Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 260: Discussion of Scriptures and Taoism
"It's amazing, I can't even see clearly..."

Qing Wan stared at the two people who were fighting, and could only barely see some afterimages, and could not see the movements of the two people clearly.

Lu Zheng thought that people of royal birth were indeed different. Even if they didn't use their full strength, their speed of movement and the aura they exuded were beyond the reach of ordinary people in the fourth realm.

Not to mention An Jing, I would have to give my all to face An Dingyuan and not be distracted at all.

There was a loud noise in the yard, and even with the protection of the formation, the fighting area became a mess and chaos.

A moment later, An Dingyuan lay there with a bruised face and nose, motionless like a dead pig.

An Jing stood beside him, his face calm and his breathless, "You've really been slacking off lately. You're so weak."

An Dingyuan said vaguely: "It's you, aunt, who has become much stronger."

"Why wouldn't I think so?" An Jing said calmly, "Get up, stop pretending to be dead and embarrassing yourself. Let's stop here today."

An Dingyuan quickly stood up with a somersault and instantly became full of energy.

He took a pill and rubbed his bruised cheek, and soon it returned to normal.

At this time, a guard came to the door and reported: "Master, there is a monk from the State of Wei, whose Dharma name is Wuqiu, who wants to see you."

An Dingyuan was surprised when he heard this: "Monk? What do you want to see me for?"

He had never dealt with any monks.

"A monk has no requests?" An Jing couldn't help but ask.

An Dingyuan asked in a low voice: "Does your aunt know him?"

An Jing said, "I've heard of him. He's said to be from the White Horse Temple, one of the ten most famous temples in the Wei Kingdom, and a disciple of a great monk... He recently traveled to An Kingdom and even went to the Imperial College in Tai'an City to discuss Taoism. None of the students there could defeat him in a debate."

"Tsk, you have some strength?" An Dingyuan said in surprise.

An Jing looked at Lu Zheng and smiled, "It looks like he's here to see you."

"Me?" Lu Zheng couldn't help but smile. "Even those geniuses from the Imperial College couldn't win an argument with him, and he came to me..."

An Jing said calmly, "Over the years, the Imperial College has taught several batches of students who weren't very talented, but they were incredibly arrogant. I've suggested to my father before that we reform the Imperial College, but the resistance was too great..."

An Jing paused, then smiled and said, "Compared to them, Master Lu is far superior."

"Well, even if the girl said so, I can't guarantee anything." Lu Zheng said.

An Jing then said, "Go and bring him here. Let's see what he's here for. Let's go to another place, to the garden..."

An Dingyuan quickly instructed his subordinates to do the job.

Lu Zheng and his companions went to the back garden of the governor's mansion. It was the season when chrysanthemums were in full bloom, and the garden was full of colorful flowers and the fragrance was pleasant.

They came to an elegant pavilion and sat down, with maids serving them.

An Dingyuan sat in the main seat, Lu Zheng and An Jing sat beside him, and Qing Wan sat on Lu Zheng's shoulder.

An Dingyuan suddenly felt uneasy and whispered, "How about I go down and rest?"

An Jing said expressionlessly, "You are the governor, why aren't you here?"

"Uh, this..." An Dingyuan looked conflicted.

An Jing added, "If he truly is here to discuss the Dao, Master Lu, be careful in your response. It's said that some students have been defeated in debates with him, resulting in broken hearts and lowered realms... His words can be devastating, so be wary."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Really? I've heard there are people who are good at debating and can make the living die of anger and even make the dead come back to life. But don't worry, I'm still quite strong inside. I won't be defeated by others in an argument and end up hurting myself."

After hearing An Jing say this, Lu Zheng was actually looking forward to chatting with Wu Qiu.

An Jing couldn't help but smile and said, "Then I'll wait and see."

After a while, someone came with a young monk.

The monk was dressed in white, had a handsome face and an extraordinary temperament.

Wuqiu clasped his hands together and said leisurely, "This humble monk, Wuqiu, greets the Governor, Master Lu, and several other benefactors..."

An Dingyuan greeted with a smile: "No need to be so polite, please sit down! Tea is served!"

"Thank you, sir." Wuqiu smiled slightly and sat down.

An Dingyuan then said, "I have heard of your name, but I don't know why you came to the Governor's Mansion to see me."

Wuqiu said straight to the point, "I have been deeply impressed by the virtuous reputations of Lord An and Young Master Lu, and have come to your house to meet you two. I hope to have the honor of discussing the Dao with you two benefactors."

An Dingyuan's eyes flashed. Are you really here to discuss scriptures and philosophy?
He couldn't help but chuckle, "I'm not good at talking, so let's not discuss it. You can chat with the master instead."

An Dingyuan raised his hand towards Lu Zheng.

Sir? Wuqiu's heart was slightly moved, and he was a little surprised.

However, he did not show it. Instead, he looked at Lu Zheng and smiled, "Mr. Lu, this is not the first time we have met. Your actions these days have really impressed me."

He had seen Lu Zheng punishing a rich kid on the street before, and he felt that Lu Zheng was an unusual person.

The series of events that happened afterwards surprised him even more.

Wu Qiu had traveled to so many places and met many Confucian and Taoist scholars, but he had never met someone with the same style of behavior as Lu Zheng, which left a deep impression on him.

Lu Zheng smiled faintly and said, "This is how I've always done things. Just get used to it."

"Has it always been like this?" Wuqiu couldn't help but wonder, "That's even more precious." Wuqiu paused, then continued, "Mr. Lu has cultivated a righteous spirit and must have a deep understanding of Confucianism. I don't understand some of the principles. Could you, Mr. Lu, clear up my confusion?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng replied, "Even after reading the books of the sages, there are still many things I don't understand. I'm afraid I can't explain them to you. But please tell me, and I'll do my best to explain."

Upon hearing this, the people nearby also pricked up their ears to listen.

Wu Qiu looked at Lu Zheng and said slowly, "I would like to ask, can Confucianism rule the world?"

"No."

Lu Zheng answered without thinking.

When these words were spoken, everyone else present was stunned.

Wuqiu was slightly stunned. He didn't expect Lu Zheng to give an answer so quickly, and to give such an answer.

Wuqiu felt that as a Confucian and Taoist scholar, Lu Zheng also cultivated a righteous spirit and was naturally a staunch defender of Confucianism. How could he say such a thing?

It turned out that he had thought of some essays, but he just couldn't find a suitable one.

Lu Zheng's unconventional way of playing the cards made Wu Qiu's words, which he thought would be heartbreaking, suddenly have no effect.

An Jing standing next to him couldn't help but look sideways.

An Dingyuan also stared at Lu Zheng in disbelief.

If this kind of talk were to get out, I wonder how many Confucian and Taoist scholars would blame Lu Zheng.

After all, such words, coming from a Confucian scholar, are not these a betrayal of the classics and the Way? It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a heinous act.

Wu Qiu saw Lu Zheng's calm yet serious expression and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Lu, why do you say that?"

Lu Zheng smiled calmly, "Isn't this obvious? If Confucianism could rule the world, why would the world remain in chaos for so many years? I'm afraid the world would have been peaceful and prosperous long ago."

No one could refute what was said.

An Jing felt strange. Even if some words were true, they should not be said so bluntly.

Fortunately, there was no one else here, otherwise some of the charges could be directly pinned on Lu Zheng.

Wu Qiu thought for a moment and said, "Master Lu, if you think Confucianism cannot rule the world, why do you study Confucianism?"

"I'm just seeking knowledge." Lu Zheng said calmly, "Besides, I'm not just studying Confucianism. I'm seeking the knowledge of my predecessors to improve myself..."

"Mencius said, 'It is better to have no books than to believe everything in them.' The words of sages are not necessarily always right. People cannot be so rigid."

"I think even saints hope that future generations can go further, rather than just going around in circles, don't they?"

"Continuously studying the knowledge of our ancestors is a sign of a lack of ambition. What we, the younger generation, should do is to make up for the shortcomings of our predecessors."

"That's why I say Confucianism can't rule the world, because our predecessors took this path and still couldn't make it work. This is the truth, and I can't flatter you against my conscience, can I?"

"I'm saying this here, and I won't change a single word even if I go to the Confucian Temple."

"I don't think the saints and sages would think I'm being rebellious."

“Otherwise, how can they be revered as saints?”

After these words were spoken, everyone was inexplicably shocked and could not calm down at all.

Wuqiu's expression could not remain calm. He was shocked in his heart and remained silent for a while, thinking carefully about Lu Zheng's words.

Sir, you are worthy of being called a sir... An Dingyuan had a complicated expression.

He could not even imagine these words, and even if he was asked to go to the Confucian Temple to repeat them, he would not have the courage to do so.

An Jing's eyes sparkled. All the students in the Imperial College combined were not as good as Lu Zheng!

You can always learn something new by following Lu Zheng.

If Lu Zheng didn't have his own plans, she really wanted to bring Lu Zheng back to Tai'an and arrange an important position for him.

After a while, Wuqiu finally spoke, "Mr. Lu is truly an extraordinary person. What you said has enlightened me. I am grateful for your guidance!"

Wuqiu bowed eleven times, his demeanor even more polite than before.

"Thank you." Lu Zheng replied.

Wu Qiu couldn't help but ask, "I wonder what Master Lu thinks is the best way to rule the world?"

Hearing this, Lu Zheng shook his head and said, "I don't know. I'm not very knowledgeable and haven't seen much. I haven't understood this world yet... But I have some superficial things to say."

"Mr. Lu, please speak." Wuqiu asked for advice seriously.

Lu Zheng said leisurely, "The way to govern a country is to govern people through laws and regulations. Confucianism promotes moral standards to restrain people. I've heard that Buddhism emphasizes karma and retribution to keep people in line... But none of these can bring long-term peace. I think not only is there something wrong with the principles, but it's also because people's hearts are difficult to control, and they haven't truly put people first."

"Of course, this is just my opinion," Lu Zheng said slowly. "If you have a different opinion, I'm all ears."

Wu Qiu felt ashamed when he heard this. What else could he say? Lu Zheng's words had left him with no room for rebuttal.

Not only did he say some of the things he wanted to say, but he also said a lot of things he didn't even dare to think about.

Perhaps, he had already lost when Lu Zheng answered his first question... Wuqiu sighed in his heart.

(End of this chapter)