"What?"
Fusu and Chunyu Yue's eyes widened instantly.
The expressions of the other Confucian disciples present suddenly froze. When they looked at Li Lin, who was speaking calmly and composedly in front of them, a feeling of anger welled up from within them.
"Prime Minister Li, you say that the teachings of Confucius and Mencius are spiritually corrupt. I wonder what your insightful opinion is? I am dull-witted, but I would like to hear your detailed explanation!"
Fusu cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
Although he was angry, he still possessed the self-restraint of a gentleman.
On the surface, he did not react, but instead politely and earnestly asked him for guidance.
The other Confucian disciples were not so polite; veins bulged on their foreheads.
Before Emperor Wu of Han, Confucian scholars were not weak and helpless intellectuals; they often resorted to violence to solve problems.
The First Emperor sat on the high place, a hint of curiosity showing in his brows.
I'm curious what kind of words this brat will use to shatter Fusu's deeply ingrained Confucian values.
Confucius said that education should be provided to all, regardless of social class; Mencius said that the people are more important than the ruler. Confucius advocated returning to the Zhou Dynasty and governing the country with Zhou rites. Mencius argued that only when the ruler values the people can the country enjoy long-term stability and prosperity. Are these statements correct?
"good!"
"Absurd! If the Zhou Dynasty was so good, why did it fall?"
"this......"
"Mencius said that a ruler should value the people and take them as the foundation? How did the rulers of the Zhou Dynasty, the kings of each dynasty, treat the people?"
"this......"
"If Confucius is right, then all the ordinary people of Qin would have become slaves of the Zhou Dynasty. They had no dignity as human beings; they were just slaves! Where did Mencius's ideas go? On the contrary, Mencius said that the ruler should value the people. Did the rulers of the six states value the people of their own states? Then why were they destroyed by Qin?"
"this......"
Fusu was completely dumbfounded; he seemed unable to answer any of Li Lin's questions.
"If Confucianism is without fault, and the teachings of Confucius and Mencius are not entirely hypocritical, then why did none of the six states adopt the doctrines of Confucius or Confucianism? Why was the Great Qin able to unify the world? I ask Prince Fusu and all the Confucian disciples present to answer these questions. If you can answer them using the principles of Confucianism, I will immediately resign as prime minister and never set foot in officialdom again. What do you say?"
"this......"
Li Lin looked at them with a smile. Anyway, he was the one who raised the questions. So many experts and scholars in later generations had not figured them out. How could this group of Confucian disciples, limited by their time, possibly come up with perfect answers?
impossible!
No matter what answer comes out, he has a reason to overturn it.
"Prime Minister Li, the questions you have asked seem difficult to answer. Do you have any answers?"
"Young Master Fusu, Minister of Works, and all Confucian disciples, Confucianism is not without problems. On the contrary, Confucianism has many problems, contradictions, and rigid knowledge. Therefore, when you study Confucian thought, you must think critically. Confucius, Mencius, and even Xunzi all said that we should question knowledge. It is true that Confucius and Mencius are Confucian authorities, but they were also human. As long as they are human, they will make mistakes."
"As for the question of Prince Fusu, I have already given you the answer. It is because those rulers saw through the hypocrisy of Confucianism and Mencius that they did not use Confucianism and sought to avoid harm."
"this......"
Fusu felt his mind suddenly become confused. Of course, he wasn't the only one; even Chunyu Yue, who had been immersed in Confucianism for decades, was dragged into the same trap.
Li Lin avoided the main issue and used the enemy's own words against him, singled out the contradictions within Confucianism.
No matter what they think.
The contradictions within Confucianism are objectively real, so no matter how hard one tries, there is no way to refute Li Lin's conclusions.
Why can't he push it either way?
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