A proclamation against rebels?
A proclamation to attack Cao Cao!
When Yuan Shao’s task reached the secretary Chen Lin, he stroked his beard and his face lit up with joy.
This was his specialty.
It was known that Chen Lin was a renowned great talent of his time, skilled in poetry, prose, and fu. His reputation was on par with that of Cai Zhaoji, the foremost talented woman of the era.
In the past, he had served as a secretary under He Jin. Thus, he was not only eloquent but also possessed a certain political acumen.
With a stroke of the brush, it was as if a runaway steed soared through the air, leaving dust in its wake…
The name of this proclamation against rebels already sprang forth.
— *A Proclamation by Yuan Shao Against the People of Yuzhou*
— “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary men, extraordinary events, and extraordinary achievements!”
With this opening…
Chen Lin wrote as if divinely inspired, his thoughts flowing like a fountain, without hesitation… in one go.
Ju Shou, who was delivering the message, was stunned…
He had wanted to offer a reminder, but in the end, he kept his mouth shut.
He feared that a splash of cold water would extinguish Chen Lin’s enthusiasm…
Just moments ago, he had received intelligence that the revered scholar Zheng Xuan had already departed from Donglai and arrived in Xudu City.
It was precisely this intelligence that made Ju Shou’s heart turn cold.
Certainly, Chen Lin’s reputation among the literati was comparable to that of Kong Rong, Zhong Yao, and even Cai Yan. Coupled with his sharp writing style, a single proclamation against rebels would be enough to sway the scholars to Yuan Shao’s side.
However, if Zheng Xuan were to join Cao Cao’s camp, it would be another story entirely.
A mere proclamation against rebels would seem insignificant against the prestige of Zheng Xuan…
Watching Chen Lin still writing with the speed of a dragon…
“Alas…”
Ju Shou sighed. Tian Feng was imprisoned, his lord Yuan Shao was determined to march south for a decisive battle, and just then, Zheng Xuan had arrived in Xudu City.
As Tian Feng had said, the balance of power could easily shift!
This was not the most frightening thing; what was most frightening was… the current situation was shrouded in an inexplicable gloom, and how many truly understood it?
…
…
Fifteen li outside the East Gate of Xudu City…
This location was very close to the Imperial Academy…
One could even see the rooves of the Imperial Academy in Yongqiu by the Ying River, simply by looking from the stone steps!
As spring arrived, the outskirts of the city presented a pleasant scenery with babbling streams, overgrown weeds, and wildflowers blooming unattended, a picture of spring.
At this moment, Zheng Xuan was seated on a flight of stone steps.
Just a few hours prior, the area around here was deserted, but now… over ten thousand people had gathered around him in groups of three to five.
And, incredibly… all of them were kneeling.
This was the highest form of respect the literati offered to Zheng Xuan’s arrival – “kneeling for the Sage.”
Even though many scholars could not clearly hear what Zheng Xuan was saying…
They were willing to kneel there, just to catch a glimpse of this half—“mentor’s” demeanor!
Lu Yu and Cai Zhaoji had arrived…
Led by a group of students from the Imperial Academy, they proceeded to a position nearer the front.
To Lu Yu’s surprise, Sister Zhaoji was also kneeling…
Perhaps, in her eyes, the esteemed Zheng Xuan held a status akin to “Confucius,” even more respected than her own father, Cai Yong!
Lu Yu surveyed the surroundings…
He noticed Cao Cao was also present, looking exceptionally serious, seemingly shocked by Zheng Xuan’s arrival.
However…
His position was a little further away. It was likely that Zheng Xuan’s pronouncements would be relayed to him sentence by sentence by the reporting soldiers.
Lu Yu knew that even just… twenty years ago, Zheng Xuan’s lecture in Luoyang, which lasted three days, had profoundly influenced Cao Cao’s entire life.
At this moment…
Zheng Xuan took his seat on the platform, his gaze sweeping across the entire assembly. It seemed that the crowded scene of over ten thousand people was not unexpected in his eyes.
“I am unprepared today, but since you have invited me so warmly, I shall simply say a few words,” Zheng Xuan began…
He did not sound arrogant like some renowned scholars.
On the contrary, Zheng Xuan was very humble…
He calmly opened: “I am very fortunate to meet all of you scholars outside the capital. Xudu City may be unfamiliar to me, but the capital and the Imperial Academy are not. Like you, I was once a scholar here, a student of the Imperial Academy, and I wished to serve the court. It was only later, through a series of coincidences, that I became a teacher. The capital and the Imperial Academy hold too many memories for me; they are the pride of my life, a place I am proud of. Today is a memorable day in my life, for no matter how far I have journeyed, I have returned here, returned to this Imperial Academy, returned to this capital!”
As these words were spoken…
Lu Yu felt a tremor running through him, an inner sense of being moved. It seemed that Zheng Xuan’s words had instantly bridged a great distance between him and the students.
As expected of the most famous person in the world, even more so than himself, the Hidden Dragon, old Cao, or Sister Zhaoji, even such an opening statement proved that the title of “Sage” was well-deserved.
And at this moment… Zheng Xuan’s words continued.
“Today, accompanying me from Donglai to Xudu City are over two thousand of my disciples. They live at the foot of Mount Nan in Donglai, where they not only study and listen to lectures but also work in the fields, their hands and legs stained with the soil of the land. They must do so; only by toiling in the fields, raising sheep, and tending to pigs can they barely survive.”
“And you in the Central Plains, benefiting from the stable times, can study and learn peacefully. Yet, even so, many students are not diligent in their studies, and even when they study, they do not seek true meaning. Because of their family background, the doors to official careers are already open to them. Their only concerns are the size of their official positions, the amount of their stipends, whether they hold real power or nominal posts. Today, I am unprepared, so I shall simply speak of ‘Lao Tzu,’ and discuss the true meaning contained within one of his sentences.”
Having said this, Zheng Xuan paused briefly.
“Lao Tzu once said, ‘Man follows the Earth, the Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature.’ So, how should man learn from the Earth, and what should he learn from it?”
After posing this question, Zheng Xuan allowed the assembled scholars to ponder for a moment before answering himself.
“Heaven’s virtue covers all things; Earth’s virtue carries all things. The virtue of Heaven and Earth is great, unspoken. Man should learn from Earth’s selflessness and nurturing, without expectation, and without complaint!”
Hearing this…
Lu Yu noticed that whether it was old Cao, Sister Zhaoji, renowned scholars like Kong Rong, or the countless scholars around him, they were all listening with extreme earnestness, even engrossed.
Good heavens…
Lu Yu was immensely shocked.
Perhaps…
From ancient texts and documents, he knew that Zheng Xuan was a great Confucian scholar of this era, beloved and admired by thousands!
But, just how strong was this admiration and respect?
No one knew!
But seeing such a scene, hearing his lecture, all he felt was shock, reverberation, a deafening roar.
Even…
Lu Yu instantly had a bold idea.
If the esteemed Zheng Xuan were to solely oversee the Yue Dan Ping (Monthly Assessment), it would be like using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken.
At this moment… Lu Yu thought of a newspaper!
That’s right, a publication, a newspaper…
With Zheng Xuan’s reputation, as long as his articles were featured, newspapers could easily be promoted and distributed to every corner of the Han Empire.
How powerful was public opinion?
Lu Yu, having lived two lifetimes, knew this better than anyone. And those who could control and guide public opinion would undoubtedly be invincible in this chaotic era.
Zheng Xuan, the Sage, might not be a qualified director of a newspaper, but if he were the editor-in-chief, the newspaper would surely be a hit!
Of course…
This would involve many technical aspects, such as improving papermaking and promoting printing techniques. However… Lu Yu believed these were merely matters of time.
*Whoosh…*
Lu Yu exhaled heavily. His eyes narrowed. Although this was just an idea, Lu Yu felt an urge to try it.
Specifics… would need to be discussed with Sister Zhaoji, and Zheng Xuan, the Sage, would have to be consulted.
However…
Before Lu Yu could finish his thoughts, Zheng Xuan’s words echoed again.
“Then, I shall pose another question: How should the Earth learn from Heaven, and what should it learn from Heaven?”
“Learn from Heaven’s vastness, Heaven’s infinity, Heaven’s boundlessness, Heaven’s inexhaustibility, Heaven’s magnanimity, and Heaven’s creative power, Heaven’s selfless love for the Earth and all things.”
Another brief pause, and Zheng Xuan answered his own question.
“Heaven follows the Dao, and what is the Dao? Is the Dao an infinite greater than Heaven, or a particle smaller than dust? The Dao ranges from infinitely large to infinitely small; the Dao is nothingness, and nothingness is infinite being…”
When these words were spoken…
Let alone ordinary scholars, even the learned Cao Cao, Cai Zhaoji, and Kong Rong were somewhat dazed.
Only Lu Yu could understand. Wasn’t this philosophy?
Going a step deeper, it was materialism and dialectics… it was Marxist philosophy!
Who could have imagined that, thousands of years ago in the late Han Dynasty…
Zheng Xuan could lecture and teach with such dialectical philosophical methods? Looking at the ancient texts, he had truly underestimated this great Confucian scholar!
And as time passed…
Zheng Xuan gradually peeled away profound principles.
“This is the Dao. It makes you seem to understand everything, yet you seem to understand nothing. It is always like a veiled woman, possessing the beautiful appearance you desire and the mystery you wish to feel. But you can never see its truth; you can only imagine, only comprehend it according to your own abilities and height. The ‘Dao’ has no definitive answers, no uniform solutions; it requires comprehension based on one’s own experience.”
Saying this, Zheng Xuan slowly stood up…
It seemed the lecture was coming to an end, and he was about to discuss the final topic.
“Since the Dao is infinitely large and infinitely small, why does it still need to learn from nature? So… what is nature?”
“Nature is actual existence, including what we can see and what we cannot see, what we can imagine and what we cannot imagine. Nature encompasses everything! Nature has always existed; it existed before humans and may continue to exist after humans are gone. Nature holds mysteries that we humans should forever pursue.”
“In the vast, all-encompassing, and boundless nature, profound natural laws are contained. These laws can be the alternation of day and night that we can feel, the change of the four seasons, the exchange of sunny and rainy weather, or the birth, old age, sickness, and death of ourselves and all things in the world. Whether it is an emperor or a commoner, no one can defy nature! Change the laws of nature! Everything has inherent connections, and all connections are attributed to ‘natural laws’.”
Uh…
After listening to this passage, the surrounding scholars fell silent, quietly listening to Zheng Xuan’s lecture, as if still contemplating carefully.
Only Lu Yu…
He felt that he couldn’t quite appreciate this kind of philosophy; it was like saying, “Hearing your words is like hearing your words.”
Never mind…
It was still the same old topic. Once a person gains fame, everything they say is considered right. “Lu Xun” had two jujube trees in front of his house, why couldn’t I have them, or be worthy of them!
Similarly, because these words were spoken by Zheng Xuan, the Sage, then… it couldn’t be said as “hearing your words is like hearing your words,” but rather, “Hearing your words is better than ten years of study!”
Those who understand, understand…
“Ahem…”
Lu Yu coughed lightly. Regardless, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper must be this esteemed Zheng Xuan!
At this moment…
Zheng Xuan beckoned to the assembly of scholars and then began to walk down the stone steps.
Just then, Cai Zhaoji grabbed Lu Yu and pulled him in the direction of Zheng Xuan.
Lu Yu was surprised. What was happening?
Was Sister Zhaoji acting like a fan?
“Sister Zhaoji…”
Before he could even ask his question.
“Hush…” Cai Zhaoji put a finger to her lips. “Brother Yu? Have you forgotten… this year is your coming-of-age year. A man needs to receive his courtesy name before his coming-of-age ceremony. The Sage is here… it’s the perfect opportunity to ask him for a name.”
Oh…
So it was about the courtesy name!
Actually, this sort of thing… wasn’t that strict among common people, and even some nouveau riche families didn’t place as much importance on it. For example, Cao Cao… was formerly called Cao Man, with the childhood name Jili!
If not for the incident of killing someone during the Dragon Boat Festival, and changing his name to Cao Cao, with the courtesy name Mengde… it’s highly probable that Cao Cao would have continued to be called Cao Man, and his childhood name “Jili” would have naturally become his “courtesy name” upon coming of age…
Similarly, when Sister Zhaoji was six years old and identified musical instruments, she received her courtesy name, which Cai Yong had chosen for her in advance. As a child, “Zhaoji” was her childhood name, and upon reaching twenty and coming of age, she changed it to her courtesy name.
Of course… Lu Yu, being an orphan without parents, naturally had no childhood name. Now… it was a bit more troublesome, as he still needed someone to bestow a courtesy name upon him.
However… having Zheng Xuan, the Sage, bestow a courtesy name would be extremely impressive if it got out!
Blinking his eyes…
Cai Zhaoji had already pulled him to Zheng Xuan’s presence.
She did not hastily request the courtesy name but instead cupped her hands in a bow… “Esteemed Sir, indeed, you have not let me, your student, miss you. I am… Cai Yan!”
As these words were spoken…
Zheng Xuan pondered for a long time. Cai Yan, as the Chief Administrator of the Imperial Academy, addressing him as “I” showed immense respect!
“Greetings, Chief Administrator Cai…”
Zheng Xuan slightly bowed, but his eyes fell upon the refined young man Cai Yan was holding.
This appearance… he had an impression of it, having seen a portrait.
“This is most likely the other Chief Administrator of the Imperial Academy, Lu Yu, Chief Administrator Lu?”
“This junior pays his respects to Mr. Zheng!” Lu Yu also cupped his hands… With so many people watching, the atmosphere had reached this point.
And at this moment…
Several vigorous voices resounded.
— “We respectfully welcome the Sage!”
This voice appeared very suddenly. Lu Yu and Cai Zhaoji turned to look, only to see… countless middle-aged men, led by Kong Rong, bowing to Zheng Xuan.
It turned out that these were all disciples of Zheng Xuan from over a decade ago, who were now officials in Xudu City…
“You…”
And just then…
“Thump thump thump thump…”
A series of footsteps could be heard. A troop of elite guards quickly approached Zheng Xuan, clearing a path. At the end of the path… Cao Cao was walking towards them with his head bowed.
That’s right…
Cao Cao was walking with his head bowed. In Lu Yu’s memory, this was the first time.
Soon, Cao Cao reached Zheng Xuan and clasped his hands, saying, “Sir, do you remember the audacious student from the Imperial Academy in Luoyang twenty years ago, who dared to challenge you openly?”
This…
Upon hearing this…
Zheng Xuan seemed to recall something.
It was twenty years ago, during a lecture at the Luoyang Imperial Academy, when a rather bold student challenged him. That statement about the new understanding of nature, Dao, Heaven, Earth, and man… had refreshed Zheng Xuan’s mind.
“Are you the student who proposed, ‘Nature has the Dao, the Dao contains Heaven and Earth, and man is precious between Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth are inherently emotionless, but true emotion exists in the human world’?”
Zheng Xuan asked in return…
Cao Cao remained bowed, maintaining a humble demeanor.
“Indeed… this disciple, Cao Cao, pays his respects to Mr. Zheng!”
“Twenty years ago, as a student unaware of the immensity of the world, I debated with you, proposing ‘Heaven is not old, Heaven is emotionless, Heaven is immortal.’ It was you, Sir, who guided me and corrected my views, telling me, ‘The sentiment of Heaven and Earth is based on our human feelings and perceptions; emotions are reciprocal and exchanged. Only when we have feelings can we perceive the existence of Heaven and Earth’s emotions. If there is no emotion in our hearts, not only Heaven and Earth but all things become emotionless.’”
Twenty years ago…
Cao Cao remembered Zheng Xuan’s words vividly.
It should be known…
This was the first time he had heard the voice of a “sage” and felt the sentiment of a “master scholar.”
It was also the first time he had awakened his sense of “self.”
It was these very words that helped Cao Cao grow into a man of genuine emotion!
Cao Cao vaguely remembered that Yuan Shao had remarked at the time, “No wonder Mr. Zheng’s private academy has thousands of students; attending his classes is truly an enjoyment.”
His good classmate Hu Mu Ban also praised, “The private academies are also filled with hidden talents…”
On the other hand, Zhang Miao reminded Cao Cao, “Mr. Zheng has ten years of teaching experience in official academies…”
It was only then that Cao Cao realized why Mr. Zheng was called a master of Confucian studies. It was because… his scholarship possessed the rigor and breadth of official academies, combined with the flexibility and elegance of private academies, making him doubly brilliant!
It was at that time that Cao Cao resolved to follow Zheng Xuan to Donglai to become his disciple and pursue his studies!
However…
Yuan Shao was disdainful, saying, “Forget it, Aman. You, who sneak around and steal brides, don’t go corrupting Mr. Zheng’s students!”
Yuan Shao ran off after saying this, and Cao Cao chased him, laughing and playing!
It could be said…
Because of Zheng Xuan, Cao Cao’s heart stirred with memories that had been buried for twenty years, surging forth.
Time has passed… Mr. Zheng has aged. His classmates, who once listened to his teachings and played with him, must now… fight to the death along the banks of the Yellow River, determining the fate of the world!
“I did not expect that I would have such an outstanding disciple among my students.”
Zheng Xuan looked at Cao Cao, a faint smile appearing on his lips…
However, in the end, he turned his gaze to Lu Yu.
“These are extraordinary times, and I did not originally wish to come here. However… Chief Administrator Lu sent a critique of ‘The Analects’ to Donglai. Some of his views I cannot agree with, while others are simple yet profound… greatly benefiting me!”
“I did not expect that the one who wrote this ‘Critique of The Analects’ would be such a young gentleman… Chief Administrator Lu, I hope to have the opportunity to seek your guidance on one or two points!”
With these lengthy words… Zheng Xuan spoke to Lu Yu in a gentle manner.
It truly astonished many people.
Especially the five words, “I did not originally wish to come here,” which caused even more surprise.
Especially Cao Cao…
As expected… Zheng Xuan came to Xudu City because of Brother Yu!
Was this an unexpected yet logical outcome?
However…
Cao Cao’s brow furrowed slightly. He also had a matter on his mind.
Brother Yu was his son…
Seeing that Brother Yu was about to come of age, Cao Cao wanted to ask the esteemed Zheng Xuan to bestow a courtesy name upon Brother Yu! In the present world, no one was more suitable!
Thinking of this, Cao Cao’s eyes darted, pondering how… to make the request?
…
…