From Under One Person: Sincere Journey Through the Heavens

"you!"

Kong Yuru was furious, but a hint of doubt arose in her mind, because after Jiang Liu finished speaking, the righteous energy within her own talent seemed to fluctuate slightly.

What kind of sorcery did Jiang Liu use?

Do not!

Absolutely impossible!

The righteous spirit was cultivated by his ancestors after they refined their literary courage. It is passed down through generations and can only be borne by the bloodline of Confucius. If others can arouse the righteous spirit, it is only because their pursuit of the same path as his ancestors is the same.

But how is that possible?

As a descendant, how could he not understand his family's learning?

"Heaven has its laws! Families and nations have their rules! This has been true since ancient times!"

Kong Yuru refused to believe it, and almost roared out loud, the sound waves rolling and echoing through the sky, "Confucian scholars should serve the ruler! To educate and enlighten all people!"

"Is it true that it has always been this way?"

Jiang Liu retorted, "If that's true, how come your Confucian scholars couldn't stop the foreigners' guns and cannons? I've even heard that when the foreigners invaded, some of the people in the Qing capital even volunteered to lead the way..."

"They're a bunch of troublemakers!"

Before Kong Yuru could speak, Yan Keqin, standing beside her, could no longer contain himself and roared, "You ignorant fools! The country is destroyed, yet you do not think of serving your country! Just like those singing girls who still sing 'The Song of the Rear Courtyard' across the river, oblivious to the sorrow of a fallen nation!"

"is it?"

Jiang Liu laughed heartily, tears welling in his eyes, and said to Li Yang, Miss Liu, Gao Huan, and Wang Baoling beside him, "He's mocking us!"

The four of them were not angry; instead, they all laughed heartily.

This is because they also know Du Mu's poem "Mooring at Qinhuai," in which the line "Singing girls know not the sorrow of a fallen nation, still singing 'The Flowers of the Rear Courtyard' across the river" is not just a satire of courtesans and actors.

They were not the privileged who listened to music and watched dances!

# Chapter 1069 Confucianism is for the use of all rulers!

You're calling us 'merchants'?

After laughing enough, Jiang Liu said loudly, "Then I will answer you! That's right! It's fortunate that I wasn't born in that so-called prosperous Qing Dynasty, otherwise how could foreigners have stirred up trouble?"

I'll start by cleaning up China's internal strife!

Yan Keqin was dumbfounded.

Kong Yuru was also speechless.

It should be noted that although the Qing Dynasty was destroyed, its powerful and wealthy people were still alive and had not been purged. Some of them went to other parts of China, while others were unwilling to leave, hiding their wealth and pretending to be poor while waiting for an opportunity to rise again. The Kong family had connections with both of these groups.

after all--

The Qing Dynasty also highly valued Confucian scholars and showed great respect to the Confucian family.

Jiang Liu's words are extremely arrogant!

If this gets out, it will surely offend those powerful Qing officials and their descendants!

Even Ru Song felt a chill run down his spine.

"Surprised?"

Jiang Liu asked with a smile, then shouted, "Ask the people here, even if we, the people of China, have lost our status as masters of the land because of foreigners, who among us still misses the Qing Dynasty?"

Throughout history, apart from periods of unification such as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods and the Five Barbarian Invasions, only two dynasties have ever fallen, and apart from the powerful and wealthy, not a single commoner has ever remembered their good deeds.

Do you know which two they are?

Before Kong Yuru could speak, Miss Liu immediately exclaimed, "I know one, and that is the Qing Dynasty! After it was destroyed, apart from those who had served as officials, as well as princes and princesses, even though it was under the control of foreigners, not a single commoner wanted the Qing Dynasty to return."

"That's right!"

"We don't want the Qing Dynasty!"

"All officials in the Qing Dynasty were bastards!"

"Those princes, noblemen, and princesses are the worst of the worst!"

One call and a hundred responses.

The crowd outside the venue also raised their fists and criticized the Qing Dynasty for its various shortcomings.

Why?

It wasn't because of Jiang Liu and Miss Liu's status; everyone present who was over sixteen years old had absolutely no goodwill towards the Qing Dynasty.

Even those aged sixteen and under, influenced by their elders and living in the chaos caused by the incompetence of the Qing Dynasty, naturally had no goodwill towards it.

Furthermore.

The Qing Dynasty is already gone, so what's wrong with them cursing a few times? Even if they curse every day, those old-timers of the Qing Dynasty have to put up with it!

After the people calmed down, Jiang Liu asked again, "So, what about the last dynasty?"

"Is it Ming?"

Some people speculated.

"Definitely not. When the Qing Dynasty was still in power, many people used the slogan of 'overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming'."

Some people disagreed, while others said, "It might be Song."

"That's definitely not it!"

Another person shook their head, "After the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Yuan people were brutal. Many enlightened Han people wanted to restore the Song Dynasty. For example, Lin Guifang, Li De from Xinhui and others organized a righteous army... but in the end they failed and were suppressed by the Yuan people."

"The tyrannical Qin Dynasty that burned books and buried scholars alive!"

It was Kong Yuru who spoke.

The burning of books and burying of scholars alive caused Confucian scholars, including his own family, to have absolutely no goodwill towards the First Emperor, and they often referred to him as the "tyrant Qin".

Indeed.

In the burning of books and burying of scholars, most of those buried were alchemists, but in the Qin Dynasty, the distinction between alchemists and Confucian scholars was not so clear.

Furthermore, most Confucian scholars dressed as alchemists in order to survive...

Or rather, during that particular period, the cultivation sects were relatively primitive and didn't have many rules. Moreover, the six states had only recently been destroyed, and although unified, the world was still in turmoil. Many cultivators and scholars lost their support after the destruction of the six states and didn't believe that the First Emperor would accept them unconditionally. To make a living, they could only become alchemists temporarily, observe the Qin's rule, and then make further plans.

Although there was a small Sage Village at that time, it could not support too many Confucian scholars. In addition, the First Emperor favored Legalism and ignored the teachings of Confucian sages, so many Confucian scholars "changed professions".

In short, the alchemists of that era were not just sorcerers, but included all those who practiced cultivation and pursued scholarship due to the fall of the six states, forming a rather unique group.

Because there were many Confucian scholars, the number of Confucian scholars who disguised themselves as alchemists also accounted for the majority of the alchemist group.

Therefore, the term "burying scholars alive" in the context of the burning of books and burying of scholars alive was indeed a fitting name!

The Kong family is the only family in the world that has recorded the entire history of the burning of books and burying of scholars alive!

Although the person who was cheated was not a member of the Kong family, and even Kong Fu of the Kong family was given the title of Wentong Jun, Confucian scholars all inherited the Master's affection and had some cold feelings towards the Kong family!

Those Confucian scholars who disguised themselves as alchemists to survive were buried alive. How could the Confucius family have any goodwill towards the First Emperor?

"It is indeed the Qin Dynasty."

Jiang Liu nodded slightly. "It only lasted fourteen years, and the Records of the Grand Historian, in the Annals of Emperor Gaozu, records that when Liu Bang entered Guanzhong, he abolished the Qin laws. The Qin people were overjoyed and vied to offer cattle, sheep, wine, and food to the soldiers, but Liu Bang refused them. This made the people even happier, fearing only that Liu Bang would not become king..."

There may be inaccuracies, but since the founding of the Han Dynasty, although there have been peasant uprisings, there have been no attempts to overthrow the Han and restore the Qin.

of course.

It's obvious to anyone with a brain that such a large dynasty could only last fourteen years, and that there must have been serious problems with that dynasty. It's not something that can be explained by simply blaming Hu Hai.

However, the First Emperor did have his merits, namely, he completed the unification by building upon the achievements of six generations.

Therefore—”

At this point, Jiang Liu paused, looked at Kong Yuru, and said leisurely, "To say that Qin was tyrannical is an exaggeration. Even if it was truly 'tyrannical,' it wasn't because of the 'burning of books and burying of scholars,' but because Qin's laws were too harsh."

I mention these two dynasties not only because no one was willing to speak up for them after their demise, but also because the Qin and Qing dynasties marked the end of the dynastic cycle.

Since Ying Zheng was the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty.

Puyi was the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

Now that there is no emperor, will your Confucian scholars still serve the ruler?

Could it be that you secretly have connections with Aisin-Gioro Puyi? And then, may I ask, which people are you referring to through your Confucian teachings?

"You! You! You!"

Kong Yuru blushed, her index finger trembling, and couldn't help but say, "The leader of the Guo faction is also a ruler! If a Confucian scholar doesn't serve the ruler, then he is not a Confucian scholar!"

"That's quite a coincidence. The 'Confucian' in my Confucian Society also refers to serving the ruler, but not the ruler himself, but rather—"

Jiang Liu faced the onlookers outside the arena.

Most of them came to support his Confucian association, a few were just there to set up stalls and sell their wares, and a few were simply there to watch the excitement.

But he treated everyone equally, his gaze gentle. He stretched out his arm and slowly waved to them, his open palms seeming to spread light, or as if shaking hands with everyone. He smiled calmly and said, "Gentlemen."

click!

Lu Mingfei seized the opportunity, pressed the shutter, and captured the moment when Jiang Liu reached out to the crowd. He was extremely excited and asked the other reporters beside him, "Take pictures! Take as many as you can!"

At that moment, Jiang Liu closed the booklet in his hand, placed it on the table, and slowly sighed. Then, his eyes reflected the stars in the sky, transforming into lotus shapes, and a golden light remained in his pupils, like the sun, eternal and indestructible.

"This...this is!"

Upon seeing this, Ru Song trembled all over and knelt down with a thud.

He knew that the emptiness of the five aggregates was not the highest state of Buddhist practice!

The five aggregates are all empty; it is merely self-awareness, the mind attaining Arhatship. Inner contemplation brings freedom, outer observation brings the world's sound; seeking enlightenment from others leads to Bodhisattvahood, attaining a wisdom eye. Cultivating a single golden ray is the Dharma eye, a complete understanding of the Zen principles of form and emptiness; the only difference between this and the true state of "Buddhahood" is the effort of cultivation…

That is to say!

The river has already forged that immortal seed of true gold, which is said to have been forged only by Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism! A true Dharma body that will never be destroyed throughout the ages!

# Chapter 1070 Forging a Literary Courage Can Lead to Sainthood