SFS Chapter 170 A Sound Transmitted Across Ten Thousand Miles, Spreading Across Heaven and Earth
Chapter 170 A Sound Transmitted Across Ten Thousand Miles, Spreading Across Heaven and Earth
Chapter 170 A Sound Transmitted Across Ten Thousand Miles, Spreading Across Heaven and Earth
After Ye Ru finished speaking, he found that there were no problems and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Then he continued:
"The *Great Learning*, *Doctrine of the Mean*, *Analects*, and *Mencius* are collectively known as the 'Four Books,' along with the *Classic of Poetry*, *Classic of History*, *Classic of Rites*, *Classic of Changes*, and *Spring and Autumn Annals*, which are collectively referred to as the 'Four Books and Five Classics.' The entire collection comprises twenty chapters and four hundred and ninety-two sections, pioneering the 'sayings' format, and all are considered classics for all people."
"Because the Analects has its own unique insights into governing the country and self-cultivation, it is not an exaggeration to say that half of the Analects can govern the world."
"Master Ye, your words are too arbitrary. Although the Analects is a classic text of the sages and one of the compulsory subjects in the imperial examinations, can half of the Analects govern the world? I really don't know if you are too arrogant or if your fame has risen so high that you have become arrogant. What do you expect the other classic texts of the sages to think? What do you expect the strategists, the logicians, the military strategists and other great families of the sages to think?"
Master Qin gave a cold laugh, his words tinged with sarcasm.
Kong Hexuan, Hua Mufeng, and the others quietly walked to the back of the students. They also frowned. If Ye Ru couldn't explain, he would be accused of being arbitrary and would inevitably arouse the dissatisfaction of the other holy families.
"I dare not presume to comment on the Analects or other classic texts of the sages. I only believe that the Analects contains more self-reflective sayings than others. If one can understand and comprehend the moral principles within, one can use the Analects to govern the world. My purpose is to emphasize the importance of studying the classic texts of the sages, not to deliberately denigrate other classic texts of the sages. Each of the classic texts of the sages has its own specific uses."
"As the saying goes, the whole is composed of parts. Without any part, the whole cannot be a whole. This is the same principle as the various sage families. The military strategists are in charge of military affairs, border defense, and protecting the stability of the human race. They are the military preparations of the royal officials."
"The Legalists take it upon themselves to enrich the country and strengthen its military. The books they compile are placed in government offices and distributed to the people in order to teach them to do good and avoid evil, and to maintain social stability through criminal law."
"The Eclectic School adopted the best of Confucianism and Mohism, extracted the essentials of Legalism and the School of Names, took the Dao as its foundation, gathered various opinions, and incorporated them into its political intentions and academic propositions."
"The strategists of the Warring States period understood the big picture, were adept at analyzing situations, eloquent, resourceful, courageous, strategic, and decisive. They were capable of venturing into and penetrating any territory, navigating complex situations with ease and skill. They could persuade feudal lords in humble circumstances, repel a million-strong army with their eloquence, and resolve unforeseen crises using their diplomatic skills."
"Historians..."
"A physician..."
"Taoism..."
"The Yin-Yang School..."
Each time Ye Ru mentioned a school, everyone's expression shifted slightly, and the students were completely bewildered, unable to keep up with Ye Ru's thoughts. In the end, all the teachers and scholars of the three academies looked extremely shocked.
"Taoism emphasizes adapting to changing times and responding to the transformations of things," "taking emptiness as its foundation and following the natural order as its application," "having no fixed form or attachment," "making a living according to the times," and "maintaining oneself amidst change." These principles originated from historians who recorded the successes and failures, the survival and destruction, the fortunes and misfortunes of the past and present. Only then could one understand the importance of grasping the essentials and holding fast to the fundamentals, maintaining purity and emptiness to preserve oneself, and humility and weakness to sustain oneself.
After the last family finished speaking, the entire room fell silent. Everyone's heart was filled with shock and turmoil. The way they looked at Ye Ru was now filled with a sense of déjà vu. Ye Ru's understanding of each family was beyond that of ordinary people, and even they, the scholars and literati, were not as good as him.
Master Qin felt a burning sensation on his face; he realized he had misunderstood.
"Master Ye, please continue."
Fang Zifeng glanced at Master Qin, then smiled.
"Then let's continue with the Analects. The titles of the chapters in the Analects are usually taken from the first two characters of the opening sentence; if the first two characters are 'The Master said,' then we skip that and take the first two characters of the sentence; if the first three characters are a word, then we take the first three characters. The chapter titles have no logical relationship with the chapters within them and can only be regarded as page numbers. The first chapter, 'Learning,' focuses on practical matters; the second chapter, 'Governing,' focuses on the methods of governing the country; and the third chapter, 'Eight Rows of Dancers,' focuses on rites and music..."
After Ye Ru finished explaining all twenty chapters, the students quickly took notes, and their gazes towards Ye Ru were filled with more respect and admiration. They also dreamed that one day, as students, they could stand on this huge platform and inspire the next generation of students with their words.
"Master Ye, Confucius' Analects is one of the classics of all sages. Although you have explained the strengths of various schools of thought and their respective roles, I would like to ask you, what is the role of the Confucius family?"
The other teacher, who disliked Ye Ru, raised his head and said disdainfully.
"The brilliance of Confucius is evident in his maxims. This can be seen from the Analects. The Confucian and Taoist cultures of the continent, including their ritual and music culture, political culture, institutional culture, ethics, ways of thinking, values, and customs, are all deeply influenced by the Analects. It is vast and subtle, containing both lofty ideals and practical daily life for the people."
"Been taught a lesson."
The teacher looked embarrassed and then withdrew.
At the same time, the originally clear sky suddenly became somewhat gloomy, and streaks of lightning were brewing in the clouds. A booming sound, like the sound of bells and tripods, resounded above Ye Ru.
"Look, why has the Wenquxing (a star associated with literature and scholarship) moved?"
"What? The Wenqu Star has moved? This is something that has never happened before!"
Countless students looked at the sky, their expressions changed, and then they exclaimed in disbelief.
"Has the Wenqu Star moved to the left?"
Fang Zifeng looked up at the sky and saw through the gaps in the lightning that the Wenqu Star was slowly shifting to the left at a speed visible to the naked eye. An expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
Not only Fang Zifeng, but people from other regions also stared blankly at the sky, their faces filled with shock, when they saw the Wenqu Star shift to the left.
"The Wenqu Star has shifted? Summon the Imperial Observatory! What on earth is going on?!"
When the emperors of the ten kingdoms saw the Wenqu Star shining upon them, their expressions changed, and they quickly issued orders.
While the entire nation was in a state of panic, a voice completely different from Ye Ru's quickly resounded throughout the Confucian continent, and could be heard everywhere.
And what the voice was saying was none other than Ye Ru's earlier lecture!
"The sound travels ten thousand miles, spreading across heaven and earth..."
The half-saint of Penglai Immortal Island, who had his eyes closed, heard these words. His eyelids trembled, and he slowly opened them. For the first time, a look of horror appeared on his aged face.
"The sound spreads across the heavens and the earth. It appeared once before when Confucius was lecturing to the seventy-two sages. I never expected it to appear again today."
A hint of surprise flashed across the eyes of the half-saint from Fangzhang Immortal Island, and then he murmured.
"The shifting of the Wenqu Star and the transmission of sound across thousands of miles are extremely rare celestial phenomena."
Standing on the Imperial Observatory, Wen Xiang looked at the Imperial Observatory Director beside him, who was drenched in sweat, and slowly uttered a voice filled with shock.
At this moment, the entire nation looked up at the sky, and the starlight emanating from the Wenqu Star illuminated the heavens and the earth!