The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 184: Rectification! It's not me who died, it's the world that died
Gongsun Long's words were powerful and his spirit was vigorous. He did not look like a dying man at all.

The reason why the study of form and name cannot be spread far and wide has just been explained by the boy in front of me.

Let's talk about this issue now. What else can we do except scold him and vent our anger?
Ying Chengjiao was a little surprised.

He had seen Lin Xiangru who was about to die.

The patient is barely able to breathe and is seriously ill.

Even when one is in the last stage of recovery, his spirit is only slightly stronger than before, and is far from comparable to that of ordinary people.

But the Gongsun Long in front of him was different.

Ying Chengjiao, who was studying medicine, could see that Gongsun Long's spirit was far beyond that of ordinary people.

His body has decayed.

Its spirit is immortal.

The young man calmed down and said:

"Because you are abusing the science of names and shapes, and you are using the principles you discovered to deceive people.

“I heard that when Zhao State was hit by a horse plague, Qin State issued an order that all horses from Zhao State could not enter the country.

"You came to Hangu Pass leading a white horse, and convinced the guards by saying that a white horse is not a horse, and they let you enter Qin.

“You and I both know that a white horse is not a horse means that a white horse is not completely the same as a horse, but falls into the void.

"The Zhao horses that Qin banned were actually horses in shape.

"You played tricks with words and deceived the soldiers. This is an immoral act.

“It is incorrect to use virtual differences to infer real differences.

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

"You are committing fraud in the name of truth.

“How can we gain the approval of the princes and the scholars?

"The doctrine is not guilty, the person is guilty."

Gongsun Long clapped his hands and praised:

"color!

“Good scolding!

"The young man's words did not disappoint me.

“Then I have something to ask you.

"Zhang Yi of your country has mastered the art of shrinking the earth into an inch, and he has reduced six hundred miles to six miles.

"Why was he appointed as prime minister by the King of Qin?

"Is it because he is more moral than I am?"

The young man replied:

"What Zhang Yi did was not glorious either.

"He is as immoral as you.

“But I don’t know why you want to compete with Zhang Yi.

"If you do something wrong, you do something wrong. Can you prove that you did the right thing by finding someone who did something worse?"

Gongsun Long waved his hand fiercely, looking impatient:
“Don’t talk about other things.

“You say I am not good at governing the country or studying, because I don’t have moral principles.

"I tell you that Zhang Yi is not a man of integrity, but this does not affect his governance.

"So whether or not one talks about morality has nothing to do with governing a country, right?"

Ying Chengjiao was silent for a while, then said in a muffled voice:

"I can't find any reason to refute you, but I don't agree with your reasoning."

Gongsun Long chuckled, and a sneer reappeared on his old face:
"Let me teach you how to argue.

“You should use Yang Zhu as an example.

"Back then, the opinions of the world were either attributed to Yang or to Mo.

“Yang Zhu advocated self-esteem and claimed that one should preserve one’s nature and follow one’s natural instincts.

"If plucking a single hair of his would benefit the world, he would not pluck it.

“If all the things in the world were used to support him alone, he would not take them.

“The Yang Zhu school believed that if everyone did not harm even a hair of their own, and did not do anything that would benefit the world, then the world would be peaceful.

“This kind of theory is more heretical than my own, and is not welcomed by the princes or recognized by the scholars.

“But at that time, half of the world was occupied by Yang Zhu’s school.

"Why is there such a big difference between the theory of form and name and the school of Yang Zhu? Because I am not as good as Yang Zhu.

"This is what it means that the doctrine is innocent, but the person is guilty."

The young man asked back:
"You've said so much, but you still haven't explained why you can still govern a country without morality."

The old man sneered:

“Stupid, because morality has nothing to do with governing a country, how can you refute this?

“There are three common ways to achieve victory when you can’t argue with the argument.

“First, disturb the other party’s mind.

“I have already said that.

“Second, throw out words that the other party cannot refute.

"For example, Qin Prime Minister Zhang Yi was indeed immoral.

“Third, induce the other party to say something contradictory.

"How can a person who talks about contradictory things continue to debate?"

Ying Chengjiao said in a deep voice:

“Gongsun Longzi, you want to win too much, which is another reason why debaters cannot flourish.

"Debate is about pursuing truth, not winning. You can't debate just for the sake of debate."

Gongsun Long narrowed his eyes and looked contemptuous:
"You boy, it's not your turn to say these things. Zhuang Zhou had already said them when he was alive.

“I answered him with twenty-one arguments, which made him realize that there is no victory in debate.

"Oh, what do you mean there is no winner in an argument?
"It's just that he, Zhuang Zhou, lost and refused to admit it."

The young man raised his eyebrows slightly and said firmly:

"That's because you are immoral!

"Your character makes your teachings lose their authenticity.

“There is no such thing as victory in debate.

“Your words can convince Zhuangzi, but they cannot make Zhuangzi agree with you from the bottom of his heart.

"If it were me, I could do it!
“When I say a white horse is not a horse, it just means something different in name, that is, a white horse is not the same as a horse, not that a white horse is not a horse in reality.

“Qin banned horses, so I would not lead a white horse to Hangu Pass and tell the guards that it was horses that were banned in Qin, and what does that have to do with the white horse I am leading.

“I cannot argue with you, but I am not convinced by you.

"It's because you keep switching between the real and the fake, and your words are mixed with truth and falsehood.

"In your eyes, a horse is both a real animal and a virtual noun.

“But in the eyes of the philosophers, horses are just animals.

"You have never explained the meaning of the word 'false' to the disciples, and you have used 'false' to replace the real at Hangu Pass, deceiving the world and confusing the world.

“How can you convince people?”

Gongsun Long glanced at the people below the stage out of the corner of his eye.

I don’t know when it started, but no sound was heard from the audience, and the entire square was filled with the voices of young and old people.

The old man's mouth twitched, and he lowered his head and looked at Ying Chengjiao:
"Eight years old... this boy can be called a debater. He actually knows the fourth method.

"Zhuangzi is dead, there is no evidence, so of course what you say is true.

“You dug up his grave and told his bones that a white horse is not a horse.

"Can his bones rattle and clatter to refute that the white horse is a horse?

"If your remarks had stopped at Zhuang Zhou, I would have nothing to say, but you brought in other philosophers.

"Among all the philosophers, although Zhuangzi died, there are still many who survived.

"Didn't you just try to convince them? Were you successful?

"No.

"They say you are a sophist, they say you are sophistry."

The young man was not affected and said firmly:
“Right is right, wrong is wrong.

"A white horse is not a horse. This is correct in name but wrong in form.

"Sooner or later, I will make the various schools of thought agree with my point of view."

Gongsun Long laughed loudly, his laughter full of ridicule and disdain. "Sooner or later? Agree?" He raised the two ending syllables of the word.

He leaned on the table and shouted loudly:
“They only agree with their own reasoning.

“For example, a white horse is a horse, and a chicken has two legs.

"They won't accept a theory that goes against what they know, and they won't think about why a white horse is not a horse.

"As long as you teach the science of form and name in the Jixia Academy, you will not be recognized!"

Ying Chengjiao frowned and was about to speak again.

Suddenly, a voice came from far away:
"I agree with what you said, sir! A white horse is not a horse only in name, not in shape!"

Before Kong Chuan finished speaking, another voice rang out:
"Kong Bin also admits it! I only admit that Gongzi Chengjiao's white horse is not a horse! I don't admit that Gongsun Longzi's white horse is not a horse!"

Kong Bin's voice was halfway through, and another voice became louder along with it:
"Commoner Deng Lingxue agrees with Master Chengjiao's theory that a white horse is not a horse!"

Qi Mo's master Xiang Fuxi glanced at Deng Lingxue unhappily, curled his lips, and whispered to himself:

“Poor publicity.

“But…what this kid said is right.

"Shape and name, I see... I was led astray by Zi Bing before.

“Oh, no wonder I couldn’t argue with him.

“He mastered the distinction between reality and fiction, and I thought I did, too.

"In fact, before today, I only mastered practical debate.

"A white horse is not a horse... I agree with that too."

Xiang Fuxi, a great scholar of Qi and Mo, who was known for his eloquence, raised his head and shouted to the sky:
"Jixia Xiangfu Xi agrees with the theory that a white horse is not a horse!"

The Jixia scholars looked at each other and nodded slightly.

Before, when Gongzi Chengjiao explained the theory that a white horse is not a horse separately, they thought it was the same sophistry as Gongsun Long's.

Afterwards, Prince Chengjiao and Gongsun Long discussed the study of form and name. The more they talked, the clearer their arguments became.

This is not sophistry, it is truth.

The truth is right.

"Jixia Chunyu Yue! I agree with Master Chengjiao's theory that a white horse is not a horse!"

"Shen Zhi also admits it."

"Zi Bing, if you had explained it so clearly decades ago, I wouldn't have to accept it now."

"Bah! Who is like you, a debater, who only debates for the sake of debate? I also seek truth, not win or lose!"

"When a bird is about to die, its words are sad. When a person is about to die, his words are kind. Zibing, oh Zibing, I know you are acting, but the truth will not be wrong just because you are acting. I agree with the theory that a white horse is not a horse..."

The voices of the Jixia scholars rose one after another.

There is exaltation, there is pity, there is joy...

The students at Jixia Academy seemed to understand it but the teachers all agreed.

They shouted out their names in a clamorous manner, and added the seven big words "I agree with the theory that a white horse is not a horse" after their names.

For a moment, the whole square was boiling and the entire Jixia Academy was shaking.

The soldier guarding the Ji Gate in the palace was dozing off when he was suddenly awakened by a roar of thunder and lightning.

The soldier opened his eyes calmly, looked at the Jixia Academy nearby with dissatisfaction, and muttered:
"What's wrong with these students?"

He turned sideways, with his back to the Jixia Academy, and leaned against the city gate corridor, smacking his lips, listening to the noisy sounds and continuing to fall asleep.

His movements were extremely skillful, obviously he had done them countless times.

About a moment later, a slap hit the soldier hard in the face.

The soldiers fell to the ground, and the spears in their arms rolled far away.

"That's his mother's! If you like to sleep, go back and sleep with your mother!" Tian Dan cursed.

He strode forward and kicked the soldier hard.

Seeing the soldiers struggling to get up, holding their spears steadily and standing straight, he hurriedly walked into the Ji Gate and entered the Palace of King Qi.

As he walked, he looked at the soldiers in the corridor, many of whom had sleepy eyes.

It was obvious that he was woken up by others because he heard the noise of beating and scolding.

Tian Dan looked gloomy as he walked through the entire corridor.

He was shocked by the charisma and knowledge of the prince of Qin.

The performance of the Qi soldiers made him feel somewhat desperate.

But these are not the most important things. The most important thing is that the Queen Mother of Qi, the Queen Mother, is seriously ill and dying!
After walking out of the corridor, Tian Dan immediately got on the carriage drawn by four horses.

inside the carriage.

He covered his entire face with his hands, and a mournful cry came out from between his fingers:
"Prince Chengjiao of Qin was able to study at the age of eight. With such achievements, he is still not qualified to be the crown prince of Qin. How powerful can Qin be?
"It has been a long time since we last experienced war. Even the soldiers in Linzi have become so lazy. How can Qi still fight?
“In such a situation, the Queen Mother still has something going on.

"If the Queen Mother really...with your ability, how can you manage my country well?"

on the square.

Zou Yan, the chief academic officer of the Jixia Academy, looked around at the scene which was like boiling water, stroked his beard, smiled, and nodded slowly.

He looked up at the sky.

It is clear blue and unobstructed, just like the East China Sea at its calmest.

Zou Yan looked at the small figure on the platform:
“The first seeds have sprouted.

“God’s will, plant the second seed.

“So many people are helping this gentleman.

“Even if this boy is not a gentleman, he has to pretend to be one in the Jixia Academy.

"hypocrite.

"After being fake for a long time, you will become a true gentleman.

"When the false is made true, the true becomes false; when the true is made false, the false becomes true.

"Who says that yin and yang cannot blend and change?"

This time the shouting was much louder than the previous noise, so loud that normal conversations on the podium could not be heard at all below.

Ying Chengjiao lowered his head and said sincerely:

"Thank you."

He didn't know why Gongsun Long wanted to help him, maybe for the study of form and name?

It does not matter.

What’s important is that with the help of Gongsun Long, he made a name for himself with his study of xingming as soon as he arrived at the Jixia Academy.

There was another happy event that should not be celebrated, which was that Gongsun Long was actually going to die.

Gongsun Long, a master of the science of xingming, died, and the vacancy left was filled by him, and he was the first to accept students who wanted to study the science of xingming.

He originally thought that he would start as a student when he came to the Jixia Academy.

But at the moment, it seems, probably, perhaps, it can be done, sir?

This was a starting point he had never imagined.

This starting point deserves his thanks.

"Hypocrites!" Gongsun Long leaned on the table and said, "You are all just trying to piss me off!"

He looked at the boy in front of him, and the boy's figure became increasingly blurred.

He wasn't crying, it was his eyesight that was fading.

He opened his mouth and found that he could still speak, so he said:

“Real and fake, what you said seems very clear, but I don’t think so.

“The table beneath me is made of white stone.

“I lay on it and could feel its hardness.

“I can’t see it, so I don’t know what color it is. This is called Li Jian Bai.

"Mo's theory of fullness, hardness and whiteness says that the hardness and whiteness of white stone are inseparable.

"Oh, is this what Li Jianbai meant? They are still discussing politics.

"Li Jianbai means that this world is false, and what I feel through my senses is real.

“My eyes cannot see, so the shape and color are all false.

“The world itself is empty, and it is language that brings it to life.

“You came from Xianyang and told me about Xianyang’s scenery, so Xianyang went from being imaginary to being real in my heart.

“In the study of form and name, we must use the correct ones to verify the incorrect ones.

“Use the incorrect things to doubt and test whether the correct things are correct.

"Do you understand what I said?
"It's not me who died, it's the world that died..."

(End of this chapter)