Chapter 83: Falsification

Director Liu Tan Tan was confident of victory and was not angry, smiling: "If you must be humble, then I will discuss it first. There are fifty-five places where the *Ancient Text Book of Documents* is clearly superior to the modern text. Are you sure you want to hear me speak first?"

Fifty-five places?!

Actually listed as many as fifty-five places!

As expected of the second son of the Liu family, who is valued even by the great Confucian scholar Wang Jian!

A burst of surprise sounded from the seats.

The modern text camp was very nervous, and Liu Zhao was even more frowning, his expression extremely heavy.

"Fifty-five places?! Then I'd better speak first." Wang Yang cleared his throat and popped out a sentence: "Actually, the *Ancient Text Book of Documents* is fake."

The Confucian scholars' faces were blank, and they were not sure if they had heard clearly. They immediately began to ask: "What did he just say?" "What family?" "What family is the Ancient Text Book of Documents?"

It was not that Wang Yang's pronunciation was unclear, but that no one would associate the *Book of Documents* with the word "fake."

Director Liu Tan Tan was also stunned, and asked uncertainly: "What did you say the *Ancient Text Book of Documents* is? Jiade?"

Wang Yang repeated: "The *Ancient Text Book of Documents* is fake. Fake as in true or false. It is a forged book, forged by later generations."

The venue was silent for a moment, and then exploded with a bang!

"He's crazy!"

"He actually said the *Ancient Text Book of Documents* is a forged book, did I hear it right?!"

"Heh, this is knowing that he is not Director Liu Tan Tan's opponent, so he makes a strange argument."

"On such a serious occasion, how can you say such things?! It's simply absurd!"

"How could Liu Zhao choose such an ignorant person to take the stage!"

The *Ancient Text Book of Documents* is a Confucian classic, read by everyone in the world, and has been passed down for a long time. Let alone saying it is a forged book, even thinking about it is something no one dares to do!

Not only have scholars studying the *Ancient Text Book of Documents* never thought of it, but even supporters of the *Modern Text Book of Documents* have never thought of it!

Because this is simply impossible!

It is impossible from any aspect!!

Saying the *Ancient Text Book of Documents* is fake is the same as saying "The *Analects* is fake" or "Mencius does not exist." Only ignorant and reckless people would say such things!

So one can imagine what a huge uproar Wang Yang's words caused at the scene.

Seeing Liu Cheng was originally worried that Wang Yang had some strange move to win, but now hearing Wang Yang make such a big statement, he was immediately relieved.

Because this kind of argument that points to the handed-down classics as "forged books" is completely out of touch!

Even if he retreated a million steps and he really guessed right, he couldn't prove it at all!

So his brother was bound to win this discussion, and Wang Yang was destined to become a joke!

"What's wrong with Zhiyan?! Although he is young, he has always been steady in his studies, what's wrong with him now..."

Liu Zhao also panicked.

He had originally restored some confidence because of Wang Yang's confident appearance. He didn't know why Wang Yang still had the confidence to fight on stage when all three Du Jiang worshipped the *Ancient Text Book of Documents*, but thinking of Wang Yang's various surprising things in the past, he chose to believe him.

But now Wang Yang's words disintegrated this trust!

Making such a crazy argument on such an occasion is really too frivolous! Too rash!

Yu Yuling was also very puzzled. He originally admired Wang Yang's knowledge, but Wang Yang's words today made him really unable to agree.

Xie Xinghan frowned, with a hint of worry in her eyes.

The three Du Jiang looked at Wang Yang more like looking at a straw bag with a golden exterior.

Because of his younger brother's reminder, Director Liu Tan Tan thought Wang Yang was some kind of amazing person, and he was still curious in his heart. Now hearing him say this, he instantly lost interest, looked at Wang Yang, and didn't speak, just shook his head lightly. He thought:

"This person seems to be a character in pure conversation, with talent but no learning, not someone who can discuss learning. Liu Zhao chose him to take the stage, how can he not lose?"

Wang Yang had long expected everyone's reaction, so he left time for everyone to complain and accept it. After the sound below subsided slightly, he said loudly:

"'When the superior scholar hears the Dao, he diligently practices it; when the middle scholar hears the Dao, it seems to exist and yet not exist; when the inferior scholar hears the Dao, he laughs at it. If he doesn't laugh, it is not enough to be the Dao.' You are laughing at what I said now, but after I discuss it, you won't laugh anymore."

It is indeed a pure conversation style.

This is a serious discussion of learning, not a metaphysical debate!

Director Liu Tan Tan disdained to take Wang Yang as an opponent again, and said: "If it's just to attract attention, then there's no need to say it."

"If Lord Liu said before that he could list fifty-five places where the *Ancient Text Book of Documents* is superior to the modern text, I can list ninety-nine pieces of evidence that the *Ancient Text Book of Documents* is a forged book. However, if I really want to prove it is fake, I don't need to say so much. I only ask Lord Liu three questions. If Lord Liu can answer them, I will admit defeat immediately, how about that?"

"Talking nonsense! Insulting the elegant!"

"Ninety-nine pieces, why not two hundred!"

"The grand ceremony of discussion, how can it be a child's play?!"

"Which branch of the Langya Wang family is this person from? Isn't he afraid of losing the face of their Wang family?"

"Coming to the commandery school as a student as a member of the Langya Wang family, it can be seen that the family background is average, what else is there to ask? But after all, it is a famous clan, doing this to attract attention is simply to attract attention!"

Before Director Liu Tan Tan could speak, many Confucian scholars had already begun to clamor.

Everyone originally didn't believe Wang Yang's words, and after he said he could list ninety-nine pieces of evidence, they thought Wang Yang was bragging and blowing a big conch.

Liu Zhao only felt a headache, pressing his temples; Seeing Liu Cheng was full of smiles, waiting to see how this farce would end.

Director Liu Tan Tan became even more disdainful, turned around with his hands behind his back, and stopped looking at Wang Yang.

Lu Huan wanted to drive Wang Yang off the stage, but heard Wang Yang say:

"First question, the texts of the pre-Qin and Western Han dynasties never had the character 'ying' (shadow). *The Rites of Zhou: Great Sima* says 'earth gnomon measures the jing (shadow)'; *Zhuangzi: Discussion on Making All Things Equal* says 'the shadow asks the jing'; *Huainanzi* says 'called jing pillar'; *Guangya* says 'gnomon pillar hangs the jing'; Jia Yi's *Overthrowing Qin* says 'winning food and following the jing.' All use the 'jing' of 'scenery' to refer to 'shadow.' Then before the Eastern Han, there was no 'ying' character. Why does *Ancient Text Book of Documents: Great Yu's Plan* say: 'Following the opposite is ominous, only influence (yingxiang),' where did this 'ying' character come from?"

The whole venue was silent.

Liu Zhao's action of rubbing his temples also stopped instantly!

Everyone began to whisper:

"Was there really no 'ying' character in the pre-Qin period?"

"It seems so, why didn't I notice it before!"

"Did you bring *Mencius*? I remember there seems to be an ying character there..."

"Is that so? Find it quickly!"

Director Liu Tan Tan didn't turn around, thought for a while and said: "This is just a later generation copying the ancient version, changing it with the new characters of the time, what's so strange about that?"

The Confucian scholars nodded one after another, feeling that Director Liu Tan Tan's words made sense.

Yu Yuling asked Liu Zhao: "Teacher, what Director Liu Tan Tan said..."

"Shh! Don't talk." Liu Zhao was afraid of not hearing Wang Yang's later words, so he immediately stopped his disciple's question.

Wang Yang deliberately said: "So that's it... So the *Ancient Text Book of Documents* has been passed down for so long, and all the copies in the world have changed this character at the same time. That's really a coincidence!"

Director Liu Tan Tan said calmly: "The Rebellion of Yongjia caused books to be lost, and the disaster was no less than the burning of books in Qin. The *Ancient Text Book of Documents* was also scattered and lost. Fortunately, heaven did not lose this culture, and Mei Ze, the internal historian of Yuzhang in Jin, presented a copy of the ancient text, so the ancient text was passed down. Therefore, all the *Ancient Text Book of Documents* in the world today come from Mei Ze's version. Mei Ze was a person of the Jin Dynasty, and Ge Hong was also a person of the Jin Dynasty. There was already an 'ying' character in Ge Hong's *Zi Yuan*, so it is acceptable for the copyists at that time to change jing to ying according to the atmosphere of the time."

Liu Zhao sighed, knowing that this question couldn't stump Director Liu Tan Tan. ===== CHAPTER 84 =====