A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 291 Eloquence
Dawn.

Langchi Palace.

Dong Zhongshu composed a poem:
"Alas, how distant and far away they are!"

Time comes but it goes quickly.

To yield to others is not the way of my kind.

"If one stands upright awaiting the opportune moment, one will soon be nearing death."

When Wuqiu Shouwang heard the words, "He was born not during the prosperity of the three dynasties, but during the decline of the three seasons," he suddenly felt dizzy and his heart pounded wildly.

If the opening was lamenting the fleeting nature of time, the hurried pace, and the futility of all efforts, then the following paragraphs would speak of being born at the wrong time.

One may never live to witness the golden age of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, but instead be caught up in the chaotic and decadent customs of the late Xia, Shang, and Zhou periods.

Why can't people in the world stand with me? Why are people in the world going against the tide?
King Wuqiu Shou treated his teacher as a father, and upon hearing this poem filled with resentment, he ultimately could not agree with it.

"My esteemed teacher, what is the title of this poem?"

""Shi Bu Yu Fu"."

"My mentor can hardly be described as someone whose talents are not being recognized?" Wuqiu Shouwang said tactfully.

The poem lists many people: the virtuous men of the Shang Dynasty, Bian Sui and Wu Guang; the famous hermits of the Zhou Dynasty, Boyi and Shuqi; and Wu Zixu and Qu Yuan of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Compared with these people, Your Majesty treats your teacher with great kindness.

As for my mentor's experience, it would be an exaggeration to say that he was a talented person who was not given the opportunity.

During the reign of Emperor Xiaojing, my mentor became a scholar and was in charge of teaching Confucian classics. After Your Majesty ascended the throne, he was given even more important responsibilities. Not only did Your Majesty regard my mentor's knowledge as the national learning, dismiss all other schools of thought, and exclusively honor Confucianism, but Your Majesty also entrusted him with important responsibilities, appointing him as the prime minister of Jiangdu Kingdom.

Although King Liu Fei of Jiangdu was crude, domineering, and a mere warrior, he held his mentor in high esteem, even praising him as the contemporary Guan Zhong. Even when his mentor was serving as the prime minister of Jiangdu and engaged in large-scale rain-making and flood-stopping activities, Liu Fei never stopped him.

King Jiangdu adopted his mentor's policies on "exclusive veneration of Confucianism" and other governing strategies. This not only changed the past behavior of the royal family members, who were arrogant, extravagant, and treacherous, but also made them dutiful to their duties and loyal to the emperor and their ancestors.

It should be noted that this was during the final years of Empress Dowager Dou's reign, when even His Majesty was terrified and dared not promote or respect Confucianism in the court. Yet, Jiangdu Kingdom stood in the world as if it were a Confucian kingdom.

In the sixth year of the Jianyuan era, when Empress Dowager Dou was on her deathbed, a great fire broke out at the Gaoyuan Hall of Changling and the Gaomiao Temple in Liaodong. My mentor believed that this was a good opportunity to promote the concept of the interaction between Heaven and Man, so he insisted on drafting a memorial despite his illness, using the two fires to show that Heaven had become angry with Empress Dowager Dou and His Majesty.

Before the memorial could be submitted, Zhu Fuyan happened to be visiting his mentor's home. Upon seeing the memorial, out of jealousy of his mentor's talent, he stole the draft and then spread the news throughout the land.

Empress Dowager Dou was furious upon hearing this and decided to behead her mentor. At that critical moment, it was His Majesty who withstood the pressure and issued an edict to pardon his mentor, only stripping him of his position as Prime Minister of Jiangdu.

After Empress Dowager Dou passed away, His Majesty immediately initiated a second campaign to promote Confucianism, which led to the great flourishing of the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, which replaced Huang-Lao Daoism as the national learning of the Han Dynasty.

Although in the fourth year of Yuanshuo, my mentor was framed by Chancellor Gongsun Hong and appointed as the Chancellor of Liu Duan, the King of Jiaoxi, he suffered many assassination attempts. However, he eventually left Jiaoxi unharmed and returned to the court. He first served as the Grand Historian and then as the Imperial Censor. Later, the political situation changed and even the Emperor's Purple Star dimmed. My mentor then returned to His Majesty's side and resumed his position as a Doctor, which he still holds today.

Official position: my mentor rose to the rank of one of the Three Dukes; Scholarship: my mentor made significant contributions to Chinese studies. Such is the way of the world, what more could one ask for?

Dong Zhongshu looked at Wuqiu Shouwang and sighed, "Zigan, do you know how much the King of Jiangdu respects me?"

"Please enlighten me, my esteemed teacher."

"That's because King Yi of Jiangdu hopes I can assist him in the same way Guan Zhong assisted Duke Huan of Qi, so that he can seize central power." King Wuqiu Shou was shocked.

I never imagined that King Yi of Jiangdu had such a secret.

Rather than respecting his mentor, he wanted to use his mentor's wisdom to rebel and usurp the throne.

"After Empress Dowager Dou passed away, His Majesty greatly promoted Confucianism and Taoism, but not to make good use of my learning. In fact, it was to distort the rule. Otherwise, why did His Majesty not grant me a high rank and important position, but instead, according to Gongsun Hong's scheme, banished me to Jiaoxi?" Dong Zhongshu continued.

Since ancient times, the greatest merit has been to save one's lord. But what if someone comes to save you?

In the sixth year of the Jianyuan era, His Majesty rescued him from Empress Dowager Dou, and Dong Zhongshu had pondered this question.

However, just as he was determined to serve His Majesty to the death, His Majesty directly "demanded" a reward.

The Gongyang School of Thought was maliciously misinterpreted by Your Majesty. Everything that benefited the imperial rule was preserved by Your Majesty, while everything that restricted the imperial power was discarded by Your Majesty.

The Mingjing examination system led to the formation of a Confucian scholarly trend, and even he himself was regarded as the "patriarch of Confucian scholars."

However, in His Majesty's mind, the Gongyang School, and even the entire Confucian school, is nothing more than a "biting dog."

King Wuqiu Shou was speechless.

Dong Zhongshu's aged and hoarse voice spoke each word clearly: "Whether it's the Prince of Jiangdu or Your Majesty, they claim to be promoting Confucianism, but in reality, they are pursuing their own selfish interests. They have arbitrarily shaped my life's learning and the hard work of generations of sages into whatever form they want!"

"Am I, a member of the Gongyang School, a Confucian, a member of the Nüqu (Women's Quarters)?"

Wuqiu Shouwang sensed the anger in that low growl, like a volcano about to erupt.

"Then why? I, Gongyang, and Confucianism have become what His Majesty and the ruling monarch want, yet the current Crown Prince wants to abandon me, Gongyang, and Confucianism like worn-out shoes?"

Dong Zhongshu was questioning Wuqiu Shouwang, as if he were questioning His Majesty, and even more so, questioning the entire Chinese nation.

That kind of Confucianism was not what he wanted, nor what all Confucian scholars desired; rather, it was a change forced upon him by those in power.

When Confucianism truly changed, suddenly the most powerful crown prince of China arrived, convinced that Confucianism was an unchangeable and corrupt thing, and used every means to sweep Confucianism into the ruins as historical dust.

"What should I do? What should the Gongyang School do? What should the Confucian School do?" Dong Zhongshu asked himself with his eyes closed. He was also asking himself what the Confucian School should do.
Being talented but not appreciated doesn't refer to how high one's official position is or how profound one's knowledge is, but rather to the question of how to realize one's ambitions.
“We Confucians also love China!” Dong Zhongshu said softly.

eloquent!

King Wuqiu Shou then understood what eloquence truly meant. His confusion seemed to lessen considerably, yet also increased.

“My dear teacher, you are still so eloquent and passionate. Perhaps you really shouldn’t have entered officialdom. If you could have traveled the world like Confucius, recruited many disciples, and spread the Confucian classics, you would have been enshrined in the Temple of Confucius after your death. For thousands of years to come, Confucianism would have a place for you.”

Dong Zhongshu opened his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Perhaps."

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

The sudden applause startled the master and apprentice, who were lost in confusion. Chen Mo strode in, followed by dozens of Imperial Guards. "Doctor, Grand Master of the Palace, Attendant-in-Ordinary, no one has ever asked Confucianism to yield to power. Sophistry, that's over."

(End of this chapter)