I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 237 Tomb Tiger
The reason they asked Yuan Shao for Sima Fang was under the guise of wanting to discuss academic matters with Sima Fang.

Therefore, these Confucian scholars were naturally the main characters at this welcoming banquet.

The banquet did not feature any overly rustic utensils or food; instead, it emphasized "exquisite food and fine preparation." Instead, rice wine, apricot wine, and tea were served in the goblets, cups, and saucers, while bamboo shoots and venison were placed in the tripods and gui vessels, in keeping with the atmosphere of scholars discussing academic matters.

"Since General Liu specifically invited Sima Jian Gong here, he must have some insightful views, right?"

The one who spoke was Song Zhong, a native of Zhangling, Nanyang, and a great Confucian scholar of his time.

Although he was not as famous as Zheng Xuan and Cai Yong, he can still be called a master of his generation.

When Sima Fang saw such a renowned scholar and master flatter him, he hesitated for a moment.

Even now, Sima Fang does not believe that he has any academic achievements that would be worthy of Liu Miao's attention.

When it comes to academic and classical studies, let alone comparing himself to someone like Song Zhong, even Chen Yu made Sima Fang feel inferior, as if the gap between them was as vast as an insurmountable chasm!

Now, upon hearing Song Zhong's question, Sima Fang was at a loss for words. On the other hand, he was afraid that his failure to even engage in debate would anger Liu Miao. He could only bite the bullet and discuss the classics with Song Zhong and other great scholars from Jingzhou.

But soon, all the great scholars of Jingzhou realized that something was wrong.

Although Sima Fang's study of the classics was quite good, and even contained some rare and unique insights, it was far from reaching the level of "making people's eyes light up and their ears marvel".

Sima Fang's level was roughly equivalent to that of Song Zhong's disciple, rather than someone who sat at the same table with Song Zhong and discussed the classics together.

For a moment, all the scholars from Jingzhou looked at Liu Miao with curiosity, wondering if he had chosen the wrong person.

Sima Fang was also sweating profusely, unsure of how to conduct himself.

Then, when Song Zhong asked Sima Fang how he viewed the statement "The one who will replace the Han dynasty is Dangtu Gao," Sima Fang was extremely embarrassed and didn't know how to respond.

"Father, have you forgotten the 'New Treatise' that Master Chen told us about along the way?"

Just then, Sima Yi suddenly whispered a reminder from the side, and Sima Fang, as if his Ren and Du meridians had been opened, offered his insights on the matter—

"Prophecy and divination are nothing more than divination; they are not to be trusted!"

These words left the assembled Confucian scholars of Jingzhou speechless: "Why does Lord Jian say such a thing?"

"Is it not?"

Sima Fang, who had originally been at his wit's end, was reminded by Sima Yi and immediately took a different path, rushing headlong down the unorthodox route that Chen Yu had taken.

Emperor Wu once said: "The Han dynasty will face six or seven calamities, and according to the law, it should receive the mandate again. Who among the imperial family and descendants should be the one to receive this mandate? The one who will lead the Han dynasty for forty-two generations is Gao of Dangtu." Wang Mang also quoted this statement and used it as the legal basis for his usurpation of the Han dynasty.

"Afterwards, Emperor Guangwu and Gongsun Shu debated this prophecy. However, the Han Dynasty was not replaced by others because of it."

"Yuan Shu, who had previously declared himself emperor, believed that this prophetic statement was referring to the Yuan family of Runan."

"Previously, a female sorceress told Li Jue, 'Tu means road, and the highest point on the road is Que. Jue is the same as Que, and another extremely high person is called Jue.'"

"But where are Yuan Shu and Li Jue now?"

"In my view, this prophecy does not mean that the Han Dynasty will inevitably be replaced; rather, it is a prophecy left by the previous sage ruler to warn the future emperors of the Han Dynasty, so that they would govern the country diligently and not neglect state affairs, which would lead to the downfall of the Han Dynasty!"

Sima Fang used the phrase "disbelief in prophecies and apocryphal texts" to "explain prophecies and apocryphal texts."

This, ironically, left the group of renowned scholars from Jingzhou speechless.

Could it be that he was going to say something like "The Han Dynasty is doomed" in front of Liu Miao, a member of the Han imperial family?
After being suppressed all night, Sima Fang finally turned the tide after changing his route!
This also made these great scholars of Jingzhou start to take Sima Fang seriously.

Qi Wukai said, "Does Jian Gong's belief that prophecies and apocryphal texts are unreliable also mean that the theory of Heaven and Man is unreliable?"

The concept of the interaction between Heaven and humanity is the only, and most complete, worldview and epistemology in Confucianism today.

Qi Wukai's question to Sima Fang clearly indicated that he was about to get serious!

Sima Fang nodded immediately without any hesitation: "Heaven is nothing more than an unknown thing, like jade. The growth of all things is nothing more than the transformation of nature, and those disasters also have their obvious laws."

"I have heard that Liu Jingzhou once compiled a book on astronomy and calendar called 'Jingzhou Astrology'. It must contain records of celestial phenomena. If you examine it carefully, you can understand the reasons behind them."

Qi Wukai's face darkened!
Because he was one of the editors of "Jingzhou Astrology" compiled by Liu Biao!

In the process of compiling historical records of astronomy, some patterns in celestial phenomena were indeed discovered!
For example, the solar and lunar eclipses that the emperor and the court have always been wary of can be vaguely discerned to contain some secrets.

But whoever brings up this issue will die!

Heaven is the ruler!

You are the Emperor!

To criticize one's ruler as a subject, or to criticize Heaven as a human being, is utterly treasonous!
Upon seeing that Qi Wukai remained silent, Pang Degong immediately filled the vacancy.

"If that's the case, does Duke Jian believe that even sages born with divine authority haven't received the Mandate of Heaven?" Sima Fang, upon hearing this, retorted based on the content of the *New Treatise* that Chen Yu had been teaching him recently—

"Legend has it that the ancestor of the Xia dynasty was born from his mother eating a kind of grass called 'coix seed,' while the ancestor of the Shang dynasty was born from his mother eating the egg of a black bird. Emperor Gaozu of Han..."

At this point, Sima Fang suddenly became alert!
However, seeing that Liu Miao did not show any anger, he still spoke up: "Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, was born from his mother mating with a dragon in the wild..."

"Cough cough cough cough!!!"

Liu Miao, who had been indifferent, suddenly coughed, which startled Sima Fang, who immediately looked at Liu Miao.

"Cough cough cough cough! Jian Gong, do as you please, hahahaha!"

Liu Miao coughed for a while, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"These Confucian scholars really dare to say anything!"

"If Liu Taigong and Gaozu were alive, and anyone dared to say these words to their faces, then... hahahahaha!!!"

The events concerning Xia Qi and Shang Tang are too ancient to be investigated in detail.

However, the era of Liu Taigong and Gaozu already had written records on bamboo slips!
These Confucian scholars dared to disregard the facts and directly cuckold Liu Taigong; they were truly audacious!
Seeing Liu Miao laughing so hard that tears were streaming down his face, Sima Fang no longer wanted to continue speaking...

But the arrow was already on the bowstring, and there was no turning back.

"Job's tears" and "bird eggs" cannot give birth to humans, and dragons and humans are not of the same kind. "They cannot get along because they are different kinds of beings!" "There has never been a case of different kinds of beings interacting in the world." "Why? Because they are different kinds of beings with different natures, and their desires cannot be compatible!"

To say that the sages of the past were not human is the greatest blasphemy against them!

Your mother ate grass before giving birth to you!
Your mother ate an egg before she gave birth to you!
Your mother was raped by a dragon and gave birth to you!

We are all human beings! We are all living, breathing human beings! We have never seen a woman who can conceive by eating grass and eggs, so why should we believe what is written in books? Why should we treat it as gospel?
If your wife told you she got pregnant after eating an egg outside, would you be happy that you have a saint in your family, or resentful that you have a slut?
Sima Fang's words finally made the assembled scholars from Jingzhou unable to sit still any longer!
"Sima Jian Gong! Do you know what you're saying?"

"Liu Biaoqi! This man is spreading heresy and misleading the masses; he dares to slander the sages of the past!"

"General Liu, this man must be killed, otherwise it will not appease public anger!"

"..."

From Confucius executing Shao Zhengmao, to Li Si killing Han Fei, and then to Gongsun Hong ostracizing Dong Zhongshu.

All complex academic problems eventually simplify into the simplest of problems.

I am going to kill you!

Sima Fang's words were undoubtedly intended to dismantle the foundation upon which the interaction between Heaven and Man had been built!
No wonder these great scholars were terrified.

Sima Fang isn't even speaking!
This is clearly smashing the foundation of Confucianism in the Han Dynasty, one blow at a time!
Therefore, at this moment, all the great Confucian scholars of Jingzhou disregarded their dignity and demanded that Liu Miao kill Sima Fang and physically eliminate this bastard who dared to smash the foundation of Confucianism in the Han Dynasty with a small hammer!

Sima Fang felt a chill run down his spine when he realized that he seemed to have incurred the wrath of the masses.

Only then did he realize what he had said!
Just now, I realized that this was the first time I had ever said so many unconventional things in public!

Compared to that, it would be better to offend Liu Miao than to offend these great Confucian scholars of our time, right?
Seeing the situation escalating and becoming increasingly uncontrollable, Sima Yi, who was in the second seat below Sima Fang, calmly and composedly rose to his feet.

"Distinguished teachers and gentlemen."

"To be honest, what my father said just now was not what he thought. Rather, it was what Master Chen had told us about the arguments of the ancient sages Huan Tan and Wang Chong from a hundred years ago."

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Master Chen yourself."

moment!

All the great scholars of Jingzhou turned their attention to Chen Yu!

But when facing Chen Yu, they clearly did not have the same murderous intent as they had towards Sima Fang.

In the entire Jingzhou region, besides Liu Miao, who didn't know that Chen Yu was Liu Miao's closest friend, even closer than a brother?

They had the audacity to attack Sima Fang, who had left his hometown.

But they wouldn't dare attack the close friend of a warlord who had just wielded a butcher's knife and plowed through Jingzhou!
If they really had that kind of guts, then Jingzhou wouldn't have become what it was when Liu Biao was in power!

Liu Miao's eyelids twitched when he saw this scene.

"As expected of Tsukasa, he easily dragged Gongwei and me out to become his father's backers..."

Despite this, Liu Miao showed no dissatisfaction with Sima Yi. Instead, he teased Chen Yu beside him, saying, "Go on, Master Chen!"

"Go and tell these people what you've learned while you've been out there all this time!"

(End of this chapter)