Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 218

Later, due to the huge changes in his life from Xianyang to Chenying, and the fact that his father found him a herbal medicine teacher who was some kind of "farmer's master," Mi Lian learned about the ideas of the nine schools of thought and the hundred schools of thought in order to adapt to this change.

It's just not profound; it only has a superficial exterior.

Based on their limited understanding, Mi Lian prefers Confucianism because it emphasizes etiquette and reveres nobility.

The girl's luxurious upbringing made her fond of and proud of her aristocratic status.

Mi Lian always felt that she was different from those commoners who came from 'lowly' backgrounds. Her nobility stemmed from aristocratic power, and therefore she was keen to maintain her aristocratic status.

Beneath Mi Lian's polite exterior lay a deep-seated contempt for the city's inhabitants whom he needed to appease.

It was only because he wanted to maintain his aristocratic composure that he had the patience to speak to them in a polite but distant tone, as if it were a favor.

In popular accounts of the Mohist school, they are likely representatives of ordinary people, representing the common people banding together for mutual support, much like the peasantry.

But the actions of this leader of the Mohist school are clearly those of an aristocrat. Doesn't this conflict with the doctrines of the Mohist school?

Moreover, Mi Lian still remembered the last time her father, the Mo family, and her teacher Zhu family made a pact meeting. In addition to the leader, the Mo family also brought two subordinates: a musician and a hoodlum.

The book says that the Mohists "wear fur coats and coarse cloth, and wear short skirts, working day and night without rest, taking extreme self-torture as their goal," so they must have been a school of thought that valued hardship.

But the seemingly aristocratic magistrate, the musician carrying an ornate guqin, and the blond-haired thugs—these don't seem to have anything to do with hardship. The discrepancy between the book's content and reality is too great; is the book wrong?

Mi Lian was only ten years old and had not read many classic books in depth. Her knowledge was pitifully limited, and she could not find the answer to the question that arose from a detail.

However, Mi Lian knew one thing: both the Mohists and the Agriculturalists were merely tools of his father. Once the State of Chu became stronger, he would gain a higher status and a better life.

This is the simplest ideal of a noblewoman.

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Besides accompanying Ziwu to various places in Sanghai City, Lu Wei would also frequently discuss philosophy with Fu Nian and Yan Lu at Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

Fu Nian is the sect leader and is often very busy, so he often bothers Yan Lu, who hides in the backyard of Xiaoshengxianzhuang when he has no classes.

Yan Lu has a good personality and never gets angry when nagging. When the two occasionally sparred, Lu also witnessed the amazing sword technique of "Sitting in Oblivion and Holding Light".

In the past few days, Yan Erdangjia has taken the initiative to discuss the Book of Changes, which he has been studying in depth, with Lu Tangzhu.

The Book of Changes (Zhouyi) is a magical classic, divided into two parts: the Book of Changes (Yijing) and the Commentary on the Book of Changes (Yizhuan), with extremely rich content. Its earliest authors can be traced back to the ancient sages Fuxi and King Wen of Zhou, Ji Chang.

The Confucian version of the Book of Changes was also compiled by Confucius.

As the "source of the Great Way" and the "first among the classics," the Book of Changes (Zhouyi) was not only studied by Confucianists, but also highly revered by various schools of thought, including Taoism and the Yin-Yang School.

Lu Wei's farming family also had this book in their collection, and he had studied it before; the wisdom within was unfathomable.

However, neither the Confucian nor the agricultural school's collections contain the complete Book of Changes; the contents are somewhat incomplete.

But the Master had heard the Moon Goddess mention before that the Ji family's treasury in the Ji Dynasty supposedly contained a complete copy of the Book of Changes handwritten by King Wen!

Many insights in Yin-Yang theory originate from the Book of Changes (I Ching).

Chapter 245 Tian Jia

The Yin-Yang School separated from Taoism to form its own school five hundred years ago, while Lao Tzu of Taoism created the Tao Te Ching more than three hundred years ago.

Meanwhile, the split between the Taoist Heaven and Man sects and the time when Ji Chao took control of the Yin-Yang school also occurred around three hundred years ago.

In addition, around the same time, Confucianism and Mohism followed suit and formed their own schools of thought. The three-hundred-year mark is indeed very important.

The original version of the Book of Changes by King Wen of Zhou will naturally fall into Lu Wei's hands in the future, but before that, he can now compare the peasant version of the Book of Changes with Yan Lu's Confucian version.

Through different interpretations of the Book of Changes, in addition to the Yin-Yang school, the agricultural and Confucian schools also gleaned several different martial arts from it.

The two sides have some differences in their understanding, but no matter how different they are, the martial arts they have come to understand are real and full of wonders.

Does this suggest that there isn't a single correct answer in understanding the Book of Changes?

The two had barely begun their discussion of the Book of Changes when a disciple from Xiaoshengxianzhuang interrupted them, conveying Fu Nian's order: Fu Nian summoned Yan Lu to see him.

At the end of the command, the disciple whispered a reminder, "The sect leader seems very angry," and then hurriedly left.

"What could make Brother Fu Nian angry?" Lu Wei subconsciously pondered, but Yan Lu calmly smiled and said gently, "It's probably because I handled some things poorly in class this morning, and the sect leader wants to criticize me. It's nothing serious."

Watching Yan Erdang walk away, head held high to accept the criticism, the hall master shook his head helplessly. He had no choice but to leave the mountain today: If someone else had said "it's nothing serious," like Zhang Liang, the credibility would be questionable. But since it was Yan Lu who said it, it was probably very true.

Upon careful consideration, the only thing that could anger Fu Nian is matters related to Xiao Shengxianzhuang.

Back on the streets of Sanghai City, Lu Wei figured that Zi Wu should be at the Sword Pavilion in the city at this time, dueling with someone. So he decided to go and see if Sanghai City had any new wild people that could be recruited into a farmhouse.

But when he passed by Zhanqing Academy, he saw Tian An, who had recently become a disciple of the Confucian school, walking with several wandering knights. His eyes narrowed and he took the initiative to follow them.

I, Lu, have seen those wandering knights a few years ago.

At that time, they were in a small tavern, surrounding Tian Zang and Tian Du!

In other words, these people are most likely related to the Tian family of the peasant clan or the royal family of the Qi state.

Lu Wei wasn't worried about the farmers, nor did he care about Tian An and those wandering knights. However, investigating some of the secrets and clues might do Fu Nian a favor.

Although Fu Nian had some understanding of the actions of this Duke Gongsun of Qi, the results he found out himself were completely different from the results Lu Wei told him.

Human relationships are based on mutual help; only when you help me and I help you can friendships progress.

Following their target, they arrived at a luxuriously decorated residence, where Master Lu stopped.

Tian An possessed martial arts skills, though they were very weak. While the other wandering knights were slightly stronger, they were still insignificant in front of Lu Wei.

However, the fact that King Jian of Qi would specifically send his younger brother Tian Jia to arrange for his grandson Tian An to enter Xiaoshengxianzhuang proves that this grandson is quite favored among the Qi royal family. There might even be a master of the Qi court in this mansion with the plaque "Black and White Chess".

For example, the Qi-style martial arts organization!

Although Xunzi once commented that "the martial arts of Qi cannot match the elite soldiers of Wei, and the elite soldiers of Wei cannot meet the elite soldiers of Qin", the fact that "Qi martial arts", which was known as a small net in Qi, was chosen to protect the royal family of Qi must mean that there must have been many experts within the group.

Even if these experts are no match for Lu Wei, Lu Wei still cannot provoke trouble and embarrass the Qi Kingdom's officials at this time.

Remember this location; just casually mention it to Fu Nian when you go to Xiaoshengxianzhuang tomorrow.

'Black and white stones? It must be a private chess academy. Coming and going there under the guise of exchanging chess ideas makes sense given Tian An's current status.'

Having achieved his goal, the sect leader turned and left without hesitation. A quarter of an hour later, he still went to the kendo dojo to find Ziwu.

While Ziwu has enjoyed a comfortable life in Sanghai City over the years, his swordsmanship has also improved rapidly.

Unlike Li Shiqi, who spent his days engaging in verbal sparring with Confucian disciples of all levels and merchants visiting the city, Ziwu would always seek out sword duels when he wasn't out at sea with his disciples.

Because of his considerable strength, and his ability to readily admit defeat even when he occasionally loses, Ziwu embodies the chivalrous spirit of a disciple of the peasant school. In Sanghai City, a city steeped in Confucianism, Ziwu enjoys a surprisingly good reputation.

Even the three heroes of Qilu from Xiaoshengxianzhuang—Fu Nian, Yan Lu, and Zhang Liang—had sparred with him several times. When the three mentioned Ziwu to Hall Master Lu, they all gave him positive reviews.

As a result, over the years, there were even some wandering knights in the Sanghai branch who joined the Farmer's Clan under the influence of Ziwu.

However, since the Hall Master came to Sanghai this time, he has not encountered even a single wandering knight who has taken the initiative to join him, including today: after all, at least half of the martial arts people who came to this city came for Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

...

Meanwhile, Tian An and the other wandering knights were completely unaware that Lu Wei had followed them to their stronghold.

After hiding inside the residence of "Black and White Zi", they found Tian Jia, the younger brother of King Jian of Qi, in the main hall. Tian Jia should have already left.

“Uncle, recently Fu Nian and Junior Brother Yan have been getting very close to Lu Wei of the Gonggong Hall of the Farmer’s Clan.”

Tian An stepped forward alone and said respectfully.

"The situation in Daze Mountain is so urgent, yet this Hall Master Lu still has time to stay in Sanghai for so long." Tian Jia, dressed in a casual robe with gold trim, sat alone playing chess, his eyes focused on the chessboard and pieces, without turning to look at Wang Sun'an who was bowing.

Despite being over fifty years old, Tian Jia, who shared the same mother as King Jian of Qi, showed no signs of aging. His hands, which held the chess pieces, were smooth and his skin was flawless. He was very well-maintained.

"However, this person is not someone you need to pay attention to. Right now, your only task is to follow Fu Nian and learn from him."

"Yes, I understand." Tian An's tone became increasingly cautious. After answering, he stood still and did not leave for a long time.

After Tian Jia defeated himself on the chessboard, he smiled with satisfaction and turned to stretch his muscles. Only then did he notice Tian An standing upright: "Why are you still here? Is there anything else?"

"Uncle..." Tian An hesitated before answering, "The King has made so many arrangements in Sanghai City, but the purpose is not for Confucianism. Then what is it for...?"

"You want to share the king's burdens?" Tian Jia looked at this junior member of the royal family with a half-smile. He leisurely stood up from the chessboard and sat down in the main seat. Attendants immediately brought him tea and a silk scarf.

“Yes!” Tian An said firmly, “If Your Majesty only wants me to study Confucianism, there are Confucian masters in the palace who are no less than Fu Nian who can serve as teachers. But the fact that Your Majesty suddenly asked me to come to Sanghai City and made those arrangements suggests that the purpose is not so simple.”

"I suspect that since Uncle is so busy, I should take over the affairs here in a few years?"

"You're quite clever; no wonder you're favored by Brother Wang." Tian Jia's smile deepened. "According to Brother Wang's arrangement, the reason I'm staying in Sanghai City is precisely to wait for this day when you asked this question."

"I thought it would take several more months, but it seems I can hand over the business to you ahead of schedule."

"Please give your orders, Uncle!" Upon hearing this, Tian An's expression turned solemn, and he immediately knelt down to pay his respects.

Tian Jia waved for the servants to leave, leaving only the two members of the royal family in the hall: "Your Highness's arrangement is because, according to the Prime Minister, he intends to allocate a large piece of land to the Qin people south of Sanghai, but he has not yet figured out the Qin people's intentions."

"Is this the Prime Minister's idea?" Tian An frowned. The King trusted the Prime Minister greatly, but the Prime Minister had always favored the Qin state, which was common knowledge throughout the Qi court and among the people.

However, starting last year, Chancellor Hou Sheng seemed to have suddenly changed his ways. He not only actively advised the King of Qi to repair weapons on the border to guard against Qin invasion, but also expelled all Qin envoys from Qi and banned Qin people from entering Qi...

This year, with this new arrangement, is the purpose really to show a determination to overthrow the Qin Dynasty?

"It means winning later." Tian Jia nodded and stood up, then suddenly paused, as if he had just realized something. He returned to the chessboard, carefully examining the arrangement of the pieces. He then slapped his thigh in regret, seemingly lamenting that he hadn't thought of a better move when placing a piece, and only remembered it now that the game was over.

"Regardless of your opinion of Hou Sheng, this order was personally issued by my brother, and it must not be missed."

“I understand. So, the arrangement in Sanghai City is to encircle and annihilate the Qin people in that land?” Tian An put aside his prejudice against Hou Sheng and focused on asking about the mission details.

"First, monitor them and try to figure out what those Qin people are doing, then wait for orders."

"Why go through all this trouble when we can simply mobilize a large army to surround the area and those Qin people will definitely not be able to escape?" Tian An asked, puzzled.

“Because the Qin people there are disciples of the Yin-Yang School.” Tian Jia sighed and picked up two chess pieces, one black and one white, from the chessboard and held them in his palm. “What the Yin-Yang School is plotting is very likely the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions.”

“Seven stars, seven countries, seven secrets…” Tian An suddenly understood the reason.

Tian Jia then turned around and placed two chess pieces into Tian An's palm: "Your operation this time will receive ample support. In addition to Qi Jiji, the King has also prepared a group of talented individuals for you in the martial arts world."

"If you are still outmatched and encounter danger, hide in Xiaoshengxianzhuang. Fu Nian will definitely be able to protect you."

------

"Has the operation at Housheng begun?"

Zhao Gao asked the members of the Luo Wang intelligence network who had rushed back from Qi with a wicked smile.

The Qi State's overt network of forces was mostly used by Qiu Chan of Daze Mountain, but the more important and hidden members were always personally controlled by Zhao Gao.

This was not unique to Qi; it was the same in other regions as well. Zhao Gao believed himself to be the most power-hungry man in the land.

"Yes, both directions are arranged." The intelligence member in charge of the route from Xianyang to Linzi was a trusted confidant of Zhao Gao, so he did not appear flustered in front of the mastermind behind this inescapable network: "Everything is proceeding according to your plan, sir."