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

When the news reached Jixia Academy, the five major Confucian schools, which had previously been independent and engaged in debates, surprisingly united as one.

Zheng Xuan, Cai Yong, Lu Zhi, Yue Yin, and Xun Chen are the five major schools of thought.

They usually argued endlessly about the meaning of classics and the law, but when they heard that Kong Rong had come, they surprisingly united against him.

Why should the Confucius family get a share of the Jixia Academy, which they worked so hard to build?

If the Kong family had just stayed in Qingzhou, they could have continued to venerate Confucius!

But since you've come to Jixia Academy, you've come not to the Kong family, but to Kong Rong!

"Kong Wenju has always been arrogant and conceited, and his visit this time is not well-intentioned."

"We cannot let the reputation of Jixia be ruined by him."

Once the group met, they decided to go out together and personally greet the students at the academy gate.

Even Li Chang and Liu Hong were pulled over, making it a six-person welcoming party.

Outside the gate, Kong Rong, dressed in a Confucian robe and holding a whisk, stood with two fierce generals, Wu Anguo and Taishi Ci, behind him.

Behind them were over a hundred disciples of Confucius, each standing tall and proud, exuding an air of authority.

It has a style reminiscent of Confucius traveling around the states!

But Li Chang saw that Kong Rong was only about seven feet five inches tall and had a weak build. He could tell that Kong Rong was not as good as him in a fight!

I shook my head inwardly. Half of Confucius's legacy has been lost!

However, this person finally came on his own!

When Zheng Xuan and the others came out, Kong Rong simply nodded slightly.

After exchanging greetings...

Kong Rong opened his mouth and said:

"I heard that all the wise men of Jixia Academy have gathered here, so I came here for a visit."

I have long heard that you all possess profound knowledge of the classics, and today is a perfect opportunity for a debate. Let us see whether your scholarship is superior, or whether my teachings, passed down from the sages, are truly correct.

From the very first word, they came with the air of someone coming to challenge us! Combined with those hundreds of followers, they certainly looked formidable!

Li Chang stood at the back. He turned to the clerk beside him and whispered, "Go and call Mr. Wenli and Zhengping here."

"Someone's come to challenge us, how could we leave out the two of them?"

Bian Rangwen was renowned for his literary talent, and Mi Heng was even more shrewd with words. Together, they were perfect for dealing with Kong Rong.

Having said that, still not entirely at ease, he instructed Zhou Cang, "Take my personal guards, change into the black and white Taoist robes I prepared for you, and act as my disciples. You will be my eldest disciple!"

If the situation hadn't been so dire, Zhou Cang would have knelt down on the spot!

"Disciple greets Master!"

Go and call someone right away!

……

Upon entering the academy's martial arts hall, everyone took their seats according to their status as hosts and guests, with each family's disciples standing behind them!

It actually includes Li Chang?

Zheng Xuan, Cai Yong, Yue Yin, Xun Chen, and Liu Hong looked at the five burly 'disciples' behind Li Chang and fell into deep thought.

Where did Dean Li get his disciples?

"never mind!"

Everyone shook their heads; after all, it wouldn't affect their status in Confucianism!

Without further ado, they went straight into the debate.

Kong Rong began by discussing the main principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals, refuting the modern interpretations and critiquing the ancient ones, citing classical texts and speaking eloquently.

Xun Chen was the first to stand up and respond. After debating for half an hour, he gradually lost ground.

Le Yin then took over, and although his teachings were excellent, Kong Rong was learned and had a strong memory. As the classics of the sages pressed down on him, he gradually couldn't keep up.

Kong Rong sat on the mat, flicked his whisk, and exuded confidence, seemingly poised to sweep away a thousand armies.

The disciples below stared in disbelief, marveling at the profound knowledge of this Master Kong.

Cai Yong and Zheng Xuan exchanged a glance and stood up together.

One was the foremost scholar of Confucian classics, another was the most talented, and together with Kong Rong, a descendant of Confucius, they formed a "three-legged balance of power!" The three debated with each other!

The three engaged in a lively debate, refuting each other's arguments, from the Spring and Autumn Annals to the Book of Documents, from rites and music to criminal law, each word a gem, each sentence revealing a sharp wit.

The disciples listened as if drinking fine wine, completely absorbed, feeling that today's debate was worth more than ten years of study.

Everyone, combining Kong Rong's character and morality with their current knowledge, immediately guessed that the academy would be opening another class in the future!

Li Chang leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, watching with great interest.

It's a pity that they are all cultured people of high status, so they can't start cursing or fighting, which makes it less exciting!

At the height of the debate, Kong Rong found himself at a disadvantage and abruptly changed the subject, pointing directly at Li Chang.

"I have long heard that the Grand Commander is a man of great talent and single-handedly founded the Jixia Academy. He must have some brilliant insights."

"I have a question I would like to ask the Grand Commander."

The room fell silent instantly.

Jia Xu sat in the corner, holding his teacup, and almost burst out laughing.

He understands Li Chang so well.

This Grand Commander was a master of strategy, economics, military tactics, and political structure.

But his understanding of Confucian classics? He's barely at the beginner level!

If a few words occasionally pop out that can be passed down through the ages, they must have been heard from who-knows-where!

Zheng Xuan, Cai Yong, Xun Chen, and Yue Yin were also aware of these things!

They were well aware of Li Chang's capabilities in this area!

Some things, you can't fake just by knowing a few words or memorizing a few phrases!

If they reached the level of Zheng Xuan and his ilk, they would be exposed in no time!

But at this moment, they all began to worry about Li Chang!

Although Li Chang's Confucian scholarship was somewhat mediocre, they all acknowledged his character, conduct, and the practical things he did for the people.

Cai Yong and Zheng Xuan exchanged a glance, instantly understanding each other's meaning: if necessary, we must also take action! Dean Li also possessed a strong sense of righteousness!

Li Chang, who was the center of attention, straightened up without panic and said with a smile:

"I don't understand any profound meanings or pedantic language."

I have a question for you, Mr. Kong: The world is in chaos, people are displaced, starving people are everywhere, and foreign tribes are eyeing us covetously in the north.

According to the teachings of Confucius, the most urgent task is either to first debate the right and wrong of the Confucian classics, or to first ensure that the people are well-fed and that the world is at peace?

Kong Rong: "???"

This isn't the proper procedure for debating scriptures, is it?

Before Kong Rong could reply, Li Chang took two steps forward:

"During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Confucius was in Beihai. The people were resorting to cannibalism. The Yellow Turbans besieged the city. Could the teachings of the sages have repelled the enemy, or could weapons and provisions have saved the people?"

Jizhou is suffering from a severe drought and locust plagues. People are resorting to cannibalism. The question is whether distinguishing between the modern and ancient Chinese texts can save lives, or whether opening granaries and distributing grain can save lives.

The Xianbei and Xiongnu tribes in the north raided our borders year after year, taking our people captive as slaves. Could we repel them with benevolence and morality, or could we protect our borders with strong military force?

Li Chang could only apologize in his heart. It wasn't directed at Kong Rong, but the Kong family had to be suppressed!

This series of questions made Kong Rong's face turn red and white in turns.

He wanted to refute, but when he opened his mouth, he found that he had no way to refute it.

These are all real issues, and cannot be circumvented by a few words of scripture.

Moreover, he himself didn't do these things well!

His character and integrity do not allow him to be unpredictable!

Li Chang looked at him, took another step closer, and lowered his gaze:

"Master Kong is a descendant of a sage and a role model for scholars throughout the world."

I often want to ask:

If foreign tribes were to invade from the south and besiege the city, would the Kong family, like some other aristocratic families, waver between the two sides, submitting surrender documents and opening the gates to surrender, or would they uphold the integrity of the Han people and rather die than surrender?

Will the Kong family forever remain the Kong family of the Han people?

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Everyone was looking at Kong Rong.

This is a very serious problem.

If you don't answer correctly, the Confucius family's centuries-old reputation will be ruined!