My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

"Young master, the scholars Chunyu Yue and Shusun Tong, along with other Confucian gentlemen, have come to pay their respects upon hearing of your return."

Fusu's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes, his thoughts returning from the previous conversation to reality.

"please."

The front hall. The charcoal fire was lukewarm, and the tea was not yet boiling.

Seven or eight Confucian scholars, led by Chunyu Yue, had already taken their seats on their knees, their faces filled with barely suppressed anticipation and anxiety.

When Fusu was pardoned and returned to the capital, to them it was like the first ray of light breaking through the gloom.

Upon seeing Fusu enter, everyone bowed respectfully, their gazes intense.

Chunyu Yue's beard trembled slightly as he spoke first, his tone heavy with sorrow.

"The safe return of the young master is truly a blessing for the nation and for Confucianism! Since the young master went north, His Majesty has been surrounded by..."

Chunyu Yue paused, realizing he shouldn't have said what he was about to say, and changed his words.

"We eagerly await your return to court, hoping that you will uphold the emperor's heart with benevolence and virtue, educate the people with poetry and literature, restore the rule of the three dynasties, and turn the tide!"

Shusun Tong was younger and his words were more incisive.

"Exactly! Harsh laws and severe punishments are not a long-term solution."

Shusun Tong looked on with anticipation.

"The young master has always been kind and benevolent, and deeply understands the principle that the people are more important than the ruler. Now that he has returned, he should advise His Majesty to depose those..."

Fusu listened quietly, maintaining his usual humility.

He first raised his hand to stop Shusun Tong, and then asked softly.

"Gentlemen, your concern for the nation is truly admirable. Benevolence and moral education are indeed essential for governing a country."

"However, Fusu has been away from home recently, tossing and turning in bed, his thoughts growing ever deeper."

Fusu's gaze swept over the group of Confucian scholars.

"May I ask you all, what is the true foundation of our Great Qin Dynasty? And what is the root cause of the turmoil in the world?"

The question was posed, and the Confucian scholars were slightly taken aback.

This is unlike what Fusu would normally ask.

A scholar tentatively answered.

"The foundation naturally lies in Your Majesty's immense power in sweeping across the land and unifying the world. The root of the problem lies in the abuse of this power, the failure to implement benevolent governance, and the disregard for the people's will."

Fusu gently shook his head.

"Where does strength come from? And why have we lost the hearts of the people?"

"In the past, Duke Xiao reformed the laws, allowing commoners to gain titles based on military merit. Why did the people of Qin serve him to the death?"

"Why do the soldiers stationed in the countryside turn pale at the mere mention of conscription? Is it merely a matter of one word—benevolence—rather than tyranny?"

The scholars looked at each other in bewilderment.

They excel at citing classical texts to discuss benevolent governance and the way of the king, but rarely analyze it from the perspective of the source of power, the specific circumstances of the people, and their gains and losses.

Chunyu Yue frowned, feeling that the young master's thinking was a bit off track, and cupped his hands in greeting.

"My lord, governing a country should be based on the great principles."

"As long as Your Majesty changes your mind, follows the Zhou rites, enfeoffs virtuous and capable officials, and bestows benefits upon the people, the world will naturally submit to your will."

Why bother with these...these trivialities?

Fusu frowned.

"Sir, the great way must be practiced in reality. The people are not a unified whole. Do the old Qin people of Guanzhong and the remnants of the old Chu people share the same heart? Do the noble landowners with military merit and the landless tenant farmers share the same desires? In the end, whose granaries do the taxes and labor levied by the court end up, and whose backs are they burdened with the heaviest burden?"

"If these points are not clarified, and we merely talk about benefiting the people, where will that benefit come from? And to whom will it reach?"

Fusu couldn't help but sneer.

"It will probably only make the hamsters fatter, while the hungry will remain."

Chunyu Yue remained silent for a moment before launching the first attack.

"I do not agree with what you have said, young master."

"To divide the people and weigh them by their interests is not the way of a sage king; it is a hegemonic tactic, akin to the words of Shang Yang and Han Fei!"

Confucius said, "A gentleman is not a vessel," and Mencius said, "The people are the most important." The people are a unified whole, a collective subject to education and divine mandate. How can they be analyzed like merchants in the marketplace, their very essence spun and weighed?

Fusu frowned even more deeply.

"May I ask, sir, Confucius traveled throughout the states, intending to educate the people, so why did Duke Ling of Wei not employ him?"

"Why were Chen and Cai trapped? Mencius said that the people are the most important, so why did the rulers of the Warring States period often practice tyranny, and the people suffered even more? Was it because the rulers did not understand the principle that the people are the most important?"

He asked the question and, without waiting for an answer, continued.

"It's not that they didn't know, but that they couldn't, or rather, they didn't want to. Because at that time, the people were the source of taxes and the source of soldiers for the king."

"The interests of kings, nobles, powerful families, and farmers and warriors are not the same."

"When a ruler desires to expand his territory, he increases taxes and corvée labor; when nobles desire extravagance, he exploits them even more. Through this process of extortion at every level, the common people, who are the most privileged, are ultimately the most miserable."

"If you don't see through these layers of interests and consequences, what's the difference between simply shouting 'the people are important' and pointing at a group of starving people and saying 'you are very important'? Could that even be worth a bowl of porridge?"

Shusun Tong couldn't help but retort.

"Your words are far too pessimistic, my lord! If a ruler listens to the words of sages and cultivates virtue and propriety, then naturally the people will follow suit, and the world will be in harmony! How could it be as you say, where everything is about exploitation and profit?"

Fusu shook his head.

"Mr. Shusun, we both read history."

"During the early days of the Zhou dynasty's enfeoffment system and the flourishing of rites and music, was there ever true harmony? Under the well-field system, did the common people truly own land?"

"Rites establish the hierarchical order; music harmonizes the emotions between superiors and inferiors."

"But whose vast estates and luxurious lifestyles are guaranteed by this order and these emotions?"

"Cultivating virtue and practicing etiquette cannot address fundamental issues such as land ownership, the weight of taxes, and the amount of corvée labor."

Fusu snorted coldly.

"Have those virtues and rites also become a beautiful cloak for maintaining this exploitative order?"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the group of Confucian scholars changed drastically.

Upon hearing this, a middle-aged Confucian scholar pointed at Fusu and said in a trembling voice.

"Young master... are you saying that the teachings of the sages are all... all vain? That all our life's pursuits have been in vain?"

Fusu shook his head, his tone softening.

"It is neither a delusion nor a waste. The heart of a sage desires to stop war and bring peace to the people; his feelings are touching and his will is admirable."

But then he changed the subject.

"However, if one does not understand how the forces of the world operate and what causes contradictions, then benevolence and rites and music are like trying to wrap a volcano about to erupt with fine silk."

"The silk is burned, but the volcano remains."

Fusu's gaze swept over the group of Confucian scholars, and he spoke loudly.

"I am not denying benevolence and righteousness, but I believe that in order to practice great benevolence, one must first understand the general trend, distinguish between friend and foe, and gather strength."

"This strength lies not only in the power of the court, but also in who can see the true pain points within the empire, who can point out the true interests of the vast majority that are hidden by layers of secrecy, and who can find a path to change this pattern of interests."

"The Qin Dynasty was able to unify the country not only because of its military strength, but also because its merit-based system of ranks and titles allowed ordinary people to see a way to change their fate."

"Now, is this path still there? Has it been widened? That's the fundamental question."

After hearing this, Chunyu Yue remained silent for a long time before speaking sternly.

"My lord... according to your words, could it be... could it be that you intend to emulate Shang Yang and implement harsh laws again, or even... incite the common people?"

"Young master, you mustn't!"

"This is not how to govern a country; it is... the source of chaos!"

Seeing the Confucian scholars' strong reaction, Fusu himself did not react much, but instead shook his head.

"What I am thinking about is not chaos and disorder, but long-term stability."

"This is a road that no one has ever truly walked before. This road is destined to be lonely and dangerous."

He stood up and bowed deeply to everyone.

"I have benefited greatly from your debate today. Since we have different paths, we may not be able to work together."

"However, Fusu still respects your learning and character. I only wish you all to know that Fusu's heart has never forgotten the suffering of the people, but... looking into these suffering eyes, and thinking of the path to liberation, may no longer be the same."

"I am deeply grateful to all of you who wish to follow the same path as Fusu."

"If you are unwilling, Fusu will still ensure that you can continue your studies and writing, and will not punish you in the slightest because of differences in political views."

"But Fusu must continue on the path to a long and prosperous Qin Dynasty—even if he is alone, he must seek a glimmer of hope for the world!"

The group of Confucian scholars fell silent.