Thousand-year-old family: its rise began with Shang Yang’s reforms

Chapter 484 Vibrant
"Hey?! Did you hear that?"

"The man in Guandu City has spread the word that he has realized the truth of heaven and earth, understood the countless fortunes in the world, and realized the way of heaven in Lingnan City. He wants to fight from south to north and conquer the world, in order to prove the realm of the philosophers that has never appeared since the Qin Dynasty!"

"Why haven't you heard of it?"

"But I've heard much more comprehensive information than you."

The man chuckled and acted very proudly. The people around who were listening secretly came over quietly. The rich ones among them directly called the owner of the tavern to serve him a pot of good wine.

After taking a sip of the wine, the man said with great pride: "I have a relative who is a servant of the Chen family in Guandu. When he heard that person coming out of Zhushen Tower, he laughed three times and then began to travel around the world."

"After arriving in Lingnan City, I sailed on the sea for three days and finally achieved enlightenment."

"It's not entirely true to say that he has attained enlightenment. According to the discussion between that person and his friends, it seems that he has learned new principles from the principles of the Chen ancestors. Didn't the Chen family have a specific name for their school in the past?"

"This time, he figured out the specific name of the path that the Chen family took, just like the names of Confucianism, Taoism, and Mohism."

After a few drinks, the man lost track of the world and said smugly, "Hey, just wait for me."

"The eighteen scholars of the imperial court are all ready in the capital, waiting for that person to come to Chang'an to debate with them! The winner and loser will be determined by then. If that person really understands the truth of heaven and earth and directly refutes the eighteen scholars with it, then he deserves to be called a son."

The faces of the people around were filled with amazement and anticipation.

"Wow! Who wants to challenge the Eighteen Scholars of the Imperial Dynasty?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, he is indeed worthy of being called Chen's talented man!"

After eating and drinking to their heart's content and talking about gossip, the number of people in the tavern gradually dwindled. However, the news spread, and gradually, the whole Chang'an city knew that the next prince of the Chen family, who was a genius, would come from the south to challenge the eighteen scholars of the imperial dynasty in order to claim his title.

Taiji Hall
Li Shimin looked at the widely spread news and sighed helplessly. He looked at Chen Ruohan in front of him, who even came to the Taiji Hall, but was sitting there and finding time to deal with state affairs.

"Cheng Tao, why don't you take care of your child?"

"Just let him come all the way from the south?"

"It would be fine to come to Chang'an directly by boat. You're just taking your time all the way here. Aren't you afraid of being refuted along the way?"

Li Shimin's words were more of a teasing tone than a sign of worry.

Chen Ruohan just glanced at Li Shimin and sneered, with a hint of disdain and anger in his voice: "Yu'er was kind and honest when he was young, and he is not the kind of person who likes to show off."

"Even if he wanted to debate the scriptures and achieve his goal of being called a 'son', he would not use such a conspicuous method."

"Your Majesty, can you tell me why this news spread throughout Chang'an City in just a moment? Can you tell me why Yu'er, who has always been kind and honest, would choose such a ostentatious way to fight all the way from the south to the north?"

It would have been better if Li Shimin didn't say anything, but once he opened his mouth, Chen Ruohan couldn't suppress the anger in his heart.

He looked at Li Shimin, who had turned his head and whistled, and said word by word: "Can you tell me why someone in Guandu City sent a letter a few days ago saying that your Majesty's secret guards quietly went to Guandu and delivered a letter to Yu'er who had just come out of seclusion in Zhushen Tower!"

Li Shimin laughed awkwardly, turned his head to look at the sky, the earth, and the table, whistling, but not looking at Chen Ruohan who was already extremely angry.

He coughed lightly and just said, "Ah, Yu'er is going to come to Chang'an City anyway, so why not do it in a grand way? This will also make Yu'er famous, right?"

Speaking of this, Li Shimin seemed to have found a reason, so he was very confident.

"If we follow the process we discussed before, from Guandu to Chang'an, and then let Yu'er debate with the Eighteen Scholars of the Imperial Dynasty, then even if he wins, everyone will think that it is because of the reputation of the Chen family, so everyone is giving in to Yu'er."

"How can you become famous if you do this?"

"But it's different when we fight all the way from south to north. Don't you always say that the more we argue, the clearer the truth becomes."

"Maybe it can give Yu'er some new inspiration?"

Chen Ruohan also understood this truth, so when Chen Yu was provoked by Li Shimin and wanted to let loose for the rare time, he did not stop him. Instead, he went with the flow and persuaded his father, the King Zhenguo who was still alive and had a deep control over the Chen family and the world.

If not, how could Chen Yu have left Guandu?

The reason why he was so angry now was simply because this thief Li Shimin was still pretending in front of him, which made him very dissatisfied - he was helping Li Shimin deal with court affairs, but Li Shimin was having fun all day long. It would be fine if he just had fun, after all, Li Shimin was the emperor.

But Li Shimin actually dared to find fun on his head and in front of him!

Isn't this just pointing at a monk and calling him a bald donkey?

That's why Chen Ruohan was so angry today.

Li Shimin was well aware of this. He looked at Chen Ruohan who was still angry and said, "Cheng Tao, how about I appoint another commander to help you?"

There was a serious look on his face, indicating that he wanted to discuss serious matters at this time.

Chen Ruohan pressed his forehead and shook his head: "No need, I can still handle it."

He sighed, "It's just that recently, because of our plan, there are too many things to prepare, and I'm a little busy for a while. What's more, His Majesty has eliminated all three commanders, leaving only me as the commander to take charge of the affairs of the three provinces. Isn't the purpose to completely depose the three commanders after I die?"

Chen Ruohan looked at Li Shimin with a half-smile, and said helplessly: "This is not a bad thing, so Your Majesty does not need to test me."

"Since the pre-Qin period, the power of the prime minister has been too great. Emperors of all dynasties have been trying to disperse the power of the prime minister, and finally held the power in their own hands."

"After hundreds of years, nearly a thousand years, Your Majesty finally managed to divide the Prime Minister's power into three, and then into six, and each power has someone who can check and balance it."

"In this way, the emperor's power will reach its peak."

"Your Majesty, are you willing to regroup the six scattered powers into three at this time?"

Looking at Chen Ruohan's expression, Li Shimin smiled awkwardly: "Of course I can't bear to part with it."

Chen Ruohan nodded: "That's it, then what else does Your Majesty ask?"

He sneered, and then said: "This matter is like sailing against the current. If you don't move forward, you will fall behind. If you concentrate the power into three parts again, then in the future there will be a prime minister, an official in the prime minister's office, and then a prime minister again."

"By that time, all the efforts of nearly a thousand years will have been in vain."

For the people of the world, it is not important whether the power is controlled by the emperor and the prime minister, but it is very important to the emperor - and when the court gathers all the power in the emperor.
There was a hint of melancholy in Chen Ruohan's brow.

He didn't know if this path was correct, but everything had to be tried and tested. If this thing was wrong, then the power in the hands of the emperor would be broken up and distributed to other people. This was not something that Chen couldn't do.

Even if the world turns upside down, even if the world falls apart.
Chen still has the power to fight against it.

Also willing to fight it.

Just like what he and Li Shimin are doing now.

Fight against the sky and fight against people.

Perhaps seeing Chen Ruohan's melancholy, Li Shimin comforted him and said, "Anyway, this is always a good thing for the current court."

He himself was very open-minded: "If it doesn't work, Chen will make the plan in the future."

Li Shimin stroked his beard, not caring about these things at all, as if he was not an emperor and was not worried about his descendants. He just said: "In short, we will not see those things when we are alive."

Chen Ruohan nodded, also very disappointed: "Yes, we won't be able to see those things when we are alive."

The atmosphere in the hall gradually became melancholy. Li Shimin looked at the distance dimly and suddenly asked, "Cheng Tao, how are the children of the Chen family preparing?"

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Chen Ruohan's eyes became deep. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with a sharp look.

"Your Majesty, the Chen family's children are always ready."

"As long as the time is right, that matter can be put on the agenda."

The two of them didn't say anything anymore, just looked at the sky in the distance leisurely. The clouds above the sky were floating everywhere, looking very wanton.

Shen Guogong Mansion
Gao Shilian looked gloomy, looking at the old brothers sitting around him, and said with emotion: "Old friends, you should have figured out what His Majesty wants to do, right?"

"What are we going to do?"

"Should I obey your majesty and Chen's wishes, put the knife to my neck, and let them kill me and bleed me, or..."

Li Xiaogong chuckled: "Put the knife on the neck and let the blood flow?"

"Everyone, if there was anyone among you who was willing to do this, you wouldn't be here today."

"Brother, there's no need to talk nonsense."

"Tell me what you want to do."

Gao Shilian narrowed his eyes, with a sharp murderous aura on his body: "Since you don't want to die, and if you want to keep your current wealth and glory, then you must fight with Your Majesty and Chen."

He stood up and said, "Your Majesty and Chen's intentions are very simple. They don't want to start a dispute again and let the war cover the whole world. In this case, we will follow their wishes."

"Doesn't Chen Yu want to fight with words?"

Gao Shilian grinned and smiled at Yu Shinan, Kong Yingda and Xu Jingzong who were sitting beside him: "Bo Shi, Yan Zu and Chong Yuan are all here. Are we afraid of a young boy like him?"

He looked at the three people, especially at Kong Yingda, and said, "Chongyuan, please invite Uncle An to Chang'an City in advance. It's not that I don't trust you, but there is always a chance of something happening."

Kong Yingda nodded slightly, his expression unchanged. He was not angry at all. Instead, he said carefully, "When I heard that there was a rumor in Chang'an that Chen Yu was going to debate with the Eighteen Scholars, I had already written to my father. Now my father should be heading towards Chang'an."

"It's just that my father is old, maybe"

Gao Shilian understood what Kong Yingda meant, but he didn't care. He didn't expect Kong An to have the energy to argue with Chen Yu, he just did it just in case.

If they were really defeated, Kong An's appearance would be enough to boost their power without the need for further debate.

After all, Kong An is a direct descendant of Confucius!
During this era, although Confucius was not conferred the title of Yanshenggong, the power of the Kong family, with the help of the spread of Confucianism, also expanded uncontrollably.

People often say that there are probably only three families in this world that can last for a thousand years.

The first one is the Chen family, which has been around for more than 980 years.

The second one is the Kong family, which also lasted for nearly nine hundred years.

The third one is the "Zhang family", which has lasted for nearly five hundred years from the end of the Han Dynasty to the present day.

This is enough to show the strength of the Kong family.

When those originally neutral Confucian scholars in the court saw the descendants of Confucius, could they still watch this old man of the Kong family debate with a young man?

They are bound to leave, of course.
It is not only for the dignity of Confucius, but also for the dignity of Confucianism, or their own dignity.

If Kong An fell, it would mean that the doctrine advocated by Chen Yu of the Chen family had completely overwhelmed Confucianism, and those who made a living from Confucianism would face a catastrophe.

Again.

This time, this debate is no longer a simple debate, it is a.
The dispute over the orthodoxy between political science and Confucianism has lasted for thousands of years!
There is no winner or loser in the struggle for Taoism, only life and death!
Guandu
In Chen's Mansion
Chen Zhan slowly opened his old eyes. He looked at the old chessboard in front of him and sighed softly.

The chessboard was already covered with dust, just as the world was covered by many ancient families.
"call--"

He blew gently, blowing up the dust on the chessboard.

"If the chessboard is dirty, you need to clean it properly."

"It's the same if the world is dirty."

Lingnan City

Chen Yu, who was sitting on the boat, slowly opened his eyes. He stood up and looked like a firefly emitting his own light in this vast world.

"set off!"

"Head to Chang'an City!"

(End of this chapter)