95Chapter 95: Hundreds of Schools of Thought, Strategy for the Great Unity
Chen Yi frowned slightly, looked at Chen Yi and said, "But, now His Majesty wants unification, especially great unification. Wouldn't it go against His Majesty's wishes to allow a hundred schools of thought to contend and a hundred flowers to bloom at this time?"
"Your Majesty's talent is unrivaled throughout history. It seems unwise to oppose Your Majesty on such a matter."
Chen Yi just smiled slightly: "Who says that when there are hundreds of schools of thought contending, there can't be a unified trend?"
He slowly stood up, looking at the autumn wind in the distance. His voice was light, but it was filled with boundless power: "If our ideas continue to advance even a little bit, they will become something like a general outline."
There was a hint of solemnity on Chen Yi's face.
"Seventh brother, if you were asked to choose, would you choose our reputation, or would you choose the safety and well-being of the people of the world, and the prosperity and well-being of the world for eternity?"
Chen Yi smiled slightly. He stood beside Chen Yi, with a smile on his face as bright as the sun. "Fourth brother, didn't you understand my feelings a long time ago?"
"Our reputations are nothing but empty names. Even if we create the so-called eternal learning that spreads throughout the world like Confucianism, and have many disciples, and can be passed down for thousands of years with the help of the imperial power, so that you and I will become role models for all ages, this is nothing but empty names."
Chen Yi stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, quietly looking at the leaves falling in the distance.
"Falling petals are not heartless things."
"You and I are already part of this world. Sacrificing our so-called empty reputation in exchange for eternal prosperity is, in my opinion, a very worthwhile thing to do."
"It's something no one can stop."
He smiled and said, "I think Fourth Brother must think the same way."
"You must have made your decision long ago."
Chen Yi looked at the smile on Chen Yi's face, his expression unchanged. Suddenly, he burst into laughter and sighed, "It is so difficult to find a close friend in life, but I have a close friend like my seventh brother. It is really hard to find a soulmate."
"Since that's the case, I, your foolish brother, will take charge. I will burn our thoughts and mine, leaving only the general outline. Then you and I will meet His Majesty tonight!"
Chen Yi nodded slightly, not wondering why Chen Yi wanted to burn the ideas - if the ideas created by the two of them were left behind, they would definitely be stolen by Confucianism in the future. It would be better to burn them directly now, leaving only a seemingly plausible outline.
.... ....
Prime Minister's Office
Chen Rui, who was busy handling government affairs, pressed his forehead and looked at the bamboo slips sent by his two younger brothers. The expression on his face was extremely complicated. He believed that it was his incompetence that led to the sacrifice of his two younger brothers.
If he were stronger, perhaps this wouldn't have happened.
Thinking of this, his expression became even more sad, and he just bent over his desk to handle government affairs.
.... .....
The night is so light.
Outside the Weiyang Palace, the brothers Chen Yi and Chen Yi sat in front of Emperor Wu and talked freely.
"Your Majesty, this is the general outline of our thoughts."
He smiled faintly: "With this general outline of thought, Your Majesty can realize your ideal of great unification without sacrificing the thoughts of the many schools of thought in the world."
"From now on, they will be like fish swimming in your Majesty's pond, unable to exist independently from this core."
"This ideology is neither Confucian nor Legalist, so Your Majesty need not worry about a single school dominating the court. As long as this core ideology exists, both Legalists and Confucians must serve Your Majesty faithfully."
"The great unity of thought is beyond doubt."
Emperor Wu listened to the two men's "thoughts" and for a moment he could not help but mutter to himself, with a strange and inexplicably shocked expression on his face: "You two gentlemen are truly talented."
He sighed with regret, "I used to think that Guandu Hou was the most talented among the Chen family. After hearing what you two gentlemen have to say tonight, I feel extremely regretful."
Chen Yi, however, did not respond, pretending not to hear the Emperor's probing and attempts to sow discord. He simply said, "Brother's talent lies in managing the family and the country, while ours lies solely in the care of our own family. It is precisely because of your exceptional talent that we seem so ordinary."
"Just like the doctors during the Warring States Period."
"Among the three brothers, Bian Que's medical skills were the worst, but his reputation was the greatest - because his two elder brothers were able to detect and cure diseases before they became serious, while Bian Que could only detect and treat them when the disease had already become serious."
"That's exactly what we brothers do."
"We both wanted fame and fortune, so we delved into these minor pursuits, trying to etch our names into history. My brother, on the other hand, cared deeply about the world and delved into the fundamental principles of statecraft. Therefore, he seemed to lack the talent of the two of us."
The two of them talked back and forth, trying to silence Emperor Wu's words, but at that time Emperor Wu was in a happy mood and did not care about this little thing.
"The Confucianist Dong Zhongshu will be arriving in Chang'an soon. Why don't you two discuss the doctrines in the Imperial Academy to showcase your own theories?"
"This will also allow the historians to record it, so that your names will be passed down through the ages."
Chen Yi and Chen Yi exchanged a glance, knowing they couldn't refuse this matter, and immediately nodded and said, "I obey your command."
.... ....
In the spring of the eighteenth year of Emperor Wu's reign.
In the season of revival of all things, after the emperor hinted at the need to replace the doctrine currently in use in the court, all the schools of thought with a name and a surname began to take action.
Among them, the most important are "Taoist Huang-Lao doctrine", "Confucian Dong Zhongshu's unified Confucianism", and... "Mohist thought of universal love and non-aggression".
No matter how many years they have been in power, when it comes time to show their "status", the three schools of Confucianism, Taoism and Mohism are always at the forefront. And this time, only these three schools have the confidence to come to Chang'an to compete.
Among them, the Huang-Lao school of thought was only "defending the arena", while the other two were intended to "attack the arena".
Of course, none of the three schools regarded each other as their opponents. They had only one opponent, and that was the "Two Chens' Theory of Investigating Things."
At this time, they didn't know that Er Chen Gewu had already...super evolved.
... .....
The 28th day of the first month, the 18th year of Emperor Wu's reign.
Outside Chang'an City, Dong Zhongshu has arrived in Chang'an City.
The Mohists followed closely behind, but their purpose was not to monopolize orthodoxy like the Confucians, but to persuade the emperor not to launch unjust wars.
The chess player in Chang'an City is making a crucial move.
PS: It's the last week, and I might not be on time this week. Today is the sixth class, and the day after tomorrow, ...