The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 147: The Incarnation of Righteousness Deng Ling Student, Trolley Problem Warring States Version

The shopkeeper who was following Deng Ling's lead looked embarrassed and wanted to explain a few words.

His lips moved a few times but nothing came out.

Deng Lingxue shook his head gently and comforted the shopkeeper:

"It's okay. It's cold at night and it's warmer with more people."

The shopkeeper lowered his head slightly in shame and responded.

He turned his head and glanced at everyone in the room with resentment, sighed loudly, lowered his head and walked away quickly. When he passed by the Mohist, he did not dare to look up and face him.

The shopkeeper returned to his room, packed up his belongings, and left Lu’s Jewelry, leaving very resolutely.

He has been the shopkeeper of Lu's Jewelry for three years. Today, he was extremely lucky to meet Chang'an Jun and Lu Buwei, the leader of Lu's Chamber of Commerce. A bright future lies ahead.

But these people were too rude to the giant, so he decided to quit.

The influence of Mohism among the people can be seen from this.

The correct name of the Hundred Schools of Thought at this time was the Hundred Learnings, which were mostly the opinions of kings.

The only doctrine that speaks for the common people is Mohism.

Deng Lingxue turned around and waved to the Mohists under his command.

The group of Mohists understood what he meant and did not go into the house, but waited outside.

Deng Lingxue nodded and smiled slightly apologetically.

Then he turned around and bowed slightly to Ying Chengjiao, the youngest one.

"Deng Lingxue, I meet Lord Chang'an." The voice was gentle and the attitude was humble.

Kong Bin glanced at Ying Chengjiao and asked, "Is this the attitude of the person who wants to kill you?"

Not to mention Kong Bin, Ying Chengjiao himself was a little confused. It really didn't look like they were going to kill him.

[But I clearly feel a murderous aura...]
Deng Lingxue's waist was still bent, and it was rude to let him wait too long. Ying Chengjiao didn't have time to think about it and returned the greeting:
"I have long heard of your great name. I wanted to visit you tomorrow, but I didn't expect you to come see me first. This is my negligence."

Kong Bin turned his head and looked at Ying Chengjiao expressionlessly.

When he came today, Ying Chengjiao also said something similar to him, almost the same.

Moreover, when the shopkeeper came in for the first time to announce Deng Lingxue's visit, he observed that there was no emotion in Chang'an Jun's eyes, which showed that he had probably never heard of this name.

This is normal. The Chu Mo master is active mostly in Chu and the border areas between Chu and its neighboring countries. It is normal that the prince of Qin does not know about the Chu Mo master.

If you don’t know, just say you don’t know. What are you saying about having heard of your name for a long time? Didn’t you just hear the name Deng Lingxue today?

Kong Bin stared at Chang'an Jun, and did not see any embarrassment on Chang'an Jun's face. He had a new understanding of Ying Chengjiao - how shameless!
While he was looking at Ying Chengjiao, he heard Deng Lingxue's familiar and humble voice again.

"There is no room left in this house. I have a few companions with me, so we are waiting outside. I don't know if this is convenient or if it will disturb Lord Chang'an."

"No, it's my fault for not hosting you well." Ying Chengjiao apologized, "Waiting outside is not the right way to entertain guests. Although this is a place selling jewelry, there are still a few rooms. I will have someone take you warriors into the room to wait."

Deng Ling was grateful for what he learned:

"Don't bother me. I'll just say a few words."

He turned his head slightly and looked at Kong Bin, nodded with a surprised look on his face, and took the initiative to greet him:
"I didn't expect Kong Binzi to be here too."

Kong Bin had a stern face. Although he didn't want to talk, the education he received since childhood did not allow him to do so:
"Bin never thought he would see a student from Dengling here."

"Is Kong Binzi free tomorrow? Let's discuss the Dao?"

"I have time for others, but not for the students of Dengling."

"I had a lot of fun chatting with your brother Kong Chuanzi, but every time I talk to you, we end up parting on bad terms. What a pity."

"As long as they are not bad people, my brother can chat happily with anyone."

Deng Lingxue sighed slightly, and a trace of helplessness appeared on his dark face, feeling disappointed that he could not discuss Taoism with Kong Bin.

Discussing philosophy with Kong Binzi is more useful than cutting down trees.

The trees can only be cut down for personal use and to help a few families.

But if Kong Binzi's thoughts could be corrected and he could abandon Confucianism and learn Mohism, it would have a significant impact and would encourage many people to learn Mohism. In the future, hundreds of ordinary people would be helped by the new Mohists.

"Why did student Deng Ling come to visit you at night?" Kong Bin wanted to end it quickly and didn't want to stay under the same roof with student Deng Ling for even a moment.

Deng Ling learned to be serious and saluted Ying Chengjiao solemnly:

"The Mohist Deng Ling School, please go to Chang'an and die."

Gai Nie, Bai Wuxia, and the other experts who were protecting Ying Chengjiao all had sharp eyes.

court death!

Most of these people were Lin Xiangru's followers and lived in Handan, Zhao State.

I have heard of the name Deng Lingxue, the leader of Chu Mo, and know that he is a most moral person, but I have never met him.

To them, a gentleman will die for his confidant, and treating them well is far more important than morality itself.

Lu Buwei had an angry look on his face. He was thinking about using the spies in Wei and Chu to see if it was possible to get Chu Mo to replace a great man.

The king, the crown prince, and Prince Chengjiao are the legitimate and future legitimate rulers of Qin. Among them, only Prince Chengjiao supports his philosophy of governing the country, and Prince Chengjiao must not make any mistakes.

Hearing Deng Lingxue's words, Ying Chengjiao's first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief. He turned around and glared at the sixth-generation grandson of Confucius sitting next to him, "Look at me! I told you he wanted to kill me! You still don't believe it!"
Kong Bin's head was full of question marks. He tilted his head and frowned:
"Deng Lingxue, what's wrong with you?"

Deng Lingxue didn't look at Kong Bin, and still said to Ying Chengjiao:

"The death of Chang'an Jun can save millions of people in the world.

"Since Chang'an Jun calls himself a gentleman, he often says that he cannot let others die because of him. He has tried to commit suicide several times but failed.

"I have come to help Lord Chang'an fulfill his wish, and Lord Chang'an should be happy.

“If Chang’an Jun is unwilling, then it means that everything he did before was a disguise, and he is not a gentleman but a hypocrite.

“When a villain does evil, people know he is a villain, so they will not imitate him but stay away from him.

“When a hypocrite does evil, people will mistake him for a true gentleman, so they will imitate him and do evil things, which will deteriorate the social atmosphere.

“From this we can see that hypocrites are much more harmful than villains.

"When faced with hypocrites, Mohists should take care of the people of the world and eliminate the harm."

Ying Chengjiao: “…”

Deng Lingxue said a lot of things, but in Ying Chengjiao's ears it was actually just one sentence - if you are not decent, I will help you to be decent.

This is truly a magical era. People can persuade others to die with a clear conscience, as if death is the least important thing.

"I'm really a little curious." The young man smiled: "The great master wants to kill me, so he sent Mohists to assassinate me. Isn't the possibility of success much greater than going to my house openly?"

Deng Lingxue explained carefully:
"I don't want to kill Chang'an Jun, but Chang'an Jun's death is more beneficial, so I came to ask Chang'an Jun to die.

"If Chang'an Jun is willing to die, his reputation as a gentleman can be preserved, and he won't have to kill anyone. This is the best outcome.

"If Chang'an Jun is unwilling, and they know that Chang'an Jun is a hypocrite, the Mohists will assassinate Chang'an Jun next."

From the moment he saw the people in the room, Deng Lingxue gave up on killing today.

Doing something even though you know it is impossible is courage.

It is foolish to kill the person in front of you knowing that you cannot kill him.

Ying Chengjiao narrowed his eyes, raised the corners of his mouth, and murderous intent rose in his heart.

He admitted that Deng Lingxue, the leader of Chu Mo, was a good man, but if a good man wanted to kill him, should he just expose his neck and wait to die?

Kill him first!
Kong Bin was in a bad mood. Were Mo and Confucian really born opponents? The person he was optimistic about and willing to help with all his strength, the Chu Mo master was determined to kill him.

The Mohists have good hearts, but a good heart does not necessarily mean they do the right things.

Righteousness is good.

But what can regulate this world and allow it to develop in peace is etiquette!
"Deng Lingxue." Kong Bin called him by his name instead of "Zi", making his attitude clear: "Bin doesn't know why you insist on Chang'an Jun's death."

Deng Lingxue's tone was still gentle, but his words were not gentle:

"Is he unaware, or is he pretending not to know?

"The brass tube dance that became popular in Zhao State corrupts people's minds and seduces people with its sounds and colors. It forces women to stop farming and sell their bodies.

"When the nobles of various countries praised Chang'an Jun, many women threw away their clothes. Is this kind of trend something that should be encouraged?
“As this boy travels along, his reputation as a gentleman grows, but at what cost?

"It was the lives of Pingyuan Lord Zhao Sheng and Yan's fake prime minister Jiang Qu, the reputations of Xinling Lord Wei Wuji and Chunshen Lord Huang Xie, the five great cities of Yan, and tens of thousands of soldiers lost by Zhao and Yan.

"To do evil in the name of a gentleman is more harmful than being a wicked person who does evil. It is beyond reason."

Confucianism and Mohism fought for hundreds of years.

Kong Bin knew that it was difficult to change the opposition between the two major schools of thought. He could not reach a conclusion after discussing Taoism with Deng Lingxue today, so he simply gave up and said in a deep voice:
"Bin will not discuss the Dao with you today, nor will he discuss the right and wrong of Lord Chang'an.

"Bin followed your words and said, it's not that Bin agrees with your point of view, but Bin just wants to end this farce as soon as possible.

“There are so many evil people in the world, and no matter how evil a seven-year-old child is, he cannot be the worst person.

“Since you want to eliminate evil, why don’t you start with the worst? Why must a seven-year-old child die?

"The King of Wei does not distinguish right from wrong, does not understand reason, drives away wise men and appoints treacherous and corrupt officials.

"You are in Wei, why don't you go to Daliang, attend the court, and ask the King of Wei to die in front of all the civil and military officials of Wei?"

Deng Lingxue didn't even think twice, obviously he had thought it through carefully beforehand:
“This boy is not the worst person at the moment, but if he can live to adulthood, he will be the worst person.

"If left alone, the nobles who control the media will declare him a saint.

“The King of Chu has such a thin waist that many people in the palace starve to death.

"If even the monarch of a country is like this, what about the 'sage' whose every word and action can influence the world?

"As for the King of Wei..."

Deng Lingxue paused for a moment and said slowly:
"Kong Binzi can't say that the King of Wei is a bad person just because he doesn't practice Confucianism.

"What I am going to say next is from the perspective of the people of Wei.

"In terms of learning, the King of Wei attacked the State of Yan, rescued the State of Zhao, took back the territory of Hedong from the hands of Qin, and also captured the territories of Tao and Wei.

"We used our troops against Qi and occupied Pinglu.

"Attack Han, take over Guandi, and fight all the way to the bank of the Qi River.

"In the battle of Yanyang, the Chu army was exhausted and retreated. In the battles of Shangcai and Zhaoling, the Chu army was defeated again.

"At this time, the Wei army was spread all over the country, and its power was felt by all the states in the Central Plains. It could be said that it was the leader of the revival of the country."

Kong Bin looked embarrassed.

It's not that he has nothing to say, but he knows that what he says cannot shake Deng Ling's determination to kill Chang'an Jun, so there is no point in saying it.

His goal was to make Chu Mo give up chasing after Young Master Cheng Jiao, rather than to fight with Master Chu Mo for victory.

Lu Buwei cared more about Prince Chengjiao than Kong Bin did.

Seeing Kong Bin was speechless for a moment, Lü Buwei, who had been watching the development of the situation, did not remain silent and spoke:
"Greetings, sir. I am Lu Buwei. I wonder if you have heard of me?"

Deng Lingxue looked surprised, and while looking at Lü Buwei seriously, he said:
“Learn to know naturally.

“The four words ‘Rare goods can be enjoyed’ were very popular in Qi at that time. Everyone with ears in Qi had heard of it.

"The next time I heard of you, it was when you led the Qin army to destroy the Eastern Zhou Kingdom.

“If I had known earlier that you were going to attack the Eastern Zhou Kingdom, I would have led the Mohists into Qin to dissuade you.

"If persuasion fails, you should go to the Eastern Zhou Kingdom to defend it.

"I heard recently that it was you who forced the only wise general of Yan to death. Your intention was to make the King of Yan without any wise men to serve, thus weakening Yan."

"What you said is absolutely right, sir. Since Buwei has done only evil things, do you want to kill Buwei?" In order to make Deng Lingxue give up killing Prince Chengjiao, Lu Buwei was willing to risk his life.

Deng Lingxue shook his head:

“Nations compete with each other, strengthening themselves and weakening others.

“Although what we do to other countries is often unjust, it is for the benefit of our country and the people can benefit from it.

"The reason why he was sent to Yan was that he was a wise man, because his words and deeds were all for Yan.

"To me, he is a wise man because he has not been a fake prime minister for long enough, and has only done things that benefit Yan, but not things that weaken him.

"If you let Jiang Qu continue to be the fake prime minister, he will do the same thing as you did. You and Jiang Qu are essentially the same.

“So what you did cannot be called evil, you just acted according to your own country.

"As long as you are alive, the world will not get worse.

"If you die, the world won't be any better.

"So I won't kill you."

When Lu Buwei heard this positive evaluation, he was not happy.

He would rather Deng Lingxue said that he deserved to be killed, that he deserved to be killed more than Gongzi Chengjiao, and that he should be killed first and then Gongzi Chengjiao.

Chu Mo is a threat in Chu and its surrounding areas and is deeply loved by the people. Why not try it in Qin?
If one or two of them survive, Lu Buwei will hold the Chief Justice accountable!
Ying Chengjiao pursed his lips. He had heard too many such words full of benevolence, righteousness and morality in his previous life. He took over the conversation:

"You want me to die for the sake of the people of the world, right?"

Deng Lingxue nodded. Wasn’t his statement clear enough?
Ying Chengjiao nodded, waiting for you to say this:

"That kid has a question, and I'd like to ask the master to solve it.

"A heavy carriage is moving on the tracks, and you are the driver of this carriage.

"You were driving a car when you suddenly found five babies tied to the tracks ahead.

"Just then there was a thunder, startling the horses pulling the cart, and they ran away in panic.

“You tried to stop the carriage, but you couldn’t.

"To save these five babies, you have only one way, and that is to kill your horse.

"Will the giant kill the horse?"

Ying Chengjiao stopped talking for a moment and watched Deng Lingxue quietly.

Deng Lingxue said without hesitation:
“Of course I will kill a horse, how can a horse be compared to a human being?
"It is my fortune to save others with my wealth, and I am filled with joy."

Ying Chengjiao nodded and said softly:
“I believe it.

"Sorry, I didn't finish my sentence just now.

“Because the car is going too fast, you kill the horse, and when it dies, it will turn over and overturn the car.

“There were two babies in the car, and when the car flipped over, the two babies died.

"I'll ask again, boy, will the giant still kill horses?"

(End of this chapter)