noveltune Chapter 5507 The Peril of the Zanpu
Chapter 5507 The Peril of the Zanpu
Chapter 5507 The Peril of the Zanpu
The idea of "joining when you can't beat them" has existed since ancient times. As long as one assesses the situation, weighs the pros and cons, and doesn't cross the line or lose morality, it is not only acceptable but even a wise move.
Kong Yingda was present at the very beginning of the founding of Zhenguan Academy, the center of the "investigation of things" in the world. Among the great Confucian scholars of the world, no one understood the terrifying nature of the "investigation of things" better than him. Whether it was mathematics, physics, or even the seemingly mystical chemistry, they all presented the naked origin of the universe before our eyes. Any ethereal "theory of destiny" or "the will of gods and ghosts" would be completely shattered and collapsed.
In this field, the study of things is unparalleled and has no rivals.
Confucianism can certainly suppress it with its current unparalleled power, but it can only suppress it for a short time or for a lifetime. Can it suppress it for hundreds of years?
One day, the Society for Investigating Things will launch a powerful attack on the core of Confucianism. If the two are in opposition, then Confucianism will surely be defeated.
Because Confucianism is "metaphysical," it only has form but no concrete reality, while "the study of things" is exactly the opposite. All knowledge is grounded in reality, using data to reason and facts to speak, which is the study of practical application.
No matter how sophisticated the theory, it cannot withstand the power of swords, guns, ships, and cannons.
Rather than waiting for a future day when we suffer annihilation under the counterattack of the study of things, it is better to take countermeasures as soon as possible, taking Confucianism as the main body and the study of things as the application, so that they complement each other and are inseparable.
If the strong and the weak complement each other, then Confucianism will have no flaws.
After all, the pragmatic approach of the study of things can be used to manage affairs, but not to govern a country; otherwise, the world would be full of people who pursue profit.
Confucianism, with its metaphysical approach and essential principles, is the only way to govern a country.
Most importantly, faced with the aggressive advance of the study of things, Confucianism had to become nervous and tried its best to use its own theories to meet the facts of the study of things, so as to promote the further development and evolution of Confucian classics.
As for how Confucian scholars should cope with the challenges of the study of things... is it really that difficult to learn more subjects?
In the past, Confucian scholars could learn medicine, geomancy, and law... Now, why can't they also learn mathematics and physics?
If one day Confucianism is about investigating things, and investigating things is Confucianism... then all of these are Confucianism.
Of course, by then it would be no longer the Confucianism of today.
In the autumn of the ninth year of Renhe, the leaves were falling and the autumn rain was continuous.
Right there in Kong Yingda's mansion in Chang'an, great Confucian scholars from all over the country gathered and made the decision to "jointly investigate things, complement each other and help each other".
Since Emperor Wu of Han made Confucianism the sole state ideology, under immense threat, Confucianism deviated from its established path of dominance and embarked on an unpredictable journey.
No one in this era knows the significance of this event for Confucianism and for the Chinese nation.
*****
As the first snow of winter fell softly, Lun Qinling stood in his residence in Qinglongfang, watching the snowflakes fluttering outside the window, his homesickness growing stronger.
It has been a long time since I left Fusi City. Is the vast expanse of Qinghai Lake frozen by ice and snow? Are the grasslands lush and the cattle and sheep fat this year? Is the Gar tribe, located between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet, safe and sound?
Since Father went to the Western Regions, he has only sent a few letters through the Tang Dynasty's post stations. Now that the war in the Western Regions has ended, Father has neither returned to Fusi City nor come to Chang'an. Why is he staying in the Anxi Protectorate?
He sighed softly, summoned a servant, and after washing up, shaved his beard with a razor. He then put on a brocade robe lined with a thin layer of cotton, a turban, and sheepskin boots. A jade stone from Tibet, a dark green with veins, hung from his belt. It could be polished and worn as an ornament, and was also a kind of medicine…
He looked like a robust Tang Dynasty man.
As for obvious foreign features, they are not noticeable. After all, Chang'an City now gathers people from all over the world. It is not surprising that people with blond hair and blue eyes are not uncommon, let alone Tibetans with darker skin.
Stepping outside, we boarded a carriage and left the mansion. We traveled west along the Qujiang River embankment, exited through the gate, crossed Zhuque Street, and reached the intersection between Dunyifang and Tongguifang. We then followed the riverbank of Yong'an Canal northward.
The wind and snow were blowing fiercely. It was early winter and not yet bitterly cold. The snow powder melted instantly on the river surface, forming a thin mist that enveloped the river. Boats traveled back and forth on the river as if they were in the clouds.
Upon arriving outside the West Market, I disembarked, sent the servants back, and braved the snow powder to enter the West Market through the South Gate.
Upon entering, a pungent smell of various foods and animal excrement assaulted the nostrils, but Lun Qinling felt no disgust whatsoever; on the contrary, he felt a sense of familiarity.
He was a prince of the Gar tribe, but he grew up in the military and was not spoiled.
It was the diverse mix of foreigners in the West Market, their strange accents, and their varied clothing that helped him somewhat alleviate his homesickness.
If one could enjoy a pot of barley wine in a tavern and watch a beautiful Hu woman perform the Hu Xuan dance, that would be the most wonderful thing...
Along the way, there were Western Region caravans leading camels, Arab warriors with scimitars, short-statured Japanese, and Kunlun slaves with "fist-shaped hair and black bodies." However, it was said that the kingdoms of Lin-yi and Zhenla had become vassal states of the Tang Dynasty, so these Kunlun slaves might already have Tang Dynasty citizenship...
They even encountered a group of merchants trading medicinal herbs from Tibet.
The group of merchants set up a stall by the roadside, selling musk, cordyceps, and other items in baskets. Lun Qinling stood by and listened as they tried to negotiate with a Tang man for a long time, but they couldn't agree on a price...
He took two steps forward, scrutinized the Tibetan group's appearance and clothing, and, based on the language they were speaking, asked, "Xibo savages?"
The Tibetans were taken aback. Although Lun Qinling was dressed in Tang Dynasty attire, his appearance clearly showed Tibetan features. They asked him, "Are you Tibetan?"
Lun Qinling smiled and nodded: "Gar tribe, Lun Qinling."
The Tibetans were taken aback.
The "Xiboye" were the tribe of the Tubo royal family, originating from the Yarlung River Valley and forming the core of the Tubo Dynasty. However, as Tubo gradually encroached upon other tribes on the plateau and grew stronger, the "Xiboye" also began to absorb external forces, and their bloodline was no longer so pure. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for the "Xiboye" people to travel thousands of miles to Chang'an to do business.
Now in Tibet, everyone knows that the Gar tribe is a traitor. The former "first wise man of Tibet," Gar Tongtsen, betrayed the emperor and defected to the Tang Dynasty. With the support of the Tang Dynasty, he even led his troops from Fusi City to conquer cities and fortresses all the way to Lhasa City, where even the Tibetan crown prince was killed in battle...
Lun Qinling's name is well-known in Tibet, and they are practically mortal enemies. Would they cause trouble for them?
Lun Qinling smiled and pointed to the tavern next to him, looking at the leader: "It feels especially warm to meet someone of the same kind in a foreign land. Shall we have a drink and chat?"
The leader was somewhat nervous, but dared not refuse, and could only say, "I will obey the prince's command."
The princes of the Gar tribe are also princes.
The two walked into a nearby tavern one after the other. When a slender Hu woman came to greet them, Lun Qinling took out a string of coins and casually tossed them over: "Give me a jar of barley wine, some roasted yak meat, some flatbread, and the rest is up to you."
The woman took the money, her face beaming with smiles, and spoke in a strange accent: "Please take a seat, sir! Our yak meat is the most authentic, famous throughout the entire West Market, and our barley wine is even imported from Tibet..."
We sat down at a table in the tavern facing the street, and the food and wine were served quickly.
Lun Qinling poured wine from the jar, clinked his wine bowl against the man's, and drank it all in one gulp.
The man had also drunk some wine, but he was a little nervous and asked cautiously, "If the prince has any instructions for me in this auspicious time, please feel free to speak freely."
Lun Qinling shook his head: "It was just a chance encounter with someone from my hometown. We had a drink and a chat together. Don't take it to heart."
Ciji visibly breathed a sigh of relief and said with a wry smile, "Your Highness is a noble person, and I am but a humble merchant. I am truly humbled and trembling with fear."
Lun Qinling poured wine again, and the two drank another bowl. He asked, "Are you in any trouble? If you encounter anything difficult to solve, feel free to speak up. Perhaps I can help."
"No, it's just that the journey was a bit arduous."
"How profitable is selling these medicinal herbs? Have you encountered any checkpoints or extortion along the way?"
Ciji shook his head and sighed, "Now that the Tang Dynasty is implementing the Commercial Law, in addition to regulating all kinds of business activities, it also stipulates that goods are only taxed when they are sold. The previous exorbitant taxes and levies have long been abolished. Otherwise, we would not have dared to come all the way from Tibet."
In the past, traveling from Tibet to the Tang Dynasty involved traversing thousands of mountains and rivers, and crossing national borders. At each checkpoint, taxes had to be paid, and often, even after the goods were sold in the Tang Dynasty, the proceeds could not even cover the taxes...
Lun Qinling used a knife to cut off a piece of roasted yak meat, dipped it in a sauce made of salt, cumin, pepper and other seasonings, chewed it, and then took a sip of wine.
"What is the current situation in Lhasa?"
Tsering sighed, as if even yak meat no longer tasted good: "We set off from Lhasa... Lhasa is now in great disrepair. The king is seriously ill and bedridden, the crown prince has died in battle, and the princes are still young... People in the city are in a state of panic. To prevent any accidents, the city is full of troops. A curfew begins at sunset, and entry and exit are strictly controlled."
After a pause, he said cautiously, "The losses from that battle with the Gar tribe were too great; I'm afraid they will never be recovered."
The discussion of Qinling was silent.
He personally commanded that battle, and with the aid of the Tang Dynasty, his troops were well-trained and well-supplied. He fought all the way to the city of Lhasa, where he utterly defeated the elite Tibetan forces. This directly led to the near collapse of the tribal alliance that maintained the stability of Tibet. The once ambitious Zanpu, who had intended to rush down the plateau to plunder Tang territory, fell seriously ill and never recovered.
But who can be blamed for this?
It was the Zanpu who fell for the Tang Dynasty's "divide and conquer" strategy, which made him wary of the Gar tribe and his father, Gar Tongtsen Yulsung. This forced the Gar tribe to completely submit to the Tang Dynasty and act as its pawns.
The result was a crushing defeat for the Tibetans, and the Gar tribe also suffered no benefit; the father fled to the Western Regions, and the Gar tribe itself went to Chang'an as a hostage.
When I was homesick, I ran into people from my hometown, but hearing news from home brought me no joy, only a growing sense of confusion and sadness...