Chapter 406: Is it in accordance with the Rites of Zhou?

"Using a pottery ding for Hagee-mi, is it in accordance with the Rites of Zhou?"

After discussing how to handle the Third Young Master after using him, Heaven-Dependent Zhang Jie started a new topic.

This topic came from the internet: a pet blogger used a three-legged, two-eared pottery ding as a food bowl for their cat.

As soon as this video was posted online, it caused a huge uproar.

Many netizens criticized using a ding, which represents the heavy vessels of the state, as a food bowl for a tiny Hagee-mi.

It was truly an act of overstepping, not in accordance with the Rites of Zhou at all, and needed to be corrected immediately.

The prankster Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie was the first to stand up in opposition, looking heartbroken:

"Using a ding for a pet to eat, to be this muddled, even if Xia Jie and Shang Zhou were alive, they could not compare."

"Cats eating from a ding, rites and music in chaos, dukes claiming hegemony; therefore, the Zhou actually perished because of cats."

However, the slight curl of his lips betrayed his true inner prankster nature.

Heavenly Tian Tian Long Zhang Jie retorted with a look of astonishment: "Ji is the surname of the state;"

"Ji-mi is of the Great Zhou royal clan, how is this contrary to the rites?"

Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie shook his head: "Ha-ji-mi is actually surnamed Ha, not of our Great Zhou royal clan, how can it eat from it?"

Heavenly Tian Tian Long Zhang Jie recalled the performance of that Hagee-mi at the time and spoke indifferently:

"What is Ha-gen? Copenhagen."

"If there is Ha-gen, then beat it to death, hence it is called Ha-gen-da-si (Häagen-Dazs)!"

"If it has 'Ha', it dies; if it doesn't, it lives. I observe its nature to be gentle and kind; since there is no Ha-gen, how can it be surnamed Ha?"

"Therefore, remove the 'Ha' from the head of Hagee-mi, and it should be Ji-mi; since it is surnamed Ji,"

"naturally it is of the Great Zhou royal clan, and should eat to the sound of bells and drums."

Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie thought of the ancestor of the Hagee-mi, the round-headed Mao-die, and asked:

"Yet its head is round and its fur is sunflower-yellow, quite like the style of its ancestor, how can there be no Ha-gen?"

Pirate Zhang Jie smiled honestly and interjected: "In the pre-Qin period,"

"'Surname' indicated the bloodline clan, while 'Shi' was a branch identifier or status symbol."

"Dukes and lords used their fiefs as their 'Shi', and their clan members used the 'Shi',"

"for example, the Qin royal clan was enfeoffed at Zhao City because their ancestor Zaofu,"

"and his descendants used 'Zhao' as their 'Shi'. Historical records such as the 'Records of the Grand Historian' refer to them as 'Ying surname, Zhao Shi'."

"Now, what is wrong with Hagee-mi being called Ji surname, Ha Shi? Although it is not the main branch of the Zhou Son of Heaven,"

"it is a minor branch of the 'Ha' surname, but is a minor branch not a Ji Shi?"

Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie remained unrelenting: "However, there are many fiefs with the Ji surname,"

"why discuss the cat using a ding as a rice bowl? It is truly overstepping, it should be severely punished!"

Pirate Zhang Jie spread his hands: "The Rites say: The Son of Heaven uses nine dings, dukes seven, grand masters five, and scholars three."

"The royal clan can also use them; it eats from one ding, it has not exceeded the system, is it not in accordance with the rites?"

Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie was speechless for a moment.

Heavenly Tian Tian Long Zhang Jie struck while the iron was hot, continuing to refute Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie:

"Have you not heard of Yanzi and Bao Gong?"

"Yanzi was only five feet tall, yet he was a prime minister, and his name resounded for a time!"

"Bao Gong's face was like black lacquer, yet his judgment of cases was like a god, and people called him the Blue Sky!"

"Therefore, can people be judged by their appearance? They cannot be judged by their appearance!"

"People cannot be judged by their appearance, and Hagee-mi cannot be judged by its appearance either."

"How can you conclude that it has Ha-gen and must be a Hagee-mi just because it resembles its ancestor, the round-headed Mao-die, by a few points?"

Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie braced himself and asked: "A cat cannot be judged by its appearance, you are not a cat, how do you know a cat has no Ha-gen?"

Heavenly Tian Tian Long Zhang Jie smiled slightly, choosing to attack his shield with his own spear:

"You are also not this cat, how do you know this cat has Ha-gen?"

"Ha-gen is something bestowed by people, how could a cat hear of it?"

"Without the sound of barking, without the posture of hair standing on end in anger, eating quietly and standing solemnly, how can there be Ha-gen?"

"This, this..."

Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie was speechless.

Seeing Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie refuted, and the dignified Rites of Zhou actually having no one to defend them,

Grand Void Zhang Jie was heartbroken and chose to join the battlefield... no, the debate competition:

"Ji-mi is naturally born, and Ha-qi is obtained by itself. Xunzi said: 'Human nature is evil',"

"let alone Hagee-mi! People today say this cat does not 'Ha-qi', this is a fallacy."

"Furthermore, regardless of whether this cat has Ha-gen or not, many scholars and officials receive titles based on merit,"

"this 'Ha' only relies on Wang Xi to be given a scholar's title, this is not Shang Tang or Zhou Wu,"

"it is actually Shang Zhou and Zhou You. Confucius said: The rites are broken and music is ruined!"

"The ding is the heavy vessel of the state!"

"Since ancient times, those with merit have been gifted dings, and nobles use dings to serve food,"

"The Rites say: The Son of Heaven uses nine dings, dukes seven, grand masters five, scholars three or one, but scholars are also nobles."

"Have you heard of any pet being titled in five thousand years? How can the ancestral system be abolished because of the King's favoritism? It is truly muddled."

Heavenly Tian Tian Long Zhang Jie sneered: "Yu established Xia, Qi succeeded him, and the world became one family, this is called: Hereditary succession."

"From Wu to You, did all the Sons of Heaven have merit?"

"If they did not have the favor of their former kings, after King Wu, how did the Sons of Heaven obtain their positions?"

"According to your words, is the Son of Heaven obtaining his position not in accordance with the rites?"

"The Son of Heaven is still the Son of Heaven in the underworld, and a slave is still a slave in the underworld,"

"a cat is still a cat in the underworld, is this not the Rites of Zhou?"

Grand Void Zhang Jie remained calm and composed: "The ancestral rites are the succession of the eldest son, not the King's favoritism."

"As for Shang Tang succeeding Xia, and Zhou Wu succeeding Shang, it was because Xia Jie and Shang Zhou were cruel and heartless,"

"following the will of Heaven and the people. According to your words, is the will of the people not in accordance with the rites?"

Heavenly Tian Tian Long Zhang Jie sighed: "Alas! My meaning is not following Heaven and the people, but the two words 'hereditary succession'."

"The eldest son inherits the position, this is the patriarchal system. The cat's ancestor ate rats, eliminating harm for the people, is this not merit?"

"Since there is merit, after having merit, can it not eat from a ding?"

Grand Void Zhang Jie disagreed: "How can the merit of this cat eating rats compare to oxen plowing and horses riding?"

"Oxen and horses are still sacrificial animals, and even today, oxen and horses are still used as derogatory terms,"

"this is because this cat is pleasing. That it can eat from a ding is truly because the King likes the cat."

"You refute me like this, are you bullying me because my precious sword is not sharp?"

Heavenly Tian Tian Long Zhang Jie, poked in his sore spot, suddenly stood up and drew the precious sword from his waist,

the sharp blade pointing directly at Grand Void Zhang Jie, his tone chilling.

"My sword has also never been blunt!"

Facing the naked threat of Heavenly Tian Tian Long Zhang Jie, Grand Void Zhang Jie slapped the table,

and also drew his own precious sword, confronting him tit-for-tat.

"It should have been like this long ago! No matter how much reason there is in words, in the end, it must be resolved by fists and swords!"

"The weapon of criticism can never replace the criticism of weapons!"

Pirate Zhang Jie rubbed his hands, his whole body covered in pitch-black Armament Haki, preparing for a big fight.

Water Shui Hu Zhang Jie said nothing, just silently stood behind Grand Void Zhang Jie, who was in the same camp as him.

The atmosphere between the two sides became heavy, as if water were freezing into ice.

Since the First Great War of the Shared Space Zhang Jies triggered by a game of Fight the Landlord,

the Second Great War of the Shared Space Zhang Jies over whether Hagee-mi eating from a ding is in accordance with the Rites of Zhou was on the verge of breaking out!

Seeing that things were starting to develop to an uncontrollable point, Consumption Zhang Jie, who had been watching coldly,

without saying a word, knew he could not let this continue.

His figure flashed, and he arrived between the two confronting sides of Zhang Jies, acting as a peacemaker:

"I have a word, I hope you all listen quietly."

"If after listening, you all still insist on your own opinions and want to draw swords against each other, I will absolutely not stop you."

"But if anyone starts a fight during this period, don't blame me for joining your opponent."

Saying this, he also looked at the four Zhang Jies 'coldly'.

"You speak."

Both sides of Zhang Jies had no objections: everyone is a Zhang Jie, cultivation, physique,

and combat awareness are all the same, one-on-one would absolutely be an inextricable fight.

In this case, numbers were especially important. Now both sides had two Zhang Jies,

as long as Consumption Zhang Jie joined either side, that side would gain an absolute advantage.

In order not to push Consumption Zhang Jie to the opponent, whether it was the Zhang Jie who believed Hagee-mi eating from a ding was in accordance with the Rites of Zhou,

or the Zhang Jie who believed Hagee-mi eating from a ding was absolutely not in accordance with the Rites of Zhou and needed to be severely punished,

they tacitly stopped the martial arts and moves they were about to unleash. ===== CHAPTER 407 =====