Duke Yansheng sighed deeply, realizing that he could not deceive himself. He had learned more sophisticated methods, discovered a broader perspective, and had a clearer vision. He could no longer tolerate the corruption of the past.
Fang Yun smiled calmly and said, "If we imagine history as a ruler with scales in front of us, we will find that in the Western Zhou Dynasty, rituals and music were like the bright sun, illuminating all the scales of the Western Zhou Dynasty. However, in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, that is, the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, as the ruler extended, the ritual and music sun did not change. Yes, it did not weaken! But in the Spring and Autumn Period, the time of Confucius, a new sun rose. This Confucian sun is hundreds and thousands of times brighter than the ritual and music sun!"
“People in the Spring and Autumn Period could still feel the light of ritual and music, but the most glorious existence in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period was the sun of Confucianism! We should absorb the light of the sun of Confucianism, rather than foolishly absorbing the light of the sun of ritual and music.”
“The thought of ritual and music is great, and the sun of ritual and music can still shine on us. After we accept the shining of the sun of Confucianism, although we still have the glory of ritual and music, each of us is already brighter than the sun of ritual and music!”
"In the near future, on the scale of human history, a new sun will surely appear that is a hundred times or a thousand times brighter than the Confucian sun. At that time, the human race will still be stained by the light of the Confucian sun, but each of them will be more glorious than the Confucian sun!"
“There is nothing wrong with rituals and music, there is nothing wrong with benevolent government, there is nothing wrong with Confucianism, they are all the most glorious existences of a certain era. However, if we always cling to the warmth of their light and do not pursue or create a new sun, then we must be wrong.”
Fang Yun stared at the slightly lowered eyelids of Duke Yansheng and said, "So, when we see unvirtuous people, we should reflect on ourselves. We should look at ourselves to see if we have made the same mistakes as our ancestors. We should do it even if we have to cut them off with a knife, even if it bleeds! Otherwise, when the giant tumor of the mistakes of our ancestors continues to grow, it will one day devour our bodies and destroy us together!"
“Knowing the direction and what to study is more important than studying and working hard!”
Fang Yun drank tea quietly, one cup after another.
After a long time, Duke Yansheng raised his head and said, "I don't want to admit it, but I can't refute it."
Fang Yun still didn't say anything until he finished all the tea.
"Next pot." Fang Yun said.
Duke Yansheng was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and said, "How could you not know how precious Dragon Tea is? This pot is the production of three hundred years! This pot has been drunk by my Kong family for more than four hundred years and we haven't finished it yet!"
"Others will wait for you, but I won't." Fang Yun looked at Duke Yansheng quietly.
Duke Yansheng was enlightened as if by some miracle and sighed deeply.
"Yes, time is running out! I have lived for decades longer than you, but you still can't let go of the words gain and loss, still can't see through the words choose and give up, and still can't see yourself clearly!"
After Duke Yansheng finished speaking, his face showed a hint of sadness, as if he was mourning his own age.
"You have been standing on the mountain for too long. You can only see the snow in the distance, but you cannot see the new green sprouting from the foot of the mountain that will sweep the world! Do you know what abilities a great scholar needs to be promoted to a semi-saint?" Fang Yun asked.
"I don't know." Duke Yansheng said respectfully.
He is not a true half-saint after all.
At this moment, he was not representing the Kong family, but himself.
His name was Kong Changxun, and he was just a great scholar with the power of a semi-saint.
Just a great scholar.
Fang Yun smiled kindly and said, "When a person has a vision that transcends the secular world and has eyes that observe the secular world, and never sees only one side, then he can start the path to canonization!"
Kong Changxun sat on the stone bench, sweating profusely.
In Kong Changxun's eyes, countless fragments of memories flowed. He studied, he shouldered great ambitions, he took the imperial examinations step by step, he went into battle to kill the enemies, he hone his skills everywhere, he married and had children, he rose step by step in the Kong family, and finally gathered thousands of honors and missions in one person, becoming the head of this generation of the family.
He believed that he was a child of destiny, and for the sake of the Kong family, he had to give up the path to sainthood. He thought that he was the leading writer of his generation and could have glimpsed the path to sainthood.
He didn't understand until today.
It's not that by inheriting the power of Confucius one loses the chance to be canonized, but that the successive heads of the Kong family simply don't have the ability to be canonized.
Every head of the Kong family was high and mighty and never knew one crucial thing.
What is this world
The heads of the Kong family in all generations have never seen the truth of the world!
After a long time, Kong Changxun let out a long breath, and the cold sweat on his body disappeared.
"Thank you for your teaching, sir. I have failed my ancestors." Kong Changxun looked ashamed.
Fang Yun said calmly: "The Kong family has gone through many generations, and in your hands, you have not lost your reputation. This is precious."
Kong Changxun smiled bitterly and said, "We are just struggling to hold on. If it weren't for your planning and Yue's help, the area outside Daofeng Mountain would have been turned into scorched earth."
"It would be better if the Kong family didn't become arrogant." Fang Yun said.
Kong Changxun thought for a moment and said seriously, "I think your so-called scale and its details are very profound. Can you teach me in detail?"
Fang Yun said nothing, and a stack of manuscripts flew out from the void and landed in front of Kong Changxun.
There were three big characters written in the main body of the draft.
statistics.
Kong Changxun's hands trembled slightly as he stroked the manuscript as if it were a treasure.
Fang Yun sighed in his heart. This subject has always been extremely important, but it is always neglected.
Fang Yun began to take out his magic tea, boil water, brew tea, and drink tea.
Kong Changxun slowly flipped through the pages for a long time, then remained silent for a long time before saying, "I have used the power of a semi-saint to recognize every word and roughly understand the meaning, but I always feel that... I am missing something, so I can't understand it."
Fang Yun quietly took back the manuscript and said, "This holy path has not yet taken shape. You should first lay a good foundation in mathematics."
"Yes." Kong Changxun blushed.
Fang Yun thought to himself that the ancients were really honest. When he learned statistics, he would know that what he just said actually had little to do with statistics.
"Now that I have answered your question, it's your turn to answer mine." Fang Yun looked at Kong Changxun.
At this moment, the two people's mentality reversed.
Fang Yun seemed to be looking down at the dignified head of the Kong family.
In the end, do the scholars in this world respect the Confucian family or Confucius himself
Kong Changxun pondered for a long time and said helplessly: "Of course I respect Confucius."
"Can the Kong family help enhance the reputation of Confucius, or will it be the opposite?"
Kong Changxun looked ashamed and said, "Although I don't want to admit it, if I follow your example and step outside the Kong family and use a larger and higher standard to examine the Kong family, the Kong family is actually undermining the reputation of Confucius."
"However, your Kong family believes that it is because of the efforts of the Kong family over the generations that the human race can maintain basic unity and avoid division. If the Kong family is gone, the human race will inevitably fall apart." Fang Yun said.
Kong Changxun said solemnly: "No matter what the outside world thinks, the Kong family has always been sticking to one point, and we must eliminate any disasters to the human race!"
"What if the Kong family itself becomes a scourge to the human race?" Fang Yun asked.
Kong Changxun was stunned. He remembered the story about the foreign race that Fang Yun had just told him, and the various things Fang Yun had done in the past few days, and his eyes suddenly widened.
suddenly see the light.
Afterwards, Kong Changxun looked at Fang Yun in horror, his eyes flickering.
Fang Yun was stunned. Kong Changxun's expression was too strange. What on earth had happened? Even if he discovered his intention, it shouldn't be like this. Could it be that the Kong family didn't want to see the human race do well and would rather bury the human race for the benefit of the Kong family
Fang Yun suddenly became alert.
A cool breeze blew over Kongcheng.
Then, Kong Changxun sat on the stone bench without saying a word.
Fang Yun had no idea what Kong Changxun was up to, so he didn't say anything and just drank cup of tea after cup.
It was not until the sky began to brighten that Kong Changxun's gaze stabilized.