The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 145 Night Talk, Kong Binzi follows (Updated first and then revised)

It was dark outside, but brightly lit inside.

When Ying Chengjiao turned around to talk to Lu Buwei, he inadvertently saw a ghost floating outside the window, and his heart moved slightly.

Looking closely, I saw that they were swaying branches.

He was a little disappointed. Why wasn't it a real ghost?
He has not been afraid of ghosts since his great-father died.

To this day, he still doesn't know whether the father in his dream is what he thinks about every day or a ghost.

He hoped to prove the existence of ghosts so that he could see his grandfather again.

"When talking about Gongsun Long, Chang'an Jun is distracted, but is he afraid?" Kong Bin was a little worried.

Gongsun Long was unparalleled in debate and never lost in his life. It was natural for people to be afraid of debating with him. However, this logic did not apply to Gongzi Chengjiao.

Because others are afraid to avoid fighting.

The child in front of me can’t do that.

Since we have to fight, we must not be afraid. Those who are afraid of fighting will surely fail.

"No, I was just thinking about something." Ying Chengjiao said truthfully, scratched his hair, turned to look at Kong Bin, then looked at the commander, and asked seriously: "I have a question, are there ghosts in this world?"

Kong Bin was surprised at first.

It was not until I saw the young face of Master Chengjiao that I suddenly understood.

He talked with Prince Chengjiao and Lu Buwei for two hours.

During these two hours, the seven-year-old Master Cheng Jiao actually discussed the whole thing from beginning to end.

When talking about Kong Bin, everyone forgot that Master Chengjiao was only seven years old and thought he was talking to someone of the same kind.

Children's thinking is always jumping. No matter how quick their wit is, their nature cannot be changed... Kong Bin wanted to tease her, and raised his mouth corners and raised his hands to the sky:
"Bin can't talk about ghosts, it's a family motto."

Ying Chengjiao was stunned. How could the Kong family precepts be stricter than the Qin law? Even ghosts could not be spoken?

Lu Buwei was also a little surprised.

Is there a rule in the Confucian family precepts that forbids talking about ghosts?

He knows quite a few descendants of Confucius, how could he not know?
I caught a glimpse of the mischievous look on Kong Bin's face and immediately understood.

His face straightened, and he said to his disciples in a serious tone:
“Knowing the shortcomings of others but touching them for your own desires is not the behavior of a gentleman.”

What do I know? The Kong family motto does not allow talking about ghosts. Who else but the Kong family would know this... Ying Chengjiao was helpless:

"Master, if I knew, I wouldn't ask. I really don't know."

"Really?" Lü Buwei asked, "Sir, you haven't read the Analects. Don't you know that Confucius' silence is strange, powerful, chaotic, or magical?"

Ying Chengjiao: “…”

Seeing the young man's speechless face, Kong Bin and Lu Buwei laughed out loud one after another.

The topic we discussed before was too serious and my mind was busy thinking all the time. It's a good time to relax now.

"Master did teach me that Confucius does not speak, but he uses strange powers to beat the ghosts and gods into insanity." Ying Chengjiao pretended to be curious: "I remember that Master said that Confucius does not speak, but he uses strange powers to beat the ghosts and gods into insanity."

Kong Bin and Lu Buwei stopped laughing and looked at each other.

Although Lü Buwei knew that his disciple was joking, he still waved his right hand to clarify:

"Zishun, you know me well. I am a righteous businessman and will never slander the classics, let alone the words of Confucius."

Whether you have done it or not is important, and your attitude towards things is also important.

Kong Bin sighed lightly:

“After taking office, not only did you change your appearance, but your character as well.

"I told you to stay in Yan and Qi, and not go to Qin and Zhao. Merchants are not regarded as human beings in the west."

The two were friends at the time, and when Lü Buwei heard this, he would only laugh out loud, holding his belly. How could he explain such a sentence? How could he understand the way of governing?

With a sigh, Kong Bin looked at the young man again and said with a smile:
“The power of our ancestors is indeed strong, able to hold the gates of a country. (Note 1)
“But to say that the ghosts and gods who can fight are insane is a bit of an exaggeration.

“The original meaning of this statement is that the ancestor stopped talking, fearing that his energy would be dispersed and his mind would be disturbed.

"Chang'an Jun misinterpreted the meaning of our ancestors in front of me. That's fine. Everyone here knows it's a joke.

"But if you say this in front of a child, or if you write a note in the Analects.

"Bin is going to bully the weak and ask Chang'an Jun for the sword."

Ying Chengjiao regretted the moment he said this, wondering if he had joked too much.

I didn't expect Kong Bin to have this attitude.

While I was impressed by his broad-mindedness, a question also arose in my mind - is this the explanation for this sentence?

[I admit that I misinterpreted Confucius's meaning, but you didn't misinterpret your ancestors' meaning?]
Lü Buwei had the same question and said, "Eh?"
"Shouldn't this sentence mean that Confucius doesn't talk about weirdness, bravery, rebellion, ghosts and gods?"

Kong Bin laughed again and pointed at Lu Buwei:
"Okay, you also come to misinterpret the meaning of our ancestors.

"The upper beam is crooked, and the lower beams are crooked. It turns out that the root cause is you.

"It's fine if the world says so, but you also say so?

"If I can't ask a little boy about the sword, can't I ask you about it?"

After Lü Buwei and his old friends had laughed enough, they said seriously:
"Zishun, I really think so."

Kong Bin looked at his old friend carefully, then looked at Master Cheng Jiao who was waiting for his doubts to be answered, and laughed:
"I thought you two, master and disciple, paused between the four words 'supernatural powers' on purpose to tease me, but it turned out that the pause came from the heart.

“These four words are connected and cannot be separated.

"The Analects is a book that records the words and deeds of our ancestors and their disciples. When you read it, you must consider the context.

"The context of this sentence is that the ancestor told his disciple Zilu that when he was studying hard, he even forgot to eat, and was so happy that he forgot all his worries and didn't even know that he was getting old. He said that he was not born with knowledge, but liked to learn, and he knew many things through hard work.

"The following is what the ancestor said: If three people are walking together, there must be one person who can be his teacher. He will choose to learn from the strengths of his fellow travelers and take the shortcomings of his fellow travelers as a warning.

“In the above and below, our ancestors have been talking about what kind of person they are.

“Halfway through the conversation, the ancestor said he was tired and asked to shut up and take a rest.

"If we had just written 'Zi Bu Yu' here, there wouldn't be so much controversy.

“It’s just that the Analects was compiled after our ancestors passed away, so of course our disciples should write about it in the best way possible.

“Just like Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang, although they were sage kings, how could they not make mistakes when they were alive? Are they still human beings? They are all beautified by later generations.

"So the ancestor's simple act of shutting up was glorified as 'a gentleman does not speak of strange things.'

“It is unnecessary to say that our ancestors did not speak because they were afraid that it would take away their energy and affect their thinking, or to show that they were serious about teaching.

“According to your interpretation, the ancestor was talking about what kind of person he was when he suddenly said that he did not talk about weirdness, bravery, rebellion, or ghosts and gods.

"It's like the three of us have been discussing the state policy of Qin today, and Chang'an Jun suddenly asked if there are ghosts in this world? Isn't this very abrupt?

"The reason why Chang'an Jun could ask this question is because he is only seven years old and his temperament is not yet determined.

"The ancestor was already over 47 at the time, and had long lost his impetuosity."

Having said that, Kong Bin had completed his explanation completely.

But he looked at Ying Chengjiao meaningfully and continued without pause:
“There is a second reason why I can be so sure that our ancestors would not say such a thing.

"Our ancestors have long expressed their views on ghosts and gods. They are to be feared and kept away from them, but it is not to the point where we don't even talk about them."

Lu Buwei's heart skipped a beat, as he could tell that his old friend was both admonishing his disciple and testing him.

He wanted to give a reminder, but he didn't open his mouth yet.

Kong Bin glanced over, as if to say that if you remind me, you will fail the test. Ying Chengjiao stood up, bowed solemnly to Kong Bin, and said:
"I understand your meaning, sir. I serve the people and respect ghosts and gods but keep them at a distance. This is wisdom.

"I will definitely do what I just said and focus on the people instead of ghosts and gods."

Confucius' words should be put in context.

Kong Bin secretly said that this young man is teachable, and stood up from his seat. He stretched out his hands and gently lifted up the boy:
"Changan Jun is overthinking. Bin didn't mean it that way. He just said it casually."

Kong Bin did not admit that he had any ulterior motives.

If he admitted it, it would mean that he was educating his disciples in front of Lu Buwei, which might imply that Lu Buwei was incapable of educating.

The master and disciple, Lu Buwei and Ying Chengjiao, naturally understood what was going on, but they did not reveal it.

Ying Chengjiao smiled:
"It's just that the kid is overthinking."

Lu Buwei breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly tried to make amends for his disciple:
"Since he was young, the young master has had no feelings for ghosts and gods, and he does not like to offer sacrifices to heaven. He deeply agrees with what Mencius said, 'He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world.'

“I just misunderstood Confucius’ words because of the punctuation. Such mistakes will not occur in our Qin State.

"It is only because you invented punctuation marks and can accurately punctuate sentences. Zi Shun will observe."

Lu Buwei dipped his fingers in tea and wrote down dozens of words of "The Analects" on the table, adding punctuation marks.

He acted anxious because he was anxious.

After two hours, the master and disciple finally convinced Kong Bin.

We must not let Kong Bin mistakenly believe that Master Chengjiao is essentially an aristocrat who does not care about people's livelihood and worships the gods.

Kong Bin read what Lu Buwei wrote carefully, his eyes gradually brightened, he didn't expect that he could gain something substantial today.

The national policies discussed previously are actually illusions, and it is unknown whether they can be realized in the future.

When the King of Wei invited him to be the Prime Minister, he spoke much nicer words than Lu Buwei and his disciples, and the King listened to him in everything.

What happens when he really takes office? No one listens to his suggestions on governing the country.

The future is not accurate, but the punctuation marks at the moment are very accurate, which saves a lot of trouble.

"Was this invented by Chang'an Jun? Can Bin use it?" Kong Bin asked impatiently.

Lu Buwei shook his head and said bitterly:
"Zi Shun, just take a look at it. My king has forbidden this to be spread outside. It is only to be used in memorials."

Kong Bin's joy gradually faded, and he nodded silently:
"Bin knows it and will not implicate Brother Lu."

He had long known that the Qin State was so cruel and unjust.

But in his deduction, the one who finally won the world was the unkind and unjust Qin State.

Rise because of violence, fall because of violence.

"Lord Chang'an." Kong Bin stood up and bowed deeply to Ying Chengjiao: "Please remember your heart today, and don't be blinded by the prosperity after the unification of Qin! The Qin State was able to gain the world because all the other states were unjust and unkind, and Qin was the most unjust and unjust. But this can make Qin prosperous, and it can also destroy Qin!"

Ying Chengjiao looked at the man bending down, and also bent his body:

"Cheng Jiao swore an oath and will never forget it."

At this moment, Ying Chengjiao felt that his shoulders were heavier.

That night, Kong Bin recounted the future development of the world based solely on his imagination.

There is no time travel, no history books.

Kong Binzi's final conclusion is:

"The one who will unify the world will be Qin." (Note 2)

The more he interacted with the various philosophers, the more in awe Ying Chengjiao felt for this group.

Huang Shigong, Lu Buwei, Zou Yan, Kong Bin... If he had not traveled through time, but was born in the same generation as these people, Ying Chengjiao felt that he might not even be qualified to look up to them.

When he thought of this, the image of a person he had never met lingered in Ying Chengjiao's mind.

The unparalleled debater is Gongsun Longzi.

When it came to debate, none of the philosophers he had met could defeat Gongsun Long.

For a long time during the previous two hours, Kong Bin had been discussing with Lu Buwei whether there was any way to avoid going to the Jixia Academy and avoiding the meeting with Gongsun Long.

Go to the Kong family and use the Kong family's reputation to recruit scholars from all over the world.

Although the effect is not as good as the Jixia Academy, the holy place for students, it works.

Ying Chengjiao categorically refused:

"What's the difference between changing the word 'Shi' in the family name to 'Kong' and taking off your pants to fart? What's the point of what we are talking about here today?"

The night gradually deepened, but the three of them were not sleepy yet.

The tea was replaced pot after pot.

Only the Lu Chamber of Commerce belongs to Lu Buwei, otherwise no one would have come in to add tea or water.

They chatted until the sun went out outside the window. Kong Bin gradually became familiar with the boy and no longer spoke in a reserved manner as before:

"Boy, why did you suddenly ask if there were any ghosts earlier?"

"Hey, you were just criticizing me, but now you're asking questions yourself." Ying Chengjiao sighed, shaking his head and chanting, "How pitiful, the empty seat in front of you in the middle of the night, not asking about the people but asking about ghosts and gods!"

Kong Bin pretended to be angry and slammed the table:

"Hurry up and tell me! Otherwise, Bin will just think that the national policy you mentioned before was just a lie!

“Bin just remembered that you were asking about ghosts, not gods.

“I have seen many people praying to gods and asking for divination, but it is rare to see people just praying to ghosts.

"Could it be that you, a young boy, have blood on your hands since you were only seven years old? Are you afraid that the dead will turn into a ghost and come to claim your life?"

Kong Bin said this casually. He really didn't think that a seven-year-old child could kill someone.

But the speaker is unintentional, but the listener is intentional.

Lu Buwei, who was a little sleepy, was suddenly awakened, fearing that his disciple would say yes.

My own son has really killed someone, and the person he killed was Prince Gao of Zhao.

Lu Buwei was worried, but he didn't dare to remind his disciples.

Kong Bin has a very keen observation ability and can detect any unusual movements.

"A fierce ghost?" The young man smacked his lips, suddenly revealing a deep bitterness that was not in line with his age: "Every fierce ghost is a person that others miss day and night and want to see again but cannot."

The boy held the teacup and poured it into his mouth, like drinking strong liquor.

The tea went down my throat, washing away a few tears.

Kong Binchu thought Ying Chengjiao was talking about love between men and women, the words were so similar.

But on second thought, something doesn't seem right.

Such a deep love, seven years old? Too early, right?
Seeing that Ying Chengjiao was not in a good mood, Kong Bin turned to look at his old friend Lu Buwei.

There are two meanings.

One is to seek answers.

Second, see if it is convenient to say. If it is not convenient to say, then don’t ask.

【Note 1: The gate of the country is the big wooden bolt that closes the city gate.】

[Note 2: This is not something I made up. Kong Bin did calculate it. You can check it.]

(End of this chapter)