A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 201 Coming Out
Golden breeze and jade dew, autumn moon and spring flowers.

Thousands of mountains are ablaze with autumn colors.

According to the Mohist principle of "frugality," lamps should not be lit whenever there is a moon over a mountain.

Tonight, the autumn moon hangs high, bright and clear, naturally making it the perfect time to dance under the moon.

The children who stayed behind in the mountains set up a "stage" on the rocky platform at the entrance of the cave using stone blocks.

The guqin played melodiously, the ocarina wailed, and eight young female disciples dressed as mountain spirits floated into the arena from outside. Dressed in long white robes with flowing black hair, they danced to the moon, their expressions melancholic and effeminate.

The old master stood up, dressed in white robes with wide sleeves, his bald head shining brightly. Amidst a long wail from a female ghost, he began to sing loudly, his deep and hoarse voice echoing.

"Ghosts, ghosts, the souls of the living!"
Beyond the fleeting form, the boundless void sighs.
Punishing evil cannot be expressed in words, only sorrowful cries remain.

Promoting good deeds must wait, for time flies too fast.

The ghost's eyes are like lightning, observing heaven and earth; yet people harbor secret malice.
"The spirits are clear, the spirits are clear, the conscience of heaven and earth and all things is clear."

Under the moonlight, a chorus of voices rang out: "Ghosts, ghosts, heaven and earth, all things, conscience..."

The old master's figure was hazy, but the disciples had never seen him so happy.

The dancing and singing continued for a long time.

But it will eventually come to an end.

The old man gazed at the moon in the sky and explained the reason for the gathering tonight.

"Tomorrow, we will leave the mountain."

The words trailed off.

A heated discussion suddenly broke out.

The Mohist disciples who had previously left the mountains often sent back messages, their words moving people's hearts. The people who had lived in the mountains for generations began to have a concrete imagination of the beauty of the world and to have more longing for it.

If it weren't for the old leader, the young disciples of the Mo family would have all run away from the mountains long ago. But many people haven't changed their minds and will still come out of the mountains after the old leader passes away.

Unexpectedly, the old tycoon announced that he would leave the mountain with his entire family. At that moment, the resentment in the mountains vanished without a trace.

The young disciple who stayed by the old master's side looked worried. Having been by his teacher's side for so long, he knew far more than his senior brothers and sisters.

"The senior disciple from outside the mountain and the disciples of various schools of thought have 'caused trouble'."

Under the laws of the Han Dynasty.

The eldest disciple, Suo Lucan, along with disciples from various schools of thought, ruthlessly annihilated a massive family of several thousand people—the sage-king family, the Kong family.

What the Han court found even more intolerable was that, in order to prevent anyone from escaping, a large number of prohibited weapons were used.

Logs, boulders, longswords, steel knives, iron arrowheads, crossbows... it was like a small-scale war.

Organized, disciplined, and with a ban on weapons, the Han Dynasty court is engaged in heated debate over whether to define the forces that "annihilated the Kong family" as "rebels."

The most proactive one was Zhang Tang, the Imperial Censor of the Han Dynasty.

Since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, if the Confucian school is ranked first among the enemies of the Mohists, then the Legalists are ranked second.

Compared to the Confucian school's harsh and vicious curses, the Legalists always existed as a steady and powerful direct enemy of the Mohists.

The Legalists consistently believed that the Mohists' doctrines and practices were eccentric and extreme, capable of alleviating minor human suffering but unable to truly enrich the common people or make the nation truly powerful. Why waste effort helping weak nations prevent invasion when the Legalists wholeheartedly strive to make them strong?
Why not help those in distress bit by bit, rather than make the country rich and powerful by implementing reforms?

The former is like trying to stop boiling water by adding more water, while the latter is like removing the fuel from under the pot. This is the most powerful rebuttal from Legalism.

More importantly, the Legalists opposed the Mohists' chivalrous behavior that disregarded the law, believing that the Mohists' actions at times were a kind of narrow-minded disturbance and a kind of rebellion, fundamentally no different from the Confucianism's pedantry and regression.

Confucianism uses literature to disrupt law, while chivalry uses martial arts to ban it.

This is the Legalists' evaluation of Confucianism and Mohism.

The Mohists, along with the other schools of thought, slaughtered the descendants of the sages with extremely cruel methods, which were intolerable under the laws of the Han Dynasty. The young man did not believe that the laws of the Han Dynasty were wrong, nor did he believe that the other schools of thought were wrong. Even if the other schools of thought were punished by the laws of the Han Dynasty, they could be said to have "deserved their punishment."

But why Zhang Tang?

In the letter, the eldest brother clearly stated that the route and ambush location for the Kong family's westward escape were provided by Zhang Tang, and the Embroidered-Robe Censor provided assistance throughout the process. Why did Zhang Tang and the Embroidered-Robe Censor immediately turn their backs on them after the matter was over, and even want to label the righteous actions of the various schools of thought as "rebellion"?

Zhang Tang was also a Legalist, even the "leader" of Legalism in the court. The various schools of thought had even tailored an imperial system for Zhang Tang. Although there were major deviations due to the interference of that Prime Minister Gongsun, Zhang Tang and the various schools of thought were not only family members but also had a bond. How could anyone be so heartless and ungrateful?
The teacher's sudden appearance and the unusual behavior of some of the older students gave the young man a very bad feeling.

As many fellow disciples excitedly dispersed to pack their belongings and prepare to leave the mountain, I followed the old master back to the stone house.

"Young Mo, what are you thinking about?" the old master asked softly.

This is the most intelligent disciple of the Mohist school in the contemporary era. He is quick-witted, has unparalleled practical skills among the Mohists, and is a descendant of Mozi, the great master of the Mohist school, though not by blood.

Mozi's ancestors were from the royal family of the Yin Shang Dynasty. They were descendants of Mu Yi, the elder brother of Duke Xiang of Song. Mu Yi was the Grand Marshal of Duke Xiang of Song. Later, his descendants were demoted from nobles to commoners for some reason, and later the surname was shortened to Mo.

As a descendant of a fallen noble family, Mozi had no children, but his brothers and sisters extended many "branches" through his life. The ancestor of Xiaozi Mo was the same as that of Mozi.

Mozi, Zimo, Mo Zimo, these are the old master's expectations for the young.

“Teacher, I’m thinking about Zhang Tang,” Mo Zimo answered honestly.

Zhang Tang not only exploited the various schools of thought but also sought to destroy them. In his eyes, Zhang Tang was the greatest villain in the world.

The old tycoon smiled kindly, "You think he's a bad person?"

"Don't you think so, teacher?"

Mo Zimo's question was met with a nod from the old master, who then shook his head. "Young Mo, not everyone in this world is 'inherently good' or 'inherently evil' as the ancients debated. Some people are beyond the realm of good and evil. For example, Zhang Tang is a legal official. If he is driven by good and evil, the law will no longer be just."

The Mohists may look down on the Confucians, but they cannot look down on the Legalists. The disciples of the Legalists have always respected Mozi. From ancient times to the present, no famous Legalist has ever made a personal attack on Mozi. The Legalists talk about principles, while the Confucians criticize people.

Therefore, the conflict between the Mohists and the Legalists lies in their different ways of punishing evil and promoting good. The old master had no prejudice against the Legalists or Zhang Tang.

“Teacher, I have met other practitioners of the Legalist school, and they are all different from Zhang Tang.”

"That's because they're not pure enough. It's not Zhang Tang's problem, it's the other people's problem."

"Teacher, our Mohist school has always taken it upon ourselves to eliminate tyrannical rulers and cruel officials. Why do you admire Zhang Tang, this cruel official, so much?"

"Zhang Tang now can bring peace and tranquility to the world, and he can sacrifice himself when necessary."

“But teacher, Zhang Tang has no ‘heart’.”

The old master looked up at the full moon in the sky through the window and sighed, "How can a knife have a heart?"

(End of this chapter)