"yes."

Chen Ruichu bowed and bowed again, then turned around to face everyone in the audience, and said slowly: "I think that the way of a saint is the way of benevolence and righteousness!"

"Mencius once said that he has benevolence in his heart and acts in accordance with righteousness. Benevolence and righteousness are reflected in the way of being a human being, and scholars pursue it."

"If you want to achieve the great way of saints, you should take benevolence as the foundation of your own self and righteousness as the principle of your behavior. If you have a strong and righteous spirit and love your true nature, then everyone can be Yao and Shun!"

Although Chen Ruichu is young, his words are powerful, and his arguments follow the great way of Confucius and Mencius, which makes people almost irrefutable and shows solid academic foundation.

However, his argument only makes people convinced, but not amazing.

The reason is that it is too stable and there is no novel interpretation of the way of the saint. After all, the word "benevolence and righteousness" is the core of Confucianism. All literati who have read books know that benevolence and righteousness are one of the criteria for becoming a saint. Do you still need to say it?

"I thought Brother Ruichu was a disciple of Cao Gong's Residence and would make a big splash at the West Lake Elegant Festival, but now it seems that's the case!"

A scholar in a green robe walked out of the crowd and pointed directly at Chen Ruichu on the stage. The smell of gunpowder was so strong.

As soon as this person appeared, it caused heated discussions in the crowd, and everyone's face looked like they were watching the show.

"I didn't expect that Zhang Shiheng, a crazy student, also came. Now the West Lake Gathering is lively."

"Didn't Zhang Shiheng take the imperial examination? Why did he appear here?"

"Who can resist the temptation of becoming famous in one fell swoop? Do you really think that Zhang Shiheng is a saint?"

"What Chen Ruichu said is indeed nothing new, I agree with what Zhang Shiheng said!"

Faced with the crowd's discussion, Shen Yichen also curiously said to Xu Donghai beside him: "Who is this Zhang Shiheng?"

"Mr. Kangzhai's disciples advocate retroism and have the legacy of the madman in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. They often speak amazingly and are quite famous in Jiangsu and Zhejiang."

Originally, Shen Yichen was quite curious about the appearance of a "rebellious" character, but after hearing the four words "reverent" of retro, he instantly lost interest.

The Ming Dynasty's theory that it is almost an old antique, do you still need to go to retro?

"Since Brother Shiheng thinks that this is the case, then let me tell you what the way of a saint is."

Chen Ruichu was full of displeasure, but he could only suppress his anger and pretend to be calm and light.

This is the rule of the West Lake Elegant Collection. Everyone can express their own opinions, but they have to withstand the debates and arguments of others.

If you win, you will enjoy praise and honor; if you lose, you will step down and leave the stage in disgrace.

"What's not to dare?"

After Zhang Shiheng responded, he strode up to the high platform and said to everyone: "I think the way of a saint is that my nature is self-sufficient, and seeking reason from things is wrong!"

The meaning of this sentence is that when a person becomes a saint, he only needs to find strength in his heart and seek truth, so that he can satisfy everything without external seeking!

As soon as this statement was made, it was an uproar in the audience. I have never heard of various interpretations of the way of the saints, which is really a novel concept and is in sharp contrast with Chen Ruichu.

Others were amazed, but Shen Yichen looked calm, as if Zhang Shiheng's new interpretation had no impact on him.

The reason is that Shen Yichen knew very clearly that the views and theories proposed by Zhang Shiheng were the "mind learning" that occupied a dominant position in the middle and late Ming Dynasty.

It can only be said that Zhang Shiheng is worthy of being a disciple of Wu and Bi, and just showed him the process of the transformation from Neo-Confucianism to Centralism in the Ming Dynasty.

"How can the way of a saint be proved by his heart?"

Chen Ruichu asked back with dissatisfaction. He had only heard that the way of saints included the Taoist "doing without fighting", the Legalists "geting wisdom and cleverness", and the transcendents "inhiding and hiding".

I have never heard of any way of a saint, and my nature is self-sufficient.

Where did Zhang Shiheng find the fallacies?

"If you set your ambition and be saint, you will be saint; if you set your ambition and be virtuous, you will be virtuous. If you don't set your ambition, you will be invincible. If you want to achieve the way of a saint, you should start from the heart. This is my own nature!"

Zhang Shiheng had already made full preparations for Chen Ruichu's rhetoric, and every sentence was irrefutable.

Moreover, this view of mind learning is simply unheard of for Chen Ruichu. He was stunned on the stage on the spot, not knowing how to debate.

Looking at Chen Ruichu's appearance, the lieutenant knew that the winner had been decided. No one expected that a rising star like him would lose so completely.

"Mr. Kangzhai, you have really taught a good disciple, which makes us envious."

Zhang Shiheng's amazing performance made other great scholars present congratulate Wu and Bi.

However, Wu and Bi did not feel much joy in their hearts. The reason is that although this disciple has a strong knowledge, he is too utilitarian, which has a great conflict with his own view of good nature.

Wu and Bi have always been indifferent to fame and fortune. Even if they have been appointed as Yang Pu as their teacher and have been summoned several times by the emperor, they are unwilling to become officials.

He believed that people's nature is good, but they are inevitably subject to various temptations in the acquired environment. As long as they transform the "mind" composed of external things and various selfish desires, they can achieve the state of "good nature" and thus move towards the saint's path

Move forward.

Zhang Shiheng was talented and carried forward his concept of "mind" nature and goodness. With the way of today's saints, my nature is self-sufficient. However, this disciple abandoned the concept of goodness in nature and completely turned his mind to follow his original heart.

And Zhang Shiheng's original intention is to have a great career and become famous!

"I don't agree with what Brother Shiheng said, and believe that the way of a saint lies in qi and spirit!"

With Chen Ruichu and Zhang Shiheng starting, other literati were mobilized and began to come up with their academic ideas to debate.

The "in Qi and Spirit" of this literati belongs to the Confucian Qi category, believing that "qi" is the essence of all things in the universe. Only by having the essence, energy and spirit can the unity of man and nature achieve the realm of a saint.

"Qi studies are too illusory, so I don't agree with it!"

"What you are talking about is also writing fallacies, I object to it!"

A group of literati came to power, and then was refuted by another group of people. Only Zhang Shiheng's prototype "Mind Science" vaguely had the attitude of fighting against scholars and occupied an absolute advantage.

If nothing unexpected happens, Zhang Shiheng will become the final winner of this West Lake Elegant Festival.

Perhaps seeing no one dared to go up to fight, He Wendao clenched his fists and showed a look of eagerness to try.

"Do you want to go up to debate?"

Shen Yichen has actually been following this young man. After finding out that he had this idea, he leaned over and asked.

"Um!"

He Wendao nodded heavily, but there was no movement under his feet.

"Why not go up?"

"Brother Xiangbei, I... I'm not good at speaking."

Facing Shen Yichen's inquiry, He Wendao replied with some annoyance, saying that he could not even argue with Chen Ruichu and Liu Jingren before.

Now Zhang Shiheng is the leader, and many scholars have become his defeated generals. Even if he is polite, he may not be able to argue with him.

"Are you afraid of losing?"

"I'm not afraid of losing, but I just don't want Shen Sanyuan to be practical and lose in the empty talk of righteousness!"

He Wendao was not afraid of losing, but he was just unwilling to let Chen Yichen's theory lose to empty talk because of his lack of speaking.

"Is that so? Then I'll tell you."

"Brother Xiangbei, you..."

He heard Chen Yichen's words, He Wendao's face was full of differences.

Few people know Chen Sanyuan's theory, and few people are proficient in identifying it. Can Zhu Xiangbei argue more than Zhang Shiheng?

Before he could explain, Chen Yichen just smiled faintly, then walked up to the platform, looked at everyone present and said, "The way of the saint is not in words, nor in the heart, but in actions."

"Instead of discussing what a saint's way is here, it is better to go out and go deep into the countryside and see the sufferings of the people and the soldiers are bleeding."

"It is better to act than to speak. Even if you can only help and save one person, you are a saint in the eyes of the other party."

When Chen Yichen said this, the noise of the original debate on the scriptures and theories suddenly became silent.

No one expected that this unknown young man dared to directly overturn the essence of debate and debate, deny the high-profile discussion of Confucian Neo-Confucianism, and wanted us scholars and officials to experience the countryside?

But in the shocked eyes of everyone, there was a person's face that showed fanaticism, he was He Wendao!

He Wendao never expected that Brother Xiangbei could interpret Chen Sanyuan’s view of practicality in worldly use such simple and direct words. It seems that in this world, some people have to study and understand Chen Xue more than themselves.

"Accident?"

Xu Donghai also came to He Wendao's side at some point.

Then another sentence from him made He Wendao stunned and stunned, his face full of disbelief.

"When you know he is Shen Sanyuan, you won't be surprised."

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
Chapter completed!