"Until then, a scholar from Yunlu Academy took over the position of the Prime Minister, but he did not continue to adhere to the ideals of his predecessors. Instead, he joined Emperor Renzong and solved the issue, despite facing insults and criticism. The heated debate over the state's fundamental principles finally came to an end.

Due to this incident, Emperor Renzong grew to dislike Yunlu Academy. He realized that its existence was detrimental to the imperial rule. At this time, Cheng Hui proposed the establishment of the National Academy, where the government could train its own talents."

"And thus, the decline of Confucianism began."

This is the origin of the conflict between Yunlu Academy and the National Academy over the orthodox Confucianism.

The National Academy was a state-run university, while Yunlu Academy was a private one. How could a private institution compete with a state-run one? Xu Qi'an suddenly realized.

After Xu Xinnian finished speaking, he asked in a scrutinizing tone, "Big brother, what do you think... I mean, about the debate over the state's fundamental principles, not about academics."

Do you think that big brother, a lowly constable, cannot answer questions related to academics? Xu Qi'an thought to himself, then smiled and said, "On the surface, it's a debate over the state's fundamental principles, but in reality, it's a power struggle."

"Scholars who want to achieve their ambitions must hold great power. However, the amount of power in a country is fixed. When you hold greater power, others will lose their power. The highest level of factional strife is to usurp the emperor and become an uncrowned king."

Xu Xinnian was originally just testing him, but his expression changed drastically after hearing this.

Xu Qi'an gave him a sideways glance. "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, but we can't just say these things..." Xu Xinnian took a deep breath. "Please continue."

Xu Qi'an nodded. "No matter how powerful the Confucianism's dragon-slaying technique is, the imperial power is still stronger. Learning both literary and martial arts is for the benefit of the emperor's family. This sentence sums it all up. Since ancient times, no matter whether they were corrupt or virtuous, any power minister did not have a good ending."

Holding power over the court is only temporary, and in the end, they will all be held accountable because they are always just ministers. When Xu Qi'an studied history in his past life, there were too many uncrowned kings who did not have a good ending.

Cao Cao was an exception, as the era of the collapse of imperial power was a different story.

Xu Xinnian asked anxiously, "Is there any solution?"

The academy would not teach what big brother told him.

"No solution!" Xu Qi'an shook his head and sighed, "The court is like a battlefield, factional strife is fun for a while, but it will end up in tragedy for the entire family."

His words were strange, but his eyes seemed to be brewing with a thousand years of history and literature. Looking at those eyes, Xu Xinnian was stunned.

"However, big brother has another idea." Xu Qi'an changed the subject.

"Please tell me, big brother."

"Qian Daren's story is a living example. When you can influence a country's fortune, you change from a scholar who relies on imperial power to a strong figure who can stand on equal footing with the emperor."Xu Xinnian's eyes lit up and a look of joy appeared on his face. He heard Xu Qi'an say leisurely, "Er Lang is exceptionally bright and can be taught."

"..." Xu Er Lang only then reacted, clearly it was him who was testing Xu Qi'an....

Xu Qi'an didn't continue speaking, pondering a question in his heart. Although Yunlu Academy's future in the officialdom had been cut off, it was still a holy land that held the Confucian cultivation system.

Only officialdom had been cut off.

Although Xu Xinnian didn't explain whether it was the decline of the academy's officialdom or the entire Confucian system, Xu Qi'an felt it was the latter.

Because combined with what Xu Er Lang said by the waterfall, "For the past two hundred years, the highest rank in Confucianism has only been third rank."

Was it because after third rank, the Confucian system had to enter officialdom? Or was it related to the luck of Confucianism?

"What does this tablet mean? Why was it erected here?" he asked.

Xu Xinnian stared at the words on the tablet, his expression complex, sighing, "This is the aftermath of the Confucian orthodox dispute, or rather, a part of it."

"When Cheng Yasheng established the Guozijian, he knew that in order to surpass Yunlu Academy, he must have his own education system. Otherwise, the students of the Guozijian would still be students of Yunlu Academy."

"So he devoted himself to studying the classics of the sages, re-annotated them, and incorporated his own thoughts. After thirteen years, he finally created an education system that was better than Yunlu Academy."

"Preserve the principles of heaven and eliminate human desires?" Xu Qi'an's heart moved.

Xu Er Lang nodded. With the conversation just now, he was willing to explain academic issues to his rough cousin and said, "Cheng Yasheng believed that all things in the world follow a certain law, and this law is called 'principle.' Principle is the most essential and correct thing in the world."

"All things depend on principle to flourish. But people in the midst of the confusion of the world will lose themselves and lose principle."

"Therefore, we must preserve the principles of heaven and eliminate human desires?" Xu Qi'an asked.

Preserving the principles of heaven and eliminating human desires was the outline of the Guozijian's ideological school. Xu Qi'an waited for Xu Xinnian to explain how to implement it.

Xu Xinnian continued, "Cheng Yasheng annotated the classics for the sages and formulated a set of rules. If a reader follows these rules, they will not go wrong, they will be correct, and they will conform to the laws of heaven and earth."

"This set of rules elevates loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness to the height of principle."

Xu Xinnian sneered, "If the ruler wants the minister to die, the minister has no choice but to die; if the father wants the son to die, the son has no choice but to die; sacrifice oneself for righteousness, sacrifice oneself for integrity."

Xu Qi'an listened in silence, suddenly asking, "What does Cijiu think, is this right or wrong?"

Xu Xinnian was stunned, he stared at his cousin blankly, opened his mouth to speak, but a mysterious force choked his throat, making him unable to speak.

Xu Qi'an understood, this force was called "ideological imprisonment.""So, that's why this monument exists?" Xu Qi'an turned his gaze back to the inscription.

"Mm." Xu Erlang nodded. "The dispute between Yunlu Academy and the Imperial Academy is a dispute over academia and ideology. But this monument has stood at the Academy of Saint Ya for two hundred years. As long as it remains standing, Yunlu Academy will never be able to surpass the Imperial Academy."

"The dean has been sitting in the academy for more than ten years, studying tirelessly and trying to refute what is recorded on the monument, trying to establish a more mature and correct ideology, but he failed."

"Because it represents truth, represents correctness," Xu Qi'an said.

"Yes," Xu Xinnian sighed. "Not only the dean, but also the great scholars and teachers of the academy in the past have been contending with this monument, but no one has succeeded. The thoughts of Saint Ya are not something that ordinary people can refute."

"That blank monument over there..." Xu Qi'an had a guess in his mind.

"The dean placed it there, but he has never written on it for more than ten years." Xu Xinnian pointed to the desk next to the blank stone monument and said, "Later, some students and scholars tried to write on the monument to compete with the inscription of Cheng Ya Saint, but they were erased the next day. However, the pen and inkstone on the desk were left behind, perhaps the dean also held a glimmer of hope."

"Because of this, whenever students have a sudden inspiration and feel superior, they come here to write on the monument. Unfortunately, the person the dean hoped for has never appeared."

"I thought I could do it too, and I wrote on the monument...," Xu Xinnian stopped here and did not continue. Obviously, he did not intend to tell his elder cousin about his youthful recklessness, lest he suffer another social death.

To die for righteousness and loyalty, to leave behind an eternal name... Xu Qi'an faced the inscription and fell silent for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "Cijiu, I ask you, is the king important or the common people important?"

This novel is available on "p𝑎wread.com".

"Of course, the common people are important," Xu Xinnian answered without hesitation.

Xu Qi'an continued to ask, "Why do you study?"

"Serve the country with loyalty..." Xu Xinnian answered subconsciously.

After speaking, he was stunned.

Xu Qi'an didn't mind and continued to ask, "Is leaving behind a name in history really the lifelong pursuit of a scholar?"

Xu Xinnian did not answer, his silence said it all.

The actions of the two great scholars at Yunlu Academy to curry favor with poetry also said it all.

Xu Qi'an sighed softly.

If the lord wants the subject to die, the subject has to die. Why?

If the father wants the son to die, the son has to die. Why?

Why can't this shitty society have more human rights? Xu Qi'an smiled and said, "I am not a scholar, but I also want to write something. Cijiu, sharpen the pen for me."

Xu Xinnian frowned.

Xu Qi'an said, "Anyway, the pen and ink are here, aren't they meant for people to write? If Big Brother's writing is not good, someone will naturally erase it tomorrow."After Xu Xinnian finished listening, he went to grind ink. In a moment, he stood before the stone tablet with a pen in his hand and asked, "Big Brother, what do you want to write?"

"This time, I want to write it myself." Xu Qi'an snatched the pen and stared at the blank stone tablet.

Suddenly, the face of the breakfast vendor who was clearly in pain but dared not accept silver coins appeared in his mind. He looked pitiful like a dog.

The problem of the bureaucrats in the Great Feng Dynasty had been accumulating for a long time. The court officials all claimed to be loyal to the emperor and love their country, but they had never cast a sympathetic eye on the common people at the bottom.

He thought of Zhou Li galloping on the street with an arrogant and domineering attitude. He thought of the rampant behavior of the yamen children in the capital.

The existence of extraordinary martial arts made the problems of the feudal dynasty more vividly displayed, and also made the common people at the bottom lack the courage to rebel.

In his previous life, he knew at least a few famous peasant uprisings, but in this world, the peasant uprisings did not even have the opportunity to take shape before they were quickly suppressed.

Xu Qi'an took a deep breath, exhaled heavily, and wrote with his pen: "Establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a life for the people, inherit the teachings of the sages, and bring peace to the world for generations!"

After writing, Xu Qi'an felt refreshed and relieved, and threw the pen away, saying loudly, "Xinjiu, this is what a scholar should do."

Boom!

It was as if a thunderbolt had struck in Xu Xinnian's mind, shattering the chaos of his spiritual knowledge and breaking the shackles of his soul.

He stared blankly at his cousin, not knowing if it was an illusion, but Xu Erlang seemed to see a thick purple aura flashing above his cousin's head.

Crack!

Suddenly, the stone tablet next to them made a cracking sound, and a huge crack appeared that ran from top to bottom.

The two brothers were shocked. Before they could react, the entire Yasheng Academy began to shake, and the dome started to drop dust, and the candlesticks toppled over.

A surge of clear air rushed out of the Yasheng statue, breaking through the white clouds on the mountaintop, and the phenomenon was visible for tens of miles away.

Xu Qi'an was confused, and his face looked extremely ugly. "What's going on? We...we seem to have caused trouble."

"What trouble, what trouble?" Xu Xinnian was excited and shouted, "What does this have to do with us? We have never been to Yasheng Academy before."

After speaking, he grabbed his head and rushed out of the door, fleeing.

"Scholar, wait for me." Xu Qi'an chased after him and thought to himself that scholars had better adaptability in critical moments.

PS: The Confucianism in the book is an academic school that I have diverged and modified based on "Cheng-Zhu Confucianism". It is very different from the Confucianism in reality. After all, if you ask me to create an academic school out of thin air...well, I am that awesome, why would I still write novels?

The reason for the explanation is mainly that the evaluation of "Cheng-Zhu Confucianism" is polarized and can easily lead to unnecessary arguments, so I have to make a statement.

Please recommend, my lovelies.