The confucians often talked about mortal integrity. They claimed that they would rather die than lose it. Yet in response to losing in the debates, the confucian leaders were hatching a conspiracy, which couldn’t have been more of a humiliation of confucian ideals.

If word leaked of this, then the ordinary confucian students would feel ashamed to the core. After all, many such students had already been attracted by the sage monarch magistrates’ way of doing things, and enjoyed the general environment of the empire.

Their leaders were more than willing to engage in double-dealing and backstabbing to further their own interests, and would even go so far as to abandon the righteousness of confucianism. They were stern and awe-inspiring people who stood high above others, telling everyone what to do. If the truth was exposed, they would fall from grace so badly that they would never recover.

“What do you think? It’s not too late to devote yourself to my...