"I have been trying to persuade you for four whole years, and then I let His Majesty make a tour to the East to consecrate Zen. But what about you? But it only took two days for His Majesty to get tired of the Confucian scholars and drive us out. It is really a success.
If it is not enough, it will be revealed! Nowadays, the Confucian scholars who are most familiar with etiquette are not allowed to participate in the formulation of etiquette for the Zen ceremony. What a big joke!"
In the woods near the palace, the scholars who were driven out of the hall by Qin Shihuang were staring at each other. Only the doctor's servant Zhou Qingchen was angry in the middle. But no matter how angry, Zhou Qingchen still carefully protected the person above his head.
Xian Guan did not let it become crooked.
Zhou Qingchen couldn't bear to be angry. When they were in Xianyang, more than 70 of their doctors, especially the Confucian scholars from Qilu, were united. Every once in a while, they would advocate for the 72 ancient emperors to be enshrined in Zen, so that Qin Shihuang also
Imitate it.
After much difficulty, when the emperor finished defeating the Xiongnu and the Yuezhi, he finally began to patrol the east to enshrine Zen, and when he brought a large group of people to the foot of Mount Tai, the Confucian scholars who had cooperated sincerely could not agree on the same opinion.
There is no way, since Confucius, Confucianism has divided into too many factions. In addition to the "Confucianism of the Confucian family" of Kong Yu, a direct descendant of Confucius, and his disciple Shusun Tong, there are also Confucianism of the Zi Zhang family; Confucianism of the Zisi family; Confucianism of the Yan family;
The eight major schools of Confucianism are Meng's Confucianism, Qidiao's Confucianism, Zhongliang's Confucianism, Sun's Confucianism, Lezheng's Confucianism, as well as Xun's Confucianism headed by Fuqiu Bo, and Gongyang and Gu who govern the Spring and Autumn Period.
Liang and Zuo families.
As early as a month ago, more than 300 people from more than ten sects heard that the emperor was going to hold the Confucian Zen Ceremony that Confucianism had been waiting for for a hundred years. Even Kong Yu, who did not want to cooperate with Qin, wanted to see what was going on.
For a time, at the foot of Mount Tai, Qilu Confucianism realized a great connection that had never been seen before after the death of Confucius. From a weak-headed boy to a white-headed old Confucian, they had everything. In their own words, "all the virtuous people have come together, and the young and the old have gathered together."
.
Qin Shihuang recruited so many Confucian scholars with the intention of letting them do what they were good at and formulate a set of etiquette for conferring Zen. Doctor Zhou Qingchen took the initiative to ask Ying to take charge of this matter.
Probably Zhou Qingchen had been in Qin for too long and forgot about the peeing nature of these Qi and Lu colleagues. They began to discuss every etiquette procedure. This was not good and that was not good. As a result, until Qin Shihuang arrived at Mount Tai, this group of people had not yet discussed a complete charter.
Come, it will make Zhou Qingchen angry.
Although there are rumors in the world that seventy-two emperors consecrated Zen in Mount Tai in ancient times, most of them have no trace. As for the etiquette of conferring Zen? It is even more difficult to test. No one knows the details of the etiquette, so the Confucian scholars can only read "Shangshu" and "Zhou".
Looking for the foundation in books such as "Guan", a Spring and Autumn Annals can come up with three versions of interpretation, not to mention the more obscure ancient books. As a result, more than ten Confucian schools have put forward more than 20 opinions.
The minds of academic people are often smaller than the tip of a needle. This group of people, even if they are brothers in the same discipline, can break up their friendship and quarrel for decades because of their differences over a certain word or sentence in "Spring and Autumn" and "Poetry".
After his death, his disciples and disciples continued to quarrel, not to mention the Zen ceremony that could be recorded in history.
There was even a fight between the two schools over whether to hold the ceremony on the top of the mountain or halfway up the mountain! The two old Confucians tore each other's beards, leaving a bruise on the other's eye socket, but they only dared to say that it was their own fault.
When the debate was fruitless, the Confucian scholars and doctors began to take matters into their own hands and wrote letters to the emperor to promote their ideas.
A Confucian of the Qidiao family who preached rituals wrote a letter saying: "In ancient times, emperors had to ride in chariots wrapped with cattails to go up the mountain. This was because they were afraid of harming the earth, stone, grass and trees on the mountain, so they had to go to the top and sweep the ground to offer sacrifices. Your Majesty should pay homage to him.
In the dust, use its simplicity..."
Confucian scholars of the Zi Zhang family believed that the emperor should hike up the mountain, reach a certain height, and when there is no wind or rain, he should immediately salute and go up the mountain to offer sacrifices.
Confucian scholars of the Lezheng family searched through ancient books and found out the practice of "looking at sacrifices and shooting oxen", and they also excitedly wrote to offer treasures, hoping that the emperor would adopt this complicated ritual.
These opinions are all different, unreasonable, pedantic and bizarre, or difficult to implement, and most of them are made in snail shells. Obviously, they are far from Qin Shihuang's expectations of using the title of Zen to promote the splendor of the empire.
Fortunately, Qin Shihuang didn't count on these guys. When he asked the Confucian scholars to discuss it, he also secretly asked "Feng Chang" who was in charge of etiquette to prepare a set of etiquette for the Qin Dynasty's sacrifices to heaven and earth.
So yesterday, he issued an edict saying: "This proposal is different and difficult to implement." Instead, Feng Chang was asked to bring out a complete set of Qin Dynasty etiquette and let the Confucian scholars evaluate the profits and losses.
As a result, the group of scholars who had been arguing for a long time and even fought over a certain etiquette were united again at this moment as never before.
Fu Sheng, a well-known Confucian scholar from Qi State, took one look at the sacrificial utensils designed by Feng Chang and began to criticize him. The only reason for the criticism was that it was "different from the ancient times." But he couldn't explain what the real Feng Chan utensils looked like.
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However, a descendant of Confucius, the famous Lu Confucian Kong Yu, after watching the etiquette practiced by Feng Chang, shook his head and said: "It's not as good as the Lu etiquette." He then requested that the ready-made Lu etiquette that had been passed down by the Confucius family for several generations be used for the ceremony.
.
This kind of behavior angered Qin Shihuang, who hated people who criticized "the present is not as good as the past" the most. He immediately issued an edict:
"Since the group of Confucian scholars can no longer discern the matter of Feng Chan, and they are too tied to poetry, books and ancient texts to pursue it, I will choose it myself!"
All the Confucian scholars were kicked out of the palace, Zhou Qingchen was no exception, and this ridiculous scene occurred: none of the Confucian scholars who specialized in etiquette could participate in the design of the Zen ceremony...
In the afternoon, the news came out that Qin Shihuang put aside the words of Confucian scholars and instead adopted the old Qin state's ritual of worshiping heaven and earth to enshrine Zen.
When the news came, the Confucian scholars immediately went into a rage and began to beat their chests and beat their chests, saying that the emperor did not listen to good advice and actually used the wrong ceremony on such an important occasion.
”.
As a result, while they were still calling for a series of meetings, Lang Wei came. The Confucian scholars thought that the emperor was regretful and wanted to call them back for further discussion. Unexpectedly, Lang Wei had a sullen face and beat the two who had fought over each other.
The old Confucian people arrested them and said that they would be charged with "private fighting".
For a time, more than three hundred Confucian scholars became silent. After watching the two old Confucian scholars being taken away, after a long time, Kong Kun stamped his feet and said:
"Since the emperor won't listen to dissuasion, what's the point of staying here? Are we just waiting to be humiliated again?"
He simply said, "If you don't need it, then go." After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and strode away with his disciple Shusun Tong. Shusun Tong didn't say anything about this farce, but bowed to Zhou Qingchen embarrassedly and apologized, and then
He advised his wife not to be impulsive. Leaving privately would anger the emperor.
The remaining people looked at each other in confusion. At this time, no one mentioned the matter of "risking one's life to advise". Only the leader of Qidiao Zhiru said loudly:
"Second Son, when the Ji family was traveling in Mount Tai in the past, Confucius asked Ran You: "Can you persuade him?" Ran You replied that he couldn't, and Confucius sighed and said, although he can't, is Mount Tai not as good as Lin Fang?"
Lin Fang was a famous scholar from the Lu State in the Spring and Autumn Period and was known for his knowledge of etiquette. This sentence means that Mount Tai is blessed by heaven and earth and has its own spirituality, so he will never accept indecent sacrifices!
The implication is that even if Qin Shihuang deposed the Confucian scholars and adopted the Kansai way of worship today, he would not be accepted by Mount Tai either!
Everyone agreed in unison, placing their hope in the divinity of Mount Tai. Some people clamored that when they go up to the mountain for the Zen ceremony tomorrow, they should pay close attention to every procedure, and when they come down, they should write down what they saw in a book, and ridicule the etiquette that makes a mistake. People all over the world know that compared to Confucianism, the officials of the Qin Dynasty, Wu Zhu, were like younger brothers in performing sacrificial rituals.
Only Zhou Qingchen sighed: "At this point, you'd better say less!"
It is unknown whether Taishan accepted the Qin Dynasty's sacrificial etiquette, but after this incident, Qin Shihuang probably fully realized that the success of the Confucian scholars was more than enough to fail. In the evening, the emperor further announced that he would be enshrined tomorrow, and that only civil and military officials would be included in the ceremony. Officials, Heifu, Zhang Cang, etc. are all among them, but there is not a single Confucian scholar!
At this time, all the Confucian scholars were dumbfounded. They originally thought that they would watch Fengchang's ceremony when he was enshrined tomorrow and laugh at him afterwards. However, they did not expect that the emperor had done so brilliantly that all the Confucian scholars could only stay. At the foot of the mountain, you are not allowed to engage in any activities!
"This is really unreasonable!"
Fusheng, a Qi man, was angry. He asked himself, was he recruited into Xianyang, endured the emperor's militarism, and tolerated their more than seventy doctors as mere decorations in the court. Wasn't it just to introduce the Qin Dynasty to Qi Di Jixia many years ago? Will they be born into the political blueprint tailor-made for the future unified empire, and thus become their ideal country of etiquette?
But it is so easy to get through to this day. The scholars who have worked hard for this goal are neither qualified to design the ceremony nor have the authority to climb the mountain to witness this scene that has not happened in eight hundred years?
This is really the biggest joke in the world! Confucianism’s mortal enemy Huang Lao and Mohist will definitely laugh their heads off if they find out.
While the scholars were shocked, they also had a strange change in their hearts regarding the matter of Feng Chan.
In the eyes of everyone, without their participation, Feng Chan is no longer a true Feng Chan, but a kind of sacred and inviolable Mount Tai, a ritual system of the ancient holy kings...
"humiliation!"
They are so excited that they can do nothing.
Shouting slogans in vain will also consume physical energy. Soon, as the night deepened, the empty-minded scholars dispersed. Unlike the high spirits when they came, they were all a little downcast.
This was the biggest failure of Confucianism since the establishment of the Qin Dynasty. However, except for a few people such as Zhou Qingchen and Shu Suntong, the vast majority of Confucianists did not find the reason from themselves, but complained angrily:
"Qin Shihuang was headstrong and self-indulgent, without any need for virtue, and he insisted on pursuing his own way. He was indeed a hopeless monoman and a tyrant! He is also a sinner among the three true kings. His moral character is insufficient, so he is worthy of being enshrined in Zen!?"
…
ps: For examples in this chapter, refer to "Historical Records. Fengchan Book"