtain it through legal and proper means."

As the words fell, even the wind seemed to stop.

There was a momentary stagnation on the city wall.

Minister Wang Fugui was stunned after hearing it.

The members of the Chamber of Commerce were also stunned.

Even Lei Lie was frowning and pondering this sentence at this moment.

The two understandings, at first glance, seemed similar, and the second half was completely identical.

The only difference was the addition of the five words "they need."

But...

With these few words added, the meaning of the sentence had changed drastically!

"Wonderful! Truly wonderful!" A crisp exclamation broke the silence.

Wan'er, who had been listening quietly on the side, couldn't help but clap her hands in approval, her beautiful eyes shining with brilliance.

"The five words the City Lord added are profound and meaningful!"

Seeing that everyone was still confused, she stepped forward and explained for Zhou Yun: "Minister Wang, have you not figured it out yet?"

"If there is no limit to acquiring wealth, and one only talks about legal means. Then, if a person has heaven-defying means, even if he only has one mouth and one stomach, he can legally take nine-tenths of the world's wealth into his pocket!"

"This is called 'because of his lack of need, causing the world to be insufficient'."

"By then, the billions of living beings in the world can only fight for the remaining one-tenth of the scraps. In the end, there will be starving people everywhere, all because of one person's need!"

"If that is the case, even if his methods are legal, how can he be called a 'gentleman'? That is clearly a giant beast devouring the world, the root of chaos in troubled times!"

Wan'er's voice was crisp and pleasant, yet every word struck the Soul: "But like the City Lord..."

"He possesses numerous resources. But he did not lock them tightly in the warehouse; instead, he distributed them to the citizens, to everyone."

"Because he deeply understands that 'a building may have a thousand rooms, but one only needs six feet to sleep at night. One may have a fortune, but one only needs three meals a day'."

"Take what you need, and for the rest, benefit the world!"

"Such behavior is what truly fits the word 'gentleman'! And that is the true 'obtaining it through the right Dao'!"

Boom!

Wan'er's words, combined with Zhou Yun's calm and indifferent figure, were like a thunderbolt, fiercely striking Minister Wang Fugui's crown.

He looked blankly at Zhou Yun, then at his own hands.

Shame, shock, Epiphany... countless emotions flooded his heart.

He understood.

His previous "Dao" was only the Dao of a merchant.

And Zhou Yun's "Dao" was the Dao of a gentleman.

It seemed like just a difference in Dao, but in fact, there was a qualitative gap!

He did not lose because of his methods, nor because of his resources.

He lost to the four words "only take what is needed"!

No wonder...

No wonder he was willing to take out such precious Spirit Rice and Demonic Beast meat and distribute it to everyone without stinginess.

Was it because Zhou Yun was stupid? Was it because Zhou Yun didn't know the value of things?

Of course not.

It was because, of the three thousand weak waters, he only takes one ladle!

For Zhou Yun, he only wanted what he needed.

As for the rest, no matter how precious, he was willing and happy to take it out!

And what about me?

A strong sense of self-mockery appeared at the corner of Minister Wang Fugui's mouth.

Regardless of whether I needed it or not, regardless of whether the warehouse was already full, I was desperately grabbing things into my own arms, trying every possible way to grab!

Even if it rotted in the warehouse, I was unwilling to share it with others.

He remembered those servants and guards he regarded as "private property" in daily life, the disdainful looks they gave him behind his back, and the curses they heaped upon him in private.

Look at the city below again.

Those tens of thousands of commoners who were moving bricks and transporting earth.

Even though they were doing the hardest work, even though they were covered in sweat, their faces were filled with heartfelt smiles. That was hope for the future and love for their leader.

Comparing the two, the difference was clear.

He took a deep breath, tidied his clothes, then clasped his hands together, bent deeply toward Zhou Yun, and performed a student's bow that he had never done before.

"Hearing your words, it is like seeing the sun after parting the clouds!"

"Thank you, City Lord... for teaching me!"

This bow was one of sincere submission.

However, before he could bend down, a pair of warm and powerful hands had already supported his arms.

Zhou Yun did not accept this bow.

He used a little force to help Minister Wang Fugui up, his face still wearing that humble and gentle smile.

"Minister Wang, you are too kind."

"I am just a Junior who has just started out. In terms of age, I am younger than you; in terms of experience and vision, I am far inferior to you, who have been floating in the sea of business for half a lifetime."

"How could I have taught you anything? I was just speaking my own shallow views."

Looking at Zhou Yun's sincere eyes, Minister Wang Fugui felt even more ashamed.

If the opponents in the business world had won in the past, they would have been arrogant by now, wishing they could step on his face and rub it hard!

But now, even though Zhou Yun had clearly won, he was being modest as a Junior in front of him!

What kind of magnanimity was this?

"City Lord, the more you are so humble, the more I feel ashamed..."

He sighed, then his expression became serious, as if he had made a major decision.

He stepped back half a step, looked at Zhou Yun with a firm gaze, and said loudly:

"City Lord, I, Minister Wang Fugui, am a vulgar person and do not understand many great principles. But I know that if I do something wrong, I must admit it! Once I admit it, I must change it!"

"I have decided!"

"From today on, I will hand over all the idle fields, houses, and shops under the name of the Chamber of Commerce in the city! Together with the land deeds, I will hand them all over unconditionally for you, City Lord, to dispose of as you see fit!"

This sentence was sonorous and forceful, without any hesitation.

After finishing, he turned around and looked at the group of old brothers from the Chamber of Commerce behind him.

"Everyone, this is just my personal decision, Minister Wang Fugui, and does not represent the Chamber of Commerce. So, what you do... I will not force you; you decide for yourselves."

Hearing this, the members of the Chamber of Commerce kneeling on the ground all laughed.

An elderly shopkeeper adjusted his reading glasses and said slowly:

"President, you are being a stranger by saying that."

"Over the past twenty years, when have you not led us through the storms? Since you have seen through it and feel that this City Lord is worth following, can we fall behind?"

"Exactly!" Another fat shopkeeper also echoed:

"After hearing the City Lord's words just now, I have also figured it out!"

"What's the use of guarding those empty houses? Yesterday, watching the refugees break through the city, I was almost scared to death. No matter how much money you have, it's useless if you don't have your life!"

"Following such a benevolent City Lord, I feel at ease!"

The others also expressed their positions one after another:

"I am willing to hand over the three hundred acres of land in the south of the city!"

"My shops on those two streets are all handed over too!"

"Count me in!"

...

Seeing this scene, Zhou Yun was also very happy.

Although everyone could build houses and have fields after the new city was built, it would take time.

It was naturally best that Minister Wang Fugui and the others were willing to share their houses and fields now.

Just as he was about to say something to thank Minister Wang Fugui and the members of the Chamber of Commerce for their contributions, Minister Wang Fugui took out a small booklet and solemnly handed it to Zhou Yun.

"City Lord, this is a Cultivation Technique I accidentally obtained, called the Green Element Heart Sutra."

"Please, City Lord, you must accept it!"

Zhou Yun: ?

Wan'er: ??

Lei Lie: ???

Chamber of Commerce members: ?????????

...