During the Qin Dynasty, he brought chaos to the seven kingdoms.

Chapter 7 Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming Dynasties

Because of Qi's national policy of "being cautious in serving Qin and trustworthy with the other states" and not engaging in war, Linzi gradually became the most prosperous capital of the seven states.

As stated in the "Strategies of the States": "On the road to Linzi, the wheels of carriages bumped against each other, people's shoulders rubbed together, their robes formed a curtain, their sleeves formed a screen, and their sweat fell like rain."

Although the records contain artistic embellishments, they do indeed illustrate the prosperity of Linzi.

Merchants and travelers could be seen coming and going everywhere, with wine flags fluttering in the breeze.

There was also a music and dance hall where the sounds of zithers and lutes filled the air, and young ladies danced gracefully on the hall's pavilions...

"Hey, hey, hey... let me see it one more time!"

Zihan tugged at Cao Yuan's arm, looking like she had a toothache, and said, "You already have such beautiful wives and concubines, why are you looking at these vulgar women?! Let's go!"

"What's the use of being pretty?" Cao Yuan muttered.

He can only look but not eat, and at night he has to guard against Jing Ni and Li Wu poking his butt... Is it easy for him?

Soon, Cao Yuan and Zi Han arrived at a secluded alley in the east of the city. After walking more than a hundred steps, they finally saw a mansion.

Unlike the residences of princes and nobles, this mansion has no flying eaves or brackets, no stone lions or vermilion gates, only a plain earthen wall with simple lines and a clean surface. There are no plaques or any carvings, only a few clumps of weeds growing at the base of the wall.

"No wonder he's called Nameless..."

Cao Yuan thought to himself, "Such a large mansion, yet its decorations are just like those of an ordinary farmhouse."

However, in the original work, Nameless's mansion was extremely luxurious, built against the mountain, heavily guarded, with a group of elite guards wearing golden masks. Even Jing Ni had to go through a lot of trouble to fight her way in, infiltrate, climb the nine-story building, and fly across the iron chain bridge to see Nameless in the small building on the cliff.

"I heard from my senior brother that back then, King Qi was slandered by the prime minister and ordered the nameless sword saint to move out of the palace. I didn't expect him to live in such a place. It seems he is being ostracized."

Zihan sighed softly and stepped forward to gently knock on the brass door knocker.

If it weren't for his senior brother's visit to the Nameless Sword Saint, he wouldn't have known that the Sword Saint's residence, which enjoyed such a high reputation in the martial arts world, would be in such a dilapidated state.

Cao Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the mansion in the original story was not nameless?

In other words, was that mansion more like a place to imprison the nameless?

Otherwise, why would they have a large number of elite guards, build a nine-story building, and an extremely long iron chain bridge?

"Squeak...creak..."

A moment later, the door opened.

It was not a servant in the mansion, but a refined man dressed in a wide robe with light purple patterns.

The man was tall and slender, with a calm and gentle gaze, yet carrying a hint of indifference.

Cao Yuan and Zi Han exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes. They hadn't expected Wuming to open the door himself.

Seemingly noticing their surprise, Wuming said calmly, "I am alone in the mansion. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Zihan respectfully said, "I am Zihan from Xiaoshengxianzhuang. I have come to find Senior Brother Fu Nian. I apologize for disturbing you."

He was unaware of his senior brother's itinerary and worried that his senior brother would leave after visiting the Nameless Sword Saint, so he had no choice but to abruptly show up.

The nameless swordsman nodded and looked at Cao Yuan.

Cao Yuan cupped his hands and said, "I am Cao Yuan, the owner of 'Golden Key' Locksmith Shop."

Wuming glanced at Cao Yuan, a strange look flashing in his eyes, and asked in a less than friendly tone, "What are you doing here?"

Cao Yuan was taken aback, and tentatively asked, "Yan Lu?"

Zihan quickly replied, "Yes, yes, Sword Saint, how is Yan Lu?"

Wuming silently sensed his surroundings and, seeing nothing amiss, said, "You may come in first."

The area within the mansion is relatively empty, mostly desolate and abandoned.

There are only two wooden houses, but they are quite lively and are often inhabited.

"Zihan?"

There was a man in front of the stone table. He was dressed in solemn and magnificent clothes, sitting upright with a stern and firm look in his eyes.

He is none other than Fu Nian, the current acting head of Xiaoshengxianzhuang, which is the first of the eight major Confucian schools.

As the most talented disciple among the eight schools of Confucianism, Fu Nian's scholarship, though not as great as his uncle Xunzi, was still comparable to that of contemporary great Confucian scholars.

Zihan quickly handed over the cloth that Cao Yuan had given him yesterday.

Fu Nian took it with a slight frown, and after glancing at it, his frown deepened.

Ugly handwriting.

Cao Yuan kept his eyes straight ahead, showing no embarrassment whatsoever.

He's already exhausted himself to master Qi Wen in just two months, hasn't he?

As for how well the tortoise crawled the characters...

Just like the creatures in the deep sea, they grow randomly, and you can recognize the writing as "carbon-based life"...

"Human nature is the principle of Heaven, and the principle of Heaven is the ultimate good. Therefore, the nature of man is pure and without evil."

Evil is not inherent in human nature, but rather arises from biased temperament and the obscuration of selfish desires.

The way to cultivate oneself lies in preserving heavenly principles, eliminating human desires, and returning to one's original goodness...

Fu Nian was always calm and composed. Even though his handwriting was ugly and didn't make a good impression at first glance, he still tried his best to decipher it out of a sense of responsibility. Before he knew it, he couldn't help but read it aloud.

The more deeply Fu Nian read, the more immersed he became, just like when he first read the Analects, his words lingering on his lips for days.

For him, now a man of profound learning, this was an extremely precious experience, like a child encountering the world for the first time, full of surprises and novelties.

Cao Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Fu Nian go inside so engrossed.

His efforts were worthwhile, as he used the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties to discuss "human nature is inherently good or inherently evil."

Now that Fu Nian has taken the bait, he is five-tenths confident that he can obtain the bronze treasure box while also successfully escaping Jing Ni and Li Wu, and live a carefree life.

If you really do fail and are unlucky, just run away to Xiaoshengxianzhuang and "fight" with Xunzi, who isn't good at martial arts. It's no big deal.

"Evil is not inherent in human nature, but rather a bias in one's temperament and a delusion caused by material desires..."

Fu Nian's clear reading voice came to an abrupt halt. He stood there holding the cloth covered with ugly characters, unsure whether to lift his foot or not, as he was about to continue pacing.

Silence, oh silence...

"What about the rest?"

Fu Nian's tone was urgent, like a foodie who hadn't eaten for three days and three nights, who was enjoying a limited-edition deluxe meal when he discovered that the table had been cleared, and he was almost jumping up and down in a panic.

Before Zihan could answer, Wuming sighed and said, "The one who can write such a treatise is no less than my teacher; I am far inferior to him."

Fu Nian said, "Senior brother, why should you feel ashamed? It's only half a treatise. Whether it can compare to our senior uncle's is still uncertain."

Cao Yuan and Zi Han were both shocked.

Cao Yuan was shocked to learn that the nameless swordsman was actually Xunzi's disciple.

Zihan was shocked to find that this essay seemed even more impressive than he had imagined.

"Junior brother, who wrote this? Is there a sequel?"

After Fu Nian spoke again, Zi Han immediately pushed Cao Yuan forward.

"Senior Brother, it was written by Brother Cao."

Cao Yuan was already prepared.

"Master Fu Nian, due to time constraints and limited cloth, the book is not yet finished. I apologize for disappointing you."

Wuming's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of doubt appearing in them.

Cao Yuan's alteration of the Analects into the Lunyu is disrespectful to the sages and corrupts the teachings of Yan Hui and Lu Xun. Could he really be the person who wrote this essay?

Fu Nian is the same as Wu Ming.

He looked at Cao Yuan, shocked, then fell silent. He was too young; it didn't seem like him.

"Are you a Confucian scholar?"

"no."

Have you thoroughly studied the essence of Confucianism?

"I've read it."

"Did you really write this?"

"...It was handwritten by me. It was only after years of being around my teacher and being influenced by him that I was able to write it."

Fu Nian still didn't quite believe it. Could someone write such a treatise simply by being exposed to something?

It has almost the potential to open up a new line of Confucianism.

It should be understood that from Confucius to the present day, Confucianism has only had eight branches. Those who can open up the Confucian literary lineage are all great Confucian scholars who have been studying for many years, just like his uncle Xunzi.

"Do you have a particular Confucian classic that you are well-versed in? If so, which one?"

"...The Analects."

Cao Yuan was a little nervous.

The script is a bit off.

Fu Nian was surprisingly clear-headed. Instead of bowing down to him in shock, he acted like a brother and allowed him to successfully complete the transaction.

What a waste of all those pretentious online novels he read!

Fu Nian pondered for a moment and said, "Would you be willing to accept my question on the topic of the Analects?"

In Confucianism, one can judge whether a person has real talent and learning simply by observing their answers to policy questions, lectures, and essays.

In short, let's put it to the test.

Cao Yuan felt a chill run down his spine. He had read the Analects, and in order to adapt it into "Lunyu," he had read it more than once, but...

No, this isn't the tree-lined path he's familiar with. He needs to...

Zihan, brimming with confidence, readily agreed, "That's easy. Senior Brother, just ask Brother Cao!"

He had chatted with Cao Yuan many times and had great confidence in Cao Yuan.

Cao Yuan was just thinking about how to drive the car to his familiar "tree-lined path" when he got numb.

Damn it, Zihan, if you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all!

This effectively cut off his escape route, making it impossible for him to even consider going astray or taking another path.

"Master Fu Nian, please pose a question."

Cao Yuan remained calm in the face of danger, his heart pounding with rage while his face remained as still as a lake.

Since things have come to this point, whether it succeeds or not, let's give it a try first.

Otherwise, not only will all your efforts be wasted, but you'll also be looked down upon for no reason.

Fu Nian often taught at Xiaoshengxianzhuang. When discussing Cao Yuan's literary theories, which differed from the eight major schools of Confucianism, he immediately remarked:

The Analects, Book 2, Chapter 2, states: “To attack heterodox doctrines is harmful indeed.”

Times have changed, various schools of thought have flourished, and diverse opinions have emerged. If we judge these opinions by the standards of the Master's teachings: what constitutes heresy? Should we attack it, suppress it, or clarify it?

……