Chapter 349: The classics of the ancients are not confusing, everyone can learn from them
Jin County.
County lieutenant Zhang Si, wearing armor, led a hundred Qin soldiers to surround the county magistrate's mansion.
Following Zhang Si's order.
After a few crisp sounds of metal clashing, the heavy bronze spear violently knocked open the door of the county magistrate's mansion.
Zhang Si was about to order the Qin army to file in and search for the county magistrate Wu Qiu when the figure of Jin County magistrate Wu Qiu appeared before him.
Wu Qiu was dressed in a Confucian robe and a retro wooden high crown popular among Confucianists during the Spring and Autumn Period on his head, which was secured with a headscarf. In his hand he held a sharp sword, two feet long.
Behind him were a group of Confucian disciples who were dressed like Wu Qiu and worked as officials in the county magistrate's office.
These Confucian disciples included both old and young, and some had expressions of determination, some of panic, and some of fearlessness in the face of death.
Most of the swords they held at an angle were stable, but a few were shaking.
"What is County Magistrate Wu doing?"
County Lieutenant Zhang Si raised his hand to stop the Qin soldiers behind him from drawing their bows and preparing to shoot.
"The county governor does not want to kill Magistrate Wu, he just wants to expel Magistrate Wu from Han.
"County Magistrate Wu, considering that you and I have worked together, I want to advise you not to make mistakes."
These words were absolutely heartfelt advice to Zhang Si.
The Qin generals valued military merit the most. If Wu Qiu and his men had just arrived in Jin County, Zhang Si would have shot them to death as a military merit.
Now, Zhang Si felt a little reluctant.
Since the great scholar Wu Qiu came to Jin County, Jin County has been visibly getting better. Xinzheng's previous orders were to obey the county magistrate, and Zhang Si recognized Wu Qiu.
"Sir Zhang, Qiu has been the county magistrate for a long time, and the changes in Jin County are obvious to all. Qiu has not made any mistakes this year, but he is being demoted with just a transfer order. This..."
"Wu County Magistrate."
Zhang Si raised his hand and waved it forward.
Fifty Qin soldiers put their sharp arrows on the strings. They grabbed the feathers at the tail of the arrows and drew their bows like a full moon.
Bounce! Bounce!
The sound of the taut bowstring was like a death warrant, causing dozens of Confucian scholars to change their expressions.
Clang clang clang
Four of them couldn't even hold their swords, and they fell to the ground.
Zhang Si had a stern expression.
"Si is a soldier and only obeys orders. You have no right to say these words to Si."
He took a step back.
"Go, or die."
Wu Qiu showed no fear even though he was pointed at by fifty arrows.
He suddenly turned around, his white hair fluttering, and shouted loudly:
“Pick it up!”
"only."
"only."
"only."
"……only!"
The three Confucian scholars gritted their teeth and responded, picking up their swords.
The last Confucian scholar responded hesitantly and choked a little.
But he still responded, very loudly, and picked up the sword.
"I regret leaving Brother Chunyu behind, and I regret not coming to the Xuanniao Palace. The thieves can destroy my body, but they cannot break my heart!"
Wu Qiu looked back with a determined look on his face, took a step forward and charged forward with his sword raised!
"If there is no justice in the world, I will sacrifice my life for it!"
He shouted, his old, thin figure looking unusually tall in the eyes of the Confucian scholars.
The old voice also sounds so sacred.
Some of the Confucian scholars were obsessed, some were dazzled, and some had their blood boiling.
At this moment.
"put."
A word without emotion.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh~
The sharp arrows that could not be stopped by the flesh shot towards the old swordsman, and the enhanced version of the rain of pear blossom needles all pierced Wu Qiu's body.
The old man's figure, which was rushing forward, immediately retreated continuously. He was shot back to his original position by the force of the fifty arrows and fell among the Confucian scholars.
The blood dyed the scholar's robe red.
The group of Confucian scholars were frightened.
Their blood is no longer boiling, their passion is no longer surging, they want to blurt out what they want, and their belief in the great scholar's martyrdom is no longer firm.
Wu Qiu was lying on his back on the ground, with arrows piercing his body. The headscarf wrapped around the wooden crown was also torn by the arrows, causing the heavy and ancient wooden crown to fall off his head and onto the ground.
Zhang Si glanced at Wu Qiu, who was shot like a hedgehog but whose chest was still rising and falling. Thinking of Wu Qiu's contribution to Jin County, he wanted to send the Qin army behind him into the county magistrate's mansion to confiscate the long swords of these Confucian scholars.
He took a step forward and his eyes suddenly focused.
Wu Qiu actually struggled to sit up!
[How could a mere scholar be so capable...]
Zhang Si stopped the Qin army behind him from advancing to finish off the enemy.
According to his experience, with such injuries, every small movement would feel like a thousand arrows piercing the body.
Such a person deserves Zhang Si to give him a little leniency - such an injury will result in death anyway.
Wu Qiu's face was full of pain. The physical pain tortured his spirit.
Trembling, he felt for the wooden crown and turban on the ground, then, with his hands covered in sticky blood, he put the wooden crown on his head properly, and then tied it with the turban to secure it.
After shaking it a few times, the wooden crown didn't move at all.
This might be because he didn't use enough strength - he didn't even have the strength to shake his head.
He opened his mouth and blood gushed out.
The blood made it difficult for him to speak clearly, and no one could hear what he said.
All you can hear is the "ho ho" and "gurgling" sounds made by the wind passing through the blood.
He sat down and lowered his head heavily, which was much more powerful than the previous shaking.
He shook his head twice, and the wooden crown shook with it.
He died, but the wooden crown remained.
Behind him, an old scholar with wrinkles on his face was crying.
"A gentleman shall not take off his crown even when he dies!"
He shouted loudly, saying what his senior brother had said but never spread.
Then, like his senior brother, he ran, charged, and moved forward courageously.
"A gentleman shall not take off his crown even when he dies!"
"If there is no justice in the world, I will sacrifice my life for it!"
“Aaaaaaah!”
“…”
Zhang Si frowned.
The shouting and yelling of the Confucian scholars in front of him completely exhausted his remaining patience.
Although there were still many Confucian scholars who did not move, trembling, and dropping their swords.
But Zhang Si was already annoyed.
You are shameless even if I give you face?
"Shoot! Leave no one alive!"
He shouted.
Sharp arrows were shot one round after another.
The land of the Jin County Magistrate's Mansion was stained with blood.
All the Confucian scholars died.
Jin County was lucky, at least Zhang Si gave Wu Qiu a chance.
In the other two cities governed by great scholars, the county lieutenants ordered the great scholars to be shot to death when they saw them holding swords.
Fu Sheng of Nanyang turned his hair white overnight.
He was in his prime, but now he looked as haggard as an old man in his seventies or eighties, kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly.
"Brother Chunyu, you were born a Confucian, so this is the only way, this is the only way! You can't save anyone!"
As early as when they were in Xianyang, the two had agreed on it - the survival of Confucianism is above all else!
When the news that the three great scholars had died for their cause reached Xinzheng, Qiang dropped the drops of wine on Ying Chengjiao's hands with a heavy face.
What weighed heavy on him was not the death of the three great scholars, but the attitude of his master.
Although the master had said clearly before that if he did not change he would be killed, Qiang knew that his master actually did not like killing.
All the retainers in Chang'an Jun's mansion recognized that Chang'an Jun was a woman's kindhearted person.
So when Ying Chengjiao was reading it, he said:
"My Lord, this is not your fault."
"Nonsense, this is certainly not my fault. It's not like I didn't let them go."
Ying Chengjiao glanced at it briefly, then closed the memorial and handed it back to Qiang.
Qiang took it with a slightly surprised look.
"What does this expression mean?"
"I think that Your Majesty will... blame himself."
"I want to enlighten the people, choose the Confucian way of spreading virtue, and break the moral shackles that Confucianism has used to hold the people hostage.
“They wanted to die as martyrs, defending their Confucianism, sacrificing their lives for fame.
"They wanted to commit suicide, and I fulfilled their request. I have nothing to blame myself for."
Ying Chengjiao walked into the inner room with a leisurely gait.
“Everyone has their own choices and is responsible for their own choices.
"It's their choice, it's what they want."
After his master left, Qiang glanced at the memorial with a sneer.
"Stupid and ignorant! Stupid!"
…
Yiyang.
The scientist called on a group of Mohist disciples and first copied all the books of Mohist school.
This is not limited to the books of Mohism, but books of hundreds of schools of thought. Books like "The Analects of Confucius", "Mozi", "The Art of War", "The Art of War by Wu Zi", "Huizi" and so on need to be copied.
These transcribed books are versions with punctuation added by the great Mohists.
Then they printed and copied as many copies as possible using movable type.
"It is right to break away from the King of Qin and stay away from Xianyang. Your Majesty has finally let go."
The scientist said with relief as he calibrated.
Punctuation, movable type, paper.
These things had been invented long ago, but they had always been suppressed by the First Emperor and not allowed to be spread outside, and scientists had long been unhappy about this.
Now that their wish has come true, scientists are very excited.
Looking at the eyes of the people of Yi Yang who are thirsty for knowledge and the rapid speed at which the people of Yi Yang are learning and making progress, the scientist smiled happily.
The happiness of the Mohist leader is simple, but also difficult.
When the news of the death of the great scholar from Jin County came, the scientists laughed even more happily.
"Your Majesty acted swiftly and decisively. Well done, very well done! Hahaha!"
Among all the schools of thought, only the Mohist school was chivalrous and willing to wield a sword to fight against injustice.
…
Wild King.
County Magistrate Wu Shi examined the punctuation marks in front of him and felt a little embarrassed for a moment.
He wrote letters to Tang Bing, the magistrate of Fushu County, Cui Guang, the magistrate of Yangcheng County, and Zhou Shu, the magistrate of Baicheng County, asking them to come to Yewang to have a talk with him.
The three county magistrates, who also had the same intention, set off for Yewang with a small entourage on the day they received the letter.
The three of them were not worried at all about any problems in the city after they left. Taoism believes in governing by inaction and advocating a natural state, believing that not caring is better than caring.
The basic structure of the city has been built, and the people are getting on track. They think that it has reached the point where it doesn't matter whether they are there or not.
There was a thin piece of paper on the table, with fourteen punctuation marks written on it.
The four great masters sat around the table in the east, south, west and north directions, staring at the paper, then looking at the people around them, and no one spoke first.
“Ahem.”
Yewang County Magistrate Wu Shi coughed.
He is the host, so naturally he should start first.
"Gentlemen, should this punctuation mark be included in the classics and taught in schools?"
Cui Guang pinched the few strands of whiskers he had left on purpose and said hesitantly:
"I personally think that there shouldn't be any more twists and turns at this time. The people of Yangcheng are happy every day, and the crops are planted in the fields. Farmers are doing farmers' work, blacksmiths are doing blacksmith work, and clerks are doing clerk work, just like in the ancient times of Yao and Shun. If punctuation marks are suddenly added to the classics, it will reduce the difficulty of learning, and I am afraid that everyone will rush to school. Except for learning, everything else will fail."
Wu Shi nodded in agreement. Cui Guang had the same thoughts and worries as him.
Their original intentions and the Taoist thoughts they inherited made them not want to incorporate punctuation marks into the system.
However, if the matter could be handled so simply, Wu Shi would not have needed to call his three old friends to discuss the matter in person.
"Why do others spread the word when we don't?"
Baicheng County Magistrate Zhou Shudao said that next to the city of this avenue is a city managed by a great scholar.
"In recent days, people have been leaving White City for Black City next door. If this continues, one will grow while the other will decline. There will be more people in Black City and fewer in White City. Without people from White City, nothing will work. Black City is growing stronger while White City is declining. This is something that we must pay attention to."
This was the main reason why Wu Shi called together his three old friends.
They came to Han from Xianyang not to do voluntary labor or make contributions, but to prove the power of Taoism in governing the country.
The Confucianists' announcement of punctuation marks, and the use of the name of Chang'an Jun, put them in a passive position. They did not want to implement it, but if they did not implement it, the Taoists would not be able to compete with the Confucians - governing a country means governing the people, and if the people are gone, what's the point of competing?
In Guanzhong, such a thing would not happen. Qin law prohibited people from running around. It was not allowed for ordinary people to run from one city to another, as it violated Qin law.
The Four Great Ways can actually also do this, but doing so would go against the Taoist principle - not going against nature and governing by inaction.
Without using punctuation marks and without violating the principles of Taoism, the four great masters had a friendly exchange, but nothing came of it.
Wu Shi, Zhou Shu and Cui Guang were all a little depressed.
At this time, Tang Bing, the youngest of the four, who had been unable to resist speaking out in the Xianyang Palace, pulled the paper and shook it twice in his hand.
Crash, crash~
This sound attracted the attention of the three great masters, who looked at him in an inquiring manner.
"Gentlemen, I have a question.
"Do you think this punctuation mark is good or bad?"
The three of them looked at each other in silence for a long while. No one could speak against their conscience.
"Great kindness."
"Cangjie's invention of characters helped civilization to continue, and punctuation marks made it easier for civilization to continue."
"With this punctuation mark, the classics of the ancients will not be confusing, and everyone can learn it."
Bang~
Slamming the paper on the table, Fushu County Magistrate Tang Bing said brazenly:
"That's it! Spread it! Use it in all Taoist cities! Immediately compile the Daodejing, Zhuangzi and other Taoist classics with punctuation marks!"
Cui Guang said reluctantly:
"But this goes against the principles of our Taoism. Using human power to forcibly intervene in this matter may lead to disaster."
"Brother Cui, this is wrong."
Tang Bing poked the paper on the table with his fingertips.
“Cang Jie invented Chinese characters, can you let him not invent them? Chang An Jun created punctuation marks, can you destroy them?
“Although this thing is human effort, its appearance is already the way of heaven, and using punctuation marks is in accordance with the way of heaven!
"When Cang Jie invented Chinese characters, the heaven and earth wept, ghosts and gods wept, and our humanity has flourished ever since.
"Chang'an Jun created punctuation marks. Although there was no celestial phenomenon, there were human traces. The three Confucianists who tried to stop a chariot with their arms had already lost their lives.
“Not using punctuation marks is not in accordance with the laws of nature, and that is when disaster strikes.
"We use it to follow the will of heaven. What harm can come of it?"
Tang Bing's words elevated Ying Chengjiao to the same level as Cangjie, the ancient sage who created writing.
Although the words seem to make sense, if we really get to the bottom of it, the three great masters can completely refute it.
However, the three great masters did not refute.
They looked taught and nodded heavily.
"color!"
They were willing to accept Tang Bing's statement and find a reasonable explanation for their behavior.
We are not going against nature, we are still following the laws of nature!
