Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 763 Clouds move in all directions

The changes in Confucianism were enough to influence the future situation of the entire world.

But Tian Jiu noticed that Lu Zheng was even more composed than him, as if he were someone who was detached from the situation.

Lu Zheng smiled upon hearing this, "What's the point of being unsettled now that it's already happened? Just do your best to handle it properly."

Lu Zheng paused, then continued, "For some time to come, perhaps a decade or two, perhaps several decades, or even a century... or even longer, the decline of Confucianism is inevitable. Patriarch Tian must seize this opportunity."

Tian Jiu's eyes lit up in surprise, and he exclaimed, "The matter is so serious, what are those Confucian sages doing...?"

He had thought the changes in Confucianism were only temporary, but after hearing what Lu Zheng said, it seemed to be more serious than he had anticipated.

Lu Zheng and Yan Jue had a private talk just now, and Tian Jiu still believed that Lu Zheng was not lying.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Isn't this a good thing? Those who act arrogantly and domineeringly have lost an important reliance, and only then can the world truly move towards peace!"

Lu Zheng sighed softly, "As the ancients said, 'As long as sages exist, great thieves will never cease.' Sometimes, when you think about it, there's some truth to that."

Tian Jiu's eyes flashed with a strange light. In the State of Qi, Confucianism and Taoism were flourishing, and power was mostly held by Confucian and Taoist families.

Now that such a major change has occurred, many large families will be affected and will lose many of their rights and interests.

This, in turn, gave the Tian clan an opportunity to rise to power.

After all, their family does not primarily adhere to Confucianism and Taoism, but also cultivates other types of talent.

The decline of Confucianism and Taoism in Qi will not negatively affect the Tian family much.

Thinking about all of this, Tian Jiu felt that she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

Another point is that Lu Zheng was able to see through the crux of the matter and even gave him a reminder, which shows that Lu Zheng has a deeper understanding of the current situation.

Tian Jiu couldn't help but whisper, "Mr. Lu, how do you think my Tian family should deal with this situation?"

Tian Jiu followed suit and addressed Lu Zheng as "Mr."

He felt that Lu Zheng was better at assessing the situation than his advisors and could offer valuable advice, so he wanted to consult him.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng slowly said, "Qi is ultimately dominated by Confucianism and Taoism. Patriarch Tian could try to win over some poor scholars from lower classes and those who do not follow Confucianism and Taoism to form a new force, and perhaps even establish a new school of thought..."

“Nowadays, those sage families have been abandoned by their ancestors. Who can still claim to be orthodox and legitimate, and continue to do unjust and immoral things under the banner of sages?”

Lu Zheng said calmly, "Those families have enjoyed the protection of sages for so many years. It's time to drag them down to see the real world and experience human suffering..."

"Otherwise, they will never understand what the most precious thing the sages left them is."

Lu Zheng said quietly, "They have completely lost the spirit of the sages."

Tian Jiu was deeply moved and strongly agreed with Lu Zheng's words.

Lu Zheng then added, "Furthermore, Buddha and Taoism are still worshipped in the world. Patriarch Tian can take advantage of this to have them promoted, and thus..."

Tian Jiu blinked. This was an opportunity to suppress Confucianism!

He is now certain that Lu Zhengzhen, as rumored, does not like Buddhism or Confucianism, or more accurately, he dislikes certain people.

In the past, promoting Buddhism or Taoism in the State of Qi might have faced numerous obstacles, but the situation is different now.

It's hard to say that some people won't switch allegiance to Confucianism because of its dramatic changes.

Tian Jiu said with a hint of delight, "What Mr. Lu said is very feasible."

Tian Jiu excitedly pulled Lu Zheng to sit down and talk, and the conversation went deeper and deeper.

Tian Jiu discovered that Lu Zheng was also very knowledgeable about the situation in Qi, which meant he had obviously done a detailed investigation.

This made him feel that Lu Zheng's visit to him had a specific purpose, which is why he was able to quickly offer some suggestions.

The purpose seems quite clear: to counterbalance the powerful clans of Qi and provide a better living environment for the people of Qi.

Thinking about Lu Zheng's past actions, Tian Jiu didn't find anything strange. He was happy to do something, as it would bring him some benefits.

……

"The Confucian and Taoist schools of the world have all undergone changes. The thoughts of those Confucian and Taoist sages have vanished without a trace, and even the patriarchs cannot be found or communicated with..."

Facing An Jing, An Taixuan whispered, "The Ancestor has gone into seclusion again, but it seems he has severed his connection with the Confucian Way..."

An Jing's expression did not change much.

The experiences she has had in recent years have helped her mature a lot, and she no longer easily reveals her emotions.

An Jing thought for a moment and then said, "So, the decline of Confucianism and Taoism is a foregone conclusion?"

An Taixuan rubbed his temples and said softly, "I'm afraid so. Those sages who left were the foundation of Confucianism and Taoism. How can the remaining ones support it? Our An Kingdom was founded on Confucianism and Taoism. This sudden change is unprecedented in a thousand years. We are truly suffering."

An Jing looked at An Taixuan and asked suspiciously, "Why does Father seem... a little happy?"

"Uh……"

An Taixuan paused, his expression turning serious. "Is that so? You can't just say things like that. As the ruler of a nation, I cannot tolerate such a matter that could jeopardize the country's destiny..."

An Jing stared at An Taixuan with an inexplicable look, preventing An Taixuan from continuing his sentence.

A hint of embarrassment flashed in An Taixuan's eyes. Well, he really wasn't that sad.

The main reason was that Lu Zheng had mentioned some things to him before, so when faced with this matter, he quickly felt that it wasn't really a bad thing.

An Taixuan touched his nose and said in a low voice, "The An Kingdom established itself through Confucianism and Taoism, and those Confucian scholars did indeed make a lot of contributions. However, generation after generation, some families, relying on their wealth and power, and with the backing of Confucianism and Taoism, have become parasites on the country!"

An Taixuan said indignantly, "The vast majority of the officials in the court, both civil and military, are Confucian scholars. They are all of the same ilk... It makes it seem as if the entire court and the entire An Kingdom belong to the Confucian school!"

"But some of the things some people do, are they things that Confucian disciples would do? Embezzlement, bribery, and other evil deeds..."

"They don't learn a thing from what the sages teach them, but they're very good at doing bad things!"

An Taixuan launched into a critique, saying, "If you ask me, it's good that Confucius and the others have passed away! The decline of Confucianism is a good thing! It saves us from those who preach sagehood to me every day while doing nothing of substance..."

An Taixuan thought that Lu Zheng's side did not worship any saint, yet he still managed to govern the area very well.

Their Anguo doesn't exist without those Confucian and Taoist scholars.

He was even thinking of taking advantage of the situation to purge a wave of powerful clans!

After listening to An Taixuan's words, An Jing said, "Your Majesty, I intend to establish new academies in various prefectures to recruit talents of all kinds... and to implement examinations to select or dismiss officials in order to rectify the conduct of local officials..."

Upon hearing this, An Taixuan waved his hand and said with a smile, "I have given my permission! Go ahead and do it! The officials are all very worried right now, so they certainly won't have any reason to stop you."

If so many non-Confucian and non-Taoist academies had been established in Anguo in the past, I'm afraid all the officials would have come out to oppose it and make excuses.

However, the changes that have occurred now are no different from the sky falling down for those Confucian and Taoist officials.

There's no suitable reason to stop the establishment of any more universities.

In the past, it was easy to speak with the backing of Confucian sages, but now there is no one to rely on... Having received An Taixuan's promise, An Jing gladly prepared to carry it out.

Before leaving, Anjing couldn't help but whisper, "Father, do you think this matter has anything to do with him?"

The reason why the Confucian sages left has not been found out yet, but An Jing has a vague feeling that Lu Zheng may know something or even be involved.

An Taixuan raised his eyelids slightly and said indifferently, "Now that things have come to this, whether or not it has anything to do with him is probably not important."

An Jing said, "I'm just a little worried that he will become the target of public criticism."

An Taixuan pondered, "Tsk, does anyone else really think he's capable of such a thing? If he doesn't give me an explanation, I have no idea how he did it..."

An Taixuan was completely confused. He couldn't understand how Lu Zheng could have made those Confucian sages leave without saying goodbye if it was related to him.

We can't just chat with Confucius and the others for a few minutes and then they'll stop wanting to be worshipped and stop caring about the world, can we?

An Taixuan shook his head, completely baffled.

……

The Eastern Palace of the State of Wei.

Yuan Tao was working on various official documents at his desk.

Since taking this position, he feels like he has endless things to do every day.

Especially regarding matters concerning Buddhism in Wei and local reforms, the situation varied from state to state, forcing him to personally oversee and understand the circumstances, which kept him extremely busy.

At that moment, a subordinate rushed in from outside and presented a letter.

"Your Highness, this matter concerns Confucianism and Taoism."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao immediately put down the official document in his hand and picked up the letter to examine it.

Within the territory of the State of Wei, there were several large Confucian temples, which enshrined several Confucian sages.

Therefore, the recent incident made the Wei state officials notice the unusual activity immediately.

Yuan Tao already had a good impression of Confucianism, and after learning about the matter, he attached great importance to it and even sent people to investigate in detail.

Yuan Tao frowned as he looked at the report that had been delivered.

The reasons for the passing of Confucian and Taoist sages and worthies are unknown, the fortunes of Confucianism and Taoism have been diminished, and even the great Confucian path seems to have been severed...

Such a change is even more unbelievable than the time when Buddhas and Bodhisattvas descended to earth.

After all, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifested their power because the authentic Buddhist scriptures appeared.

The Confucian sages departed too suddenly, without any reliable explanation, leaving people puzzled as to why.

Yuan Tao originally wanted to recruit more Confucian and Taoist scholars and then establish some academies focused on Confucianism, but now it seems that he was overthinking it.

Yuan Tao stared at the letter in silence for a moment, then put it aside. He was powerless to help the Confucianists in such a serious situation; his own affairs were more important.

Just then, the dignified and imposing Wuqiu came to pay his respects to Yuan Tao.

Wuqiu clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, this humble monk has a request for you. Please grant it."

Yuan Tao looked up and asked, "What is it?"

Wuqiu said solemnly, "I have heard that there is war in the State of Chu. I would like to take some fellow disciples to the State of Chu to help the people and promote the Buddhist way of saving all sentient beings."

Yuan Tao's expression shifted slightly. The news of the joint attack on Chu by Shu and Han had already spread throughout the land, and the war was said to be going to continue, with no sign of stopping or peace talks.

With so many affairs to attend to in Wei, Wuqiu still wants to lead people to that dangerous place.

Yuan Tao thought for a moment and said, "The great powers are fighting each other, causing widespread suffering among the people. I don't know how many people are suffering. I naturally won't object to your wish to go to Chu to relieve their suffering. However, this journey will probably be very dangerous..."

The status of Buddhist monks is already quite sensitive, and to go to war-torn areas to help people is no exaggeration to say that it is extremely dangerous, with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death.

Wuqiu smiled and said, "Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. If I can die for the cause, I will have no regrets."

Yuan Tao sighed softly, "How many people are you planning to take with you?"

Wuqiu said, "All twenty people voluntarily went with me."

Yuan Tao glanced at the table and said, "Select more people, and bring more food, medicine and other supplies with you. I'll have someone prepare whatever you need... We can't go to rescue people empty-handed."

Wuqiu couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Highness is truly virtuous!"

Yuan Tao simply smiled. In the past, he probably wouldn't have cared about these things in other countries. It was through his experiences and learning from someone that he changed his mindset.

As the saying goes, "One who stays near vermilion gets stained red."

……

"Tsk tsk, I knew there would be plenty of drama to watch from here on out. Who would have thought that Confucianism and Taoism would suddenly collapse? How strange!"

The Shu emperor sat on a comfortable soft couch and couldn't help but laugh heartily.

Master Yunxiao, who was reporting to the Shu Emperor, couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, Confucianism and Taoism haven't really collapsed; it's just that Confucius and the others have disappeared from the world."

The Shu Emperor said leisurely, "Didn't you say that even when the Confucian scholars petitioned the sage, they received no response? It's no different from a complete collapse."

The Shu Emperor felt a surge of satisfaction. "Back in the day, a great Confucian scholar from the State of Qi told me that Confucianism and Taoism were the foundation of the nation and the orthodox way to govern the country. Alas, now that the Confucian sages have disappeared, this orthodoxy is no longer orthodox!"

The Shu Emperor was devoted to Taoism and couldn't stand those words before, but now, thinking back on them makes him happy.

"Is there still this?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Xiao was slightly surprised, and couldn't help but feel a little smug.

The Shu emperor laughed for a while, then calmed down.

"Confucianism and Taoism have collapsed. But with the Buddha's arrival, the orthodox Buddhist tradition will rise again... After that, we can't let Buddhism dominate, can we?"

The Shu Emperor looked at Yun Xiao and asked, "Just how far have you progressed in compiling your scriptures?"

Yun Xiao's expression became somewhat unnatural, and he quickly said, "I'm making it up, I'm making it up..."

Yun Xiao thought to himself that it wasn't like compiling some kind of enlightenment book, so how could it be done so quickly? His Majesty was urging him every few days, which was simply unbearable.

The Shu Emperor snorted and said, "You said before that the opening of the Taiping Jing was written by Lu Zheng. If you really don't have that ability, why don't you just invite him over? Isn't he very good at governing a peaceful world? He's definitely better at compiling this Taiping Jing than you are."

"Ah this..."

Yun Xiao wanted Lu Zheng to take on the task, but other Daoist masters would probably feel it was too shameful. (End of Chapter)