The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 183: The debater, the study of form and name, the distinction between reality and illusion

The song ends and people disperse.

When all is said and done, we say goodbye.

When thousands of students from Jixia Academy stood up and were about to leave.

When Gongsun Long's disciples had tears in their eyes.

When the scholars were sad about Gongsun Long's impending death.

Ying Chengjiao treated Gongsun Long as a disciple and spoke again, starting a big drama.

The students at Jixia Academy were discussing the matter.

"The theory that a white horse is not a horse? Hasn't that been discussed before?"

"Are you trying to avenge Kong Chuanzi? Lord Chang'an doesn't think he can beat Gongsun Longzi on the argument that a white horse is not a horse, does he?"

"Don't underestimate Master Chengjiao's knowledge. Two months ago, I listened to a class taught by Mr. Xiangfu. That class was called Theory of Morality and Stone. Mr. Xiangfu said that this theory was said by Master Chengjiao during his debate with students from Dengling."

"The theory of morality and stone? Why can morality and stone be discussed together?"

The philosophers had different expressions.

Kong Chuan's face showed anticipation, and he murmured to himself:
"Your theory of morality and stone contains more lies than your theory that a white horse is not a horse... He is also a debater.

“The reason why the debater’s words are irrefutable is that they are a mixture of truth and falsehood, making it difficult to distinguish them.

"I hope this debate will help me understand Gongsun Longzi's knowledge."

Zou Yan looked up at the sky and saw the sun was setting.

Shen Zhi, a scholar from Jixia, was sitting on a straw mat to the right of Zou Yan. He noticed Zou Yan's movements and asked softly:
"How long can Zibing hold on?"

Zou Yan was silent for a moment and shook his head:

"I don't know."

Shen Zhi frowned slightly:

"Zibing has received your Yin-Yang technique, don't you know?"

Zou Yan pointed to the sky:

"It's time for Yin Yang Jutsu."

I am so moved:

"Zibing is still alive now, relying on a breath of air!"

Zou Yan nodded:

“The five elements are out of balance, and yin and yang are separated.

"Zibing has not collapsed yet, all thanks to the breath in his heart.

"He used this breath to gather the Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, and did something that defied the will of Heaven."

Lu Zhonglian, a scholar from Jixia Academy, was sitting on a straw mat to the left of Zou Yan. Hearing this, he said in a deep voice:

"This is Zi Bing's character, he never admits defeat.

"When the master he had served for most of his life despised him, he immediately left.

"Pingyuan Jun didn't try to stop him, so he really left.

“He has not bowed his head to man, nor will he bow his head to heaven.”

Peng Gu, a scholar from Jixia Academy who was standing behind Zou Yan, breathed a sigh of relief:

"Please stop talking, if you continue, I won't be able to hear what Master Chengjiao and Zibing are saying."

On the high platform.

Gongsun Long, who was originally on the verge of death, seemed to have lived a new life.

The wrinkled and lifeless old face showed an attitude of looking down on the world, and the gleam in his eyes dispelled his fatigue.

"You have just heard the debate between Kong Chuan and me, and you dare to ask me for advice on the theory that a white horse is not a horse?" The old man laughed and said, "I really don't know whether to say that you are reckless or ignorant."

"Discussion!" The old man said, "You think a white horse is a horse, but that's just in your mind! In front of me, no one can refute that a white horse is not a horse!"

Ying Chengjiao said in a deep voice:

“White is color.

“Horse is the shape.

“The white horse is a combination of color and shape.

“So, a white horse is not white, but it is also not a horse.”

Gongsun Long: “…”

The old man closed his ears, unsure whether his ears still worked as he was dying, and whether God had taken his hearing before his life.

The students from Jixia Academy below the stage blinked, not understanding what was going on.

They listened... what Master Chengjiao said seemed to be similar to what Gongsun Longzi said before?

The scholars became interested and were full of curiosity.

There are many people who argue with Gongsun Longzi that a white horse is not a horse, but they all stand on the position that a white horse is a horse.

Ying Chengjiao was the first person to debate with Gongsun Long from the standpoint that a white horse is not a horse.

Kong Chuan's mood fluctuated slightly, knowing that he might be able to solve his confusion today.

Why was Gongsun Longzi able to remain undefeated in his incorrect statement that a white horse is not a horse?

Since no one can say that Gongsun Longzi is wrong.

Is it possible that the theory that a white horse is not a horse is correct?
“Didn’t you just say that a white horse is not a horse?” Gongsun Long asked tentatively.

"Indeed." Ying Chengjiao still used the previous answer.

Gongsun Long understood the previous “yes” very smoothly.

Gongsun Long felt uncomfortable hearing this "yes".

"You bastard." Gongsun Long frowned. "You saw that I was about to die, so you wanted to use me to gain fame? Are you pretending to agree with my teachings, repaying evil with kindness, and continuing to establish your image as a hypocrite?"

Ying Chengjiao waited solemnly:
"My previous comments were that Gongsun Longzi and I have a grudge against each other.

“I hope Gongsun Longzi will give up his selfishness and uphold justice in this speech.

"People have gratitude and hatred, but theories do not."

Gongsun Long sneered, his expression full of disbelief.

He still thought that the boy in front of him was just trying to gain fame.

For nearly a year, these guys have been doing this kind of thing, and Lin Xiangru was used before he died.

"I have lived for so long, but this is the first time I have heard someone say that a white horse is not a horse." Gongsun Long's eyes showed a look of seeing through everything: "You agree with the theory that a white horse is not a horse, and I also agree that a white horse is not a horse. In this case, you don't need to talk to me anymore, you should talk to them!"

The old man suddenly swung his arm and pointed at the people under the platform:
"Explain to them why a white horse is not a horse! Let them agree with you that a white horse is not a horse!"

The old man was deliberately making things difficult for him, which was something he had never done.

Debater.

It is easy to win over others with words.

It is difficult to win people's hearts.

The young man showed no fear and said loudly:

"It is my wish, but I dare not ask for it!
“Why is a horse a horse and not a cow, sheep or pig?

“It’s in its shape.

"We judged based on its shape that it was a horse.

“Everything in the world that has the shape of a horse is called a horse.

“We call a horse a wooden horse when we carve it out of wood.

"We call a horse made of grass a straw horse.

“We named the thing that has the shape of a horse a horse, and that is how the name horse came about.

"First there is form, then there is name."

Many people in the audience nodded involuntarily.

They fully understood and agreed with what Master Chengjiao said.

Now they are curious about what Master Chengjiao will say next.

With the current way of argumentation, it feels like the next step should be to argue that the white horse is a horse, because the white horse also has the shape of a horse.

On the stage, Master Chengjiao waited for a moment, giving everyone time to digest the conversation, and then changed the subject:
“The shape of a horse is real; it can be seen and touched; it really exists.

“The name of the horse is illusory, invisible and intangible, and is given by man.

“If the first person who saw the horse-shaped object called it a donkey, then all the things that have horse-shaped objects should be called donkeys.

“From this we can see that form is real, and name is false.”

Gongsun Long's expression changed subtly.

[Even if it's just for fame, this guy's words are not wrong. He seems to really understand...]
The boy's voice is still ringing:

“Why is white white, and not black, red, or blue.

“Because of its color.

“We named it white based on its color.

“Wherever the color white appears, whether it is clouds and snow in the sky, or horses and sheep on the ground, their bodies are all white.

“First there was the color white, then there was the name white.

“Named after its color, this is how the name white came about.

"Color is real, name is false."

Gongsun Long on the stage and everyone below the stage became serious almost at the same time, and their breathing slowed down a little.

Everyone knows that the highlight, the most important argument for the theory that a white horse is not a horse, is about to come.

Finished talking about horses.

Now that we have talked about Bai, the next thing is Bai Ma!

Ying Chengjiao didn't keep anyone in suspense. He just took a breath and continued:

“The white horse combines the color white and the shape of a horse.

“We name those with white color and horse shape the White Horse.

"The color and shape of a white horse are real, but its name is false.

“If we only talk about the shape without mentioning the color, we can know that the horse shape should be the name of the horse.

“If we only talk about color without mentioning shape, we can know that white should be the name of white.

“So, a white horse is white and it is also a horse.

“But if we look at form and color together, we should observe them both.

“There are horse shapes and white ones.

“The name of the horse and the name of the white horse are both half of the same.

“So, a white horse is a white horse, it is neither white nor a horse.”

There was a moment of silence in the field.

Gongsun Long had a complicated expression.

The boy in front of me is a real boy, but he also really understands the theory that a white horse is not a horse. This has been made very clear.

but……

The old man grinned and said mockingly:
"Finished?"

The boy nodded:
"That's all, kid."

"Good, very detailed. Your theory that a white horse is not a horse is as good as mine." The old man praised.

The young man raised his hands and was about to bow to express his gratitude.

The old man said again:

"But what's the use of knowing this? I, Gongsun Long, already know that a white horse is not a horse. I have been saying this for most of my life."

Pointing at the audience.

"You should ask them if they understand."

The old man turned his head, looked at the dark mass of heads below him, and shouted loudly:

"Students from Jixia!
"Mr. Jixia!
"Do you understand the saying that a white horse is not a horse?!"

The old man's voice echoed in the square filled with people, but no one responded at first.

But soon, a few chuckles were heard.

In the inner circle of the square, the scholars of Jixia Academy sitting around a high platform expressed their opinions.

“Interesting discussion.”

"It seems that if Master Chengjiao had not fallen into Zibing's trap before, he would not have been defeated so easily."

"He's only eight years old, so scary."

"The only one who can be the debater for the next hundred years is none other than Master Chengjiao."

"The art of sophistry can be compared to Zi Bing's."

The teachers at Jixia University spoke first, and then the students at Jixia University spoke.

There were not many scholars in Jixia Academy, but Ying Chengjiao could still hear most of their opinions.

When the students of Jixia Academy opened their mouths, they could only hear a "buzzing" sound, like a swarm of locusts passing by.

Ying Chengjiao could only vaguely hear words such as "sophistry" and "debater".

Gongsun Long laughed at himself:
“Zhuang Zhou said: I can win people’s hearts but I cannot win their words.

"After I die, this sentence will hang over your head.

"No matter how much you say or how many wins you win, they will only make one sophistry."

The audience was too noisy and loud.

Gongsun Long was sitting on a high platform, and his voice was actually drowned out and did not spread throughout the square.

Ying Chengjiao could hear Gongsun Long's words very clearly.

But he didn't know if there was anyone in the audience who could hear Gongsun Long's words, and if so, how many people could hear him?

never mind.

At this moment, the only thing in his eyes was the dying Gongsun Longzi.

He read the book "Gongsun Longzi" thoroughly, but could not find out how to defeat Gongsun Long.

Except for Gongsun Long's eloquence, which is unparalleled in the world.

It is also because those seemingly absurd and bizarre statements are actually correct in certain concepts.

Right, why refute it?

Ying Chengjiao said in a deep voice:

“The reason why a debater is good at debate is not because of sophistry, but because what he says is correct.

"The study of debaters is the study of form and name.

“The debate of the debaters is about the truth and falsehood.

“A white horse is actually a horse because its shape is that of a horse.

“But if we talk about emptiness, it is not a horse, because it is called a white horse.

“Horse is the name of the horse shape, white horse is the white color among horses, and each of the white horses makes up the white horse.

“Each white horse is an independent individual, and there are no two white horses in the world that are exactly the same.

“There are differences among white horses of the same shape and color, let alone the differences between white horses and horses.
“Among the hundreds of disciplines, most studies focus on governing a country rather than on studying academic subjects.

"Only those who debate can study and govern better than they can govern a country.

"The debater explores the origin of heaven and earth, the essence of things, and takes a broad view of the world, seeking the truth.

“In today’s troubled times, nations are at war.

"Scholars with higher moral character want to govern the country and make it prosperous, while those with lower moral character want to be promoted to higher positions.

"All the knowledge I have acquired is to be sold to the princes.

"The knowledge of debaters has little to do with governing a country.

“The princes are not happy, they don’t buy, and there is no market.

"It is only natural that scholars do not like to study."

The study of form and name.

It is the foundation of logic and philosophy.

This knowledge is not about governing a country.

It is about recognizing the world and recognizing yourself.

Gongsun Long raised his eyes, and the mocking smile on his face finally disappeared, but his words were still harsh:

"These few words are quite interesting. It seems that I was not born in vain in the royal family of Qin.

"I heard that your teacher is Lu Buwei.

“Sure enough, the disciples of merchants always mix selling and buying in their conversations.

"Most of the people in Jixia Academy are noble and do not like the cheap techniques of merchants."

The boy guessed that Gongsun Long was reminding him.

To gain a foothold in the Jixia Academy, one must get rid of the business talk that is influenced by teachers and spoken from time to time.

He concentrated, looked into Gongsun Long's eyes, and said seriously:
“My master’s technique is not a cheap technique, it is the path I came from.

"I came to the Jixia Academy not to please them, but to make them follow me."

Gongsun Long was stunned, then he leaned over the table and laughed so hard that tears came out.

He hammered the table, his hands turning bloodless:
"You can't pretend anymore? Hahaha!
"You keep calling me a brat and speaking in humble words, but deep down you are as arrogant as King Zhaoxiang of Qin!

"Do you know that except for Xunzi, who was the third chief priest of Jixia Academy, most of the others hated Qin?

"You, a prince of Qin, want to win over the Jixia Academy.

“When I first heard Zou Yan say that, I suspected he was lying to me.

“Until he said it was God’s will, swear by God, I didn’t believe it.

"What you want to achieve is more difficult than making the science of form and name a famous discipline in the world!

"The Jixia Academy was the academy of Qi State, half public and half private.

"What Qin wants is difficult for even a true gentleman to do, let alone a hypocrite like you."

Ying Chengjiao remained unmoved.

When Gongsun Long had laughed enough, he opened his mouth and said:

"Do you know why, though famous all over the world and unrivalled in debate, no one recognizes me?
“In governing, the princes and states do not care.

"For learning, the scholars of the world will not follow me."

Gongsun Long lay on the table and snorted coldly:
"You want to curse back, bastard? If you want to curse, do it now!
"I heard that the Qin people never talk too much, but why are you different?

“The old man doesn’t have much time left.

“If you don’t curse me now, and you regret it later, it will be useless even if you run to my grave and curse me loudly.

"There is only my body in the grave, but not my spirit!
"The study of form and name, the distinction between reality and illusion.

“Gods and ghosts have no form but names, they are all false!
"When a person dies, everything is meaningless. I, Gongsun Long, do not believe in heaven!"

…………

[Note: The study of xingming is written in history books as the study of xingming. In ancient times, xing was the same as xing. For the sake of ease of reading, I just used the word “xing”.]

(End of this chapter)