Chapter 924 Going the opposite direction
"My nephew Kong Xuan has been practicing in Confucianism until now. Now he suddenly enters the world. I believe that there must be some Confucianists who have helped him. I understand your curiosity about the Duke of Zhenguo."

"From my perspective, the Duke of Zhenguo is definitely not an ordinary person. He has an extraordinary vision and foresight. What's more, he knows how to use people and how to make everyone play their best role under his command."

"The establishment of the Jixia Academy is one of the clear evidences of his emphasis on education and his willingness to recruit talented people."

After the two men sat down, Guan Zhong spoke slowly.

Kong Xuan nodded slightly, remained silent, just quietly sipped his tea and listened to Guan Zhong's endless words.

"The purpose of establishing the Jixia Academy is to gather talents from all over the world to discuss ways to govern the country and seek the well-being of the people of the world."

"As a Confucian patron saint, my nephew Kong Xuan has profound attainments in Confucianism. If he can teach here, it will definitely add a touch of bright color to the Jixia Academy."

Guan Zhong paused, looked at the noble young man in front of him with a proud character, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, and continued.

When Kong Xuan heard this, he couldn't help but feel an impulse in his heart.

He originally thought that he came here just to visit Guan Zhong, but he did not expect that Guan Zhong actually intended to invite him to stay in the Jixia Academy to teach.

This is undoubtedly a great honor for a Dharma protector who loves Confucianism and is committed to spreading Confucian teachings.

However, there was a hint of hesitation in Kong Xuan's heart. He came to Hengzhou this time to seek refuge with the legendary wise leader Su Ye, but he did not expect to encounter such a situation in the Jixia Academy.

"Don't worry, my dear nephew Kong Xuan. The door of Jixia Academy is always open to you. You can come here to learn anytime and anywhere as long as you are willing."

"As for the Duke of Zhenguo in Tianheng Mansion today, whether he is a wise ruler or not is hard to say."

"But I believe that Su Ye has the potential to become a wise leader. He knows how to listen and has the courage to innovate. More importantly, he cares about the people of the world. Such a leader is worthy of our assistance, or in other words, we should wait for him with time!"

Guan Zhong seemed to see Kong Xuan's hesitation and smiled.

At this time, Guan Zhong and Kong Xuan were sitting opposite each other. The candlelight in the room flickered, shining on their focused faces.

The teapot on the table emitted wisps of hot steam, which intertwined with the occasional night breeze blowing in from the window, bringing a hint of coolness. Kong Xuan suddenly changed the subject, and the topic of their conversation immediately shifted from the initial topic to a discussion of Confucianism.

"My dear nephew Kong Xuan, the Confucian way is about benevolence, propriety, justice, and loyalty. However, the way to govern a country requires taking into account both civil and military affairs in order to achieve long-term stability."

Guan Zhong stroked his long beard, with a smile in his eyes. Following Kong Xuan's guidance, he slowly spoke.

"Mr. Guan Zhong is right. Although Confucianism emphasizes civil governance, it also has many brave warriors. They use literature to convey the truth and use martial arts to defend the truth. The two complement each other."

"I have been cultivating myself in this world for many years, and I have often thought about the teachings of Confucianism, striving to integrate benevolence and righteousness into military strategy, so that war can be a means to stop hostility, rather than a war for the sake of killing."

Kong Xuan smiled slightly and bowed.

"On the battlefield, things change rapidly, and one must be able to plan and win from thousands of miles away."

"Although I have not personally experienced war, I know that speed is the most important thing in war, but peace is even more important. Peace benefits both sides, while war hurts both sides."

“Therefore, I think that the wisdom of Confucianism can also be applied on the battlefield, and winning by wisdom is the best strategy.”

After saying this, Kong Xuan stood up and paced around the room. His colorful clothes shone brightly under the candlelight, like the brightest stars in the night sky, and he continued.

"My nephew Kong Xuan's words are very true to me. Confucianism not only emphasizes the unity of knowledge and action, but also emphasizes the way of flexibility."

"It is the same on the battlefield. We need to be flexible and adapt to the situation. It is truly commendable that you can combine Confucianism with military strategy."

Guan Zhong heard this, a smile flashed in his eyes, he stroked the teacup, and said after a moment of silence. The two started an in-depth discussion on literature and Confucianism. Kong Xuan's extraordinary battlefield military strategy and ability to strategize, integrating Confucian wisdom into military theory, expounded vividly, quoted classics, and used actual combat as examples. The logic was so rigorous that even Guan Zhong couldn't help but be moved.

Guan Zhong nodded as he listened, secretly admiring in his heart that this somewhat eccentric Confucian guardian was not only extremely powerful in martial arts, but also extremely intelligent. He was truly a rare all-rounder in both civil and military affairs.

During the debate, Kong Xuan finally revealed a hidden meaning, which was that he hoped Guan Zhong could recommend him to Su Ye as a scholar.

How could Guan Zhong not notice this hint of meaning?

This also made him more certain. After a short period of getting along, Guan Zhong, who had seen countless people, could easily judge that Kong Xuan was a naturally proud person, and would never easily surrender to others unless he was sincere.

Now that he is willing to join Su Ye's army as a scholar, he must think highly of Su Ye and believe that he has the potential to become a wise leader.

"My dear nephew Kong Xuan, I admire your talent and learning very much. The Duke of Zhenguo is my disciple and has a broad mind. He will surely appreciate my nephew's talent."

"If you wish, my dear nephew, I can write a letter to introduce you to Jin Yu, how about that?"

Thinking of this, Guan Zhong already had an idea in his mind. He stroked his beard, followed Kong Xuan's meaning, and chuckled softly.

"I'm so grateful for your help, Mr. Guan Zhong."

Kong Xuan was delighted when he heard this, but he remained expressionless and bowed.

"My dear nephew, please keep this letter. Take it to Tianheng Mansion and Jinyu will meet you."

Guan Zhong laughed loudly, then picked up his pen and wrote the letter in one stroke. He sealed the letter and handed it to Kong Xuandao.

Kong Xuan took the letter and bowed again to express his gratitude. His admiration for Guan Zhong increased a little more. It was easier to talk to a smart person!
At this moment in Tianheng Mansion, Su Ye was working at his desk handling government affairs. It was late at night, but he had no desire to sleep at all, as he was worried about Kong Xuan's movements.

Just then, a sound of light footsteps was heard, and Jingwei walked into the room again with a secret letter in his hand.

"Your Highness, Luowang has sent another secret letter."

Jingwei bowed and presented the secret letter with both hands.

"Mr. Guan Zhong has written a letter recommending Kong Xuan to join your Highness as a scholar."

Su Ye took the secret letter, opened it gently, unfolded the paper, and saw what was written on it.

"What the hell, you are a top-level war god with a basic strength of 109, and you actually want to join my army as a civilian, right?"

Su Ye was stunned, then the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he felt speechless.

However, on second thought, Su Ye felt that this was expected. Kong Xuan was arrogant and conceited. He chose to join as a scholar, probably because he wanted to show his unique style in his own way.

"Give this letter to Mr. Guan Zhong and tell him that I know about Kong Xuan's situation and will make proper arrangements."

He turned around and sat back at the desk. He picked up the pen, wrote a few lines on the secret letter, then put it in an envelope and handed it to Jingwei.

"Jingwei, go and get ready. I will personally go to greet Kong Xuan tomorrow."

"Since he is willing to join my army as a scholar, I should treat him with courtesy."

Then, just when Jingwei was about to leave, Su Ye turned around and gave instructions.

(End of this chapter)