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

Chapter 305 Teaching the Dharma
Strategic maneuvering is the fundamental principle.

The Yin Fu Jing encompasses everything, including the way of heaven and earth, the way of governance, the way of ruler and minister, the way of creation and defense, the way of the interaction between heaven and earth, and the way of the interaction of all things.

If you thoroughly understand these profound principles, how can you not uncover the mysteries of the world?
Where in the world can't we go?

Back then, his master Hu Wusheng entrusted him with the ancient and extraordinary book, intending for him to comprehend the laws of heaven and earth in his lifetime, and to use the principles of birth and death to fulfill his regret of not being able to realize his grand ambitions.

The intention behind entrusting the Gongyang School of thought to Dong Zhongshu was to use Dong Zhongshu's wisdom to retrace the steps of the ancient sage Confucius in spreading his teachings throughout the states, and to promote the Gongyang School and Confucianism.

In terms of the outcome alone, both he and Dong Zhongshu fulfilled their master's dying wish, but their methods differed.

Dong Zhongshu did not preach to the world, but took a shortcut by cooperating with the emperor, ending the Huang-Lao Daoism, and once elevating the Gongyang Confucianism to the status of the national learning of the Han Dynasty, creating a "golden age" that Confucianism had never experienced before.

Even if it's just a fleeting moment.

He actually served as an official in the court twice after the Jiazi year, achieving the pinnacle of civil officials in the Han Dynasty by understanding the principles of birth and death of heaven and earth. He had no regrets, because his grand ambitions had been realized.

However, the plot of killing between masters and disciples always brings joy to the young, but saddens the old.

Maybe it's a curse?
Gongsun Hong looked at Huo Guang and Chen Mo, who were eagerly waiting, and then at Mo Zimo, and sighed softly.

From the time of Gongyang Shou, the Gongyang school split into two factions: Hu Wusheng and Zidu.

Perhaps it was because the grandmaster reserved all his affection for the master that the uncle Zidu was not known for his scholarship or for any outstanding abilities. His descendants were already unknown.

The "Hu School" flourished in the world.

The story was passed down to the next generation.

Gongsun Hong and Dong Zhongshu were two separate factions.

The Gongsun family and the Dong family.

It's hard to say, of the four disciples of the Dong family—Chu Da, Yin Zhong, Ying Gong, and Lü Bushu—three died at the hands of their own sect. As for Lü Bushu, who was as restless and agile as a monkey, it's unlikely he'll be able to inherit the sect's teachings.

Perhaps, like his uncle Zidu and his faction, they will silently disappear into the long river of history.

My own sect is too complex. If Mo Zi Mo doesn't have the ability to suppress Huo Guang and Chen Mo, the future Han Dynasty will be a battlefield where my disciples fight each other.

Gongsun Hong did not feel particularly proud, but he vaguely sensed the sorrow of Xunzi and Guiguzi. The infighting within their own school, the question of who would win and who would lose, stirred up a turbulent emotion in his heart.

As a teacher, although I foresaw the future, I could not avoid it.

Gongsun Hong passed on the Yin Fu Jing to Mozi Mo.

Mozi followed the teachings diligently. With a flick of his wrist, the parchment book was hidden in his sleeve. From the outside, there was no trace of the book being hidden, so he kept it for later reading.

Huo Guang and Chen Mo watched this scene with their teeth practically grinding to dust. The Mo family's tradition had too many strange aspects. If they didn't disbelieve in the existence of magic, they could have mistaken this move for a hidden universe.

It's amazing to have knowledge that others don't know.
Mozi returned to his original position.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another piece of sheepskin in the copper box, but it didn't look like a book; it looked more like a picture.

This diagram is far too large; the entire lower layer of the bronze box seems to be a single, continuous piece. Gongsun Hong called out again, "Xiao Guang."

"The disciple is here."

"Come closer."

Huo Guang practically jumped to the desk. Gongsun Hong didn't take the large sheepskin picture out of it, but instead unfolded a corner. After seeing the title, Huo Guang's eyes widened instantly.

Is this the "Map of 1,800 Princes"?
Legend has it that "during the time of Yu the Great there were ten thousand states, during the time of Tang of Shang there were three thousand, and during the time of King Wu of Zhou there were one thousand eight hundred feudal lords," with ten thousand states standing side by side.

Of course, this is more of a description of the large number of feudal lords during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, rather than a representation of the actual number of feudal states.

Until the early Western Zhou Dynasty, there were still a relatively large number of vassal states in China. However, during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the number of states decreased sharply due to wars of annexation. According to the Zuo Zhuan, there were only 181 states during the Spring and Autumn period.

The Xunzi clearly records that the Western Zhou Dynasty enfeoffed "all under heaven, establishing seventy-one states," of which fifty-three were of the Ji clan.

The Lüshi Chunqiu mentions that "Zhou enfeoffed more than 400 vassal states and had more than 800 vassal states," meaning that Zhou directly enfeoffed about 400 vassal states and added about 800 existing clan states that had submitted to it, totaling about 1,200.

According to the "Royal System" section of the Book of Rites, there were 1,773 fiefdoms directly under the emperor, comprising eight provinces, each with 210 states, plus 93 states within the capital region, but excluding vassal states and vassal states of the emperor.

As for the exact number, different records and different methods have led to vastly different accounts.

Moved by the rise and fall of the world, Lao Dan, the Grand Historian of the Zhou Dynasty, drew a monumental work and added detailed annotations to the map, indicating the founding time of each vassal state, its rulers and stories, and the time of its demise. The combination of illustrations and text makes it the most concise history of the rise and fall of the vassal states in ancient times.

The weight of history washed over him, and Huo Guang was startled, immediately recognizing the value of this large sheepskin map.

"Xiao Guang, you always want to learn my ability to analyze everything and get to the root of the matter. When you know the basics of this history of China, you will have my abilities." Gongsun Hong took a breath and said slowly.

The history of China is too long, the population of the major river basins is too large, and the number of wise men is as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. In this process, China has tried countless possibilities, just to find the path most suitable for China.

People from the past, present, and future are no smarter than anyone else. With 1,800 vassal states, there were 1,800 different systems of governance and 1,800 different national conditions. This makes all history contemporary history, and all contemporary history also history of future generations.

Unfortunately, the only lesson we learn from history is that we never learn any lessons from history.

However, for an individual, to be able to grasp 1,800 possibilities would be a rare genius.

Gongsun Hong couldn't remember exactly how many possibilities he had mastered—perhaps dozens, perhaps hundreds—to achieve his current status and position.

"Xiao Guang, you are a successor of my Confucian school. As your teacher, I hope that one day you can thoroughly understand this history of China and find a truly feasible path for Confucianism, instead of simply taking the essence of other schools of thought," Gongsun Hong said without any hesitation.

Mozi Mo was a member of the Mohist school, Chen Mo was a member of the Daoist school, and only Huo Guang was a member of the Confucian school and his successor in Confucianism.

He even bluntly pointed out the problems with Confucianism today: after Confucius, it has lost its own unique identity.

It's good to take the essence and discard the dross, but we can't always live on the essence of others and the dross of ourselves.

Therefore, Gongsun Hong not only regarded Huo Guang as his successor, but also as the future of Confucianism. A responsibility as heavy as a mountain instantly weighed on Huo Guang's shoulders...

(End of this chapter)