The Moon in the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 45 Lu Buwei

The next day, it was Lu Buwei who taught Ying Zheng.

Ran Hong rushed to Ying Zheng's place early in the morning, but he happened to meet Lu Buwei on the way. The two talked for a few words, but Ran Hong could not win over Lu Buwei, so he had to go back in a sullen mood.

Ying Zheng invited Lü Buwei to take the seat: "Mr. Lü, I haven't seen you for many years. You are more elegant than ever."

Lü Buwei smiled and said, "No, no, it's all thanks to the kindness of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Ying Zheng bowed solemnly: "Zheng and my mother are in Zhao State, and we all rely on Mr. Lu to take good care of us. Otherwise, I am afraid we would have died without a burial place. I will never forget your life-saving grace."

Lu Buwei quickly responded: "Sir, what are you talking about? This is my duty. Sir and Madam are blessed by God and will be safe and sound."

Ying Zheng smiled slightly: "Mr. Lu has great ambitions, and my father also relies a lot on Mr. Lu's talents. The relationship between Mr. Lu and my father as a monarch and a minister will surely become a good story for all ages."

Upon hearing this, Lu Buwei couldn't help but look proud.

Today, Lu Buwei is the chief retainer of the Prince's Palace. Up to now, Lu Buwei has never obtained an official position in the court. It is not that he is unable to, but that he is unwilling to do so.

The purpose was to make Zichu ascend to the throne in one step.

Although he does not hold any official position now, no one in the entire Qin dares to underestimate him.

Investing in Zichu was the proudest thing he had done in his life.

Ying Zheng continued, "Zheng has something that he would like to ask Mr. Lu for help."

"Sir, please tell me."

"Mr. Lu's subordinates Chang Lu and Qing Qin have been protecting Zheng and his mother in Zhao for many years. They have done their job properly and have been a master and servant with Zheng for many years. Now Zheng and his mother have just returned to the country, and there is no capable and reliable person around them."

"Could you please, Mr. Lu, bear with the pain and send these two people to Zheng, so that Zheng will have reliable people around him."

Lü Buwei pondered for a moment and said, "My Lord, you are right. They have been with you and your wife for many years, so they are already familiar with each other. Since you do not despise their lack of talent, I am willing to help them. I will send them here when I return."

Ying Zheng smiled and said, "Thank you so much, Mr. Lu."

"No, no, it's a blessing for them to be able to follow you, young master."

Ying Zheng and Lu Buwei had a very pleasant conversation.

It's always a pleasure to talk to smart people.

The two also had an in-depth discussion on specific provisions of Qin law.

Lu Buwei and Zhong Cang agreed, or it could be said that all knowledgeable people felt that there were some problems with Qin law, and many laws were no longer suitable as the world changed.

If Lü Buwei were to pick out sentences and write poetry, he would naturally not be as skilled as many other people.

But when it comes to state affairs, there are not many people in the world who can compare to him.

After the two discussed it, Lu Buwei couldn't help but feel amazed.

Both Lu Buwei and Zhong Cang were Zichu's confidants. They had the same political views, and Lu Buwei also admired Zhong Cang's talents.

I often hear Zhong Cang praising Ying Zheng for his extraordinary talent and intelligence.

When Lu Buwei and Zichu left Zhao State, Ying Zheng was less than three years old and had lived in the rear quarters for a long time, so naturally he was not very familiar with the situation.

After some communication, I have come to realize that this extraordinary eldest son of Zichu has profound insights and unique views.

At this age, the word "genius" is far from enough to describe him.

I was amazed in my heart: "I was born extraordinary! I was born extraordinary! On the day of my birth, there was a strange phenomenon in the sky, and a flying star passed through the sky. I was born divine."

He was also thankful in his heart that the rare treasure in Zichu might bring him wealth for generations, and that he and Ying Zheng were natural allies. From today on, Lu Buwei would no longer dare to underestimate Ying Zheng because of his young age.

After school today, after Ying Zheng saw Lu Buwei off, he stood at the palace gate and looked at Lu Buwei's departing back from afar.

"I will not give you the opportunity to make mistakes in this life, and I hope you will not make mistakes again. A good beginning and a good end can also be regarded as a good story for the ages."

The next day, Ran Hong arrived outside Ying Zheng's palace early in the morning.

Today, no one really argued with him.

Seeing Ying Zheng, he was extremely enthusiastic and stepped forward to greet him: "Greetings, sir."

Ying Zheng was also very enthusiastic when he met Ran Hong, and he bowed meticulously and said, "Hello, Mr. Boyang."

Ying Zheng invited Ran Hong to take the seat, but Ran Hong declined: "You are the king, so you should take the seat. How can a minister take the seat? This is not the way of a king and a minister."

Ying Zheng smiled and said, "Zheng cannot be called a king now. Mr. Boyang is a minister of the king and father, not a minister of Zheng. In this school, Zheng and Mr. Boyang are only a master and a disciple, not a king and a minister. Naturally, Mr. Boyang should take the seat. Please do not refuse."

Ran Hong was excited: "Young Master, you are so humble at such a young age. If you become a king in the future, you will definitely be a virtuous ruler."

Then he stopped refusing, bowed, and sat in the seat of honor, his back straight and meticulous.

Ran Hong asked first: "I wonder if you have ever understood my Confucianism?"

Ying Zheng replied: "I know a little bit. I have read The Analects and Mencius."

Ran Hong was delighted and asked, "This is the fundamental classic of Confucianism. I wonder what you think after reading it?"

Ying Zheng smiled and said, "Ever since I read The Analects and Mencius, I have had great admiration for the two sages, Confucius and Mencius."

“If everyone in the world learns the benevolence of Confucius and the righteousness of Mencius, the world will be united and there will be no more chaos.”

"The Analects and Mencius teach how to become a gentleman, which is also the great path for human beings."

Ran Hong clapped his hands and praised: "Sir, what you said is very true. Your feelings from this show that you have learned the true meaning of my Confucianism."

Then he asked tentatively, "Sir, you have studied Legalism. I wonder how you view the difference between Legalism and Confucianism."

"In Zheng's view, these two things are not in opposition, but can complement each other."

"Zheng had heard the great Confucian scholar Xunzi say that human nature is evil, and then he read Mencius, who said that human nature is good."

"Why do the two great sages have such a big difference in their views on human nature? Zheng once thought deeply about it."

"Zheng believes that human nature is neither good nor evil. At the beginning, people just want to live. It depends on the environment and education they live in. Just like bamboo slips have no words on them, the words on them are all written by people."

"When a person is born, he is like this blank bamboo slip. What words are written on it depends on what kind of teaching he has received."

"Nowadays, the world is in turmoil and great contention. In order to survive, people in the world have to do some evil things. In this situation, if we only teach people the way of a gentleman, it will be difficult for the people to survive. Naturally, few people will learn and truly practice the way of a gentleman."

"It is precisely because the world is in turmoil and people's hearts are in chaos that we need the Legalists to impose strict laws and punishments to restrain people's evil thoughts. Only when the world is on the right track can we implement the teachings of the saints and the conduct of the gentlemen."

"Guan Zi once said: 'When the granaries are full, one will know the etiquette.' Zheng also agrees with this statement."

“No one is born a gentleman. Becoming a gentleman requires a lot of hard work and perseverance.”

"But the premise is to survive first. A gentleman can naturally sacrifice his life for justice, but before most people become gentlemen, they go astray or even die for the imminent problem of survival."

“Before educating the people to become gentlemen, one should not hold them to the standards of gentlemen.”

Ran Hong was very surprised. He didn't expect that Ying Zheng had such profound insights at such a young age.

　Dear friends, please read and vote, thank you very much
　　
　
(End of this chapter)