I am not a deposed emperor of Han Dynasty

After that day at Shiqu Pavilion, everyone knew that Kong Anguo had come to Chang'an City. After that, Kong's residence became more lively than usual, with more visitors every day.

However, Kong Anguo stayed at home and refused all visitors. He only studied the "Sacred Scriptures of Hadith" sent by the emperor in the house.

For many days, I had some thoughts and wanted to share them with others.

Now that I heard Wei Xian's question, I felt it was necessary to say a few more words.

"Wei Gong, I'm getting old. I'm afraid I won't be able to live for too long, and I may not be able to come to Chang'an City again in the future." Kong Anguo said with a smile, without any sign of sadness.

"Why did Confucius say this? You are a pillar of the scholarly community and you should take care of yourself." Wei Xian, who was also in his twilight years, couldn't help but feel a little sad.

"Wei Gong, you and I are both very old, and we all know that that day will come eventually. There is no need to avoid it." Kong Anguo said calmly.

"Confucius saw clearly, I feel ashamed." Wei Xian sighed and thanked.

"Since I can no longer come to Chang'an City, I would like to leave a few words to the Confucian scholars in Chang'an, and I would like to ask Wei Gong to convey them to you."

"Confucius and Confucianism have given me advice, and I will definitely spread it throughout the Confucian community, and I will never dare to miss a single word." Wei Xian said quickly.

"That's the best. I'd like to thank you in advance." Kong Anguo saluted again.

"Confucius is more polite."

The two old men pushed back and forth for several times before Kong Anguo slowly spoke of his words of gratitude to the Confucian scholars.

"That day in Shiqu Pavilion, the emperor's words that moved me most were his judgments about villains and gentlemen."

"If an old man could be rejuvenated, he would definitely choose to be a gentleman rather than a villain."

"Therefore, I believe that all Confucian scholars in the world, no matter how old they are, should be regarded as gentleman Confucian scholars, not villainous Confucian scholars."

"Besides this, there are also the four lines of Shiqu, which I hope all Confucian scholars in the world will keep in mind and use this as a guideline for establishing themselves."

These words of Kong Anguo surprised Wei Xian and Kong Ba.

Although they have now accepted the results of the Shiqu Pavilion debate, they are still a little dissatisfied.

After all, they are role models for Confucian scholars in the world. Although they can understand some principles, it is not so easy to accept them for a while.

What's more, admitting defeat to a young emperor?
  Kong Anguo, who never expected to stand at the top of the Confucian Academy, actually accepted this result and seemed to recognize the emperor.

"Mr. Wei looks at me like this, does he think I am too flattering?" Kong Anguo asked nonchalantly.

"To be honest, I also think what His Majesty said was shocking and enlightening," Wei Xian said.

Kong Anguo nodded and continued.

"That's good. Wei Gong understands the righteousness well and will definitely understand why the old man said this."

"The county magistrate is more talented and knowledgeable than you and me, his ambition is better than you and me, his true knowledge is better than you and me... In this case, what the county magistrate said..."

"We Confucian scholars should not only listen, but also follow suit... As long as it can really enrich the people and strengthen the country, how can we object?"

"One word from the county magistrate is worth ten thousand words to me."

Although the words were clear, the words "rich people and strong men" were too far away. Although Kong Ba and Wei Xian had aspirations, they were a little vague.

Kong Anguo saw the two of them deep in thought and knew that they still had doubts. He paused for a moment before continuing.

"There is a "Book of Rites" in the "Sacred Sutras of Hadith". There is an article called "The Rites and Luck", and there is also a section called "The World is Public", which can help you clear up your doubts."

Although the "Hadith Sutra" has been distributed, not everyone can understand it, but Kong Anguo has read so much, which makes Wei Xian admire him again.

"People do not only care for their relatives, nor do they only have children for their children, so that the old will have their end, the strong will be useful, the young will have their own growth, the widowed, widowed, lonely and disabled will all be supported, men will have their share, and women will have their homes."

"Goods are thrown away on the ground, so there is no need to hide them; power is bad because they do not come from the body, so there is no need to do it for oneself. This is why people seek to close the door but do not prosper, and thieves do not commit theft, so they do not close the door to the outside. This is what is said Datong.”

"What your Majesty wants is probably the unified world."

After Kong Anguo said the last sentence, he didn't say much, but let the two "juniors" think about it.

There was a moment of silence between the three of them. Kong Ba and Wei Xian seemed to understand, and nodded involuntarily.

"I have learned something from what Confucius said, and I will spread this word to the Confucian scholars in Chang'an."

"So good."

At that moment, the three of them said nothing more. After another salute, Kong Anguo and Kong Ba got into their cars.

Then, the entire Kong family's motorcade left the city gate as slowly as it came, heading east.

Wei Xian stopped where he was and watched the convoy gradually go away, but did not leave for a long time.

As a Confucian scholar, Wei Xian understood everything Kong Anguo said and felt it was very reasonable.

But Wei Xian is now not only a Confucian scholar, but also a high-ranking cabinet scholar and a representative of a wealthy family.

From the perspective of his second identity, deep down in his heart he could not fully agree with the emperor's words and deeds.

As a Confucian scholar, you must be proficient in Confucian classics; as a minister, you must be loyal to your emperor and fulfill your responsibilities; as a representative of an aristocratic family, you must consider the continuation of your family...

The new policy of this second theory has shaken the foundation of the aristocratic family. Although Wei Xian also yearns for a unified world, he is more concerned about the interests of the aristocratic family.

The emperor wants to enrich the people and strengthen the country. Who are these rich "people"? Are they aristocratic families or ordinary people?

Moreover, what new policies will there be in the future? Will it harm the interests of the aristocratic family again?

This time, the Confucian scholars were defeated by the emperor, and the aristocratic families would also give in.

But what about tomorrow? How far can the aristocratic family give in?
  This New Deal, but when will it come to an end?
  Wei Xian didn't dare to think further.

When Kong's motorcade completely disappeared at the end of the official road, Wei Xian finally got on the bus.

He wanted to go from monastery to monastery and pass on Kong Anguo's words to the Confucian scholars.

Wei Xian still upholds loyalty, filial piety, propriety, wisdom and trust as a standard.

……

Kong's motorcade moved in a hurry, without any stops along the way.

After noon, they had arrived outside Baqiao in the east of Chang'an City.

Kong Anguo and Kong Ba sat in an An car together, each reading a volume of "Book of Rites".

Not only Kong Anguo, but Kong Ba also gradually became interested in the "Sacred Scriptures of Hadith".

They all admired the emperor more and more, and had to admit that the emperor had a great talent and could only inject this sutra.

Just when the two of them were looking at each other in fascination, An Che suddenly stopped along with the entire convoy.

"Why did you stop?" Kong Ba opened the curtain and asked the driver in front.

"Report to the Lord, there is someone blocking the way ahead."

"Huh?" Kong Ba looked forward and saw a very simple Anche.

Not only An Chao, there are also a dozen riders around. Although they are not wearing armor, they can be seen as ruthless characters at a glance.

Could it be that he met a strong man who robbed Dao?

However, this ridiculous idea only flashed through his mind for a moment before it was completely extinguished by Kong Ba.

There are official roads extending in all directions here, and it is only more than ten miles away from Chang'an City. No matter how courageous the bandits are, they would not dare to rob the roads here.

What's more, there are more than a hundred people in Kong's motorcade, while the opponent only has a dozen or so people. How can it be possible to use an egg against a stone.

Moreover, this is Doctor Qing's motorcade guard of honor.

Intercepting the imperial officials' car battle in public is tantamount to treason and rebellion.

Not to mention Chang'an City, even the entire Han Dynasty, there have never been such arrogant bandits.

Kong Ba squinted at the car in the distance, trying to identify the stamp on the car, but to no avail.

Just as he was thinking about how to deal with the current situation, the security vehicle, escorted by the knights, approached this side.

There was no need for Kong Ba to give orders, the knights in the honor guard around him had already drawn their swords and were ready to face the enemy.

Fortunately, the security car stopped twenty or thirty feet away from the Kong family's motorcade, and only one person and one horse came forward.

The knight did not approach, but took out a piece of paper, handed it to the leader of Kong's motorcade, and then retreated.

Amidst Kong Ba and Kong Anguo's suspicion, the note was sent over. When the two of them opened it and took a look, they were suddenly surprised.

There are only a few words on it: "Chu Ji invites Chu Ru to talk."

Chu Ji is the emperor, and Kong Anguo and Kong Ba know it very well. The person sitting in the An car opposite is actually the emperor?

The emperor did not use his real name, nor did he display the emperor's guard of honor. His expression was very clear, and he wanted to meet Kong Anguo in private.

"Uncle...what should we do?"

"What else can I do? Your Majesty summons me, how can I not go?"

"But……"

"What's the point? I'm afraid that Your Majesty won't succeed in killing the old man. What's more, the old man also has a few words to say to the county magistrate."

After Kong Anguo finished saying this, he got out of the car with the help of Kong Ba.

Then, he shook off Kong Ba's hand and walked all the way to the safe car where the emperor was.

Kong Ba tried to follow Kong Anguo several times to help him, but he was decisively thrown away by the latter.

Grass grows and orioles fly everywhere on both sides of the official road. It is a vibrant scene, which is in sharp contrast to the stumbling Kong Anguo.

This old Confucian is like a piece of dead wood, moving towards his end little by little.

Kong Ba looked nervously at Kong Anguo beside the car, fearing that the old man would suddenly fall down.

Fortunately, when Kong Anguo was halfway there, a young figure jumped out of the car and hurriedly greeted Kong Anguo.

This person is none other than today's emperor.

After the debate in Shiqu Pavilion, all the disciples of the Kong family, including Kong Ba, had some complaints about the emperor deep in their hearts.

But at this moment, seeing the emperor first helping Kong Anguo to the side of the official road like an ordinary disciple, and then sitting on the ground, I couldn't help but feel a little moved.

Because they were far away, others could not hear what the two were talking about, but judging from the scene of the two sitting on their knees, the old man and the young man were having a great time talking to each other.

At least, it's not as tense as in Shiqu Pavilion.

……

Liu He sat opposite Kong Anguo, and the green grass under him was a bit prickly.

"Kong Ru, has the Holy Scripture of Hadith been delivered to your house?" Liu He asked.

"Replying to your Majesty, it was delivered to your residence seven days ago. I am currently reading it. It can be regarded as a popular version of the Confucian classics."

Looking at the smiling Kong Anguo, Liu He felt even more indebted.

Especially when he heard the word "read", it made him even more embarrassed.

After all, this "Sacred Sutra of Hadith" was "copied" by Liu He. The original annotator was not yet born, but he was still "copied".

"Confucius, if you say that you would like to read it, you are discrediting me. Compared with Confucius, my knowledge of interpreting scriptures is less than one ten thousandth." Liu He said sincerely.

Kong Anguo both affirmed and denied, but still looked at Liu He with a half-smile.

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask a question?" Kong Anguo asked.

"Kong Ru, please speak." Liu He replied.

"Then the Sacred Scripture of Hadith was really written by His Majesty?"

Facing Kong Anguo's question, Liu He was a little uneasy. He wanted to give a decisive answer like he had done a few days ago.

But for some reason, he couldn't speak at this deserted official road.

"The "Commentary on Chapters and Sentences of the Four Books" was really written by His Majesty?" Kong Anguo asked.

Liu He still responded with silence and some hesitation.

After a moment, he gave his answer.

"Kong Ru, the "Sacred Sutra" was annotated by me, but it was not annotated by me..."

“Is it really that important how the Hadith and the Commentary on the Four Books came from?”

"At least to me, this matter is not that important."

"They can contribute to the imperial examination system, to the academic system, to enriching the people and strengthening the Han Dynasty - this is enough."

Liu He said these ambiguous words, and the burden in his heart became much lighter.

Kong Anguo did not continue to ask questions, but smiled and nodded.

"It's a good thing that Your Majesty has such courage, and he deserves to be called a gentleman and a Confucian." Kong Anguo did not mean any ridicule.

The eyes of the old and young people intertwined, and many things had been explained silently.

When true becomes false, false becomes true; when false becomes true, true becomes false.

"Your Majesty, can you give me a copy of "Collected Commentary on Chapters and Sentences of the Four Books" for me? I would like to read it carefully..."

This request was not excessive, but Liu He did not agree immediately.

The concept of "preserving heaven's principles and destroying human desires" in the "Anthology of Four Books and Chapters and Sentences" does no harm to the current Han Dynasty.

It shouldn't be spread.

"If it's inconvenient, that's it." Kong Anguo said with regret.

"Kong Ru, I can give you one, but Kong Ru has to promise me something."

"Your Majesty, just say it."

"Do not show it to others, and do not pass it on to others."

"After a hundred years of aging, this "Collected Commentary on Chapters and Sentences of the Four Books" will be buried in the ground together with it." Kong Anguo gave his own guarantee.

Liu He got up and returned to An's car. After a while, he took out a "Commentary on Chapters and Sentences of the Four Books" and handed it into Kong Anguo's hands.

He came here specially today to give this book to Kong Anguo - he should regard it as some compensation for this old man.

"This is the last "Collected Commentary on Four Books". The rest have been burned and the engravings have been destroyed. One day I will see this book spread to the world. Kong..."

Liu He did not finish his words, but the threat conveyed was very obvious.

It is possible to realize Kong Anguo's long-cherished wish, but it cannot disrupt the route Liu He planned for the Han Dynasty.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the book." Kong Anguo stood up with difficulty and saluted.

Liu He, who had fulfilled his and the other party's wishes, also stood up and saluted again.

Without saying anything more, Kong Anguo turned around and was about to leave.

But before taking steps, he suddenly stopped again. After hesitation, he said slowly: "Your Majesty, don't worry, the Confucian scholars in the world will be on your Majesty's side."

This is Kong Anguo's guess and the guarantee given by Kong Anguo.

After saying these words, the old man turned his back to Chaoyang and walked towards his own car as before.

Liu He once again bowed to Kong Anguo's hunched back as a disciple.

The Kong family's motorcade drove away on the official road, and Liu He also walked back to the car.

Just as Liu He was about to get on the bus, a horseman came from the direction of Chang'an City.

"Your Majesty, there is a battle report from the northwest!" The visitor was Changchun Changshu of Langtun Village in Changyi.

"Huh? Good news or..." Liu He asked with some emotion.

"Good news, great victory!"

Liu He's heart trembled. Another opportunity he had been waiting for finally came.

It's time to reorganize the Han army.

"Let's go back to the palace immediately!"

"No!" (End of this chapter)