Chapter 101: The Debate

"Oh?"

Liu Zheng smiled.

The entire scene was in an uproar, with everyone wearing different expressions.

This Seventh Prince, Hemuti, was openly being so rude to the distinguished guest of the Third Prince, Halike; it was clear that his arrogance in Kucheng and his coveting of the throne could no longer be contained. He did not intend to give the Third Prince any chance to turn the tables, which was why he had come to publicly harass this Longyan Scholar.

Liu Zheng chuckled: "Why would I not dare?"

Hemuti laughed loudly: "Loulan has revered the Han since ancient times, and it has indeed raised many of those pedantic scholars, but in my eyes, all those 'zhi, hu, zhe, ye, yi, yan, zai' are not as formidable as the sharp blade in my hand!"

"Men, drag that Han thief up here for me!"

Such insolence made even Liu Zheng frown. He had long known that Hemuti was a fierce man, but he had not expected him to show no face at all to his own third brother or the Longyan Dynasty. Following his loud shout, the entire street changed color, and everyone was filled with terror. A man with disheveled hair was seen being dragged out by several thick iron chains.

"Lord Huang!"

"Huang Yantai!"

Whether it was the Third Prince Halike, Reheman, the civil and military officials present, or the common people, all were filled with towering rage upon seeing this man; some could not help but curse out loud. This was all because Huang Yantai had originally been the National Scholar of Loulan. Huang Lao had dedicated his life to spreading Han culture, spending forty years in Loulan, serving as an official with integrity, and having students everywhere. He had poured his entire life into the construction of the Loulan royal library. It could be said that among the Longyan talents introduced to Loulan, Huang Yantai was the most elite and held the highest status.

He was even the teacher of several princes and princesses.

However...

Just after the old King passed away, the Seventh Prince Hemuti, whom Huang Yantai had previously rebuked as being "as savage as a beast," had raided the Huang household on the charge of Huang Yantai "slandering the Temple," throwing Huang Yantai into prison and subjecting him to the utmost humiliation.

At this time, it had caused a huge sensation in the Loulan Kingdom.

It was also because of this matter that those wavering civil and military officials had not rashly taken the side of the Seventh Prince—he was so anti-Han that if he truly ascended the throne, what would become of the Han people?

"My Lord!"

"Teacher!"

"Huang Lao..."

Seeing Huang Yantai in such a wretched state, thin and sallow, with no spirit in his eyes, everyone present could not help but shed tears.

Hemuti rode his horse to Huang Yantai and laughed arrogantly: "Han thief Huang, do you know your crime?"

Huang Yantai raised his head and spat fiercely: "A foreign charlatan, throwing Loulan into chaos!"

Slap!

Hemuti's horse whip landed precisely on Huang Yantai's face, leaving a shocking bloodstain.

The others were furious, and finally, the Third Prince could not hold back, rebuking: "Seventh Brother, this is outside the Wanggong, do not be too arrogant!"

Reheman's troop of soldiers also glared with hostility.

Hemuti laughed: "Third Brother, you joke. Look, didn't Mother just plead with me a few days ago, saying that this old thief Huang is advanced in age and has made no small contributions, asking me to spare his life for the sake of his service to the Temple! Let's bring him out today and have him face this Longyan Scholar, how about that? If he wins, he can be pardoned! If he loses, then there is no Method."

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole scene was enraged.

A dignified National Scholar being subjected to such humiliation was something that angered both man and god.

Liu Zheng's eyes narrowed slightly; this move by Hemuti today was truly vicious. If Huang Yantai won, he, the Longyan Scholar, would become a fame-seeking fraud, and he would no longer have the ability to help the Third Prince.

But if he himself won, Huang Yantai would undoubtedly die!

From his words just now, it was clear that he had always wanted to kill Huang Yantai, but because of resistance from various sides, he had not been able to. Bringing him out today was the most suitable occasion.

Borrowing a knife to kill!

A two-way borrowing of a knife to kill!

Liu Zheng suddenly smiled; this strategy was definitely not something a brute like Hemuti could have thought of. From this, it could be seen that behind Hemuti, there was someone else plotting for him.

Someone from the Temple?

This was almost a dead end set up for Liu Zheng!

He could neither accept nor refuse.

Hemuti looked at Liu Zheng mockingly, thinking to see how he would answer. Both are Longyan; will you die, or will he die?

Reheman also looked distressed, thinking how the Seventh Prince had suddenly become so sharp-witted.

Liu Zheng smiled slightly.

How could this matter stump him?

He said calmly: "His Highness the Seventh Prince, Huang Lao's reputation is known even in Longyan; Xiang Zheng has heard of it. Huang Lao is well-read, learned, and his writing spans the ages. Strictly speaking, Xiang Zheng is a student of Huang Lao."

When these words were spoken, people nodded repeatedly.

A few years ago, Huang Lao's "Loulan Travel Notes" shocked the literary world, detailing the scenery, Geography, climate, and customs along the way in the Loulan Kingdom, with all kinds of information, romantic and fascinating, making people yearn for it. This person's status in the literary world was beyond doubt.

Hemuti laughed mockingly: "Young Master Xiang, are you afraid?"

"If you are not even as good as a prisoner of Loulan, then why bother studying? Go back!"

The soldiers behind him also jeered.

Huang Yantai also looked over slowly.

Although he was in a wretched state, his proud bones remained; he had not yet put this young upstart in his eyes.

Liu Zheng smiled faintly: "I am not afraid; it is just that Xiang Zheng does not belong to Huang Lao's school of thought. Xiang Zheng is dedicated to traveling and studying the world, wanting to collect the strategies for nurturing talent from all over, taking the essence and discarding the dross to use for oneself. This is Xiang Zheng's lifelong pursuit. Therefore, Zheng believes that what Xiang Zheng learns is 'New Learning,' which is completely different from Huang Lao's."

The entire scene was in an uproar.

This young man had such a big mouth!

A single person wanting to create a school of thought? What kind of great talent must one have to dare to say such things? One must know that Huang Yantai had been engaged in this work in Loulan for forty years. He only dared to spread culture and had never dared to say he wanted to create a school of thought on his own.

New Learning?

In Huang Yantai's murky eyes, a glimmer of light flashed, and he could not help but laugh loudly: "Young man, you have a big mouth!"

The crowd also showed mocking expressions.

Regarding the nurturing of talent, that was something Huang Yantai had studied in Loulan for forty years. Although Liu Zheng compared Huang Yantai to "Old Learning," since ancient times, wasn't nurturing talent about inheriting tradition and remembering the teachings of the ancients? This was a principle that held true everywhere.

Liu Zheng smiled without a word.

Saying it this way was naturally to provoke Huang Yantai. Just now, he saw that Huang Yantai was listless and seeking death, which was normal; having his home raided, his family separated, and himself, a dignified National Scholar, turned into a prisoner—at over sixty years old, anyone would be disheartened.

Liu Zheng knew that Huang Yantai held a very high status in the hearts of Loulan scholars and officials; if he could help him escape the disaster of imprisonment today, it would be of great benefit to the Third Prince's side.

A dead end can also turn into an opportunity!

"Good! Then let's begin!"

Hemuti laughed heartily and waved his large hand.

And so, right outside the Loulan Imperial Palace, two tables were set up, separated by more than fifty paces; people in the city heard the commotion and arrived, and in an instant, whether they were Loulan officials, soldiers, merchants, or commoners, everyone gathered around.

A Longyan Scholar versus Huang Yantai—this was a scene not seen in a hundred years!

Huang Yantai's reputation in Loulan was explosive, while the Longyan Scholar was a newcomer facing such a great master.

The scene was quite a spectacle.

What's more, there was the life-and-death agreement proposed by Hemuti, which made this confrontation even more filled with the smell of gunpowder.

The two stared at each other from afar.

Huang Yantai wore a look of confidence.

Liu Zheng wore a look of indifference.

"Please!"

"Please!"

The two exchanged polite gestures.

Huang Yantai glared coldly at Liu Zheng: "Is what you, Young Master, call New Learning, a sign of disrespect toward the great masters of the ancients?"

The crowd cheered one after another.

In ancient times, what people valued most was respecting teachers and the Dao; a teacher for a day is a father for life—by engaging in this so-called New Learning, are you not being rebellious and unfilial?

Liu Zheng smiled faintly: "I respect my teachers, but I respect the truth even more!"

"It is better to have no books than to believe everything in them; although ancient texts are abundant, many contain contradictions. May I ask Master Huang, between the *Historical Records* and the *Bamboo Annals*, which do you believe?"

Huang Yantai's whole body shook.

The crowd also began to clamor.

Everyone knew that the *Historical Records* had always been the revered official history, yet in the later *Bamboo Annals*, there were many places that contradicted the *Historical Records*; for example, in the historical impression of the world, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of antiquity were all virtuous sages who ascended the throne through abdication. However, the *Bamboo Annals* recorded that "Shun imprisoned Yao at Pingyang and took the imperial throne," which meant that Emperor Shun ascended the throne by imprisoning Emperor Yao. Furthermore, the virtuous minister Yi Yin of the Shang Dynasty, as recorded in the *Historical Records*, was described in this ancient text in a way that was completely opposite to the *Historical Records*.

When the *Bamboo Annals* were discovered in Longyan, scholars were shocked and angrily denounced such historical books, claiming they should be destroyed because many things recorded within them did not fit the imperial image and posed an extremely serious impact on Confucian rule.

But the *Bamboo Annals* were still passed down.

In this situation.

Who is right and who is wrong?

Huang Yantai took a deep breath, and when he looked at this young man again, his eyes were different. In this era where thought was constrained, people were generally wary of books like the *Bamboo Annals*; not only had this youth studied it, but he actually dared to speak of it in public?

He is no ordinary person!

Is this really just a traveling scholar recognized by the authorities?

Rebellious!

Sharp-edged!

Huang Yantai also laughed heartily and shouted "Good": "Young Master, have you heard that virtue is the foundation of one's career, and one's career is the manifestation of virtue? As virtue advances, the career is refined; as the career is refined, virtue flourishes. A teacher is like a lord and a father; if you do not believe this, are you not unfilial and devoid of virtue?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd cheered loudly again.

Liu Zheng smiled slightly.

This was the drawback of this bullshit ancient education system. Everything had to start with the concept of lord and father, Heaven-Given Imperial Power, the Emperor being supreme, and within the family, the father being the guide for the son, and the husband being the guide for the wife. This kind of miseducation, over the long term, kept the common people in a state of exploitation.

Of course, Liu Zheng also knew that this concept could not be corrected in a short time.

Therefore, at this moment, Huang Yantai using filial piety and virtue to attack him was indeed like a bloodless knife!

It pushed Liu Zheng directly to the edge of a cliff.

The crowd also sneered as they watched, thinking that this young scholar was still a bit too immature; with this level of debate, how could he talk about creating his own school of thought?

It was laughable!

The Third Prince and Reheman also looked at each other with worry.