Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

Chapter 54 The Gathering of Bo'an

Nighttime, at Liu Yu's residence.

in the bedroom.

Liu Yu and his wife were chatting.

Lady Liu sighed, "These past few days, my son has been frequently visiting the Liu brothers in Goushi County, being extremely attentive. I think to myself, the Liu family is merely a powerful clan in a border region, of humble origins. In the eyes of the prominent families of Luoyang, they are insignificant. My son's close association with them is surely beneath his dignity."

Liu Yu slowly said, "Madam, you may not know this. The court has appointed me as the governor of Youzhou, and I will be taking up my post soon. In the future, I will inevitably have to deal with the powerful families of Youzhou. Although the Liu brothers come from the border region, they are both talented men. There is no harm in befriending them."

He paused, then sighed softly, "But... He'er's talent is mediocre, and his abilities are limited. While I'm still here, I can still protect him to some extent; but if I'm no longer here... alas, while I still have some ability, I should pave more paths for him and help him make more beneficial friends."

…………

The eighteenth day of the first lunar month.

The intellectual discussion meeting at Liu Yu's residence was held as scheduled.

The main hall of the Liu residence was quite large, usually spacious enough to accommodate guests, but today it was packed with people.

There were more than a dozen mats laid out in the hall, with two more rows added against the wall, and even extending out into the corridor.

Fortunately, the weather was fine and the sun was shining, so it was quite warm.

Liu Yu sat in the main seat, dressed in a casual blue robe.

No crown, no ribbon.

He was no different from ordinary scholars.

But his calm and composed demeanor made people dare not underestimate him.

Before Yuan, Yang, and Duan even arrived, the hall was already bustling with activity.

Most of those who came today were young scholars from Luoyang, mostly from prominent families, but also some from humble backgrounds who had distinguished themselves through their talent and learning.

Yuan Shu leaned against the table, toying with an empty cup in his hand, his gaze lazily sweeping across the crowd.

Suddenly, he saw Liu He leading a group of people in, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

The three Liu brothers and Zhang Fei were the ones who arrived.

Kong Rong sat in the second seat on the right.

He was wearing a newly tailored blue brocade robe.

He wore a tall crown and a jade belt around his waist.

His overall demeanor remains impressive.

He was talking quietly with Zhong Yao beside him, occasionally smiling slightly, his expression calm and composed.

But when he saw Liu Quan come in, his composure vanished instantly.

Zhong Yao followed Kong Rong's gaze and immediately spotted Liu Quan.

This child's appearance is simply too striking.

Zhong Yao thought to himself, "This must be Liu Yuangu. He is indeed handsome. I never expected that he would be able to achieve literary fame by stepping on Kong Wenju at such a young age."

Wang Yun also arrived and sat opposite Kong Rong.

He poured himself a drink and remained silent.

However, when Liu Quan and his group arrived, he showed a look of anticipation on his face.

Liu He personally led Liu Bei and the others to their seats, then whispered to Liu Quan:

"Yuan Gu, today my father has invited three officials to come and offer their opinions: Grand Master Yuan, Grand Master Yang, and Junior Master Duan. If you have any insightful opinions, please feel free to speak them. Do not hold back."

Liu Quan nodded, his gaze subtly sweeping across the hall.

Yuan Shu, Kong Rong, Wang Yun, and some young people he didn't recognize.

This scene was much larger than the intellectual discussions held at Cai Yong's residence.

At 3:45 AM, the three high-ranking officials arrived.

The chief servant, Yuan Feng, walked at the front. He was over sixty years old, tall, with a neatly trimmed white beard and small but extremely bright eyes. His gaze swept across the hall, exuding an imposing presence without anger.

Guanglu Xun Yang Ci followed closely behind. He had a thin face, gentle eyes, and a faint smile on his lips. He looked much more amiable than Yuan Feng.

Shao Fu Duan Jiong walked at the very back. He was in his fifties, with a burly build, a dark complexion, and a thick beard that stood upright like steel needles. He walked with a brisk pace.

This man had fought on the frontier for over twenty years, pacifying the Eastern Qiang and becoming a formidable figure in Liangzhou. His chilling aura could send shivers down one's spine even from a dozen steps away.

After the three of them took their seats, the hall fell silent.

Liu Yu rose, bowed to the three ministers, then clasped his hands in greeting to the crowd, and said loudly:

"I am deeply honored to have the presence of Mr. Yuan, Mr. Yang, and Mr. Duan, as well as the many talented young people here today. This is a gathering for lively discussion, so please feel free to speak freely and without restraint."

After he finished speaking, he sat down, and everyone returned the greeting.

Then Yuan Feng spoke up: "We won't set any topics today. Everyone, please speak freely. I'm not here to test anyone; I'm here to observe and listen. I won't interrupt you young people."

Yang Ci and Duan Jiong nodded in agreement.

The atmosphere in the hall immediately became more relaxed.

Some people started talking about the new articles that had recently appeared in Luoyang, while others commented on the lectures given by several scholars at the Imperial Academy. The topics were scattered and disjointed.

But soon, the atmosphere of the exchange became tense.

However, a scholar from a poor family, when discussing the debate between "human nature is good" and "human nature is evil" in Mencius, quoted extensively from classical texts and wrote a lengthy critique of both Gaozi and Xunzi.

"Mencius said that human nature is good, Xunzi said that human nature is evil, and Gaozi said that human nature is neither good nor evil. The three schools each hold their own views, and the debate has continued for thousands of years. In my opinion, Mencius's view is the most upright, Xunzi's view is somewhat harsh, and Gaozi's view is merely hypocritical..."

This man spoke eloquently for almost the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. After finishing, he picked up his teacup, took a big gulp, and looked at the three nobles with anticipation.

Yuan Feng remained expressionless, Yang Ci stroked his beard and remained silent, and Duan Jiong closed his eyes to rest.

I suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

Then Kong Rong spoke.

This fellow has come today to revive his reputation and bring back the fame that Liu Quan, that brat, had trampled on.

Therefore, his words were extremely sharp and pointed: "What you have said is quite detailed. However, there is one thing I don't understand: When Mencius spoke of the goodness of human nature, did he mean that human nature is inherently good, or that human nature can be good? There is a great difference between the two. If human nature is inherently good, then where does evil come from? If human nature can be good, then the word 'inherently' is untenable. I wonder how you will distinguish between them?"

The middle-aged scholar opened his mouth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He quoted Mencius and Gaozi, repeating his words over and over, but he never managed to give a direct answer to Kong Rong's question.

Kong Rong listened with a smile for a moment, then waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more. His posture was polite, but it also conveyed a sense of superiority.

The middle-aged scholar sat down, his face flushed.

Some people in the hall whispered among themselves, while others sighed inwardly: Kong Wenju's mouth is indeed formidable!

Kong Rong shifted his gaze from the man, casually scanning the hall before finally settling on Liu Quan.

It paused for a moment, then moved away as if nothing had happened.

The conversation gradually turned to the Book of Documents (Shangshu).

Some people have mentioned the line "The human heart is perilous, the moral heart is subtle" from the "Great Yu's Counsel".

Several young people expressed their opinions, some citing the pseudo-Confucian commentary, and others citing Zheng Xuan's commentary.

They were just repeating old theories from the time of Emperor Wu of Han, offering nothing new.

Kong Rong didn't participate, but simply held his teacup and slowly drank, occasionally glancing at the person speaking, a faint smile playing on his lips.

To others, this "smile" seemed rather irritating, with an overtly disdainful tone.

Liu Quan had been sitting quietly to one side, listening.

Liu He, however, steered the discussion in, saying, "Yuan Gu has always been knowledgeable in classical studies; why don't you say a few words?"

Several young people stopped and looked at Liu Quan, but their gazes were somewhat unfriendly.

It was only because Liu Quan had recently become too prominent that these men, all scions of prominent families in Luoyang, were very displeased with Liu Quan, an outsider from the countryside, coming to Luoyang to steal the limelight.

Several people had similar thoughts: "Let's hear what you have to say first. If you can't come up with anything convincing, don't blame me for criticizing you!"

Liu Quan stood up, first bowed to Liu Yu and the three big shots, and then smiled at Liu He.

He knew the other party meant well and wanted to help him become famous.

He couldn't let his friend's good intentions go to waste.

So he spoke.