Rebirth of Bloody Romance

In the temple of knowledge, the audio-visual classroom, a seemingly ordinary question quietly set off a wave of history. Zhong Yuemin challenged the authorities of the history department in an unusual way.

Zhong Yuemin's voice was not loud, but every word was like a hammer, hitting everyone in the classroom hard. His eyes were firm and confident, as if he had seen through the minds of the history teachers.

"Excuse me, teachers, when was the period in Chinese history when 'a hundred schools of thought flourished and a hundred schools of thought contended'?" This seemingly ordinary question made the history teachers look contemptuous. They thought the question was too simple and even underestimated their professional knowledge.

"Why are you asking such a simple question?"

"That's right, who are you looking down on?"

"Isn't it the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period?"

"Pick any one of us from the history department and they'll probably know more than you."

The sunlight shines through the windows of the computer classroom, scattering on the wooden floor in patches, forming a sharp contrast with the solemn atmosphere inside.

Zhong Yuemin stood in front of the podium, his eyes firm, as if he could penetrate the dust of history and look directly at the light of wisdom hidden deep in the ancient books. Zhong Yuemin smiled gently, facing the surprised or disdainful eyes of the history teachers, and spoke again, his voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

"Teachers, I don't mean to provoke you, I just have doubts in my heart and I want to find answers."

Zhong Yuemin's voice echoed in the empty classroom, with a subtle determination. "The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period were indeed a golden age of brilliant thoughts and numerous schools of thought, but in the long river of history, is there another period that can once again allow 'a hundred schools of thought to flourish'?"

For a moment, the computer classroom was so quiet that only the occasional chirping of birds outside the window and the laughter of students in the distance could be heard.

The history teachers looked at each other, some with frowned brows, lost in thought; others with a slight smile on their lips, as if they were having some fun with the question.

"Humph, you are really good at finding difficult problems." The middle-aged teacher of the history department stroked his beard and broke the silence. "Since ancient times, there is probably no other time that can be called 'a hundred schools of thought contending' except the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. That was an era of frequent wars, but also of free thought, and various schools of thought competed to flourish, resulting in such a grand scene."

"Teacher Li is absolutely right, but I would like to ask, if we put aside the limitations of the times and look for clues from cultural and social changes, can we capture another similar period of cultural and ideological brilliance in the long corridor of history?" There was a gleam of exploration in Zhong Yuemin's eyes, as if he had already seen the unknown scenery.

The atmosphere in the computer classroom gradually became heated. The teachers began to discuss in low voices. Some shook their heads to indicate that it was impossible, while others fell into deep thought, trying to dig out those forgotten fragments from their memories.

"Let me think about it..." A young female teacher's eyes suddenly lit up. "The Tang Dynasty, especially the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, was famous for its flourishing poetry and prose. At that time, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism coexisted without conflict. There was frequent exchange of ideas among scholars and literati, and different cultures merged with each other. Can this also be regarded as a form of 'a hundred schools of thought'?"

After these words were spoken, the discussion in the computer classroom became more intense.

Without waiting for Zhong Yuemin to say anything, Mr. Li from the History Department shook his head. "This doesn't count."

Another young teacher stood up, his eyes showing both admiration and thought. "Teacher Li, what Teacher Zhao said just now reminds me of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. It was an era of frequent wars and regime changes, but it was precisely this chaotic era that gave birth to cultural masters such as the 'Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove'. They were not bound by etiquette, advocated nature, had active thoughts, and made breakthroughs in literature, art, philosophy and other fields. Although not as comprehensive as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, they also achieved freedom and diversity of thought to a certain extent."

As soon as the teacher finished speaking, Zheng Tong's grandson also stood up. "Indeed, the style of the Wei and Jin dynasties is an important part of Chinese cultural history that cannot be ignored. In the Tang Dynasty, especially from the early Tang Dynasty to the prosperous Tang Dynasty, as the country became stronger, culture also ushered in unprecedented prosperity. Poetry, calligraphy, painting, music and other art forms flourished, and Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism merged with each other to form a unique cultural landscape. Although it is not a 'hundred schools of thought' in the traditional sense, it is even more culturally creative and influential."

The teachers in the history department were sharp-tongued and had unique views. Their debates were like a well-choreographed play, brilliant and colorful. Every word was full of wisdom, which made people fall in love with it.

However, in this heated discussion, Zhong Yuemin seemed exceptionally calm. He sat quietly aside with a bright smile on his face, as charming as a peach blossom in full bloom in spring.

Zhong Yuemin's eyes are bright and deep, revealing an otherworldly temperament, as if he is a detached bystander, leisurely and contentedly appreciating everything in front of him.

This smile, like a sharp sword, pierced the air and deeply hurt the sensitive nerves of the history teachers. They stopped debating and cast their eyes on Zhong Yuemin. For a moment, the atmosphere in the classroom became extremely tense, as if a storm was about to come.

"Teacher Zhong, what do you mean? Are you laughing at us?" A teacher asked with some displeasure and questioning in his voice. He frowned tightly, with dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes.

"Is there something wrong with what we said? What's that expression on your face?" Another teacher followed closely, his tone full of confusion and anger. He stared at Zhong Yuemin with wide eyes, as if he wanted to find the answer from him.

Faced with the teachers' doubts and accusations, Zhong Yuemin did not refute immediately, but continued to maintain his signature bright smile. His smile seemed to contain some deep meaning that was hard to understand.

"Teachers, please be patient."

Zhong Yuemin finally spoke, his voice calm and powerful. "I am not mocking anyone, I am just appreciating the wonderful debate of the teachers. When I mentioned 'a hundred schools of thought coexisting, a hundred schools of thought flourishing', the first thing you thought of was the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, which shows that everyone has a deep understanding and recognition of this period. However, what about now? This seems to be, that should be. You are not sure yourselves, how can you get everyone's recognition?"

Zhong Yuemin paused for a moment and continued, "We teachers should know what we know and not know what we don't know. What about you? This should be, that seems to be. To be honest, aren't you misleading our students?"

Zhong Yuemin's words immediately caused an uproar in the classroom, and everyone started whispering to each other.

"Fuck, Teacher Zhong is so awesome!"

"I respect everyone except Teacher Zhong. I dare to say anything."

"Ah! Teacher Zhong, aren't you afraid of offending people?"

"What's there to be afraid of? If you can't make it in the open class, just go back to our Economics Department! Teacher Zhong is originally from our Economics Department, okay?"

"Didn't Mr. Zhong major in physics? How can he teach you economics department? Is he good at it?"

"Is it good? Let me tell you, many people from outside the school come to Mr. Zhong's class. They are either leaders in charge of the economy or leaders of state-owned enterprises. What do you think?"

"Fuck, is Teacher Zhong so awesome?"

At this time, the whole classroom was filled with discussions, and everyone admired Zhong Yuemin.

However, in sharp contrast to the students' attitude, the teachers in the history department all stared at Zhong Yuemin with angry eyes. If eyes could kill, Zhong Yuemin would probably have died countless times.

Finally, Teacher Li frowned and said with a hint of displeasure, "Teacher Zhong, we are not sure about any other period besides the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period when a hundred schools of thought contended and a hundred flowers bloomed. Since you are so sure, you must have your own opinion. Please tell us about it."

Zhong Yuemin smiled slightly, his eyes revealing a kind of confidence. "In fact, in addition to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there is another period that can also be called 'a hundred schools of thought coexisting and flourishing', that is - the Republic of China period. Of course, this may not be very accurate. To be more precise, it should be said that it was from the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China period."

Zhong Yuemin's voice was not loud, but it was very clear in the quiet classroom, like a flash of lightning streaking across the sky. The history teachers all showed surprised expressions, and their originally relaxed expressions became solemn. They began to re-examine this seemingly simple but profound question.

Zhong Yuemin took a deep breath and continued, "Although there were frequent wars during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, it was this environment that provided fertile soil for the collision and exchange of various ideas. From literature to art, from politics to philosophy, various schools and trends of thought emerged like mushrooms after rain, forming a colorful historical picture. The cultural prosperity of this period had a profound impact on later generations."

Zhong Yuemin paused, looked around the audience, and continued, "Take Lu Xun as an example. His works deeply reveal social reality and have strong critical and humanistic concerns. In addition, there are thinkers such as Hu Shi and Chen Duxiu, whose views and propositions have promoted social progress and change. These people are outstanding representatives of that era, and their works and thoughts are still of great significance today."

As Zhong Yuemin spoke, the audience gradually showed signs of enlightenment. They began to realize that their previous understanding of "a hundred schools of thought" was too narrow, ignoring those equally brilliant moments in the long river of history.

The teachers in the history department were certainly not willing to be questioned by Zhong Yuemin about their teaching level, so they asked him one after another: "Teacher Zhong, we are not here to listen to you today, but to ask you to explain why you think we have not taught the students well and the students have not learned well."

Facing the criticism from everyone, Zhong Yuemin just smiled helplessly and then replied, "Since we are talking about history, we can't just limit ourselves to history itself. As for the word 'physics', I have said before that it did not originate from Japan. In the last class, I mentioned that the word 'physics' first appeared in the Huayingcui Linyunfu compiled by the American missionary Lu Gongming. So, please tell me, teachers, what does this have to do with Japan?"

The teachers in the history department looked slightly embarrassed, but Zhong Yuemin seemed not to notice and continued with his topic in a calm and insightful tone.

"This misunderstanding is indeed widespread. Many people don't know that Japan's Meiji Restoration actually borrowed Chinese translations of Western words from China. As for why Japan chose Chinese characters as a bridge?"

Teacher Zhong Yuemin changed the subject and said in a teasing but serious tone, "Speaking of which, China's Westernization Movement was a little earlier than Japan's Meiji Restoration. We have a high-end translation team like the Tongwenguan in Beijing, which is professional and efficient. It is much better than the 'bulk' translation in Japan at that time, right?"

Zhong Yuemin had a smug smile on his face, and then he continued, "Although our country was backward as a whole in the late Qing Dynasty, don't forget that we have a profound cultural heritage and a large group of intellectuals. Although the Confucian scholars under the imperial examination system are often labeled as 'stubborn', it was the best of this group who first shouted the slogan of 'learning from the barbarians to control the barbarians' and led the trend of learning from the West. Teachers, you should know these historical details much more clearly than a layman like me!"

In fact, during the Westernization Movement, many professional translation agencies had already emerged in China. Among the more well-known ones were the Tongwenguan in Beijing, the Guangfangyanguan in Shanghai, the Translation Bureau of the Jiangnan Arsenal, the Naval Yamen, the General Administration of Taxation, the Compilation and Translation Bureau of the Imperial University of Peking, the Nanyang Public School in Shanghai, the Beiyang Official Bookstore, and so on.

In addition, there are a number of other translation agencies located across the country and in various provinces.

It is worth mentioning that many scientific terms that we commonly use today were actually first defined and used by the Jiangnan Arsenal and its affiliated translation office. For example, the words "chemistry", "physics", "biology" and so on were created by the office and have been used to this day.

Japan's introduction of Western knowledge was a huge success, which led many Chinese to believe that this knowledge and technology came from Japan.

Even in later generations, there are still many people who believe that these words were translated from Japanese and that China simply borrowed them.

But in fact, on the contrary, these words were first created by Chinese translators. Later, they were borrowed by Japan, which is really sad.

In fact, Japanese translation is terrible. For example, the tragic '雅蠛蝶' will never be given the soul of Chinese language, and its final fate can be imagined.

The teachers in the history department were very embarrassed. After hearing what Zhong Yuemin said, they felt a little ashamed. Zheng Tong rolled his eyes. "Teacher Zhong, if I remember correctly, you are still a teacher of archaeology in our history department! This is an academic exchange."

"Teacher Zheng is right to remind us that we are indeed conducting academic exchanges."

Zhong Yuemin's voice was gentle but powerful. He looked around the classroom and continued, "Everyone's opinions and insights are valuable. It is such exchanges and collisions that can promote the deepening and development of our academic research. I hope everyone can keep an open mind, dare to raise their own questions and opinions, and jointly promote academic progress."

"Fuck, does Teacher Zhong have to be so awesome?" a student couldn't help but sigh. His words immediately resonated with the students around him, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Teacher Zhong is omnipotent!" another student said excitedly, his eyes flashing with a desire for knowledge and admiration for Zhong Yuemin.

The verbal battle ended when the bell rang for the end of get out of class.