Three Kingdoms' Great Agent

  Old Master Du's mouth curled up with a hint of a smile, his eyes full of anticipation.

  He was quite interested in the changes that occurred after Wang Lei entered prison. This kid became eloquent and also knew Xun Yan, a member of the Xun family from Yingchuan, and even recognized Du Gui, who was standing in front of him, which made Old Man Du feel both surprised and unfamiliar. Now that Wang Lei wanted to debate with Du Gui, it was another great opportunity for him to understand Wang Lei better, how could he not be delighted?

  Guo Yu, Guo Nvwang and Lao Furen found something was wrong, their eyes were anxious.

  He wanted to speak out and stop it, but was restrained by Old Master Du's gaze.

  What a great opportunity, how can it be missed?

  Du Ke's expression was solemn, and he sat opposite Wang Lei across the bonfire. He paused for a moment before speaking slowly: "The Mencius says 'When poor, cultivate virtue in solitude; when prosperous, benefit all under heaven.' The general idea is that when one is impoverished, they should focus on cultivating their own character and moral integrity, and just take care of themselves; when one is successful, they should bring benefits to the world, allowing countless people to reap the rewards. Nowadays, the emperor has lost his way, the court is in disarray, and war rages on in the Central Plains, while I myself come from a poor family background. Being able to protect myself in these chaotic times is already quite an achievement. According to the words of the sages, taking my mother to Liaodong to escape the chaos is the most correct choice. How can this be considered a cowardly choice? Does County Magistrate Wang think that Mencius was a coward, someone who shied away from challenges?"

  The words were loud and clear.

  Old Master Du stroked his chin whiskers and nodded slightly.

  Living up to being a well-read person, he quotes classics and occupies the moral high ground as soon as he opens his mouth.

  This makes the old man look forward to Wang Wei's performance even more.

  Wang Lei chuckled twice, his expression calm and composed, saying slowly: "Mencius said 'When poor, cultivate virtue in solitude; when rich, benefit all under heaven.' But he also said 'Better to have no books than to believe them entirely.' In the words of Mencius, if one completely believes in books, it's better to have no books at all. Brother Bo Hou chooses to believe in Mencius' book entirely, which in my opinion goes against the essence of Mencius' book."

  "Even if Xian and others dare to admit it, how can you, Bohou brother, still not dare to admit it?"

  "I have heard that 'the rise and fall of the world, a single man has responsibility.' This world is the world of all people under heaven, and all people under heaven have the responsibility to defend the interests of the great Han. The decline of the Han, with treacherous officials dominating the court, is precisely the time for heroes to rise up, it is exactly when one should exhaust their abilities to stem the tide. Brother Bo's talent is outstanding, he should rise up and contribute his strength to the country."

  Wang Lei's words became increasingly sharp, and he said loudly: "Anyone who still has blood flowing in their veins, whose blood hasn't cooled down yet, will stand up at this critical moment. How can one be selfish and avoid the difficulty? Isn't that what a coward would do?"

  Old Master Du's eyes lit up, this kid is indeed a pleasant surprise!

  Du Qi's face changed slightly, feeling a heavy pressure.

  The person in front of him couldn't be judged by his appearance, he was a troublesome person. Du Qi took a deep breath to calm himself down, chuckled twice, and counterattacked: "Mengzi said 'A gentleman does not stand under the city wall', roughly meaning one should stay away from dangerous places and not let oneself fall into danger. The Central Plains are in turmoil, I'm taking my mother to avoid disaster, this is a reasonable thing to do, what weakness?"

  Wang Lei smiled and thought, "Du Qi's words have already fallen short from the start."

  The first direct confrontation had an impact on Du Qi!

  Wang Lei would not have the slightest idea of retreating, and proudly said: "I just said 'it's better to have no books than to believe in them completely', let's put this argument aside for now, so as not to make Brother Bo say that I'm always stuck on one thing and can't let go. I once heard a farmer say 'family affairs, national affairs, world affairs, all matters are related', an old farmer in the fields has such insight, what about the talented Du Bohou? The country is in danger, but Du Bohou uses 'a gentleman does not stand under the city wall' to shirk responsibility, which greatly disappoints me."

  He let out a long sigh, as if he was truly disappointed in Du Qi.

  As soon as he opened his mouth, Wang Lei overwhelmed him with momentum.

  If we really talk about reason, it's not unusual for people to avoid trouble, and Wang Yue obviously has no reason to refute Du Qi. But Wang Yue puts Du Qi in a position of outstanding talent, and then uses the national trend to pressure him, making it difficult for Du Qi to respond.

  National affairs are Wang Lei's commanding heights.

  Du Qi was not one to give up easily, and he continued, "The Book of Songs says, 'My father gave birth to me, my mother raised me, she nurtured me and educated me, took care of me and protected me, sent me out into the world. I want to repay her kindness, but it's as vast as the sky and endless.' The general idea is that parents give birth to us, raise us, and take care of us until we grow up. I want to repay them well, but their kindness is like the sky, so great and boundless, how can I ever fully repay it? Even in ancient times, people had such filial piety, how could I as a son not repay my mother's kindness?"

  Du Qi looked at the old lady with a serious expression and said sincerely, "Staying in Zhongyuan, Mother will have an extra bit of danger. I want to fulfill my filial piety, is this also wrong?"

  He snorted coldly, his eyes sharp and piercing, waiting for Wang Yue's response.

  Hahaha...

  Wang Lei burst out laughing and shook his head gently.

  Du Qixin's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked: "Why did County Magistrate Wang burst out laughing?"

  Wang Lei's laughter stopped, and he shook his head, saying: "I was laughing because Du Bo Hou has mastered the small filial piety, but forgot about the great filial piety. Don't be in a hurry, don't be in a hurry, just listen to me slowly."

  Old Du is really funny, this little guy has learned how to sell steamed buns now.

  Du Qi furrowed his brow, his mood heavy.

  But then Wang Lei stood up from his original position, swung his arm and said loudly: "Firstly, you have fulfilled your filial piety, thinking that taking care of your mother's safety and letting the old lady enjoy her twilight years is enough. But have you forgotten that the old lady has already reached an advanced age? Haven't you heard that fallen leaves return to their roots? You're taking the old lady far away to Liaodong, it'll take ten or eight years to come back, by then the old lady will die in a foreign land, how can you bear that?"

  "Secondly, the way of filial piety is to respect one's parents and elders; the great way of filial piety is to respect the ruler and the state. You have brought the elderly lady to a distant land, living in exile, without regard for the life or death of the ruler, nor concern for the state and its people - is this something that a subject should do?"

  Wang Lei's words were venomous and his tone was menacing.

  Du Bo's face turned pale in an instant, his face was bloodless.

  He looked at Wang Lei, his eyes full of astonishment.

  Wang Lei observed the expressions and continued, "The imperial court is in decline, and the Central Plains are in chaos. At this time, people like us should strive to make a difference, seize the opportunity, and do our best for ourselves, our families, and the country. Brother Bo Hou brought the elderly lady to a distant land, can she be willing? Can she get used to the loneliness of living in a foreign land?"

  "For the sake of the elderly lady, Brother Bo should also stay."

  "At the same time, a talented person should also stay at this critical moment."

  "Be true to yourself!"

  "Filial to his mother!"

  "Loyal to the king!"

  "These three things are what I think Baohou brother should follow."

  Wang Lei turned around, facing Du Qi, and bowed deeply, saying: "Just now Wang Lei was rash and offended Brother Bo Hou's place, please forgive me."

  Du Qi's mouth twitched, and he had already been refuted by Wang Lei with no words to retort.

  "What a wonderful thing it is to be concerned about the rise and fall of the world, to take responsibility as an individual! What a wonderful thing it is to care about family matters, national affairs, and the affairs of the world, to be concerned about everything! What a wonderful thing it is to be true to oneself, filial to one's mother, and loyal to one's king! Listening to your words is like gaining a great insight into life. If there were a cup of fine wine, I would get drunk with you, what more could I ask for!"

  A loud and clear voice came in, a young man walked in with big strides.

  Who is coming? Guess, a great person is arriving.