Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 287 - 245 Neo-Confucianism Protector_1

Chapter 287: 245 Neo-Confucianism Protector_1

Under the guidance of a Guozi Bureau Zhujiao, Li Xuan arrived at the Mingjing Hall, only to find thousands of Jiansheng gathered in the expansive hall. They not only packed the hall but also filled the steps outside the door. Everyone was sitting seriously, listening attentively.

In the hall, two middle-aged Confucianists were in heated debate with two Siye of Guozi Bureau, and Quan Dingtian, sitting at the top, wore a bothered expression on his face.

The waiting Cheng of Guozi Bureau was overjoyed at the sight and immediately cleared a path for Li Xuan, leading him inside.

As Li Xuan entered the gate, many Jiansheng on the side looked at him with puzzled expressions. Even prominent scholars from south Zhili would hardly receive such a treatment.

Seeing Li Xuan’s arrival, Quan Dingtian visibly relaxed.

Li Xuan did not heed the Cheng of Guozi Bureau and sat beside Long Rui and Wang Jing.

"What’s going on?" Li Xuan asked while listening to the bickering Confucianists.

Engrossed in the debate, Long Rui only noticed Li Xuan’s arrival when he heard his voice.

Confused as to why Li Xuan was here, Long Rui knew that Li Xuan had no interest in Confucian debates. Moreover, the street outside were jammed with crowds.

Puzzled, Long Rui asked Li Xuan, "Qianzhi, how did you get in?"

"Of course someone urged me to come in, with the route led by the Cheng of Guozi Bureau." Li Xuan began to listen to the debate among the scholars on stage and responded casually, "You haven’t answered me yet, what’s going on?"

The two men, Long Rui and Wang Jing, exchanged a glance of confusion.

The Cheng of Guozi Bureau led the way? How could it be?

Although the Cheng of Guozi Bureau was only a 6th-rank official, he held the control of Guozi Bureau affairs. When Jijiu and Siye did not handle affairs, the Cheng of Guozi Bureau was the acting authority.

He led Li Xuan in?

At that time, Zhen Huandou, the ’leader of Jiangzuo,’ also spotted Li Xuan. His eyes immediately showed fervor, but then perplexity.

"It baffles me as to why Cheng of Guozi Bureau would personally lead him into Mingjing Hall." Xi Hanqing, Zhen Huandou’s disciple, asked in puzzlement, "Why bring a warrior in?"

Zhen Huandou was highly irritated, thinking how could one see Li Xuan as a mere warrior when he possessed such profound knowledge and pure Hao Qi?

"It is really confusing." Chu Wen also expressed his doubt, "The Cheng of Guozi Bureau seemed to regard him with utter respect. But in terms of official rank, they are equal, both being 6th-rank officials."

While these three men were puzzled, Long Rui was explaining the situation to Li Xuan, "It’s an academic dispute about a topic covered in a previous exam. A widow wanted to remarry but was obstructed by her family. So, she appealed with a statement to the government, ’Should I remarry even under the watchful eyes amidst the melon field and shadows of plum trees?’. The topic was how we should rule this."

Li Xuan was confused and then asked, "What was your ruling in the verdict?"

"Of course, she should remarry." Wang Jing confidently answered. "It would be absurd to force a thirteen-year-old to live a widow’s life. Moreover, there’s a lustful father-in-law and playboy uncle. If she does not remarry, worse things may happen."

"I wrote the same in my verdict."

Long Rui nodded, "Our verdicts were given high scores by the Jijiu, but several prominent scholars in Nanjing City couldn’t accept that. They quoted Master Yu and his mentor, Mr. Ikawa, Chen Yi, saying that ’Dying of hunger is a petty matter while losing integrity is a serious one’. They clung to this point and challenged our mentor."

Li Xuan thought to himself, "fuck," forcing a thirteen-year-old to become a widow was just too perverted.

However, he knew that this was the status quo in their era. Girls like Jiang Hanyun and Xue Yunrou were able to control their own destinies with their powerful family connections and strong cultivation. However, the majority of the women could only rely on their husbands and fathers.

"Also, there’s the contemporary literature topic, ’A gentleman seeks righteousness, while a petty man seeks profits.’"

Wang Jing continued, "Master Yu once stated that the principle of righteousness and profit was supreme to Confucianists. However, Master Yade Fang Ming, and Master Jingyuan Kong Xiu, disputed the evaluation results of Guozi Bureau. In their view, our high ranking in the literature exam was due to our mentor’s private guidance. They accused of our text being filled with skewed Neo-Confucian doctrines, demanding us to be dismissed on the spot as a warning to others, instead of ranking our paper among the top three and misleading the public.

Both are respected scholars in south Zhili: one, a retired Servant of the Ministry of Personnel; the other, a former royal scribe. Even our mentor had to tread carefully."

n the other hand, Long Rui chuckled, "Both argue that Master Yu advocated ’Preserving natural law, eliminating human desire’, asserting that righteousness and profit, principle and desire, are in opposition. They view profit and desire as the roots of all evil. However, we uphold Master Dong’s argument, ’One can’t be happy without righteousness, one can’t be in peace without profit’. As Confucianists seeking fame and recognition, aren’t we also seeking a form of profit? Moreover, we believe that natural law cannot exist independently of desire. Everything has desire. This, we believe, truly captures Master Yu’s intention."

Li Xuan had a general understanding of the situation. The five scholars in the hall divided into two factions.

Fang Ming and Kong Xiu held one stance; they believed that Wang Jing and Long Rui’s verdict would ruin social morals and that gentlemen should be ashamed to talk about profits.