[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl":3,"chapter-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-137":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Great Jin's Most Iron Rice Bowl",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1896911,2531,"Chapter 137: Fame and Status","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-137",137,"\u003Cp>The Director's two disciples were to be used for giving lectures at Qihuang Hall No. 6; naturally, Hua Changxi was unwilling to yield, but given her status as a laborer in the Laborer Hall, she possessed no authority to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do not be misled by the seemingly reasonable attitudes of Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou; the two had merely come to notify her, not to solicit her opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, she had lost the wooden token.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling somewhat stifled, Hua Changxi left Qihuang Hall; walking along, she arrived at the square, and upon seeing the old courtyard with its gates wide open, she pondered for a moment before entering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Hua Changxi, Gu Xing felt somewhat surprised; nowadays, his place was bustling, with people coming and going daily as if searching for treasure, yet this girl, apart from the period when she retrieved the wooden token, had rarely visited since.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Judging by your appearance, have you encountered some trouble?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing before the wall in the courtyard where the wooden token had once hung, Hua Changxi asked puzzledly, \"I clearly matched all nine Qihuang Halls of the Laborer Hall with their nine wooden tokens; why then do Mu Qingying and the others' tokens still react?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing roughly understood what she was referring to and smiled, saying, \"You have only unlocked the teaching content of the nine Qihuang Halls; aside from Qihuang Hall No. 1, you likely never bound the other halls with your wooden token.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Hua Changxi's expression brightened: \"By 'binding,' do you mean aligning the small sword on the wooden token with the sword slot on the stone pillar at the entrance of the Qihuang Hall?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing smiled without speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi covered her head in regret; previously, fearing that causing a large commotion would attract unwanted attention, she had never aligned the three-dimensional small swords on the wooden tokens with the stone pillar slots for any hall other than Qihuang Hall No. 1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then, if small swords condense on other people's wooden tokens, can they also bind the Qihuang Halls?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing smiled but remained silent, which served as an admission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of the influence wielded by Gu Jinfan and Yuan Tianchou, Hua Changxi immediately felt a headache coming on; with so many people attending their lectures, it would not take long for them to condense sword patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her expression shift unpredictably, Gu Xing pondered for a moment before asking, \"Why have you not been attending classes during this period?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi replied, \"My time is limited; I am busy with other matters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing said, \"Qihuang Hall is inherently a place for transmitting the Dao; since you lack the energy to attend classes, it is quite normal for others to take over the teaching duties.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi remained silent; setting aside the nine Qihuang Halls of the Apprentice Hall, the nine halls of the Laborer Hall were occupied by her first, so how could she possibly be willing to hand them over now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at her, Gu Xing asked, \"Are you angry that others are going to Qihuang Hall to teach, or are you angry that you cannot hold onto the Qihuang Halls?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi retorted, \"Is there any difference?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing smiled and said, \"The difference is immense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frowning, Hua Changxi fell silent for a long while before walking over to sit at the stone table: \"I simply feel stifled; why is it that even now, I must still be constrained by others?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to her tone, Gu Xing raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, \"Do you dare to kill?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi glanced at him: \"Of course.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing asked again, \"You dare to kill, but are you willing to transform yourself into a murderous fiend?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing laughed and said, \"If you are unwilling, then even possessing superior martial prowess grants you little deterrent power over others, especially within an official bureaucracy like the Medicine Bureau.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you know why many martial experts wander the world alone?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi replied, \"Because they cherish freedom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing burst out laughing: \"Then why do you suppose many experts live in such straitened circumstances?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi answered, \"Because they are poor at managing finances.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing laughed, but as he continued laughing, he sighed: \"Girl, you still have much to learn.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finding his words baffling, Hua Changxi asked, \"Elder Gu, what exactly are you trying to say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing spoke seriously: \"Judging by your tone, your cultivation level should not be low; however, your strength applies only to yourself, meaning it merely grants you a degree of self-preservation without endowing you with the ability to influence others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Hua Changxi was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing continued, \"The imperial court established the Medicine Bureau hundreds of years ago; over these centuries, the Bureau has long formed a set of effective rules and regulations that operate smoothly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Under this system of rules and regulations, every department within the Medicine Bureau has its own position, and every person within those departments has their own place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Girl, have you found your own place? Do you believe that your current self holds any standing within the Medicine Bureau?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi opened her mouth, wishing to say something, yet nothing came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What standing did she have in the Medicine Bureau? Not to mention the Director, even a Sixth-Rank Bureau Chief could find any excuse to pack her off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing said, \"Actually, teaching laborers at Qihuang Hall is an excellent method; it can bring you fame.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once you gain fame, you will acquire a certain amount of prestige; with prestige, you will secure a certain status within the Laborer Hall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, the Laborer Hall is the lowest department in the Medicine Bureau; your prestige has not spread beyond the Laborer Hall, and even if it had, it has not reached a level capable of influencing others; therefore, to the Apprentice Hall, the Disciple Hall, and the Nine Streets Apothecaries outside the Laborer Hall, you are nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you wish to truly establish a foothold within the Medicine Bureau, you must find a way to make your name known throughout the entire Bureau; only then can you secure a place within it and possess the ability to make others hesitate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As you are now, you lack sufficient prestige to influence others, nor do you have anything that makes people fear you; thus, you can only be manipulated and controlled at will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing's words shook Hua Changxi profoundly; these were thoughts she had never considered before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, everything she had done was solely to improve her strength; she had only thought about avoiding oppression and desired only autonomy over her own life, never considering the need to influence others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, Hua Changxi finally spoke: \"Can I not simply preserve my own integrity? Must I necessarily contend for fame and status?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing replied, \"Certainly you can; solitary experts wandering the world have been common throughout history; however, if you wish to remain in the Medicine Bureau and interact with people, you must consider matters of establishing yourself and securing your livelihood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pondering for a moment, Hua Changxi added, \"You yourself said that the Medicine Bureau has existed for hundreds of years, its rules long solidified, and every position is occupied by people with backgrounds; under such circumstances, how am I to establish myself and secure my livelihood?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing smiled and said, \"Rules are not incapable of being broken.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Hua Changxi was startled, looking at Gu Xing in astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smile on Gu Xing's face did not fade: \"You may either comply with the rules or break them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi fell silent for a moment: \"...Elder, I feel you are inducing me to do certain things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing laughed: \"If you truly are induced by this old man, it is only because you wish to be induced; the choice has always remained in your hands, has it not?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at him, Hua Changxi said, \"Elder, you are truly skilled at bewitching people; you ought to be giving lectures at Qihuang Hall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Xing shook his head with a smile: \"This old man is merely a gatekeeper; I am unfit to give any lectures.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi said, \"Having you guard the gate is truly a waste of talent.\" Her emotions somewhat unsettled, she did not wish to linger longer in the old courtyard: \"Elder, I have disturbed you today; please rest well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time she exited the old courtyard, the sky had already turned dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way back to her own courtyard, Gu Xing's words from earlier filled Hua Changxi's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had to admit that much of what he said was correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She indeed held no status to speak of within the Medicine Bureau, so when Mu Qingying and Yuan Tianchou needed to attend classes at Qihuang Hall No. 6, merely notifying her sufficed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their standing within the Medicine Bureau surpassed hers, not due to their alchemical skills, but simply because they leaned on the Bureau Chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did the Bureau Chief represent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Power!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Changxi sighed; she was already cultivating immortality, so why could she not escape this struggle for power and profit?\u003C\u002Fp>",1536,"2026-06-12T02:51:22.172Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","61e0acce59010294fc7a81fbe3ce696ce150c12360e439b8ea56477ef071a240","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-138","the-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-chapter-136",558,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-great-jin-s-most-iron-rice-bowl-cover.jpg"]