My Wife Is A Sword Immortal-Chapter 90 - 79 I am Zhao Ziyu

Chapter 90: Chapter 79 I am Zhao Ziyu

“To act or not to act,” this was the fundamental disagreement between Confucianism and Daoism.

The reason why Daoists advocate “non-action” lies in three aspects:

In the past there was non-action, and now there is action; the Dao practices non-action, yet virtue takes action; Heaven practices non-action, yet humans take action.

Thus, the debate between Confucianism and Daoism is also a debate of the past versus the present, of morality, and of Heaven versus humans.

The right and wrong of both Confucian and Daoist schools also stem from here.

This time the debate between Zhao Rong and Tao Yuanran centered on these three points.

Zhao Rong and Tao Yuanran confronted each other sharply.

Zhao Rong, “By not esteeming the wise, you prevent the people from competing; by not valuing hard-to-get goods, you prevent the people from becoming thieves; by not displaying desirable things, you prevent the people’s minds from being disturbed. Therefore, the governance by Saints always keeps the people ignorant and desireless, ensuring that those with knowledge dare not act. By practicing non-action, there is nothing that cannot be governed.”

Tao Yuanran, “A gentleman is secure but does not forget danger, preserves but does not forget ruin, governs but does not forget chaos. Thus, when a gentleman is about to act, he must act decisively, regardless of whether the things sought are near or far, hidden or profound, thus understanding the forthcoming matters as the ultimate subtlety of the world—who else can match this?”

Zhao Rong, “The world has many taboos, and the people grow poorer; when many people have weapons, the state becomes more confused; when many people are crafty, unusual things arise; when laws and mandates become prominent, thieves proliferate. Thus I practice non-action, and the people transform themselves; I enjoy tranquility, and the people become righteous; I am unbusy, and the people become rich; I am desireless, and the people become simple.”

Tao Yuanran, “…”

…

Below the stage, Lin Wenruo listened intently to the debate, staring at the two on the stage and suddenly sighed in relief.

Before the debate began, Lin Wenruo was very worried, especially knowing that Zhao Rong’s opponent was a Daoist gentleman, to the point of feeling like the outcome was predetermined. But now, seeing Zhao Rong holding his own from the start, he felt a bit relieved and hopeful!

Furthermore, the more Lin Wenruo listened, the more astonished he became. He realized Zhao Rong possessed outstanding debating skills and was intimately familiar with Daoist texts. He knew of Zhao Rong’s good memory but had not expected that he had studied Daoism in such depth.

On the other side of the venue, at Chongxu Temple, the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

This debate was not unfolding as a one-sided affair?

This was greatly at odds with their expectations.

Qingjingzi’s expression looked somewhat troubled; although he was not skilled at debating, he understood the situation well. The current stalemate on the floor suggested only one thing.

The debating skills of the two participants were roughly equal. Neither could quickly overcome the other, and it would come down to who first showed a vulnerability and turned passive, ultimately leading to defeat.

Qingjingzi glanced at Qing Yuanzi and noticed the latter staring intently at that scholar he had previously underestimated, his expression revealing incredulity.

Qingjingzi suddenly felt a sense of relief.

Fortunately, they did not let Qing Yuanzi choose Zhao Ziyu for the second round; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

Meanwhile, on the stage, the duel between the two gradually intensified.

Zhao Rong firmly grasped the concept of “by non-action, everything acts,” asserting that a gentleman governs through the principle of “non-action,” not initiating conflicts, hence the state faces no calamities and people naturally prosper.

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A ruling gentleman without desires naturally leads the people to become simple.

Additionally, he explicitly said “governing a large state is like cooking a small fish,” suggesting not to stir with a spatula immediately after placing it in the pan, otherwise the fish would break apart. By extension, governing a large country means not to disturb the people, not to meddle unnecessarily, and not to change orders frequently.

In short, only through non-action can one truly act without limitations.

Tao Yuanran ardently disagreed, arguing that the premise of “governance through non-action” depends on both officials and citizens consciously adhering to it, or on anti-intellectualism that renders the country’s people foolish and desireless, like lambs obeying their ruler. Otherwise, “non-action” simply means no action, leading the country into greater chaos.

These premises are idealized, so they are invalid.

Moreover, he believed a gentleman governing a country must act decisively, or “take action,” always standing up to do something, regardless of whether the results are good or bad.

Zhao Rong sat with one fist resting on his thigh and the other hand holding a jade horizontally in front of his stomach, his gaze focused, his words incisive.

As the debate began, Tao Yuanran, who had been twirling his prayer beads, now stopped his hands and watched the Confucian scholar before him with an increasingly serious expression.

Both were eloquent and forceful in their words, neither yielding an inch.

Zhao Rong, “In practicing things of non-action, and teaching without words, by desiring stillness, the world will stabilize itself.”

Tao Yuanran, “How would you implement this?”

Zhao Rong, “The Saint said, empty their minds, fill their bellies, weaken their ambitions, strengthen their bones. Like the highest branches are to the trees, the people should be like wild deer.”

Tao Yuanran, “According to your actions, without father, without sovereign, they would become beasts! The great chaos under heaven starts from such beginnings!”

After this, the situation suddenly took a turn!

Below the stage, Lin Wenruo furrowed his brows, watching Tao Yuanran on the stage becoming increasingly aggressive after gaining the upper hand, and felt an ominous premonition.

Tao Yuanran’s tone was incisive, “You said, ‘by non-action, everything acts,’ and ‘they manage matters by letting things take their own course.’ This is solely based on the selfish interests and losses of personal affairs, completely planning for cunning strategies.”

He continued, “Now they begin to appreciate practical benefits, cherishing manipulation close to deceit, they hold nature in their hands and manipulate it as they wish, pretending to practice non-action, yet their inner intentions are always ready to act in every possible way.”

Tao Yuanran centered his attack on Zhao Rong’s conclusion “non-action, yet everything acts” on the phrase “everything acts,” framing Zhao Rong’s views as conspiratorial and manipulative.

He cleverly twisted Zhao Rong’s arguments, rendering his previous dialectic untenable and self-contradictory.