My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 15 Double Standards
As soon as the news about Oracle came out, everyone lost interest in continuing the conversation.

Song Lian comforted Ma Yu with a few more words, and encouraged him to "be more determined and never give up his ambition to rise to the top, no matter how poor he is", and then prepared to leave.

However, there was one exception, and that was Zhu Biao.

The two sides have been discussing for half a day and haven't gotten to the point yet. How can we leave?
The Shang Dynasty characters are very important, but it will take time to find and excavate them.

Let me solve my problem first.

This determines whether I can continue to look after Xun Zhishu in the future, which is a big deal.

So he coughed dryly and said, "Ahem... Master Song, you haven't asked about Benyong yet."

Song Lian knew what he meant, but he also wanted to hear what the other party thought, so he didn't leave by force.

Although the Shang Dynasty's writing system is important, the prince's education is no small matter.

What if the other person’s ideas are really unique?

If he came with the intention of finding fault and criticizing at the beginning, now it has turned into a discussion.

Ma Yu's family must be a scholarly family with a unique heritage, so maybe they have some brilliant ideas.

Queen Ma next door also sat down again, and her attitude was similar to Song Lian's.

She benefited greatly from the information cocoon and the theory of understanding the world before governing the economy, and she had many new ideas about educating children.

Who knows if he will say something different.

Ma Yu was different. When he heard Li Wen bring up the matter of "original use" again, he wanted to rush up and give him a beating.

I was busy talking about information cocoons, the evolution of the word "benevolence", and the ritual vessels of the Shang Dynasty, and I finally managed to divert Song Lian's attention.

This matter is about to pass, why do you still bring it up?

You really want to embarrass me, don't you?

Unfortunately, he could do nothing but watch Song Lian sit back down and ask:

"Confucius and Mencius are the foundation, Guan and Xunzi are the application. Is this also the idea of ​​your elders?"

Ma Yu took a deep breath and decided to eat first… Bah, there was no point in saying anything else now that things had come to this. He should just face the problem head on.

Fortunately, he did not put all his eggs in one basket, but prepared several plans.

If the first two methods work, it would be best if Song Lian just leaves like this.

If an accident occurs, such as the one happening right now, there are ways to deal with it.

He raised his head and looked at Song Lian, saying, "I came up with this idea myself, and has it gained some approval from the elders in my family?"

Song Lian asked doubtfully, "Partially agree?"

Ma Yu nodded and said, "Yes, the elders believe that Confucius and Mencius are the basis, but there are more people who can 'use' it than just Guan Yu and Xun Zi."

"The thoughts of various philosophers and schools of thought all have their own shining points and are precious treasures left to us by our predecessors."

"We should take the essence and discard the dross, integrating the strengths of various schools of thought into one, and only then can we say that our learning has been fruitful."

Song Lian was shocked. Taking the strengths of hundreds of schools and integrating them into one, what a big mouth... well, what courage.

"The knowledge of the Hundred Schools of Thought is so vast that it would be difficult to master it in a lifetime, let alone to integrate it into one."

Ma Yu replied, "My elders said, 'There is no single principle, and learning has no end.' So, can we stop asking questions?'"

This is a famous quote from Liu Kai's "Questions and Answers" in the Qing Dynasty, which means:

Truth is not limited to a certain person or a certain field, but is widely present in the natural world, so learning has no end.

If you want to learn well, you must study hard and ask questions.

It can be said that this was just the right response to Song Lian at this time.

Hearing this, Song Lian's eyes lit up: "There is no single principle, and learning has no end. This is a very good saying."

But then he added, "He who keeps company with vermilion becomes vermilion, and he who keeps company with ink becomes black."

"How can one, after reading hundreds of schools of thought, remain unaffected by them and accurately discern right from wrong?"

Ma Yu asked in return: "What is right and what is wrong? What is the standard for judgment?"

"Sir, you respect Neo-Confucianism, so you naturally agree with the views of Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi, but I'm afraid the Lu brothers would disagree."

The Lu brothers are the Lu Jiuyuan brothers, who were contemporaries of Zhu Xi and were great masters of the School of Mind. The two had many interactions.

He also debated scriptures at Ehu Lake, leaving behind the famous Ehu Lake Conference that has been passed down through the ages.

Ma Yu used the Lu brothers as an example, and Song Lian had no way of refuting it, but that didn't mean he had nothing to say:

"Whether it was the Cheng brothers, Zhu Xi, or the Lu brothers, they all followed the teachings of Confucius and Mencius."

"The standard for judging right and wrong is naturally the thought of Confucius and Mencius."

Finally, he asked again: "Don't you also agree that Confucius and Mencius are the basis?"

Ma Yu couldn't help but secretly praise him. He was indeed a great scholar. He easily resolved his question and even turned the tables on him.

Under normal circumstances, when the question is asked to this point, he will have nothing to say, or he will abruptly change the subject.

But this was not a fair debate. Ma Yu knew something about Song Lian, but Song Lian knew nothing about him.

He had already started laying the groundwork when the two sides had just started talking, and now it could finally be put into use.

Facing Song Lian's question, Ma Yu did not answer directly, but said four words:
"Information cocoon."

Song Lian was stunned for a moment before he realized that the other party was saying that he had fallen into an information cocoon.

This accusation made him not know how to respond for a moment.

To say that you haven’t fallen into an information cocoon - you regard Confucius and Mencius as the only ones, and you still say that you haven’t?

But to say that you have fallen into an information cocoon is to question your own beliefs.

This hat is really... too rogue.

If the opponent is of the same level, or an adult, he has a hundred ways to fight back.

But Ma Yu was only a teenager of thirteen or fourteen years old, and there were some methods that he couldn't bring himself to use.

Of course, the key point is that he developed a liking for Ma Yu, so much so that he became restrained.

Ma Yu naturally knew this.

From the very beginning, he had no intention of discussing the issue with Song Lian fairly. That was not bravery, but ignorance.

He started digging holes before the debate even started, and the information cocoon was naturally also a hole.

Otherwise, he would be too bored to talk about this for no reason.

The purpose is to bring it out at a critical moment and put the blame on Song Lian.

And he was sure that this hat would be useful.

Because anyone who knows Song Lian knows that he was a disciple of Neo-Confucianism and regarded the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius as the truth.

No matter what topic the two sides discuss, they will eventually return to the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius themselves.

At this time, he took out the information cocoon again, and Song Lian had no choice but to wear this hat.

Of course, he also knew that it was impossible to stump Song Lian with such a trick.

The purpose is not to put labels on others, but to use this opportunity to take control of the topic into one's own hands.

Then guide the topic into your preset position.

Therefore, after putting on the hat, he did not dare to give Song Lian a chance to breathe, and immediately said:
"My elders once commented on the heroes of the world and believed that Mr. Qianxi was the world's top writer."

Song Lian quickly said, "I'm unworthy of this title. Although I've never met your elder, the little bit of elegance I've glimpsed from your description makes me feel ashamed of myself."

"Besides, there are so many writers in the world, how can I dare to be called the best writer?"

"Sir, you are too modest." Ma Yu complimented him and said:
"I am just a new student who has not even studied the classics. How dare I embarrass myself in front of you." This is what moral kidnapping is.

You are a top scholar, how dare you argue with me, a junior?
Song Lian was an upright gentleman and did not realize this.

As an audience, Queen Ma next door gradually figured out what was going on. This guy was setting a trap for Song Lian.

Indeed, he is treacherous.

But... there was anticipation on her face.

I want to see if you can trap Song Lian in this.

In other words, how exactly are you going to convince Song Lian?

Ma Yu continued, "Mr. Qianxi's perception is already fixed. Even if I had real talent and knowledge, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to convince you with just a few words."

"Besides, if I continue to talk about this, it will inevitably harm the two sages Confucius and Mencius, and things will probably get even more troublesome then."

As expected, Song Lian's attention was immediately diverted and he asked:

"Oh, do you have a prejudice against Confucius and Mencius?"

Ma Yu said "yeah" in his heart again, but said with embarrassment on his face:
"Do you really want to listen? I'm afraid you'll walk away after I finish."

Song Lian frowned slightly and said, "I am not a narrow-minded person. As long as what you say makes sense, I am all ears."

Ma Yu thought it was done, and he bowed and said, "What I am going to say next will offend Confucius and Mencius. I apologize here first."

Then he did not directly state his opinion, but asked:

"May I ask what you think of Guanzi?"

Song Lian was already somewhat familiar with Ma Yu's conversation style. The seemingly irrelevant questions were actually preparations for the real questions.

However, this kind of conversation requires your own cooperation.

If his answer was beyond his expectations, he would not be able to ask the next question.

Ma Yu was so confident that he would answer the questions according to his expectations?
Either he is arrogant or he knows himself well enough.

Just now, Ma Yu said that his elders praised him as the contemporary literary leader, and it was obvious that he was talking about himself.

This also means that Ma Yu has a sufficient understanding of himself to adopt this method.

Thinking of this, Song Lian suddenly realized that this kid came prepared.

I was deceived by his previous performance.

However, Song Lian was not angry. Instead, he was more curious about what the other party would say next.

So I answered according to my heart:

"When Guan Zhong was prime minister of Qi, he promoted currency and accumulated wealth, established the authority to control the weight of official duties, and made Qi rich and powerful. This was his achievement."

"However, he failed to assist Prince Jiu in his quest for help, and even assisted in the murder of his master's enemy, which was disloyal and unrighteous."

"Their methods are more eager for profit than for enlightenment; their words are often vulgar and shallow; they are not the ways of the ancient kings."

"I assisted Duke Huan and united the nine states. However, honoring the king and repelling the barbarians was all based on manipulation, not on benevolence and righteousness... Hegemons feign benevolence, and sage kings are ashamed of it."

"Therefore, the sage praises his achievements but belittles his virtue, saying that his capacity is small and he does not know etiquette."

Ma Yu didn't know that Song Lian had seen through his little thoughts.

Seeing that he had indeed criticized Guan Zhong as he had thought, he immediately seized on one point and counterattacked:
"Sir, you criticized Guanzi for not being able to help Prince Jiu. Then I would like to ask, did Confucius ever help Lu?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao couldn't help but take a breath.

Confucius was a native of Lu, but he did nothing during several upheavals in Lu. This statement was tantamount to pointing at his nose and scolding him for not being loyal to Lu.

It's too bold, it's like risking one's life.

Queen Ma next door was also surprised. She had known that this boy was extremely bold, but she didn't expect that he would even dare to attack Confucius.

Zhu Chong, on the other hand, was very excited. What a guy! He actually dared to attack Confucius directly.

Okay, okay, I accept you as my brother.

Song Lian's face turned extremely ugly. He knew that Ma Yu might say something disrespectful to Confucius and Mencius.

But I didn't expect it to be such a serious accusation.

If it weren't for his good upbringing, if it weren't for the good impression he had accumulated before, if it weren't for the other person's young age.

He slammed the table and stood up on the spot.

Even so, it made him very angry.

However, he did not lose his mind, and quickly thought of how to refute:
"The Master served as the Prime Minister of Zhongdu and presided over the meeting between Qi and Lu in Jiagu. He stood firm in the face of the powerful Qi State."

"To recover the lands of Yun, Huan, Guiyin, and Wenyang for the State of Lu."

"He also destroyed the three capitals and weakened the powerful ministers. Unfortunately, he was stopped by Ji Huanzi and failed at the last moment."

"Later, he was coerced by powerful officials and had to resign his official position."

"Mencius said: 'Men and women should not touch each other when giving or receiving things; this is a matter of courtesy; if a woman's sister-in-law is drowning and helps her with her hand, this is a matter of propriety.'"

"The Master's resignation was a move to uphold the classics and make expedient decisions."

"As the saying goes, one should not meddle in matters outside one's position. Master, you have talent, but the State of Lu cannot use it. What can be done?"

"How can we blame him for not going to Lu's rescue?"

A smile appeared on Ma Yu's lips, but it quickly disappeared, and he said meaningfully:

"Sir, you can't just talk about adhering to the classics, adapting to circumstances, and being moderate when evaluating Confucius."

Song Lian's expression changed again. This was an accusation that he was being unfair to others.

Naturally, he didn't want to bear this accusation and wanted to refute it.

But Ma Yu would never give him this opportunity, and said first:
"Sir, you must be saying that Confucius had talent but was not employed in Lu, while Guanzi was trusted by Prince Jiu."

"Then I would like to ask you, is Guanzi a minister of Qi or a minister of Prince Jiu?"

"Was it Prince Jiu who appointed him, or was it Duke Xi of Qi who appointed him?"

"Should he be loyal to Qi, or to Prince Jiu?"

Duke Xi of Qi was the father of Prince Xiaobai and Prince Jiu. It was he who appointed Bao Shuya and Guan Zhong to assist Xiaobai and Prince Jiu respectively.

Strictly speaking, he was Guan Zhong's monarch.

Of course, this is just a sophistry. Guan Zhong is also responsible for not assisting Prince Jiu well.

But on the other hand, you, Confucius, are perfect?

The ruler of Lu at that time was Duke Ding of Lu. If you resigned because you couldn't do anything about the powerful minister, it would be equivalent to abandoning the monarch.

It's the same as Guan Zhong's case. No one should blame anyone else for this.

Song Lian naturally understood this logic, so he didn't know how to refute it for a moment.

The main reason was that Ma Yu had just accused him of using two standards to evaluate Guan Zhong and Confucius, which made him feel constrained.

I am afraid that a bad answer will give the other party an opportunity to say that I am unfair.

Ma Yu did not continue speaking. His purpose was not to slander Confucius, but to speak up for Guanzi.

Now that the goal has been achieved, it is natural to stop and say:
"Sir, do you know what my elders think of Guan Zi?"

Seeing that he did not continue to attack Confucius, Song Lian also breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"I am all ears."

Ma Yu said: "Guan Zi can be compared with Zhao Gong."

(End of this chapter)