第一章：道家太上！ - 始皇二年 - 嬴政与隐世高人尹尚

Chapter 1 The Taoist Tai Shang!

In the second year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's reign, in the main hall of the Zhangtai Palace in Xianyang, a courtier addressed the emperor, 'Your Majesty, Lord Yin...Lord Yin...'

Emperor Qin Shi Huang put down the bamboo slips and reports in his hand and turned his head slightly, asking, 'The mighty Tai Shang of the Taoist school, why is he quietly serving as a tomb keeper in my Great Qin Dynasty?'

Emperor Qin Shi Huang wanted to teach his eldest son Fusu a lesson, so he sent him to Mu Gong's Tomb to pay respects to the founding emperor of the Great Qin Empire. Fusu obediently went there.

But then, Fusu started visiting Mu Gong's Tomb frequently. So Emperor Qin Shi Huang sent an attendant named Meng Yi to investigate.

The result of the investigation was quite surprising.

The elusive Tai Shang of the Taoist school was found!

'Your Majesty, during the Spring and Autumn Period, the founder of the Taoist school, Laozi, left behind several legacies, one of which was passed down to a person named Guan Yinzi, also known as the Tai Shang of Wenshi, the True Man of Huanan, and the Hidden Saint of Zhongnan.' After thinking for a moment, Courtier Meng Yi continued, 'It is likely that this Lord Yin is a descendant of the Hidden Saint Guan Yinzi and is also the head of the Taoist school at present.'

Emperor Qin Shi Huang immediately remembered Guan Yinzi. He was the founder of the Louguan Taoist school, the ancestor of the Wenshi sect, a master of the Hangu Pass, and the author of the 'Wenshi Zhenjing' with nine volumes that remains in the world. He was also said to be the teacher of the first generation of the Legalist Guiguzi!

It should be noted that Guiguzi was a Legalist during the Warring States Period, who was feared by all the feudal lords when he was angry and calmed the world when he lived in peace.

It was evident how powerful the Hidden Saint Guan Yinzi, who founded the Legalist school, was.

Therefore, Lord Yin, as a direct descendant of Guan Yinzi, was naturally extraordinary. It was no wonder that young Fusu kept running to Mu Gong's Tomb.

'The Taoist school advocates the pursuit of a detached life and Lord Yin, as a Hidden Saint, seeks tranquility in Mu Gong's Tomb,' Emperor Qin Shi Huang said, frowning slightly.

He had already unified the world, but there were still countless things that needed to be done. He needed a peerless expert to guide him in a certain direction.

However, the Taoist school advocated detachment from the world, which meant that if he openly invited Lord Yin to serve as an official, the Tai Shang would disappear without a trace the next day.

Just like Laozi, the founder of the Taoist school during the Spring and Autumn Period, who spent several days writing the 'Dao De Jing' at the Hangu Pass and then left immediately to wander the world.

'Your Majesty! Your humble servant believes that since Prince Fusu has encountered the Tai Shang of the Taoist school, this is a sign from heaven. Lord Yin will come naturally,' Courtier Meng Yi said after organizing his thoughts. 'But if Your Majesty wants to invite Lord Yin to serve as an official...as a Tai Shang, if he enters the world, it would be equivalent to announcing the end of the Taoist school. After all, 'detachment from the world' is the foundation of the Taoist school.'

Emperor Qin Shi Huang used to not believe in the Mandate of Heaven, nor was he interested in the Confucianism of the Wangdao or the Taoism of the Tiandao. He relied on the dominance of the Legalist school to unify the world.

But after unifying the world, he realized that he needed a systematic governance strategy. The Legalist school was good for suppressing subversion, but it was not enough to govern the entire Huaxia region.

'Have you seen a sacrificial ox? It's dressed in embroidered clothes and fed with the best grass and beans. But when it is led into the temple, even if it wants to be a lone calf, can it?' Emperor Qin Shi Huang said, standing up quickly. 'Let's go! Let's see if this Tai Shang of the Taoist school, compared to Laozi and Zhuangzi, has inherited a few true teachings of the Great Dao!'

Courtier Meng Yi hurriedly stepped forward to support him.

The ancient Chinese text that Emperor Qin Shi Huang quoted was a story from Zhuangzi. It tells of a man who came to ask Zhuangzi to become an official. Zhuangzi replied, 'Have you seen a sacrificial ox? It's dressed in embroidered clothes and fed with the best grass and beans. But when it is led into the temple, even if it wants to be a lone calf, can it?' To Zhuangzi, the fame and fortune of the world were like the embroidered clothes of the sacrificial ox. If he became an official, he would be no different from a sacrificial ox.

Therefore, Zhuangzi preferred to live a simple and unassuming life rather than become an official and be weighed down by worldly affairs. This was the consistent principle of the Taoist school during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang spent about ten years studying ancient and modern books after returning to Xianyang from Handan at the age of ten. He ascended the throne at the age of thirteen and began to rule the country at the age of twenty-two.

He was searching for someone like Zhou Gong, who had helped King Cheng of the Zhou Dynasty, or Qin Gong, who had helped Emperor Qin Shi Huang.