The Three Kingdoms: The Oath of the Peach Garden, the Rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 116 Li Chang was a cultured man?

Outside the post station in Jinyang City.

A middle-aged man, robust in build and with a dark complexion, was dressed in a scholar's robe, which constantly reminded others that he was a scholar.

I'm looking at the exam notice posted on the wall.

This image surprised many people, including Li Chang.

He was Hua Tuo, Hua Yuanhua.

This author is a scholar who makes a living as a doctor, and he often regrets his actions!

He repeatedly refused offers of minor official positions, but his actions betrayed his true desire to become an official.

Especially now that people are middle-aged, they travel around practicing medicine and making connections with powerful and influential people.

Unfortunately, he never managed to become a high-ranking official as he wished.

"So it really doesn't matter what your background is; as long as you can read, you can take the exam." Hua Tuo stroked his beard and muttered to himself.

"I've heard that Liu Bingzhou is short of people, and even a minor official from the Sili region can become a prefectural governor. With my talents, wouldn't I be able to become a prefect as well?"

He looked towards the governor's mansion, "It's just a pity... they're all very healthy!"

In the past six months, he has traveled to various states in the Central Plains and witnessed the chaos of war and the suffering of the people.

Passing through Bingzhou, I heard that Liu Bei was recruiting talented people, and even people from poor families could become officials, so I came here with a try-it-out mentality.

As soon as I arrived at the registration area, I was stopped by a member of the Imperial Guard.

"Sir, are you also here to take the imperial examination?" The imperial guard looked him up and down, his eyes full of doubt. This man's demeanor was different from the others!

"Exactly." Hua Tuo immediately became alert, secretly exerting his strength throughout his body. Could it be a case of medical malpractice?

He hasn't made a mistake in treating anyone for over a decade!

He nodded slightly. "Hua Tuo, Hua Yuanhua, a native of Qiao County, Pei State."

"Hua Tuo?!"

The Imperial Guards' eyes lit up.

He'd heard that name before!

Military Advisor Li had already instructed his Imperial Guards to look for a man named Hua Tuo!

Especially since he was already looking for her before he became a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard! Unfortunately, he was always one step too late!

He dared not delay and quickly said, "Mr. Hua, please wait a moment, I will go and report to Prefect Li immediately!"

After saying that, he turned around and ran towards the governor's mansion.

……

Inside the governor's mansion, Li Changzheng, Xun Chen, Yue Yin, and Jia Xu were sitting around a table posing questions.

The table was piled high with bamboo slips, papers, and brushes, as well as a large number of references.

"No, no, this question on the interpretation of the classics is too obscure." Li Chang shook his head, intending to throw the bamboo slips written by Xun Chen aside:

"We are selecting officials who can get things done, not bookworms who can only recite the classics."

Xun Chen's face darkened:

"Understanding the Way! The classics are the foundation of one's character! Without reading the books of sages and worthies, how can one understand loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness? How can one govern the people?"

You cannot belittle our Confucian classics just because you don't know the Seven Classics!

"Could it be that you intend to represent the Taoist school and declare war on us Confucian scholars?"

At that moment, he was like a guardian of his beliefs!

Le Yin, who was standing to the side, was also glaring angrily at Li Chang.

Jia Xu, lurking in the corner, watched the show with a sly smile.

Without hesitation, Li Chang made a choice entirely from the bottom of his heart, standing up and looking directly at Xun Chen and Yue Yin:

"I was wrong! I had absolutely no intention of belittling Confucian classics!"

At this time, Confucianism was truly fierce! When faced with academic heresy or infringement on faith, some would verbally attack, write, or even physically eliminate those who opposed it!

But Li Changke wouldn't simply apologize, otherwise he would be lowering himself and diminishing his future authority in the education sector.

This principle must be upheld!

Before Xun Chen and Yue Yin could speak, Li Chang pointed his index finger into the air and continued typing:

As the ancient sage Yang Xiong once said, "To know and not do is worse than not knowing at all." "To learn and then put it into practice is the highest form of learning."

True and solid knowledge is action; clear and insightful action is knowledge.

If knowledge and action are separate paths, then one will spend one's entire life without taking them, and thus one will also spend one's entire life without knowing them!

Therefore, knowledge and action must be unified!

"???"

Xun Chen and Yue Yin's eyes widened immediately!

Is this still the Li Chang they know? Or has he been replaced?

If it weren't for this face, they would have thought someone was challenging them to a debate!

And the last two sentences, in their view, were words that could almost rival those of sages, and were uttered by Li Changneng.

If it were a great Confucian scholar, they might actually believe it!

Even Jia Xu, who was in the corner, couldn't stay calm. He looked at Li Chang as if he were seeing him for the first time!

Every time he thought he had seen through Li Chang, Li Chang always surprised him!

"Loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness are not just learned from scriptures, but also put into practice."

Li Chang quickly changed the subject, borrowing a couple of lines to gloss over the matter!

If you really start debating, you'll be exposed in no time!

He picked up his pen and wrote down the exam questions he had designed in a few lines.

"I think arithmetic is also very important. If a county magistrate can't calculate finances, or a county lieutenant can't calculate troop strength, wouldn't that be harming the country and its people?"

The problems he wrote were all basic math problems at the junior high school level for later generations.

There are also some simple area and volume calculations, acceleration and deceleration problems, and word problems from the Eastern Han Dynasty involving both delivering and eating grain.

But in the eyes of Xun Chen and Yue Yin, it was as if the arrow was on the bowstring and had to be released, but then it suddenly disappeared!

They were so frustrated that their faces turned from blue to red!

Is it still time to discuss the topic? Shouldn't we continue with that topic and keep debating?

Even if they had to stand on the other side, let them braid and fight it out, that would be fine!!

Three difficulties followed by three questions and three answers?!

How could it suddenly break down like that?

How can you be like Bi Lan?

With a dark expression, Yue Yin straightened his clothes, stood up, and bowed deeply.

This is the action that contemporary Confucian scholars would take to refute during a debate.

He said earnestly, "The Great Learning has eight sections, with investigation of things and extension of knowledge preceding sincerity and rectification of the mind; the Book of Documents is divided into two canons, with the canon of Yao following the canon of Shun."

Sages who wrote scriptures all used "knowledge" to guide "action." If one says that knowledge and action are fundamentally one, wouldn't that be sages arbitrarily establishing a sequence and confusing the scriptures?

You are also aware that Yang Xiong said, "Learning, then practicing, is the highest." He clearly distinguishes between "learning" and "practicing," distinguishing the order of importance. You, however, wish to borrow this ancient saying to contradict its original meaning; this is not seeking truth, but rather a distortion of learning!

Li Chang: "..."

What's wrong with the intellectuals of this era? Do they have to be so pure?

You still want to debate?

I only glanced at those things a few times and noted down some that I could put in there!

Le Yin bowed solemnly and delivered a scathing critique, citing classical texts and allusions with impeccable skill.

Xun Chen's eyes were also waiting for Li Chang's reply.

An ordinary scholar would have been blushing and speechless by now.

But Li Chang just laughed and raised his hand to interrupt the impending battle of Confucian classics.

It seems we'll have to use the old-fashioned tactics!

He rejected Yue Yin's textual research on the classics and pointed to the area outside Jinyang City.

There were once refugees and farmers who struggled to make a living there.

"What you said, sir, about the classics and scriptures, is a gem in itself."

First, offer a way out, without contradicting Confucian principles, and stabilize the team!

Then, the tone shifted abruptly, and her aura became fully charismatic:

"But sages wrote books to bring peace to the people and save the world, not to let future generations sit in their rooms and nitpick over words!"

Knowing what comes first and what is in order is the learning of a scholar;

The way to govern the world and bring peace to the people is to put knowledge into practice and ensure their well-being.

Now that the nine prefectures of Bingzhou have been initially settled, millions of people are waiting to eat, tens of thousands of officials are waiting to be appointed, the land is in need of governance, and chaos is imminent!

When I select officials today, I do not seek those who are learned scholars, but only those who can get things done!

The correctness or incorrectness of the scriptures can be debated gradually when the academy holds classes later.

The lives of ordinary people cannot wait!

This is the true purpose for which the sages of old passed down their teachings!

In a word!

Transform academic debate into a mission to save the world!

Xun Chen and Yue Yin were speechless for a moment.

They focus on the correctness of the interpretation of scriptures.

Li Chang valued the well-being of the people and the nation.

They were put on a moral high ground and labeled.

The situation was instantly overwhelming, leaving the two speechless and only able to admit defeat.

A glint of light flashed in Jia Xu's eyes, and he secretly clapped his hands: