With the example of the Barbarian cavalry, Meton's idea of curbing hair to cure lice was immediately persuasive. Even Li Shimin couldn't help but be convinced. The Tang dynasty was originally extremely open, and the benefits of curbing hair were obvious to all. In a short time, many people's objections were reduced.
"Mo Jiu, the topic of our debate today is what is filial piety? Mo Jiu, I'm afraid you're going off topic. "Quan Wanji saw that the situation wasn't right and immediately changed the topic.
Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Meton didn't linger on the topic any longer. Instead, he restarted the debate on filial piety, "Filial piety is more important than its appearance. However, we're putting the cart before the horse. The most obvious example was during the Han dynasty, when curbing filial piety was extremely popular. At that time, many scholars were willing to do anything to show their filial piety in order to become an official. This little one believes that their goal was to become an official, not filial piety! There were even people who resorted to fraud in order to become an official. The Daoist expert Ge Hong's' Baopuzi 'satirized this phenomenon, saying:' Pass the imperial examinations, but don't know how to study. Curbing filial piety, one's father lives apart. ' The Han dynasty was as pure as mud, and the Gao dynasty was as timid as ants. At the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, there were continuous wars, and the country was in turmoil. As a result, our imperial examination system prevailed, and this trend was curbed! "
Kong Yingda and the others' faces immediately darkened. The curbing filial piety was probably the biggest flaw in filial piety, and the drawbacks of filial piety were displayed in front of everyone.
"Although the curbing filial piety has deep drawbacks, it greatly promotes filial piety and makes the people of the world prioritize filial piety. The drawbacks outweigh the benefits." Quan Wanji argued.
Meton retorted, "Filial piety to one's parents is naturally respectable, but in this Mo's opinion, filial piety can be divided into filial piety and foolish filial piety. One is filial piety, while the other is foolish filial piety. For the sake of this so-called filial piety, ignoring a head full of lice is probably the greatest foolish filial piety in the world.
"Foolish filial piety!"
After Meton brought up the concept of foolish filial piety, it was like a clap of thunder in the imperial court. Since ancient times, filial piety was respected and praised by the imperial court. However, in Mo Jiazi's mouth, foolish filial piety was actually called foolish filial piety.
"This is simply lawless! Your Majesty, we earnestly request that Your Majesty punish this disloyal and unfilial disciple!"
All of a sudden, all the officials were agitated. It was as if their reverse scale had been poked, and the entire court was furious.
Li Shimin immediately looked at Meton with a headache. This kid really knew how to cause trouble. He could only mediate and said, "Meton, if you don't give me an explanation today, I will not forgive you."
Quan Wanji coldly snorted, "Filial piety is a matter of course. Since Yu Shun's filial piety touched the heavens, Zhou Tanzi's offering of deer milk to his parents, and Zhong You's carrying rice from a hundred miles away, there have been people in every dynasty who moved the heavens with filial piety. Minister Minister, I've never heard of foolish filial piety."
Meton sneered, "You are all learned scholars, but I wonder if you have heard of Guo Ju burying his son to honor his mother."
"Mu 'er obeys Mother!"
Immediately, all the civil officials were like ducks that had their necks pinched, unable to say a word.
Guo Ju burying his son to honor his mother happened in the Jin Dynasty. It was said that Guo Ju was extremely filial to his mother. Later on, his family gradually became poor, and his wife gave birth to a boy. Guo Ju was worried that raising this child would affect his ability to provide for his mother, so he discussed with his wife, "Sons can be reborn, but mothers can't be resurrected. Why don't we bury our son and save food to provide for our mother?" The couple then carried their son out and dug a hole to bury him. Fortunately, they dug out a jar of gold and saved their son's life.
Meton coldly looked at the silent civil officials and said, "Although Guo Ju is filial, his act of killing his son goes against human nature. First, it goes against his mother's love for her grandson, and second, it makes his mother feel heartless. This filial piety is foolish filial piety! "
"Foolish filial piety!"
At this time, even Li Shimin couldn't help but fall silent.
"This is just a story made up by our predecessors. Besides, how could there be such a coincidence that a jar of gold could be dug out?" Quan Wanji flatly denied.
Meton laughed and said, "In that case, Yu Shun's filial piety moves the heavens, and Zhou Tanzi's offering of deer's milk to his mother is all fake." In comparison, the heavens moved the earth, and the doe offering of milk to his mother was more reliable.
Quan Wanji immediately got a taste of what it was like to use his own spear to attack his own shield.
"If Guo Ju burying his son to honor his mother can't be investigated, then what do you all think about the matter of Guo Ju selling his body to bury his father?" Meton asked again.
"Selling his body to bury his father was something Dong Yong did in the Han Dynasty. His filial piety moved the heavens and attracted a celestial maiden to descend to the mortal world, creating a beautiful story in the mortal world. This was a matter of filial piety and righteousness, so it was naturally the greatest filial piety!" Quan Wanji said proudly.
The other civil officials also looked at Meton proudly. Meton was at his wit's end, but he was actually speaking up for them. Kong Yingda, on the other hand, felt that something was amiss. According to Mo Jiazi's nature, how could he make such an obvious mistake?
Meton sneered and said, "Then what does Lord Quan think about the common practice of women selling their bodies to bury their fathers on the streets of Chang 'an City?"
Women selling their bodies to bury their fathers on the streets of Chang 'an City! Suddenly, all the ministers fell into a dead silence. Everyone knew that there was only one final destination for these women, and that was the brothel!
Meton shouted, "Although it is said that the deceased should be respected, for the sake of filial piety, allowing one's parents to be buried gloriously, selling their bodies to the brothel and enduring humiliation, is this filial piety or foolish filial piety? Is this behavior worthy of being promoted? If Lord Quan agrees, you can immediately promote Lord Quan's supreme filial piety in the Ink Journal. "
Quan Wanji's face immediately flushed red. If he nodded and agreed with the idea of women selling their bodies to bury their fathers, he would immediately be recorded in the history books as a disgrace.
Quan Wanji wasn't the only one who felt this way. The other civil officials also avoided Meton's gaze.
"Filial piety is a matter of course. It is to be done to one's parents, to support them in their old age and enjoy their remaining years! However, it cannot be foolishly filial, nor can it be blindly following one's parents blindly. If one disobeys one's parents, one will be labeled as unfilial. Since ancient times, there have been countless tragedies of marriages, and the root cause is foolish filial piety! "Meton said generously.
Li Shimin couldn't help but sigh. Meton's words had touched his heart. After the Xuanwu Gate incident, although he had ascended to the throne, he had been labeled as unfilial. At this moment, Meton's words could be said to have hit the bottom of his heart. If he had listened to Li Yuan's words and blindly obeyed him, he probably wouldn't have known what would have happened to him.
"This young one believes that filial piety can't be just a formality, and it can't be done for outsiders to see. As long as the people of the world can provide for their parents when they are old and have treatment when they are sick, that is filial piety. It shouldn't be done for the sake of one's own reputation and official position. It should be done for the sake of one's own reputation and position. It should be done for the sake of one's own reputation," Meton said passionately.
All the officials in the court fell silent.
"This young one also believes that the people of the world should pay more attention to filial piety when they were alive, and not be buried gloriously after they died. A word of greeting when they were alive is better than crying for three days after they died. A bowl of hot rice when they were alive is better than observing mourning for three years! This is the filial piety that parents of the world need, and not letting some people use filial piety to gain fame for themselves. That would lose the essence of filial piety, and that would be an even greater stain on filial piety! "Meton's words were enlightening, and everyone couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
"Filial piety isn't listening to one's words!"
"Filial piety when they were alive!"
"A word of greeting when they were alive is better than crying for three days."
"A bowl of hot rice when they were alive is better than observing mourning for three years!"
… … …
One after another, unprecedented viewpoints directly impacted the three views of the people in the court. In this era, once one's parents passed away, one would definitely observe mourning for three years. Ordinary people would observe mourning for three years, and their families would lose their livelihood and suddenly fall into poverty. Officials would observe mourning for three years, and their official career would be interrupted. And now, Meton could say what everyone was thinking.
"This is true filial piety, the purest filial piety in the world, filial piety that isn't mixed with any utilitarian filial piety!" Meton said each word clearly and forcefully.
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