Chapter 453: Hundreds of Families in Turmoil
Liu Dan killed many people this time, especially many prestigious scholars and even doctors in the Imperial Academy. Although these people did not participate in politics, they often discussed politics and were very vicious.
Liu Heng and Liu Che both acquiesced to this behavior, but Liu Dan did not tolerate them and directly killed him on the charge of sarcasm. Chang'an City suddenly became quiet.
The most crucial thing is that Liu Dan's nonchalant attitude shocked many people, but Liu Dan did not care. Since the founding of the Han Dynasty, the power in his hands and the degree of stability were second only to Liu Che. With military power in his hands, he was not afraid of those scholars at all.
Luo Wuji, who was far away in Zhaocheng, heard the tribe members report this matter. His eyes froze and he said after a long pause: "The Han Dynasty has won too many victories, which has made the emperor arrogant and complacent."
He reported again: "Master, many of the Hundred Schools have left Chang'an. The emperor's slaughter of the Hundred Schools' scholars has had a great impact on the Hundred Schools. Some schools already had few disciples, and the scholars were wiped out. Only two or three big cats and small cats are left. If they encounter another blow, they will be on the verge of extinction."
"Just wait and see. When things reach a stalemate, the family can intervene based on the situation."
Luo Wuji gave the final order.
…
"teacher!"
Seven or eight scholars were kneeling on the ground, their crowns on their heads were crooked, their robes were disheveled, and in front of them was their teacher's coffin.
A handsome scholar, with tears all over his face, said in a sad voice: "Teacher's death was so unjust.
He was killed just for opposing the construction of a palace. Is the emperor trying to emulate Qin Shi Huang?"
The people who were traveling with him were horrified when they heard this and said, "Zi Zheng, be careful with your words! How can a minister speak out against the mistakes of the monarch?"
"The king looks at his subjects..."
As soon as he said a few words, the others were shocked. Who wouldn't be shocked to hear such words from a disciple of the Legalist School? He said sternly, "Zi Zheng, those sour Confucian words are so disrespectful to the emperor. How could you..."
Liu Xiang didn't say anything and kowtowed heavily. Then there was a sound of footsteps outside the door. Everyone looked up and saw that it was a group of Confucian scholars.
"Why are you all here?"
The leading Confucian scholar bowed and said, "Mengru Jia Cong and his fellow disciples are here to pay their respects to you. Master Jie died for the sake of the world, and we have come to pay our respects. Although our two schools have different philosophies, we died together this time, so we can be considered as fellow believers."
As they spoke, the Confucian scholars secretly shed tears, for it was not just one person who died this time.
The leading Legalist disciple bowed and said, "How polite, brother. Is this Mr. Jia, the scholar?"
He muttered a few words, then opened his eyes wide and asked, "But Wuwei Jia?"
Marquis of Guzang, Wuwei County.
The Jia family is currently the most prominent family in the world. After Jia Yi was granted the title of marquis, his marquisate was moved to Rongling County of Changsha State. Later, Changsha State was changed into a county. Emperor Xiaowu opened up Hexi, and the Jia family was moved to Wuwei County and renamed Marquis of Guzang.
However, the Jia family was not from a military family, so their purpose was not to guard the city, but to educate.
The Jia family is one of the inherited families of Mengru, one of the most successful marquis families in developing Confucian classics, and is quite famous throughout the world.
These Confucian scholars went to pay tribute to Master Jie. After the worship, they said to Liu Xiang who was still kneeling on the ground: "Zi Zheng, the door of Confucianism is always open to you. People like you are born to be a Confucian scholar. Legalism is not suitable for you."
After saying that, he left without waiting for the reaction of the Legalists. The Legalists looked at Liu Xiang with doubts in their eyes. Liu Xiang said expressionlessly, "Last year in the Imperial College, I used the loopholes in Mengru's knowledge to refute the three great Mengru masters, including Mengru's most direct descendant Meng Fan. After that, Mengru has always wanted me to become his disciple."
Everyone was shocked when they heard this.
Mencius is a major branch of Confucianism. Although it was not as prominent in the central government after Jia Yi, it was a guest of honor among princes, dukes and wealthy families in local areas. Mencius's school of thought was the most widely spread and popular Confucian scholarship, even better than the Spring and Autumn Annals that now ruled the Han Dynasty.
Fundamentally, the unwillingness to submit is ingrained in their bones, and the unwillingness to be a slave is in their blood. It is normal that Mencius's knowledge, which provides legitimacy for the rebellion of the lower classes, is sought after.
After the shock, there was a wave of indignation. The leading man angrily said: "Are you bullying me, the Legalists, because I have no one? You must know that the censor..."
He suddenly stopped. Sang Hongyang, the Imperial Censor, was the highest-ranking official in the Legalist school. The school had high hopes for him, and he lived up to expectations, relying on his own abilities to rise to the position of Imperial Censor.
But they all knew that the teacher had been very dissatisfied with Sang Hongyang over the years.
He once said with great worry: "Sang Hongyang is a man of great talent for the state, but he has great shortcomings. He is greedy for wealth and fame, afraid of death, and does not know how to be moderate.
If one is contaminated by any one of these three points, one will be in danger of death, but Sang Hongyang has all of them. How can a teacher feel at ease?
Shang Yang was an extremely talented man in the past, but in the end, not only did he die, but he also caused the entire Legalist school to be trampled upon.
Legalism is a school of thought that is useful to the world, but in the end it always becomes a knife in the hands of monarchs. Is there any knife in this world that can kill people but is not discarded in the end?
We should learn a lesson from this.
One hundred years ago, King Zhaosheng practiced law in Zhaocheng, which was considered a shame by the Legalists. However, after years of thinking, I believe that it was King Zhaosheng who saved the Legalists.
People live with flesh and blood. If there is something dirty in their flesh and blood, they will die. This is the ultimate truth between heaven and earth.
King Zhaosheng practiced the law to help the Legalists eliminate the filth that came from the classics of the ancient sages.
The Qin Dynasty fell, but the Legalists were able to survive for a hundred years, thanks to this.
Sang Hongyang's current wealth and status are the result of the blood and tears of countless common people and the resentment of countless nobles and powerful people.
If he had offended one person, he might still have a chance of survival, but if he did what he did, wouldn't death be the inevitable outcome?
As a teacher, I am very worried.
On the day Sang Hongyang died, the Legalists would probably be trampled upon again.
King Zhaosheng is a god on earth. He upholds the laws of the Supreme Emperor Suwang, is impartial and selfless, and convinces people with reason. However, the practice of the law presided over by others may not be the same.
The other schools of thought all plant trees for the next generation to enjoy the shade, but in my school of legalism, the first generation cut down trees for the next generation to suffer. This is really ridiculous, really ridiculous. "
When he thought of this, he felt a little desperate and could only ask, "Zi Zheng, what do you think?"
Liu Xiang raised his head and said word by word: "Legalism is the great way to govern the world and be useful. Looking at the officials in the world, they are all descendants of Legalism.
Even those famous Confucianists and Huang-Lao scholars would also use my Legalist methods when governing.
But our Legalist predecessors always helped tyrants to accomplish their goals.
It would be fine if the powerful merchants were jealous, but the more jealous those insects that are harmful to the world are, the more it proves that what I do is right.
But what is the truth?
Those most ordinary people would rather eat their flesh alive, which I cannot accept.
As I studied the classics over the years, I felt more and more trembling all over, and a chill rising from the heart. The theory of the Legalists must have serious flaws!
Confucianism is a popular school of thought today, but we all call them corrupt scholars, saying they are only good at empty talk but unable to handle affairs.
But I have thought about it for a long time. The Confucian tradition is so long that it far exceeds that of our Legalism. Only Huang-Lao can be compared with it.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the rulers of various countries did not use Confucianism, but Confucianism became increasingly prosperous.
While other schools of thought rose and fell, the influence of Confucianism never faded.
During the Qin Dynasty, the First Emperor respected law above all else and promoted the rule of law, even banning Confucian classics. It can be said that our Legalists had the upper hand, but what was the result?
The prosperity of Confucianism has not diminished in the slightest!
After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Empress Gao and King Luo Wen both ruled the country with Huang-Lao and supplemented it with Confucianism. However, the number of Confucian scholars in the court far exceeded Huang-Lao.
Emperor Xiaowen respected Confucianism, and the twilight of all schools of thought came to an end!
The emperor was defeated even when he took sides, let alone when he respected Confucianism?
Sure enough, within a short period of time, we had to lie dormant, and it was eventually Emperor Xiaowen who forced us, the non-Confucian school, to reserve some official positions.
What a shame!
Is this just empty talk?
If this is true, it would be even more of a shame!
Entering the Confucian school, reading through the classics, finding out why Confucianism flourished, and reforming Legalism, this is my great wish!
This is what my teacher told me before he died, in front of the soldiers who had captured him. It is both my teacher's order and my great wish. Perhaps this is my destiny."
As he spoke, he took out a piece of clothing soaked in blood. Everyone was dumbfounded, shocked by Liu Xiang's idea. The leading man was silent for a long time and said, "So in the future, will you be a disciple of Confucianism or Legalism?
Are we still brothers?"
Liu Xiang said in a deep voice: "The Confucian Xunzi taught Han Feizi, a sage of the Legalists, and Li Si, a capable official of the Legalists. How can the boundary between Confucianism and Legalism be so far?
If one day I can understand the boundary between Confucianism and Legalism, and be listed in the Hall of Fame, straddling Confucianism and Legalism, that will be me. "
After saying that, he walked straight to the door, reached the threshold, knelt down again, kowtowed three times, stood up, and left without looking back.
——————
Since ancient times, there have been extraordinary words in extraordinary times. When I watched the Shang Dynasty fall and the Zhou Dynasty rise, the world was in panic and the yin and yang were out of order. Then King Su came out, created the Zhou rites, established the feudal system, abandoned the ghost sacrifices of the Shang Dynasty, and established the rites and music of the emperor.
The Zhou Dynasty flourished for three hundred years, but its culture and splendor were not prominent. When the Zhou Dynasty descended into chaos, the princes attacked each other, and the swords and spears were fierce. All the people on earth wept and mourned. Saints emerged in the world. The Sage of Luo River distinguished between good and evil and wrote the "Spring and Autumn Annals". Laozi talked about Tao, Confucius talked about benevolence, Mozi talked about universal love, Yangzi talked about the whole nature, Guanzi talked about one person, Mencius talked about righteousness, and Xunzi talked about the way of sage kings. Why did culture flourish in times of chaos? It's amazing!
For seven hundred years, Qin unified the country, respected laws and magic, suppressed all schools of thought, and cultural elegance declined. When Qin fell, Luo emerged and all schools of thought revived. The rise and fall of the hundreds of schools of thought was like the growth and withering of plants and trees.
At the end of Yuanzheng, the hundreds of schools of thought were fierce, and the strong ones became stronger, and the weak ones perished. Each school of thought had its own sons and daughters, and it was almost like the Qin Dynasty. At the end of Emperor Li's reign, there was a disaster like the end of the Qin Dynasty! - "Records of the Grand Historian: Chronological Table of the Rise and Fall of the Hundred Schools of Thought since the Founding of the Han Dynasty"
Thanks to the leader Wanli Mi Fenghou for the reward
(End of this chapter)
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