Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1283: Chapter 1237: Contingency and Balance of Power

Before Qu Qi even arrived at Chang’an, Chen Xi had already received all sorts of intelligence. The aristocratic families that inherited the teachings of the Various Masters were now readying themselves, while the Confucian School seemed yet to react.

”This is quite the fun spectacle. I guessed the Hundred Schools wouldn’t miss this opportunity,” Chen Xi casually placed the paper with the intelligence notes onto the table.

”Zichuan, are you sure the descendants of the Hundred Schools will do as you expect and launch a desperate counterattack against the Confucian School? Although it’s true the Hundred Schools are accumulating power now and seem ready to unseat the Confucian School, it’s not certain they will act as you anticipate,” Lub Su said with some seriousness.

”Family Head, Master Jia is here to visit,” Chen Yun said respectfully to Chen Xi with a lowered head.

”Look, even Wen He has come. It seems he’s also feeling uncertain,” Lub Su frowned and said. While Liu Bei indeed holds great power now, it doesn’t mean he can afford to offend both the aristocracy and the Confucian scholars, though the two have significant overlaps.

”Bring him in,” Chen Xi said with a smile, ”Stability is indeed one aspect, and I even know the Confucian School still holds a trump card to turn the tables, but it really is time to mention agriculture, industry, and commerce.”

As he spoke, Jia Xu casually stepped into Chen Xi’s main hall. During this period, Chen Xi hadn’t been to the government office, instead handling state affairs from home.

”Zichuan, you probably know why I’m here, so let’s skip the pleasantries. I’ve already sent someone to instruct Wang Shuzhi to keep an eye on those Great Confucian Scholars,” Jia Xu, a man who knew how to prioritize, went straight to the point at this juncture.

”Yes, I’ve already sent a letter to Xianhe, asking him to lead that group of Great Confucian Scholars in a six-month closed study and contemplation on ’The Investigation of Things’,” Chen Xi said with a schadenfreude grin.

Previously, when unearthing Oracle Bone Script, all the leading Great Confucian Scholars from across the land were gathered. They had a common topic and a shared goal to benefit future generations, and since the discussions couldn’t reach an agreement previously, a closed study and contemplation inside Fenggao was conducted, so another round wouldn’t be too strange.

”You can’t have planned for this all along, could you?” Jia Xu looked at Chen Xi without much surprise, being accustomed to Chen Xi’s habit of calculating ten steps ahead.

Jia Xu used to worry that Chen Xi would exhaust himself, but ever since the revelation of the Human Cauldron’s Vitality Number, such concerns seemed like a joke. This rascal was even more relaxed than they were. What of ten steps ahead? He could pull off something even more terrifying.

”I don’t think so,” Chen Xi gazed up at the beam of the house, ”But being able to gather all those leading figures of the Confucian School is indeed great. And to ensure the effectiveness of this ’Investigation of Things’, they should be moved to a remote mountain forest for some in-depth research.”

Lub Su opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. He realized the Confucian School was doomed this time. Their leaders like Zheng Xuan and Wang Lie were all going into closed study and contemplation, leaving no figurehead for the group.

With this lack of leadership, Lub Su thought if the Confucian School could withstand the Hundred Schools’ counterattack, the Hundred Schools might as well dig a pit and bury themselves, no headstone needed.

”The Confucian School is on the verge of collapse...” Lub Su said bitterly. By the time the Confucian School’s luminances yield results in half a year, their central strength might have been already crushed.

The battle between the Confucian School and the Hundred Schools was basically not different from a battlefield. For such a school of thought, a leader was essential. Without one, they were just a rabble, unable to muster the power to fight back.

A military without great generals is a rabble. Can a corps without soldiers still be called a corps? The Great Confucian Scholars won’t show up for half a year, and in that time, the Hundred Schools might completely obliterate the Confucian School. And even if that leading group reemerges, they wouldn’t be able to change the predetermined reality.

”It’s not over yet,” Jia Xu shook his head, ”Zichuan left a path for the Confucian School. While the Hundred Schools certainly want to destroy the Confucian School, in half a year, even if the Various Masters worked together, they could only remove all the Confucian School’s chess pieces, making it extremely hard for them to voice their political views again.”

”Isn’t that as good as over?” Lub Su replied irritably, ”The Confucian School is suitable for ruling a peaceful society, yet in these chaotic times, removing the majority of the Confucian School’s influences is exactly what the Various Masters would do. Such a great chaos, combined with Zichuan’s governance seldom using the Confucian School...”

Doesn’t this seem like a dead end? It’s likely Chen Xi can last a century. After this upheaval, the Confucian School must endure an eighty-year freeze. Just wait and see, by then, they won’t be unconsumed by the Hundred Schools!

The Confucian School itself has continuously absorbed ideas from the Hundred Schools over the centuries. But as they were in a dominant position, they weren’t bitten back. If they fall into weakness, the elements of the Hundred Schools within the Confucian School will probably be reabsorbed back.

And this isn’t like the Confucian School’s absorption of others; this degree of return to origin is nearly complete, with the Hundred Schools exerting full force. In the end, the Confucian School might only be left with the core concepts of ’Ritual’ and ’Benevolence’, while everything else would be retrieved by the Various Masters for their own use.

With only ’Ritual’ and ’Benevolence’ left, you might as well think back to the era of Confucius and Mencius. As for using other ideas, unfortunately, those ideas have all been integrated back into the systems of the Hundred Schools to support their family’s needs, creating the same awkwardness the Hundred Schools had in later ages against the Confucian School.

I’d end up needing to use someone else’s framework around this idea. Why shouldn’t I just learn their entire school of thought directly? And the ideas I learn here from you, another school already possesses inherently!

So one sees the friendship-ending situation they’re in, being perfectly driven to desperation, similar to how, after the Confucians gained sole supremacy, the Hundred Schools existed in a dismal state, perhaps even worse since the Hundred Schools at least had numbers on their side...

”It’s true Zichuan doesn’t use the Confucian School for governance, but he uses the Confucian School for other purposes,” Jia Xu shook his head, ”When the overwhelming trend of the Hundred Schools is established, all the Great Confucian Scholars will come down from the mountains. Around that time, it will be close to the Autumn Festival.”

”The etymology and dictionary, along with ’The Hundred Schools Return to the Origin’, will be made impeccable by the Confucians,” Chen Xi nodded, ”And if ’The Hundred Schools Return to the Origin’ is defined by the Confucians, it ensures they place a step ahead of the Hundred Schools, meaning losing the political scene doesn’t mean losing everything.”

”The Confucian School should focus on self-cultivation and establishing morality. They aren’t suited for a dominating position as a solitary school,” Chen Xi laughed, ”Once they dominate, disaster could ensue. Better that they gracefully retreat while they haven’t caused significant harm.”

Chen Xi would preserve face for the Confucian School but would not let it dominate alone. Likewise, he wouldn’t allow the Hundred Schools to completely crush the Confucians. It’s best to calculate balance finely in advance, or else carelessness would lead to trouble.

As Mount Tai entered early spring, Jian Yong, with a broad smile, led a famous Great Confucian Scholars from across the land, along with numerous classic books and Oracle Bone Script rubbings, into the mountains to find a serene and quiet valley to begin six months of isolated study.