Chapter 9 The teachings of sages are nothing but theory!
Outside the school, the First Emperor also listened with great interest. He was quite appreciative of Ye Chi's opinions and the arguments of the young masters!
He was secretly looking forward to Ye Chi's next response.

Inside the school, Ye Chi smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "What the eldest master said is very true, but the general is good at fighting but not at strategy because he specializes in martial arts and has no experience in strategy. This is due to his limitations, not his fault."

“The reason why a saint is a saint is not because he is omnipotent, but because he has reached the pinnacle in a certain field. However, this pinnacle may not be applicable to the way of the emperor.”

Fusu frowned slightly and asked in confusion: "What do you mean, sir? Can't the teachings of the sages teach the emperor how to govern the country?"

Ye Chi chuckled and said, "No, the learning of the sages is naturally unique, but the way of the emperor and the learning of the sages are not the same thing."

"My Lord, is there any saint in the past or present who has ever been an emperor? How can they teach the way of being an emperor without having experienced it themselves?!"

This statement was like a morning bell and an evening drum, shocking everyone! !
Everyone seemed to be enlightened, as if they had just woken up from a dream, and they all showed expressions of realization, just like a thick cloud gradually dissipating and the truth came to light!
The young masters were all dumbfounded, with waves of emotion surging in their hearts that were beyond words.

Prince Fusu was even more shocked. He stared at Ye Chi intently, with awe and admiration flashing in his eyes.

Fusu's heart was filled with emotion and he secretly admired!
The young masters also felt the same way. Some of them lowered their heads in thought, some smiled at each other, and some shook their heads and sighed. They were all deeply shocked by Ye Chi's words.

Inside the school, there was complete silence, with only Ye Chi's voice echoing, like the lingering sound of an orchid in a valley.

At this moment, the doubts and confusion in their hearts disappeared instantly under Ye Chi's guidance, and were replaced by a desire for the great way and the pursuit of wisdom.

Ye Chi stood with his hands behind his back and continued, "Don't try to persuade others to be good without experiencing their suffering."

"The same principle applies to the way of the emperor! How can you teach the way of the emperor without experiencing the hardships and tribulations of the emperor?!"

The school suddenly fell into silence.

The young masters looked at each other in silence.

Ye Chi’s words were concise and to the point, but they were like a revelation, making people suddenly enlightened!

They only realized today how profound knowledge is, and they are really just frogs in a well, how ashamed they are!
Outside the school, the First Emperor was also moved by what he heard and admired Ye Chi's views very much! !
Ye Chi's eyes were sharp and his words were sharp as he continued to expound on his point of view: "My fellow lords, although the classics of the saints are revered as the standard, in my opinion, they are just empty talk, with only theory but no practical application."

"Its doctrine may persuade people to be good and guide their behavior, but how can we generalize about the various aspects of life?"

"If the people have no food or clothing and are living in poverty, what good is holy learning?"

"Looking at the long river of history, where are the saints in troubled times? How can they bring order to the world? Only in times of peace and prosperity do they appear one after another, claiming to be great and righteous, and pointing fingers at worldly affairs."

"How is this behavior different from those of the rich and powerful who eat and do nothing all day? They are just standing on a high place, telling the people at the bottom to restrain their desires and endure hardships."

"Since ancient times, feudal fiefdoms and county systems have been the two key strategies for state governance. However, each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and it is difficult to generalize them."

Ye Chi's words were as powerful as a drop of metal or stone, and immediately attracted the attention of the First Emperor.

Ying Zheng was originally in deep thought, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

He became more and more interested in Ye Chi and wanted to hear what insights he would come up with next.

Ye Chi looked at everyone with a gleaming gaze and continued, "Although the feudal system can give the princes a certain degree of autonomy and stimulate their enthusiasm for local governance, the princes are so powerful that they are bound to become too powerful to be controlled and form separatist regimes."

"If this is the case, the country will be divided and each will go its own way. How can we talk about the way of the saints?!"

In Ye Chi's speech, he made a very thorough analysis of the drawbacks of the feudal system. Fusu and other princes could not help but nod in approval and agreed with him. They knew very well that what Ye Chi said was true!

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius traveled around the countries seeking an official position but failed.

It’s all because the princes are divided and each of them is ruling their own country!
This made it difficult to implement Confucius's idea of ​​following the old Zhou ritual system.

At that time, the princes played the game of tyranny, not the Zhou Li kingly way!

Although the princes treated Confucius with great courtesy, they all retreated when it came to their own interests, and actually discarded Confucius like a worn-out shoe! !

Fusu raised his eyebrows slightly, and said thoughtfully: "Mr. Ye Chi is right. The disadvantages of feudal fiefdoms are exactly as you said."

"During the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius, with the ideal of governing the country and bringing peace to the people, traveled around the countries, hoping to be valued by the princes and promote his doctrine of benevolence."

"However, the princes quarreled and each ruled its own territories. Confucius, though full of knowledge, found it difficult to display it. Isn't this the drawback of the feudal system?"

The other young masters also nodded in agreement.

Ye Chi's words were like a bright light, illuminating the confusion in their hearts.

At this moment, the school was in silence.

Prince Fusu and other princes fell into deep thought. They were thinking about Ye Chi's words, the drawbacks of the feudal system, and how to promote the way of the sage.

Ye Chi paused, and then continued: "The county system can strengthen centralization, unify government orders, and make the country an organic whole, so that each country will no longer act independently and fight each other."

"However, since all county officials are appointed and dismissed by Your Majesty, it is inevitable that bureaucracy will form and corruption will breed."

"Moreover, local officials are far away from the court, making it difficult for Your Majesty to understand the people's sentiments. How can the way of the sage work?!"

His words were like a sharp sword, pointing directly to the core of the county system and waking everyone up from their dreams.

They never thought that the teachings of the saints, which have always been regarded as the golden rule, would be difficult to implement under these two systems!
Outside the courtyard wall, the First Emperor was deafened and shocked beyond words!
What Ye Chi said was not obscure, and Ying Zheng had keenly grasped the key!
He knew very well that if he wanted to solve the current predicament, he had to find a solution.

So, he suppressed the shock in his heart, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, showing the composure of an emperor. His eyes revealed a bit of anxiety and expectation, and he listened attentively, afraid of missing any word!

Inside the courtyard, Fusu could not help but ask, "Mr. Ye Chi, if that is the case, then neither the feudal system nor the county system is perfect. What should we do?"

Ye Chi smiled slightly and replied: "The feudal system and the counties have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it is difficult to be perfect. However, I think that the system is not perfect, and the way of the saints is also like this!"

"If this path doesn't work, then just try another path! Why do you have to stick to the holy path? The benevolent path?"

"Govern the country according to the times!"

"The way of the sage may only be applicable to the time when the king was respected in the early Zhou Dynasty, but not to the hegemony of the Spring and Autumn Period, and even less to the Great Qin that has unified the nine provinces today!!!"

“It doesn’t deserve it!!”

(End of this chapter)