My father is Emperor Wu of Han, how can I be different from him?

Chapter 145 You Son of a Bitch
The reception hall was large enough that it did not seem crowded even with nearly a hundred people sitting there.

now.

The big guys sitting in the front row can still maintain their dignity, be calm, or be indifferent, but the younger generations behind them are all young people.

Can young people be called young people if they are not full of energy?
There were sneers at one end and angry glares at the other, and the opposing camps were very obvious; there were many schools present today, but there were only two camps.

One is Confucianism.

One is other.

Just looking at the seating arrangement you can get some clues. The Confucians sit in the first seat on the left, and after them, a few seats apart, a few small fry from the farming and strategist families take their seats.

Looking across from them, there were the Taoists led by Zhuang and Ji, the Legalists led by Zhang Tang, and a large group of people including Li Guang, Huo Qubing, Tang An, and Song Yi.

Whether intentional or unintentional.

Everyone cast unfriendly glances at the Confucian disciples.

Confucian scholars are not easy to mess with. You glare at me and I glare at you. Who is afraid of who?

"cough."

At this moment when everyone was staring at each other but not saying a word, someone cleared his throat and broke the silence:
"Since everyone is being courteous to each other, I will be the first to recommend myself." Dongfang Shuo held a feather fan and said with a smile:

"If you want to ask us what use debaters are to the country, I think we are of great use. We can assist wise rulers and distinguish right from wrong, just like Gongsun Long and Lord Pingyuan in the past!"

"Debator" was the name given to the disciples of famous schools during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

Gongsun Long, a native of Zhao, was a representative figure of the School of Names. He had a very famous proposition, namely: A white horse is not a horse.

Pingyuan Jun was one of the four princes of the Warring States Period.

Gongsun Long had assisted Lord Pingyuan for many years. Dongfang Shuo now used these two people as examples to, on the one hand, illustrate the usefulness of famous people to the country.

Secondly.

It was to express to the Crown Prince Liu Ju who was sitting in the main seat that you are like the Lord Pingyuan in the past, and I am like Gongsun Long in the past. I am loyal to you, and the heavens can bear witness to my loyalty!

Of course.

The profound meaning of the latter part cannot be appreciated by others, and Dongfang Shuo did not mean to tell it to others.

After taking the lead and smuggling his own private goods, he gently waved his feather fan, looked around and said with a smile: "Everyone, discuss with each other and speak freely."

As soon as Dongfang Shuo finished speaking, someone really spoke freely.

Kong Anguo looked over and said calmly, "Debaters only know how to use their tongues. The views of famous scholars are useless studies aimed at winning."

Ouch.

The tone is not harsh, but the words are loud.

With just one sentence, the famous scholar was belittled to the point of being worthless. The two followers behind Dongfang Shuo were immediately filled with shame and indignation, and glared at him angrily.

The two of them were two ceremonial officials of the rank of 100 stones under the command of the Grand Master of Ceremonies, one of the Nine Ministers in the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers system.

He is a disciple of a famous family with an orderly inheritance!

but.

Look at the lengthy prefixes that introduced the two of them just now, and then look at their official titles, Baishi Liguan.

Their official positions were low and their schools were weak, which meant their words were ignored. All they could do was glare at Kong Anguo and act like they were helpless and furious.

And their leader, the representative of the famous families, Dongfang Shuo, heard what the other party said, not only was he not angry, but on the contrary he smiled as if he didn't care.

As soon as he finished speaking, Dongfang Shuo noticed the satisfied look in the prince's eyes.

With this, that's enough!

I'd rather you demote me than not, anyway, I, Dongfang Shuo, have already caught the prince's eye...

In the first round of confrontation, because the famous scholars smiled and said nothing, it was considered a complete defeat in the eyes of the outside world. How could other schools of thought allow the Confucians to be so arrogant?

Cai Cheng wanted to keep a low profile, but his background didn't allow it.

The Mohist school is now in decline, but it used to be able to compete with the Confucianists. Now it must stand out.

"My Mohist school is good at construction. It can be used to make powerful weapons for the military and the country, and it can also be used to make good methods to keep the people safe. But is it still a useless subject?" Cai Cheng stared at Kong Anguo and said in a muffled voice.

He said this.

It can be regarded as a way to regain face for Dongfang Shuo and to question Confucianism at the same time.

Moreover, the battle achievements cited by Cai Cheng were all recent examples that could be verified. They were the military and national weapons that referred to the improvements in iron smelting technology that facilitated the war against the Huns.

The good art of keeping the people safe refers to printing.

These are real examples that are indeed irrefutable from a theoretical perspective, but Kong Anguo's attack is still sharp.

He bowed to the main seat, turned to Cai Cheng, and said coldly: "I have never seen such a shameless person. The sharp weapon and good skills are all credited to your majesty and the prince!"

"You, the disciple of the Mo family, are just a craftsman!"

"How dare you talk about your achievements to me!?"

After hearing this, Cai Cheng's originally dark face turned completely black as the bottom of a pot. He was about to retort when suddenly another person in the hall spoke up.

"Humph."

Zhang Tang looked at Kong Anguo, and his expression as he spoke seemed to have returned to the cold and tough look he had in the court.

"The Mohists have become craftsmen. Then the Legalists, who have always advocated ruling the country by law, are nothing more than dispensable clerks in your mouth?"

"No, no." The other party came quickly, and Kong Anguo retorted even faster, "You, the Legalist, are not a petty official, but a cruel official who brings disaster to the country and the people!"

"The Qin dynasty was tyrannical and ended in the second generation!"

"Isn't it the credit of what Mr. Zhang said, 'rule the country by law'?"

This statement came out.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly heated up. The Legalist disciples behind Zhang Tang were furious. Lieutenant Wang Wenshu sat up suddenly, his eyes flashing with ferocity, and stared directly at Kong Anguo. "You corrupt scholar, do you want to test the sharpness of my sword?!"

Wang Wenshu was bloodthirsty by nature and his temper was definitely not good. As he spoke, his hand had already pressed on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

The Confucian scholar on the opposite side saw this.

Not willing to be outdone, they all stood up and drew their swords.

"Everyone, today we are having a policy discussion, and we are now in Bowang Garden!" Zhuang Qingzhai looked around and first used his eyes to force everyone to sit down.

Then he looked at the Confucianist opposite him.

"The Qin Dynasty fell for its own reasons, and there are different opinions on the reasons. However, there is no doubt that our great Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty eradicated tyranny and lived in harmony with the people!"

"Since the founding of the country, after Emperor Gao, our Han Dynasty had two wise emperors, Emperor Xiaowen and Emperor Xiaojing, who practiced the policy of non-intervention and allowed the country to rest and recuperate."

"That prosperous era was caused by the Taoist Huang-Lao school of thought, is that right or not?"

Yes.

Both Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing have been mentioned, so it must be the case.

But Kong Anguo avoided a direct answer and said righteously: "Huang Lao's teachings are outdated, and now we are governing the country with Confucianism!"

"Your Majesty has conquered the Xiongnu many times, enhanced our country's prestige, expanded our territory, and today's prosperity is far greater than ever before!" Kong Anguo looked directly at Zhuang Qingzhai and shouted:
"This prosperous era is due to Confucianism."

“Yes and no!?”

You bring up the previous emperors, and I bring up the current emperor. Who is afraid of who?

Who dares to say that the rule of the current emperor is worse than that of our predecessors?

Who dares?

No one dares.

So after Kong Anguo finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall became stagnant.

The anger of the Legalists had been suppressed, but the rage was still burning in their hearts. The Taoists and Mohists were indignant, and the same was true for the other schools.

The oppressive silence continued in the hall, invisible sparks collided in the center, and just before the air was about to be ignited, there was a man who exploded first!
"Oh!"

Li Guang was furious. He slammed the table, pointed at Kong Anguo and cursed, "When I was fighting the Xiongnu in Mobei, where was your slave?"

"Where were you when my Longxi men died on the battlefield? Was it your Confucian contribution that helped us expand our territory?"

"Damn Confucianism!"

"Come on, let me give you a try today to see if you can really enhance our country's prestige with your words!"

Talking.

This man has already banged the table and rolled up his sleeves, and the next step is to stand up and start fighting.

Kong Anguo, who was scolded by Li Guang, showed an angry expression for the first time. He had never lost his composure like this in his previous arguments with other families.

It was really because Li Guang cursed too dirty!
Besides, we are all elegant people, so it is not surprising for us to quote from classics. Who would start by swearing?
Still want to use force?

The current use of force is different from the previous situation where the scholars drew their swords. What we are facing now is a group of warriors killing talented people!
The scholars' faces changed color, and Zhuang Qingzhai and others were also slightly moved. Fortunately, when Li Guang led a group of strong men to pounce...

"Marquis Wuyang, don't be rude!" shouted the prince who had been watching from the sidelines.

Li Guang heard the words and looked in the direction of the voice. "Your Highness, this fellow has an empty mouth and can only talk big. Instead of listening to his barking, why not let me..."

"Marquis Wuyang!"

Liu Ju's tone became more serious. "Please sit back down. Everyone who comes here today is a guest. I have nothing to say."

Seeing the prince frowning, Li Guang's angry expression froze for a moment, then his face changed immediately, and he smiled awkwardly, "Haha, your highness is right."

"This old man was reckless and reckless."

After he sat down again, he smiled a few more times to the prince, but when he turned around and looked at Kong Anguo, his smile suddenly fell.

Obviously, the prince has to be given face.

But the guy opposite is still unhappy.

"Everyone." Liu Ju, who was sitting in the main seat, said calmly, "I have always believed that the more you argue, the clearer the truth becomes, so I allow you to express your opinions and speak freely."

"But, this is Bowang Garden, the reception hall, not a martial arts arena."

"Please exercise restraint."

He only said these two sentences, and after taking control of the situation, he raised his hand and stretched it forward, indicating that you should continue, quarrel and curse as you please, and don't worry about yourself.

It would be abnormal if there were no disputes when various schools of thought gathered together. The war of words has continued from the Spring and Autumn Period to the present day.

Liu Ju had no intention of mediation and had anticipated what had just happened.

to be frank.

He enjoys seeing arguments happen. Only those who can stand out in arguments and debates are worthy of his recruitment.

All the families understood this truth, so in the subsequent confrontation, the younger generations took the lead.

The previous clash between the big guys was just to identify the enemy and us.

what?
Aren't other schools of thought opposed to Confucianism? Why do we need to distinguish between enemies and ourselves?
Oh! Confucianism and the other schools of thought do not get along, but the other schools of thought also have many contradictions within themselves!

For example, famous scholars are disliked by Confucians and Taoists.

There are also Legalists.

The laws of the Qin State were harsh and too tight. When the Han Dynasty was first established, there was a big backlash and it adopted a policy of inaction.

The Legalists are strict, while the Taoists are loose; these two schools simply cannot pee in the same pot.

But now that the big guys have spoken one after another, they all suppressed their contradictions, formed a tacit understanding, and jointly attacked the great enemy - Confucianism.

The Confucians did not back down. They would confront anyone who showed up!
(End of this chapter)