Chapter 688
5 year ago
Chapter 688 Five Hundred Years Ago
Qin Yuan didn't even need to say anything more; the people around her burst into laughter and booed.
Someone mocked, "You're really something. If there's a cripple in our Great Xing Dynasty, does that mean we can't say that the people of Great Xing are as agile as the wind?"
The man stammered, "I just think that Young Master Nantang's distinction between Wu and Chu is somewhat inappropriate. There are always exceptions and cases that cannot be generalized. As for the differences in writing and customs between Wu and Chu, how can one be so casual about it?"
"Nonsense! I see you're a scholar who passed the imperial examinations, so may I ask if you only knew this one set of questions during the exams? You might not have succeeded with a different set of questions?"
Some people also joined in the argument.
Qin Siyuan said loudly, "Gentlemen, there's no need to argue. This is just a debate about whether a white horse is a horse or not. In this gentleman's eyes, a white horse is not a horse."
Everyone nodded in understanding: "That's right."
Someone close to Wang Zichuan asked, "What does 'a white horse is not a horse' mean? I don't understand. If a white horse isn't a horse, does it mean a mule? Isn't that nonsense?"
Wang Zichuan shook his head and explained in a low voice: "There was once a time when the State of Zhao was plagued by horse disease. The State of Qin was afraid of being infected, so it prohibited Zhao's horses from entering the Hangu Pass. Gongsun Long was stopped by the gatekeeper while riding a white horse, so he argued that 'horse' refers to shape and 'white' refers to color, so he was riding a white horse, not a horse. The gatekeeper was confused by his argument and let him enter the pass."
"This is allowed?" The person next to me widened their eyes.
Wang Zichuan said, “Gongsun Long was a famous master at the time, the patriarch of the ‘Separating Hardness and Whiteness’ school, and a top debater in the world. How could he not convince a mere gatekeeper? You know Confucius, right? Even his sixth-generation descendant, Kong Chuan, could not out-debate Gongsun Long.”
Those around him said, "Scholars are really something; they can even make sense of this."
Wang Zichuan said, "You always think fighting and killing are more powerful. As the saying goes, the superior man kills with his pen, the average man kills with his tongue, and the inferior man kills with a stone tablet in his hand. You are the one who kills with a stone tablet in his hand! Scholars can exterminate nine generations of a family and destroy a country with just their words and pens. Su Qin's silver tongue was stronger than a million soldiers. How many people do you think a strong man like you can kill?"
Those around him glanced warily at the thin man in the attic and said nothing more.
Su Qin and the rank of superior scholar are too far removed from reality.
If it were murder or arson, one might be able to pull off a heist in the capital and evade the pursuit of the 50% military command, but a million-strong army... well, forget it.
These scholars are not to be trifled with.
The stubborn scholar was still trying to stammer, "Nonsense! How could I think a white horse isn't a horse?"
Qin Siyuan suddenly laughed and said, "Young Master Nantang said that there are many talented people in Jiangnan. One out of every seven Jinshi in our dynasty comes from Jiangnan. Just now, Jinling was cited as an example. This brother is not convinced. I suppose it is because although Jinling is in Wu, it was built by the State of Chu. After the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Wu culture was lost. Now let's take Wuxi, the birthplace of the State of Wu, as an example."
The crowd fell silent.
Wuxi is the birthplace of the Wu Kingdom, which is very fitting. Although everyone disliked the scholar's unreasonable arguments, they all wanted the young master of Nantang to say more, because his words were meaningful and interesting.
Wang Zichuan was stunned: "He's familiar with Wuxi too?" The person next to him said: "Wuxi is in Jiangnan and is also a port city, so it's normal for him to have been there."
People in Wuxi say, "It would be wonderful if Young Master Nantang were willing to talk about Wuxi."
Qin Siyuan cupped his hands and said, "When Taibo saw that his father, King Tai of Zhou, wanted to pass the throne to his third brother's son, he took his second brother and traveled south from Zhou to Meili, which is now Wuxi. There, he established the State of Wu. From then on, he cut his hair and tattooed his body like the local natives to show that he was different from the people of the Central Plains who tied their hair up and wore crowns. He cut off the path of succession and gave up the throne. Confucius praised Taibo's sincerity in giving up the throne many times, saying that it was the greatest virtue."
Taibo and others taught and educated the local Baiyue indigenous people, leading to the establishment of their own kingdom. This is recorded in historical texts, and you all understand it, so I will not elaborate further.
Wang Zichuan nodded.
Those around him asked, "What is this scholar saying? Does cutting his hair and getting a tattoo mean he's cut off from the family line? This Taibo is the eldest son, why is he running away from home with his younger brother?"
Wang Zichuan couldn't help but chuckle, "Every scholar knows this: Wuxi is the place where Taibo founded his kingdom. At that time, it was a wild and watery place. The local natives were the Baiyue people. Because they lived on the water for a long time, long hair was inconvenient, so they cut it short. The Baiyue people worshipped dragons and serpents, and during their coming-of-age ceremony, they would endure the pain of getting tattoos of dragon scales or similar patterns to avoid being hurt by snakes and serpents in the water. Therefore, cutting hair and getting tattoos were the marks of barbarians."
Those around him said, "They're just cutting their hair and getting tattoos to adapt to local customs, so why does it mean they're cutting off their inheritance?"
Wang Zichuan sighed, "That's what makes Taibo so remarkable. It's no wonder Confucius praised him for his filial piety and virtue. His third brother's son, King Wen of Zhou, was considered to have the makings of a wise ruler, but as the eldest son, he should have inherited the throne according to the rites. So, he took his second brother and claimed to be seeking medicine for their father, and fled to Wuxi to establish a state. The Zhou people, living in the Central Plains, believed that one's body and hair were given to them by their parents and should be cherished. Taibo cutting his hair and tattooing his body was tantamount to degrading himself to a barbarian, declaring his unfilial behavior, and losing his right to inherit the throne."
Someone nearby said, "I'm afraid if he doesn't leave, his life will be in danger."
Wang Zichuan sneered, "They were people of the past. Do you think this is the modern world where morality has declined and people's hearts have lost their traditional values? Taibo genuinely wanted to fulfill his father's wishes, but his father left a will before his death, asking him to inherit the mantle. When Taibo returned with his second brother for the funeral, his third brother presented the will left by their father, asking him to inherit the mantle, but he refused. Cutting one's hair and tattooing one's body is tantamount to surrendering to barbarians. How could one possibly become a king in the Central Plains where people wear their hair and crowns?"
Those around him were stunned for a moment, then sighed, "Such a person exists in the world, unlike the people of today..."
The rest of the words disappeared under Wang Zichuan's cold gaze.
Wang Zichuan quickly glanced around and continued, "Do you think that in ordinary families, when dividing the family property, brothers would fight tooth and nail over a rope or a tree?"
The person beside him said with a forced smile, "We're just ordinary people, how can we compare to the ancients? In the end, didn't Taibo establish his own Wu Kingdom? Where can't a man with ambition succeed?"
At this moment, Qin Siyuan on the stage said: "Wuxi is not a county attached to Changzhou Prefecture, but it has an excellent location, beautiful mountains and rivers, and a rich cultural heritage. There are many stories of nine Jinshi in one examination and three Jieyuan in six examinations."
The people of Wuxi nodded proudly.
Qin Siyuan continued, "Many Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) come from prominent families. The Qin family of Wuxi has four generations of Jinshi, the He family and the Ji family have three generations, and there are countless other uncles, nephews, brothers, and other family members who have all become Jinshi. Isn't that right?"
A Wuxi resident laughed and said, "That's right. The Qin family of Wuxi alone has produced dozens of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), making them the most prominent family in Jiangnan. I wonder if Scholar Qin is from the Qin family of Wuxi?"
Qin Siyuan also laughed and said, "The Qin family of Wuxi is the descendant of Mr. Huaihai and Qin Shaoyou, one of the Four Scholars of Su School. They are a famous family of scholars. If we talk about it, they may have been related to me, Qin, five hundred years ago. After all, we can't write two Qin characters with the same stroke."