Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

The chaos was quickly brought under control as the black powder explosion destroyed only a distant bungalow.

In fact, in order to maintain order at the scene, a large number of troops were dispatched today. The number of troops has almost caught up with the audience. Under the premise of such heavy security, any evil plot is almost impossible to achieve.

Unless you use a method that no one can think of.

The confrontation between Zhuo Jing and Wang Yuli continued. Zhuo Jing ignored all the noise and was nervously thinking about countermeasures.

Wang Yuli handed over the initiative to him, which was not only a reply to him for not taking the lead at the beginning, but also a sign of extreme confidence. Zhuo Jing smelled danger from this confidence.

"Wang Shidao, are you so confident that as long as I can't beat you this round, you can win with one blow?"

Zhuo Jing's words flashed over and over again in his mind, and he murmured in his mouth.

"Everyone knows to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and saints don't care about the advantages and disadvantages. The right things to do and the things not to do are destiny. Where is the killing move hidden? Is it the orthodoxy? Or is it a reform? No, not entirely. "

Zhuo Jing thought for so long that all the sand in the hourglass on the ring almost fell. According to the rules, in order to prevent young people from relying on despicable tricks such as staying up to beat the old man, once the round begins, , are all timed by an hourglass. Once the hourglass time is up, if you don’t ask a question or answer, you will automatically lose.

But no matter what, Zhuo Jing must put forward his own defense at this time.

Now that Zhuo Jing realizes that Wang Yuli's killing move may be related to Taoism, it is naturally impossible to use the Five Sons of the Northern Song Dynasty or Lao Zhu to defeat the move. He can only go as far back as possible to avoid possible traps.

"Since the Qin Dynasty, the only people who have enjoyed a long-lasting kingdom are Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty (Xiao Yan) and Emperor Ming Dynasty of Tang Dynasty (Li Longji). These two emperors were both smart, resourceful and meritorious. Aren't they not benevolent and righteous?"

"However, as we enjoy our country for a long time, we have no internal worries and no external dangers. We follow the rules and have no sincere compassion. We only focus on the present and do not plan for the long term. We believe that disasters can be avoided. Once disasters happen to us, Disaster, but regret has nothing to do.”

"Therefore, doing meritorious deeds is the essence of the country, to promote utility and to save people from hardship. This is the political affairs of the former kings and cannot be called profit-seeking."

Zhuo Jing was keenly aware that Wang Yuli's ultimate move was probably hidden in the orthodoxy, so this round, he had the initiative in the round and had to try his best to involve the topic away from academics, sages, orthodoxy and other fields, otherwise It is easy for Wang Yuli to kill him directly by following the topic in the next round.

Therefore, the way Zhuo Jing chose to deal with it was actually the same idea as using Lao Zhu as a shield, which was to involve ancient emperors and use secular imperial power to suppress orthodoxy.

The meaning of the debate is very simple. It means that after the Qin Dynasty, the longest rulers were Xiao Yan and Li Longji. Both of them were very smart and governed the world based on tolerance, benevolence and righteousness. However, it was precisely because they lacked utilitarianism that they Without vigilance, you always feel that you will not encounter disaster, and when disaster comes, it will be too late to regret it. Therefore, it is necessary to talk about meritorious deeds and pay attention to interests at the national level, and cannot be labeled as "interest-loving". "The name.

Mr. Xu frowned and said: "It's a very interesting solution. It's actually a bit sharp. I'm afraid Mr. Shidao may not be able to handle it."

"Indeed."

Gao Xunzhi in the audience was a little surprised and praised: "If it were me, I probably wouldn't be able to come up with a better solution than this. As for solving the problem, there are traps in it. I put myself in my shoes and thought about it. , Mr. Shidao must be timid now, his performance has been greatly restricted, and he may lose."

"Mr. Shidao is going to lose?"

The scholars around him were puzzled. Wang Yuli looked confident just now! Why did you say you were going to lose in the blink of an eye?

Cao Duan's face, which looked particularly dark and red under the direct sunlight of summer, was not focusing on this. As soon as Zhuo Jingfu opened his mouth, he thought about it. Wang Yuli was indeed going to lose with a high probability, because the master's attack was just a moment away. During the period, the two were already close in level, but Zhuo Jing used off-field factors to continuously limit Wang Yuli's performance. Wang Yuli, whose hands and feet were restrained, was easily defeated by Zhuo Jing with one blow.

Cao Duan was just a little confused and asked uncertainly.

"What Gao Taichang means is that the strength of Mr. Shidao and you are also on par?"

Gao Xuzhi didn't understand Cao Duan's uncertainty. The answer to this question was not a secret, he said calmly.

"Yes, I'll give it a 50-50 shot with Mr. Shidao."

"What?" Gao Xunzhi asked with a smile, "Do you think I am stronger than Mr. Shidao?"

"I don't know. I just want to ask, among the great scholars in the world, apart from Gao Taichang and Mr. Shidao, are there any others who are obviously stronger?"

Gao Xunzhi did not answer immediately. Cao Duan felt a little scared for a moment. He suddenly had a guess, is the strongest person in the world only at this level?

Yes, afraid.

Cao Duan originally thought that he could only come out on top in places like Shaanxi and Henan where the culture was not prosperous. But who would have thought that now that he had walked out of here and came to the south of the Yangtze River where the culture was at its peak, he saw with his own eyes that the top Confucians were nothing more than... The level of Gao Xunzhi and Wang Yuli.

It's not that Gao Xunzhi and Wang Yuli are not strong enough, but that Cao Duan is convinced through actual observation that his current level has slightly surpassed these two people. Over time, as the breadth of his knowledge acquisition and the depth of his study of knowledge increase, then in the future His own level will definitely far exceed his current level, so he is eager to know if there is anyone stronger in this world.

"Of course there is."

Gao Xunzhi pondered for a moment before answering.

Cao Duan breathed a heavy sigh of relief. It would be really terrible if there was no goal to pursue in life.

"Zhuo Jing and Zhang Yuchu are roughly on the same level as us, while Yao Guangxiao should be half a chip higher but not much higher, and Kong Xilu is the only one. In addition to this, there are probably a few others in the world. The strength of a great Confucian who is unwilling to leave the mountain due to various reasons is indeed unpredictable."

"Within the four seas?" Cao Duan was keenly aware of the key to Gao Xunzhi's words.

"Yes, within the four seas."

Gao Xunzhi nodded and explained: "For example, there is a great Confucian in Korea who I admire very much. I have dealt with him before. He came to the Ming Dynasty six times. He was highly appreciated by Emperor Taizu Gao. He once debated the classics with Song Lian. Win or lose."

"I've never heard of it."

Gao Xunzhi started to pretend again: "You have never served in the imperial court and made envoys. You have never heard of it. His name is Zheng Mengzhou, and he is the prime minister of the Goryeo Dynasty. Zheng Mengzhou has profound Confucian attainments and will be introduced from the Yuan Dynasty. Goryeo's Seong-Ju Neo-Confucianism flourished and was known as the "ancestor of Goryeo Neo-Confucianism". The Shilin sect, which is now competing with the Xunchen sect in North Korea, inherited all of his knowledge. It is the political enemy of Li Chenggui and was expelled ten years ago. The current king of Korea, Li Bangyuan, killed Zheng Mengzhou with his own hands. Only after Zheng Mongzhou died did Li Chenggui dare to proclaim himself king."

Cao Duan's curiosity was piqued: "What else?"

Gao Xunzhi smiled and said nothing.

"I dare to ask Gao Taichang, what is the secret of Zhuo Shangshu's answer? Why do you say that Mr. Shidao is going to lose?" A scholar asked seriously for advice.

"Now I can only tell you the secret."

Gao Xunzhi took advantage of the situation and changed the topic: "First, Mr. Shidao's answer was, 'The harmony of nature and righteousness can benefit things. How can it be inappropriate to benefit things?'" Zhuo Shangshu followed his thoughts. , said what he meant, that is, 'it is just for the sake of success, not for profit.' It can be regarded as a response or a confrontation. This is a very neat and tit-for-tat rebuttal."

"Secondly, Mr. Shidao just now thought that the emperor was profit-loving because he was 'supposed to be', but it was not actually the case. In this case, Zhuo Shangshu used this as a shield to use the other two who really had achievements. The emperor who showed benevolence and righteousness but had a bad ending will give examples to support his theory of merit, that is, benefit outweighs justice."

There was a lot of discussion in the audience, and Wang Yuli on the stage was also thinking hard about how to solve the problem.

He only needed to take over Zhuo Jing's offensive in this round, and be able to connect his Taoist killer move with it, and then he would have a high probability of winning.

Wang Yuli's argument in the previous round was used by Zhuo Jing to attack the other's shield with his spear and shield. He chose an entry point extremely cleverly as an offensive weapon in this round, so that he fell into extreme passivity at this time. .

"Since I have no choice but to admit that 'the emperor's interests are not inconsistent with justice' in order to circumvent Taizu, how should I refute it?"

Wang Yuli quickly thought of the answer. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Zhuo Jing staring at him.

--wrong! There is a trap!

Wang Yuli felt hot and thirsty, and once again fell into a long exam.

In fact, this issue is not unsolvable. On the contrary, the solution is very simple. You can solve it by simply laying out the "Three Cardinal Guidelines and Five Constant Rules", and you can also come up with a killer move about Taoism.

"Three cardinal principles and five constant principles", this is the standard answer that Er Cheng and Zhu Xi have already studied.

However, Zhuo Jing didn't expect that Wang Yuli could easily solve the problem? Of course it's impossible, so the answer is simple, there is a trap here!

The trap is that in this scene, Wang Yuli cannot use the "Three Cardinal Guidelines and Five Constant Rules" to solve the problem.

Why?

Cheng Yi's original words are: "The Tang Dynasty had a world like Zhenguan and Kaiyuan. Although it was called Zhiping, it still had the style of barbarians and Di. The three cardinal principles were not upright, and there were no fathers, sons, monarchs, and ministers. It started with Taizong, where the king was not a king, and the ministers were not ministers. Therefore, the vassal town does not welcome guests, and the brave generals are domineering."

Okay, if you say this in front of Zhu Di, guess what Zhu Di's reaction will be?

Isn’t this pointing at the monk and scolding the bald donkey?

But if we don’t start from the three cardinal principles and the five constant principles, how can we solve the problem? How to connect with his ultimatum about orthodoxy? If you can't think of a way before the time comes, I'm afraid you will really lose.

What was originally a simple matter now forced Wang Yuli to sweat like boiling oil.

Zhuo Jing's idea of ​​winning was the same as in the second round, which was to use the factors of the current era to limit Wang Yuli's performance, thereby filtering out those theoretical conclusions that were not in line with the current temple background.

This is undoubtedly a very handy method used by a seasoned senior bureaucrat in the temple struggle. Without many years of temple career, Zhuo Jing would not have been able to master it so easily.

It's a bit shameless, but the essence of temples is shameless.

What's more, this kind of shamelessness represents a high degree of practicality. As a utilitarian, Zhuo Jing used his own actions to demonstrate what "profit is greater than justice", which can be regarded as the unity of knowledge and action in a certain sense.

——————

Just as Wang Yuli was thinking about it, in the distance, on the long street leading to the palace, a carriage representing the Emperor Luan was driving slowly. There were no eunuchs or maids around, but instead it was protected by a team of hundreds of cavalry.

These cavalrymen were wearing red armor, sabers hanging from their waists, and red tasseled helmets on their heads. They had solemn expressions and held steel guns in their hands. They kept their eyes straight and neatly protected the carriage in the middle as they advanced together.

"Look, there is a child crying in front..."

Suddenly, there was a cry of exclamation from the front.

Then there was a burst of rapid and heavy footsteps, and human voices came from the alleys on the roadside, accompanied by the screams of the immature child's voice: "Don't hit me! Help... Wow wow wow..."

Soon, two figures appeared in front of everyone one after another.

The older man at the back is about forty years old. He is slightly chubby, has bronze skin, has a broad face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, giving people an extremely determined and strong look.

At this time, his expression was slightly anxious, and he was running towards the crying boy in front of him. He grabbed the boy and hugged him before the motorcade arrived, and comforted him: "Okay, good boy, don't be afraid. Daddy is coming. Daddy is coming." protect you!"

Being held back by the father and son, the convoy and the surrounding cavalry were forced to pause, and the orderly team began to become jammed.

The next moment.

"Bang!"

Suddenly there was a huge explosion in front and behind the road. As black smoke rose into the sky, two large pits collapsed. It turned out that the soil below had been dug up by the tunnel and black gunpowder was buried. Fortunately, Bao Zhao was in the hands of Bao Zhao. There wasn't a lot of black powder, so there weren't many big craters, and there weren't too many casualties.

However, the convoy was choked and tailed, and the drivers in the middle had to stop in place. Because the explosion was too close, some horses were shocked even if they were trained. The horses running around in the narrow space caused even more damage to the team. Massive chaos.

"Enemy attack!"

"Protect Your Majesty!"

Except for the officers, the Jinwu guards did not know that Zhu Di was not in the carriage, and they still organized the defense conscientiously.

Not far away, dozens of assassins wearing leather armor poured out of the alley on horseback, and more than twenty or thirty assassins jumped out from the hiding places of the houses on both sides. They all rushed towards the parked car at extremely fast speeds. carriage.

"put!"

Seeing the assassin charging towards him, the Jinwu guards drew their swords to attack.

However, on the houses on both sides, there were also more than 20 assassins armed with military crossbows, suppressing the Jinwu Guards at a shooting distance that was almost close to their faces.

Arrows shot out like a rain, and the Jinwu Guards tried to block with the swords and guns in their hands, but some of them were still half a beat slower, and what was waiting for them was the attack of several three-edged crossbow arrows.

The crossbow arrows fired by the military crossbow at such a close range cannot be stopped by leather armor and ordinary iron armor alone.

In an instant, countless screams rang out, and more than a dozen Jinwu Guards soldiers covered their bleeding bodies and howled in pain.

These assassins are all experienced warriors. They are all loyal confidants brought by Bao Zhao from the Zhending camp. They fought against the Yan army for four full years in the Battle of Jingnan, and forged a blood feud that cannot be resolved at all. .

These assassins with strong combat power and a disregard for death had already prepared something to kill themselves. This time they attacked, they had no intention of escaping alive. Therefore, they were instantly unstoppable and rode towards the puppet emperor in their minds. The car drove away.

"Your Majesty, please retreat quickly, we will stop these traitors!"

The voice of an officer with a loud voice aroused the murderous intentions of the assassins.

The assassins were seen riding horses or running wildly on foot, all waving their weapons and rushing towards the direction of the car desperately.

"Get out of here, anyone who stands in my way will die!"

"Zhu Di, today we are going to take your head off your neck to pay homage to the heroic souls of the tens of thousands of soldiers in our Zhending camp!"

A group of red-eyed assassins rushed towards the driver, trying to take away Zhu Di's head.

However, what made them a little uneasy was that they did not seem to encounter such terrible obstacles as they imagined. It was almost a breeze. The rider who rushed the most fiercely broke into the car only ten steps away.

At this time, some people already felt that something was wrong, but since they were trapped and rushed in, how could there be any way out?

"Protect Your Majesty!"

"Formation!"

The surrounding Jinwu guards shouted and rushed forward with swords in hand, trying to protect the driver. However, the number of Jinwu guards gathered near the driver was limited after all, so how could they resist those assassins who were not afraid of death.

More than a hundred Jinwu Guards were divided into dozens of troops by two large pits, and now they were suppressed by the rain of arrows. In just a moment, several Jinwu Guards were lying around the car, and some even had their arms cut off. It fell, and blood splattered all around the car, which was shocking.

Jin Wuwei was obviously at a disadvantage when facing the assassins. It could be seen with the naked eye that the assassins were a little "faster" than them. Every move and every move was fatal, and it hit their vital points directly. It is the great simplicity that can only be brought about by countless battles on the battlefield.

Different from Zhu Di's most elite loyal guards, the Jinwu Guards were selected from the noble sons and orphans of soldiers who died in battle after the Yan army crossed the river. They were responsible for the daily security work of the imperial city. At the same time, the Jinyi Guards focused more on intelligence work. Originally, The ceremonial affairs of the emperor's travels belonging to the Han generals of Jinyiwei were also handed over to Jinwuwei.

Therefore, the Jinwu Guards are generally loyal, but their combat effectiveness is not superb.

Another Jinwu Guard corpse fell to the ground, and the smell of blood filled the air.

The assassin who rushed at the front shouted with a ferocious smile: "The false emperor, accept your fate!"

He kicked open the mahogany door of the carriage, but the next moment, the smile disappeared from his face.

The assassin behind him raised his head in shock, and was shocked to find that the door of the carriage was open, but there was no one inside.

"No, I fell into a trap!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a chill spread from the assassins, and the air seemed to freeze.

At this moment, thunderous sounds of horse hooves and running came from all directions, and countless crossbows were aimed at them.

"Boohoo!"

The crossbowmen raised their weapons and fired. Each sharp arrow flew through the air quickly, like a meteor, and instantly penetrated the assassin's heart and throat. The breath of cruel death filled the air, and the smell of blood also drifted with the wind. Come on.

The few assassin crossbowmen on the roof were unable to fight against them and were quickly cleared away.

"puff!"

Several assassins wanted to rush forward and pull some people on their backs before dying, but found that they could not even move. In an instant, there were several feather arrows in their chests, and then they fell to the ground.

"Whoosh!" Another arrow shot through the air.

There was a soft sound, and the assassin who had just kicked open the carriage door stopped in place with the knife ready to chop. His head was penetrated directly, and blood flowed wildly. He looked forward with wide eyes, and finally fell to the ground unwillingly.

This sudden attack caught all the assassins off guard. As a large number of reinforcements arrived, many assassins fell to the ground one after another. They covered their wounds, but instead of screaming in pain, they simply He swallowed the poison neatly and committed suicide.

After a stick of incense, the long street finally returned to calm, leaving only broken limbs, dark red blood, and several Jinwu guards who had been stabbed by the assassins, lying on the side in a mess, waiting for treatment.

"Go and report to Your Majesty that all the enemies who attempted to ambush the assassin have been captured!"

——————

Back in the ring.

Although the umbrella cover blocked most of the sunlight, Wang Yuli's rapidly rotating brain still tended to overheat in the high temperature environment.

The scholars and scholars in the audience also saw that something was wrong with Wang Yuli. He opened his mouth slightly and panted heavily. The age spots on his face were reflected red, sweat dripped down in big drops, and his body It also swayed slightly.

At this moment, another explosion suddenly came from the distance. The last loud explosion at close range did not scare Wang Yuli, but this time Wang Yuli, who was concentrating on thinking, was interrupted by a small explosion in the distance. , my head felt dizzy.

Seeing this, under the attention of everyone, Zhuo Jing suddenly stood up, walked to the middle of the ring, placed the hourglass that was almost leaking to the end flat on the ground, and handed Wang Yuli a water bag.

Only then did Wang Yuli come to his senses. He took a shuddering gulp of saliva, and his worrying expression just now calmed down.

Zhuo Jing's gentlemanly demeanor immediately attracted praise from the audience.

"Zhuo Shangshu is a role model for our generation!"

“It’s really admirable to be able to take such measures!”

"."

Looking at Zhuo Jing, Wang Yuli just smiled bitterly.

He gently wiped the sweat on his forehead with his sleeves. The white hair mixed with the sweat and stuck to his forehead.

Wang Yuli has realized that he has fallen into an extremely passive situation. His train of thought has been interrupted. Although his train of thought is still intact, he probably can't think of a better way. But at the moment, he is still unconvinced and there are external forces interfering with the situation. .

But it was useless not to be convinced. He could only hope to withstand Zhuo Jing's counterattack next, and then have a chance to turn defeat into victory.

But, will Zhuo Jing give him this chance?

The train of thought has been broken. Now Wang Yuli is unable to use the most powerful "Three Cardinal Principles and Five Constant Rules" to fight back, so he has to choose the less aggressive "morals and customs".

But this also means that Wang Yuli's ultimate move against the orthodoxy cannot be connected and can only be dealt with passively.

Zhuo Jing did not urge him. The hourglass had been leveled by him. Zhuo Jing's intention was obvious. Due to the unexpected interference, for the sake of fairness, he now gave Wang Yuli a hand. Wang Yuli would not urge him as long as he thought about it.

Wang Yuli pondered again for a long time. Seeing that the time had passed a long time, he didn't need to worry about the hourglass on the ground. He was not that thick-skinned and couldn't continue to waste time to find a solution, so he directly chose a He gave a decent answer and said:

“The reason why a country survives or falls depends on the depth of morality, not on strength or weakness.

The reason why the calendar is long or short lies in the thickness of customs, not in wealth or poverty.

The morality is deep and the customs are honest. Although it is poor and weak, it will not harm its long-term survival.

Moral virtues are shallow and customs are weak. Although they are rich and powerful, they will perish if they do not save themselves from shortcomings. "

Wang Yuli only refuted Zhuo Jing's issue, and he chose an answer that was not outstanding. There was almost no need for translation and everyone in the audience could understand it.

After hearing this answer, Gao Xunzhi looked a little heavy.

"It's broken, Mr. Shidao is going to lose."

Zhuo Jing picked up the hourglass and started to time himself. In fact, there was no need to time the time. From the time Wang Yuli was thinking about it, he already had a plan in mind.

In other words, when Zhuo Jing cleverly avoided the theory of orthodoxy and followed Wang Yuli's point of view to find a new way to refute Wang Yuli and force the opponent to give up his ultimate move about orthodoxy, the outcome was almost determined. Well, the only variable is whether Wang Yuli can use his skills.

At the moment, no.

It can only be said that Wang Yulijiao came up with a satisfactory response plan.

This is how masters fight each other. Wang Yuli is very cautious, but Zhuo Jing is more careful in his thinking.

Although there was the impact of the explosion, the hourglass time was about to run out just now. It is difficult to say that without the explosion, Wang Yuli would have been able to find a magic trick. What's more, Wang Yuli had just enough time to think.

Of course, breaking things like train of thought has a hugely different impact, and no one can tell for sure. So Wang and Li must be extremely unconvinced at the moment, and Zhuo Jing can understand.

But Zhuo Jing can be sure that next, he will convince Wang Yuli.

Unfortunately, Wang Yuli may not have a chance to use his ultimate move.

And similarly, the killing move is not just for Wang Yuli.

Jiang Xinghuo also gave Zhuo Jing a move.

With this move, Zhuo Jing was convinced that as long as he took it out, he would be able to silence all those who thought the game was not fair because Wang Yuli was accidentally disturbed.

Because this is an idea that came out in advance and was enough to shock the academic world.

Zhuo Jing sat up straight and spoke.

"Dong Zhongshu once said: A benevolent person and a righteous person do not seek profit; a wise man does not seek merit.

However, the ancients benefited others and did not take credit for themselves, so their morality was bright. "

There is nothing to say, this is to suppress the desire first.

Afterwards, Zhuo Jing showed off his killer move clearly and neatly.

"Chen Tongfu once said: What happened in the Six Dynasties was just a private plan.

However, the word "righteousness" has a universal meaning for a person, a great meaning for a time, and a general meaning for ancient and modern times.

The balance of importance and the distinction between public and private matters must be observed.

One person's righteousness is regarded as the great righteousness of a moment, but one person's righteousness is private.

The meaning of a moment is regarded as the general meaning of ancient and modern times, but the meaning of a moment is private.

The universal meaning of ancient and modern times is that it can only benefit the world. Only in this way can it be for the common good and not for private gain. "

--What?

It was clearly summer, but these words made Wang Yuli feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He looked at Zhuo Jing in disbelief.

Wang Yuli was still a little unconvinced just now. He felt that if it were not disturbed by the explosion, he might be able to think of a better way to deal with it.

However, when Zhuo Jing finished speaking, Wang Yuli knew that he had lost. No matter what method he used to deal with it, he would definitely lose.

But what he couldn't understand was why Zhuo Jing was so strong?

If we look at the level of classics debate, the Five Scholars of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi, and Chen Liang are probably at the first level. They are all able to establish sects and have their own theoretical views, which is equivalent to beings who can write their own secret books.

Further down, there are Kong Xilu, Yao Guangxiao after being inspired by Jiang Xinghuo, and Cao Duan in the future. Those who study the theories of the sages and are based on additional in-depth study of all the scriptures and meanings are considered the second level.

Further down are scholars such as Wang Yuli, Gao Xunzhi, Zhuo Jing, and Zhang Yuchu, who are counted as the third tier.

The difference between the third gear and the second gear is that the second gear has a certain creative ability based on the inheritance of the first gear. In other words, it has its own unique skills developed based on the secrets of the sages, but the third gear does not. The third gear only The secrets left by the sages have been practiced to the extreme.

The third level is already the limit that a Confucian scholar who is talented, diligent, and has the guidance of a famous teacher and a school of thought can reach through his lifelong efforts.

However, Zhuo Jing's killing move clearly transcended the level of the third gear and directly created a new definition and theoretical branch of "the concept of justice and benefit".

From then on, righteousness had three definitions, and at the highest level, "public benefit" became the "general benefit" that prevailed in the world, competing with those eternal "general meanings" to shine.

After a brief silence, the audience suddenly burst into loud noises.

Cao Duan was actually fascinated, repeating these extremely brief and exquisite words over and over again.

"The justice of one person, the great righteousness of a moment, the general meaning of ancient and modern times, general justice and general benefit, public benefit and private plan"

Gao Xunzhi was also a little shocked, and he couldn't hide the ups and downs in his heart.

However, others did not pay attention to Gao Xunzhi's gaffe.

Because anyone who has a little understanding of Confucianism will know that Zhuo Jing is coming up with a groundbreaking theory!

Being able to witness with one's own eyes that "the concept of justice and benefit", a core proposition of Confucianism, has made further breakthroughs after thousands of years of debate. This is undoubtedly a moment that will surely go down in history!

"Be convinced."

Gao Xunzhi looked at Zhuo Jing on the stage with an inexplicable expression.

After the noise died down, Zhuo Jing let out a long sigh of relief:

“Public matters are more important, private matters are lighter, and the balance is decided by oneself.

Later generations of Confucian scholars practiced Zhongshu's theory, which was not in the public interest, but also used morals and customs as useless words. "

Wang Yuli opened his mouth, but was speechless in the end.

He had nothing to refute. Even if he forced out his killing move at an inappropriate time, I'm afraid he would still lose in the end, and the loss would be even more ugly.

After all, according to the rules of debate, if you forcefully drag the topic into a direction with extremely low relevance before your turn is up and you haven’t finished answering the other party’s questions, you have already lost.

What's more, as soon as the "Theory of Three Righteousness" came out, it opened a new chapter in the struggle between justice and benefit, which is destined to be lasting.

How dare the glory of a grain of rice compete with the bright moon?

"I lost."

As soon as these three words were uttered, under the orderly amplification of the army, the scholar who had lost the money suddenly felt like mourning.

However, some people are open-minded. Being able to participate in this grand event and hear about the emergence of the new theory of justice and benefit, losing a little money is considered a worthwhile trip.

The two of them saluted each other, Zhuo Jing helped him walk down the ring, and before parting, he held the other's arm and said seriously.

"Perhaps if Mr. Shidao were younger, he would have been able to come up with a better way and be the first to use the killing move, and I would have lost."

Wang Yuli raised his sleeves and wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was obvious that although he had not debated for a long time, the high-intensity mental calculations were already a bit unbearable for him. If Zhuo Jinglai could withstand his killing move, Even if there is no killing move that hides the "Three Righteousnesses", Wang Yuli may fall down in the ring just from the confrontation.

Wang Yuli said sincerely: "The winner has been decided, there is no need to comfort the old man. It's just that there is something unclear in the old man's heart, and I would like to ask Zhuo Shangshu to enlighten me."

Zhuo Jing asked with a smile: "Mr. Shidao would like to ask, was it me who suggested the 'Three Righteousnesses', or was there someone else who gave me advice?"

"exactly."

Zhuo Jing slightly cupped his hands and said, "I'll tell you the truth, it was taught by the Imperial Master."

Wang Yuli was lost for a moment, and after a long time he said sadly: "I heard that the Imperial Master was a banished immortal who came to this world. I didn't want to believe it. Now, although I haven't seen him in person, I just listened to his theoretical words, and I feel that my field of vision is so broad that I have rarely seen it in a thousand years. , it is a real regret in my life that I cannot see him."

Zhuo Jing nodded and replied for Jiang Xinghuo:

"I will convey it to the Imperial Preceptor, who may pay a visit later."

Yao Guangxiao, who was in meditation in the distance, opened his eyes and looked at this place calmly.

The result was not a big surprise. In their analysis, Zhuo Jing had a high probability of winning the first game. As long as he could survive the previous trials and competitions and unleash Jiang Xinghuo's prepared killing move at the right time, that would basically be the case. A sure win.

Zhang Yuchu, who was beside him, was holding a teacup and wanted to drink, but he was afraid that he would have to urinate later. He moved the teacup back and forth as if he wanted to drink but didn't want to, and asked boredly.

"Do you think they will send Gao Xunzhi or Cao Duan to challenge next?"

According to the rules of the arena match, it is not a win-win-win situation, but the three challengers need to go through one arena at a time to be considered a winner. This is equivalent to a relay race where it is possible for one person to pass directly, or for all three of the challengers to pass. Fell on the first ring.

Of course, both situations are unlikely to happen, and the reason is very simple, because the level of the challenger and the defender is basically not very different, which means that it is difficult to succeed in a one-on-one battle.

For example, although Wang Yuli lost to Zhuo Jing, Zhuo Jing's ultimate move was forced out, and his physical and mental energy were also greatly consumed. Then the next challenger only needs to avoid Zhuo Jing's ultimate move. If you approach it from an unrelated angle, your chances of winning will be greatly increased.

Debate is equivalent to a turn-based card solo game. It is a game where the outcome is determined by one move. It is also a game with extremely low error tolerance. Once two people with similar levels have a gap in physical and mental state, or there is a gap in the reserve cards. If the gap is small, the other side can easily turn this small advantage into victory and win.

"Gao Xunzhi."

"Why?" Zhang Yuchu was a little surprised, and then analyzed it carefully.

"It stands to reason that Gao Xunzhi should be stronger than Cao Duan, which means that the only one who can compete with you is Gao Xunzhi. Now that the opponent is not at the end of his rope, he must be preserving Gao Xunzhi's physical and mental strength. Priority, otherwise Gao Xunzhi is sent up first. Even if he wins Zhuo Jing, or even if he tries his best and is lucky enough to beat me, he will definitely fall in front of you in the end. At that time, a weaker Cao Duan, Isn't it a free gift? If they arrange it like this, they will definitely lose."

"Therefore, it is better to let Cao Duan, who is younger and has better physical strength, learn from Wang Yuli's experience and lessons, try to win Zhuo Jing first, and then use the time-consuming method to consume my physical and mental energy to the point of exhaustion and give Gao Xunzhi Defeat me to pave the way. Only in this way can Gao Xunzhi defeat me first and then fight you decisively. This is the only way they can win."

"Master Tian, ​​everything you said is right."

Yao Guangxiao quietly listened to Zhang Yuchu's analysis and nodded.

"so?"

"But your premise is wrong. Who told you that Gao Xunzhi is stronger than Cao Duan?"

Yao Guangxiao took out a folded piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Zhang Yuchu.

Master Longhushan looked solemn after seeing it.

He looked ahead, and sure enough, after a burst of exclamations, Gao Xunzhi stood up.

Wang Yuli couldn't hold on anymore. After telling Gao Xunzhi all his thoughts, he was carried down to a cool place to drink mung bean soup.

And just as Zhang Tianshi analyzed it, many people present made the same judgment, that is, if the challenger wants to win the plan with the highest winning rate, it is to send Cao Duan up.

It's impossible that Gao Xunzhi couldn't analyze this, and him going up on his own only represented a possibility.

——He thinks Cao Duan is stronger than himself.

Therefore, after turning the corner, the uproar at the scene came and went like a tide.

The audience, who were originally a little frustrated, began to look forward to the next strong showdown.

Unlike the back-and-forth in the first arena match, most people realized that Gao Xunzhi's next pace might be very fast.

There is no temptation, the kind that determines the outcome in person.

Because this is his usual style.

——————

At Xiaguan Pier, Li Jinglong waited for the big ship to dock completely on the pier, then slowly walked down the ladder and exchanged greetings with Song Li and several marquises.

"Where's Jiang Xinghuo?"

Just as Song Li opened his mouth to answer, two sounds suddenly came from very far away, followed by black smoke rising into the sky from somewhere in the city.

"This is?"

Song Li's heart skipped a beat, but he pretended that nothing happened and made up a random reason: "There is no need to worry, Mr. Cao Guo. He is experimenting with new weapons at the school grounds in the north."

In terms of military affairs, Li Jinglong was not so easy to fool. He could tell at a glance that it was caused by the explosion of a large amount of black powder and was not a new weapon at all. However, he could not say much in front of the Japanese envoy.

Later, Song Li brought the topic back: "The National Preceptor will come to pick you up in person. Please rest at the dock for a while."

Li Jinglong had a lot to say to Jiang Xinghuo, so he felt free to drink tea and rest in the temporary colorful shed set up at the dock.

Anyway, the Ming and Japanese missions had a lot of members and goods, and it took a long time to serve and unload the goods. The emperor and important ministers were not here, so Li Jinglong simply didn't rush to leave.

After Li Jinglong drank two cups of tea, he suddenly heard the rapid sound of horse hooves in front of him. He turned sideways and saw several horses galloping from a distance, arriving in front of him in a moment.

"Xu" Several horses stopped in unison, and several soldiers came down and stood in front.

Then, a little gray horse, which was obviously a little behind, came over with a "dah-dah".

The one who jumped down from above was Jiang Xinghuo.

Li Jinglong opened his folding fan and said with a smile:

"Jiang Lang, long time no see."

"Brother Jiujiang, I haven't seen you for a long time."

Jiang Xinghuo came over, looked at him, and explained casually.

"I originally said I would pick you up early, but something happened on the way. It has been taken care of now."

Li Jinglong led him to a remote part of the dock, covered his mouth with a fan and asked, "What happened just now?"

Jiang Xinghuo explained to him. When he heard that his assassins had suffered ninety-eight casualties in total, Li Jinglong suddenly put away the folding fan with a "pop" and hit his head hard.

"wrong!"

Li Jinglong said in a condensed voice.

"What's wrong? Is it because Bao Zhao was not caught?" Jiang Xinghuo also frowned. He originally came to pick up Li Jinglong after this matter was settled. Since he had promised Li Jinglong a long time ago, he naturally couldn't break his promise. After he arranged the debate, he put it down.

But now listening to Li Jinglong's words, it seems that the assassination case is not over yet.

"no."

Li Jinglong's folding fan hit his head again and again, as if he was recalling something carefully.

After a while, Li Jinglong took Jiang Xinghuo's arm and said urgently.

"Jiang Lang, you know that when I lead the army, I will provide accurate information to hundreds of households or even the general banner. If conditions permit, I will even provide accurate information to individuals."

"I know." Jiang Xinghuo nodded.

"Before Your Majesty crossed the river, the puppet emperor Jianwen asked me to be responsible for organizing the defense line in the north of the city. At that time, Bao Zhao's subordinates brought powerful soldiers from the Zhending camp. I remember very clearly that they were definitely not the only ones."

"How many people are there?"

Li Jinglong said firmly: "One hundred and seventy-seven. Counting some people who escaped from Baozhao, this number cannot be justified. They are all soldiers he brought out after traveling thousands of miles."

"You mean, Baozhao still has dozens of people in his hands?"

"Yes, I will never forget it wrong. I still remember the names and places of origin of some of them."

"What can dozens of people do? His Majesty is now so heavily guarded that even hundreds or thousands of people may not be able to assassinate the king."

"You must be on guard against violence and cunning."

Li Jinglong said: "He will definitely find a way to sneak in."

Jiang Xinghuo paced in place: "After the rebellion of King Gu, the Jinyiwei has just been replaced. They are all the old troops of the Yan Army. Most of them are familiar to each other. How can Bao Zhao get involved?"

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed in their minds, and Jiang Xinghuo and Li Jinglong thought of the answer almost at the same time.

"What if there was a situation where the face could be covered?"

"It's not just that!"

Li Jinglong said hurriedly: "The Yan army has many surrendered troops and generals from Hebei. Do you know this?"

"I know, I was introduced to the internal factions."

"Yes, they also have Hebei accents!"