The Deepest Affection in Qin's Time

Cao Yuan and Zi Han exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes. They hadn't expected Wuming to open the door himself.

Seemingly noticing their surprise, Wuming said calmly, "I am the only one in the mansion. Is there anything you need?"

Zihan respectfully said, "I am Zihan from Xiaoshengxianzhuang. I have come to find Senior Brother Fu Nian. I apologize for disturbing you."

He was unaware of his senior brother's itinerary and worried that his senior brother would leave after visiting the Nameless Sword Saint, so he had no choice but to abruptly show up.

The nameless swordsman nodded and looked at Cao Yuan.

Cao Yuan cupped his hands and said, "I am Cao Yuan, the owner of 'Golden Key' Locksmith Shop."

Wuming glanced at Cao Yuan, a strange look flashing in his eyes, and asked in a less than friendly tone, "What are you doing here?"

Cao Yuan was taken aback, and tentatively asked, "Yan Lu?"

Zihan quickly replied, "Yes, yes, Sword Saint, how is Yan Lu?"

Wuming silently sensed his surroundings and, seeing nothing amiss, said, "You may come in first."

The area within the mansion is relatively empty, mostly desolate and abandoned.

There are only two wooden houses, but they are quite lively and are often inhabited.

"Zihan?"

There was a man in front of the stone table. He was dressed in solemn and magnificent clothes, sitting upright with a stern and firm look in his eyes.

He is none other than Fu Nian, the current acting head of Xiaoshengxianzhuang, which is the first of the eight major Confucian schools.

As the most talented disciple among the eight schools of Confucianism, Fu Nian's scholarship, though not as great as his uncle Xunzi, was still comparable to that of contemporary great Confucian scholars.

Zihan quickly handed over the cloth that Cao Yuan had given him yesterday.

Fu Nian took it with a slight frown, and after glancing at it, his frown deepened.

Ugly handwriting.

Cao Yuan kept his eyes straight ahead, showing no embarrassment whatsoever.

He's already exhausted himself to master Qi Wen in just two months, hasn't he?

As for how well the tortoise crawled the characters...

Just like the creatures in the deep sea, they grow randomly, and you can recognize the writing as "carbon-based life"...

"Human nature is the principle of Heaven, and the principle of Heaven is the ultimate good. Therefore, the nature of man is pure and without evil."

Evil is not inherent in human nature, but rather arises from a biased constitution and the obscuration of selfish desires.

The way to cultivate oneself lies in upholding heavenly principles, eliminating human desires, and returning to one's original goodness...

Fu Nian was always calm and composed. Even though his handwriting was ugly and didn't make a good impression at first glance, he still tried his best to decipher it out of a sense of responsibility. Before he knew it, he couldn't help but read it aloud.

The more deeply Fu Nian read, the more immersed he became, just like when he first read the Analects, his mouth was filled with fragrance, and the sound lingered for three days.

For him, now a man of profound learning, this was an extremely precious experience, like a child encountering the world for the first time, full of surprises and novelties.

Cao Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Fu Nian go inside so engrossed.

His efforts were worthwhile, as he used the Confucian system of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism to discuss "human nature is inherently good or inherently evil".

Now that Fu Nian has taken the bait, he is five-tenths confident that he can obtain the bronze treasure box while also successfully escaping Jing Ni and Li Wu, and live a carefree life.

If you really do fail and are unlucky, just run away to Xiaoshengxianzhuang and "fight" with Xunzi, who isn't good at martial arts. It's no big deal.

"Evil is not inherent in one's nature, but rather a result of biased constitution and the obscuration of material desires..."

Fu Nian's clear reading voice came to an abrupt halt. He stood there holding the cloth covered with ugly characters, unsure whether to lift his foot or not, as he was about to continue pacing.

Silence, oh silence...

"What about the rest?"

Fu Nian's tone was urgent, like a foodie who hadn't eaten for three days and three nights, who was enjoying a limited-edition deluxe meal when he discovered that the table had been cleared, and he was almost jumping up and down in a panic.

Before Zihan could answer, Wuming sighed and said, "A person who can write such a treatise is no less than my teacher; I am far inferior to him."

Fu Nian said, "Senior brother, why should you feel ashamed? It's only half a treatise. Whether it can compare to our senior uncle's is still uncertain."

Cao Yuan and Zi Han were both shocked.

Cao Yuan was shocked to learn that the nameless swordsman was actually Xunzi's disciple.

Zihan was shocked to find that this essay seemed even more impressive than he had imagined.

"Junior brother, who wrote this? Is there a sequel?"

After Fu Nian spoke again, Zi Han immediately pushed Cao Yuan forward.

"Senior Brother, it was written by Brother Cao."

Cao Yuan had already made preparations.

“Master Fu Nian, due to time constraints and limited cloth, the book is not yet finished. I am sorry to disappoint you.”

Wuming's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of doubt appearing in them.

Cao Yuan's alteration of the Analects into the Lunyu is disrespectful to the sages and corrupts the teachings of Yan Hui and Lu Xun. Could he really be the person who wrote this essay?

Fu Nian is the same as Wu Ming.

He looked at Cao Yuan, shocked, then fell silent. He was too young; it didn't seem like him.

"Are you a Confucian disciple?"

"No."

"Have you thoroughly studied the essence of Confucianism?"

"I have read it."

"Did you really write this?"

"...It was handwritten by me. It was only after years of being around my teacher and being influenced by him that I was able to write it."

Fu Nian still didn't quite believe it. Could someone write such a treatise simply by being exposed to something?

It almost has the potential to open up a new lineage for Confucianism.

It should be understood that from Confucius to the present day, Confucianism has only had eight branches. Those who can open up the Confucian literary lineage are all great Confucian scholars who have been studying for many years, just like his uncle Xunzi.

"Do you have a Confucian classic that you are proficient in? If so, what is it?"

"...The Analects."

Cao Yuan was a little nervous.

The script is a bit off.

Fu Nian was surprisingly clear-headed. Instead of bowing down to him in shock, he acted like a brother and allowed him to successfully complete the shady deal.

What a waste of all those pretentious online novels he's read!

Fu Nian pondered for a moment and said, "Would you be willing to accept my question on the topic of the Analects?"

In Confucianism, one can judge whether a person has real talent and learning simply by observing their answers to policy questions, lectures, and essays.

In short, let's put it to the test.

Cao Yuan felt a chill run down his spine. He had read the Analects, and in order to adapt it into "Lunyu," he had read it more than once, but...

No, this isn't the tree-lined path he's familiar with. He needs to...

Zihan, brimming with confidence, readily agreed, "That's easy. Senior Brother, just ask Brother Cao!"

He had chatted with Cao Yuan many times and had great confidence in Cao Yuan.

Cao Yuan was just thinking about how to drive the car to his familiar "tree-lined path" when he got numb.

Damn it, Zihan, if you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all!

This effectively cut off his escape route, making it impossible for him to even consider going astray or taking another path.

"Master Fu Nian, please pose a question."

Cao Yuan remained calm in the face of danger, his heart pounding with rage while his face remained as still as a lake.

Since things have come to this point, whether it succeeds or not, let's give it a try first.

Otherwise, not only will all your efforts be wasted, but you'll also be looked down upon for no reason.

Fu Nian often taught at Xiaoshengxianzhuang. When discussing Cao Yuan's literary theories, which differed from the eight major schools of Confucianism, he immediately remarked:

The Analects, Book 2, Chapter 1, states: "To attack heterodox doctrines is harmful indeed."

In this world, times have changed, various schools of thought have flourished, and diverse opinions have emerged. If we judge these opinions by the standards of the Master's teachings: what constitutes heresy? Should we attack it, suppress it, or clarify it?

……

Chapter 8 My teacher's surname is Wang and given name is You

Fu Nian asked Cao Yuan a profound question.

It is said that there are many schools of thought nowadays, including our Confucian school of thought. Which ones are biased and incorrect doctrines?

What should we do if someone wants to study these unorthodox subjects?

Should we ban it, or should we take a dialectical approach?

When Cao Yuan heard Fu Nian ask this question, he almost blurted out a radical idea: "Suppress all other schools of thought and exclusively honor Confucianism!"

He knew that just saying this would be enough to move Fu Nian and make him feel good.

Who could blame Fu Nian in the original work, who always advocated benevolent rule and had a strong sense of mission towards Confucianism and the affairs of the world, striving to promote Confucianism and hoping to make it the primary doctrine for governing the country?

But Cao Yuan held back.

If he were to say this out loud, he would probably be torn apart by the various schools of thought during the Warring States period.

Let him know what it means for a "simp to die a horrible death"!

In this era, there are indeed people like Chu Mo who would rather take action than talk, and famous figures who can verbally kill, as well as a bunch of Yin-Yang School members who frequently perform feats of "cultivating immortality." I've heard that the Yin-Yang School's girl group is quite nice...

When the thought popped into his head, Cao Yuan wanted to slap himself.

What time is it? You're still thinking about the Yin Yang School's girl group!