Chapter 111: A Model for the World

Sima Hui arrived in Jingzhou at the beginning of the third year of Jian'an. He was a renowned scholar of his time, having mentored many students, and was well-known among the literati of Jingzhou. For instance, Liu Yi, who would later become a palace attendant in Cao Wei, studied under Sima Hui in Yingchuan at the age of ten, and Xiang Lang, a high-ranking official of Shu Han, also apprenticed with him in his youth. Years earlier, Pang Tong, having heard of his reputation, traveled north to visit and spent a year or two in Yingchuan, diligently pursuing his studies under Sima Hui. There were countless other students whose names have not been recorded in history, particularly many from the Jingzhou scholarly circles. Even though Sima Hui had never set foot in Jingzhou, the local literati were already well aware of his prestige. Upon learning of his arrival, many, including his former students, flocked to greet him.

When Shen Chen and his companions reached the Xiangyang docks, they saw over a hundred scholars waiting at the northern pier, led by Xiang Lang of the Xiang clan. Since Shen Chen had begun teaching the previous year, the literati of Jingzhou had largely stopped bothering him—not because they lacked the desire, but because no one was willing to travel to Sui Pavilion only to be humiliated. Seeing Shen Chen appear in Xiangyang, the crowd was quite surprised; they had not expected him to come to welcome Sima Hui, and they began to whisper among themselves.

"That boy from the Shen family is here too."
"What is he doing here?"
"Whatever he’s doing, my younger brother was refuted so thoroughly by him last time that he couldn't show his face. Let’s make him pay today."
"Brother Zhou, are you going to debate him again? He is not a man to be trifled with."
"I was studying in Jiangdong last time and wasn't in Jingzhou. Now that I am back, why should I fear him?"

As someone spoke, he began to walk toward them. Seeing that there was entertainment to be had, others followed, and soon over twenty people were heading their way.

In the distance, Xiang Lang, currently the Magistrate of Linju, had taken leave to greet his teacher, Sima Hui. Seeing the commotion, he could not help but look over. He saw a large group of scholars approaching a small party with a menacing air and asked curiously, "What is happening over there?"

Beside him, Li Ren, a student of Song Zhong, who had also come to seek instruction from Sima Hui on ancient texts, replied with a smile, "Does Juda not know of the famous Shen Xiao-lang of Jingzhou?"

Xiang Lang nodded. "I have heard some rumors. They say he is a student of Master Zhongzi, and though young, he is exceptionally learned. Even in Linju, I have heard of his intellect."

Li Ren said, "My fellow student's learning is indeed profound, but because he insists on resisting Cao Cao and openly advocates for enmity against the imperial court, he is not tolerated by the scholars of Xiangyang."

"Enmity against the court?" Xiang Lang frowned. This was no small matter. The current trend among the Jingzhou literati was to urge Liu Biao to serve the imperial court. It was no wonder that someone who opposed the court would be ostracized.

Li Ren explained, "It is not exactly enmity against the court, but rather a personal vendetta against Cao Cao. He constantly enumerates Cao Cao’s faults, calling him a traitor near the Emperor, and insists that Liu Biao should strike him down. It stems mostly from personal grievances."

This was the consensus among the Xiangyang literati—that Shen Chen’s opposition to Cao Cao was purely personal. They did not know that after the future incident of the "Emperor's Girdle Decree," when Cao Cao’s true face as a usurper—having killed the Empress, the imperial uncle, and the prince—was revealed, many who claimed loyalty to the court would find their own faces slapped by reality.

"I see." Xiang Lang nodded slightly, watching to see what Shen Chen would say.

The man who had come to challenge him was Zhou An, a member of the Zhou clan of Nanxin. His younger brother had been thoroughly defeated in a debate by Shen Chen the previous year. At the time, Zhou An had been in Jiangdong visiting luminaries like Yuan Zhong, Xu Jing, and Huan Shao. Now that he had returned, he was determined to seek justice for his brother.

Zhou An, in his thirties with a goatee, approached with an aggressive demeanor. Shen Chen stepped out from behind Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu, and Pang Tong, facing the crowd alone, completely unfazed.

"Are you Shen Chen?" Zhou An demanded.

Shen Chen, wearing a sword at his waist and dressed in travel gear, bowed and said, "I am Shen Chen. May I ask who you are?"

"Zhou An of Nanxin." Zhou An returned the bow with a modicum of politeness, but immediately added, "I have heard you lead the local people astray. Is this true?"

Shen Chen laughed. "That is merely a misunderstanding. As the saying goes, 'A candle's light may be obscured, and a meal may be misinterpreted.' When the Duke of Zhou was summoned, he earned the trust of King Cheng and King Kang. The knowledge I teach is based on the words of the ancient sages; how could that be leading people astray?"

Zhou An, seeing that Shen Chen spoke with logic, lost some of his initial aggression. He bowed toward the north and said, "If that is so, Cao Cao welcomed the Emperor in a time of crisis and is a minister of the state. Why do you spread rumors to smear his reputation?"

Shen Chen shook his head. "Whether Cao Cao is a traitor or a loyalist, history will judge. Furthermore, anyone in the world can serve the Emperor; if Cao Cao can, why can't I? A true man in troubled times should draw his three-foot sword and achieve extraordinary deeds. Cao Cao serves the Emperor now, but he has not brought an imperial decree to strike me. Why should I not oppose him? When the day comes that he bullies the Emperor, I shall draw my sword and march on Luoyang to seek justice for the world!"

"Hahahaha!" The crowd erupted into laughter. Someone mocked, "You, wanting to draw your sword and march on Luoyang?"

Shen Chen said coldly, "Humph. The swallows and sparrows cannot understand the ambitions of the swan. I came from Xuzhou and saw Cao Cao slaughter over two hundred thousand people. You have likely never even seen twenty thousand living people, let alone twenty thousand dead! Cao Cao’s cousin Cao Ren and his general Yue Jin were slain by my own hand. I single-handedly resisted the brutal Cao army. Is that not proof enough of my ability to march north and serve the Emperor?"

The crowd, previously mocking, fell silent. They suddenly remembered that the man before them was a veritable god of slaughter.

Zhou An frowned. "Do you think Cao Cao is incapable of stabilizing the universe?"

"Why should he be?" Shen Chen countered.

Zhou An bowed toward the north again. "With the Emperor in the rear and Cao Cao in the front, governing with the Way of Kings, does this not align with the rites of the state?"

"How can a brutal man shoulder the task of governing a country?" Shen Chen shook his head. "I truly do not understand. Has morality decayed to this point? Perhaps laws against murder have collapsed due to the chaotic times. I cannot judge if Cao Cao’s slaughter of hundreds of thousands was right or wrong, but that is not a reason for you to tell me not to seek revenge, is it?"

"Uh..." Zhou An pondered for a moment, at a loss for words. Finally, he sighed, "You are right. You have your perspective, and we have ours, but that does not mean we are necessarily wrong."

Shen Chen nodded. "You are a man of reason."

Neither had convinced the other, but for the black-and-white thinkers in the crowd, Zhou An was considered a man of standing. Because they viewed the issue from different angles, Zhou An believed that Cao Cao’s protection of the Emperor gave him the mandate of a restorer, and that even with flaws, he should not be criticized for the sake of national stability. Shen Chen, however, had a personal vendetta and believed Cao Cao’s brutality made him unfit to be a restorer. Compared to other scholars, Zhou An was a well-traveled man of repute, and his admission that Shen Chen’s logic held merit earned him Shen Chen’s respect.

From afar, Xiang Lang observed the debate and turned to Li Ren. "It seems this Shen Chen is not as unbearable as people say. He holds to righteousness and condemns brutality; how can that be wrong?"

Li Ren sighed. "Brother Chen has improved greatly. He did not have such ambitions before. He used to only speak of Cao Cao’s cruelty, but now he speaks of marching on Luoyang—a true man's ambition. He often speaks of the 'unity of knowledge and action.' These grand words of his make us, his peers, feel quite ashamed."

"What is the 'unity of knowledge and action'?" Someone asked from behind them.

Xiang Lang turned, initially surprised, but after a moment of careful observation, he exclaimed with joy, "Teacher!"

Behind them stood a middle-aged man, not quite fifty, with a kind face, a goatee, and a simple, plain robe, smiling at them. It was the famous Yingchuan scholar, Sima Hui. No one had expected him to arrive so suddenly, standing right there in the crowd. He carried no grand belongings, only a few family members and a dozen servants carrying luggage. To other famous scholars, he would be considered the poorest, but everyone knew Sima Hui was not poor; he was simply humble. Even with vast fields and mulberry groves in Yingchuan, he worked the land himself and never acted like a typical "famous scholar."

"Teacher!" "Teacher!" "Teacher!"

As the crowd realized Sima Hui had arrived, cries of "Teacher" echoed through the air. Though not from Jingzhou, he had many students there. At least thirty of them, including Xiang Lang and Liu Yi, were present. Sima Hui, who had not seen them in years, looked around, touched by the familiar faces. "I only asked Ciming to help me buy a remote house in Xiangyang to live in; I did not expect you all to come."

The student named Ciming was Huang Hui, a member of the Huang clan. He smiled and said, "I did not intend to spread the news, but Juda saw the letter, then told Shiyuan, who told Wenqing, who told..."

"Enough, enough." Sima Hui waved his hand, his head spinning. "I should have expected it when Shiyuan wrote to me."

At that moment, Pang Tong, Xu Shu, Zhuge Liang, and Shen Chen approached and bowed. "Teacher, Master Decao."

"Everyone, rise." Sima Hui gestured for them to stand, then looked at Pang Tong, who was wearing his cap, and praised him: "Shiyuan, two years have passed, you have come of age. You are a man now."

"You are too kind, Teacher." Pang Tong bowed again. "It is thanks to your teachings that I understand the principles of being a man."

Sima Hui nodded and scanned the crowd, noticing Shen Chen. He asked curiously, "Young friend, I heard you speak of the 'unity of knowledge and action.' I wish to know what that means."

Shen Chen stood tall and bowed earnestly. "Master Decao, the unity of knowledge and action is a principle where one's conscience and one's deeds are aligned. It is not that knowing the principle is the same as achieving it; rather, the morality in one's heart and the actual attempt to act upon it must be simultaneous."

"For example?" Sima Hui asked.

Shen Chen thought for a moment. "If I hear that a village in the north is suffering from drought and the people are displaced, and I happen to have ten thousand bushels of grain at home, I can save them. If I know righteousness and desire to practice it, I take the grain and save countless lives. This is the alignment of inner conscience and outward action. This is the unity of knowledge and action."

"Is this the unity of knowledge and action?" Sima Hui’s eyes widened. He felt as if this youth’s thoughts were as profound as a mountain.

Shen Chen continued, "Master Kong defined 'Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, and Faith' as the standard for a gentleman, and the world’s scholars follow this. But in these times, the rites have collapsed. People actually take pride in defending those who slaughter the populace, forgetting that the sages taught: 'The way of the Great Learning lies in manifesting bright virtue, in loving the people, and in abiding by the highest good.' My heart is often troubled, so I wish to use my own actions to teach the world what the unity of knowledge and action truly is."

"They say you are resisting Cao Cao. Some say you are defying the Emperor’s will by doing so. Do you think that is correct?" Sima Hui had only heard fragments but was curious.

Shen Chen said firmly, "The 'Mandate of Heaven is not constant; it only supports virtue.' Just because Cao Cao welcomed the Emperor, people should not assume he is good, nor should they follow him blindly just because he holds the mandate. The Duke of Zhou and the Marquess of Bolu are praised because they had noble character. Sages love the people and are not brutal. Wang Mang and Dong Zhuo held power, but they subverted the state. Must we obey them just because they hold power? Someone told me Cao Cao’s massacre in Xuzhou was a necessity, but I witnessed it myself. I know he only wanted to intimidate Tao Qian and plunder grain. Is that not his brutal nature? A poisonous snake may disguise itself as a withered log to hunt, but no matter how well it disguises itself, it remains a snake. I do not believe Cao Cao is a minister who can assist a king. His current submission is only to seize greater power later. I believe time will prove me right."

His words left the scholars deep in thought. They were surprised to find that they were being persuaded.

Sima Hui sighed. "I once thought Shiyuan was the best among the scholars of the South, but seeing you today, I realize my own shortsightedness. Even a teenager understands such profound truths, while it took me years to grasp them. I am inferior to you."

The crowd erupted in shock. Sima Hui was admitting he was inferior to Shen Chen!

Shen Chen bowed. "You are too kind. It is only because I often reflect on the principles of conduct."

Sima Hui looked at him with utmost sincerity. "I have just arrived in Xiangyang and need to settle in. Once I have, I hope you will come often to discuss and enlighten me."

The crowd was stunned. Sima Hui was asking a teenager to enlighten him!

Shen Chen replied, "Enlightenment is not necessary. The wisdom of the sages is in the books; everyone interprets it differently. It is just that for most, the lives they pursue differ from mine, so their thoughts differ as well."

"How are they different?" Sima Hui asked, feeling that the youth was a treasure trove of truth.

Shen Chen said, "Some feel that 'to cultivate oneself in peace is enough, why seek eternal fame?' Others feel we should 'assist the sovereign and serve the country.' Some think 'to die in ignorance is to wither with the grass, but to live by the Truth is to live forever.' I believe that beyond the country and oneself, one must have the heart of a great person who seeks to benefit the world—to look up to the universe and look down to comfort the people, just as the Master did."

"Easy to say, hard to do," someone muttered. "The world is broken; what use is talk if you want to save the people?"

Shen Chen laughed. "If you look for the flaws in people, you will find no one to associate with. If you look for their strengths, everyone is your teacher. Everything has a method; you just haven't found the direction. As for me, I am walking that path. If you do not even have the heart to try, should you not feel ashamed?"

The scholars were shaken. They felt Shen Chen’s words were as deep as the sea and as high as a mountain. Many began to question their own cynicism.

Sima Hui sighed. "Your words are profound. If one day you truly achieve the unity of knowledge and action in saving the people, you shall be a model for the world."