Xunzi and his disciples drove into Qin and met Meng Wu who came to greet them on the way.
Xunzi was very tolerant of Zhu Xiang's friends and said with a smile, "How can you, a general, always do such trivial things?"
Meng Wu clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty has ordered that Xunzi should be sent to Xianyang to teach Duke Zhu Xiang."
Xunzi's smile fell: "What did that bastard Zhu Xiang do again?"
Meng Wu hesitated for a while, then lowered his voice and said, "I didn't find that Zhu Xiang did anything bad. He stayed in his farm outside Xianyang, planting cotton and raising Prince Zheng, and he rarely went out."
Xunzi pondered for a long time, but could not come up with any answer.
After all, neither Zhu Xiang nor the King of Qin could make inferences with ordinary people's thinking. Without seeing it with his own eyes, Xunzi really couldn't figure out what these two people did.
When the Confucian disciples saw a Qin general coming to greet Xunzi, they were simply delighted that the King of Qin had finally taken Confucianism seriously.
When they learned of Meng Wu's identity, they began to be afraid.
Even though Meng Ao's military achievements were not as good as Bai Qi's, he was still well-known in the Seven Kingdoms. The son of the Qin State's top minister came to greet him personally. Wasn't this too grand? With the reputation of the King of Qin, they couldn't help but think too much.
But just as Xunzi had just thought, the King of Qin's thoughts were beyond the reach of others, so they could only follow Meng Wu into Qin with trepidation.
Meng Wu personally drove the carriage for Xunzi. Xunzi did not enter the carriage, but sat beside Meng Wu to inquire about Zhu Xiang's situation.
Meng Wu knows everything.
"Zhu Xiang wanted to use a strategy of sowing discord to get Lian Gong and Li Mu to enter Qin. When I saw Your Majesty mention this matter, he always laughed and clapped his hands. I don't know what he said. I was afraid that he would be sad, so I didn't ask him directly."
"Prince Zichu, Lin Li and Cai Ze all thought that Zhu Xiang was not good at using tricks, but Ying Hou said that Zhu Xiang's trick was okay. But Ying Hou was laughing when he said that, so I don't know if that trick will work."
"Mr. Bai followed him to the farm outside the city and is teaching Zheng'er how to use troops. The strategic game Zhu Xiang made is quite interesting. I also have a set, but I didn't bring it with me for fear of losing it."
"Studying? Uh... Zhu Xiang should be studying, right? Zheng'er must be studying every day, very diligent!"
"It is true that some people are dissatisfied with Zhu Xiang, and many people in the court secretly target him. However, my father said that they are not targeting Zhu Xiang, but Prince Zichu. But Zhu Xiang never goes to the court, so those remarks have no effect on him."
"It definitely won't have any impact. Your Majesty comes to Zhu Xiang's house for dinner every few days. What impact can that have?"
Xunzi frowned and asked, "What taboo did Zhu Xiang commit that made the King of Qin order me to rush to Xianyang?"
Meng Wu shook his head vigorously: "I really don't know. I don't think Zhu Xiang did anything wrong. The day before I left, the king was still having dinner at Zhu Xiang's house. The king also told the King of Qin to remember to bring his own food next time he comes to eat, because his family is going broke..."
With a "click", Meng Wu saw the old and weak Xunzi break his cane.
Meng Wu shuddered and dared not speak any more.
"I understand." Xunzi closed his eyes and took a nap without asking any more questions.
Meng Wu touched his head. What did Xunzi know? I don't understand. Forget it, let's go back quickly.
The official roads did not appear during the reign of Qin Shihuang. In order to communicate government orders, all countries would build similar official roads. With Meng Wu leading the way, Xunzi was able to gallop on the official road and arrived near Xianyang in less than half a month.
Zhu Xiang got the news in advance, and took Xue and Zheng'er to greet them on the outskirts of the city early in the morning.
Ying Xiaozheng yawned and staggered from side to side. Zhu Xiang had no choice but to move a chair and sit on it while holding Zheng'er and waiting for Xunzi.
Xunzi saw from a distance that Zhu Xiang was sitting on a chair and blocking the way in an arrogant manner, and his fists became stiff again.
Fortunately, Zhu Xiang was not stupid. When he saw the carriage, he immediately stood up with Ying Xiaozheng in his arms to greet it, and asked someone to hide the chair.
Xunzi took a deep breath. Never mind, at least Zhu Xiang knew to hide the chair, so he got away with it.
"Xunzi!" Zhu Xiang rushed forward and bowed down while holding the sleeping Ying Xiaozheng.
Xue, who originally wanted to take Zheng'er from Zhu Xiang, did not stop him. She held her forehead and watched Xunzi slap Zhu Xiang on the back, almost knocking Zhu Xiang to the ground.
Zhu Xiang felt wronged: "Xunzi, what's wrong with you? You lecture me as soon as we meet?"
Xunzi pointed at Zheng'er in Zhu Xiang's arms and said, "If you want Zheng'er to greet me, wake him up; if you don't want to wake him up, let him sleep well. You hold him in your arms and salute me. What kind of etiquette is this? Did I teach you this?"
Ying Xiaozheng, who has excellent sleep quality: "Huh, huh, huh..."
Meng Wu watched the fun from the sidelines and began to organize his words to report to the King of Qin. He thought, the king is going to laugh again.
Although Xunzi taught Zhu Xiang a lesson, he did not allow Zhu Xiang, who had suddenly realized the truth, to slap Zheng'er to wake him up.
He held Zheng'er in his arms and shook him around, then said with a smile, "You haven't lost weight," and handed Zheng'er to Meng Wu to hold. Then he beat Zhu Xiang who wanted to wake Zheng'er up.
Meng Wu: "..." He doesn't even hug his son often. If I had known, I shouldn't have gotten so close.
However, those who came to Zhu Xiang's house to eat for free would inevitably be forced to hold Zheng'er by Zhu Xiang. Even the King of Qin often held his great-grandson and allowed him to play with his beard. Meng Wu also often carried Zheng'er on his shoulders, so he was very skilled in holding Zheng'er.
It was impossible for Meng Wu to bring his personal soldiers with him when he went to Zhu Xiang's house. It was the first time for these personal soldiers to see their general holding a child skillfully, and their eyes almost popped out.
Among the famous generals of Qin, except for Sima Jin, who had a strange reputation, the other generals tried their best to make themselves look like Wu Anjun. Even Sima Jin usually had a stern face.
The Qin army's military merits were achieved by beheading and capturing prisoners, and their generals fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. They were usually intimidating without getting angry. They stood together with the murderous Qin army, with black armor, black flags, and dark expressions, and the momentum was very shocking.
And their general was now holding a chubby child skillfully and rubbing the child's face habitually.
Judging from his actions, Meng Wu was obviously poisoned by Zhu Xiang.
"I heard that the King of Qin came to your house for dinner, and you still want the King of Qin to pay?" Xunzi asked sarcastically, "Do you also need to write a document to inform the King of Qin of the extra expenses for daily banquets?"
Zhu Xiang: "...Xunzi, how did you know? I just handed in the document."
Xunzi raised his freshly sharpened walking stick.
Zhu Xiang turned and ran away in the speechless expression of the Confucian disciples: "Xunzi, if you have something to say, let's talk nicely, don't fight."
Xunzi scolded, "How can a disciple run away when the teacher is teaching me?"
Zhu Xiang argued: "If I am beaten by the teacher, it means that the teacher is unkind. How can I let the teacher be unkind? This is not my fault! So when the teacher wants to beat me, of course I have to run!"
A Confucian disciple couldn't help but say: "Duke Zhu Xiang is right."
Another Confucian disciple glanced at him and said, "That does make sense, but it's best if Xunzi doesn't hear what you said."
The Confucian disciples who were aroused by Xunzi and Zhu Xiang's words immediately shut up.
Xue sighed and stepped forward and said, "Xunzi, the weather is hot, why don't you go home first? My lover has prepared food at home."
Xunzi threw his cane and hit Zhu Xiang on the back. Zhu Xiang squatted on the spot and cried out in pain.
Xunzi snorted coldly and said, "Okay."
He took Zheng'er from Meng Wu, and his stern face immediately became very kind, like a kind old grandfather who had not seen his grandson for a long time. He touched his grandson's face and happily returned to the carriage.
Ying Xiaozheng, who was sleeping very well, said: “Hu…Hu…Hu…”
When Zhu Xiang saw Xunzi enter the carriage, he immediately stood up and stopped crying out in pain.
Xue asked worriedly, "Does it hurt? Go back and apply medicine quickly."
Zhu Xiang said: "It doesn't hurt, but I have to act like it hurts in front of Xunzi, otherwise Xunzi will be unhappy."
Xue: "... I will be taught by Xunzi again next time, I won't help you!" She sometimes felt that the good people deliberately found it.
Zhu Xiang smiled and kicked Meng Wu, then greeted the Confucian disciples, addressing them as fellow disciples.
The Confucian disciples even said they dared not do so and only called Zhu Xiang "Duke Zhu Xiang".
Meng Wu patted the shoe prints on his legs and asked in confusion: "Why did you kick me?"
Zhu Xiang gritted his teeth and said, "Who told you to complain? You were the one who said that the Lord came to my house for dinner and I asked him to pay, right?"
Meng Wu was even more confused: "What's the big deal? The Lord approves it."
Zhu Xiang said: "But Xunzi doesn't agree."
Meng Wu said confidently: "I don't study Confucianism, so how do I know what Xunzi approves of?"
Zhu Xiang held Meng Wu's shoulders and said, "Well said. From now on, I will teach you to read Confucian classics!"
Meng Wu said disdainfully: "I won't read it."
Xunzi shouted, "Zhu Xiang! What are you waiting for? Drive the car!"
Zhu Xiang immediately climbed onto the carriage: "Here I come."
"Go, go, can you drive?" Meng Wu also quickly jumped onto the carriage, pushed Zhu Xiang aside, and grabbed the reins.
Driving a carriage is a technical job just like driving a chariot, and Meng Wu was afraid that Zhu Xiang would overturn the carriage.
Xue covered her mouth with her hands and chuckled, then returned to the carriage she came from and went home together.
Along the way, Zhu Xiang's voice was extremely loud.
"Meng Wu, I think I can do it. Let me try?"
"You can not!"
This conversation cycle repeats many times.
"What are you arguing about! Don't disturb Zheng'er's nap!"
Finally, Xunzi shouted angrily and the two of them shut up.
Despite the noise on the road, Ying Xiaozheng turned over in Xunzi's arms and continued to sleep soundly.
Xunzi stroked Zheng'er's chubby face with a smile. He was calm and composed, and he really had the bearing of a king.
The King of Qin asked Zhu Xiang not to be polite, but Zhu Xiang was not polite at all. He managed Wangzhuang as if it were his own business and had already prepared accommodation for Xunzi and others.
Seeing that Zhu Xiang was really rude, the King of Qin laughed again, and then gave Wangzhuang to Zheng'er.
Zichu was very jealous. He had never received any property from the King of Qin.
Not only did Zhu Xiang not help to ease the relationship between Zichu and Zheng'er, he also deliberately mocked Zichu.
The two of them fought each other again. Lin Zhi cheered on the side, while Cai Ze and Meng Wu commented on whether the two men's martial arts had really improved.
Xunzi was not polite when he arrived at the farm.
He immediately arranged the house according to his own preferences and divided it into residences for Confucian disciples, treating it as if it were his own place for lectures.
After Zhu Xiang returned home, he immediately went to the kitchen to get busy.
Ying Xiaozheng woke up again at dinner time smelling the food.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Xunzi's wrinkled face and was so scared that he almost rolled off Xunzi's knees.
"Xun Weng, when did you come?" After Ying Xiaozheng bowed obediently, he climbed back onto Xunzi's lap, who was sitting on the armchair, and hugged Xunzi's arm, saying, "My uncle didn't even wake me up!"
Xunzi smiled and said, "It was me who didn't let him disturb you. Children need more sleep to grow up well."
Ying Xiaozheng smiled and said, "Then I must be good-looking."
"Of course." Xunzi said, "Go wash your hands and eat first, then I'll test your homework."
Ying Xiaozheng patted his chest and said, "Xun Weng, feel free to test me."
Xunzi asked, "Does your uncle read books carefully?"
Ying Xiaozheng hesitated for a moment and said, "Uncle has less time to study, but it's not his fault."
Xunzi asked again: "Why not blame it?"
Ying Xiaozheng said: "Although my uncle is smiling all the time, I know that he has been feeling upset since he came back from Zhao State, and he still doesn't sleep well. He spends all his energy on farming and entertaining Grandfather Zeng and others every day, so he has no energy to read when he is free. But when my uncle is in a better mood, he will immediately pick up the book."
Xunzi sighed, "I see. Did the King of Qin ask the imperial physician to see him?"
Ying Xiaozheng said, "I asked the imperial physician secretly, and he said that my uncle's yang energy was insufficient, and he needed to drink a tonic medicine with boy's urine as the guide. After my uncle heard about it, he refused to drink any medicine."
Xunzi was stunned, then burst into laughter.
Ying Xiaozheng touched his nose and said, "Last time I tried to pee in my uncle's cup, and when he found out, I almost got beaten by him for the first time."
Xunzi laughed so hard that he couldn't straighten his back: "Zheng'er is filial, but don't do it next time."
Ying Xiaozheng said quickly: "No, no, if I do it again I will be beaten by my aunt."
Although my uncle wouldn’t hit me even when he was really angry, my aunt would really spank me.
After Xunzi had laughed enough, he asked Ying Xiaozheng about his impressions of the King of Qin, the Crown Prince of Qin and Zichu.
Ying Xiaozheng said: "Grandfather Zeng is a wise king, but he is suspicious. Before I entered Qin, I heard that Grandfather Zeng trusted Yinghou very much, but I saw that when Grandfather Zeng and Yinghou got along, Grandfather Zeng often tested Yinghou's loyalty. Perhaps only my uncle can make Grandfather Zeng completely at ease."
"Outsiders think that my father is too honest and kind, but not wise enough, and very mediocre. But I wonder, my father served as the crown prince for many years under the suspicious great-grandfather, is mediocrity also a manifestation of wisdom?"
"As for my father..." Ying Xiaozheng hesitated for a moment and commented truthfully, "Although my father is deep-minded and calculating, his friendship with my uncle is indeed sincere and he will not hurt my uncle. As for me... my father doesn't look at me as his own son, but as the son of a friend. But this is exactly what I want."
It should be a sign of unfilial piety for descendants to comment on their elders, but Xunzi pays more attention to the actual situation.
After listening to Ying Xiaozheng's evaluation, he said: "Your evaluation of the King of Qin and the Crown Prince of Qin is very accurate, but you may be a little biased towards your father. I know you are dissatisfied with your father for abandoning you, but as far as I know, your father did leave people to protect you and planned to send you to Zhu Xiang. He is not ruthless to you."
Ying Xiaozheng nodded: "I know. My father is a qualified young master of Qin. Although he will have feelings for his offspring, he will not show too much preference for them. Now my father's preference for me is indeed due to my uncle."
"Okay, you have a point." Xunzi did not continue to refute. He rubbed Ying Xiaozheng's head and said, "The royal children of various countries rarely have family affection, but you are different. You should cherish your uncle."
Ying Xiaozheng said with a straight face: "I will definitely protect my uncle and aunt."
Xunzi said: "After your mother enters Qin, you must be careful."
Ying Xiaozheng said: "A person who abandons a child is not worthy of being a mother. She is not my biological mother. I only have an aunt."
Xunzi sighed: "Don't say that in front of outsiders."
Ying Xiaozheng said stubbornly: "Xunzi asked me to give her enough face to show filial piety? But she is not kind, why should I be filial? If parents who abandon their children can also get filial piety from their children, doesn't this promote the idea of making parents unkind?"
Xunzi asked: "What if she treats you well after returning to Qin?"
Ying Xiaozheng was silent for a long time, then revealed a sad smile: "No, she won't. No matter how much I indulge her, she will betray me..."
“Ding!”
Ying Xiaozheng turned around and saw the jar in Zhu Xiang's hand fall to the ground, breaking into pieces, with the preserved fruits inside spilling all over the ground.
Zhu Xiang rushed forward, half-knelt on the ground and hugged Ying Xiaozheng tightly: "It's okay, it's okay, Zheng'er, your uncle will protect you. Chunhua will never have the chance to hurt you again, believe your uncle! You are still a child, don't think about these, your uncle will help you keep her out of the door."
Ying Xiaozheng grabbed Zhu Xiang's collar and blinked.
At this moment, he did not enter the dream room, but he seemed to see his future self sitting at the table with his eyes closed and taking a nap.
Pain, despair, and the rage to destroy everything gushed out from the bottom of my heart, and countless questions were stuck in my throat.
The customs of the Qin State were slightly different from those of the Central Plains, and the coming-of-age ceremony was not held until the age of twenty-two.
However, before the ceremony of coming of age, Ying Zheng had already gained considerable power. In the ninth year of the First Emperor's reign, he held the ceremony of coming of age and immediately killed Lao Ai; in the tenth year of the First Emperor's reign, he immediately forced Lü Buwei to death.
He acted so quickly, obviously he had accumulated strength early on. Before he took power, he used Lu Buwei to manage state affairs and turned a blind eye to Lao Ai to appease the powerful queen dowager. After he took power, he immediately cleared away obstacles with lightning speed.
No matter how long Lu Buwei and Lao Ai built up their power, it would be wiped out in a snap of a finger by Ying Zheng.
But the fact that Ying Zheng won easily didn't mean he felt at ease.
No matter how cold and hard the image of the "king" is portrayed by outsiders, it seems that once he sits on the throne, he will automatically become a non-human without blood, flesh, or emotions. But in fact, every "king" is also a person with emotions.
Just because he could quickly deal with the forces around the Queen Mother didn't mean that the Queen Mother's foolish choice wouldn't cause him pain.
Although Qin Shi Huangdi, whose contributions surpassed those of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, was abandoned by his closest relatives throughout his life.
His father abandoned him in the State of Zhao, his mother chose her lover and illegitimate son, and his only brother rebelled... Qin Shihuang didn't care about these people's betrayal, but occasionally when he thought of the past in the dead of night, he couldn't help but feel angry.
"Uncle..." Ying Xiaozheng grabbed Zhu Xiang's collar and suppressed his tears, "I don't want to see her. I don't want to see her."
Zhu Xiang apologized repeatedly: "I'm sorry, Zheng'er, uncle only thought about Chunhua bringing Lian Gong and Li Mu to Qin State, and ignored your feelings."
Ying Xiaozheng shook his head in Zhu Xiang's arms and wiped his tears with Zhu Xiang's clothes: "She can enter Qin, I don't want to see her. I don't want to see her!"
"Okay, then don't meet me. I'll find a way!" Zhu Xiang promised, and then was hit hard on the head by Xunzi.
"Zheng'er may not acknowledge her as his mother in his heart, but he must observe the proper etiquette," Xunzi said.
Zhu Xiang said, "Xunzi, didn't you say that we can't repay evil with virtue?"
Xunzi said, "Who told you and Zheng'er to complain with virtue? You just go to pay respects every few days and leave after the ceremony. Let Zichu let him and Zheng'er meet behind a curtain, so there is no need for dialogue."
Zhu Xiang wanted to refute, but Ying Xiaozheng pulled Zhu Xiang's clothes and popped his head out of Zhu Xiang's arms.
"Okay, just a formality, I can do that." Ying Xiaozheng said with red eyes, "Don't even think about anything else!"
Now I am not the person in the dream. I have my uncle to protect me and I can be willful!
"What else do you want to do?" Xunzi glanced at Ying Xiaozheng and Zhu Xiang, "Do you really want to repay evil with kindness? She gave birth to you, and you have provided her with food and clothing throughout her life. You have already repaid her kindness."
"Mr. Xun!" Zhu Xiang opened his arms and Ying Xiaozheng pounced on Xunzi.
Xunzi caught Ying Xiaozheng and scratched his nose with a smile: "Do you really think I asked you to respect her? Just as you said, if parents who abandon their children also ask their children to respectfully support them, there will be many more people in this world who give birth to their children but do not support them."
Zhu Xiang rubbed his eyes, stood up and said, "Zheng'er, you have to believe in your uncle and your father. There are very few things a woman can do in this world, and all the power comes from the man around her. It's different from when she abandoned her brothers and children. Now when she does evil again, it's not her doing it, but Xia Tong and I doing it."
Ying Xiaozheng turned around and looked at his uncle.
Zhu Xiang took out a handkerchief and wiped Ying Xiaozheng's face: "If Xia Tong, I, and you don't give her power, she will have nothing."
Zhu Xiang allowed Chunhua to go to Qin, and he never thought that Chunhua could do anything to harm him and Zheng'er.
Even if they are the wife of the crown prince, the queen, or the queen mother, if they want to be powerful, it is because of the indulgence of the men around them.
The world is already so unfair to women, and he is still suppressed by Chunhua, so he is a complete waste.
Even if we talk about "filial piety" to Zheng'er, as long as Zheng'er provides her with food and clothing, it is filial piety.
"Yeah." Ying Xiaozheng threw himself back into Zhu Xiang's arms.
Zhu Xiang picked up Ying Xiaozheng, still feeling guilty.
He had indeed neglected Zheng'er's feelings when he offered his advice this time, and he had to make up for it.
Xunzi looked at Zhu Xiang's expression and shook his head helplessly.
Fortunately, Zheng'er is smart and sensible, otherwise, with Zhu Xiang's way of doting on him, he might have become a playboy.
"Aren't you here to call us to eat?" Xunzi asked, "Or is there something else?"
"Oh, yes, it's time to eat." Zhu Xiang looked at the preserved fruits scattered all over the ground and said distressedly, "Fortunately, we can still eat them after washing and drying them."
He went out and asked his servants to pick up the preserved fruits.
Seeing that Zhu Xiang was still so frugal, Xunzi stroked his beard with a smile.
Whether poor or rich, Zhu Xiang's temperament remained the same, worthy of being his disciple.
When he heard that dinner was ready, Ying Xiaozheng was no longer sad.
Zhu Xiang carried him to wash his face and hands. He put on the lace apron that he disliked in the past, and waited obediently for dinner.
The weather was hot, so Zhu Xiang prepared a light meal to help Xunzi cool down.
Zhu Xiang picked shepherd's purse and made sauerkraut to make a pot of fish soup, picked tea leaves and made clear soup to season the thinly sliced meat, and made peach and plum jam to dip in the lotus pods that had been cut to pieces...
Xunzi and a group of Confucian disciples went to the banquet together. The Confucian disciples saw the tables and chairs that were different from those in the Central Plains, and saw the table full of exquisite dishes. They had a lot to say in their hearts, but since Xunzi was here, they dared not say it.
Most Confucian disciples wanted to follow the Zhou rites, so they also had requirements for seating.
However, seeing that Xunzi sat on the chair very naturally, they had no choice but to sit down with him.
Sitting on a chair is indeed much more comfortable than kneeling, but they still feel uncomfortable and always feel that they are somewhat sorry for their ancestors.
Only a Confucian disciple would be able to elevate a piece of seating to the level of a sage.
"Shu County sent an old tea tree, and the king asked me to plant it on the farm. I roasted some tea leaves, and Xunzi, please see if it suits your taste?" Zhu Xiang poured tea for Xunzi.
Tea already existed at that time, but it was usually cooked into a soup with vegetables and broth.
If you take tea soup as a drink, it will definitely taste terrible. But if you take tea soup as a dish, it actually tastes pretty good, and is not much different from soup with other vegetables added.
When Zhu Xiang was in Zhao State, he wanted to speculate in tea leaves. However, tea leaves were a precious commodity and he was embarrassed to waste the treasures of Lord Lin and Lord Lian.
The King of Qin had many good things, so he just used them casually. After practicing for a long time, he made a tea that was not sure whether it was green tea, black tea, yellow tea or oolong tea.
Maybe green tea
Who cares, as long as it tastes good.
Xunzi took a sip of tea, his eyes lit up: "Very elegant."
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "Adding some dried fruit pulp and petals to the tea leaves will give it a different taste. But if it were Xunzi, he would probably prefer drinking plain tea."
Xunzi put down the teacup and said, "This cup is also very interesting."
Zhu Xiang said proudly: "This is what Xianghe and I came up with. When we improve the stove, we can make more delicate pottery... Xianghe and I renamed it porcelain."
Xunzi laughed and scolded: "You came to Qin State, and this is what you do?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Porcelain is less susceptible to water seepage than pottery, and is cheaper than metal utensils, so it can be used by ordinary people. Moreover, porcelain is very beautiful. If ordinary people have beautiful ceramic utensils at home, they will definitely feel better. After the cotton is produced, I will think about how to improve the loom so that ordinary people can also wear warm clothes in winter..."
Before Zhu Xiang finished speaking, a Confucian disciple couldn't help but ask, "Duke Zhu Xiang, why do you only worry about such mundane things?"
Xunzi's face darkened.
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "Most people's lives are just about food, clothing, housing and transportation. If I don't worry about these, what should I worry about? Vegetarians don't have the energy to worry about their food, clothing, housing and transportation, only meat eaters do. Aren't the achievements of virtuous people ultimately focused on ensuring that the people live and work in peace and contentment, and have no worries about food and clothing? Even the soldiers who fought hard, opened up new territories for more fields, and guarded the borders to protect the people from being disturbed, but they still focused on this point."
Meng Wu nodded repeatedly: "That's right."
Xunzi snorted coldly, "Not everyone can see things as clearly as you do. Many people only know that they want to achieve great things, but they have no idea how to achieve them. They think that they have achieved great things just by wearing silk and satin, driving a car and eating meat. What can you, a person looking at the sky, say to a person crawling on the ground? Have you forgotten that you should not talk while eating?"
"Yes, Xunzi." Zhu Xiang quickly shut up.
The Confucian disciple who had just spoken turned pale.
Ying Xiaozheng showed a sneer.
Confucianism does have talented people, but most of them only know how to talk big and have not learned even a single bit of the skills of Xunzi.
By the way, Li Si and Han Fei were also disciples of Xunzi
Ying Xiaozheng bit his chopsticks and showed a wise expression.
Did Xun Weng accept Li Si and Han Fei as his disciples? If not, are they considered his fellow apprentices
Mr. Xun will definitely not deny that I am his disciple, right
"Don't bite the chopsticks, or you'll grow a mouthful of crooked teeth." Zhu Xiang stopped Ying Xiaozheng.
Ying Xiaozheng pouted: "My teeth are itchy."
Zhu Xiang said, "Are you going to change your teeth? Then you shouldn't bite them. I'll ask the imperial physician to make you some cooling medicine packs. When your teeth itch, just bite them."
Ying Xiaozheng nodded.
When he returns to the dream room again, he will check when his teeth will change in the dream and whether it is difficult or not.
Will you cry in pain when you change your teeth in your dreams
In the dream, he always looked very dignified in front of others, but Ying Xiaozheng looked through a lot of his dark history, such as hiding in the quilt or in the closet and crying secretly, which was a common occurrence.
Although he stopped crying as he got older, he would still curse in private or chop the table with his sword to vent his anger.
I'm not that naive, Ying Xiaozheng thought.
After Xunzi spoke, no one at the table dared to speak.
Although the food was delicious, the Confucian disciples had no appetite.
When they learned that all the food was cooked by Zhu Xiang himself, they lost their appetite even more.
Seeing their expressions, Zhu Xiang sighed.
After the meal, he asked someone to serve tea again. While Xunzi was going to the toilet, he said to the Confucian disciples who could barely be considered his juniors, but Xunzi did not count: "Mencius's theory is not completely consistent with Confucius, and Xunzi's theory is not completely consistent with other Confucian sages. You should not only read, but also think more, and summarize your own thoughts based on what you have seen with your own eyes."
Seeing that they didn't understand, Zhu Xiang continued, "I know you respect the sages and don't want to doubt them. But the theories put forward by the sages can also be wrong and sometimes not fit the world a hundred years later. If everything remains the same, if the disciples are always weaker than their teachers, can knowledge still develop?"
"Think about it, do you want your disciples to always be weaker than your disciples... If you replace disciples with offspring, do you want your offspring to be weaker from generation to generation?"
"Even Confucius said that when three people walk together, there must be one person who can be my teacher. We should always reflect on ourselves. You should emulate the sages, and what you should emulate should be their character."
"After entering Qin, you must be confused as to why the Qin's policies are completely different from the ideals pursued by the ancient sages, but Qin is stronger than other countries, and the people of Qin live better than other people. Look more, ask more, and think more. Once you have solved your doubts, it will be time for you to stand on your own and make achievements."
All the Confucian disciples present are older than Zhu Xiang.
If they were too young and had no children left at home, it would be impossible for them to travel and study in this dangerous and chaotic world.
But Zhu Xiang treated them with the same earnestness as he treated his students in university, and they were also respectful to Zhu Xiang, just like they were facing their own teachers.
Even though someone had questioned him before, he did not doubt Zhu Xiang, but because he admired Zhu Xiang too much and did not think before speaking.
The Confucian disciples of this era were different from the literati of later generations whose thoughts had become rigid. Although they respected the sages of the past, they did not lose their spirit of skepticism and progress.
In this chaotic world where human life is worthless, a Confucian disciple who can travel among the six kingdoms with a sword cannot be a short-sighted and pedantic person.
"We will follow the teachings of Duke Zhu Xiang." The Confucian disciples stood up and bowed.
Zhu Xiang waved his hand and said, "Sit down, no need to be polite. Your Majesty is going to build a school palace and copy hundreds of books on paper. I recommend you to the school palace. When you copy hundreds of books, you can learn more knowledge. I believe Xunzi will take you with him. You must be talented people with great potential."
The Confucian disciples did not sit down, but bowed again.
Sitting in Zhu Xiang's arms, holding Zhu Xiang's arms with both hands, it was like Ying Xiaozheng sitting on the dragon throne that didn't exist yet, snorting.
He felt very proud.
Seeing that these people were reasonable and willing to accept Qin, Zhu Xiang became more gentle.
He asked for the names of these people, but unfortunately there were no names for Li Si, Han Fei and Zhang Cang, the three most famous disciples of Xunzi.
Li Si and Zhang Cang would become officials of the Qin State, and they would definitely go to Qin to become Xunzi's disciples in the future. Han Fei was a prince of Han State, and it is unknown whether he would go to Qin to become Xunzi's disciple.
Zhu Xiang was thinking, but he didn't know that Han Fei had already arrived at the border of Qin State.
But Han Fei did not come to visit Xunzi, but to visit Changping Jun.
Not many people knew about Xunzi's visit to Qin, and Han Fei naturally didn't know either. He wanted to find a way to make Han strong, and he looked through the theories of hundreds of schools of thought, but he didn't find the teacher he wanted.
He was indeed very interested in Xunzi's theories, but Xunzi had not yet revealed his own ideas on governing the country, so Han Fei had not yet thought about becoming Xunzi's disciple.
Originally, in history, Xunzi only devoted himself to writing books when he was appointed as the magistrate of Lanling in Chu State. It was then that his reputation for governing the country spread and Han Fei came to him to become his disciple.
At this time, Xunzi's ideas on governing the country were only in manuscripts, and only Zhu Xiang and others had read them.
Changping Jun became famous in the Three Jins, and Han Fei had heard of his reputation a long time ago.
When Zhu Xiang was trapped in Handan, he also advised the King of Han to ask Zhu Xiang to enter Han.
South Korea has a small land area and low farmland production, making it difficult for it to be self-sufficient in basic food. Han Fei knew that the foundation of a country is food. In addition to reforming the political system, increasing farmland production is also a very important point in strengthening the country.
If Zhu Xiang went to Han, he would not only help increase the yield of Han's fields, but also attract many people who admired Zhu Xiang to Han. In this way, Han would have more people farming and fighting, and would have the strength to resist Qin.
Han Fei spent a long time trying to persuade the King of Han, but the Kingdom of Han was much slower. Bai Qi took Zhu Xiang away in exchange for the city of Handan.
The King of Han beat his chest and stamped his feet, but he was also secretly delighted.
He was secretly glad that he did not bring Zhu Xiang to Han, otherwise Bai Qi would have exchanged his capital for Zhu Xiang.
When Han Fei learned that the King of Han was actually boasting about his "wisdom", he was so angry that he stammered and had a quarrel with the King of Han.
The result of this quarrel was naturally that the King of Han almost exiled him.
Before proposing to invite Zhu Xiang to Han, Han Fei had written to the King of Han for five consecutive years, requesting him to expel the villains in the court who did not do practical work and select people with real talents and knowledge, but the King of Han had always ignored him.
Han Fei really couldn't bear it anymore during this quarrel.
But even though the King of Han hated Han Fei, who stuttered and talked a lot, Han Fei still hoped to make Han strong and avoid the disaster of national destruction.
He had always been paying attention to Zhu Xiang. After Zhu Xiang made achievements in Qin State, he began to think about going to Qin State to ask Zhu Xiang for advice.
He prepared for a long time, wrote his thoughts on a piece of paper, and then, with a few old servants and sitting in a broken carriage, he entered Qin with a nervous heart.
(End of this chapter)