Chapter 294: King and Hegemony Coexist, Great Power Can Become
The candlelight shone through the gauze, emitting a hazy yellow glow in the inky night. Ying Chengjiao's reflection appeared long and short in the light. He walked slowly to the door of the room where Xunzi lived and knocked lightly.
The doors on the left and right were opened from the inside. Xunzi, dressed in plain clothes, stood in front of the door, lowered his head and moved sideways to make way for Ying Chengjiao.
Ying Chengjiao was surprised.
He thought he would hear someone say "Come in" or "The door is not locked", but he didn't expect that Xunzi would come to open the door for him himself.
This happened frequently to Li Mu, Gai Nie, and Jing Ke, but it was not the case with Xunzi.
Xunzi was the last of the current retainers with nicknames to enter the palace of Lord Chang'an.
Although Xunzi always addressed Ying Chengjiao as his sovereign and regarded himself as his retainer, there was actually a rift between the two, and that rift was called distrust.
Xunzi was not like his favorite disciple Han Fei, who completely trusted Ying Chengjiao.
In Xunzi's philosophy and in the minds of ordinary people, how could those with vested interests give up their own interests to seek the welfare of others?
Therefore, no matter how much empty talk Ying Chengjiao said, Xunzi would not believe him completely.
This old man who had been sitting in the Jixia Academy and waiting for three years to become the chief priest regarded Ying Chengjiao as his last straw. He could gamble with his own life, but he didn't dare to bet his entire fortune.
"Xunzi hasn't slept yet."
Ying Chengjiao walked in and sat opposite the old man. Feeling a little uncomfortable, he made small talk.
He had known for a long time that Xunzi had not slept. Such a big thing had happened today, and Xunzi must have known what he had done long ago, so naturally he would not sleep.
There are no more than three people in the world who can solve the aftermath of his murder of the three great families, and Xunzi is one of them.
"If your Majesty is the king, the world will be established."
Xunzi twirled his beard and said with a smile, his face showing visible joy, which was completely different from his expression when the old man in black was there.
"Xunzi, please stop making fun of Cheng Jiao. Even if Cheng Jiao were king, he would not believe that he could do better than my brother."
"Blue is derived from blue and is bluer than blue. Your Majesty is now the king, and you should absorb your majesty's kingly hegemony and reach a higher level."
"Forget it." Ying Chengjiao curled his lips in disbelief. "Who are you trying to fool? I am the king tonight, Meng Ao will be able to clear the court at dawn, and Wang Ben, Li Xin, and Wang Jian will be able to gather troops to defend the king tomorrow."
Seeing that Ying Chengjiao was not interested in this, the old man sighed secretly and stopped talking to Ying Chengjiao about being king. He just said meaningfully that you cannot wake up a person who is pretending to be asleep.
"Xunzi should know the purpose of Chengjiao's visit today. Chengjiao was a little reckless today. Now that things have come to this, please summon all your disciples to Xianyang and serve as officials in Qin."
In order to quickly fill the vacancies of the three major families of Meng, Xi and Bai in Guanzhong, a large number of people who can serve as officials are needed.
The reason why the First Emperor was difficult to find was because of the Qin State's own problems, and there was not enough talent to reserve for the future. And talent was exactly what Xunzi, who had disciples all over the world, had the most.
It is impossible for every one of these people to become a prime minister like Li Si and Han Fei and write books that will be passed down through the ages. That is unrealistic.
But if they were just asked to manage a city or a county, Xunzi could find a large number of disciples with such talents.
Managing the people of Guanzhong who are in deep awe of Qin laws is a novice task for the students of the Jixia Academy who are used to hanging out in the advanced dungeon of Qi.
"You are not even qualified to be the magistrate of Lanling County. How can your disciples take on such an important task? Your Majesty is joking."
Ying Chengjiao frowned. This was the second variable. He did not expect Xunzi to politely reject him.
He knew very well that what Xunzi wanted was the same as what he wanted, and now that there was such a good opportunity, he should not give up.
Xunzi had a glorious life experience. In Qi State, where literary style was most popular, King Xiang of Qi once said that Xunzi was the best teacher.
In today's terms, Xunzi was the most learned and knowledgeable person, and the highest leader in the intellectual and cultural circles.
However, Xunzi, who was so highly respected in Qi State, was only appointed as the magistrate of Lanling County by the God of Spring Huang Xie. He was dismissed after only working halfway.
"A stone placed in the mud has no shape, but gold thrown on the beach shines brightly. Both are in a place close to oneself, but the results are completely different. Xunzi is a piece of shining gold, which will shine wherever it is placed. Huang Xie, that villain, did not recognize Xunzi's talent, which is due to his poor eyesight."
Xunzi smiled slightly.
"You have never thought that such a gifted son of heaven as Your Majesty would think so highly of you. Then may I ask Your Majesty, you have been in Chang'an for a long time, why did you only set foot in your door today.
"Your Majesty's actions are like owning precious jewels but not knowing how to wear them. Mixing brocade and cloth together but not knowing the difference between the two.
"The meeting of the beautiful woman Lu Shu and the handsome man She was supposed to be a good story, but no matchmaking was mentioned. It was not until the ugly woman Mei Mu pursued the handsome man She that Lu Shu thought of pursuing him.
"Your Majesty's behavior is not only stupid, but also absurd. It is simply like treating a blind person as a person with sight and a deaf person as a person with hearing. It is absurd to regard right as wrong and evil as good."
Xunzi first used pearls and brocade cloth in these words to imply Ying Chengjiao's dissatisfaction with accepting him as a retainer but not letting him contribute.
Later, the emotional entanglement between the beautiful woman Lü Shu, the handsome man She, and the ugly woman Meimu was used to imply that Ying Chengjiao had caused trouble and he was the only one who could solve the problem.
The ending is a direct attack without any disguise.
Ying Chengjiao frowned, and a look of obvious dissatisfaction appeared on his originally relaxed face.
"Xun Qing, do you think that I am the only one who can be my king? If you ridicule me like this, can you achieve your ideal world, where the world is based on law and morality is respected?"
Xunzi was called by his name directly, but he didn't care and stretched out his hand.
"You really can't think of anyone else in the world who can solve your problem. If your Majesty is not talking nonsense, can you name three or two people to help you solve your puzzle?"
Ying Chengjiao's face darkened.
"Confucians have long been bored of studying classics in the Doctoral Office. I can ask Fu Sheng to gather all the Confucian students and scatter them all over Guanzhong. I think Confucians, who have long wanted to return to their status as a prominent school of thought, will not miss this opportunity and will be grateful to me."
After glancing at Xunzi, Ying Chengjiao slapped his thigh with an exaggerated expression as if he had just remembered something.
"I forgot that you are also a Confucian scholar. The resurgence of Confucianism is equal to your rise. You spoke ill of me, but I forgot my personal grudge and helped you revive Confucianism. I repay evil with virtue. I am truly a saint."
Xunzi did not seem angry.
He said calmly: "Your Majesty's thoughts are correct. Those fake Confucian scholars who distort Confucius's intentions are willing to collude with you. But you want to know, how can you convince your majesty?
"Your Majesty is not a king, and all Qin officials are decided by your Majesty. Your Majesty, who regards the Legalists as the standard and appoints a bad disciple as prime minister, should not be willing to see the rise of pseudo-Confucianism. Is what you said correct?"
Ying Chengjiao snorted coldly and did not answer Xunzi's question, because what Xunzi said was right.
Confucianism and Legalism are mortal enemies.
In order to train the crown prince, Emperor Qin Shi Huang almost banned Confucianism throughout the country, so how could he revive Confucianism?
If filling the vacancies of the three major families required employing Confucianists, the First Emperor would definitely not do it.
The First Emperor's strategy towards Confucianism was very simple: you just study the classics in the Office of Doctors and teach my son about benevolence and righteousness, and don't come out to cause trouble.
"I have the genealogy of the Ying family in my possession. With this genealogy as a threat, my brother should be able to do as I ask."
Xunzi, who had been calm and composed all the time and had profound skills in cultivating qi, was slightly surprised and opened his mouth slightly.
"The genealogy of the Ying clan is in your hands? Are all members of the Qin royal family under your control?"
Xunzi had never heard of such a bizarre thing in all his years.
If a king of a country does not manage the family tree, whether he can leave bloodline for future generations and his name will all depend on the favor of others. This matter touched on Xunzi's blind spot.
Xunzi's feeling was the same as when he first heard Ying Chengjiao's idea that everyone in the world should be a noble and everyone could be an official. This didn't make sense.
Ying Chengjiao nodded modestly, with a calm look on his face.
Xunzi pulled out a strand of his beard and soon regained his composure.
"The current King of Qin is a rare emperor. The genealogy in your hand may make the King of Qin submit in small matters. But for such a big matter, this genealogy is like the chicken ribs that your Majesty said. It would be a pity to throw it away, and it is of no use to keep it."
In his heart, Ying Chengjiao agreed with Xunzi's view. If the First Emperor could be manipulated by a family tree, he would not be the First Emperor.
But he had a cold smile on his face, as if he was disdainful of arguing with Xunzi.
He continued, "The noble families all pursue fame and fortune. The three great families are dead, and there are many vacant official positions..."
"Your Majesty, do you mean that the Qin family will divide up the official positions of the three major families?"
Xunzi glanced at Ying Chengjiao with a look that indicated, "My lord, do you think I know nothing?"
"Qin has been at war for years, and its territory has been expanding. Official positions are extremely scarce in other countries, but not in Qin. The official positions in Qin have surpassed those of the old Qin people and the sons of aristocratic families. In another thirty or fifty years, perhaps what the king said can be realized. Now, haha."
You are fucking bullshit!
Ying Chengjiao mistakenly thought that Xunzi did not know the true situation in Qin and cursed him in his heart.
He said dissatisfiedly: "I am talking about the nobles, not the nobles of Qin. The Qin's order to recruit talents is still one of Qin's national policies. It can recruit nobles from the six countries to serve as officials."
Xunzi nodded.
"That is true, but if you do so, I want to ask you, what is your purpose in killing the three great families of Meng, Xi, and Bai?"
Didn't you kill the three great families just to break the current situation of monopolizing official positions in the world and make a good start?
You are now inviting the remaining nobles of the six kingdoms to Qin, it would have been better for you not to kill the three great families before.
"I won't bother you, Xun Qing. I will consider everything carefully. I will move out of Chang'an Mansion tomorrow. This place is not suitable for you to stay any longer."
Xunzi had been targeting Ying Chengjiao, and Ying Chengjiao felt that there was no way to continue the conversation with Xunzi.
He could see that Xunzi was deliberately making things difficult for him. He didn't know the reason, so he had no way to resolve the matter, so he simply asked Xunzi to leave.
Ying Chengjiao asked himself that he could not even convince the First Emperor, who trusted him and gave him whatever he wanted.
I really don't know how to convince Xunzi, whose thoughts and realm have reached the pinnacle of human beings.
Xunzi let Ying Chengjiao walk to the door, put his hands on the doors on both sides, then he sighed and opened his mouth reluctantly.
"Why don't you go find Guiguzi, Your Majesty? Some of his disciples are more famous than yours, and his number of disciples is also greater than yours."
Ying Chengjiao understood the elegant meaning of the music by hearing the strings, and pressed the door without looking back.
Liao Ran said: "So there is a problem here. Xunzi still doesn't trust me."
"You must be cautious about this important matter, the life of a student. Your Majesty did not respond until you opened up about this matter. You really have great composure."
"No, it's not that I have good concentration, I just didn't expect it."
Ying Chengjiao did not acknowledge Xunzi's praise and blew up his truck.
"In my mind, Guiguzi has never been considered. The strategists, military strategists, yin-yang strategists, celebrities, and corpse strategists, none of these he knows is the way to a prosperous age. Just like Dun Ruo said, the world will only be prosperous when there are no more strategists."
Xunzi stood up and bowed deeply to Ying Chengjiao's back with Confucian etiquette.
"Your Majesty still has a kind heart, and you are willing to assist him. I hope Your Majesty will not forget what you said today, and do not forget your original intention. Your Majesty can leave without worry. You will stay in Xianyang and guard the Chang'an Palace for Your Majesty. Your disciples will guard the Guanzhong area of Qin for Your Majesty."
Ying Chengjiao turned around with a smile and saw the old man, who was much older than his father, bowing and salutation without moving or going forward to support him.
"Xunzi believed me after I said a few words?"
Xunzi did not stand up.
"What the king says is not important, what the king does is important. You have always agreed with the Qin State's policy of not caring about the heart but the deeds. If a bad person does good things all his life and pretends to be a good person all his life, in your opinion, he is a good person.
"Your Majesty wants Han Fei and Wu'an Jun to go to the northwest to carry out reforms. At the wax festival, declare war on the heavens to ignite the flames of the people's hearts, and declare war on the aristocratic families to focus their attention on Xianyang. Kill the three major aristocratic families to break their monopoly, and you want me to summon your disciples to stabilize the situation.
"You have seen and heard everything the king has done. Now that the world is yours to help, how can you not be willing to do so? You tried to test him before, but you were afraid that the king would be too deep into the tyranny and lose his original intention."
Ying Chengjiao pulled up Xunzi's arm.
"Legalism is the most tyrannical. Xunzi claimed to be a Confucian scholar and taught two great Legalists. In terms of tyranny, I am not as good as Xunzi."
Xunzi took advantage of the situation to stand up and conveyed his thoughts on governing the country through Ying Chengjiao's teasing words to ease the atmosphere.
"Using force is not worth it, it is the way of the dead. Hegemony has never been the way of power, but a combination of kindness and power is. Man is evil by nature. Restraining with law is the way of hegemony, while educating and enlightening is the way of kingship. If hegemony is pursued alone, the world will be in darkness, while kingship will suppress the righteous. If hegemony and kingship are combined, a great country can be established."
Xunzi considered himself a Confucian scholar. On education, he shared the same ideas as Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, and believed in teaching everyone.
The theory of human nature being evil that he proposed, which was contrary to Mencius's, was based on Confucius's argument that there was no distinction between the classes of people.
Man is born evil by nature and needs education to know propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame. If man is born good by nature, what is the point of education and he will just grow up wildly.
"Cheng Jiao will remember this." Ying Cheng Jiao responded seriously, then scratched his head and said a little embarrassedly: "Cheng Jiao has a question that has been on my mind for a long time. I wonder if I can ask Xunzi to answer it. It is from Xunzi's article "Encouraging Learning."
Crabs clearly have eight legs, but why does "Encouraging Learning" always say they have six legs...
