ps. This is the first update for today; seeking monthly ticket support. “What I just said was, one must maintain correctness in conduct…”

At this moment, Elder Duan spoke with earnest instruction, “To maintain means to hold fast, to keep. To remain unchanged, to meet myriad changes with constancy—then the fortune naturally remains sound. But starting with you, the change began immediately, and thus the fortune naturally skewed. If it changed for the better, there’s nothing to say. But the greatest fear is a turn for the worse, lest the blessings fail to reach your descendants and instead become an obstacle.”

“This is a cardinal taboo, one that must be guarded against.”

Elder Duan cautioned gravely, “You also mentioned that Sunzi is still young, like a tender sapling that requires your meticulous care—shielding it from wind and rain so it can grow strong. This means the present moment is critical; stability is paramount. If you are stable, they will naturally be fine. If you waver, the outcome is unpredictable.”

“Yes, yes.”

Cousin-Uncle deeply agreed, then smiled somewhat sheepishly, “Master, since fortune can improve, how should it be steered toward improvement?”

Human greed knows no bounds—wanting the pheasant on the ground and then eyeing the dragon on the peak. This is only human nature, and quite understandable. At least Elder Duan was not surprised by it, and he laughed upon hearing the question, “That too is manageable. Urge them to study diligently, cultivate them well, and prevent them from straying onto the wrong path; the rest will fall into place naturally.”

“Mhm, mhm…”

Cousin-Uncle committed this to memory earnestly, then continued to ask for more advice, the stream seemingly endless. It was rare for Elder Duan to possess such patience, answering each question individually, which only made Cousin-Uncle revere him like a deity—he probably felt the urge to prostrate himself in worship.

At this juncture, Wang Guan finally understood why Elder Duan commanded such deep respect in Kong Family Village. It was mainly because he possessed the capability, and his words carried undeniable conviction.

Of course, Wang Guan himself was utterly convinced, because eight out of every ten things Elder Duan said were positive and advocated for accumulating virtue. Under such circumstances, he had no reason to doubt him. Lu Chongming, having listened, also set aside his worries, believing that if Cousin-Uncle truly followed this path, there would be no harm in it, and he would only gain a good reputation.

Simultaneously, Lu Chongming had a slight realization and whispered, “Having a good reputation should also bless the descendants, shouldn’t it?”

“Of course,” Wang Guan nodded gently. “If one day my son seeks your help, will you offer a hand out of respect for me, given that you possess the ability?”

“I definitely would,” Lu Chongming stroked his chin. “Saying it that way, putting aside Feng Shui for a moment, if my Cousin-Uncle acts on this advice, it will certainly benefit his two nephews later on. In that case, it seems to have nothing to do with Feng Shui after all.”

“Elder Duan said, if you believe it, it exists; if you don’t, it doesn’t,” Wang Guan said with a smile. “It’s like the prognostication for your grandfather: ‘Marry first, then establish a career.’ While working, he had a wife and children to care for, inevitably leading to divided attention. When attention is split, one often satisfies neither side—work suffers, and the children aren't raised well. Then, one can only look to the next generation, the grandsons.”

“Establish a career first, then marry. Once a solid financial foundation is set, one can calmly oversee the raising of children. With focused cultivation, children are more likely to succeed, naturally leading to a promising son.”

Wang Guan analyzed this and smiled, “Is this explanation easier for you to accept?”

“Exquisite.”

In an instant, Lu Chongming gave a thumbs-up. “Grandpa probably thought exactly like that.”

“So, prognostication is just that kind of thing,” Wang Guan stated calmly. “Advising people toward goodness, whether they believe it or not is fine. But if it involves coercion, threats, or demands for money, that’s definitely a charlatan.”

“Exactly.” Lu Chongming raised both hands in agreement, then noticed Cousin-Uncle leading Elder Duan further into the house, and asked in surprise, “Where are you two going?”

“To look at the items left behind by your grandfather,” Cousin-Uncle called out. “If you’re interested, you should come along too. I’ve kept these things for over ten years; you probably haven’t seen them.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Chongming couldn't remain seated any longer. He quickly called Wang Guan and followed Cousin-Uncle into his residence. The items were stored in a large cabinet tucked away in a corner of the house, buried at the very bottom. When Cousin-Uncle pulled them out, it was evident they were quite old, covered in fine dust.

The items were not valuable—just a compass and a few silk-bound books.

As for the compass, there was little to say; it was quite aged, and the needle had broken off due to time. Seeing this, Cousin-Uncle blushed slightly and explained, “I haven’t used it in ages; I don’t know when it got crushed.”

“It’s fine, let’s look at the books.”

Elder Duan waved his hand, picked up a silk-bound book, and immediately showed a hint of pleasant surprise. “There are annotations…”

What were annotations? Generally speaking, this implied two possibilities. First, lecture notes: when a teacher imparted key knowledge or points, students, afraid of forgetting, would certainly jot them down.

The second meaning is what we commonly call reading notes: impressions or unique insights gained while reading a book, which one records.

Relatively speaking, reading notes are more ancient; in antiquity, they were called zhu (commentary). Take the Analects as an example: as early as the Qin and Han dynasties, great Confucian scholars began drafting interpretations based on their own understanding of the Analects. So, don't assume Confucianism was just one monolithic school; in reality, it housed numerous factions, each with its own doctrines.

To put it plainly, those scholars borrowed the mantle of Confucius, then habitually injected their own private agendas. Moreover, after Emperor Wu of Han dismissed the hundred schools of thought to exclusively honor Confucianism, competition within the Confucian school intensified, with academic disputes sometimes escalating to the point of physical annihilation—certainly not just a matter of gentlemanly rivalry, as people might imagine.

For instance, Kong Yingda, a great Confucian scholar of the Sui and Tang dynasties, was a direct descendant of Confucius. However, during a debate in the court of Emperor Wen of Sui, he famously triumphed in a verbal showdown against many scholars, cementing his status as a master.

Yet, this very debate bred deep resentment in the losers, who hired assassins for revenge. Fortunately, high-ranking officials provided protection at the time, allowing him to escape disaster. Considering that a mere dispute over classics led to such volatility, a struggle over the true orthodox succession would naturally be far more ruthless and merciless.

Through the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties—centuries of conflict—academic disputes never ceased. It wasn't until the Ming Dynasty, when Zhu Yuanzhang established Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism as the orthodoxy, that the discord subsided. But this peace was short-lived. Barely a hundred years later, Wang Yangming, the master of the School of Mind, emerged suddenly, proclaimed a living sage, and founded the Wang School of Mind, setting him against Neo-Confucianism once more.

Of course, while everyone outwardly paid homage to Confucius, the fundamental basis of each school’s ideology lay in the annotations of the Confucian classics. These reading notes left by Lu Chongming’s grandfather were similar in essence: ancient Feng Shui books were secondary; his personal insights and understanding of Feng Shui were the real key.

“That’s right, there are notes,” Cousin-Uncle nodded, then looked a bit ashamed. “But they feel incredibly difficult. I recognize every single character, yet once they are combined, I can’t understand them at all.”

“That’s normal,” Elder Duan chuckled. “These are professional terms; someone without the foundational knowledge simply cannot decipher them.”

While speaking, Elder Duan couldn’t help but flip through the pages, engrossed. He occasionally nodded lightly, clearly agreeing with Lu Chongming’s grandfather’s interpretations. But there were also moments of shaking his head, indicating differing opinions.

“Let me see…”

Seeing this, Lu Chongming randomly grabbed a book and began to read, his brow immediately furrowing. He truly couldn't grasp the meaning. Some simple content seemed understandable, but in reality, he understood nothing.

After all, ancient Feng Shui texts generally followed the writing conventions of classical Chinese prose—extremely concise phrasing where a few characters encompassed multiple meanings. Without modern vernacular explanation, ordinary people were bound to be lost. Lu Chongming looked for a moment, couldn't help but shake his head, and casually passed the book to Wang Guan, inviting him to share his frustration.

“Kan Yu Man Xing (Casual Musings on Topography and Waterways)!”

Wang Guan glanced at it and showed a touch of surprise. “The author is Liu Ji.”

“So what if the author is him?” Lu Chongming didn’t fully grasp Wang Guan’s astonishment.

“Liu Ji, Liu Bowen,” Wang Guan explained. “Zhu Yuanzhang’s strategist, known as the Ming Dynasty’s Zhang Liang, the Divine Counselor Liu Bowen. There are many legends about him among the common folk; the Shao Bing Ge (The Song of the Baked Cake) is attributed to him…”

“Oh, him,” Lu Chongming suddenly understood. “A very formidable figure who helped Zhu Yuanzhang secure his dynasty and pacify the realm. But it seems his official rank was quite low, only granted the title of Earl of Sincerity (Cheng Yi Bo).”

In ancient enfeoffments, Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron—for founding meritorious officials, being named Duke or Marquis was the norm, with some even being posthumously elevated to King. Compared to Liu Bowen’s achievements, the rank of Earl was indeed a noticeable slight.

“That’s perfectly normal.”

At the same time, Elder Duan smiled. “The status of a counselor in ancient times was incredibly precarious. When needed, even the Emperor commanded them. When no longer needed, their fate was often tragic. Grand Official Wenzhong, who helped King Goujian of Yue defeat Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period, is a perfect example.”

“So Zhang Liang of the Han Dynasty learned his lesson well. No matter how lavishly Liu Bang rewarded him, he declined everything, resolutely refusing to participate in political struggles. Speaking of which, this set a good precedent for later counselors, teaching them how to conceal their sharpness for self-preservation. After all, a counselor’s mind is too clever; today they can help the sovereign pacify the world, and tomorrow they can overturn it, naturally making the emperor extremely wary.”

While speaking, Elder Duan sighed with feeling. “Because of this, legends surrounding Liu Bowen’s death are mixed with truth and falsehood. Some say he died naturally, others that he feigned death to escape, and still others believe Zhu Yuanzhang ordered his demise…”

“There is no need to elaborate on all these matters.”

At this point, Elder Duan pointed to the Kan Yu Man Xing and smiled. “However, this book is indeed one of the essential works of the Form School (Luan Tou Pai). The entire text primarily discusses mountain and river formations, almost entirely avoiding Qi calculations, and does not touch upon the Nine Stars, Bagua, or Four Symbols. But in terms of Form theory, its thinking is clear, its explanations lucid, and it deeply embodies the essence of Master Yang.”

“Who is Master Yang?” Lu Chongming inquired, puzzled.

“Yang Junsong, the Feng Shui grandmaster of the Tang Dynasty,” Elder Duan smiled. “He served in the imperial court early in his career, but later, due to the Huang Chao Rebellion, he returned to the common people to harmonize the land’s energy, aiding the poor and saving the destitute. If you are interested, you should look up his background. For now, let’s look at the last section of this book; it seems to contain a diagram of a Feng Shui formation.”

“What?”

Wang Guan and the others immediately crowded closer to examine it…

(To be continued.)