Bearing the blue sky

What is the Gongyang School of Confucianism?

Many ignorant and incompetent people in the past narrowly attributed the backwardness of China to Confucianism.

Many people even clamor that outsiders have guts and that Chinese men are all cowards, all because of Confucianism.

However, the reality is different.

There are many reasons why the ancient people chose the name "Han" instead of "Tang," "Song," or "Qing."

One of them was that the Han people truly demonstrated the spirit and character of a nation.

Nations often perish due to weakness, but the Han dynasty alone perished due to strength.

The dignity of a nation is contained within this.

The Han Dynasty was the era in which Confucian revanchism was most prevalent!

Cases of people killing for their parents, blood relatives, or friends are rampant, and such acts are often praised by society. Many murderers are pardoned or even rewarded.

This spirit of "If you want to kill me, I'll bite you even if I die" comes from the Gongyang School of Confucianism.

The Book of Han, Biography of the Xiongnu, states:

"The emperor intended to further entrap the Hu, so he issued an edict saying: 'Emperor Gao left me with the worry of Pingcheng; during the reign of Empress Gao, the Chanyu wrote extremely rebellious letters. In the past, Duke Xiang of Qi avenged the enmity of nine generations, which was greatly praised in the Spring and Autumn Annals.'"

The famous Emperor Wu of Han, based on the Gongyang Commentary and imitating the story of Duke Xiang of Qi, launched a war against the Xiongnu.

Generals like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing rose to prominence during that time, which contributed to the peace that lasted for hundreds of years in the Han Dynasty.

This idea originated in the Spring and Autumn Period.

Gongyang said, "Can an enemy from nine generations ago still be avenged?"

Confucius said: "The way of the king is to restore the past, to honor the king and to repel the barbarians. Even a feud of ten generations can be avenged!"

Confucius was not the weak and easily bullied Confucian scholar that some people with lower levels of education believe him to be, but a powerful man who stood 183 cm tall and traveled around the states on foot.

As recorded in the Analects, "Someone asked, 'What do you think of repaying evil with kindness?' Confucius replied, 'Then what will you repay kindness with? Repay evil with justice, and repay kindness with kindness.'"

Confucius was never one to advocate smiling and saying it's no big deal when someone's fist is raised in your face.

Either assess the situation and retaliate later, or retaliate on the spot.

The Gongyang school, which studied Confucius's thought, adopted the idea that even a feud spanning ten generations could be avenged.

The Gongyang School even proclaimed that not only can contemporary grudges be avenged, but grudges can also be avenged a hundred generations later.

"How many generations back were our ancestors? Nine generations. Can revenge still be taken after nine generations? Even after a hundred generations!"

Zhu Ge was well aware of the fierce and aggressive nature of the Gongyang School.

However, they had just defeated the Fungus God and had no one to seek revenge against.

At this moment, he did not want Yu Xiucai to become so depressed, nor did he want Yu Xiucai to die and end it all.

revenge!

revenge!

He needs Yu Xiucai's help!

He also didn't want Scholar Yu to die like this, with such a worthless nobody.

Even if they were to die, Yu Xiucai and he should die in a more meaningful way!

As stated in the Book of Rites, "One should not share the same sky with the enemy of one's father, nor should one turn against the enemy of one's brothers, nor should one go to the same country with the enemy of one's friends."

The hatred for the murderer of one's father is irreconcilable; no matter where the enemy is, one must find and kill him.

If your brother is killed, you must always carry weapons and be ready to take revenge. If your friend is killed, you either have to avenge your friend or leave the country. In any case, you cannot live in the same country as him.

For example, Mencius said, "Now I understand the gravity of killing one's own relatives. If one kills another's father, another will kill his father; if one kills another's brother, another will kill his brother!"

If you kill my father, I can kill your father.

If you kill my brother, I can kill your brother.

Confucianism is straightforward and doesn't discuss those inexplicable and inhumane principles.

Go and seek revenge, a planned and strategic revenge!

Even if it takes ten or a hundred lifetimes, it's fine!

Instead of hastily attempting suicide by throwing an egg against a rock!

That makes no sense.

Of course, the so-called revenge is just an interpretation of the word "benevolence".

The concept of benevolence includes filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame, among which filial piety comes first.

This sequence embodies Confucian philosophical reflections on "human beings" and "who I am, where I come from, and where I am going."

Unlike religious cultures that believe humans were created by God, and therefore their lives are given by God, and they are grateful to God.

Confucius believed that human life is given by parents. Parents not only carry a child for ten months to give birth to the child, but also raise the child with great care and hardship. Therefore, the kindness shown to parents includes the kindness of giving birth and the kindness of raising the child.

How can I repay this kindness? I will repay it with filial piety.

This is the ethical foundation of Confucianism. Therefore, ancient China often governed the country by virtue of filial piety. There were also those who recommended people for their filial piety and integrity. In fact, if a person was filial, he would receive praise from those who heard about him and appreciation from noble people.

Since "benevolence" is differentiated by degree of closeness, there is a moral basis for avenging one's parents and relatives, because "benevolence" towards one's parents and relatives is more important than "benevolence" towards others.

This is also why Zhu Ge knew that Gongyang Ru was not a madman.

Confucius and Mencius advocated revenge, but this was only one aspect of the concept of benevolence and righteousness.

While the Gongyang School of Confucianism advocated for great revenge, it also set very clear requirements and limits for revenge.

The Confucian scholars of the Gongyang School believed that revenge was not only necessary, but also required a reason and justification for revenge.

The reason for revenge lies in whom you are seeking revenge, and what your relationship with that person and the debt of gratitude you owe them are.

Only by understanding the reasons for revenge can you determine how to take revenge properly and in a way that is appropriate.

Otherwise, if someone kills your cat, you would kill their entire family in return, wouldn't the world be in complete chaos?

Cause and effect correspondence!

You killed my family, I'll kill yours.

But you killed the free-range chicken I raised for the New Year. You should give me an extra two hundred yuan as compensation, in addition to the cost of the chicken, as revenge.

A gentleman makes do with what is equal.

The principle of revenge lies in righteousness.

Your father was killed innocently, so of course you should seek revenge. But if your father was killed for committing a crime, and others spared your life, it would be considered that they did not eliminate the root of the problem, yet you still seek revenge? Where is justice then?

If your father was killed because of robbery or murder for money, then you should seek revenge.

But your father was killed by a virgin girl in self-defense for raping her.

How dare you seek revenge?

Zhu Ge didn't want Yu Xiucai to go mad, because the fisherman in the straw raincoat was a scoundrel, and he killed everyone in the fisherman's community.

That's a madman, not a Confucian scholar.

"...Therefore it is said that if the father is not executed, the son may avenge him. If the father is executed, the son may avenge him; this is the way of pushing the blade."

"If a ruler treats his subjects like dirt, then the subjects will treat the ruler like an enemy. If there is enmity and the subject is in the right, he may draw his sword even if the gentleman is in front of him!"

Zhu Ge slowly said:

"Besides that, there's one more thing..."

"What is restored is only the body of the killer."

Although the Confucianism of the Gongyang School is fierce and aggressive, even this beast is tethered.

This chain was part of the etiquette of that time.

The only person you seek revenge against is the murderer; you should not involve the murderer's family or descendants.

"Scholar, do you still think humanity is utterly corrupt? Just because of a fisherman in a straw raincoat?"

"If you had the chance, would you choose to kill all the humans who are fishermen? Would you think that the entire human race is rotten to the core and then want to destroy it?"

At this point, Zhu Ge's tear-streaked expression turned solemn as she looked out the window:

"He who kills will always be killed."

"Instead of thinking about how to avenge Xianxian, we always want to end it all?"

"Instead of thinking about eradicating this cancer for humanity, we just talk about how 'humanity is rotten to the core'?"

"Scholar!"

Zhu Ge turned her gaze back from the window.

"Often, it takes more courage to live than to die."

"I suspect that things like Xianxian's are happening all over the world right now. How can we tolerate such treacherous creatures wreaking havoc on humanity?"

After saying that, Zhu Ge released Yu Xiucai's hands from his shoulders and went to the window.

"Scholar, why must we endure? Why must we live...?"

Before dawn, the sky was dark, with only the moonlight peeking through.

Why has humanity degenerated to this state? The reasons are difficult to explain, and there are countless explanations.

But why is there still a breath of life left for humanity?

There are heroes.

They have the ability to endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens.

They are hardworking and able to endure hardship.

There are sad songs.

There is hope.

In short...

"Scholar..."

"Wailing cries and bloodshed are everywhere, all for the sake of saving the common people."