or food. Wherever they passed, mountains were stripped bare. One eyewitness recounted that they saw entire hills reduced in height by a whole zhang after being ravaged by hungry refugees. The implicat...Chapter 1190: Thoughts

In the Laiyi Hall, Su Jinpa had finished her evening meal and was lying on a soft silk mattress reading a book.

The sound of the announcement heralding the arrival of His Highness, the Crown Prince, reached Su Jinpa's ears. As he was about to put down his book and go greet him, Li Chen strode into the bedroom with an imposing air.

"You may dispense with the formalities."

Li Chen waved his hand to stop Su Jinpa, who was about to get up, and then ordered the maids serving them to retreat.

Only Li Chen and Su Jinpa were left in the house.

Li Chen smiled mischievously and leaned close to Su Jinpa, asking, "Are you feeling better from the cold you caught a few days ago"

"It took just a few doses of medicine and it was all better. Dr. Zhang is very skilled," Su Jinpa replied.

"What are you reading" Li Chen asked again.

"Taoist annotations."

Su Jinping flipped the book in her hand, revealing the title on the cover to Li Chen.

That book written by the former emperor's recluse, Wind of Hidden Court

Li Chen raised an eyebrow and said, "I've read some of this book. Most of the content is somewhat reasonable, but the book overemphasizes Taoist philosophy, relentlessly advocating for a monarch to rule without doing anything. It's utter nonsense."

Su Jinpa, seeing Li Chen's uncomplimentary evaluation, retorted: "It's not a blanket statement. The 'wu wei' in the Taoist classics leans more towards Laozi's original intention, meaning that 'wu wei' doesn't mean doing nothing. Extrapolating to governance, it means that the monarch should also constrain power through systems and regulations, then return more freedom to the people, enabling them to exercise greater self-initiative, thus achieving a flourishing society."

"Is that all you got Come on, be serious!"

As Li Chen spoke, he had already lifted the corner of the soft mattress and burrowed into it, sharing a duvet with Su Jinpa. He continued to talk incessantly, trying to keep Su Jinpa's attention.

"To say that one has never been a monarch is easy, but in reality, it's still overly idealistic."

"It's not easy to rule a kingdom,"

Even with the oppression of power and severe punishments, this world still has injustices everywhere. It's free for people to express themselves, but everyone's mental state and quality are different. Some are good, some are bad.

Just like some people prefer spinach and others carrots, everyone has their own tastes.

How can one unify one's thoughts through non-action

"Since thoughts cannot be unified, the nation will sooner or later fall into chaos."

Su Jinpa only felt that the quilt suddenly became a little crowded. She subconsciously shifted inward, making some space for Li Chenteng, but her thoughts kept following Li Chenteng's line of reasoning.

After some thought, Su Jinpa couldn't help but say, "In your eyes, are the Taoist ideas that have been passed down for thousands of years worthless"

“I am the prince, and Taoist thought cannot be taken. But I am Li Chen, and I respect Taoist thought.”

Li Chen chuckled lightly and said, "To put it simply, during the Hundred Schools of Thought era, the ideas of any school represented a certain trend of thought. The collision of these trends was beneficial to both the country and the nation. Why is it that our Central Plains culture shines brightly like a galaxy It is because there were so many sages who held different views. Through debates and comparisons, they perfected their own ideas, and in the test of history, they found the path most suitable for Central Plains culture."

“Why Confucianism can laugh until the end, it's not because Confucian thought is so advanced and perfect. Any system in this world has its limitations and defects, and Confucian thought is no exception. But the core of Confucian thought emphasizes benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness, forgiveness, loyalty, filial piety, and respect for elders. These nine virtues provide emperors with a theoretical basis for ruling over all the people.”r wore an expression of calm indifference."After you pay homage to the God of War, when you see General Su, you bow. Then what about me" Li Chen said lightly."Wei looked at Li Chen first, sneered and...