256. The proclamation lamp illuminates the long night, and a hundred schools of thought resound once more (Part 2) (Page 1/2)
Amidst a burst of laughter.
The envoy, who claimed to be a descendant of the Dong family, held a book that was soaked, wrinkled, and smelled sour, his arms trembling violently.
His face first turned bright red, then turned ashen.
The other envoys standing nearby also had stiff expressions.
How embarrassing!
I want to escape!
They intended to make a powerful entrance as a group, show off their large breasts, and suppress Cui Xian.
The result was good.
Instead, Cui Xian used half a bowl of the most ordinary rice vinegar to turn it into an absurd farce.
He pooped a huge dump in front of everyone!
“When ink is mixed with ferrous sulfate solution and used for writing, it will produce a lustrous sheen when exposed to moonlight. This method has existed since ancient times and is not unusual.”
Cui Xianxu pointed to the book that still smelled sour and said sarcastically, "Alum is afraid of acid; this is a fact known to all dyeing craftsmen."
"If all of you learned scholars here were to look closely, who could not see through such tricks?"
"Why bother invoking the names of ancient sages, acting like a ghost or a myth, only to invite ridicule?"
Cui Xian finished speaking.
The room was immediately filled with a chorus of clearing throats in agreement.
"Ahem... So that's how it is."
"That is indeed common sense."
Some stroked their beards and nodded, while others nodded solemnly.
They all put on an air of "I already know it all."
But his shifty eyes and stiff smile ultimately gave him away—
Green vitriol is afraid of acid, but it is stimulated by moonlight.
They didn't understand the key points at all.
But precisely because they didn't understand the reason, their gazes toward the abbot's composed figure were filled with genuine awe.
This young headmaster is incredibly knowledgeable, even regarding the secrets of craftsmanship and the interrelationships of different material properties... He truly is learned!
When they looked at the dozen or so envoys again, the gazes of everyone in the garden were different.
The mysterious halo of "manifestation under the moon" that had just appeared has shattered completely.
What ancient sages' demeanor and the true essence of the Daoist tradition—at this moment, in everyone's eyes, they had all become—
"Oh, so they're just a bunch of charlatans using green vitriol to perform magic tricks."
Pretending to be a ghost or a spirit is not scary.
What's scary is being exposed on the spot—
They had to stay put, grit their teeth, and continue pretending.
The old envoy from the Classical Text School glared fiercely at the Dong family's New Text School teammate, who had failed in his attempt to show off.
Suppressing the shame of being exposed in public, he stepped forward and handed over a plain silk challenge letter:
"The headmaster is eloquent, but the struggle for the orthodox tradition cannot be settled by words alone."
"Our school of classical studies will soon send its true disciples to Bianjing to have a fair and square debate with the abbot!"
He emphasized the words "upright and dignified".
But as soon as his gaze swept over the damp copy of the Gongyang Commentary, his old face flushed again.
Seeing this, the remaining dozen or so envoys also took out various challenge letters from their sleeves and handed them over—
Whether on jade tablets, bamboo slips, or silk, the intimidating aura of "the philosophers manifesting their wisdom" vanished completely.
They really do look like a group of... messengers at this moment.
The scholars in the garden watched with subtle expressions: Well, so all this fuss was just to issue a challenge?
What was the point of all that pretense and mysticism before?
Want to make a strong opening?
Cui Xian still held the vinegar bowl, his eyes lowered, and did not respond.
Behind him.
Xu Yizhi, with keen insight, silently stepped forward, preparing to accept the stack of challenge letters on behalf of the headmaster.
The Dong family envoy, already filled with shame and indignation, saw Xu Yizhi's respectful demeanor.
A surge of anger, a mixture of resentment and bitterness, suddenly welled up inside him, and he blurted out in a shrill voice, without thinking:
"Ha! I heard that the headmaster was once a pageboy. Now that he's successful, he's forgotten where he came from and is putting on airs, ordering around his pageboys?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the garden fell into a deathly silence.
Scholars place the greatest importance on social standing; this statement is as insidious as a needle quenched in ice, piercing straight to the heart.
"You...!" Xu Yizhi was young after all, and his face turned bright red as he gripped the challenge letter.
However, due to the occasion and his status, he restrained himself and dared not lash out.
But the silence lasted only a moment—
Before anyone could react.
Three figures rushed forward with a roar!
So fast it almost left afterimages!
"Whoosh—Bang!"
Pei Jian smashed the half-empty cup of wine in his hand hard into the face of the Dong family envoy!
The moment the porcelain shards and the liquor exploded.
Li Heyu's leg strike was imminent, and with a "thud," his foot landed squarely on the man's ribs!
"ah--!"
The Dong family envoy collapsed to the ground with a scream.
Although Cui Yu was half a step slower, he followed up with a kick without hesitation. Only after kicking did he realize his mistake and hurriedly bowed haphazardly to the figure curled up on the ground.
The etiquette was impeccable.
But he couldn't hide the trembling fist hidden in the scholar's sleeve.
"You dare utter another fart?!"
Veins bulged on Pei Jian's forehead, and a terrifying rage burned in his eyes: "When Brother Xian was in my Pei family, who in my entire family ever treated him as a 'book boy'?"
"That's my brother I grew up with, we're practically inseparable! Who are you, you old coffin-head, spewing filth here?!"
The entire garden erupted in an uproar!
No one expected that a Mid-Autumn Festival literary gathering would suddenly turn into a full-blown brawl!
"Well done!"
Madam Pei slammed her hand on the table and stood up, giving her grandson a thumbs-up: "This kind of filthy scoundrel who judges people by their birth deserves to be beaten to death!"
The Dong family envoy staggered to his feet, his face bruised and swollen, his clothes stained with blood.
But he still stubbornly hissed, "You, you dare...you worthless bastards, my Dong family's modern literary school will surely punish you..."
Before he could finish speaking...
What are you going to do?
Cui Xian's voice rang out.
Not tall, not fierce, even a little light.
But it was like a thin, sharp ice blade, suddenly cutting through all the noise.
He put down the vinegar bowl.
The bottom of the bowl tapped lightly against the table, producing a crisp sound.
His gaze fell on Pei Jian's wine-stained clothes, then slowly moved to the disheveled Dong family envoy.
"Who gave you the audacity—"
He paused, then his voice suddenly turned cold and menacing: "Threatening my brother?"
After Cui Xian finished speaking...
The Dong family envoy, considering the other party's current status as an imperial academy headmaster, didn't dare to shout anymore, only suppressing his anger until his face turned purple.
The other envoys all frowned.
They came to deliver a challenge and establish their authority, not to engage in street brawls!
This idiot from the Dong family has utterly trampled on the dignity of all families!
Pei Jian's wrist was still aching, and he was still burning with anger when he suddenly caught a glimpse of his younger brother Xian giving him a look.
Their eyes met for only a moment.
The unspoken understanding between the brothers made Pei Jian realize what was going on.
What kind of literary debate or argument?
This is a life-or-death battle between schools of thought!
They've already broken off relations and are in the right.
If not now, when?!
then.
Pei Jian's lips curled into a sneer, his eyes reddening instantly. With a cry of "Ouch!", he darted behind Cui Xian, clutching his sleeve and wailing in a trembling voice:
"Brother Xian! He glared at me! His eyes were so fierce they could eat me alive! My heart is pounding so hard, I'm so scared!"
While howling, he secretly gloated: I picked up the act fast enough, didn't I?
She's definitely a talented actress!
Everyone in the garden: "..."
Countless gazes fell on his sleeve, still stained with wine, and then shifted to his exaggerated appearance, which was not really tearful.
A variety of expressions appeared on their faces.
Some people's lips twitched, some held their foreheads and lowered their heads, and some young scholars desperately pursed their lips, afraid that they might burst out laughing.
The kick you gave that guy just now was so hard it could split a stone monument. Why are you pretending to be a frightened little rabbit now?!
The Dong family envoy accused of "glaring at people": ?
Do you mean I made you cry from glaring at me?
Cui Xian, however, remained calm, as if he hadn't seen through his brother's clumsy performance at all.
He even patted Pei Jian on the shoulder in a consoling manner.
When he looked up again, his gaze had turned to ice: "You have come uninvited. If you are truly going to issue a challenge in a 'fair and square' manner, then this academy will accept it."
"But if they repeatedly insult my background and then bully my brother—"
He paused, then suddenly chuckled, a laugh more chilling than the frost of December: "Do you really think I'm some kind of clay or wooden sculpture, devoid of any fire?"
Speaking of which...
The young headmaster suddenly turned around and called out loudly to the people at the table, "Patriarch Zheng!"
Zheng Qizhen was startled and quickly stood up: "Please give your instructions, Headmaster."
Cui Xian said, "I would be so kind as to send someone immediately to make a hundred sky lanterns, the tallest and most conspicuous kind."
"..."
Zheng Qizhen choked up, his stomach churning with rage, "What kind of mess is this?" and "Do you think my family sells lanterns?"
But he didn't dare to spit it out, only managing a twisted smile: "...Yes, sir."
He turned around and whispered to the servants to make the arrangements.
Cui Xian then looked at Cen Hongchang and Zhou Xiang, cupped his hands, and said, "I would like to ask the two gentlemen and all the distinguished guests in the garden to bear witness to today's events."
Cen Hongchang's hand holding the wine glass trembled, and the wine almost spilled.
He and Zhou Xiang exchanged a glance, their faces simultaneously displaying awkward, fake smiles that seemed to say, "What's it to me?", "Don't drag me into this," and "Get out of here and load the cargo."
He mumbled, "...Of course, of course."
Cui Xian seemed oblivious to the perfunctory tone in their voices.
Turning to look at the group of envoys, his posture was exceptionally arrogant and unrestrained:
"Put away your challenges."
"Because at this moment, it is our academy—"
"Unilaterally, I declare war on you and more than a dozen other schools of thought."
The garden fell silent; even the sound of the wind seemed to freeze.
He stood with his hands behind his back, moonlight bathing his shoulders, his voice clear and cold like shattered jade: "It is I who declare war—"
"Then the stakes should naturally be decided by me."
"If we're going to debate the orthodoxy, then let's go all out!"
"You mentioned pageboys earlier. Coincidentally, my academy is currently in need of a group of pageboys."
"Today, before all of you present, I, the academy, invite this bright and clear heaven and earth, this vast and mighty Liang, to bear witness!"
"If I, Cui Xian, lose, I will shut myself away and never speak of new learning again!"
But if—
Cui Xian's eyes flashed like lightning as he slowly swept over the dozen or so pale-faced envoys, each word he uttered causing an uproar:
"If you lose."
(This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading) 256. The proclamation lamp illuminates the long night, and the hundred schools of thought resound again (Part 2) (Page 2/2)
“Each family will select one direct descendant to be sent to my Yuelu Academy.”
"Brewing tea in the morning, sweeping and cleaning at noon, serving ink in the evening, and holding books at midnight, I have been a servant for three years."
"So that everyone in the world may open their eyes and see clearly—"
"You outdated and stagnant old ways are only fit to be buried in piles of old papers and grow mold!"
"And those who can shoulder the great tide of the new era and enlighten and resolve the doubts of the people—"
"Only my Cui Xian's new school of learning!"
boom--!
The whole garden erupted in an uproar, like a boiling pot of water!
The scholars felt a surge of adrenaline rush to their heads—
These words are no longer a provocation, but a cry for change, a sword that the new era openly wields against the old!
The envoys from all sides paled in shock; some were about to unleash their fury, but were held back by their companions.
In the current situation, if I say another word, there might really be bloodshed!
However, among the envoys, someone still couldn't hold back and roared: "Cui Xian! You've gone too far—!"
"Bullying people?"
Cui Xian raised an eyebrow and sneered at the person who had spoken earlier: "It was you who came uninvited and put up an act of intimidation."
“It is you who insulted me by calling me a ‘book boy’.”
"Now……"
His gaze slowly swept over each terrified face, and his voice suddenly rose:
"I'm just putting what you want to do out in the open!"
"If you want to claim the orthodox tradition, then come on! Let's see who has the real skill in writing!"
"Today, I, Cui Xian—"
"Let us use these hundred sky lanterns as beacon fires, ink as swords, and silk as flags!"
"To you, clinging to outdated and conservative traditional schools of thought—"
"Let's declare war and launch a righteous attack!"
These words were like a thunderclap, causing all the candlelight in the garden to tremble!
Oh my god!
A manifesto!
They even want to write a manifesto!
"My God—!"
It's unclear who screamed first.
The scholars in the garden stared in horror, as if they had been grabbed by the neck at the same time.
Some dropped their wine glasses with a "clatter," some staggered to their feet, causing several people to fall over the table, and some even slumped back down on their backsides.
A manifesto!
A manifesto with a hundred sky lanterns rising into the air!
This is not a private debate, nor is it a discussion at the academy.
This is like tearing off the fig leaf of more than a dozen schools of thought, tying it to a lantern, and hanging it out in the sight of all the people of Bianjing!
A young scholar murmured, his voice trembling, but his eyes burned with fire: "He's gone mad... the headmaster has truly gone mad!"
"It's more than just madness—"
The old scholar beside him was deathly pale, his beard trembling so much he could barely speak: "This...this is going to rip the sky apart! They'll dig up all the ancestral graves of every family and whip their corpses! From this day forward, the academic world of Liang..."
He choked up and couldn't continue.
What about "from now on"?
Tonight, as these hundred proclamation lanterns are raised into the sky, they will spread throughout the land tomorrow, shaking the court and the people!
This is a true fight to the death, one that would even alarm the one on the dragon throne—
The struggle over the orthodox tradition and the foundation of the state!
The cause of this struggle over the orthodox tradition was...
Thinking about this...
All the scholars in the garden looked at Pei Jian with astonishment.
Someone murmured, "This... this new round of intellectual debate... it all started with this guy being glared at?!"
"Beauty is a curse... no... beauty is a curse... no! In short, a curse, a curse indeed!"
Absurd! Childish!
Yet, inexplicably...
It warms the heart and brings tears to the eyes!
Some young scholars even stole glances at Pei Jian, who was pretending to sob with his head down but whose mouth was almost stretched to his ears, and a strange, sour envy welled up in their hearts—
What kind of deep friendship, what kind of unwavering brotherhood, must it take for someone like Dean Cui to overturn the entire academic world for him alone?!
Pei Jian was being watched by countless gazes, some in shock, some with envy, and some with awe…
She lowered her head, pretending to wipe away tears.
Only Li Heyu and Cui Yu, who were closest, saw it—
His shoulders were trembling slightly.
It's not fear.
It's great.
It's the kind of feeling that makes you want to "fight to the death for me, my brothers will wipe out the whole world," that sends chills down your spine, gets your blood pumping, and makes you want to roar to the heavens—
The ultimate in subtle pleasure!
After tonight, Pei Jian's name will likely be spread throughout the Great Liang Dynasty along with these hundred proclamation lanterns.
And all of this absurdity, passion, and exhilarating experience began with just one sentence:
He glared at me!
It was worth it.
It was totally worth it.
His words sent shockwaves through the entire garden.
"Brother, don't be afraid, I will definitely get justice for you!"
Cui Xian patted Pei Jian's shoulder reassuringly, then said gently to Li Heyu and Cui Yu, "I'd like to trouble you three brothers to grind the ink and prepare the paper for me."
Pei Jian, Li Heyu, and Cui Yu agreed in unison.
They actually flung their sleeves and tied their wrists in public, one laying out paper to press down, one pouring water to mix the paste, and one turning their wrist to grind the ink.
Their movements were so fast and fluid, it was as if they had rehearsed them hundreds of times!
Not long after.
Zheng family servants had already entered in single file, carrying bamboo-framed silk lanterns, and dozens of them were making Kongming lanterns in front of everyone.
The sounds of tearing silk and snapping bamboo strips blended together, as if craftsmen were rushing to make arrows before a battle!
Under the watchful eyes of countless people.
Pei Jian put on a show of brotherly affection in front of everyone, his eyes brimming with tears as he said, "Brother Xian, it's so good to have you."
Li Heyu and Cui Yu covered their faces with their sleeves, too embarrassed to look up.
Bro, that's enough!
Fortunately.
Cui Xian's proclamation of war has begun!
"First proclamation—denouncing your school of classical Confucianism!"
The words fell.
The young abbot wielded his wolf-hair brush with unrestrained strokes, the ink like dragons and snakes leaping across the plain silk!
"Zheng Xuan's commentaries on the classics have not been found in the handwritten copies of Confucius and Mencius; the classics transmitted by Han scholars are mostly fragments from the Qin burning of books. You cling to these remnants and treat them as the true meaning, and regard obscurity as orthodoxy. In reality, you are stealing the name of the orthodox tradition and engaging in the practice of keeping the people ignorant!"
The scholars in the garden stared in disbelief, and the old scholar's cup clattered to the ground.
This is no longer a debate on scriptures; it's like lifting the coffin lid of our ancestral master!
·
"Second proclamation—denouncing your school of New Text Confucianism!"
"You interpret the classics by adding auspicious omens when the ruler is pleased, and distorting calamities when the ruler is angry. The Gongyang and Guliang commentaries have become tools for currying favor; how can they be considered for governing the world?"
During the banquet, the disciples of the Modern School turned ashen-faced.
The young scholar clenched his fists—and cursed with gusto!
·
"Third proclamation—denouncing your faction of sexual etiquette!"
"When the people are hungry and cold, you say their hearts are still troubled; when the country is in turmoil, you say the principles of Heaven are not yet clear! You sit quietly in your studies and talk grandly about the principles of Heaven, but you do not know that the desires of the people are nothing more than a bowl of porridge and a meal; the principles of the world are nothing more than national prosperity and peace!"
·
"Fourth proclamation—rebuking your Buddhism!"
"Temples hoard gold, monks eat meat, chant sutras at the sight of starving corpses, and shut their doors at the sight of war. You speak of compassion and saving others, but you are only saving your own wealth and glory!"
The Buddhist monk's expression suddenly twisted.
·
"Fifth proclamation—rebuking your Taoism!"
"You seek immortality through alchemy, build altars to pray for talismans, stand idly by while the court is corrupt, and remain indifferent to the suffering of the people. Laozi said the Way follows nature, not that you should shun the world!"
They've gone berserk!
They've really gone berserk!
Every time a proclamation was written, the entire garden was shaken!
·
"Sixth Proclamation—Rebuking the Mohists!"
"Universal love and non-aggression are commendable ideals; however, rejecting rites and music, denouncing education, and honoring sages will ultimately result in a rudimentary, uncivilized school of thought, which will be unable to bring peace to the world!"
·
"Ninth Proclamation—Rebuking You, the Strategists!"
"You are fickle and opportunistic, using the nation as a bargaining chip; you are capricious and capricious, using the common people as pawns. You mistake power and intrigue for wisdom, and loyalty and righteousness for pedantry. You are truly treacherous villains who bring disaster to the country!"
·
Under the moonlight.
Cui Xian finally stopped writing.
then.
He lit the first lamp himself.
The heat surged, and the sky lantern swayed and climbed, carrying with it a long silk banner with ink stains on it, steadily rising into the night sky.
Then, the second lamp, the third lamp...
Pei Jian, Li Heyu, and Cui Yu helped with the copying.
Inside the park, the deathly silence was shattered in an instant.
The scholars, lost in their own world, looked up, mouths agape, their eyes reflecting the dazzling light and the earth-shattering manifesto, trembling with excitement.
Some people couldn't help but recite those heart-wrenching words.
The group of envoys were all pale-faced at this moment.
Not long after.
"Sky lanterns! So many sky lanterns!"
"Look! There are words on it! It's an article!"
The entire city of Kaifeng was alarmed.
People pushed open windows and climbed onto eaves, craning their necks to look up at the sky.
The dazzling river of lights swept across ordinary alleys and flew over majestic city gates.
The large cinnabar characters shone brightly in the night sky.
Even illiterate women and children could feel that powerful, surging energy and the force of a declaration.
Exclamations and discussions surged from every household like a tidal wave.
They merged into a buzzing, awe-inspiring ocean of sound.
They looked up in amazement, thinking it was the most magnificent lantern display of the Mid-Autumn Festival, but no one noticed—
On this night, the barriers of millennia-old thought are crumbling.
The wheels of history roll over the dust of old learning, producing a deafening roar.
Under the osmanthus tree.
The main table at the banquet.
The person releasing the lanterns was dressed in a black robe, the sleeves fluttering in the wind.
What he lit with his own hands was more than just a lamp.
It is a spark that has been dormant for countless years.
It marks the dawn of a new era.
A hundred years, a thousand years later.
History books will record this eventful night in great detail.
It is regarded as a monument to ideological reform and innovation.
Tonight.
The ordinary people's exclamations of praise only revealed their joy at the bright moonlight and the dazzling lights.
But little did they know—
They have already stood at the beginning of a great era.
It's the same night.
The news that Cui Xian was fighting against "a hundred schools" all by himself spread like wildfire in the heart of Kaifeng.
The flames leaped over the high walls, carried by the strong wind.
It spread towards Daliang day and night without ceasing.
Seven days later.
The whole country was shocked.
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