During the Qin Dynasty, he brought chaos to the seven kingdoms.

Chapter 18 Xunzi's Shock

Xunzi gripped the silk in his hand tightly, looking at Fu Nian before him, his heart surging with emotion.

The surrounding sky and earth darkened, and a strong wind suddenly rose within a radius of several hundred meters, making the trees rustle.

This was simply due to Xunzi's drastic emotional fluctuations.

Fu Nian quickly said, "Uncle-Master, this was not written by your junior disciple. Your junior disciple has not yet attained enlightenment; you merely copied it once."

He could understand what his uncle meant by "success." In Confucianism, this word carries great weight, representing the establishment of a unique system, the qualification to open a new lineage of Confucianism, and the respect of the world.

Just like his uncle Xunzi!

Xunzi looked at Fu Nian with an incredulous expression.

The word "reason" used throughout this essay is almost the culmination of Fu Nian's thoughts and learning, representing absolute order.

Fu Nian smiled wryly and said, "Uncle-Master, my understanding is still shallow. How could I possibly write such an original and insightful essay? This was written by Mr. Cao Yuan."

"...Cao Yuan? Which lineage is he from? Zizhang? Zisi? Yan clan? Or Meng clan?"

Xunzi was completely baffled. The only people who could write this were the old guys from the eight major literary traditions, but he knew all of them and had never heard of anyone innovating.

Fu Nian said, "No, he is a good friend of my master, Zi Han, and the owner of the 'Golden Key' locksmith shop. He is about twenty-nine years old."

"The locksmith...owner?"

Xunzi looked at the serious-looking Fu Nian, blinked, and kept stroking his beard.

That is, Fu Nian. If it were Han Fei who dared to say that, he would have slapped him long ago.

Are you just teasing the old folks?

"That's right. He's currently in Linzi and has arranged to discuss Dao with his junior brother at his residence."

"To write such a treatise at the age of eighteen... what a genius!" Xunzi pondered. "Go and summon Han Fei and Li Si, and have them go to Linzi together, so that they may know that there are always people more capable than themselves."

Even though he was already a scholar, he was still moved by the thought of being in a state of deep stillness. He wanted to see for himself what kind of person Cao Yuan was.

Of course, we must also debate with him to solidify his position on the doctrine of "human nature is inherently evil"!

However, before that, he needs to carefully study the meaning of "reason" that Cao Yuan mentioned, lest he be embarrassed by the younger generation.

"Yes."

Fu Nian respectfully took his leave and departed from the back mountain.

After informing Han Fei and Li Si, Fu Nian did not stop there. Instead, he gathered almost everyone at Xiaoshengxianzhuang to study "Human Nature is Good and Human Nature is Evil" and write down their reflections.

He really liked this "principle".

As a result, the entire Xiaoshengxianzhuang was in an uproar in less than half a day.

"The sect leader has succeeded!"

"Senior Brother Fu Nian has succeeded!"

"It's done!"

……

Congratulations and well wishes echoed throughout Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

Even with Fu Nian's composure, he couldn't help but feel his blood boiling, wishing that this essay was truly his own work.

But Fu Nian was ultimately an upright and principled person, and he immediately stepped in to clarify the situation.

"This is an essay written by my brother Cao Yuan. You should not mention me again."

As soon as Fu Nian spoke, even the chickens in Xiaoshengxianzhuang stopped crowing.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Who could it be? Turns out it was written by a non-Confucianist! What 'reason'? It's utter nonsense!"

"Who is Cao Yuan? Who is he?!"

Doubts and disdainful looks appeared in an instant.

But more than anything, it was unbelievable, and it prompted further questions.

Faced with these enthusiastic junior brothers, Fu Nian had no choice but to tell the truth, adding that his uncle intended to go to Linzi.

This addition is significant.

"Then what are we waiting for, everyone! I'm going first!"

"I'm going too, I want to have a good debate with Cao Yuan!"

……

Confucianists advocate for spontaneous travel, embodying the spirit of Confucius's travels throughout the states.

Before long, nearly half of the people had agreed to go to Linzi the next day, and another twenty or thirty people left on the spot with their bags.

Fu Nian stared blankly at his fellow disciples, who were behaving like they were shopping at a market. Was this really the discipleship of Little Sage Manor?!

……

Sunlight and cloud shadows at the entrance of Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

A handsome and dashing young man led a flamboyant white horse, gazing at the beautiful mountain forest.

"Junior brother, want to have a drink?"

Han Fei slightly raised the wine pot, speaking with a meaningful tone.

The young man, with a solemn expression and burning eyes, politely declined Han Fei's offer of wine, cupping his hands and smiling, "If Senior Brother is so kind, Junior Brother will gladly oblige, but I'll pass on the wine."

Han Fei teased, "You're not waiting for your teacher? Disobeying your teacher's orders, that's not like you."

Li Si smiled faintly and said, "The teacher said he was going, but he didn't say when he was going, nor did he specifically ask my senior brother and me to go with him. Junior brother is not disobeying the teacher's orders."

Han Fei fed the wine that Li Si hadn't drunk to the white horse, saying, "Junior brother, I've always felt that you shouldn't be here. You should go to the famous master Gongsun Long in Handan, Zhao, or go to Guiguzi Gongsun Yan in Yunmeng Mountain, Wei, to learn the art of diplomacy."

Li Si gazed leisurely at the vast天地 (heaven and earth), "I have thought about it, but their path cannot help me realize my ambitions."

"Even Confucianism is not allowed?"

"Didn't you also choose law, senior brother? I admire your essay on the Five Vermin."

Han Fei laughed and said, "Junior brother, have you made your choice?"

Li Si's eyes were piercing. "Let's see how the alliance is formed this year."

Han Fei said with deep feeling, "I hope we will not fall into the same situation as Sun Quan and Pang Tong."

Pang Juan, Sun Bin... were both trendsetters of their time, and also tragic figures in that era.

Li Si silently looked at his senior brother and sighed softly.

My senior brother's ambition lies in serving his country... while his ambition lies in serving the world...

It's better to be an opponent than a mortal enemy than a friend.

……

At this moment, Cao Yuan was unaware that a large group of super Confucian scholars were on their way to destroy his Crystal Tower.

After listening to Wuming's brief account of the current situation of the seven kingdoms, he gained a general understanding of their current state.

The State of Chu initiated the alliance against Qin, and the State of Zhao responded by taking the lead in organizing it.

As a stumbling block at the gates of Qin, although it had already submitted to Qin and paid tribute ten years ago, it was known for its disobedience and fickle nature. Upon hearing about the alliance, it was the most enthusiastic, responding to Zhao and Chu without hesitation, clearly determined to gamble on the future.

After hearing the news, the Qin state began to slow down its pace of conquering cities and seizing territories, and turned its attention to consolidating the large areas of territory it had just captured.

Because of Wei Yong's interference, Lord Xinling lost the trust of the State of Wei, which led to his ambiguous attitude towards the alliance.

The Yan state, on the other hand, would actively join in as long as the alliance could be formed, giving the impression that it was out of place if it didn't work with the others.

As for the remaining state of Qi...

Although he adhered to the principle of "being cautious in serving Qin and trustworthy with the other states," and Qin's envoy, Lord Chang'an Chengjiao, had also arrived, Wuming asserted that the other states would not give up on persuading Qi.

The reason was simply to ensure that when the states united to attack Qin, Qi would not help Qin, thus preventing them from interfering in the affairs of other states.