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"Everyone has the right to eat, whether they are kings and generals or ordinary people like us."

"The right to eat is something we are born with. We may not have luxurious buildings or expensive money and utensils."

"But we have our own hands, the blessings of heaven and earth, and this fertile land cultivated by our teacher. With these, we will not starve!"

Although Old Man Xu was poor, he was not poor in spirit. He was content with his lot, whether rich or poor, he knew how to be satisfied.

Even in the most dilapidated houses, even in tattered clothes, even if the food is worse than coarse tea and plain rice.

He is content with this! He doesn't complain about life's hardships, but instead creates his own future with his own hands!

......................................................

At that moment, a young man walked over from among the refugees. His face was red from the cold, and his body was still trembling.

"Thank you so much, sir, for saving my life!"

"If you hadn't brought me back here to keep warm, if you hadn't given me some food, I would probably be a frozen corpse outside by now!"

This person spoke in a refined and scholarly manner, and seemed to be a learned man. After inquiring, it was learned that he was a disciple of Confucianism.

That's why the people of Han went to the State of Qin, hoping to persuade the King of Qin to stop the war and treat the world and Han with benevolence.

But he encountered a snowstorm on the way and almost froze to death outside. It was Old Man Xu who picked him up and saved his life.

"If you want to thank me, then once you've recovered, help us collect some firewood outside."

"By the way, you seem like a scholar. If you could, could you write a letter for those people?"

"This way they can have more hope in their hearts."

Old Xu didn't say "thank you" because he did save the man. He didn't expect anything in return, but if doing good deeds didn't bring any reward, who would do good deeds in the future?

Old Xu believed that effort should yield results, and the task he assigned to the scholar was also simple.

Gathering branches is to keep those around warm, and writing letters is to give those people more hope.

These are things that Confucian scholars can do.

"Yes, sir, you can leave all of these to me."

Although the Confucian scholar was a bit pedantic, he was not a bad person at heart. After hearing what Old Man Xu said, he immediately thought of helping him.

"Young man, what's your name?"

"Old Xu asked."

"My name is Chen Xiang."

Chen Xiang spoke up.

Everyone got busy, and Qin Qi also helped treat those with frostbite and illness. At noon, everyone ate lunch.

"Prime Minister Chen, why did you collapse on the road?"

"I originally intended to go to the Qin state to persuade the King of Qin to abandon his idea of ​​attacking the Han state, but a sudden heavy snowfall on the way made me lose my way."

"Thanks to the old man, otherwise I would have died on the way."

When Chen Xiang finished speaking, he thanked Old Man Xu again and even wanted to perform a full prostration in gratitude, but Old Man Xu stopped him.

"War is indeed bad, but I think it doesn't matter whether we win or lose, or who attacks whom."

"It doesn't matter who owns the world in the end. Countless dynasties have changed hands since ancient times, but the people still live the same lives."

"Whether it's a country or a monarch, it's all the same. No matter who it is, they should ensure that the people have enough to eat."

"If everyone has enough to eat, then the fighting will decrease significantly. It may not stop, but it will definitely get better!"

Old Man Xu believed that everyone should be fed, which was the duty of a ruler, and that this should be the goal of whoever was in power!

“Sir, how can you say something like that of someone who has no father or mother, no ruler or country? I thank you for your kindness, but I cannot agree with what you have said.”

"The relationship between ruler and subject is of paramount importance, and the interests of the nation are of utmost importance. How can these be insignificant? What if we were to allow the tyrannical Qin dynasty to rule us?"

"Where is there any happiness left? We are all people whose country has been destroyed and whose homes have been lost! We have nowhere to live and nothing to eat!"

Chen Xiang still adhered to the old Confucian doctrine: the monarch and the country were the most important things, and one could lose one's life for the monarch and the country.

After hearing this, Qin Qi couldn't help but shake his head. There was a person who was limited by so-called benevolence and morality, who did not have the heart of a sage, but thought of imitating the actions of a sage.

In the end, they only wasted their lives and could not gain true peace. Alas, as long as saints live, thieves will never cease.

Everyone wants the title of a saint and imitates their behavior, but what is the final result? Confucianism is good, but after Confucius died, his disciples went astray.

Instead of focusing on inner qualities, people have started to emphasize outward reputation and behavior. In fact, a benevolent and righteous heart is the most important thing.

"No, we can live anywhere in the world as long as we stand on the earth."

"As long as we can still move, any place can be a country, any place can be a home."

“In ancient times, there were no cities or countries like we have today, and people didn’t even have fixed places to live.”

"Everything we have today was built brick by brick, piece by piece. What matters is not the location, but the people."

“In ancient times, being a king was not a status, but a responsibility. He was the smartest, bravest, and most powerful person among a group of people.”

"When he gained power, he also gained responsibility. He was responsible for leading his people to survive well and live a life where they had enough to eat and wear."

"After he dies, a second person will step forward, a third person will step forward. The king is not a title, not a position, but a spirit!"

"A spirit that unites everyone and empowers everyone!"

Old Xu acknowledged the existence of the king, but did not believe that people should die for the king. Whether commoners or monarchs, everyone was simply trying to live.

"So, according to what you say, a monarch should farm the land like you? Why don't we Confucian scholars serve the country and use our talents?"

"Should we all roll up our sleeves, take off our hats, abandon the teachings of sages, and go to the fields to farm?"

Chen Xiang felt that Old Man Xu's ideas were completely fallacious and heretical. If everyone went to farm, then who would govern the country?

The fundamental principles of rulership and subjectship have vanished. The country is gone, the family is gone, what use is land all that's left?!

"No, I, I... I didn't mean that, I meant everyone..."

Old Xu was an honest man. He was not good at debating and did not know how to refute Prime Minister Chen. He could only anxiously explain.

"The old man's meaning is completely different from your understanding. What the old man meant was that everyone should put in effort to get a reward."

"It is like a seed that needs to be planted to grow into a plant, but different seeds will have different planting methods and will grow into different fruits."

Qin Qi then spoke up, allowing the old man to explain:

"Just like people, some people are strong, so they can do jobs that require strength, and some people are smart, so they can do jobs that require intelligence."

"The old man is good at farming, so he put in his hard work and sweat. Are you a Confucian disciple or a man?"

"You can go outside to help collect firewood and use your knowledge to soothe the uneasy hearts of the people."

(Wang Zhaozhao) "The same applies to a country. The work that a ruler needs to do is to govern the world. If he cannot make the people of the world live well, then he is unqualified."

“He is not qualified to sit in this position, not qualified to eat those luxurious foods, and not qualified to enjoy the rights given to him by the people.”

"The same applies to ministers. If they cannot help the king govern the country better, then they are not entitled to enjoy all the benefits that come with power."

“He who does not work shall not eat, but there are many kinds of work. Confucius’s work was to persuade people to do good, and Lao Tzu’s work was to relieve people’s distress.”

"Mozi's contribution lay in his mastery of mechanical arts, while Bian Que's contribution lay in his practice of medicine and healing the sick. Everyone's contribution is different, and so are their rewards."

"Can you understand me, kid?"

Qin Qi looked at Old Man Xu and found the old man quite interesting, even though he kept saying he wasn't from a farming family.

But every word and action reflects the agricultural philosophy that those who do not work will not eat, and everyone should contribute their labor from their own perspective.

It sounds familiar, doesn't it? It's the same as what we know about the Communist Party...

"…………"

After listening to Qin Qi's words, Chen Xiang fell silent. He felt that Qin Qi's words made a lot of sense, and that the king's duty was to govern the world.

If he cannot bring happiness to the people, is there any need to protect him? Is the current King of Han a qualified king?

Chen Xiang had the answer in his heart, but he was still unwilling to admit that it was completely different from the Confucianism he had studied.

Old Xu looked at Qin Qi with gratitude, but was also somewhat surprised that the other party had fully understood his meaning after hearing him speak only once.

He felt that Qin Qi truly lived up to his title of teacher; he was incredibly intelligent, completely unlike him, a foolish farmer.

---------------------------

Many people might not guess who this old man is: Xu Xing, a person whose name isn't particularly outstanding.

However, he lived in the same era as Mencius. Although the Agricultural School revered Shennong as their ancestor, the recorded sage of the Agricultural School was Xu Xing.

However, there are very few writings about him, so he is not as famous as Mencius, and you basically don't know him unless you study him.

Chapter 90 Qin Qi: Go to Qin! Mentioning my name will do! (First Update)

"Then, sir, how do you think a country should be governed?"

Chen Xiang asked the question again. He still couldn't give up the Confucian doctrines he had studied for many years, and he wanted to continue trying to defeat Old Man Xu in a debate.

"I don't know how to govern a country; I only know how to manage the fields."

Old Xu shook his head. He had never thought about how to govern the world. He was just a farmer, and all he had to think about was farming.

“That’s it. You say that agriculture is the foundation of the world, but how should the world be governed if agriculture is the foundation?”

"Agriculture is ultimately just a minor path; governing the country ultimately depends on us Confucian disciples and Confucian knowledge."

Chen Xiang thought he had found a way to defeat Old Man Xu. This year, he began to talk eloquently about world affairs and future development.

But after he had been talking for a long time, Qin Qi asked him a question.

"Has any of the rulers of these seven kingdoms accomplished what you described? Has any of those who govern the world done it?"

"Confucius never truly achieved governing the country and the world with Confucianism throughout his life, yet you, a mere brat, claim you can surpass him?"

Qin Qi looked at Chen Xiang and immediately saw the flaws in his words. Chen Xiang kept saying that Confucianism could govern the world.

But were there any people in these seven states who governed the world using Confucianism? Did Confucius fulfill his ambitions?

Even sages couldn't govern the country with Confucianism, so how dare you, a mere disciple, claim that you can govern the world with Confucianism?

If you can't, then what's the difference between you and the old farmer in front of you?

Oh no, there is a difference. The old farmer knows what he should do, and he won't make presumptuous pronouncements about world affairs.

And you, a scholar, don't bother to understand the actual situation, but instead just speak recklessly among a group of people. Isn't that ridiculous?

"this…………"

Chen Xiang was speechless for a moment. Indeed, even Confucius had not been able to do it, so how could he possibly do it?

He himself knew that it was virtually impossible to persuade the King of Qin this time, but if he went, he would be known as a great Confucian scholar and a person who served the country and its people.

But after experiencing a brush with death, and after having a conversation with Old Man Xu and Qin Qi, he realized that it seemed to have no meaning.

He thought he had set an example and sacrificed himself for his country, but in reality, he had not made any real contribution to the country.

His actions were nothing but self-pity!

"I don't know how to govern a country, but I know how to farm. I think everyone in the world wants to farm well."

"First of all, the ruler must understand one principle: what is taken from the people should be used for the people."

Old Xu then spoke up, sharing his insights on farming. Chen Xiang immediately composed himself and listened attentively.

"I don't think we should set up warehouses. Storing those things will not benefit people's livelihoods at all."

“We should distribute all that we have to everyone who needs it, and the king should know moderation.”

"He cannot endlessly demand things from the people; there must be moderation and appropriateness, even in war."

Old Xu doesn't approve of war, but he doesn't oppose it either; war has never disappeared since ancient times.

However, he believed that large-scale, senseless killings should not be caused, nor should wars be started without cause.

These are all examples of a lack of self-control and inappropriate behavior.

"If we don't set up warehouses and just distribute everything to everyone, what should we do in case of an emergency?"

"For example, what if we encounter various natural disasters that cause famine? Although we don't have any now, shouldn't we prepare for the worst?"

Chen Xiang discovered another error in Old Xu's words, and he immediately questioned him, relentlessly attacking his weaknesses.