There are great scholars who defend the classics for me

Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter. This is Chengzi's thought! This is Chengzi's thought!

Chengzi

——

Xu Yanmiao's voice was so loud that it seemed to echo in the academy.

"Hahahahahaha——"

The prince couldn't even hold the melon seeds steadily, and laughed wildly while patting the doorpost: "Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism! Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism! They always mention them together, so it's normal to remember them wrong!"

Many people in the crowd blushed.

——They are the kind of people who make mistakes. Some of them firmly believed that "Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter" was what Zhuzi said before Xu Yanmiao said it.

However, no matter how red their faces were, they couldn't be redder than Zhu Bailu. From the face to the neck, it made people wonder if he was looking for a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"I...it..."

Under great pressure, Zhu Bailu quickly found an excuse: "Of course I know that this is Chengzi's thought, and Zhuzi never said, 'Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter', but Zhuzi did say, 'Marrying after the husband's death is indeed a loss of chastity'. Although the words are different, the meaning is the same."

Zhu Bailu: "Today, let's argue whether Zhuzi advocates widows to remain chaste."

The great scholar Tongxin slapped his thigh: "Oh no, Zhuzi did say that."

Quan Yingzhang: "Didn't the original sentence say: Marrying after the husband's death is indeed a loss of chastity, but there are also unavoidable circumstances, and saints cannot forbid it?"

Tongxin: "But Zhuzi only said that it is 'not unavoidable' if it cannot be done, which already shows that Zhuzi's thought is: it is the law of nature for a widow not to remarry, and it can only be accommodated when it is unavoidable."

The two looked at the stage again, and Zhu Bailu really used this statement.

Moreover, this person was well prepared and blocked the way directly: "Zhu Zi once said to his students: If the husband cannot support his wife, it is reasonable for the wife to divorce. But this is also a 'last resort' situation. The world can indeed tolerate such unreasonableness, but most families are not at this point. If there is no tragedy, but the husband dies, the wife will remarry, which means she completely disregards the friendship between husband and wife."

He said this, and Xu Yanmo could not refute it with similar cases.

Zhu Bailu was a little proud.

Although he misremembered the origin of the saying "Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter", he knew that Zhu Xi once said to his students in Zhu Zi Yu Lei, "The general idea is like this, but some people cannot do it completely" in response to Mr. Yichuan's not opposing his cousin's remarriage.

Mr. Yichuan is one of the two Chengs in Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, Cheng Yi. He

was the one who proposed "Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter", which was later distorted into "losing chastity means that a woman is not chaste if she remarries".

Zhu Xi said more bluntly about Cheng Zi's cousin's remarriage:

Zhu Xi's apprentice: Teacher, why doesn't Cheng Zi oppose my cousin's remarriage?

Zhu Xi: According to Confucian principles, a widow remarries after her husband dies, which is a loss of chastity. But from a human perspective, it is normal that she cannot do it.

Zhu Bailu knew that if he wanted to avoid being refuted by Xu Yanmiao, he had to block the possibility of Xu Yanmiao using this incident to refute it.

*

Xu Yanmiao fell into deep thought. Zhu Bailu looked at him steadily, with no concealment of the malice in his eyes.

Although a young boy had read Zhu Zi's thoughts, it was impossible for him to refute him in a short time without preparation!

What a 20-year-old examiner of the imperial examination, what "Xu Shentong", ha!

That's all.

No matter what this kid said next, Zhu Zi meant that "rituals are rituals, and secularity is secularity. Don't apply rituals rigidly, but should judge the situation according to the world", he just had to insist that Zhu Zi said "marrying after the husband's death is a violation of chastity".

Anyway, Zhu Xi couldn't jump out of the coffin and beat him to death. Zhu Xi couldn't beat

him

to death, but Tong Xin, a great scholar, almost died of laughter in his seat.

"Zhu Xi, you have come to this day too, hahahahaha!"

He initially thought that Zhu Bailu was the filial and wise grandson of Zhu Xi, who worshipped Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism as if it were a god. Now it seems that he is a complete bastard who betrayed his teacher and destroyed his ancestors.

Moreover, he directly quoted Zhu Xi's thoughts out of context in front of the public.

Tong Xin especially hated Zhu Xi. Seeing this scene, he almost set off two firecrackers to celebrate.

Quan Yingzhang twitched his mouth: "Don't forget, you are also a great scholar."

Laughing so happily, your own thoughts may also be tampered with!

——This is the fate of every person who founded a school of thought.

Tong Xin was shocked: "It's true!"

Quan Yingzhang: "..."

Just as he was about to comfort her with the words "But when a person dies, there's nothing we can do." He heard Tong Xin sighing heavily: "It's so tragic that a person dies. I'll go back and practice two more rounds tonight, and try to outlast those bastards who spread rumors!"

"Bastard leader" Quan Yingzhang: "..."

You, dream!

He practices too!

It just so happens that the two iron crutches don't need to be covered with dust.

＊

They were chatting casually, Xu Yanmiao turned over the system, and calmly argued: "In other words, you think that what Zhu Zi said represents his thoughts, and there is no need to connect the context. Is that what you mean?"

Zhu Bailu could only answer: "Yes."

Otherwise, the argument he used earlier, "Marrying after the husband's death is a violation of chastity", would be overturned by himself.

"That's great."

Xu Lang curled his eyes: "Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter. From the perspective of the secular world, this

is indeed pedantic. This is what Zhu Zi said, do you agree?" This means that "Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter" is unrealistic in the eyes of secular people.

Zhu Bailu laughed: "Using this sentence to argue, isn't it ridiculous? This is Zhu Zi..."

Xu Yanmiao: "Well, I know, this is what Zhu Zi wrote in a letter to a great scholar named Chen, asking him to persuade his sister to keep her chastity. There is another sentence at the end: However, a gentleman who knows the classics and reason should know that it cannot be changed. Prime Minister Fu is a senior elder of his generation, the ancestor of the orthodox teachings, and he must be examined when he is wrong."

What it means is that, although secular people think it is unrealistic, your sister is the daughter of the prime minister, and everyone sees her every move. If she remarries, it is very likely to affect the prime minister's reputation.

Zhu Bailu: "Since you know this, why do you still use this sentence?"

Xu Yanmiao repeated his previous words: "You think that what Zhu Zi said represents his thoughts and does not need to be linked to the context, is that what you mean?"

Zhu Bailu's expression froze.

Outside the court, Princess Xiangyang slapped the armrest and shouted: "Xu Shentong, you did a great job!"

Not a lady at all.

However, the old emperor pretended not to see it.

Princess Xiangyang continued to shout: "Since he can take things out of context, so can you!"

Xu Yanmiao smiled and stared at Zhu Bailu: "What the princess means is what I mean. Zhu Zi did say: 'Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter'. This is very unrealistic. Is it true or not?"

Zhu Bailu: "..."

It's over, he dug a hole and buried himself.

Zhu Bailu's temples were wet with sweat, and he couldn't suppress the panic and tension in his heart.

Everyone was looking at him, and everyone was waiting to see him laugh.

Zhu Bailu gritted his teeth and squeezed out a voice to say to Xu Yanmiao: "Do you think you have won like this? Although I lost the debate, do you think you won?"

It was just that he lost the debate, but the saying "Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter" still existed for women. Zhu Xi believed that it was a moral principle for a widow not to remarry - this understanding still exists in the hearts of many people who studied Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism.

Xu Yanmiao was silent.

Zhu Bailu's face was flushed again, and he smiled contentedly and said, "Yes. Zhu Xi did say that 'starving to death is a small matter, but losing one

's chastity is a big matter'. This is very unrealistic." But Zhu Bailu immediately said, "However, Zhu Xi also said that after the husband's death, if there are two elderly parents and children, the widow should stay in the husband's family to take care of the old and the orphans. Don't you think this is wrong?"

Xu Yanmiao frowned.

Princess Xiangyang scolded, "You are shameless!"

Isn't this the moral kidnapping that Xu Yanmiao had talked to him about before!

After he said that, if Xu Yanmiao said "no", she would definitely be condemned morally. If Xu Yanmiao said "right", then the debate would most likely end.

"Mr. Zhu, what's the point of bullying a child?"

Quan Yingzhang supported himself on the armrest and was ready to stand up and go on stage to defend Xu Yanmiao.

——Although he didn't think of the direction of the defense for the time being.

But it doesn't matter, anyway, he is old, and the worst thing he can do is to take advantage of his age and say "Yes, I think women don't have to care about the life and death of their parents-in-law and children, and it doesn't matter if they live their own lives." At most, he would be poked in the back and scolded by people all over the world. It's just right, maybe he can match up with Tongxin, the evil scholar, and get the title of "ghost" or "devil".

Zhu Bailu bowed to Quan Yingzhang with a smile on his face: "Mr. Quan, you are joking. Xu Shentong can no longer be called a child. Otherwise, if a child like him presides over the imperial examination, isn't that making a joke of the future of all the students in the world?"

Quan Yingzhang tapped his head with his cane, his brows furrowed in anger, and was about to speak.

Zhu Bailu interrupted him and said arrogantly: "What's more, nowadays the world is in ruins of rituals and music, and women do not think about staying at home, but go out frequently. Moreover, they follow Zhu Zi's thoughts and rebuild the ethical guidelines."

Xu Yanmiao suddenly asked behind Zhu Bailu quietly: "Do you mean that Zhu Zi's words are the ethical guidelines?"

Zhu Bailu immediately denied: "No, it's just that more people identify with Zhu Zi, so they will naturally identify with his thoughts."

Xu Yanmiao: "Is the spread of the thoughts of other 'zi' also like this?"

Zhu Bailu didn't know what Xu Yanmiao wanted to say, and nodded hesitantly.

Xu Yanmiao: "Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, since there are many people who agree with Zhu Xi, there must be many people who agree with Cheng Xi, right?"

Zhu Bailu nodded again: "Of course."

Xu Yanmiao clapped his hands: "That's right!"

Zhu Bailu: "What's right?"

Xu Lang smiled: "Cheng Xi said that men should also be chaste. 'No remarriage for those above the rank of doctor', women are not allowed to remarry, and men are not allowed to remarry, emphasizing fairness and justice. Apart from other things, Zhu Xi did not remarry after his wife died until his own death, isn't this a strong proof that Zhu Xi supports Cheng Xi's 'No remarriage for those above the rank of doctor'?"

Zhu Bailu's face was expressionless. But the fingers of his hands hidden in his sleeves were twitching slightly.

Xu Yanmiao: "I lost this debate. Zhu Xi and Cheng Zi did advocate that widows should remain chaste. This is the ethical norm of Confucianism."

...

Before the debate began, Xu Yanmiao said to Lian Hang: "I don't know how to debate. If I really can't win, I can only use some tricks."

Lian Hang: "What tricks?"

Xu Yanmiao blinked: "It won't work if I say it now."

[If you really can't win the debate, then drag others into the water. ]

Xu Yanmiao doesn't understand the meaning of the classics, but he has seen historians and history circles quarreling with his own eyes.

[What should I do if I can't refute the massacre of the city by the historical figures I like? Say that someone, someone, and someone else with a large fan base also massacred the city. When their fans see it, they will definitely jump out and actively provide rebuttal ideas. 】

【What if you can't refute that your favorite historical figure is a tyrant? You can accuse another king of almost unparalleled achievements, saying that both of them are tyrants, that both of them are guilty of their own crimes and have made contributions for generations to come. The crowd of onlookers who don't know the truth will have seven or eight more filters for the tyrant because they know more about the unparalleled achievements of the other king. 】

【The larger the group that is dragged into the water, the more it can stir up the water. 】

...

In Zhu Bailu's trembling pupils, he saw Xu Lang grinning: "So, it is also a moral principle for a widower not to remarry."

It was like a flash of lightning.

Boom -

Zhu Bailu was shaking all over.

He saw that the whole audience was in awe.

Even the former Prime Minister Dou couldn't control the situation.

Those whose interests were violated -

some were like cats whose tails were stepped on, not caring about the possibility of being gossiped about, and yelled at Xu Yanmiao in anger.

Some glared at Zhu Bailu and gnashed their teeth.

Some of them, who didn't know how to get the idea, danced with joy, and chanted: "The thoughts of Cheng and Zhu are still wonderful."

But anyway, no matter what, the scene that Zhu Bailu imagined everyone discussing "Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter" was completely gone.

Not only that, but people whose interests were affected stood up and took the initiative to say: "I will argue with you about Zhuzi!"

Defeat Zhuzi = Defeat Chengzi = Defeat 'No remarriage for officials above the rank of doctor'.

Xu Yanmiao whistled in his heart.

[There are great scholars who will defend the classics for me.]