Chapter 117: A Respectful Farewell to Mr. Shen (Many thanks to Brother Yun, the Alliance Leader, for the generous reward.)

When Shen Chen emerged from the Governor’s mansion, he was met with a scene of utter chaos.

During the banquet, Wang Jun had suddenly vomited blood, prompting the gathered Confucian scholars and men of letters to carry him out in a frantic haste. Outside the gates, their countless disciples, witnessing this, were struck with shock. Fearing for Wang Jun’s safety, the scholars did not pause to explain, instead crowding around to rush him toward the infirmary. The crowd was in turmoil; those outside did not know what had happened, those inside were desperate to find out, and the scholars were solely focused on reaching the infirmary. It was a total mess.

By the time Shen Chen walked out, Wang Jun had already been placed on a carriage. As the remaining scholars were besieged by the crowd with anxious questions, they began to stutter, unable to provide an answer. Then, they saw Shen Chen, and it was as if they had found their target.

Hundreds of people swarmed forward, their expressions fierce and menacing, as if they intended to demand an explanation.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

At that moment, the guards at the gate of the Governor's mansion surged forward, surrounding Shen Chen and drawing their ring-pommel sabers to force the crowd back. Yet, the people were undeterred; many drew the swords at their own waists. Someone shouted angrily, "You villain, what have you done to our master?"

"Speak! Was it you who secretly harmed him?"

"Despicable!"

The crowd pressed forward, as if they would tear Shen Chen to pieces.

"Stop!"

The Confucian scholar Ying Rong, being more rational, stepped forward to intervene. Since he had the most disciples—over a thousand—the majority of those present were his followers. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, he ordered, "Stand down!"

"Master!"

The crowd was stunned, failing to understand why Ying Rong would protect a villain like Shen Chen.

Ying Rong sighed. "The truth of Cao Cao’s actions—imprisoning the Emperor, murdering the Empress’s brother, the imperial concubine, the princes, and his ministers—has come to light. He is a traitor to the state. There is no need for you to trouble Young Master Shen further."

"What?"

"Cao... Cao Cao imprisoned the Emperor?"

"And murdered the imperial kin, the concubine, the princes, and his ministers?"

"This..."

The crowd was struck dumb. The news rippled backward like a tidal wave, drawing gasps of shock that echoed one after another.

Shen Chen walked slowly forward, pushing aside the guards protecting him, and stood before the crowd. At the very front stood a young scholar, still clutching his sword, the tip less than two inches from Shen Chen’s body.

Looking at the scholar, Shen Chen vaguely recalled him as someone who had once debated Cao Cao’s character with him. He asked with a smile, "I recognize you. Your name is Song Kui, of the Liqiu Song clan, a student of Master Zi Yan. You once told me that Cao Cao, by welcoming the Emperor, was a virtuous man. Today, the Emperor has issued a blood-letter to the world, revealing that Cao Cao has imprisoned him and even laid his poisonous hands on an unborn prince. Now, tell me: is he good, or is he evil?"

"I... I..."

Song Kui was mortified. He dared not meet Shen Chen’s eyes; though he held a sword, he stepped backward.

Shen Chen pressed on, taking a step forward. "I once said that one day, Cao Cao would reveal his true nature. I said that when the world learned of how he bullied the Emperor, I would draw my sword and march on Luoyang to seek justice for the Emperor and the people. I am now prepared to march north to attack Xuchang. This is the unity of knowledge and action. Do you think Cao Cao is good or evil, and am I good or evil?"

"You... you..."

Forced into a corner, Song Kui could say nothing, his entire body trembling.

Although Ying Rong had not defected to Liu Biao, he had also not joined Cao Cao, choosing instead to teach in Jingzhou until his death. Being a man of integrity, he sighed, "Young Master Shen upholds justice; he should be a model for the world."

"Then, am I a good person?" Shen Chen asked.

"Yes... you are a good person," Song Kui conceded helplessly.

"So," Shen Chen said, looking down at the sword still clutched in Song Kui’s hand, then sweeping his gaze over the other sword-wielding scholars, he laughed loudly. "So, a good person should be pointed at with swords? You dare not march north to oppose a traitor like Cao Cao, yet you only dare to raise your blades against a hero who stands alone, daring to march north to oppose the Cao villain for the sake of the world. What kind of people are you?"

"We... we..."

"Clatter."

Countless iron swords fell onto the stone pavement with a ringing chime. The scholars were overcome with shame; had there been a crack in the ground, they would have wished to crawl into it.

"We were all blinded by Cao Cao. We did not know he was a traitor to the state. It is our fault."

"Forgive us. We did not recognize the hero of the world, having mistaken a thief for a man of virtue. Today, we finally realize that Master Shen is the true man of honor!"

"We were ignorant and spoke out of turn. We beg for your mercy, young master."

One after another, they dropped their swords and bowed deeply toward Shen Chen. For a time, the area before him was filled with bowed heads as they offered sincere apologies.

Shen Chen climbed onto his carriage and stood, looking down at the scholars.

"I will not forgive you!" he declared. "Confucius said, 'With what then will you repay kindness? Repay injury with uprightness, and kindness with kindness.' If apologies were enough, how could those you have harmed ever find peace, and how could those who have died be brought back to life? Therefore, I look down upon you."

"We are sorry." The crowd, filled with shame, bowed again.

Shen Chen looked down at them. "However, who is without fault? That you can apologize to me now shows you still possess a sense of shame. As the *Book of Rites* says, 'To know shame is to be brave.' To recognize one's disgrace means one can surely correct one’s errors."

"You lived peacefully in Jingzhou and could not see the tragedy of these chaotic times or the true nature of Cao Cao. That is understandable, but that does not give you the right to let your prejudices lead you to make rash judgments about others."

"Human wisdom grows through study, but virtue is far from something that can be improved by reading books alone. After this incident, I hope that in the future, you will not jump to conclusions before seeing the truth, nor will you speculate wildly or insult others with your words. This is the only advice I can give you."

Was this not similar to the internet trolls of later ages? Before Cao Cao’s true nature was exposed, countless scholars supported him. Even after it was exposed, there were still countless shameless noble families who knelt to defect to him, adding bricks to the foundation of the Cao Wei regime. Establishing virtue was something Shen Chen could not do alone, but that did not mean he would forgive those who had harmed him. Thus, he offered them this sole piece of advice.

Just as he was about to board his carriage, the scholar Ying Rong asked, "Young Master Shen, I have a question. Could you clarify something for me?"

Shen Chen stood on the carriage, looked at him, and then stepped back down. "Please, sir."

"What is the meaning of 'the unity of knowledge and action'?" Ying Rong asked. "What must we do for you to forgive us?"

Shen Chen looked around. The surrounding scholars were watching him with fervent gazes. Perhaps among them were those who favored Cao Wei, such as Wei Xi, He Qia, or Du Xi. But the majority still possessed a sense of justice and shame, which meant they could still be saved.

Thinking of this, Shen Chen spoke loudly: "My heart and my actions are as clear as a mirror; all that I do is for the sake of justice. This is the unity of knowledge and action."

"Knowledge is the conscience within you—loyalty, filial piety, ritual, righteousness, benevolence, wisdom, and trust. These are the foundations of your conscience. Those who hold these values in their hearts should put them into practice through their words and deeds."

"For example, the Cao villain is now wreaking havoc on the imperial court, imprisoning the Emperor, and murdering ministers, the Empress, and princes. Such actions are rebellious and beneath a subject. If you are men of justice, you should be like me—drawing your sword to march on Luoyang, just as the Master scolded the Three Huan to rectify the court with sternness."

"Of course, that is just an example. I do not advise you to do this, because I knew long ago that Cao Cao was a traitor, and so I built an army specifically to march north and oppose him."

"You do not have armies, so you should not perform acts you know to be suicidal."

"But this does not mean you have nothing to do. The Emperor’s blood-letter has been issued; you should condemn Cao Cao morally, rendering his pretense of righteousness void, and expose his ugly deeds of slaughtering the people and holding the Emperor hostage to command the vassals. You must not continue to defend him."

"Beyond that, you should also act for other causes that involve your conscience."

"Because this world belongs not only to the Cao villain, but also to countless common people."

"The Han house is collapsing, the world is in chaos, and the people are living in misery, hanging by a thread."

"The world treats the common people with cruelty. Not to mention the warlords, but even the local powerful families—how many treat the common folk with benevolence?"

"Mencius said, 'The people are the most important, the state comes next, and the ruler is the least.' If there are no people, where is the state? If there are no people, where are you?"

"Therefore, to serve the ruler and honor one's parents is loyalty and filial piety; to love the common people and treat others with leniency is benevolence and righteousness. This is the true intent of the sages."

"Of course, some may say: 'I have neither vast wealth, nor a noble lineage, nor power or influence. How can I practice this path of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness?'"

"In my view, being born poor is no shame; striving upward is the mark of a true man. If you are born poor, you should be self-reliant. When poor, cultivate your own virtue; when successful, benefit the whole world. When you have vast wealth and high status, do not forget to look at those who were once as destitute as you."

"If you are born into a wealthy family with countless servants, if you have a conscience, then treat your servants well and be kind to the common folk around you. People know who is good to them and who is not, just as one knows the temperature of the water one drinks."

"When serving as an official, be able to face the ruler above and the people below with a clear conscience. When living at home as a civilian, teach and educate, leading by example to make your village a place of benevolence and righteousness. If you can do this, you have achieved true virtue. Even if I were to pass by your door, I would bow and tell everyone that you are sages."

In the end, Shen Chen swept his gaze over the crowd. "I do not expect these words of mine to be a deafening wake-up call that inspires you all to become models for the world or achieve great deeds. I only hope to awaken a few, so that in the future, you may be like me—unifying knowledge and action, and using your conscience and personal efforts to interpret benevolence, righteousness, ritual, wisdom, and trust. That will be enough. I have said my piece; you may do as you please."

With that, he slowly stepped onto his carriage and sat inside. The driver flicked the reins, and the scholars on both sides parted to clear a path. The carriage moved forward, driving out of the city under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Watching him depart, Ying Rong sighed, "This is a true scholar of the nation. I have lived for decades, yet I am not as clear-sighted as a youth in his teens. I am truly unworthy of being a teacher."

Having said this, he bowed slowly and called out to Shen Chen’s retreating figure, "Farewell, Master Shen!"

With over a thousand disciples, those surrounding him, having been moved by Shen Chen’s words, followed suit and bowed as well, calling out in unison:

"Farewell, Master Shen!"