The Six Arts of the Gentleman in the Bright Moon of Qin Dynasty

Chapter 1226 Open Scheme and Heresy
"The Yan family has surrendered?" In the Apricot Grove of the Confucius Temple in Qufu, the Confucian leaders all received the news.

Some were angry, some breathed a sigh of relief, and there were a myriad of reactions.

"I thought it would be Xiaoshengxianzhuang that would step forward first. After all, although Fusu and Fu Nian were not master and disciple in name, they were master and disciple in reality. Xun Qing could not step forward because of his name. But when Fusu succeeded to the throne and Xun Qing passed away, Fu Nian followed the trend and Xiaoshengxianzhuang was the first to surrender... I did not expect the Yan family to be so spineless and surrender so quickly!"

"The scholars from the South are, after all, not respectable, not mainstream, and don't interact with us, so it's understandable that they voted quickly!"

The Confucian scholars all spoke up to mock the Yan family, without mentioning that they themselves were actually waiting to be the first to stand up and vote.

"Clap clap clap..."

The old man who had gathered them clapped his hands, interrupting everyone's conversation and drawing everyone's attention to himself.

"The most urgent task now is for our Confucius Temple to issue an ultimatum, expelling the Yan family from the Confucian tradition and proclaiming to the world that the Yan family cannot represent our Confucianism!"

The Confucian Temple libationer spoke earnestly.

"So be it!" Everyone raised their hands in unison to vote in favor.

They even wanted to remove Yanzi from the Confucius Temple.

"So what did the Qin state say?" After everyone finished cursing the Yan family, they continued to ask.

"The Yan family has already done it, so no matter how we explain, it's futile. However, the Confucian Academy of the Great Qin Academy cannot be handed over to those spineless worms of the Yan family. Therefore, we must set things right and guide our disciples onto the correct path. Thus, I, the Chancellor, have decided to send a great Confucian scholar from the Temple of Confucius to Xianyang to serve as the Five Classics Doctor of the Great Qin Academy." The Chancellor of the Temple of Confucius said righteously.

The great Confucian scholars from the Meng family and various schools of thought frowned, but could not refute it.

In terms of orthodox status, no one can compare to the great Confucian scholars of the Temple of Confucius.

"Father, you clearly wanted to go, so why did you scold the Southern Master?" After the meeting, a young child tilted his head and looked at his father.

Even a child like him could see that the Confucianists wanted to seize the Yan family's property, yet they still righteously accused the Yan family.

“That’s what it means to eat in a bad manner. You’re still young and don’t understand. I hope you never will, but that’s just how the adult world is.” The scholar stroked the child’s head and shook his head.

As for whether the Confucius Temple is the orthodox Confucianism or a one-man show, we'll only know after we've done it.

There are only a few positions for Doctors of the Five Classics. If they don't compete for them, who knows who will emerge victorious?

Moreover, if the Temple of Confucius truly still held its former status in recent years, how did the Jixia Academy, the Mencius Mansion, the Little Sage Village, and now the Yan Family emerge?

This is the effect of the sun setting in the west; the status of the Confucius Temple has been declining.

Who still takes those powerful branches of Confucianism seriously?

Look at Xiaoshengxianzhuang and then look at the Yan family. How many years has it been since anyone came to the Confucius Temple to worship?
Even the Xuanwu Emperor, who came from the Confucian school, never once visited the Confucius Temple to worship Confucius.

Everyone simply sends gifts on Confucius's birthday as a way of celebrating from afar.

That's still being polite; those who aren't going to give you face would simply erect a statue in their own home and worship it themselves.

Originally, they planned to target Xiaoshengxianzhuang, an outlier that was poised to replace the Confucius Temple and the Mencius Mansion as the orthodox Confucian school. However, they did not expect that the Yan family would rise to prominence and rival the Confucius Temple, the Mencius Mansion, and Xiaoshengxianzhuang. Now, they have even taken the initiative to stand up and shield Xiaoshengxianzhuang from criticism.

……

On the other side is Sanghai Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

Xunzi, Fu Nian, and Yan Lu also gathered together.

"The School of Words..." Xunzi began.

"A clever scheme!" Fu Nian chimed in. "The Yan family and Yushan Academy have developed rapidly in recent years, but they have always adhered to the rules and have not gone beyond Wucheng to recruit students in the Central Plains and the North. Now they have taken the initiative to step forward and become the first to do so. It seems like they are giving the various schools of thought a way out, but in reality, they are waiting for us to settle the score with the Confucius Temple and the Mencius Academy." Yan Lu added.

"After all, heretics deserve to die more than heretics!" Xunzi pointed out.

After so many years of Confucianism, who doesn't understand whom?

If the outer sects and outsiders provoke the Confucianists, they will unite in solidarity.

However, if the provocation is directed at only one branch of Confucianism, then the other branches would be eager to personally intervene and act as pawns to kill the opponent.

Only teammates who die are your good teammates.

In other words, I can't sleep if you don't die! How can I prove that I am the rightful heir if you don't die?
The Yan family may seem to be standing up to shield the other schools of thought, acting as a stepping stone and a stepping stone, but in reality, it may be reigniting a second war between the Xiaoshengxianzhuang and the Confucian Temple and Mengfu factions.

“We’ll find out if we investigate. We’ll see if the Yan family has sent any great scholars to the Qin Academy to serve as professors of the Five Classics!” Master Xun said, looking at Yan Lu.

Yan Lu nodded and decisively sent someone to investigate.

They quickly received accurate information.

"The Yan family only sent their direct descendants to the Crown Prince's residence to assume important positions; they did not send any great scholars to Xianyang," Yan Lu said, looking at the intelligence report in his hand.

"As expected!" Xunzi looked at Fu Nian.

The debate over the Five Classics Doctors was bait thrown out by the Yan family, forcing them and those old fogies of the Confucian school to start a second orthodox and academic debate.

"There's nothing more to say, we have no choice but to fight!" Fu Nian frowned slightly, but still made up his mind.

The Yan family's scheme was a calculated move to exchange injury for death, sacrificing their own reputation to ensure the two major Confucian factions would perish together.

They knew perfectly well that this was the work of the Yan family, yet they had no choice but to follow the Yan family's wishes.

After all, if you can't become a Doctor of the Five Classics in the Qin Academy, what right do you have to call yourself a Confucian orthodox scholar?

Therefore, whether it's Xiaoshengxianzhuang or the Confucian Temple and Mencius Mansion, they will inevitably fight tooth and nail for these few spots.

……

The Qinian Palace in Xianyang, the capital of the Qin state.

"Your Majesty, the Confucian scholars are about to kill someone!" Hei Bai Xuan Jian said, seemingly enjoying the spectacle.

"What's going on?" Ying Zheng was also curious; sometimes he really wanted to kill all the Confucianists.

"It's because the Yan family refused to serve as Five Classics Doctors at the Great Qin Academy, saying they weren't orthodox and could only assist the Crown Prince. So they recommended great Confucian scholars from Xiaoshengxianzhuang and the Confucius Temple and Mencius Mansion..." Hei Bai Xuan Jian said with a smile.

"And then?" Ying Zheng's interest was piqued even more.

"Then, from Qilu to Xianyang, the mountains were high and the rivers were long. In addition, the Yan family informed the Mo family in advance and spent a lot of money to rent all the Vermilion Birds of the Mo family in Qilu... In the end, the great Confucian scholars of Xiaoshengxianzhuang and Confucius Temple and Meng Mansion fought on the way to Xianyang!"

"Those battle reports, those methods, that bloodshed..."

Hei Bai Xuan Jian said excitedly.

If Gai Nie hadn't left, and he hadn't needed to stay by Ying Zheng's side at all times, he would have wanted to go and watch the scene.

Ying Zheng's eyes lit up. Just from hearing Hei Bai Xuan Jian's account, he wanted to go to the scene himself and spy on how these supposedly upright gentlemen, who always called others uncivilized, were fighting each other and using all sorts of underhanded tactics.

(End of this chapter)