The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 210: Happy?

Knowing that Wei Mou did not leave because of him, Ying Chengjiao felt much relieved.

He had this concern when he was the chief academic officer of the Jixia Academy.

He was worried that his young age and lack of experience would cause widespread dissatisfaction among the scholars of Jixia Academy.

It seems not.

Ying Chengjiao smiled inwardly.

Also.

As a son, you should do things for your son.

How can a person who cares about these trivial matters become a philosopher?

The young man hesitated for a moment and said seriously:

"I wonder where you want to debate with me, sir?"

When Wei Mou heard this rhetorical question, he knew that the young man in front of him might not have studied Zhuangzi's teachings in depth, but he must have had a deep understanding of them.

He was both sad and relieved, holding on to the last glimmer of hope, and said in a joking tone:
"Yutai, how is it?"

Ying Chengjiao shook his head without hesitation and said seriously:

"No."

"Yingzi taught the study of the heart. He said that everyone should follow their own heart and walk their own path. If that's the case, why not put Zhuangzi's path in front of people for them to choose?"

"Zhuangzi's teachings are worldly knowledge, while the Jixia Academy needs worldly knowledge. I am the chief priest of the Jixia Academy, and my path is to find a way out for the world. If you want to discuss Zhuangzi with me at Yutai, you are blocking my way."

Wei Mou's expression was strange.

I don't know whether my sorrow is greater than my joy, or my joy is greater than my sorrow.

He lowered his head and patted his clothes, but there was actually no dust on them.

"Then how about we debate here?" Wei Mou pointed and said with a smile: "The only person I heard was this one."

Ying Chengjiao stared into Wei Mou's eyes, hesitated for a moment, and said sincerely:
"Debating with you here is what I want, but I can't give you what you want.

“In this chaotic world, I will not pass on Zhuangzi’s teachings.

"If you don't want this knowledge to be lost in the Jixia Academy, you have no choice but to teach it yourself.

"In that case, sir, do you still want to argue with me?"

Wei Mou's mouth twitched, and he forced a smile and said:

"You really don't give me any hope? How come you are so hard to talk to now that you are the chief priest? You are just like Xunzi and Zouzi."

Ying Chengjiao pointed in the direction of Yutai:
"Yutai has never been closed. Any teacher from Jixia Academy can teach at Yutai if they want to. Teachers can teach at Yutai."

Wei Mu looked annoyed, and tapped the stone table lightly, stirring up a cloud of dust:
"If I had your appeal, I would have gone to Yutai to teach long ago. If you don't argue with me, how can anyone come to listen to me talk about Zhuangzi's teachings?"

Ying Chengjiao smiled but said nothing, not revealing a single word.

Wei Mou waited for a long while, but finally lost his temper, lowered his body by several inches, and waved his hands helplessly:
"That's it.

"I only want to have a debate with Ying Zi about Zhuangzi's teachings. I don't want anything else. Is that ok?"

Ying Chengjiao nodded and said with a smile:

"Sir, if you insist on arguing, you are not at all carefree. You are no longer Zhuangzi."

Wei Mou was slightly stunned. He didn't expect Ying Chengjiao to start as soon as he said it, and to attack people without any reason.

For some reason, he felt much better. He smiled and pointed at Ying Chengjiao:
"It's very preemptive, this is very good.

"I just didn't know where to start with Yingzi, but Yingzi has made a good start, so let's start with Xiaoyao.

"What do you think Xiaoyao is?"

Ying Chengjiao didn't know that Wei Mou was talking about "Xiao Yao" instead of "Xiao Yao", which have the same pronunciation but different characters.

He spread his hands:
“Didn’t Zhuangzi write an article specifically for Xiaoyao?

"Kunpeng spreads its wings to fly ninety thousand miles.

"Xiaoyao means freedom."

Wei Mu laughed loudly:

"It turns out that Yingzi, like everyone else, has a misunderstanding of Zhuangzi's teachings!

"Most people's views on Xiaoyao are the same as Yingzi's, but this is a real misunderstanding of Zhuangzi."

Wei Mou stood up, stretched his arms up and down on both sides of his body like bird wings, and chanted loudly:

"It is recorded in Qixie:

"There is a fish in the North Ming Dynasty. Its name is Kun. The Kun is so big that it is unknown how many thousands of miles it is.

"It transformed into a bird named Peng. Its back was unknown how many thousands of miles long it was.

“When the Peng migrates, its wings beat against the water, stirring up waves three thousand miles across.

"The Peng flew up, whirled and soared into the sky, reaching a height of ninety thousand miles, and left the North Sea on the strong wind of June."

The old man stood taller than the young man.

He looked down at the seated Ying Chengjiao with a condescending arrogance:
"Fly high, fly far, and be able to look down on the common people. Is this what Yingzi thinks is Xiaoyao?"

Ying Chengjiao also stood up. The ten-year-old boy was not as tall as the old man, and he still had to slightly raise his head when talking to Wei Mou.

The young man simply stood on the stone bench. This time he was finally taller than the old man and could look down at him and talk to him.

He looked down at the old man, also full of arrogance:
“Zhuangzi has made it very clear in his text.

"The Peng flew ninety thousand miles, but the yan (fourth tone) did not understand.

"The quail said that if it tried hard, it could only fly to the top of the branch. Sometimes it couldn't fly up and had to fall to the ground. Isn't that good? Why does it have to fly to a height of 90,000 miles and head south?

"The difference between a chick and a roc is just the difference between small and big. How can a chick understand the thoughts of a roc?

“People living in the village eat at home and don’t need to carry dry food with them.

“If someone is going to travel a hundred miles away, they need to prepare enough dry food for one day if they have to walk for a day.

“And those who are going a thousand miles away need to prepare food for three months.

“It’s natural that people who have never been out of the village would not understand why someone who is about to travel a thousand miles needs to prepare so much food.

"The morning fungus is born in the morning and dies in the evening, not knowing that there is a distinction between day and night.

"Hui (fourth tone) and Ku (first tone) are born in summer and die in summer. They do not know the spring before summer, nor the autumn after summer.

"It is said that there is a big tree called Mingling in the south of Chu.

"In its life, five hundred years is equivalent to one spring and one autumn for humans.

"In ancient times there was a tree called Dachun.

“Its life of 8,000 years is equivalent to a human’s life of one spring and one autumn.

"The longest-lived person was Peng Zu, who lived to be 800 years old.

“Isn’t it a very sad thing that Peng Zu is competing with Ming Ling and Da Chun in terms of longevity?

"Small cleverness is not as good as great wisdom, and those with a short life span cannot understand those with a long life span.

"Those who are qualified for an official position with wisdom, outstanding in ability in a village, whose virtues meet the king's wishes, and whose abilities can gain the trust of the whole country.

“They look at themselves with pride and think they are great, but this is just the perspective of a quail.

“Above them, there is Song Rongzi.

"The fact that everyone praises Song Rongzi does not encourage him. The fact that everyone slanders Song Rongzi does not discourage him.

“Song Rongzi knew clearly what he should and should not do.

“His talent and knowledge are enough to discern that the honor and disgrace of the outside world have nothing to do with himself. Song Rongzi’s realm is already very high.

"But is there anyone above Song Rongzi? There must be someone, we just don't know it.

"Liezi could ride the wind and fly in the sky for fifteen days before landing on the ground. This was already very enviable.

“But although Lie Zi was free from the toil of walking, he still had to rely on the wind.

"Without wind, Lie Zi cannot fly, so he still has something to rely on.

“True freedom does not require any support.

"If people can follow the nature of nature and grasp the laws of change of all things in the universe such as yin, yang, wind, rain, darkness and brightness, they will be able to roam in an endless realm." The most perfect person will not deliberately let others know about themselves, the divine person will not deliberately show off his achievements in front of the world, and the saint will not deliberately become famous in the world.

“Seeking detachment, seeking freedom.

"Without any support, this is freedom."

The people on the sidelines were so excited that they wanted to clap and cheer.

He only knew that his master was good at the study of form and name, and good at the study of mind, but he never knew that his master also had such a deep understanding of Zhuangzi's teachings.

Hu looked up at Ying Chengjiao.

Looking at the handsome and proud young man under the sun, he felt that his master was like a god.

Wei Mou, who was standing nearby, saw Hu's expression and actually laughed out of anger.

Although he was a disciple of Gongsun Long, what he was best at was not the study of form and name, but the study of Zhuangzi.

Gongsun Long treated Wei Mou differently from his other disciples and treated him as an equal.

The two are both teachers and friends, and each has his own strengths in academic subjects.

As a scholar of Jixia Academy, Wei Mou had been teaching Zhuangzi's teachings at Jixia Academy.

Wei Mou had spoken about this article by Ying Chengjiao three or four times, and Hu had also heard it.

If Hu had been a little more serious at the beginning, he wouldn't have behaved like this now.

"Huh." Wei Mou pointed at himself and said, "Didn't you hear me talk about this article?"

Hu was a little embarrassed, lowered his head, and told the truth:
“I am not interested in Zhuangzi’s teachings.

"It was because I saw that there were few people in the teacher's class, so I went over to take a seat to make up the number.

"Besides... I think your master's understanding of Zhuangzi's teachings is better than Wei Mouzi's."

People really laugh when they are speechless.

Wei Mou asked the heavens speechlessly and said with a smile:

"I haven't even said anything yet, and you've already declared me the loser.

"Since we have been friends for so many years, I will give you a chance to explain your reasons."

When the reason is mentioned, Hu becomes confident.

He straightened up and said without any shame:

"Wei Mouzi said he had explained this article to me, but I have no memory of it at all. I never sleep in class.

“Although I attended Wei Mouzi’s class just to make up the numbers, I was sitting in the classroom and listening the whole time, so why don’t I have any impression of it now?
“This is because Wei Mouzi did not explain it to me clearly, and I did not understand what Wei Mouzi said about Zhuangzi’s philosophy.

“I know I’m stupid.

“But I can understand the same article when my master is speaking, and comprehend its meaning.

"Doesn't this prove that the master, at least in this article, has a deeper understanding of Zhuangzi's knowledge than Wei Mouzi?"

Wei Mouzi smacked his lips as if he was tasting some famous tea, nodded slightly and said:

"The more clearly you can explain something to others, the more it proves that you have a deep understanding of the subject you are explaining.

“This is a reason I can’t refute, and it’s a good reason.

"I hope you can understand what I said today."

Wei Mou raised his head, waved to the high-ranking Ying Chengjiao, and said with a smile:

"Aren't you tired of standing so high? Come down."

Ying Chengjiao jumped off the stone bench, dusted himself off and sat down, then stretched out his hand to signal Wei Mou that he could speak.

The article "Xiao Yao You" did not have a name at that time.

In later generations, this is one of the must-learn articles in high school Chinese.

When it comes to Zhuangzi's other ideas, Ying Chengjiao admits that he is not as good as Wei Mou, who is an expert in Zhuangzi's studies.

But Xiaoyao... Ying Chengjiao believed that his understanding of the article "Xiaoyaoyou" was much deeper than the studies of mind and criminal law that he read later out of interest.

Because the study of mind and criminal law is a large category, there are many interpretations and many ways of thinking.

And "Xiao Yao You" is just an article.

There may be some slight differences in translation, but the refined ideas are unified.

Ying Chengjiao really didn't believe that Wei Mou could say anything fancy about the word "free and easy".

Wei Mou dipped his finger into the tea brought by the servant and wrote the two words "Xiao Yao" on the table stroke by stroke.

He had just finished writing in Qi language when he suddenly remembered that the boy did not know Qi language, and an apologetic look appeared on his face:

"Sorry, I'll rewrite it in Qinwen."

He reached out and was about to wipe the water stains on the table.

Ying Chengjiao reached out and grabbed Wei Mou's hand:

"No, I know."

Ying Chengjiao pointed at the water stains on the table:

"Xiao, Yao."

Ying Chengjiao did not mistake "消" for "逍", but there were too many homophones in ancient times.

"Xiao" means "Xiao", which is common sense for Ying Chengjiao.

Wei Mou looked at Ying Chengjiao meaningfully.

Ying Chengjiao's last lecture was just four days ago, and he still showed his embarrassing situation of not being able to write in Qiwen during class.

Wei Mou was sure that he was not mistaken because he was attending the class in the third row.

The old man thought for a moment and shook his head.

He is about to leave, why should he care about these things?
I know the reason, but I don’t know the reason either, so I didn’t explore this issue.

When Ying Chengjiao saw Wei Mou shaking his head, he also shook his head.

He wanted Wei Mou to know that he understood Qi language.

If Wei Mou would ask and test this question, it proves that there is still a possibility that Wei Mou will stay.

If you ignore it, the possibility of staying is really slim.

The reason why Wei Mou was the only descendant of Zhuangzi's lineage in the Jixia Academy was because those who truly understood Zhuangzi's teachings all withdrew from the world and cultivated themselves.

Taoism, which was named after it, often confuses Laozi and Zhuangzi and merges them into the Laozi and Zhuangzi school of thought.

But the two are actually different.

What Lao Tzu gave was the knowledge of governing the world.

After studying Laozi's teachings, Zhuangzi added his own thoughts and formed his own worldly knowledge.

Wei Mu coughed lightly, drawing Ying Chengjiao's attention back:

"Dissipation means to dissolve.

"Yao means shaking.

“Zhuangzi first mentioned Kun and then Peng because the process of Kun transforming into Peng is the process of eliminating shaking.

"Kun dissolves the superficial appearance, transforms into Peng, and pursues what he seeks. This is the true meaning of dissolving the sway.

“If according to your understanding, Peng flying 90,000 miles and being free and detached is Xiaoyao, then what is the significance of the part about Kun transforming into Peng?

"Your later explanation of the quail, morning mushroom, and cicada is biased.

"A quail does not understand a roc, a mushroom does not know day and night, a cicada does not know spring and autumn; these are all innate.

"If a quail can't fly ninety thousand miles, it's not as good as a roc?

"The quail can't fly that high, so why should we force ourselves to understand the roc? Isn't it wrong to live according to our own habits?

“Dispel the opinions of the outside world and shake off the constraints that have nothing to do with you. This process is called elimination.

“Only in this way can we understand the principles of the universe, become one with the universe, and coexist with all things.”

(End of this chapter)