Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1280: Chapter 1234: Going with the Flow

The rankings on the Civil Official List are very neat: Chen Xi, Xun Yu, Zhou Yu, Jia Xu, Xun Shen, Guo Jia, Liu Ye, Lub Su, Sheni Pei, Xun Youi, right down to Pang Tong and Sima Lang at positions nineteen and twenty. Generally speaking, the list angered many, but there were also many who believed it was reasonable.

However, when the annotations and final list are added, things become unsatisfactory, yet no one can say it’s wrong. You can argue the order of the list is incorrect, but you cannot say that the Civil Official List itself is wrong, for the so-called civil pertains to all non-military matters!

If that is the case, then entries from medicine, engineering, agriculture, and science are indeed justified. But when scholars see this list, they couldn’t help but hold their breath, waiting to see Qu Qi.

We can’t provoke Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing; they are esteemed figures seated in temples and living shrines. We scholars cannot provoke them, and even the saints of our lineage would be powerless to denigrate such figures in this era.

But who are Zheng Hun and Qu Qi? The scholars who don’t dare to lose their temper with these two elders can only pinch the soft targets. Compared to Zheng Hun who never fights back no matter how much he’s criticized, Qu Qi is not someone who won’t retort, and ultimately it’s Qu Qi who stands alone at the leading edge of controversy.

”To think they would scold me to this degree.” Qu Qi, on the official road leading to Chenliu, had already heard about how scholars nationwide were targeting him.

But Qu Qi, who possesses heavenly arts, is completely unafraid of being targeted by scholars as the outlet for their dissatisfaction with the elevation of artisans. If there is to be a battle, he shall fight—what is there to fear? Besides disseminating his superior seeds and refined cultivation techniques throughout the world this time, he also intended to seriously dampen the spirit of the scholars!

With the suppression of the Hundred Schools of Thought and the exclusive reverence for Confucian arts, how many schools declined as a result, how many were consumed by it, and how many never returned to the glory of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods.

It’s indeed time for the Confucian school to witness the power of medicine, engineering, agriculture, and science—see how under the medical family’s eradication of plagues, saving millions of lives; and under the agricultural family’s eradication of famines, peace reigns, and witness how at the end of the Late Eastern Han Dynasty, the blame and chaos were pinned on the Confucian school, asking if they still dare to say they are superior to others, and everyone else is of lower class!

Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants are the foundation of the nation, yet it’s never said that scholars are of the highest class. Trampling on the other three professions is not commendable, and the position of scholars, irrespective of the reasoning behind it, should be challenged according to Chen Xi and others.

Although it’s not to outright undermine the scholars, at the very least, those among the middle-upper classes of farmers, artisans, and merchants should no longer be disdained.

If a doctor himself looks down on his profession, how can he possibly perform well? If an artisan continually believes his profession is humble, how can he accomplish extraordinary feats in his field?

To excel in one’s field, one must have a love for it—passion is far more important than effort. If every artisan merely wishes to become an official, then even if Chen Xi defies the heavens, he must not expect artisans to create great inventions.

Speaking of which brings up Zheng Hun and Qu Qi—one is an artisan, the other is a farmer. But don’t just see their ordinary identities; Zheng Hun is the legitimate son of the Zheng Family, and Qu Qi is the head of the Qu Family. Their involvement in these professions is purely out of passion and ideals.

The Zheng Family might not be well-known, but remember that the Zheng Family of the later Five Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans is actually Zheng Hun’s family—his brother Zheng Tai is the head of the Zheng Family—and Qu Qi’s family later established a nation independently and successfully.

Similarly, Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing are also of aristocratic family origin. These individuals, precisely because they lack livelihood problems, can wholeheartedly delve into their passions, though such members of aristocratic families are often thought to be shirking their main duty.

Therefore, in this era, those truly capable of defying the heavens—even if they are farmers, artisans, merchants, or doctors—are actually all from aristocratic families. Common folk genuinely remain at the bottom in this era, and the only path for advancement is through military achievements.

Throughout the Late Eastern Han Dynasty, apart from the Yellow Turbans, those with notable names who aren’t from aristocratic families are exceedingly few. Even those who are remembered are likely only Dian Wei and Guo Si, whereas someone like Ma Jun—do you truly believe someone from the common folks can become a court officer or a scholar?

At most, theirs is a family in decline that couldn’t pursue advanced cultivation at home but went early to become minor officials for livelihood. In that period, common folk in the civil official domain truly had no paths for advancement.

Everything related to the scholar class apart from enfeoffment through military achievements was monopolized by aristocratic families, whereas all professions not associated with the scholar class were branded with the mark of lowly professions—agriculture, commerce, and craftsmanship alike. As for literacy, unfortunately, common people were not afforded the opportunity or resources to support a dropout.

This leads to the core significance of the Civil Official List, which almost amounts to the lowly professions slapping the face of the scholar class and the Hundred Schools of Thought pulling the Confucian school down from its pedestal.

The timing worked out quite well, especially now that Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing unintentionally embarrassed the civil officials, who can only swallow their pride, and once Qu Qi proves the reality, the Hundred Schools will soon yank down the Confucian school from their pedestal.

Back during the Martial Emperor’s time, when the Hundred Schools were suppressed and Confucian arts were exclusively revered, Confucians were seen as national policies. But now, when Confucians govern leading to chaos, and we from the Hundred Schools clean up the mess, why do you folks who only embellish peace claim superiority over us!

Chen Xi doesn’t quite love or hate Confucianism, since any school occupying a ruling position eventually turns out this way, and when Chen Xi governs in the future, it’s impossible to solely rely on Confucianism—there are numerous schools within the Hundred Schools that hold significant importance.

Since Qu Qi cannot possibly lose, Chen Xi isn’t worried about Qu Qi who currently stands at the forefront of controversy. If the reality of producing five stone per mu is accomplished, then whoever criticized Qu Qi will eventually praise him.

Once they’re done praising Qu Qi, the Hundred Schools will undoubtedly start targeting Confucians, and by the time Confucians realize the Civil Official List was a pit dug by Chen Xi, they’ll likely be too preoccupied.

The Hundred Schools aren’t dead yet, especially not the successors of the Legalist school, with many of the Xun Family’s classic books still retained. Yingchuan, being the former homeland of the Hann State, Han Fei’s birthplace, holds numerous Legalist classic books divided between the Chen-Xun families, all kept secret to the end.

Truly at the moment when the wall falls and everyone pushes, dragging Confucians down from the pedestal, the Hundred Schools will undoubtedly struggle to retaliate, after being suppressed for hundreds of years, barely surviving—this must be the time to retaliate!

Yet regardless of how it unfolds, the Hundred Schools in fact belong to the scholar class too. Even the Mohist school will ultimately fall into this class, so the final outcome is predictable for Chen Xi—compromise, nothing more.

Nevertheless, Chen Xi had guessed this long ago, and his intent was merely to suppress the arrogance of the scholar class, not to defeat them, and to leverage this wave to elevate the neglected status of farming, craftsmanship, and commerce.

Of course, in other words, mainstream farming, craftsmanship, and commerce are essentially the common folk. Taking advantage of the situation couldn’t be more fitting, as Chen Xi has no desire to stand on the opposite side of the times; even if he’s strong now, he must acknowledge that taking advantage of the trend allows for ease!