Legalist Aesthetics

"Don't worry, I don't want the Eternal Barrier to be destroyed either. Who knows what kind of chaos it will cause? If the barrier breaks and it leads to the end of the world, then it will be too late to regret it. Compared to the desire for knowledge, the will to survive is indeed more important. You guys also need to work harder and not let those lunatics' conspiracy succeed..."

Two days later, on a passenger ship bound for France.

"The Legalist School and the Mohist School have been allies since ancient times, with a close relationship and many shared battles. As a result, there is no visa barrier between the two countries, and they cooperate in various fields. Although the relationship has cooled somewhat in the last hundred years due to the martial arts revolution promoted by the country, which affected the interests of the France nobility, the geographical location means that France and the country do not have direct conflicts of interest, so they have always maintained a friendly relationship."

Inside the cabin, Yan Jinghong was introducing the situation in France to Si Ming and Murong Qing, casually reminding them of things to be careful about so as not to offend the locals.

Murong Qing through the documents and asked, "Is France a monarchy?"

"Yes, the current emperor of France is Han Yihai, whose reign title is Taichang. He is not a great man, but he is not a fool either. He is a ruler who maintains the status quo. Of course, in peacetime, being able to preserve the foundation is enough to make a qualified emperor. If he can control himself and not torment the people, he can be called a wise ruler." Yan Jinghong obviously had no good feelings about the monarchy and did not hold back in his evaluation.

Si Ming flipped through the documents and came across an interesting entry. He exclaimed in surprise, " In France, you can actually call the emperor by his first name without any need for taboo!"

"Only Confucian School speaks of 'avoiding mentioning the faults of superiors,' Legalist School doesn't follow this principle. Legalist School pursues precision and order, Legalist School rejects things like 'avoiding mentioning the faults of superiors,' which complicate simple matters. If Legalist School wants you to avoid certain things, it will directly write it into the legal provisions."

Seemingly remembering something, Yan Jinghong smiled and said, "Let me give you an example of the difference between Confucian School and Legalist School. For instance, during the imperial examinations, if Confucian School candidate accidentally wrote the emperor's name, even if their essay was excellent, their paper would be rejected. Moreover, they had to figure out for themselves which words to avoid and which not to. Legalist School, on the other hand, would issue a list of taboo words before the examinations began, telling you which words to avoid and not to write. If the emperor's name was not on the list, you could write it freely. Even if someone were to be held accountable, they would only hold the examiner responsible, not the candidate."

Murong Qing said thoughtfully, "Is it cruel to punish someone without teaching them?"

"The meaning is similar. Legalist School emphasizes having a legitimate reason for action; that is, you are not allowed to do what the law forbids, but you can do whatever the law doesn't forbid. If you exploit a loophole in the law, it's the fault of the lawmakers, not you. In France, the law is the highest standard. Their schools offer law classes from primary school, and even in middle school, it's combined with language arts classes. Mock trials are a common extracurricular activity, enjoyed by everyone from three-year-olds to the elderly. Almost every France person is familiar with the rules and regulations of court proceedings."

Si Ming: "Doesn't that mean that legal professionals are in high demand in France?"

Yan Jinghong said, "That's true. Lawyers in France belong to the elite class. Anyone who can obtain a Level 4 lawyer's license is respected. Not only is it easy to find a job, but the income is also bound to be substantial. However, the threshold is very high. Standing out from a group of competitors who are well-versed in the law is by no means an easy task. However, not all law-related professions are popular. For example, the profession of judge has a low status in France and is considered a last resort."

Si Ming subconsciously asked, "Does that mean they use a jury system?"

Now it was Yan Jinghong's turn to be puzzled. "What is a jury system?"

"Uh... it means that the conviction is not determined by a judge, but by a jury. The jury consists of a number of randomly selected citizens who independently determine the facts and decide on the applicable law, separate from the judge."

Yan Jinghong pondered, "This system is quite innovative... The prerequisite for adopting this system is that the local people must have a high level of education, at least they cannot be completely ignorant of the judicial system. It's much easier to fool ordinary people than professionals. However, given the national conditions of France, it is quite suitable."

He immediately shook his head and sighed, "What a pity. If this idea had been proposed fifty years earlier, France courts might be a completely different thing. They would never now be able to hand over the judgment of human beings."

"Humans?" Si Ming had a rather absurd guess.

"Just as you might think, in France, the power of conviction is entrusted to a deity called the God of Law. Judges are only responsible for maintaining order in the courtroom; the final judgment is pronounced by the deity. Legalist School have always pursued absolute judicial fairness, but they discovered that as long as one is human, one is subject to emotions. The state of perfect Supreme Emotionlessness from emotions is the realm of saints; ordinary people simply cannot achieve impartiality. Finally, they devised a solution: to create a deity devoid of emotion and absolutely rational, to judge cases, thus ensuring absolute fairness."

The idea of leaving the case to the gods to decide was unimaginable to Si Ming, who could hardly comment on it. He could only marvel at the incredible imagination of the Legalist School and admire their ability to turn such an absurd thing into reality.

Ignoring Si Ming's feelings, Yan Jinghong continued, " In France, there is a distinction between nobles and commoners. Nobles possess privileges, such as exemption from certain crimes or reduced sentences. In the past, when the public was less educated, commoners could accept this without question. However, as the commoners' education level has increased, more and more people cannot accept the privileges of the nobles. Thus, they have proposed amending the law to abolish the privileges of the nobles. This proposal has naturally been opposed by the nobles, and the struggle between the two factions is intensifying, with the possibility of armed conflict in both politics and military affairs."

At this point, Yan Jinghong's expression turned serious, and he reminded them, "No matter what, this matter has nothing to do with us. Don't get involved, and don't express support for either side, otherwise you will definitely be used by someone with ulterior motives. Our mission this time is to stop Remote Heaven Society destroying the Four Heavenly Divine Pillars. We must ignore everything else."

Chapter 480 Legalist School Aesthetics

After a period of rough seas, Si Ming and his group set foot on France soil. Although the heroes in martial arts novels always traveled all over the world and went wherever they wanted, that was only the case in ancient countries. Doing so in a modern country would be considered illegal entry, and if discovered, they would be deported.

When the passenger ship entered the port, Si Ming stood on the deck and looked up. His first impression was that it was neat and orderly, and his second impression was that it was symmetrical. All the buildings and furnishings had symmetrical shapes or perfectly repeated designs. For example, the roads were divided into sections, and when they reached the end, there was always a complete section. There would be no half-finished sections.

This place is a godsend for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder!

"The Legalist School value symmetry and perfection. During construction, they meticulously calculate every distance to ensure that not a single centimeter is left behind or overlooked. This meticulous and uncompromising attitude is what has contributed to the world-renowned reputation of France craftsmanship."

The narrator was named Cuan Er, an assistant teacher sent by the France National Institute of Codex University to guide the group. After all, Yan Jinghong and Ling Huanxi were nominally the guardians of Si Ming and Murong Qing, and they came to France to accompany the two and take care of their daily lives during their exchange program.

Although everyone knows this is just an excuse, for the meticulous and rigid France, since you've used this identity, I have to cooperate by sending someone with an equivalent identity. Even if others have opinions, they have to temporarily put on the skin of an education system staff member.

Everything should be done in accordance with the rules and regulations. We should avoid making exceptions whenever possible, unless absolutely necessary—in which case we should still make exceptions according to the rules.

This is the France way of doing things; true rule of law is not just empty talk.

By the way, Cuan Er's original name was Cuan Yi. Later, his parents felt that the character "Yi" was not symmetrical enough, so they changed it to "Er". Anyway, Yi means the second child.

Yan Jinghong chimed in, "The Legalist School's craftsmanship is indeed something we Mohist School should learn from."

Looking at the street on both sides, which was completely identical, as if a mirror had been placed in the middle, Si Ming felt a slight sense of oppression after the initial amazement. He felt uncomfortable and thought to himself that his nature was still inclined towards the liberal side.

While Legalist School crafts are indeed world-renowned, their artistic achievements have always been looked down upon by Nation of Beauty, who consider their artistic level to be on par with that of the Mohist School. In the eyes of Nation of Beauty, art should be imaginative and unrestrained, while Legalist School are too restricted in their creations, unable to break free from the framework, resulting in works that are monotonous, devoid of artistic beauty, and full of craftsmanship. This is seen as a satire of France artists as coming from factory assembly lines.

The France felt discriminated against and demanded an apology from the Nation of Beauty, but the Nation of Beauty, who dared to mock even the Mohist School, would certainly not take the Legalist School seriously. Naturally, they wouldn't back down; otherwise, what would happen if their crown fell?

Later, the France simply stopped playing with the Nation of Beauty and held their own art competition, selecting works according to their own aesthetic standards. They also took the opportunity to win over the powerful Mohist School, expand their influence, and sideline the Nation of Beauty. As a result, the two countries often engaged in heated verbal battles, accusing each other of having heretical aesthetics.

Suddenly, Murong Qing smiled and said, "Even if it's just an ordinary street, it feels like a tourist attraction. I really like the scenery here; it gives me a very comfortable and pleasant feeling."

Si Ming glanced at her and almost forgot that this girl also had mild obsessive-compulsive disorder. It seemed she would be very comfortable here.

Upon hearing this, Cuan Er wore an expression of pride and said, "As expected of a disciple of Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, you certainly have good taste. I hope France will leave you with wonderful memories... After passing the next intersection, we will arrive at the capital of our country Faxian City."

The name "Fa Xian" is taken from a phrase in the Legalist School classics. "The law should be made clear, while tactics should not be seen." This means that laws and regulations must be clearly known to people, while power tactics and schemes should not be noticed.

As the capital of France, Faxian City is naturally incredibly prosperous. Whether it's the flow of people or the number of skyscrapers, it surpasses Linked Mountains City. At a glance, the crowds are like a tide, and the traffic is bustling. After all, France is a second-tier country, second only to the Su State and Germany. Its strict legal system has contributed to its national strength. In addition, its close relationship with the Su State means that many cutting-edge technological products can be seen here. For example, France has the second largest number of cars in the world.

Despite the large number of pedestrians on the street and occasional traffic jams, the area was surprisingly orderly. Everyone walked methodically without disrupting the flow of traffic. Even when there were no vehicles on either side, pedestrians would obediently wait at the crosswalk once the red light turned on.

This scene reminded Si Ming of his past life. He remembered that when he was in high school, his philosophy teacher praised the high quality of the America people in class. Then, using some information he had read somewhere, he confidently asserted that China students, after arriving in America, still treated traffic lights as if they didn't exist, crossing the road whenever there were no cars on either side. He also mocked foreigners who obediently waited at crosswalks, thinking they were too stupid. Little did they know that foreigners were actually laughing at the China for their lack of discipline.

So Si Ming kept it in mind. Every time he went to the America for business or tourism, he always remembered not to embarrass the China people and resolutely obeyed traffic rules. Then he discovered that there were also a large number of Nation of Beauty who did not obey traffic rules and ran red lights, while China students were foolishly staying in place and waiting for the green light before they could leave.

He told his high school philosophy teacher about this, and a few days later, he saw that the philosophy teacher posted on Weibo, praising Nation of Beauty for being flexible, adaptable, and realistic, and for being unconventional and challenging, while China people are rigid, conservative, lack innovative thinking, are stuck in their ways, and only know how to copy and plagiarize.

Later, Si Ming blocked this philosophy teacher because he wasn't a pragmatic person, their values were different, and there was no need for communication.