fake gentry

Gu He picked up the whisk and suddenly burst into laughter, "Thank you, young master. I have another question; are you willing to answer it?"

Xie Hong remained silent for a moment, then bowed and said, "Please ask, Lord Gu."

If he could answer the question, he certainly wouldn't mind gaining some fame.

But if he can't answer, he has ways to back down.

Please explain the concept of governing by non-action.

Xie Hong breathed a sigh of relief. He happened to know a little bit about this problem.

Besides the history of the Wei and Jin dynasties, the history of the Northern Song dynasty was the one he was most familiar with, because the scholar-official class of the Northern Song dynasty had many similarities with the gentry of the Jin dynasty.

The Jin Dynasty was a political system dominated by aristocratic families, while the Northern Song Dynasty was a system of sharing power with scholar-officials.

In his commentary on the *Tao Te Ching*, Wang Anshi specifically discussed the differences between Confucianism and Taoism regarding the principle of non-action (wuwei).

What was Wang Anshi's status?

Moving his things to the Eastern Jin Dynasty would be a game-changer.

"Non-action does not mean doing nothing. The sage benefits the people because of what is beneficial to them, and dislikes what is harmful to them. He follows the natural course of things, does not go against their nature, follows their inherent order, and does not disturb their peace."

"Therefore it is said: Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. When cooking a small fish, one does not remove its intestines or scales, and dares not stir it, lest it become mushy."

Wang Anshi interpreted "wuwei" (non-action) as the monarch setting the overall direction, refraining from excessive micromanagement, and allowing the people and society to develop naturally. This was the most important ideological and theoretical support for Wang Anshi's reforms.

Xie Hong added the last sentence: "Lao Tzu spoke of non-action, not as abandoning one's will, but as not acting recklessly. If one does not act recklessly, then nothing will be left ungoverned."

Huangshiyan was once again deathly silent.

Gu He remained silent for a long while. He placed the whisk on the table, stood up, walked to Xie Hong, and bowed deeply to him.

A barely suppressed commotion immediately arose from all around.

That's Gu Junxiao! This Confucian scholar, who always held himself in high esteem, actually treated a sixteen-year-old boy with the respect due to a peer?

Xie Hong quickly returned the greeting.

Gu He straightened up and laughed loudly, saying, "Young Master Xie has already reached a state of perfect harmony between Confucianism and Buddhism, and his understanding of Confucian classics is probably superior to mine."

This sentence is like something exploding.

Ge Hong was overjoyed, but Xi Zhong turned to look at Xi Xuan, while little Xi Yin had already stood up and was waving at Xie Hong with a bouncy gait.

Xie Kun's face mask had fallen off at some point, making it impossible to see his expression.

Zhang De and Zhai Qian stood at the edge of the crowd, their faces ashen.

Zhang Xun and Luo Shao trembled all over, wishing they could disappear into nowhere. The other three clan leaders of the four Yu Zhang clans, however, sat upright and motionless, looking completely absorbed in their own world.

They have already made up their minds and will sever ties with Roche as soon as possible.

Gu He reached out and took Xie Hong's arm, laughing loudly, "I am thirty-four years old this year, and Xie Hong is only sixteen. If you don't mind my dullness, I would like to befriend you. I have a son named Chun, and I would like to treat him with the respect due to a teacher."

Influenced by the metaphysical trends of the Wei and Jin dynasties, scholars in the Eastern Jin Dynasty generally had a social perception of premature aging, and scholars in their thirties and forties often humbly referred to themselves as "old men".

Zhou Guang, the prefect of Xunyang, was both surprised and delighted.

The joy goes without saying. Today was originally the day when the new Marquis of Wu set up the stage to perform and make his grandson famous, but unexpectedly a Xie Hong appeared. At the tender age of twenty, he managed to impress the representatives of the two top aristocratic families in the north and south.

If word got out, it would truly be the highlight of his life as the prefect.

What's surprising is that Xie Hong's identity has never been explicitly acknowledged.

Was he really a member of the Xie family? Did he really murder a member of the gentry? Was he a spy for the Jie-Zhao people?

The former is easier to explain; given Xie Hong's performance today, countless people will surely help him cover it up.

But who among the spies from the Jie and Zhao factions would dare to cover for him?

Therefore, the key issue is that Xie Youyu does not acknowledge his identity.

They admitted it, and the accusation of espionage was utter nonsense.

I don't admit it...

Zhou Guang looked at Xie Kun, his emotions fluctuating.

They were all prefects, and his father was a famous general, but a famous general is nothing in front of a great scholar.

Gu He, holding Xie Hong's man, smiled at Zhai Tang: "Lord Daoyuan, do you still have questions?"

Xie Hong's three questions and three answers just now have rendered Zhu Faqian and Gu He defeated.

All eyes immediately turned to Zhai Tang.

Yes, isn't there still one more challenge?

This kid is well-versed in Confucianism and Buddhism, could he actually be a prophet? These days, judging a person isn't based on Confucianism. Aren't Xie Kun and Xie Youyu living examples of this?

In terms of Confucianism, Xie Kun is no less than any of the great scholars of our time, but wasn't he also forced to switch from Confucianism to metaphysics in order to gain the reputation of being one of the eight great scholars of Jiangzuo today?

If Daoyuan wins, what does it matter if this kid becomes famous? He won't even catch the eye of a high-ranking family, let alone obtain a prestigious official position. He'll just end up as a corrupt official.

Moreover, his identity as a member of the Xie family has not yet been confirmed, and he has not been cleared of suspicion as a spy for the Jie and Zhao tribes.

Whether they can leave alive is another matter entirely.

Zhai Tang is under immense pressure right now.

As a man of high moral character, he was naturally willing to help Xie Hong achieve his goals. The more famous Xie Hong became, the more renowned he would be. After all, Xie Hong had risen to prominence at his gathering.

But if Xie Hong's wish is granted, what about Tu Qin's side?

He had promised his old friend that he would make his grandson famous.

Tu Xiu was actually a good-for-nothing. Zhai Tang had already given him his answer beforehand, which was how he managed to fool everyone. Zhai Tang also valued his reputation, so he used a very good evaluation to deceive everyone.

Never mind, it's the same old routine.

"How does Mr. Xie transcend Confucian ethics and embrace nature?"

The prominent figures present immediately cursed him inwardly as an old fox.

Zhai Daoyuan is overly protective of his reputation.

Xie Hong chuckled inwardly; this topic was a catch-all, and anyone could come up with a solution.

It's like walking down the street and someone interviewing you about what happiness means.

Everyone has a different understanding of happiness, but would you dare say that someone's understanding is wrong?

Huangshi Rock fell silent again, and everyone looked at Xie Hong, while the young scholars, including Lu Na, looked excited.

Xie Hong thought for a moment, then smiled and asked in return, "What does Master Zhai think?"

Zhai Tang couldn't help but smile wryly, and could only say with a smile, "Everyone should follow their own nature; following one's nature is true freedom."

The core of this issue is that no matter how unrestrained the scholars of other dynasties were, they dared not criticize the imperial family for their illegitimate accession to the throne or for their reckless behavior.

Ultimately, there is one fundamental thing.

Imperial power is supreme.

No matter how much one looks down on royalty and the emperor, everyone must abide by one rule: imperial power is the bottom line.

Imperial power is like a big pond, and the so-called scholars are like fish in the pond. No matter how much these fish jump, they can't escape, and they can't even ascend to heaven.

You can't overturn the pond.

You may want to die, but others don't. They'd rather continue swimming leisurely in the pond.

But it wasn't like that during the Jin Dynasty; anyone could treat the Sima family like a chamber pot.

That's why Ji Kang dared to propose transcending Confucian doctrines and letting nature take its course.

Xie Hong chuckled inwardly.

Is being an emperor carefree?

Everyone should follow their own nature. So many people want to rebel, but is it reasonable to rebel?

You guys are really brave.

He immediately laughed and said, "Xia Jie and Shang Zhou were cruel by nature; did they live a carefree life?"

Zhai Tang couldn't help but gasp.

How did he answer?

The prominent figures present stared at Xie Hong as if they had seen a ghost.

This kid is absolutely despicable.

Xie Hong pressed on: "Is the roc considered carefree? It needs to fly 90,000 miles to survive, which is called being unfit for the outside world. Is the small bird considered carefree? It mocks the roc, which is called being arrogant inside."

"Therefore, I believe that as long as there are conditions for dependence, one cannot truly be carefree."

"The roc is burdened by external things, and the little bird is burdened by its own mind. Only by being free from desires and expectations can one achieve true freedom."

Zhai Tang immediately seized the opportunity and retorted, "What does my lord think is the way to be free from desire and expectation?"

Xie Hong laughed heartily: "Use things without being used by them."

One sentence stunned the entire audience.

I rule over all things, but all things do not rule over me.

This is what true freedom is.

Zhu Faqian exclaimed in shock, "Isn't Xie Lang being a bit too self-centered?"

Xie Hong smiled and said, "Master Zhu, it's all about how to be a person and how to do things. As a person, one should strive for self-improvement; as a person, one should be virtuous and magnanimous."

This is yet another completely new interpretation of the Book of Changes.

Xie Hong used all sorts of fallacies and heresies from the modern internet to overwhelm the three famous scholars.

And it was all very logical and well-founded.

He had no idea that what he was saying was proposed decades later by a high-ranking monk named Zhi Daolin. He didn't know the source; he just knew how to make things up using fragmented information from the internet, but by sheer coincidence, he hit the mark.

Zhai Tang stood up and bowed deeply to Xie Hong:

"I know your ambition, my lord. The road ahead is long and arduous. I only wish you a safe journey."

Xie Hong felt a surge of emotion.

This old man is using a double entendre.

He was implying that he could simply leave, completely ignoring Luo Shao's accusations, and that someone would naturally stop the other party for him.

If Xie Hong was not a spy for the Jie Zhao, then it would be known afterward upon investigation.

If Xie Hong was truly a spy for the Jie Zhao, then leaving earlier would have allowed him to escape.

Zhai Tang and others were moved by the talent and did not want such a prodigy as Xie Hong to perish.

This also reflects the complex mentality of the gentry at that time.

Whom do you think they are loyal to?

They are only loyal to themselves.

In fact, even Zhai Tang himself was unaware that he harbored a complex mindset.

Why did Zhai Tang, who lived in seclusion, gain such great fame?

Do you really enjoy a life of poverty?

No.

The Zhai family's foundation is too shallow. They are a low-ranking gentry in Chaisang County. Even if Wang Dao recruits them, what can they do?

It's still because people look down on us.

So it's better to stay in seclusion; your fame will only grow.

Does he not want to be an official?

Who the hell wouldn't want that? If you offered Zhai Tang a prestigious position, would he take it? But prestigious positions are all reserved for high-ranking families.

If Zhai had someone like Xie Hong, he would immediately jump for joy and want to become an official.

Lao Tzu has a successor, and he is an unparalleled genius. He must pave the way for his children and grandchildren.

What? Xie Hong is using a false surname?

Is there really such a handsome and talented person with the surname Mao?

What did the Xie family of Chenjun have that he could covet?

I want to make Xie Hong my son or grandson.

Is it a surname?

What is impersonation?

It is those who swindle and deceive who deserve to die. Is Xie Langjun, who can bring endless fame to the family and elevate the family's status, an imposter?

That's the Tianyou family.