Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1282: Chapter 1236: The Reason for the Struggle

In the past, we of the Hundred Schools wore the cloak of the Confucian School, only for the sake of preservation. When did we become little brothers of the Confucian School? That is nonsense. We will never submit!

Alright, the basic tone has always been this: the Hundred Schools will not pledge allegiance to the Confucian School unless absolutely necessary. Even though we have been oppressed by the Confucian School for centuries, in these mere centuries, while the Confucian School was assimilating us, we were also accumulating strength, waiting to strike back.

By the way, although Xunzi always claimed to be of the Confucian School, most Confucians ignored him whenever possible during their peak, because Xunzi could be considered the first person to undermine the foundation of his own school and accomplished a miracle while doing so.

He undermined the Confucian School to its core, and from the brilliance of Guangwei, promoted the idea that human nature is evil and inadvertently founded Legalism. As a great talent of the Confucian School, later Legalists often quoted him. As one of the three saints of orthodox Confucianism, the path he paved for the Legalists may not be less than that for the Confucians.

Therefore, typically, when Confucianism flourished, Confucian scholars avoided paying attention to Xunzi, while Legalists sometimes performed sacrifices for him, leading many to believe that Xunzi was a great figure of Legalism, although he truly belonged to the Confucian School.

The significance of Xunzi’s existence is to open a new era when the Confucian virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust fail to suffice. Overall, Confucius is the undisputed founder of the Confucian School, Mencius is the light of Confucianism, and Xunzi is its darkness.

Mencius’s ideas only suit a prosperous era and require the nation to be very strong, whereas Xunzi’s teachings―ahem, claiming Xunzi as a Legalist is not wrong―can produce figures like Li Si and Han Fei with great imperial stratagems, perfect for governing chaotic times.

Thus, in times of chaos, if Confucians are to rescue the situation, only Confucian scholars trained in Xunzi’s thoughts can do so. The problem is that most times, Confucians do not regard Xunzi’s followers as their own.

In truth, Xunzi’s followers are also unwilling to play along with those Confucian scholars; they collaborate well with the Legalists. Therefore, Xunzi’s faction was quite chaotic in later generations, likely not even understanding themselves which school they should belong to.

But, that pertains to later generations; the Hundred Schools have been nearly crushed by the Confucians, except for the Legalists and Medical Family. Even the Agricultural Family, led by individuals like Xuu Xing, has mostly been suppressed, while others like the Strategists and the School of Yin and Yang are buried in the dust.

Regarding Taoism, let’s say that Taoism and the Taoist school are completely different matters. In later generations, Confucianism essentially crushed all schools, and eventually even played itself to its own detriment.

However, the key difference in the Late Han compared to later generations was that those families representing the Hundred Schools had not been entirely exterminated. Although they donned the cloak of the Confucian School, this did not mean they were truly Confucians.

To put it impolitely, if the Confucian School could be toppled, the Hundred Schools could immediately adopt a new guise; even the Xun Family, representing the evil nature theory of Confucianism, would rebel. Indeed, the theory of human nature as evil is not well-liked in Confucian circles...

This is also why the Xun Family feels no pressure in overthrowing the benevolence-favored faction currently in power within the Confucian School. Individuals like Xun Yu and Xun Youi never believed people were purely good!

Moreover, even the purely good can sometimes inadvertently do wrong. As for Confucius and Mencius, the Xun Family states that our ancestor was Xunzi, and our core ideology is not akin to yours; our allies are all Legalists.

Heresy is even more detestable than heretics; to the Confucian School, if Xunzi’s faction did not hold significant importance, they would probably fare little better than heretical groups.

Similarly, to Xunzi’s faction, the other side is also heretical, not to mention that they have controlled the situation for many years, leading to many of Xunzi’s allies being unable to hold on.

Thus, after assessing the situation, under Cao Cao’s coalition, the Hundred Schools immediately sprang into action, seizing this opportunity to pull the Confucian School down from its pedestal. Not to mention anything else, the exclusive veneration of the Confucian arts must not continue!

The presence of an official-oriented mindset results in the Confucian School holding absolute advantage in officialdom when the veneration of the Confucian arts is exclusive. Other schools could not break through this trap without wearing a layer of Confucian covering.

If I study a certain school, but cannot sell it to the imperial family, then why should I study it? What, just wrap it in Confucian guise? Haha, then I might as well study Confucianism directly.

This essentially forced other schools into a corner, deeming their teachings useless. Who would want to study something of no value? As time passed, other schools began experiencing issues with passing on their teachings, succeeding in the plan of the Confucian School, leading to the demise of the Hundred Schools.

When something becomes useless to study, it becomes difficult to attract disciples. Without numerous disciples, there is no way to ensure each generation produces outstanding students. Without excellent disciples, the school cannot expand its ideology, nor can it reverse the current trend, entering a death spiral, paving the way to oblivion.

Some schools did think of challenging the Confucian School, but holding the moral high ground and having people everywhere, the Confucian School was impossible for other schools to contend with.

Historically, the best opportunity might have been during Wang Mang’s New Dynasty, but unfortunately, the transmigrator Wang Mang could not overcome Liu Xiu, the Son of the Plane, finally meeting his end under a meteor shower.

Afterward, the Hundred Schools could only travel a downhill path, never again having hope of pulling the Confucian School down from its pedestal, watching helplessly as the Confucian School absorbed and assimilated their thoughts and schools.

Part of the reason is the Confucian School’s overwhelming power; the Hundred Schools have lost seventy to eighty percent of their strength over the centuries. Even once-prominent teachings and philosophies have been shelved by the inheriting families or integrated into the Confucian School, transforming into something else.

Additionally, after Wang Mang’s New Dynasty, there was no longer a towering figure with aspirations to elevate the crafts, agriculture, and commerce. Formerly illustrious sword-casting aristocratic families and medical technique lineages were all cast to the bottom of society.

Unless you could forge the Mountain Splitting Sword or save millions like Hua Tuo or Zhang Zhongjing, you remain at the bottom of society regardless of what you do.

Various trades once had their own pioneers and were never inferior to others, so why, after the Confucians turned around, did they stand above us? Once, we also read and wrote; once, we were also nobles; why have our professions become debased today?

Our ancestors of the hundred crafts once shared the surname of the nation, once fought for the country and shared glory with it. Why have we lost all our honor now, and the tools that once gave us glory now become symbols of our lowliness?

Why is this so? Is it because we are illiterate? No, the common folk may be illiterate, but we, in this trade, are literate.

The reason for our perceived baseness is merely because you look down on us from above, deeming us meant to be laborious beasts. If that’s the case, join us in sinking into this very earth that bore and raised us!