The Collapse of Confucianism

As the light of the sky faded, an eerie silence descended upon the entire Chinese world.

But beneath this silence lies a turbulent undercurrent of thought.

The Spring and Autumn Period was the most severely impacted.

This is the eye of the storm.

The academy was in complete disarray.

Confucius remained unconscious and was carried into the inner room by several core disciples. The disciples went in and out, preparing medicine and administering acupuncture, creating a chaotic scene.

Meanwhile, many more disciples gathered in twos and threes outside the Apricot Altar, looking dazed and discussing amongst themselves.

Their faith was utterly shattered today by the descendant of the self-proclaimed "Head of the Kong Family" in the sky, in the most cruel way.

"How could this be... how could this be..." a young disciple murmured in despair, "The Master taught us 'self-discipline and returning to propriety,' taught us 'benevolence,' how could this happen..."

"Stop talking!" an older disciple whispered, trying to stop him. "Master... he must have his reasons!"

"Difficulties? What difficulties?" A disciple with an upright character stood up, his face flushed. His name was Zhong You, courtesy name Zilu.

Zilu's eyes were filled with anger, disappointment, and the pain of being deceived.

"Are the images on the celestial screen fake? Are Di Xin's achievements fake? Our ancestor's ancestor, Wei Zi Qi, a traitor, is that also fake?"

His three questions struck everyone's hearts like heavy hammer blows.

"Confucius called traitors 'benevolent people,' and he said it himself! It's clearly recorded in the Analects! How can we then talk about 'benevolence' and 'trustworthiness' to the world?"

Zilu became more and more agitated as he spoke, and he suddenly unfastened the sword from his waist and slammed it into the ground!

"I, Zhong You, though reckless, still know loyalty, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame! Such 'way' is better left unlearned! I... I am no longer worthy to be your disciple!"

After saying this, he kowtowed three times heavily towards the inner room, then turned around and strode away without a trace of regret.

"Zilu!"

"Senior brother!"

The crowd gasped in surprise, but no one could stop him.

Zilu's departure was like a signal.

Several more disciples silently bowed to the inner room, then removed their scholar's caps (symbols of their status) and left dejectedly.

They could not accept that the source of the path of sainthood they were pursuing was so despicable.

Yan Hui, Confucius's most prized disciple, looked at the scene of disintegration before him, his face showing no grief or indignation, only endless sorrow.

He didn't try to persuade anyone.

Because he knew that when the foundation of faith crumbles, any words are futile.

He silently walked into the inner room and looked at the teacher on the sickbed, whose eyes were closed and whose face was ashen.

He knew that Confucianism, the school of thought founded by Confucius, was facing its heaviest and most fatal blow since its inception.

Perhaps, from today onwards, Confucian generals will no longer be Confucian.

……

Time and space shifted, and we arrived at the Warring States period, more than a hundred years later.

Zoudi was Mencius's lecture hall.

The atmosphere was extremely heavy.

Unlike the chaos at Confucius's Apricot Altar, this place is deathly silent.

All the disciples sat cross-legged on the mats, but their eyes were all focused on the person at the head of the table.

Meng Ke, also known as Mencius.

This great Confucian scholar, who was later revered as the "Second Sage," sat upright with his eyes slightly closed, saying nothing.

He read every single word displayed on the screen.

When he saw Confucius cough up blood and faint, his body trembled violently.

The rabbit dies and the fox grieves; creatures grieve for their own kind.

Every time Tianmu "attacked Confucius's mind," it was like a heavy punch that landed squarely on his body.

Because everything he learned and passed on throughout his life originated from Confucius!

With the orthodoxy of Confucius overturned, on what kind of empty sand will Mencius's "benevolent governance" and "kingly way" be built?

One of the disciples, unable to contain himself any longer, mustered his courage and stood up.

His name is Gongsun Chou.

"Teacher..." Gongsun Chou's voice trembled slightly, "What...what do you think of what Tianmu said...about Di Xin, about Wei Zi...?"

Everyone held their breath.

This was a question shared by all the disciples.

Mencius slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes did not show the panic and despair of Confucius, but rather an unusual calmness, beneath which lay an unfathomable struggle and pain.

He did not answer Gongsun Chou's question.

Instead, he stood up and straightened his clothes.

Then, to the astonishment of all his disciples, he stepped down from the podium, walked to the center of the lecture hall, and faced the northern sky, the direction where the celestial canopy had once appeared.

He lifted his robe and knelt down.

I kowtow deeply!

One knock, then another, then a third!

"I, Mencius, am ashamed before my predecessors and before history!"

His voice, hoarse, yet clearly carried throughout the entire lecture hall!

"Emperor Xin (Di Xin) achieved the feat of unifying the southeast and expanding the territory, demonstrated the courage to strike at the old clans and pursue reforms, and was even more courageous in sacrificing himself for his country and fighting to the bitter end! His achievements should be remembered in history! He should be a model for future emperors!"

"We, the later generations of Confucian scholars, have inherited the Zhou people's historical perspective, judging heroes by success or failure, and have vilified him as a tyrant for all time. This is a grave mistake!"

"Wei Zi Qi, when the nation is in peril, you betray your master for personal gain, inviting a wolf into the house. You are a traitor who is disloyal, unjust, and unfilial! Our late teacher Confucius listed him among the 'Three Virtuous Men' and tried to exonerate him by saying he 'preserved the ancestral rites of Shang,' but this is a grave mistake!"

boom!

Mencius's words shocked his disciples even more than the revelation of the heavens!

Their teacher, this sage who took it upon himself to inherit the Confucian tradition and always referred to himself as "Zhongni," actually...

He actually admitted that Confucius was wrong!

And it was so thorough! So resolute!

"Teacher!" Gongsun Chou exclaimed in shock, rushing forward to help him up. "What...what are you doing?!"

Mencius waved his hand, indicating that he did not need to say anything more.

He slowly stood up, turned to face his disciples again, and looked at them with an unprecedented sincerity.

"I was wrong."

He said calmly.

"I knew that the descriptions of King Zhou's crimes in classics such as the Book of Documents were exaggerated and untrue, but in order to promote my doctrine of 'benevolent governance' and to admonish those feudal lords, I still used these distorted histories as negative examples."

"I knew that King Wu's conquest of King Zhou was suspected of taking advantage of others' misfortune and launching a sneak attack, but in order to prove the principle that 'the people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important,' I still regarded it as a model of 'following the will of Heaven and responding to the people.'"

"Like my late teacher, I chose a pragmatic approach to history for the sake of the 'Tao' in our hearts."

"This is wrong! Utterly wrong!"

A painful self-mockery appeared on Mencius's face.

"We always say we should 'seek the truth,' yet we ourselves have failed to be 'truthful' about history. How can a 'way' built on lies truly educate the world and serve as a model for all ages?"

The lecture hall was completely silent.

All the disciples were stunned by their teacher's profound and painful self-analysis.

Gongsun Chou remained silent for a long time before speaking again, his voice hoarse: "Then... teacher, since Di Xin is a hero, shouldn't we... vindicate him? Reveal the truth to the world?"

Upon hearing this question, Mencius's face showed an even more complex and painful expression.

He shook his head.

"cannot."

"What?" The disciples were all stunned.

Now that we've admitted our mistakes and acknowledged that Di Xin was a hero, why can't we vindicate him?

Mencius sighed deeply, his voice filled with endless weariness and helplessness.

"Because...the timing was wrong."

"Now, the Zhou dynasty is in decline, the world is in chaos, and the feudal lords are rising up, constantly fighting each other. The rulers of the various states only care about land, people, and hegemony!"

"In their eyes, whoever has the biggest fist is 'destined'!"

"At this time, we should go and exonerate Emperor Xin, and tell them that Emperor Xin was a great monarch who expanded the territory and defeated the Eastern Yi..."

Mencius's gaze swept over all his disciples, and his voice became extremely heavy.

"What do you think those feudal lords will think when they hear this?"

"They will not reflect on the illegitimacy of Zhou's ascension to the throne, nor will they learn from Di Xin's spirit of reform."

They will only come to one conclusion—

"So, like Emperor Xin, waging war abroad and expanding territory is the greatest achievement! That's what heroes do!"

"They will wage war even more frantically! They will annex neighboring countries even more recklessly! They will use the banner of 'emulating Emperor Xin' to bring even greater disasters to the world!"

"And our Confucian principles of 'benevolent governance' and 'non-aggression' will no longer be heeded!"

"For the sake of a 'truth' from three thousand years ago, the world is plunged into even greater war, and the people suffer even more deeply..."

Mencius closed his eyes, and two lines of clear tears slowly slid down from the corners of his eyes.

"I cannot bear this responsibility."

"So, I was wrong, and I admit it."

"But the case of Di Xin cannot be overturned now!"

"As long as the feudal lords of the Ji clan exist, they will use all means to prevent Emperor Xin's plan; only the demise of the Ji clan feudal lords will suffice!"