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Xuanjing City, Zhuangyuan Tower.
A group of scholars gathered to view the ancient texts that had recently caused a stir across the land.
Ever since the ancient texts were discovered a few days ago, the city's bookshops had been printing them non-stop. Despite this, the demand far exceeded the supply. These scholars had managed to buy a few volumes only with great difficulty, so they invited a group of friends to come and enjoy them together.
"The highest good is like water, which benefits all things without contention. Ingenious, truly ingenious!"
"The Dao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, and three begets all things. These few words reveal boundless profundity; this scripture is truly extraordinary!"
"In my view, these three thousand words surpass all the articles I have read before!"
"I feel the same!"
"No, no, no. In my opinion, the I Ching is even more exquisite than the Tao Te Ching. Although the text is obscure and difficult, every word is a gem, as if it contains the ultimate truths of the universe."
"Indeed, the heavens move with strength, and the gentleman should strive without ceasing! This speaks to our hearts!"
The scholars engaged in a heated discussion, completely absorbed in the texts.
At this moment, one of them suddenly sighed, "Who would have thought that such exquisite and unparalleled texts could have been buried underground for thousands of years without anyone knowing. Every time I think about it, I feel a deep pain in my heart!"
This remark elicited a chorus of agreement from the others.
"Indeed, our teacher loved reading books the most. If he could have read these scriptures, he would have been so pleased."
"All the scholars of the past who never heard these scriptures were truly unfortunate!"
"But, are these scriptures really written by our ancestors and lost due to wars, only to be preserved as fragments in ancient tombs? I notice that the Nanhua Classic and the Analects of Confucius contain people, places, and things not recorded in any historical texts." A voice among the scholars sounded somewhat out of place.
The room fell silent for a moment, and then a firm conclusion was drawn.
"It must be so. Such texts could not have been forged by anyone today. The existing historical records only go back about three thousand years. Before that, there are virtually no detailed records. These classics must have been produced during that time."
"I heard that when the Ancient Studies School met with the Emperor, they mentioned that in ancient times, there were a hundred schools of thought, and the classics they produced were as numerous as the stars in the sky. The few volumes we are reading now are just a tiny fraction of what was created."
This statement caused a stir in the tavern.
"Is this true!"
"Just thinking about so many classic articles buried underground, unseen by the world, makes me heartbroken and unable to sleep at night!"
"I wonder what the other classics are like."
...
"But these ancient texts are buried in various ancient tombs. The Ancient Studies School's proposal to excavate these tombs on a large scale to find lost classics is indeed against human ethics."
The scholars instinctively wanted to agree, but when they thought about the countless classic texts still waiting to be unearthed, their resolve wavered.
"Didn't the leader of the Ancient Studies School say that they are protecting and salvaging these artifacts, not destroying them?"
"Indeed, I heard that when they excavate a tomb, they do not destroy it like tomb robbers who only take gold and silver. Instead, they carefully remove all the items and preserve them properly. If anything is damaged, there are specialists responsible for restoration."
"Indeed, we cannot simply equate them with tomb robbers."
However, many in the group still held opposing views.
"It's just a nice-sounding excuse. What's the difference? Who here doesn't have ancestors? If your ancestors' tombs were excavated like this, how would you feel?"
"This precedent must not be set, otherwise it will bring endless trouble. We must try our best to dissuade it."
"Indeed."
...
Some people did not express their opinions and played the role of peacemakers.
"His Majesty and the ministers in the court have surely already made a judgment. We don't need to worry too much."
"Let's just wait and see."
...
As the Tao Te Ching spread across the land, intense debates erupted in various parts of the Great Xuan Empire.
Scenes like those in the Zhuangyuan Tower today were not uncommon.
Li Fan knew that it was impossible to change people's minds in a short time.
For now, it was just the beginning.
But Li Fan was not at all worried that things would not work out.
In today's world, the people who held the power of discourse were the scholars.
With countless classics as bait, Li Fan was not afraid that these scholars would not comply.
Moreover, Li Fan did not seek their support; he just wanted them not to oppose him.
...
While secretly plotting to control the world, Li Fan was also gradually expanding the influence of the Ancient Studies School in secular society.
In the sixth year of the Anchong era, the Emperor suddenly fell seriously ill and was bedridden. None of the royal physicians could help. At this time, the Ancient Studies School presented an elixir to the Emperor. They claimed that the elixir was found in an ancient tomb and suspected to be left by an immortal, with the power to revive the dead and heal the living. Taking it might save the Emperor.
The Emperor initially ignored it, but as his condition worsened day by day, he finally decided to take the elixir, hoping for a miracle.
To everyone's surprise, the elixir proved to be highly effective. Within a few days, the Emperor was completely recovered.
The court and the country were shocked, and ministers discussed the matter extensively.
The Emperor even summoned the leader of the Ancient Studies School to the palace at night to ask about the immortals, and did not attend court for several days.
From then on, the Emperor firmly believed in the existence of immortals and secretly instructed his confidants in the military to cooperate with the Ancient Studies School in searching for traces of immortals in ancient tombs.
In the ninth year of the Anchong era, the Ancient Studies School held an exhibition in Xuanjing City, inviting ministers and nobles from the capital to attend.
Although these people were wealthy and well-traveled, they were still captivated by the rare treasures displayed in the exhibition, lingering and unable to leave.
After that, the Ancient Studies School opened the exhibition to the public, allowing ordinary citizens to enter with a ticket.
Xuanjing City was immediately in an uproar.
Countless people queued up, eager to see the treasures. The number of people was so large that it caused traffic congestion in the capital. Fortunately, the Emperor issued an order, and the Defensive Guard Camp maintained order, preventing a larger disturbance.
The grand event lasted for over half a month.
After that, the exhibition did not stop but began to tour various regions of the Great Xuan Empire.
In the eleventh year of the Anchong era, a serious tomb-robbing case was cracked in Jianghuai Prefecture, and over a hundred tomb robbers were captured.
This group had been excavating ancient tombs in the mountains, causing immeasurable damage.
According to the law, they should all have been sentenced to death.
However, due to the large number of people involved and the extensive implications, the Prefect of Jianghuai, Li Fan, did not dare to make a decision on his own. He wrote a letter and sent it by express courier to Xuanjing City, asking the Emperor to decide.
Some ministers were outraged and petitioned for immediate execution.
However, strangely, most of the court ministers remained silent.
The Emperor also suppressed the memorials and did not respond.
It took a whole month for the Emperor's decree to finally arrive.
Instead of sentencing them to death, he only ordered them to be enslaved and sent to the capital.
The court ministers did not oppose this decision.
Li Fan looked at the decree and smiled, knowing that the tide had turned.
(End of Chapter)