Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 728 The Path of the Saint and the Path of the King

The Jixia Academy in the State of Qi.

A ray of light pierced through the clouds, reaching Wensheng Mountain and disappearing into the Confucian Temple in the blink of an eye.

On a stack of blank pages offered before the Confucian saints, characters gradually emerged clearly.

In no time, a journal was completed and placed quietly on the desk.

Soon, a figure appeared in the Confucian Temple; it was Yan Jue, the Chancellor of the Jixia Academy.

Yan Jue first offered incense to the saints before reaching out to take the journal.

Upon seeing the text on the journal cover, Yan Jue couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

It was Taiping Domain again... Yan Jue picked up the journal and silently left the Confucian Temple.

It wasn't until she descended Wensheng Mountain that Yan Jue opened the journal and began to read.

Upon seeing the articles, Yan Jue's expression became even more complicated. These young people really dared to do and speak their minds, and they even managed to produce such a journal to show the world.

Just then, an old man leisurely walked up to Yan Jue and asked with a smile.

"Master, I see another strange phenomenon on Mount Wensheng. Could it be that some extraordinary article has appeared in the world again?"

The old man was a teacher at the academy. He had just finished teaching the students when he noticed the situation at Wensheng Mountain and rushed over immediately, where he encountered Yan Jue.

Yan Jue raised his hand and copied a journal, handing it to the old man.

“Some remarkable articles have been published, and more than one.”

Upon hearing this, the old man curiously picked up the journal and took a look. Soon, his brows furrowed and he couldn't smooth them out.

After reading all the articles, his expression turned very strange.

"Who...who would produce these articles? It's simply...it's simply..."

The old man glared and bristled, and for a moment, he didn't know how to comment.

Yan Jue said slowly, "This is not the work of one person, but the work of many people."

Yan Jue could tell that these articles were not written by the same person, and he felt that one or two of them might even have been written by students of the Jixia Academy.

However, the writing styles are too different, so it cannot be completely certain.

These articles are not refined enough; they wouldn't have been selected for the imperial examinations.

However, each article is bold in its themes and straightforward in its language, making a profound and thought-provoking impact.

In terms of his words and thoughts, Yan Jue is not at fault.

However, the content was too bold, completely exposing the dark side of certain figures and openly discussing many shady things in an attempt to awaken the minds of the world...

The old man's expression shifted, and he whispered, "How could the Confucian Temple possibly accept such an article... Could it be that the Sage of Literature of Qi..."

The old man wondered if the literary sage of Qi was asleep, yet he still endorsed such periodicals and books and spread them.

Yan Jue sighed inwardly, realizing that this was something even a literary sage couldn't stop.

After all, the living sage of literature was merely a sage from the state of Qi.

As long as Confucianism and Taoism endure, the will of those few supreme beings in the world will ultimately prevail over others.

At least on the surface, no one will stand up and oppose anything.

Recalling his previous conversations with Lu Zheng, Yan Jue felt that some things were probably beyond his expectations and control, and he could only let nature take its course...

Yan Jue said, "Let's publish these articles! Let the teachers and students of the academy see them and discuss them."

The old man's expression changed slightly. "These are mostly articles criticizing the imperial court. Is it really appropriate to spread them around like this?"

Yan Jue sighed, "It's easier to stop the people from talking than to stop a river; you can't silence the voices of the people. These articles will probably be circulating throughout the world soon; it's just a matter of time."

……

Anguo, Tai'an City, Imperial Palace Garden.

A palace maid hurried along, presenting a periodical to An Tae-hyun, who was in the garden.

"Your Majesty, these are books that suddenly appeared in the Confucian Temple, and they seem to be works from the Taiping Region..."

As soon as the journal appeared, someone from the Confucian Temple reacted immediately and sent it to An Taixuan before even looking at its contents.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing that the work was published in the Taiping Domain, An Taixuan immediately became interested.

He quickly picked up the journal and saw the two large, blood-red characters on the exquisite cover, which he found very jarring.

"Why does this red color look so unfestive?"

An Taixuan couldn't help but mutter something under his breath.

Upon opening the first article, An Taixuan couldn't help but sit up straight.

The Way of the Saints and the Way of the Kings...

The article uses simple language and avoids piling up flowery words; it simply describes the content in concise language.

The opening section explains the difference between ruling the world through the sage's way and ruling the world through the king's way.

The way of the sage governs the world for the benefit of all people; while the way of the king governs the world with the ruler and his ministers as the masters, and the people are in fact slaves...

Then, the article states directly that the world today is governed by the Way of the King, but the dynasties and nobles of the world, under the guise of sages and saints, are actually pursuing their own interests, which is contrary to the Way of the sages and saints...

His words were sharp and venomous, each word like a knife, piercing straight to the heart.

They were practically pointing their fingers and vehemently denouncing the hypocritical and despicable behavior of certain individuals.

An Taixuan's expression stiffened slightly as he read it, and he couldn't help but touch his nose. This article was truly...

It felt like none of the upright officials in the court had ever said such hurtful things to him before.

An Taixuan calmed himself down and continued flipping through the pages.

After looking at it for quite some time, he slowly flipped to the last article.

The article, titled "Class," succinctly explains class relations, directly criticizes certain class forces, and some of its wording and sentence structure are particularly insightful.

For example, if you feel like you're carrying a heavy burden in your life, it must be because someone is riding on your back and bullying you.

Without landlords, peasants and ordinary people can improve their lives by farming; but without farmers, those landlords who only know how to exploit others will starve to death...

The powerful and wealthy are nothing but human vampires, even more terrifying than demons and ghosts!

An Taixuan's lips twitched involuntarily; he believed that the article was written by that little girl, Qing Wan.

During the few days he spent in Taiping Domain, he could always hear the other party repeating similar words.

After reading the entire booklet, An Taixuan rubbed his temples, his mind a jumble of emotions that he couldn't calm down.

"Thoughts... the first phase, still the first phase, how many more will there be after this?" An Taixuan felt a headache coming on. Did Lu Zheng and the others want to spread these ideas in the world because they feared the world wasn't chaotic enough?

An Taixuan pondered for a moment, then handed the journal to a palace servant beside him and said calmly, "Have someone make more copies and send them to all the civil and military officials!"

He felt that this kind of journal should not only be read by him, but also shared with princes and ministers, so that they could also experience the impact of new ideas.

It can also be seen as using other people's words to criticize certain powerful figures in the imperial court.

Thinking of this, An Taixuan couldn't help but feel a little better.

The palace servants around An Taixuan worked quickly, and in no time, copies of the periodicals were delivered to many residences and into the hands of officials and nobles.

Some people who saw the journal's content felt inexplicably as if they had been stripped naked and displayed to the public.

Some people even became so engrossed in watching it that they felt a sense of connection with the author.

Some people are looking in the mirror, some are watching the spectacle...

Some people even went directly to the palace to request an audience with An Taixuan, wanting to find out the purpose of sending such an article.

Some even felt it necessary to jointly petition for a complete ban on matters concerning Lu Zheng and Taiping Domain, otherwise the spread of various things and ideas would be detrimental to national stability.

Soon, ministers organized themselves and, together with some officials, entered the palace to explain the advantages and disadvantages to An Taixuan in person.

Seeing the strong reaction from so many ministers, An Taixuan couldn't help but sneer inwardly. He figured that some of his words must have really hit a nerve with these people, which was why they were so eager to stand up and react.

Seeing an old minister rambling on and on, An Taixuan didn't listen to a single word and looked very impatient.

An Taixuan interrupted, saying, "If the country is peaceful and prosperous, these articles will only be idle gossip among the people. How much impact can they have? Silencing the people is more dangerous than preventing a river from overflowing. Instead of addressing the real problems, we try to silence dissent and punish those who raise questions..."

An Taixuan laughed in anger and said, "You have read so many books of sages and virtuous men, and now you come to advise me to become a foolish ruler like King Li?"

"Traitors, traitors! Some say there are rebellious people in the Northern Regions, but they are far from me. Others are bringing disaster to the country and its people right before my eyes. What can I say about that?"

An Taixuan's eyes were sharp and piercing as he stared intently at the assembled ministers.

Seeing this, everyone lowered their heads and dared not look directly at each other, and for a moment no one dared to stand up and speak.

An Taixuan sneered inwardly, then said, "I have heard that the Emperor of Wei is benevolent and virtuous, and has strongly advocated the implementation of new policies, exempting the people from land taxes, which has won the praise of hundreds of millions of people. Even Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have offered golden statues of Buddhas, which is unprecedented in history..."

“Back then, Lu Zheng made a similar suggestion to me, and I shared the same idea. However, you all felt that this policy was unprecedented, contrary to the laws of our ancestors, and would face too much influence and resistance, making it impossible to implement…”

An Taixuan's face was ashen, and he said coldly, "How come Wei is now able to work? Does that mean that the emperor and ministers of Wei are more capable than me and you?"

An Taixuan paused, then said, "Or are you treating me like a fool?"

The ministers were trembling with fear, and some even broke out in a cold sweat.

Distracted by An Taixuan, everyone hesitated to mention Lu Zhenghe's journal again.

An Taixuan's expression was cold as he said, "I want to be like the Emperor of Wei, doing things that benefit the people, instead of silencing them. You should all draft some policies. At the next grand court assembly, I want to see effective guidelines. If you can't do it, then you shouldn't occupy positions in the court; you'll only become a laughingstock. I grant you permission to retire and return to your hometowns, or go to Wei to learn from their experience and see how they do things..."

"Go back all!"

An Taixuan waved his hand with a displeased expression.

The ministers, having lost their composure, slunk away from the palace.

As for what An Taixuan said, some people felt they should go back to their study and look through it; perhaps the thick stack of new laws and policies that had been given to them earlier was still lying around somewhere...

……

In a northern prefecture of the State of Chu, there was a thriving temple with incense burning brightly.

Wang Tong sat on the altar, holding a journal that his subordinate had just delivered.

This once flamboyant and eccentric man ultimately heeded Lu Zheng's advice and, through his family connections, secured a position within the Chu Kingdom's religious community.

Now he is thriving in the area and is deeply loved by the local people. He receives more incense offerings than other local deities.

As for Lu Zheng and Taiping Domain, Wang Tong had been paying attention to them and often lamented that his own career achievements were not as great as Lu Zheng's, and that he was far inferior to Lu Zheng.

Wang Tong slowly flipped through the journal, and as he read the contents, he couldn't help but feel excited and exclaimed how satisfying it was.

He used to criticize the imperial court, but he never thought he could write it down, publish it, and spread it throughout the world.

He once thought he was arrogant enough, but when he faced someone like Lu Zheng, he felt that the gap between them was quite large.

"Like a mayfly seeing the blue sky..."

Wang Tong couldn't help but sigh, "I wish I could go to the Taiping Domain to see what it's like, but unfortunately I really can't leave here..."

In fact, Wang Tong had long wanted to visit the Taiping Domain, but as the current righteous god of the Chu Kingdom, his main body could not leave his post without permission, and even a avatar of his spirit did not have the ability to travel that far.

After reading the journal, Wang Tongjing sat on the altar and slowly digested its contents.

After a long while, Wang Tong's eyes flashed with golden light, revealing a resolute expression.

He wants to stay here and develop his career, to become the most powerful god in the State of Chu!

And then, destroy it all!

Wang Tong hummed softly, and some indistinct words could be vaguely heard.

"There has never been a savior, nor a god or emperor..."

……

"I somewhat regret sending Yanran and the others over there..."

The Shu emperor sat in a hibiscus garden, holding a periodical in his hand.

“Thoughts, thoughts… that kid’s thoughts are not on the same wavelength as mine. I’m worried that he might really corrupt Yanran and the others.”

Beside her, the elegant and dignified Empress Furong, with a serene smile on her face, slowly flipped through the magazine.

“He’s a good boy, wholeheartedly devoted to those suffering people, what’s wrong with that? Yanran and the others are adults now, they have their own opinions, husband, there’s no need to worry so much…”

"Furthermore, even the Celestial Master of Qingyang Palace personally selected some disciples to go and gain experience, so it's bound to be beneficial..."

Hearing Empress Furong's words, the Shu Emperor felt slightly better, but still felt a bit uneasy.

"My Queen, this world cannot tolerate such a good man as him."

Empress Furong glanced sideways and smiled, "What if we could accommodate them?"

The Shu Emperor said with a somber expression, "Then the world will be turned upside down, and I will not be able to sleep peacefully from now on."

The Shu emperor enjoyed a life of ease and comfort, but he was not stupid; he saw through many things.

Lu Zheng was arguably the most unpredictable person he had ever met.

Empress Furong asked, "Does my husband intend to do something?"

The Shu Emperor remained calm and said softly, "I care about nothing but you. Is there any need to do anything? Let nature take its course!"

"He is a prodigy of our human race, a young man recognized by the sages. Even if he is not on the same path as me, I will not do anything to him. My wife and I will just watch the show..."

"We also need to urge the Taoist sect to hurry up. Is compiling a Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace) really that difficult? I still want a chance to be remembered for all time!" (End of Chapter)