Back then, when the First Emperor set the policy of implementing the prefecture system in the Empire, it was unanimously opposed by the Confucians. Many Confucians even spread slanderous words such as 'The Qin Kingdom has changed its course, disrespecting the Zhou rites, and acting willfully will definitely be punished by the heaven'. They spread rumors to confuse the people and shake the foundation of the Great Qin Empire. In a fit of anger, the First Emperor burned poetry and books and killed more than 460 Confucians. It was known as' burning books and burying Confucians'.
What made Shi Huang the angriest was that his eldest son, Fusu, not only did he not distinguish right from wrong, but he also stood on the side of the Confucian scholars and contradicted him several times. This made Shi Huang extremely disappointed in his eldest son. In a fit of anger, he sent him to the northern frontier fortress to guard the Great Wall with Meng Tian.
Although this matter had happened many years ago, it had always been a sore point for the Ancestral Dragon. Now, facing the mischievous Zhao Lang, the First Emperor had thrown this topic out to see how this little guy would answer.
To Zhao Lang, he wanted to use his 'talent' to convince Old Zhao and Old Wang, these two stubborn fellows, to join his anti-Qin team. Hence, Little Wimp told him everything he knew,""As for the Confucians, as one of the Hundred Schools of Thought, they can be considered a very special school of thought. Generally speaking, they have some redeeming qualities, but they also have quite a few dregs.”
When the First Emperor heard this, he couldn't help but sneer." Is there anything good about Confucianism? Why can't I tell? This group of people who only knew how to talk big, other than spreading rumors and sowing discord, what else could they do?”
The more Ancestral Dragon spoke, the angrier he got." These people from the Confucian Sect always say that they have a plan to stabilize the country. However, ever since Kong Qiu founded Confucianism, in the three hundred years, has there ever been a vassal who ruled the country with Confucianism and became powerful? On the other hand, Qin destroyed the six countries and unified China, using Li Si and the other Legalists!”
Ha, did this Old Zhao worship Qin Shihuang to this extent? Their three views were actually so consistent, and they all hated Confucian scholars to the extreme!
This thought flashed through Zhao Lang's mind, and he said,"Although the Confucian Sect didn't contribute much to the unification of Qin, they still have a way of governing the country!”
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu had abolished all the other schools of thought and reigned supreme over Confucianism. In the next two thousand years, the Confucian Sect had been the sole power of the entire sect. This was enough to prove that this school of thought was not completely useless! On the contrary, the ideas of loyalty and love for the country and becoming an official had a positive impact on the stability of the dynasty and the consolidation of the central power.
" Hmph!" The First Emperor snorted coldly." Those pedantic scholars who only know how to talk and have no actual actions, how can they govern the country? On the contrary, he was good at sowing discord and deceiving people with fallacies. No wonder the Qin Emperor burned books and buried scholars back then!”
Oh my, Old Zhao is really a hardcore fan of Qin Shihuang. His prejudice against Confucian scholars is not ordinary! This can't do. This bro wants to rebel against Qin. Old Zhao respects Qin Shihuang so much, how can he join our team? Yes, he had to quickly straighten Old Zhao out from his words and actions!
Thinking of this, Zhao Lang couldn't help but say," Old Zhao, don't you think that Qin Shihuang is a little headstrong?”
When the First Emperor heard such harsh words, he raised his eyebrows and said indifferently,""What do you mean?"
Zhao Lang said calmly," Other than the Confucian scholars 'stubborn insistence on enfeoffment, are they really useless in other aspects? For example, inheriting etiquette, educating the people, and promoting loyalty to the monarch and the country?”
Qin Shi Huang shook his sleeves." Merely etiquette is just a small matter. It is not their turn to educate the people. They do not need to say anything more about loyalty and love for the country. As long as the Qin Emperor makes sure that the people do not have to worry about food and clothing, the people will naturally be loyal to the king and love the country!”
This old fellow was deeply poisoned! If this bro wanted to straighten him, it would probably take a lot of effort!
Zhao Lang muttered in his heart and said,"Old Zhao, aren't you talking nonsense now? I even said that I could overthrow Great Qin with a single blow, but how could it be that easy? You might say that etiquette was a small trick, but when the Qin Dynasty unified the world, other than Chunyu Yue and the other Confucians who could come up with that grand set of etiquette, who else could be competent?”
"You said that it is not up to the Confucians to educate the people, so should we let the Legalists and Daoists do it? Old Zhao, I believe that with your intelligence, you should know which of the Hundred Schools of Philosophy is more suitable to educate the people, right?”
"The last point you said is even more nonsense!‘As long as the Qin Emperor gives the people no worries about food and clothing, the people will be loyal to the king and love the country? Let me ask you. Firstly, since the unification of the Qin Dynasty, the Great Wall was built in the north, the Qin Zhi Road was built, the Li Mountain Mausoleum and the Epang Palace were built, and the people were exhausted and miserable. Did the people not have to worry about food and clothing?”
Qin Shi Huang couldn't help but choke, but he quickly said resentfully,""This is only a temporary hardship. When the four directions are pacified, the people in the sea will naturally have no worries about food and clothing.”
Zhao Lang could naturally tell that the other party was not confident. He did not expose him and continued,"Even if the people can live comfortably in the future, will the dynasty be able to do well? Didn't he hear that back then, the Jin Country was well-fed and clothed, why would there be three families dividing Jin? How do you explain the Tian family replacing Qi?"
Seeing that the First Emperor was speechless, Zhao Lang's lips curled up." That's why I said, Old Zhao, the human heart is complicated and changeable. If you don't have a set of effective methods to educate the people, it won't work.”
" Of course, if it's just the Confucian Sect alone, it'll definitely result in a rigid and monotonous mindset. Thus, Master Lang believes that the 'Hundred Schools of Thought Contend' during the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period is the best arrangement for the dynasty!”
"Hundred Schools of Thought Contend?" Shi Huang's dragon eyes flashed as he spoke.
The little wimp nodded." Old Zhao, at your age, you should still remember the grand scene of the Qi Kingdom's Jixia Learning Palace, where Xunzi preached on the Dao, and the scholars of Confucianism, Legalism, Mohism, Taoism, Agriculture, Yin and Yang gathered together, right?”
Of course, Qin Shi Huang remembered! Li Si, his right-hand man, Han Fei, the scholar he admired the most, and Mao Jiao, his minister of direct remonstrance, were all from Jixia Learning Palace. Among them were Legalism, Confucianism, Mohism, and so on. It had to be said that the students from Jixia Learning Palace had played a great role in his sweeping away the six countries and unifying China!
"Little brat, if you can create a dynasty in the future, are you going to create another Jixia Learning Palace?" If that was the case, how could their thoughts be unified?”
Just the Confucians alone were enough to annoy Shi Huang. If a hundred schools of thought were to contend and the various schools of thought filled the court, Shi Huang could not imagine how chaotic the scene would be.
Zhao Lang grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth." Old Zhao, I think you've been poisoned by Qin Shihuang. You've always been thinking of restricting your thoughts and acting arbitrarily. Little did you know that a single blooming flower is not spring, but a hundred flowers blooming together is spring!”
"The Hundred Schools of Thought have their own strengths, and Master Lang can use them in various fields. For example, let the Legalism school rule the army, let the Mohism school study tools that benefit the people, let the farmers cultivate good seeds, let the Confucians educate the people. In this way, the Hundred Schools of Thought will compete and our empire will prosper.”
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