Confucian Gentleman

In Pingyu County, Runan County, Yuzhou during the Ren Dynasty, Su Yan, a descendant of the declining gentry, read Confucian classics since he was a child and regarded the word "ren" as the foundation of his family and belief. He was talented and went well in the county and county examinations. However, when he went to Luoyang to take the provincial examination, he was dismissed because his policy theory advocated "benevolence for the people" rather than "observance of etiquette". While staying in the capital, he witnessed Confucian scholars talking about ethics and ignoring the reality of suffering, and he was shaken by what he had learned. On the way back home, he met a traveling craftsman from the Mohist "Moqing Empire" and saw that he helped the people build water conservancy for free with his mechanical skills. Su Yan suddenly realized that the true meaning of "benevolence" is not found in classic commentaries, but in personal practice. From then on, he got out of the shackles of books, wandered among Confucianism and Mohism with the heart of "reaching power", and explored the true path of "benevolent government" in troubled times. He grew from a young man who abided by the classics to a practitioner who used actions to interpret "the benevolent love others".