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

Chapter 204 Gift
A black-clothed carriage pulled by two horses, which came from the east of Hangu Pass, moved slowly and steadily.

There was no driver in the carriage, but a handsome young man rode a magnificent red horse beside it, holding a whip in his hand. Occasionally, he would point at the white horse driving the carriage at a fork in the road, and from time to time, he would laugh and say a few words to the carriage, appearing excited and curious.

Unimpeded, we traversed half of the Guanzhong Plain and entered through Ancheng Gate under the moonlight.

Passing by Dongdi, the black-clothed carriage slowly came to a stop. The young man dismounted and drew back the curtain, and the old leader of the Mohist school stepped down from inside.

Looking at the Confucian shrine in Shangguanli, the only shrine dedicated to Confucius in Chang'an, the old Grand Master straightened his clothes and stepped up the high steps.

Even though the sage's family had suffered a great calamity and was exterminated, the Confucian scholars in Chang'an still went to great lengths to offer incense to the sage during the day in order to express their grievances, feel ashamed, and pray for his protection.

Even as night deepened, the place remained brightly lit and filled with the smoke of incense. The officials in charge of preventing flooding moved the two vermilion gates.

As they looked up, the towering stone carving of the sage came into view of the old master and Mo Zimo.

The standard bow seemed to have been seen by all the sages who came. With just one glance, Mozi Mo was intimidated and stood outside the door, unable to go in.

The old master was not affected in the slightest. He steadily entered the sacrificial hall, stood in the center, returned the salute to the stone carving of the sage, then straightened up and stood still, meeting the sage's deep eyes without flinching.

The Mohists held Confucius in high esteem, but were ashamed of Mencius and other Confucian sages. However, the old master thought his disciples were doing a good job of appropriating the sage's name for their own benefit.

Innocent and upright, honest and open.

The old tycoon boarded the vehicle again.

Turning from Zhangtai Street onto Shangguan Street, as they passed in front of the Prime Minister's residence, many officials under the Prime Minister bowed and stood respectfully, escorting the old magistrate all the way to Guangming Gate.

Despite having special permission, the old emperor still chose to get off the carriage, undergo inspection by the palace guards, and then board a palanquin to enter Weiyang Palace.

It was late autumn night, and the splendor of the magnificent palace had faded. The scattered lanterns illuminated the way forward. In front of the Xuan Shi Hall, Liu Ju, the reigning emperor of the Han Dynasty, was personally greeted by ministers, dukes, nobles, and members of the imperial clan from both the central and foreign courts.

The king and his ministers were below the steps.

Upon seeing the palanquin being carried, Liu Ju made an unexpected move: "Demoted the rank!"
Now, apart from a few who are still unwilling to give up, most of the princes, officials and commoners of the Han Dynasty understand that the Supreme Ruler is the de facto monarch of the Han Dynasty.

He is not the emperor, but he is better than the emperor.

Of all the rites, descending the rank is the most honorable.

The old master's eyes, which could see everything in the night without a lamp, immediately noticed the emperor's descent. He quickly stopped the palanquin bearers, spread his arms like a bird's wings, and jogged over.

Upon arriving near the Supreme Lord, the old Grand Master performed a deep kneeling ceremony.

This is the gesture of kneeling.

The Confucian officials, including Zhongdafu Erkuan and Zhijingboshi Chu Da, looked uneasy.

The Analects, Book 15, Chapter 16, records: "When the ruler summons him to receive guests, his expression becomes radiant, and his steps become hurried. He bows to those standing with him, using both hands. His robes are draped front and back, and he moves with a graceful, swift gait. When the guests depart, he always reports back, saying, 'The guests have not looked back.'"

When the ruler summoned Confucius to receive the guests, Confucius's expression immediately became solemn, and his steps quickened. After bowing to those standing with him, his clothes swayed back and forth but remained neat and orderly.

Walking briskly, like a bird spreading its wings, is a way of showing respect to the monarch and guests.

In recent years, it has gradually become regarded as "Confucian etiquette".

It was actually the Zhou ritual.

It originates from "Bo Qin knelt down".

In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, Bo Qin was flogged three times for his impolite behavior when he visited his father, the Duke of Zhou. The wise Shang Zi enlightened him with the analogy of "the southern mountain's bridge tree bowing to represent the father's way, and the northern mountain's catalpa tree bowing to represent the son's way." The next day, when Bo Qin visited his father, he performed the proper courtesies of "approaching upon entering and kneeling upon ascending the hall," earning praise from the Duke of Zhou for demonstrating the teachings of a gentleman. The true Zhou rites were revealed before him, far more subservient than Confucian rites, leaving the Confucian officials speechless.

Liu Ju helped the old Grand Master up and led him up the imperial steps. The old Grand Master's fear deepened.

"How did you get here?" Liu Ju asked with a smile.

"Waiting," the old patriarch replied.

"What else can we do?"

"can!"

"Do you still dare to do it?"

"dare!"

"What are your plans?"

Liu Ju, speaking softly and quietly, continued, "To worship Heaven and spirits? Or to warn wicked people and corrupt governments?"

"Your Majesty, I am contrary to Confucianism. I have always believed in the ways of Heaven and the spirits, and I often feel that the spirits are all around me."

The old master revealed the essence of respecting Heaven and understanding ghosts, then sighed deeply, “However, the way of Heaven is far-reaching, the human world is vast, and how many of the myriad things in the netherworld can people truly understand? If Heaven had no will and people had no soul, how could there be any karmic retribution for good and evil in the world? In all things in the human world, not only are the good and evil deeds and grudges of individuals observed by ghosts and gods, but also the rise and fall of nations and the changing of laws are also influenced by the way of Heaven and observed by ghosts and gods. Those who practice good governance will see their nations prosper and perish, while those who practice evil governance will perish. This is what is meant by the lesson of the past, which is still relevant in the time of the Xia dynasty.”

"Confucianism, Mohism, Taoism, and Legalism—are you saying that I have overemphasized Legalism in governing the country?"

The old master shook his head. "No, I was just reminding Your Majesty that I have a deep understanding of Legalism, but its drawback is that it seeks to govern too quickly."

However, haste makes waste, easily leading to a path of enriching the nation while impoverishing the people. Heaven is about to revive the Han dynasty; I only hope this will serve as a warning. The world is in constant flux; we should calmly seek good governance.

Upon entering the main hall, the bright moonlight was gone, replaced by the blazing light of palace lanterns. Liu Ju pondered silently for a moment, “Before me, no monarch in any dynasty had ever allowed the people to amass wealth. Instead, they used various high-sounding reasons to weaken the people and strengthen the imperial power. This is because ‘when the country is strong, the people will rebel; when the people are strong, the country will be in chaos.’”

My choice will make the people of the Han Dynasty stronger and stronger. If we do not use force to restrain them, the Han Dynasty will surely perish because of its strength.

I do not believe that any ruler can do better than me. At least for the past five hundred years, there has been no better ruler than me. To ensure the stability of the Han Dynasty, strengthening the people's wealth and weakening their military might is perhaps the most appropriate approach at present.

If the esteemed Master has a new interpretation, please enlighten me.

"Nothing."

The old tycoon gave his answer almost without hesitation.

Along the way, he had thought too much. The Han Dynasty was a powerful empire, like a raging war chariot. Its forward momentum was too great, and any attempt to restrain it would only lead to its disintegration.

The ruler was a wise and virtuous ruler throughout history, but the limitations of his time were there, and could not be solved by human wisdom alone.

"However, I hope for one thing: when the laws of the Great Han Dynasty fail to bring justice and fairness to the victims, please allow private revenge, where the law falls short, it should be justified," the old leader said sincerely.

The Mohist school is not necessary, but fairness and justice should endure.

"I agree," Liu Ju said solemnly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. In that case, we, the common people and the Mohists, would like to offer you a gift..."

(End of this chapter)