Bearing the blue sky

Chapter 198 is from the book "The Codex of Humanity".

"Gongyang Confucianism—" Li Qingquan's breathing became rapid.

He took a step forward, bowed deeply to Scholar Yu, and when he raised his head again, his eyes were full of fervor.

"Mr. Yu, I have studied Confucianism and Taoism for more than 30 years, and I have been stuck in the realm of self-cultivation for a long time."

"I have heard that ancient Confucianism and Taoism possessed techniques for warfare, not only enhanced by literary talent and sharp tongues, but also by a fierce and ruthless path that used 'righteousness' as its blade and 'hatred' as its edge."

"Hearing your words about the Gongyang School of Confucianism today, I am deeply moved. I humbly request your guidance."

Li Qingquan looked eager.

Yu Xiucai glanced at Zhu Ge, and Zhu Ge nodded slightly.

Li Qingquan had previously devoted himself wholeheartedly to his work and fought with great passion, showing none of the Confucian flaws that Zhu Ge believed he possessed.

Therefore, it can still be trusted.

"No need for formalities." Scholar Yu extended his hand to help him up. "I also learned the Gongyang School of Confucianism from Palace Master Zhu. We can talk about it as we walk today."

The procession continued eastward, a long line of six thousand people winding along the official road, the sounds of footsteps, wheels, and the occasional neighing of horses mingling together.

To prevent the process from being too slow, Yu Xiucai went among the Confucian scholars and explained the Gongyang School of Confucianism.

"The core of Gongyang Confucianism can be summarized in just one sentence."

Yu Xiucai's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of those around him: "Even a feud spanning ten generations can be avenged, let alone a hundred."

Li Qingquan was shocked, and the expressions of the other Confucian scholars all changed.

Meanwhile, the other Mohists, martial artists, and others nearby were all straining their ears to listen.

The law should not be passed on lightly!

But in Zhuge's place, it seems that there are no boundaries between people.

How could they be allowed to audit classes in such a core Confucian academy?

Everyone was focused intently, afraid of missing a single word.

It's important to know that everyone can cultivate multiple skills simultaneously.

Having more means of fighting the enemy means having a greater chance of survival.

At this moment, Scholar Yu was slowly and loudly reciting: "Confucianism and Taoism cultivate not only one's own virtue, but also the backbone of the human race. If you are bullied, you should fight back; if your clansmen are killed, you should seek revenge."

"The monsters slaughtered our village, so we must fight back. This isn't about holding a grudge; it's about the principles of nature!"

"Heavenly justice—" Li Qingquan's hand trembled slightly, and the Confucian scholars behind him had red eyes and clenched their fists so tightly they cracked.

"Mr. Yu, what you're saying—why have I never read about it in any books?" Li Qingquan's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Your Palace Master Zhu once said something," Yu Xiucai pointed at Zhu Ge: "Not blindly following superiors, not blindly following books, but only following the truth."

"Does it matter whether it's in a book or whether sages have mentioned it? No, it doesn't matter."

"The book says you should kill your wife and children, the sages say you should feel ashamed before your benefactors, and then you will obey?"

Scholar Yu shook his head: "In the beginning of time, who passed on this knowledge?"

"There are no classics or doctrines in the world. Each path is written by people. As long as we are willing to listen to and follow it, that is the truth."

"These are all the ideals of your Palace Master Zhu."

As he spoke, Yu Xiucai turned to look at Zhu Ge and said with a smile, "Palace Master Zhu, you have profound ideas about Confucianism and Taoism. Why don't you write books like I have, trying to integrate your ideas and enter the second realm, or even the third realm in the future?"

The Confucian scholars and warriors all turned to look at the blessing song.

Even the team's speed slowed down a bit.

Upon hearing Yu Xiucai's words, Zhu Ge was momentarily stunned.

Why not write books?

Yup!

Yu Xiucai had told him that reading and writing books could cultivate one's literary talent.

How come he forgot in the end?

"That makes sense." Zhu Ge nodded slightly. "I can give it a try."

What he wanted to write was naturally not a direct copy of everything from his previous life.

It is important to adapt to local conditions.

But how should I begin writing?

Should I write a record of the Six Paths Palace? Or perhaps a new Confucian and Taoist philosophy?

No, none of them really work.

At this moment, Scholar Yu took the paper and pen.

"You have a storage artifact; this should be enough for you to write for now."

Are you really writing it?

After taking the paper and pen, Zhu Ge fell into deep thought.

But in an instant, I decided—to write!

Why not write it?

What if writing it actually leads to improvement?

Putting aside everything else, he currently possesses a tiny, insignificant wisp of literary energy within him.

Although it was insignificant, it was still a kind of literary talent, a testament to his mastery of Confucianism and Taoism.

Under Liu Jianjian's direction, the group continued forward.

Zhu Ge rode on Ma Zhu's back, holding paper in one hand and a pen in the other, gazing into the distance.

The procession moved slowly along the official road, the wheels crunching over the gravel.

The soldiers' footsteps were neat and powerful, like a deep war song.

What should I write?

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

The philosophy, history, and literature of his past life; what he has seen, heard, thought, and felt in this life; the Confucianism that Yu Xiucai talked about; and the things he himself has realized between life and death.

"Not blindly following superiors, not blindly following books, but only following the facts?"

No.

"Hengqu's Four Lines?"

This is not the Confucianism I envision.

"The world belongs to everyone?"

It's not profound or grounded in reality enough.

After much thought, Zhu Ge finally wrote down a single character.

"people".

He recalled what he had said when he lectured Yu Xiucai and the others in Jianshan Village.

The character 儒 (Ru) is composed of a single person radical (亻) and a need radical (需).

What people need is Confucianism.

people.

One horizontal stroke, one left-falling stroke, one right-falling stroke, and one closing stroke.

A single, simple word, yet it was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in Zhu Ge's heart.

The wisp of literary energy within his body suddenly surged.

Zhu Ge paused slightly, then continued writing.

"Humans are the most intelligent of all beings."

"All things are born without intelligence, hence the first realm is called the realm of intelligence, where intelligence must be developed before one can proceed to the next stage of cultivation."

"No one needs it."

"This is the reason why the human race is the most powerful race in the world."

"However, the world is in chaos, and strange creatures roam freely. Humanity has declined to the point that only one in ten survives. Why has this happened? It is not due to natural disasters, nor is it due to the strength of strange creatures, but rather to the weakness of humanity itself."

"The strong monopolize cultivation techniques, the wise hide knowledge, the rich hoard resources, and the poor have nowhere to stand."

"Powerful families control everything, while children from poor families cannot access education, cannot learn martial arts, and cannot serve their country."

"Thus, the talented are buried in the fields, the ambitious are confined in thatched huts, and the courageous are wasted away by the years. The reason why demons, ghosts, monsters and gods dare to bully the human race is not because they are strong, but because we are weak. It is not because we are weak, but because we are scattered."

"How can a scattered pile of sand withstand a raging storm?"

Although Zhu Ge is writing a book, she is also gradually sorting out her own logic.

This is not a book, it's a draft.

What he wanted to write about was people.

This classic should be called "The Codex of Humanity".

However, even though it was just a draft, it stirred up the faint literary energy within him, making it more active than before and slowly growing stronger.

This delighted Zhu Ge, who continued writing.

"Human needs should be listed as follows:"