Chapter 33 Agreement

Li shi had an explosive temperament. Hearing the rumors, she immediately spit, “Bah! Just a dog who relies on its master’s powerIt means use one’s position to bully others!”

Qin Lingyun coughed, then winked at his sister-in-law, reminding her that the emperor was here, even if she was beating the dog, she had to look at the master. Of course, if the emperor was not there, she could scold whatever she wanted. In the final analysis, his perception of Ye Jieyu was also very bad. She swayed when she walked, as if she would faint at any moment, and when he talked left and right with her, it’s not straightforward at all. Compared with Guan Suyi, it was really one in the sky and one on the ground. However, the emperor liked it, and there was no room for others to open their mouths.

Guan Suyi patted the back of Li shi‘s hand lightly, and said in a gentle and soothing tone, “Sister, don’t be angry, it’s just bitten by a dog, we don’t need to bite back.” Because there is naturally a stick to deal with her later.

Qin Lingyun spit out a sip of hot tea with a squirt. Unexpectedly, Guan Suyi’s words were more poisonous than Li shi, he couldn’t help but look at the emperor.

Emperor Sheng Yuan was equally astonished, not knowing how to react. No matter how much Ye Jieyu indulged her family, after all she was nominally his concubine, but now she was compared to a dog. Even if Marquis Zhenbei madam had a prominent background, she had to bear the charge of slandering the imperial family. However, he couldn’t get angry, and after thinking about it again and again, he also laughed quietly.

Li shi originally wanted to laugh, but because the real god was here, she had to endured. Now that she saw the real god was also laughing, she clasped her hands and smiled, “Yes, yes, there is absolutely no reason to compete with beasts.”

Other people suggested that Ye Jieyu is a dog, but when it come to you, it directly changed into a beast. You are really capable! Qin Lingyun was delighted with his sister-in-law’s boorish and straightforward attitude. For fear that the emperor would be annoyed, he glanced at his expression again and again, but saw that he was staring at Marquis Zhenbei madam’s veil hat floating with the wind, not knowing what he was thinking.

Fortunately, the gongs and drums sounded in unison downstairs, and the battle of words was about to start, which interrupted the discussion of the crowd. Xu Guangzhi and his opponent walked onto the high platform covered with red carpet together, picked up the brush, and each wrote the sentences – govern by law, govern by benevolence.

“After fighting for nine days, finally talked about the fundamentals of Confucianism and Legalism. Presumably the answer to this question, from the master of the country down to the common people, has argue in their hearts, but it also confused them.” Guan Suyi raised both hands and clapped her hands lightly.

“Guess who’s going to win?” Qin Lingyun took out a Buddhist bead, then pointed to the chair beside him, and put on a “generous” posture, “Hunnar, you don’t have to be rigid when you walk outside, just sit.”

“Thank you, master.” Emperor Sheng Yuan clasped his fists in a dignified manner, then sat down next to Marquis Zhenbei madam and asked, “What does this question mean?

“Govern is to govern the country. The Legalists advocate severe punishment and harsh law, and the Confucians advocate benevolence and understanding. One is tight and one is loose, one is strict and one is wide, and which one is better or worse, who can lead the country to prosperity, this is the focus of the battle between Legalism and Confucianism. In a chaotic world, sever laws should be used, and at the prosperous world we should go with benevolent governance. While the chaotic times of the Wei Kingdom have just passed, the prosperous times has not been reached, and it is even more necessary to have an accurate measurement between strict laws and benevolent. However, the degree of leniency and severity of laws are only issues that the rulers need to consider, and ordinary people have no right to decide, and it is even more difficult to achieve. However, the common people have suffered enough from the war and are naturally more inclined to live a stable and peaceful life, so their desire for benevolent governance and the support of the wise Holy Lord have never been higher. It should be Xu Guangzhi who won the victory.”

“Well said!” Hunnar praised in awkward (ancient) mandarin.

“Do you understand?” Guan Suyi liked to talk to Hunnar very much, just because he only knew a little about the culture of the Central Plains, in front of her, he was like an ignorant child, and children was very easy inviting people’s soft-side.

“I understand seven or eight points. I have been studying hard recently.” Emperor Sheng Yuan scratched his head with simple and honest expression.

Qin Lingyun and Li shi covered their faces with their hands, not daring to look at His Majesty’s stupid appearance, for fear that they would be killed and silenced when they returned.

However, Guan Suyi didn’t notice, and chuckled, “As long as you have the heart to study, it’s never too late to start working hard. If on ordinary days you don’t understand anything, you can send a letter to ask me.”

“Thank you Madam!” Emperor Sheng Yuan’s cheeks were flushed red and his eyes sparkled, as if he was very happy. But in fact, he was indeed very happy. Guan Suyi’s casual words were better than Old Master Guan’s whole day of chanting, and the more he thought about it, the more interesting it became.

On the stage, Xu Guangzhi had the upper hand as soon as he started, and the onlookers nodded in agreement. Guan Suyi stared at the man’s arrogant face, and sneered, “Confucian governance is like a child’s cooking show. It looks good, but it’s a situation that difficult to realized.”

Qin Lingyun looked at her in amazement, as if he was frightened by her astonishing behavior. It should be said that this noble person was the Emperor Teacher’s granddaughter. Who was the Emperor Teacher? The great master of Confucian school, and the brilliant student that was taught by the old man himself, said that Confucian governance was like a child’s cooking show. If others hear it, there would be endless fun.

There were a lot of people on the second floor, but it was precisely because of the noisy atmosphere that Guan Suyi dared to speak freely. Everyone was talking, cheering, clasping their hands, who had time to listen to what others have to say? Besides, Qin Lingyun, the dignified Marquis Zhenxi, was sitting here, and there were many guards holding the hilts of knives on full alert. Who would have the courage to come close?

After being suffocated for a lifetime, Guan Suyi simply opened her mind. Do what she wanted to do, say what she wanted to say, otherwise wouldn’t she waste the opportunity to live again, wouldn’t she failed the pity of the gods and Buddhas? She smiled sarcastically and continued, “Being poor care for themselves, being wealthy cares for the world. This is the standard of life for Confucian scholars. It can be seen from this that they are not averse with being an official, and they are even actively seeking positions. However, Confucius traveled around. For decades, he devoted his whole life to preaching, teaching and dispelling doubts, intending to apply his own ideas of governing the country. But he only served as an official once in his life, that is, from the ninth to the thirteenth year of Duke Ding of Lu, and in just five years he took off his official hat, why is that?”

“Why?”

The big foreigner looked at her eagerly, which made Guan Suyi chuckle, “Because his doctrine were inopportune, he could cultivate his own family, but it was difficult to govern the country and the world. The disciple asked to learn to grow crops, The Master said, ‘How can I use the crops’, so as time goes by, Confucian scholars are proud of reading and ashamed of labor. When they met a soldier who was fleeing from battle, and heard that the other party was going home to fulfill his filial piety and serve his parents, they not only did not pursue criminal responsibility, but praised it greatly. If it’s publicized, it will only cause more and more soldiers to flee, and eventually there will be no one to resist at the border. If you don’t work, do you have food to eat? If you don’t resist the enemy, do you have a life to live? If an emperor dare to use such official, also worried that in the next three or five years, the country will be ruled into a bare land. And the streets are full of Confucian scholars who are just like that. When confronted with the enemy and labor, they all swiftly run away, euphemistically calling it returning home to do filial piety, what does this called to the people above?”

Emperor Sheng Yuan nodded in agreement.

Guan Suyi continued, “Being poor care for themselves, being wealthy cares for the world. The inferiority of Confucian scholars has long been hidden in this philosophical saying. The whole world were sensible and the Holy Lord was wise, so Confucian scholars all ran to become officials; the world was dark, and the ruler was evil, so Confucian all hide and protect themselves. This is their way of life, which is called ‘being wise and protecting oneself, advancing and retreating freely‘. However, if everyone is like them, only care about protecting themselves, regardless the common people of the world, how will the war be quelled, how will the country be unified, how will the politics be prosperous, and how will life be stable? It’s precisely because of thousands of righteous men who stood up, soldiers who poured their blood and throw their heads, farmers who worked hard to farm, and village women who picked mulberry and planted hemp, until the point of slaughtering the tyrants who slaughter the city, only then the feudal vassal collapsed, the war ceased, and the Wei Kingdom was established, and we now have a peaceful and stable life.”

“Well said, very well said!” Qin Lingyun raised his wine cup and laughed heartily, “Just based on what you said, let’s a drink a full cup! The Confucian children speak well, but in fact they are cowardly and incompetent, has no responsibility, but also loves to fight for power and profit. All of them are fucking hypocrites.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan was fascinated, slowly chewing on these words, but heard Guan Suyi coldly said, “Lord marquis, don’t overturn a boat with a single poleIt means, to unfairly categorize someone or something as being the same as another person or thing. Although the Confucian school is full of hypocrites, there are also benevolent and righteous people who really care about the country and the people. For example, my grandfather and father.” With a little tea to moisten her throat, she changed her words abruptly, “In terms of equality and clarity, Confucianism is not as good as Legalism, when it comes to loving the world, Confucianism is not as good as Mohism, when it comes to defending the country, Confucianism is not as good as military strategist… but there is one point in Confucianism, which is beyond the reach of all the hundred schools of thought, and which is the most respected by the emperor. This alone is enough to make him make a decision to ‘Respect Confucianism and suppress the Hundreds Schools of Thought’.”

“Oh, Which point?” Emperor Sheng Yuan’s breathing slightly stopped, and the man got closer, staring at the woman whose face couldn’t be seen clearly  with burning eyes.

“If Legalism is the emperor’s method, then Confucianism is the method of managing people, or the method of keeping people in ignorance is more appropriate. Confucianism divides people into three, six, and nine classes, and is constrained by clan etiquette and benevolence morality, domesticated by Constant Mean, leniency and fraternity, advocating filial piety, loyalty, etiquette, righteousness, honesty, and modesty. Over time, sons do not dare to offend their fathers, wives do not dare to offend their husbands, shu do not dare to offend di, children do not dare to offend their elders, servants do not dare to offend their superiors, and ministers do not dare to offend the monarch, then the four seas will be pacified, and the family and country will be peaceful. On the other hand, the Legalists advocate to lure by profit, driven away by harm, and suppressed by power. The monarch do not dare to believe his subordinates, to believe his wives and concubines, to believe his sons and daughters, or to believe his brothers, so he is always on guard; The people also do not dare to believe in their monarch, and also cannot help but being suspicious. As time goes by, the monarch will suppress with tyranny and political pressure, and his subordinates will retaliate with rebellion, and the great country will fall apart in an instant. The Legalism’s militarism and centralization of power by the monarch are indeed conducive to growth the strength but they are also has a lot of backlash. The centralization of the monarchy is the core of Legalist thought, and it is precisely its impermanent drawback. But if you put Confucian’s ‘the ruler is small, the people are noble’ benevolence cloak on top, it can win the hearts and minds of the people and stabilize the society. Therefore, whether it’s to govern by law or to govern by benevolence, they are too one-sided. The fusion of the two, supplemented by Confucianism outside and law inside, is the best policy for governing the country.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan’s heart jumped wildly, and his sharp eyes wished that he could burn a big hole on that black veil, and see the woman’s expression at this moment. In just a few words, she pierced through his thoughts, plans, and actions. Confucianism outside and law inside, word for word. This was exactly the way to govern the country that he had painstakingly pondered for countless days and nights, but she said it so thoroughly, vividly and clearly.

He pondered over and over again, reflected over and over again, assessed over and over again, so he became more and more addicted. Well done, well done Guan Suyi and well done Emperor Teacher’s descendant. It was indeed a student that surpassed the master!

“Madam, if you don’t think Hunnar is rude, can you drink three cups with me?” For her brilliant mind, tongue as sharp as a knife, eyes that saw things clearly, and the wonderful ideology that merged with oneself was enough to make Emperor Sheng Yuan appreciated, admired, and delighted, and then get drunk together.

High mountains and flowing waters, intimate friends are hard to find, once you meet them, how can you miss them?

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