Chapter Eighty-Three: Preparing for a Stunning Blow at Weiluo

  These young boys and girls entered, and the grand hall was suddenly filled with a warm and lively atmosphere. They stood between two rows of low tables, waiting for the nobles to make their selections.

  The nobles finished choosing, then it was the turn of Xian Shi Jian Shi. In a short while, everyone's knees were already on top of a virgin or a young boy, except for Wei Luo.

  Wei Luo was just starting to feel happy when she suddenly realized that people around her were secretly glancing at her from time to time.

  Wei Luo felt extremely puzzled by the furtive glances from the crowd, and a faintly ominous feeling crept into her heart.

  Everyone glanced at her and then looked away, turning their attention to the young master of Jingling, who sat tall on the opposite side, a man that no maiden or youth dared to approach.

  After they looked back and forth several times, Wei Luo's face suddenly turned red to her ears! She understood that these people were waiting for the Duke of Jingyang to call her over to his side, waiting for her to sit in the Duke of Jingyang's arms!

  How dare you deceive people like this!

  For a moment, Wei Luo's breathing also quickened, and her anger burned in her chest.

  Unfortunately, she could only get angry, but didn't dare glare at anyone either.

  She held her breath, perked up her ears to listen to every move of Jinling, and her mind was racing quickly, just waiting for him to call out to her, then she would speak out boldly, determined to clear herself!

  In her expectation, in the expectation of everyone, the son of Jingling finally raised his eyes. He stared deeply at Wei Luo, and everyone thought he was about to call out to her when he instead smiled slightly, turned his gaze to the crowd, and said in a relaxed and pleasant voice: "Gentlemen, do you think that the way to govern people is better with severe punishment and laws, or by following the will of the sages and using benevolence and virtue to guide them?"

  The words of Gongzi Jingling are very light and frivolous, especially in this situation where they are not solemn enough.

  Wei Luo raised her eyes and saw a flash of light in his deep-set eyes. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat as she began to think deeply.

  Many noble men and virtuous scholars were laughing with the beauties. As soon as Jingling's question fell, a middle-aged scholar responded loudly without thinking: "It is naturally good to govern with benevolence and virtue! In the past, Yu and Tang, who possessed the love and respect of the world, all governed with benevolence and virtue."

  As soon as the middle-aged scholar's voice fell, a slender scholar with three long mustaches stood up and said excitedly: "Benevolence is one of them, and governing by non-action is the ultimate principle. The foolish people's hearts, let chickens and dogs not hear each other, what can happen in the world?" Those who advocate for governing by non-action are generally Taoists.

  His voice had barely fallen when a round-faced nobleman in his late twenties burst out laughing, interrupting him and saying: "If chickens and dogs don't hear each other, does that mean nothing can happen? In today's world, the vassals are in an uproar, but at first they also didn't hear each other. Why did the chaos erupt? If I were to say it, benevolence and moral integrity may be good, but the people are ignorant and need to be controlled with severe punishment. If there are unruly commoners, first use cruel punishment on them as a warning, then who would dare cause trouble again?"

  This person's words are close to those of the Legalists.

  As soon as the noble's voice fell, a scholar with slightly graying hair pushed away the young boy on his lap and stood up abruptly, opening his eyes wide in laughter: "Cruel punishment is for the masses? In the past, King Zhou of Shang was just like that, dissecting Bi Gan's heart and ripping open pregnant women's bellies. Hahaha."

  The scholar immediately led the noble's words towards Shang Yan, causing the noble to be stunned and speechless for a moment.

  Akane Koto's swordmaster stood up, his voice hoarse as he said: "If everyone loves each other, regardless of wealth or poverty, abandon luxurious feasts and lascivious sounds, why worry that the world cannot be in harmony?"

  This is the proposition of Mozi.

  As soon as the swordsman's words came out, all the nobles showed a look of displeasure. They looked down on the common people the most, how could they imagine that kind of "no distinction between rich and poor" life? Suddenly, dozens of opposing voices rose up.

  After a loud noise, a virtuous scholar with a forehead full of wrinkles, like an old farmer, stood up and said in a hoarse voice: "In the past, Shennong personally cultivated the land, making all people eat their fill. If there are many who are hungry and cold, if we can cultivate the land ourselves, disband soldiers to return to the fields, put down swords and return home, then the world will have an abundance of grain, why worry that it cannot be a great unity?"

  This is the concept of farmers.

  Similarly, the words spoken by farmers are not liked by the nobles, and even swordsmen and most scholars do not agree with them. They have been used to such a life, where can they go back to that rural area where chickens and dogs don't hear each other to farm? Therefore, one after another opposing voices surged again.

  Wei Luo blinked her big eyes, listening with great interest. She was trying to analyze which school of thought each speaker belonged to among the various philosophers, while looking around excitedly.

  As she listened, her gaze turned to the Duke of Jingling. At this time, he was frowning with a pair of thick eyebrows, and his handsome and deep face had a slight displeasure.

  Obviously, what these people say does not meet his expectations at all.

  Wei Luo looked at him, and suddenly, her mind moved: because of the 13th princess's departure, she was already in a precarious situation, and could no longer think about keeping a low profile. If that's the case, then she could be even more high-profile! If people knew that she truly had talent, who would still care whether or not she was a male child? Furthermore, if her reputation became well-known, perhaps the Duke of Jingling wouldn't be able to easily dispose of her either.

  The more she thought about it, the more wonderful it seemed, and suddenly her mind was greatly calmed.

  She listened intently to the crowd's discussion, thinking about where she should start. This move was meant to be stunning, but it couldn't scare people off. After all, she was still young and had an unknown background, if what she said was too far ahead, she feared there would be other drawbacks.

  She thought of this and pondered for a moment on how to phrase it, then patiently waited until the crowd was slightly quieter.

  At this time, a twenty-year-old young nobleman who had just come of age shouted loudly: "Ruling people is nothing more than this, why bother with such trouble? The lowly commoners who rebel can be beheaded, those who obey can be enslaved. As for us, we are born to be noble and do not need to be ruled." This young nobleman bore some resemblance to Jingling and the Marquis of Jin; could he be a prince who had not yet withdrawn from his seat?

  As soon as the young man's voice fell, the crowd quieted down for a moment.

  Just then, a clear and crisp boy's laughter came over.

  The young man's laughter was crisp and loud, and for a moment, everyone turned their heads to look over.

  Only then did the boy with a clear face and good eyes, Wei Luo, slowly stand up. As soon as he saw someone of his status standing up to speak, several people immediately prepared to rebuke him.

  Wei Luo would not wait for these people to scold her. She burst out laughing, attracting everyone's attention, then raised her chin and looked straight at the young master, saying: "If the common people are beheaded for speaking out, and enslaved for obeying, how is this world different from the time of Shang Zhou? The nobles have no governance, which is why the country has been in chaos for generations! I really don't know what makes you say such things."

  Wei Luo said this sentence crisply and did not care about the humiliation that the young master was facing, being scolded by a lowly child. She turned to Jingling Gongzi, her hands clasped together, and said loudly: "In my humble opinion, there are three ways to govern people."

  Three Laws?

  At this, everyone retracted the rebukes that were about to burst forth from their mouths and listened intently.

  Weiluo lowered his head again and said loudly: "The way to govern people is to promulgate laws, and then the princes who break the law are punished equally with the common people!" This was somewhat similar to the Legalist's point of view, and suddenly all the Legalists looked up at Weiluo.

  Jingling Gongzi also fell silent like everyone else. He leaned forward slightly and stared steadily at Wei Luo.

  "Secondly, to govern with benevolence and virtue, so that the people will be friendly, humble and yielding." This statement was in line with Confucian views, causing several people from both families to turn their eyes towards her.

  "Wei Luo's voice echoed again in the grand hall, 'Three things: to promote agriculture, to benefit from tools, to make people rich and content, to keep warm and live a life of ease.'"

  This is taking care of both the farmers and the ink families.

  Alright, I've said enough to show off. Wei Luo thought to herself, her hands clasped together again as she stared at the Prince of Jingling and asked sternly: "According to you, sir, is what this humble person has said reasonable or not?"

  Wei Luo's words came out sharp and swift, her eyes gleaming with a hint of cunning. The young master of Jingling was taken aback for a moment.