Remember our website, and wish you a pleasant reading experience! Don't forget to promote us more.

After meeting Wanyan Qingjue, Zuo Wenhuai and his companions left the military camp and boarded a pay-per-stop carriage into the city, entering Chengdu before the setting sun disappeared.

The four soldiers of the Chinese Army traveling with him were all surnamed Zuo, and they were children who had successively entered the Chinese Army to study under Zuo Duanyou's arrangement. Although there were distinctions between the main family and branch families in the Zuo clan, those who had survived the high-intensity wars of the Chinese Army were already considered capable talents who could stand alone.

"Before coming, I inquired a bit. This time, our clan uncle probably wants to summon us back."

"We've settled down in the Chinese Army for so many years. What's the point of going back?"

"We can't say that. Grandfather sent us here back then, hoping that we could return someday."

"Return to where? The Wu Dynasty? It's already rotten like that. There's no hope."

"Wenhuai, what do you say?"

"I think... we should listen to Uncle Quan before making a decision about these things."

The spacious carriage entered the city. In the fading sunset, the gathered Zuo family members discussed their concerns. As night fell, they met Zuo Xiuquan, who had been waiting for a long time, and two other Zuo family brothers who had arrived earlier in the garden of the reception hall.

The group paid their respects to Zuo Xiuquan, then greeted each other before taking their seats in the dining hall prepared within the reception hall. Since the Zuo family had paid for it, the dishes were more abundant than usual, but not excessively extravagant. After taking their seats, Zuo Xiuquan asked each of them about their positions in the army, the details of the battles they had participated in, and then commemorated several Zuo family members who had sacrificed themselves in the war.

"...Back then, when Third Uncle sent you all to the Chinese Army, there were various discussions in the clan. Fortunately, seeing your spirit today, I am very gratified. The children of the past have now become talents. Third Uncle's spirit in heaven can be comforted. Come, for your Third Grandfather... let's all raise a glass to him."

After reminiscing about the past, Zuo Xiuquan, with tears in his eyes, mourned the old man with foresight alongside the group.

Afterward, Zuo Xiuquan told everyone about the recent situation of the Zuo family.

When the Wu Dynasty was still intact, the roots of the Zuo family were originally in the Central Plains. When the Jurchens moved south and the Central Plains were in turmoil, the Zuo family followed the Jianshuo Dynasty south. During the ten years of prosperity of the Jianshuo Dynasty, although the Zuo family had extensive relationships with various parties and many connections in the court, they did not engage in large-scale economic expansion like others, but instead used their scholarship as a foundation, providing information and insights to various major clans. In the eyes of many, they were actually cultivating their reputation in a low-key manner.

Of course, on the other hand, after the Xiaocang River battle, when the Chinese Army moved to the southwest and restarted the commercial process, the Zuo family played an important role. At that time, when the news of Ning Yi's death spread and the Chinese Army had just arrived in Liangshan with an unstable foundation, the Zuo family acted as brokers, promoting a large number of Chinese Army's armaments to the outside world on the one hand, and transporting a lot of food from the outside to support the Chinese Army's recuperation on the other hand.

Such behavior was inevitably criticized at first, but the Zuo family's years of cultivating their reputation and their low profile curbed the tongues of some people. When the Chinese Army's business with the outside world flourished, the Zuo family became one of the most important intermediaries between the Chinese Army and the outside world. Their service was good, their fees were not high, and their integrity as scholars was guaranteed, which made the Zuo family's importance in the Wu Dynasty rise steadily in private. As long as the forces secretly chose to trade with the Chinese Army, even if they had no goodwill towards the Chinese Army, they were willing to maintain a good relationship with the Zuo family. As for the accusations against the Zuo family on the surface, they were swept away and disappeared.

When the Jurchens launched their fourth southward invasion, Xiyin originally considered wiping out the Zuo family, who lived in the Longxing (now Nanchang, Jiangxi) area, but the Zuo family had prepared in advance and slipped away. Instead, several warlords in the vicinity, such as Yu Gusheng and Li Touhe, surrendered to the Jurchens. Of course, as the Battle of Changsha progressed, the forces of several warlords were greatly affected, and the Zuo family re-entered Longxing.

At this time, although the Zuo family did not have many troops under their command, due to the neutral attitude they had shown for a long time, all parties had to give them face. Even the people in the "small court" who had plotted the rebellion in Lin'an were unwilling to easily offend Zuo Jijun, who was likely to be closer to the small Emperor of Fuzhou.

In this way, even against the background of the Chinese Army defeating the Western Route Army of the Jurchens in a great victory, the Zuo family was the only force that did not need to show much humility in front of the Chinese Army. This was because they were already considered completely equal allies with the Chinese Army under extremely difficult circumstances, and it could even be said that they were a force that had shown kindness to the Chinese Army in the early days of Liangshan in the southwest. This was the dividend that Zuo Duanyou had exchanged for his desperate gamble in the last period of his life.

After the Jurchens broke through Jiangnan, countless people fled in confusion, and naturally some members of the Zuo family died in this chaos. Zuo Xiuquan roughly explained the situation and then began to discuss serious matters with the younger generation.

"...Third Uncle had a certain judgment about this southward invasion of the Jurchens. He asserted that the southward invasion of the Jurchens was inevitable, and the Wu Dynasty might not be able to resist this attack, but it was impossible for the Jurchens to destroy the Wu Dynasty or control Jiangnan... Of course, even if such a situation occurs, the family should not control the army or directly involve themselves in military affairs. This was also Third Grandfather's instruction."

Zuo Xiuquan looked at the people at the table and then said, "Unless the Zuo family can be better at training troops than the Chinese Army, unless they can train an army like the Chinese Army. Otherwise, no army can be relied upon. Leave when you should leave, escape when you should escape. The chances of survival may be greater."

"Third Grandfather was wise," Zuo Wenhuai nodded at the table.

"But your Third Grandfather couldn't predict what path to take next." Zuo Xiuquan smiled at everyone. "This is also one of the reasons why I came to the southwest this time."

"Do you want us to go back?"

"I discussed this matter with Mr. Ning, and he nodded." After saying this, Zuo Xiuquan tapped lightly on the table with his finger. "Moreover, it's not going back to Longxing, nor is it going back to the Zuo family—of course, going back for a visit is necessary—but mainly, going back to the Wu Dynasty."

After he said this, the room became quiet, and everyone was considering the matter. Zuo Xiuquan smiled and said, "Of course, I will try my best to consider your opinions."

"The Wu Dynasty has no hope," said the young man sitting below Zuo Wenhuai.

"The future definitely belongs to the Chinese Army. We just defeated the Jurchens. This is only the first step. In the future, the Chinese Army will conquer Jiangnan, cross the Central Plains, and fight to the Jin Kingdom. Uncle Quan, how can we not be there? I don't want to leave."

"Yes, Uncle Quan, only the Chinese Army can save this world. Why should we go to the Wu Dynasty?"

Three people at the table expressed their views one after another, while the others, like Zuo Wenhuai, quietly pursed their lips. Zuo Xiuquan listened to them with a smile: "So, I still need to consider your opinions. However, I have my own views on this matter, and your Third Grandfather also had his own views back then. Today, if you have time, would you like to listen?"

Zuo Wenhuai said, "Uncle Quan, please speak frankly."

Zuo Xiuquan nodded, "First of all, the new court in Fuzhou, you should have all heard of it. The new Emperor is very ambitious and different from the emperors of the past. They are carrying out sweeping reforms over there, which is very interesting. Maybe they can find a better path. Moreover, this new Emperor was once Mr. Ning's disciple. If you can go there, you will definitely have a lot to talk about."

He said these things with a smile, and most of the people showed a disapproving expression, but after training in the Chinese Army for so long, no one was in a hurry to express their opinions. Zuo Xiuquan glanced over everyone and nodded approvingly.

"Secondly, there is a group of people in Fuzhou now, led by Li Pin, who are engaged in some kind of Neo-Confucianism. Although there are no particularly amazing results at present, it was also approved by your Third Grandfather back then. He felt that they might be able to do something. Even if they ultimately cannot turn the tide, at least they can leave seeds, or indirectly influence the future Chinese Army. So they need a group of us to go there, a group of people who understand the ideas of the Chinese Army. You would be more suitable, in fact, only you can go."

Hearing this, someone finally answered with a smile, "Just because they need us doesn't mean we have to go."

Zuo Xiuquan nodded, "Of course, these two points seem to be trivial. Compared to what I am going to say next, they are nothing. This sentence is also what your Third Grandfather wanted to ask you when he was dying..."

He said, "Is Confucianism really that不堪 (bùkān - unbearable)?"

This question was simple and direct. There was a moment of silence in the hall. Everyone looked at each other, and no one spoke for a while. After all, if you really want to answer such a question, it can be simple or complex, but no matter how you answer it, it seems a little superficial at this moment.

"No need to answer." Zuo Xiuquan's fingers tapped on the table. "These are the words your Third Grandfather left before his death, and it is also some of the ideas he wanted to tell everyone. Everyone knows that your Third Grandfather went to Xiaocang River back then and had many debates with Mr. Ning, one after the other. In the end, no one could convince anyone. As a result, Mr. Ning used facts to speak for himself in terms of warfare—and it can only be left to facts. But for things other than warfare, your Third Grandfather left some ideas..."

"Regarding Confucianism, I know what kind of attitude the Chinese Army has. Of course, I also know what you will think of it after staying in the Chinese Army for so long. Even if it is not heinous, at least you have to say that it is out of date. But there is one thing you should pay attention to. From the beginning of saying that Confucianism should be destroyed, Mr. Ning's attitude was very firm. He also put forward the Four Classes of People, proposed 'Gewu' (格物 - investigation of things), and proposed to overthrow the ideas of 'Qinglifa' (情理法 - sentiment, reason, and law), which are very reasonable. But in practice, he has never done it very radically."

"...He actually didn't say that Confucianism was heinous. He has always welcomed Confucian disciples to criticize the Chinese Army, and he has always welcomed people who truly do scholarship to come to the southwest and have discussions with everyone. He has always admitted that there are some decent things in Confucianism. You have been in the Chinese Army all this time. Tell me, isn't that the case?"

Someone nodded: "After all, although Confucianism already has many problems and has entered a dead end... there are indeed good things in it."

Zuo Xiuquan pointed his finger at him: "But ah, with his prestige today, he could have said that Confucianism was heinous. You think this sense of proportion is very reasonable today, that is because Mr. Ning deliberately retained the sense of proportion. But in the officialdom and the court, there has always been a saying, called '矯枉必先過正' (Jiǎowǎng bì xiān guòzhèng - To correct a wrong, one must first go to the extreme). Mr. Ning did not do this. The sense of proportion in the middle is actually thought-provoking. Of course, you all have the opportunity to meet Mr. Ning directly. I guess you can directly ask him the reason, but it may not be much different from what I am saying today."

Everyone looked at him, and Zuo Xiuquan smiled slightly: "There is nothing in this world that can be accomplished overnight, and no innovation can be so thorough that it completely abandons its foundation. The Four Classes of People are good, and Gewu is also a good thing. Qinglifa may be a problem, but even if it is a problem, it has been planted in the minds of the people of the world for thousands of years. One day you say it's bad, and you can just throw it away?"

"It was precisely because he thought of these things that Mr. Ning's later actions became more and more peaceful instead of becoming more and more urgent. There are many details that can be said in the middle, but for the whole world, your Third Grandfather's view is that the best things mostly cannot be realized immediately, and the worst things are certainly out of date, so take the middle ground. The path that can ultimately work is between the Chinese Army and Neo-Confucianism. The more they verify each other and make trade-offs, the better this path will be, the fewer people will die, and the more good things will be left in the future."

Zuo Xiuquan said calmly: "That is to say, the path of the Chinese Army may not necessarily work, and the so-called Neo-Confucian reform in Fuzhou may not really overturn Confucianism, but the two sides can have some exchanges. Just like Mr. Ning welcomes Confucian disciples to come over for debates, if the things of the Chinese Army can be brought to the east, then the east can also do better. At that time, if two better things can verify each other, the path in the future will be better."

"As for Confucianism. What is Confucianism? Is the Confucianism of the Sage Confucius the same as the Confucianism of today? What is the difference between the Confucianism of Confucius and the Confucianism of Mencius? In fact, Confucianism has changed every moment in the past thousands of years. The Confucianism of the pre-Qin period has already integrated the Legalist doctrines by the Han Dynasty, emphasizing inner sage and outer king, which is already different from the benevolence of Confucius."

Zuo Xiuquan smiled: "Confucius emphasized the teaching of all people. He had three thousand disciples and seventy-two sages. Think about it, he taught three thousand people. If each of these three thousand disciples taught dozens or hundreds of people, within a few generations, everyone in the world would be sages, and the world would be united. But as you move forward, this doesn't work. When it comes to Dong Zhongshu, Confucianism is the body and Legalism is the use, emphasizing inner sage and outer king. Moving forward, as your Mr. Ning said, the people are not easy to manage, so castrate their blood. This is an expedient measure. Although it is useful for a while, the court slowly dies to foreign insults... Wenhuai ah, today's Confucianism is regarded as antiquarian by Mr. Ning, but what is Confucianism?"

He looked at Zuo Wenhuai and then at everyone: "Confucianism originated from Confucius more than two thousand years ago and has already changed countless times. Our learning today is more like '行得通' (Xíng dé tōng - what works) learning. Once it doesn't work, it will definitely change. It may have some bad places today, but it is difficult for the people of the world to directly overthrow it. Just like the issue of Qinglifa that Mr. Ning said, all the people of the world live like this. If you suddenly say it won't work, then there will be bloodshed..."

"Mr. Ning also knows there will be bloodshed." Zuo Xiuquan said, "Once he wins the world and starts to vigorously carry out reforms, many people will bleed in the reforms, but if everyone is more prepared before this, perhaps there will be less bloodshed. This is the reason for the new Emperor and Neo-Confucianism in the Wu Dynasty that I mentioned earlier... Perhaps one day the Chinese Army will indeed win the world, and all the Jin Kingdom, the Wu Dynasty, and those clowns like Wu Qimei and Dai Mengwei will be gone. Even at that time, the Gewu, the Four Classes of People, and the reform of Qinglifa will not go smoothly. If we already have some good things in Neo-Confucianism, we can take them out and use them. At that time, will the Confucianism of that time still be the Confucianism of today? Will the China of that time be the China of today?"

There was a moment of silence in the hall.

Zuo Xiuquan sat there and gently rubbed his hands: "This is the biggest hope that Third Uncle had when he sent you to the Chinese Army. You have learned good things and sent them back to the Wu Dynasty, let them turn around in the Wu Dynasty, and then send the good things that the Wu Dynasty can still use back to the Chinese Army. It may not be useful. Perhaps Mr. Ning is talented and solves all the problems directly, but if not, don't forget that the stones from other mountains can be used to polish jade."

"Only the Zuo family is best suited to do this, so we can only rely on you. This is your responsibility to the people of the world, and you should take it up."

The autumn wind passed through the hall, the candlelight flickered, and everyone was silent in these words.

The Zuo family is a large family, and it was originally a Confucian family that paid much attention to the hierarchy and seniority. The views of a group of children who were sent to the Chinese Army were originally insignificant. However, after several years of training in the Chinese Army, including Zuo Wenhuai, they experienced killing and were baptized by many of Ning Yi's ideas. In fact, they no longer attached so much importance to the authority of the family.

If Zuo Xiuquan gave them a stern order, even in the name of the most respected Zuo Duanyou, he was afraid that it would be difficult to ensure that there would be no problems. But he did not do this. He persuaded them step by step from the beginning, and finally returned to the serious order: "This is your responsibility to the people of the world, and you should take it up."

After a moment of silence, Zuo Xiuquan still tapped the table with a smile: "Of course, there is no need to be so anxious. You should think about these things more. My idea is that you might as well talk to Mr. Ning about it. But the matter of going home is not for the rise and fall of my Zuo family. This time, there will be a major transaction between the Chinese Army and the new Emperor of the Wu Dynasty. My view is that I still hope that you must be able to participate in it... Okay, that's all for today's serious business. The day after tomorrow, our family will watch the military parade together."

Zuo Xiuquan smiled and stood up from his seat. Then, a young man from the Zuo family also stood up: "The day after tomorrow, I will be in the team. Uncle, you can watch from above."

Someone chimed in: "Me too."

Everyone laughed, and Zuo Xiuquan showed the smile of an old man, nodding repeatedly:

"Good, good, promising, promising, come, let's talk about the war again..."

The autumn wind was slightly drunk, and the reception hall flickered with lights inside and out. Many people were coming and going in this area, and the lights were still brightly lit in many offices of the Chinese Army.

Even in Ning Yi's office courtyard, the people who came and went were one group after another, and people still had their own work. They were waiting for the arrival of the golden autumn of August in their busy work.

In the camp outside the city, Wanyan Qingjue looked at the starlight in the sky and imagined her hometown thousands of miles away. At this time, most of the Jurchen troops returning north had returned to the Jin Kingdom. Wu Qimai died a few days ago, and this news had not yet spread to the southern land. Therefore, another storm was brewing within the Jin Kingdom.

Zuo Wenhuai and others searched for friends and visited them in Chengdu for a day. Then, August arrived.

[Hint]: If you think this article is good, please recommend it to more friends! Sharing is also a kind of enjoyment.