To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Chunyu Yue sighed:

"Your Majesty has appointed a new Grand Tutor for you, and this old minister is deeply uneasy!"

He invited Fusu into the inner room, dismissed his attendants, and his face was full of heartache.

"Young Master, your decision to seek a master has me deeply worried!"

Chunyu Yue looked at his disciple and began to offer advice.

"Although Zhang Fan possesses extraordinary skills and seemingly ruthlessly killed alchemists in the imperial court, he lacks any fundamental principles of morality!"

"Afterwards, he used open schemes to manipulate the court officials, treating the laws and regulations of our Great Qin as nothing!"

"This is a sorcerer's insidious trick, not the act of a gentleman!"

"Young Master, you are the Crown Prince of the nation. You should uphold the Way of the King, not indulge in strange and frivolous skills! If this gets out, you may lose the support of the Confucian scholars throughout the land!"

"This person offered potatoes, seemingly for the benefit of the people, but in reality, he harbored malicious intentions!"

"Once this product is widely adopted, yielding a thousand catties per mu, grain prices across the land will surely be thrown into chaos! Who will suffer? The very foundation of the noble families of our Great Qin!"

"He's trying to win over the people and undermine the foundation of the nation!"

"Young Master! The Book of Documents says, 'Appoint officials only if they are virtuous and capable, and appoint those around them only if they are competent!'"

"Your Highness, please be sure to befriend virtuous ministers and distance yourself from petty men! Be able to distinguish between loyalty and treachery!"

boom!!!

Chunyu Yue's words struck Fusu's heart like a heavy hammer!

Although he dared not disobey his father, he was deeply influenced by Confucianism from a young age and held his teacher Chunyu Yue in high esteem.

Chunyu Yue's words struck a chord with him!

Yes!

One who disregards etiquette and law!

Acting domineeringly!

Shake the foundation of the country!

Can someone who might harbor malicious intentions really be your teacher?

Father, have you really been deceived by him?

These words pierced Fusu's heart deeply!

He remained silent for a long time before finally bowing solemnly to Chunyu Yue once more.

"I have taken your words to heart."

Fusu raised his head, his eyes hardening slightly.

He needs to think carefully about Zhang Fan, whom his father reveres as a celestial master!

Is he a capable minister who brings peace to the country, or a treacherous villain who brings chaos to the nation?

After Fusu left.

Fusu left.

Chunyu Yue's face instantly fell.

He flicked his sleeve and snorted coldly!

"Outrageous! A blatant disgrace!"

Chunyu Yue was so angry that he trembled all over, his face full of resentment.

"I, Chunyu Yue, a dignified scholar of the Great Qin Dynasty, have been teaching the prince for over a decade!"

"They're actually giving way to a sorcerer of unknown origin!"

"Your Majesty is humiliating me! Humiliating all scholars in the land!"

Behind the screen.

Imperial Censor Feng Yuan stepped forward, his face showing no excitement.

"Hehe... Why should Lord Chunyu get angry?"

Chunyu Yue turned around abruptly, looking at Feng Yuan with a puzzled expression:

"What does Master Feng mean by this?"

Feng Yuan walked to the window and said slowly:

"Your words have already influenced Young Master Fusu!"

"Fusu was kind-hearted by nature and valued the people's livelihood and the law above all else!"

"He will definitely be resentful because potatoes are disrupting food prices and undermining the foundation of the nation!"

He paused, then said, word by word:

"We can immediately have all the Confucian scholars and their retainers spread this word far and wide!"

"Even Prince Fusu believes this item is ominous; its promotion will shake the foundations of the nation and is a sign of national chaos!"

"Heh...Isn't Zhang Fan a celestial master? How is he going to deal with the anger of the world!"

Chunyu Yue was dumbfounded.

Immediately, the resentment on his face turned into ecstatic joy!

"Brilliant! Master Feng's plan allows for killing without lifting a finger!"

He clapped his hands and laughed, his dejection vanishing.

"Heh heh, Zhang Fan... you usurped my position as Grand Tutor, so I'll ruin your reputation!"

……

Early the next morning.

The Immortal Master's Experimental Field.

A figure was already waiting there.

It was none other than the eldest son, Fusu.

He was dressed in an elegant long robe, with a tall and straight posture and a handsome face.

"Ah! Young Master Fusu has arrived so early!"

Zhang Fan stretched and walked out of the house.

He has lived in the courtyard next door ever since the experimental field began.

Upon seeing Zhang Fan, Fusu quickly stepped forward to greet him.

He showed no arrogance whatsoever as the eldest prince and performed a proper disciple's salute.

"Student Fusu greets the Grand Tutor!"

Zhang Fan looked at this young man, who was known in history for his "benevolence" but whose end was tragic, and felt a pang of emotion.

After exchanging pleasantries.

Fusu's gaze fell on the experimental field that had just been planted.

Chunyu Yue's words yesterday only intensified his curiosity!

"Grand Tutor, I have a question that I humbly request you to answer."

Fusu's eyes were clear and resolute as he spoke respectfully:

"The Grand Tutor has presented this divine object, which can ensure that the people of the world have enough to eat and wear. This is a great act of kindness."

"But observing the Grand Tutor's actions, I see him swiftly and decisively killing the sorcerer in the court, and then using open and cunning schemes to manipulate the officials. Such domineering methods, though effective immediately!"

"However, the Analects says: 'If you govern them by laws and regulate them by punishments, the people will avoid punishment but have no sense of shame!'"

"Guide them with virtue, regulate them with propriety, and they will have a sense of shame and become good."

"May I ask, Grand Tutor, is the Way of the King or the Way of the Tyrant?"

"If we forcefully implement new policies with an overbearing attitude, how will it differ from Shang Yang's reforms back then? I'm afraid this is not a long-term solution!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the air on the ridge of the field froze instantly!

This is a question that strikes at the heart of the matter! It's also a question that could cost you your life!

now.

Inside the attic next door.

Ying Zheng and Li Si were secretly "eavesdropping" through the crack in the window.

Upon hearing Fusu's words, Ying Zheng frowned slightly.

This is precisely his biggest disagreement with Fusu!

He wanted to see how Zhang Fan would handle this!

Li Si's heart skipped a beat, and his palms began to sweat.

Young master, that's a very pointed question!

This is not only asking Zhang Fan, but also questioning His Majesty's way of governing the country!

One wrong move!

The emperor was furious!

Zhang Fan and Young Master Fusu are likely to suffer the consequences!

Zhang Fan was taken aback, not expecting Fu Su to ask such a question!

How should I tell him?

Is science and technology the primary productive force?

Is a black cat or a white cat, a good cat that catches mice?

No!

It's like casting pearls before swine!

for a long time.

Zhang Fan smiled.

Instead of answering directly, he asked a question in return:

"Your Highness, let me ask you, what is the essence of Confucianism?"

Fu-su was taken aback for a moment, then answered without hesitation, "Naturally, it is benevolence!"

"good!"

Zhang Fan nodded and continued, "Then what is benevolence?"

Fusu raised his head and said, "To subdue oneself and return to propriety is benevolence! To love others is benevolence!"

"Well said!"

Zhang Fan's smile deepened, but his eyes instantly became incredibly sharp!

"Then let me ask you again!"

"Seeing the people of the world starving and freezing, some even resorting to cannibalism!"

"Yet, for the sake of so-called propriety and so-called virtue, you don't use swift and decisive measures to solve the problem, but instead let them starve to death. Is this benevolence?"

"A sorcerer, bewitching the king, concocting poisonous pills, and wreaking havoc on the court!"

"If you don't kill him, are you going to try to reform him with virtue?"

"Wait until he poisons his father and overthrows the state before you start talking to him about propriety?"

"Is this... benevolence?"

"A group of court officials, for their own benefit, are trying to obstruct the implementation of the potato yield target of 1,000 catties per mu, disregarding the plight of the people!"

"Are you going to just stand by and watch them succeed if you don't use tactics against them?"

"Is this... benevolence again?"

Zhang Fan asked three questions in a row, his voice booming like a bell, each word piercing the heart!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

These three questions struck Fusu's mind like three bolts of lightning!

He was completely stunned!

His face was deathly pale, his lips were trembling, and he couldn't utter a single word!

Inside the attic.

Upon hearing these three questions, Ying Zheng's pupils constricted sharply, then burst forth with a dazzling light!

happy!

So happy!

These words really struck a chord with him!

He always felt that Fusu was too benevolent and weak, but he didn't know how to refute it.

Zhang Fan's words today were like a sword tailor-made for him!

(If you govern the people by laws and regulate them by punishments, they will avoid punishment but have no sense of shame. If you govern them by virtue and regulate them by rites, they will have a sense of shame and moreover become good.)

(Explanation: If you only rely on issuing decrees to govern the people and use punishments to keep an eye on them, the people will at most be afraid of being punished and dare not do wrong, but they will not feel ashamed of doing bad things.)

But if we guide people with principles of conduct and help them maintain proper boundaries with established rules, then ordinary people will have a sense of right and wrong, know what they shouldn't do, and will live their lives well without anyone watching them.