Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 262 Liu Bei preaches the classics, Zhuge Liang debates with the Confucian scholars (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)
With the signing of the Cangtingjin Alliance and the Bowangpo Alliance, the various prefectures and counties tended towards peace and stability.

The world has suffered from chaos for too long.

For most people, the greatest desire was for peace and tranquility.

If it weren't for the desperate need to survive, no one would actually be willing to get involved in war.

Liu Bei also disliked the indiscriminate use of force. As long as people were willing to listen to his reasoning, he was happy to do so.

Although there were still two states in the north and south, the alliance and Liu Bei's military presence at the front line meant that the two states in the north and south could not pose a threat to the Han Dynasty.

It wouldn't have been difficult for Liu Bei to achieve military unification.

The difficulty lies in how to implement the new policies after unification.

Ambitious aristocratic families are best at seeking profit and avoiding harm. Once they find the situation is bad, they will lie low and then quietly emerge again when the situation stabilizes. They may corrupt officials or use cultural entertainment to bewitch the ignorant people.

Among them, those skilled in interpreting scriptures were the main ones. When interpreting scriptures, they would insert their own opinions and vigorously promote "governing by non-action" and "a sage ruler should be as respectful as Emperor Wen," using seemingly "benevolent" ideas to confuse the public.

They also misinterpreted the phrase "honesty and integrity, virtue and reward merit, governing the world with ease" from the Book of Documents as meaning that as long as the emperor governs by doing nothing and entrusts the world to scholars, the world will be well-governed and he can become a sage ruler like Emperor Wen.

However, governing a country is a systematic project, and it would be incredibly foolish to simply believe that governing by doing nothing is a form of inaction.

The emperor is the ruler of the people, and the ruler is the prophet of the entire people, leading them to a more prosperous and flourishing new world.

One must possess both superior intellectual understanding and a tireless professional attitude, rather than simply giving up and slacking off.

Zhang Zai's saying, "To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations," should be the cultivation that every ruler should possess.

It is not that one can govern the world by doing nothing, but rather that one can only do nothing if one governs the world well.

If an emperor cannot work diligently to govern, what difference is there between him and a salted fish?
Therefore, Liu Bei always firmly believed that those who achieve great things need to persevere.

The purpose of temporarily keeping Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu is to use their power to weaken the powerful clans that have been deeply entrenched since the Han Dynasty.

It will also take time to dismantle the apocryphal theology that has long been deceptive and misleading.

Cultural disputes are no less important than military disputes.

October of the fourth year of Zhangwu (195 AD).

Taking advantage of the fact that this year's autumn harvest was even more abundant than that of last year, a year marked by natural disasters, Liu Bei ordered the Grand Master of Ceremonies, generals, high officials, scholars, advisors, officials, students, and Confucian scholars to give lectures on the classics at Ping Le Guan.

The prevalence of prophetic and superstitious beliefs led to the theological transformation of classical studies, to the point where scriptures were only taught without a god. Any scripture could be labeled with an idealist philosophical system, and everything could be attributed to Heaven.

As a proponent of materialism, even after becoming emperor, Liu Bei was inherently opposed to idealism.

Liu Bei did not personally participate in the debate with the crowd, but instead handed it over to Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang is now fifteen years old. Under Liu Bei's careful guidance, he has fully embraced Liu Bei's materialistic philosophy and has read extensively from ancient and modern classics in recent years.

Although young, he is already very knowledgeable about both ancient and modern times.

As an emperor, it was not appropriate for Liu Bei to personally intervene.

Having Zhuge Liang as the spokesperson is enough to ignite everyone's competitive spirit.

If a fifteen-year-old boy were to challenge a group of renowned Confucian scholars, and failed to defeat Zhuge Liang in a debate, where would these scholars put their faces?
"Your Majesty, is it too presumptuous of you to have Kongming debate with the Confucian scholars? If Kongming loses, it will be difficult for Your Majesty to correct the unhealthy academic practices," Xu You said softly, standing to Liu Bei's right.

Most of the attendees were academic researchers.

Although Liu Bei's new policies led to the relocation of many powerful families to the north and south, very few officials left Luoyang.

Liu Bei did not carry out a large-scale reshuffle of officials in Luoyang; he simply placed his confidants in important positions. The cultivation of the emperor's protégés takes time, and even if Liu Bei wanted to replace them, it wouldn't be now.

Therefore, in Xu You's view, it would be quite difficult for Zhuge Liang to engage in a debate with the Confucian scholars.

Xu You was also quite annoyed by the trend of constantly invoking theology in classical studies.

High-ranking officials and ministers are often dismissed from their posts due to natural disasters or man-made calamities.

When the climate and temperature are abnormal, or when yin and yang are out of balance, someone must be held responsible; when earthquakes, droughts, or locust plagues occur, someone must be held responsible; when public resentment is boiling, when there is discord between the ruler and his subjects, or when bandits are rampant, someone must be held responsible.

That's just outrageous.

If meritorious officials like Xu You, who made great contributions to Liu Bei, were allowed to run rampant with theology and Confucianism, they would be dismissed from their posts when natural disasters struck, and they would have nowhere to complain.

Last year, during the natural disasters, someone petitioned to dismiss Yang Biao, the Minister of Works, because "the Minister of Works is in charge of the land," and the occurrence of earthquakes, droughts, and locust plagues was due to the Minister of Works' lack of moral conduct.

Similar tables are everywhere, and Yang Biao is just one of them.

In the Sanfu region, some people even wanted to incite a disturbance to remove Jian Yong, the governor of Yongzhou, from his post. They even claimed that Jian Yong was a student of Hongdu Gate who entered officialdom through strange skills and tricks, and therefore his bad character had brought divine retribution upon him.

Liu Bei's gathering of people to lecture on classics at Ping Le Guan was an attempt to rectify this unhealthy academic trend.

If Confucian scholars had this energy, they would be better off studying simple materialism and proposing ideas such as "merit comes from merit, and misfortune comes from misfortune," and "the unity of the Way and its manifestations, and the unity of reason and desire." This would be much better than "no scriptures without a god."

Liu Bei disregarded Xu You's concerns.

A genius student personally mentored by a group of Confucian scholars who only know how to bury their heads in books and discuss everything from a divine perspective cannot be easily challenged. (From the temple.)

Zhuge Liang's deliberate provocation agitated the officials, generals, senior officials, scholars, advisors, and other scholars.

Zhang Hong, a court official, was the first to challenge: "Disasters and anomalies are warnings from Heaven, while auspicious omens are the mandate of Heaven. Last year's earthquake in Guanzhong, the locust plague in Yanzhou, and the drought in many prefectures—were these not Heaven's judgments on the affairs of the world? This is an immutable truth throughout the ages, so why insist on denying it?"

Seeing that it was another case of blaming people for natural disasters, Zhuge Liang smiled calmly: "Earthquakes are changes in the earth, and locust plagues are due to the disordered reproduction of insects. They all have their natural causes and have nothing to do with 'divine judgment'."

"When the Shang Dynasty fell, some people said that 'Heaven abandoned the Shang Dynasty.' In reality, it was because King Zhou built the Deer Terrace, harmed loyal officials, and lost the hearts of the people. King Wu's conquest of King Zhou was not 'by the mandate of Heaven,' but rather in accordance with the will of the people and to strengthen the military."

"If we blame Heaven for disasters and attribute peace to destiny, then why should the ruler govern officials? Why should the people farm and weave? Why should we pursue knowledge and learning? Let everyone abandon human affairs and wait for Heaven to arrange everything."

Seeing that he couldn't stump Zhuge Liang, Zhang Hong became furious: "How can you question the words of a sage? This is heresy! Haven't you read Dong Zhongshu's theory of 'interaction between Heaven and man'?"

Zhuge Liang laughed loudly: "Those who deviate from the norm are those who misinterpret the sages! Confucius said, 'Respect the spirits and gods, but keep them at a distance,' never attributing disasters to the will of Heaven; Mencius said, 'The right time is not as important as the right place, and the right place is not as important as the right people,' emphasizing that human affairs are the foundation."

"Dong Zhongshu's 'interaction between Heaven and man' is nothing but a theological interpretation, yet you are using it to confuse the public and distort natural phenomena into warnings from Heaven. Is this faith in Heaven, or using Heaven's mandate to cover up the guilt of ineffective governance?"

Seeing Zhang Hong speechless, another student, Yang She, shouted: "Human fortune and misfortune, the rise and fall of a nation, are all governed by the mysterious 'Tao.' The Tao gives birth to all things, which cannot be changed by human power. To attempt to defy fate with human power is surely futile!"

Instead of answering, Zhuge Liang asked, "What is 'the Way'? Is it an ethereal spirit, or an objective law?"

Yang She proudly declared, "The Dao is metaphysical, silent and odorless, and it governs all things in heaven and earth."

"Absurd!" Zhuge Liang sneered. "Spring sowing and autumn harvesting are the 'way' of agriculture; dredging rivers and building dikes are the 'way' of water management; selecting the virtuous and capable is the 'way' of governance. These 'way' are all objective laws discovered by human effort, not the rule of the spirit!"

“In the past, Li Bing’s water management did not seek the mercy of ‘the Way,’ but rather he surveyed the terrain and followed the water flow to build the Chengdu Irrigation System, which has benefited people for hundreds of years. Now Your Majesty’s promotion of water conservancy and new grains also follows the agricultural seasons, which has resulted in a bountiful autumn harvest.”

"If, as you say, 'the Way' governs everything, then why did Li Bing succeed in controlling the floods, while King Zhou perished due to his debauchery? This shows that human power can prosper by following the laws of nature and perish by going against them; it is certainly not the Way that governs. Do you not understand the laws of nature, or are you deliberately mythologizing them to show your ignorance?"

Yang She's expression changed drastically: "You, you, you're misinterpreting the 'Way' of the sages as the principles of the marketplace!"

"The 'Way' of the sages originates from the principles of the marketplace and the realities of governance!" Zhuge Liang pressed on relentlessly: "To detach oneself from reality and engage in empty talk about spiritual dominance is the true desecration of the 'Way'! The so-called 'human effort to defy fate is futile' is merely an excuse you find for clinging to old ways. Governing in accordance with the laws of nature is a pragmatic approach, not an act against the will of Heaven!"

Dr. Han Fan straightened his clothes and said, "Human nature is inherently good; both good and evil arise from one's character. The way of education should focus on self-cultivation, rather than emphasizing material interests. Your advocacy of materialism is surely putting the cart before the horse."

"Where does one's character come from?" Zhuge Liang pressed. "How can starving people cultivate their character? How can displaced refugees maintain a kind heart?"

Han Fan snorted and said, "The mind is inherently complete; it only needs to be awakened through education and has nothing to do with material things."

"That's just empty talk!" Zhuge Liang said loudly. "Only when people have land to cultivate and food to eat can they know propriety and righteousness; only when they have houses to live in and clothes to wear can they understand shame and honor. This is what is meant by 'When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame.'"

“Material things are the foundation of character, not the other way around! In the past, Duke Huan of Qi made Qi rich and powerful by using the ‘art of weighing and balancing’. After the people were prosperous, education was naturally promoted. Now Your Majesty is equalizing land taxes and establishing schools. This is to solve the people’s material needs first, and then promote education.”

"If what you say is true, ignoring the hunger and cold of the people and only talking about self-cultivation is no different from drawing a picture of a cake to satisfy hunger. I forgot that as a scholar, you receive a salary from the court, so you naturally don't need to worry about hunger and cold. How about this, you persuade the civil and military officials that the court will no longer need to pay salaries to them, what do you say?"

Han Fan was speechless for a moment, his face turning red as he remained silent.

The debate involved three people, astonishing everyone present.

Then, the Grand Master Zheng Li stood up and said, "The books of prophecy and apocryphal texts record the predictions of sages and are manifestations of the Mandate of Heaven. In the past, when Emperor Guangwu raised his army, he received the prophecy 'Send troops to capture the wicked, and the barbarians gather like clouds to fight the dragon in the wilderness,' which led to the restoration of the Han Dynasty. This is the Mandate of Heaven, how can we not believe it?"

"The restoration of the Han dynasty under Emperor Guangwu was due to his great talent and compassion for the people, not to any prophecy or divination!" Zhuge Liang scoffed. "When Wang Mang usurped the Han throne, there was also a prophecy that 'Wang Mang will become emperor,' yet he ultimately died and his country perished. When Yuan Shu, Liu Yu, and Yuan Shao declared themselves emperors, there were also prophecies and divination. Could it also be the will of Heaven?"

"It is clear that prophecies are nothing but empty words, not a manifestation of destiny! So-called prophecies are mostly hindsight interpretations or deliberately vague statements left for later generations to interpret. If prophecies could truly foretell destiny, why can't you predict next year's harvest or where there will be floods?"

Unable to answer Zhuge Liang's question, Zheng Li could only forcefully retort, "The mysteries of prophecy and divination are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people!"

"Since you cannot understand it, why treat it as a guiding principle?" Zhuge Liang's gaze was sharp, his demeanor undiminished: "You are using unverifiable and false words as the basis for governing the country, causing the ruler to abandon human affairs and wait for fate, and causing the people to believe in prophecies and neglect their work. This is not governing the country, but ruining it!"

"Your Majesty's rejection of prophecies and promotion of practical learning is to restore governance to objective reality, rather than being held hostage by falsehoods. You do not believe in prophecies, but only want to use them to obtain an official position and seek fame and fortune. The world is bustling with people seeking fame and fortune. Just speak frankly, why be hypocritical?"

Tai Le Tanghe stood up and shouted, "All things have a spirit. Mountains, rivers, plants, birds, and beasts are all governed by gods. Only by worshipping the gods and praying for their protection can the country be peaceful and prosperous. Your denial of the gods is disrespectful and may incur divine retribution!"

"If the gods can truly control everything, why did the dynasty that worshipped the most sacrifices perish?" Zhuge Liang countered. "Xia Jie worshipped ghosts and gods, and ultimately his country was destroyed; Your Majesty does not value sacrifices, but you reduce taxes and levies, and the people are devoted to you."

"It is clear that national prosperity and peace do not depend on worshipping gods, but on a wise ruler and policies that benefit the people! Mountains and rivers are natural things, and plants, birds and beasts are living things, all of which have their own laws and have nothing to do with gods."

"The so-called 'divine retribution' is nothing but an excuse to frighten the people and maintain the fallacy of sacrificial rituals. Every year you preside over the sacrifices, spending the national treasury, yet the people are not prosperous. Don't you feel ashamed?"

Tang He was furious: "How dare you blaspheme the gods at such a young age!"

"Those who blaspheme the gods are those who use the gods' name to seek personal gain!" Zhuge Liang declared. "Your Majesty has built water conservancy projects to prevent rivers from overflowing and promoted agricultural techniques to make plants grow more vigorously. This is true reverence for nature! Rather than worshipping the gods, we should follow the laws of nature and work diligently. This is the foundation of governing the country!"

The officials under the Grand Master of Ceremonies were rendered speechless by the rebuttal, and even Han Rong, the Grand Master of Ceremonies himself, could not remain silent: "The reason why a sage is a sage is because he has an extraordinary consciousness and can perceive the truth of heaven and earth, rather than relying on material things. Your advocacy of materialism is to belittle the sage and corrupt education!"

"Where does the consciousness of a sage come from?" Zhuge Liang was not afraid of Han Rong's identity and raised his voice to ask: "Confucius traveled around the states and saw the suffering of the people before he proposed 'benevolent governance'; Mencius traveled throughout the feudal lords and witnessed the war and strife before he emphasized 'the people are the most important'. If one talks about extraordinary consciousness in a vacuum, divorced from material reality, how is that any different from a fool's dream?"

Han Rong proudly said, "Sages are exceptionally gifted, and their consciousness is inherently superior to that of ordinary people, so they do not need to rely on material practices."

"Exceptionally gifted?" Zhuge Liang laughed heartily: "If Confucius had been born in the deep palace and raised by women, never having seen the suffering of the people, how could he have proposed 'benevolent governance'? If Mencius had lived a life of luxury and indifference to worldly affairs, how could he have emphasized 'the people are the most important'?"

"You deify the sages merely to make the people blindly believe in their words, while neglecting their own practice and reflection. Does the Grand Master of Ceremonies truly understand the sages, or is he merely using their name to fool the masses?"

　The reason for the lack of updates is simple: I overestimated myself. Including the previously deleted disaster plot and the internal affairs plot that should have been included after Yuan Shu's alliance, everything I wrote turned out to be a mess. So these past two days I've been writing and deleting, trying to figure out how to quickly transition through this part of the plot I'm not good at. Ugh, I might as well have just wiped out the two Yuans and written a side story! 0 0 (One chapter released first)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)