People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 228, Xunzi: Come and debate with me (Seeking monthly votes!)

Upon hearing the noise, Zi Nu, Han Fei, and the others who were waiting outside the courtyard quickly walked into the courtyard.

The four of them stopped at the gate and stared in astonishment at the scene inside the courtyard.

The once neat and elegant courtyard was now covered in dust, and the beautiful flowers and plants were cut down by the sword energy. Two or three goldfish that should have been in the pond had fallen onto the grass for some reason and were wagging their tails in the puddles. In particular, the pavilion in the middle had a large hole in it.

Xu Qing, holding the hilt of his sword, stood calmly in the dust, his cold gaze sweeping over the four of them.

"Oh no!! My flowers, my yard, my gazebo, my goldfish!" Han Fei howled and rushed into the yard, looking at the mess, his face filled with despair.

Wei Zhuang, Zi Nu, and Zhang Liang ignored Han Fei's wailing and instead looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing glanced at the four people, then turned and walked towards the pond. He picked up the goldfish that had been knocked away by the sword energy and put it back into the pond.

Wei Zhuang kept a close eye on Xu Qing's every move, one hand on the Shark Tooth, his eyes filled with fighting spirit as he looked at Xu Qing.

The sword marks in the courtyard had already told him that Xu Qing was a formidable opponent.

Upon seeing the invisible sword in Xu Qing's hand, his eyes gleamed with a sharp light. Han Fei had told him that Han Guang was in the hands of Wuming, so Xu Qing's sword must be Cheng Ying, one of the three swords of Kong Zhou.

Xu Qing looked at the goldfish swimming in the pond again, and her expression returned to its previous calm. She then looked at Han Fei with a hint of apology in her eyes.

"Brother Han Fei, I'm truly sorry. I got carried away and didn't hold back just now," Xu Qing said, bowing slightly.

He knew that the sword technique Wuming had taught him was very powerful, but he didn't expect it to be this powerful. Since he had damaged Han Fei's courtyard, he naturally had to apologize.

Han Fei could only sigh helplessly as he looked at Xu Qing, who was sincerely apologizing. He wasn't a petty person, so he naturally didn't care about such a courtyard.

"It's alright, it's just a courtyard. We'll have the Imperial Household Department Chief send people to renovate it later. But where is my Uncle-Master? Where did he go?"

Han Fei looked around, but couldn't find Wuming.

After Han Fei reminded them, Zi Nu, Wei Zhuang, and Zhang Liang realized that Wuming had disappeared.

“My senior brother should have already left. He gave me the letter and is probably busy with his own affairs,” Xu Qing said.

Han Fei could only shrug helplessly upon hearing this. He knew Wuming's temperament; it was perfectly normal for him to leave without a word.

"How are you?" Zi Nu walked to Xu Qing's side and asked with concern.

Looking at Zi Nu, who seemed concerned for him, Xu Qing reached out and gently ruffled her purple hair, saying softly...
"I'm fine. My senior brother Wuming just taught me a sword technique, and I didn't control my strength when I used it."

Hearing this, Zi Nu felt relieved and gently tugged at Xu Qing's sleeve, signaling him to go look at Wei Zhuang.

"Is this sword Cheng Ying?" Wei Zhuang asked Xu Qing.

Xu Qing turned to look at Wei Zhuang, meeting his fierce gaze, and nodded slightly.

"Yes."

Wei Zhuang didn't speak, but his eyes said it all; he was challenging Xu Qing to a fight.

Xu Qing naturally understood the other party's intention to challenge him, but as a cautious man, he never fought a battle he wasn't sure of winning. His current level of internal energy was similar to Wei Zhuang's, but his swordsmanship was far inferior. At the very least, he would have to learn the first four swords of the Noble Void Eight Swords before he could fight Wei Zhuang.

"I don't have time right now, but once I've finished what I'm doing, I'll definitely fight alongside you," Xu Qing said.

"Alright, I'll be waiting for you." Wei Zhuang withdrew his gaze and took his hand off the hilt of the Shark Tooth sword.

"If you want to fight, go outside and fight. Don't do it in my mansion, or you two might tear this place down," Han Fei interjected jokingly.

"It's natural."

"Hahaha."

After exchanging a few words of laughter, everyone left. Xu Qing and Zi Nu rode in the carriage of Zi Lan Xuan and headed towards Zi Lan Xuan.

Inside the carriage, Xu Qing took out the letter from his bosom, and Zi Nu, who was beside him, asked curiously.

"Is this the letter that Master Xun wrote to you? What does it say?" Zi Nu asked curiously.

"I don't know, I haven't opened it yet."

As Xu Qing spoke, he unwrapped the cloth, opened it, and slowly read out the contents.

"To my young friend Xu Qing. I, Xun Qing, have learned from my disciple Han Fei that your views on the debate between Legalism and Confucianism, and your advocacy of the coexistence of rites and laws, are similar to mine. However, you are more moderate and impartial."

"Thank you for pointing out Han Fei's shortcomings. Finally, I hope to visit you someday and have the opportunity to share your knowledge and discuss with you the boundaries between law and morality, so as to achieve a balance between propriety and law." "Minister Xun, please leave your pen."

After reading the letter, Xu Qing was first stunned, then a look of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she read the letter several more times with uncertainty.

"Holy crap, is Master Xun coming to debate with me?" Xu Qing exclaimed.

"What do you mean by debate? Didn't Master Xun say he came to you for guidance?"

Zi Nu covered her mouth and chuckled, her narrow eyes curving slightly, full of laughter.

"What's the difference? Damn it, that damn Han Fei!"

Now it was Xu Qingsheng's turn to feel hopeless. He knew his own limitations. With the knowledge he had accumulated in his previous life, he could be said to know a hundred schools of thought, but he only knew a little bit of the basics.

Using seemingly profound and mysterious words to show off and fool Han Fei might work, but if he were to actually debate with Xunzi, he would be exposed for what he really was after only a couple of sentences.

Xunzi was no good old man; he had a terrible temper. Otherwise, he wouldn't have used a piece of writings that criticized all of the Confucian schools, including even those close to him.

If he can't give Xunzi a clear answer, the other party probably won't hit him because of his status, but he will definitely say that he is not worthy of the title. At that time, the reputation that Nian Duan has worked so hard to build for him will be in vain.

Seeing Xu Qing's appearance, Zi Nu's alluring lips trembled slightly as she asked...

"Don't you usually discuss the various schools of thought with your sisters in Zilan Pavilion every day, eliciting gasps of amazement from them? Han Fei also speaks highly of you. Why are you so afraid of Master Xun?"

Xu Qing looked at Zi Nu with a complicated expression. What could he say? That he was just a jack-of-all-trades, knowing a little about everything but not mastering anything?

However, Xu Qing quickly figured out how to answer Zi Nu's question, and coughed twice before saying...
"Actually, I can be considered a polymath. Although my teacher was a Taoist master, his philosophy leaned towards the polymath school, so I was influenced by him and also leaned towards the polymath school."

"A polymath!?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Zi Nu's beautiful eyes, then she suddenly realized and rolled her eyes at Xu Qing for no reason.

He only knows the basics, so he says he only knows the basics. Why call himself a polymath? This stinky man really knows how to flatter himself.

"I'm telling the truth. My teacher and my senior brother are indeed polymaths, so naturally I followed in their footsteps," Xu Qing said earnestly.

He wasn't lying. Although He Guanzi claimed to be a Taoist master and Pang Nuan claimed to be a military strategist, they were actually both eclectic.

He Guanzi was well-versed in the Taoist Heavenly School, the Human School, and the Yin-Yang School's Yin-Yang Theory. He also had some knowledge of the Confucian, Mohist, and Military Schools among the Hundred Schools of Thought. Although Pang Nuan was not as well-versed as He Guanzi, he was also proficient in the Military School, the School of Diplomacy, Taoism, and Confucianism.

And what about Xu Qing? As a student who went through nine years of compulsory education, he had a basic understanding of astronomy, geography, politics, agriculture, and so on. Not only Xu Qing, but any student who went through nine years of compulsory education in later generations could talk to you about various schools of thought.

However, if we were to say what the difference is between Xu Qing, this polymath, and He Guanzi Pang Nuan, it would be that Xu Qing only knew the basics, while the latter was truly proficient, the kind of proficiency that could be used to debate with others.

"Alright, alright, I believe you. No wonder you looked troubled; debating with a polymath like Xunzi is indeed difficult for you," Zi Nu said softly.

Although the Miscellaneous Scholars were a considerable school among the Hundred Schools of Thought, their reputation was not very good.

Because these kinds of people, to put it nicely, know a lot about everything, but in reality, they are jacks and master of none. They seem to know a lot, but they can't really do anything well.

What I have learned and used is the essence of the scholarship of other schools of thought.

Based on the Dao, it gathers various opinions, embracing all perspectives, and then implements its political intentions and academic propositions by collecting opinions from different schools of thought, while basically neglecting its own school of thought.

If we're talking about the most famous miscellaneous scholar, it would naturally be Lü Buwei, the prime minister of Qin. Another one is Shi Zi, who was recognized by both Daoists, Confucians, and Legalists. He is also the only miscellaneous scholar to be called a "Master".

"Sigh, we can only take it one step at a time," Xu Qing sighed helplessly.

Although debating with Xunzi was giving him a headache, it wasn't something to rush. By the time Xunzi came looking for him, he would probably have already run off to the State of Qin.

It is highly unlikely that Xunzi would go to Qin to find him. Although Xunzi broke the unspoken rule that great Confucian scholars did not enter Qin, his ideas were ultimately not recognized by King Zhaoxiang of Qin, and he left Qin in disappointment.

From that time on, Xunzi never went to the State of Qin again for the rest of his life. Therefore, Xu Qing thought that Xunzi probably would not go to the State of Qin to debate with him again.

Seeing Xu Qing looking worried, Zi Nu could only help him by massaging his shoulders to help him relax.

If it were a debate with an ordinary person, she could help Xu Qing, but debating with a sage like Xunzi was a different story. Putting aside whether she could win the debate, given her status as a brothel owner, she wasn't even qualified to stand in front of Xunzi.

Xu Qing tilted her head slightly and leaned on Zi Nu's shoulder, letting the other woman massage her.

"Sigh, the matter of Xiaoyaozi hasn't been resolved yet, and now there's Master Xun, and Luo Jing, or rather Jing Ni. It feels like God is playing with me all by himself."

Xu Qing mentally complained helplessly, but he quickly cheered up again and decided to deal with Jing Ni's matter first.

If he's certain that Luo Jing is Jing Ni, then he won't hold back.
(End of this chapter)