Chapter 347: Chang'an Jun has not yet taught his own people, how can he teach the world?
"Useless etiquette can be abolished, but how can the nobility be eliminated?"
Fusheng kept his hands clasped in a bow, humbly asking for advice.
Fu Sheng, who was obsessed with classics, did not have any high demands on material desires, as long as he could read books.
But just because he didn't make any requests doesn't mean that the Confucian disciples who followed him didn't have any requests either.
The reason why these Confucian scholars were willing to follow him here was partly because they, like Fu Sheng, were committed to studying classics.
The other half hoped to devote themselves to Confucianism, achieve success and fame, and leap from the class of scholars to the class of aristocrats.
Most of the various schools of thought, except the Mohist school, were like this, all seeking fame, wealth and power. Desire is the driving force behind human progress.
Although he already had an idea in mind, Ying Chengjiao still wanted to hear what the great scholar had to say, as he would be wiser if he heard both sides.
If the superior is not thoughtful, it will cause a catastrophe that will shake the world at the bottom.
Then he grabbed Fu Sheng's hands and pulled them apart, and asked humbly:
"What do you think, sir?"
"... Chang'an Jun is so powerful. If they fight in the court that day, I will definitely not be his opponent."
Fu Sheng was shocked again, and told the truth, with a trace of loneliness on his face, saying:
"I think this argument has no solution. The most noble person in the world today is Chang'an Jun's elder brother, the First Emperor."
He noticed that Ying Chengjiao did not show any anger, coldness or other emotions, nor did he interrupt his speech. Instead, he looked encouraging.
Fu Sheng, who felt a strange feeling in his heart becoming more and more serious, temporarily convinced himself, put aside his worries, and said with a fearless attitude:
"Confucius said: 'Respect ghosts and gods but keep them at a distance.'
"The king and the people are like heaven and man. The people should respect the king and keep a distance from him. This is the difference between heaven and earth. Although they are all human beings, the people respect the king and obey his command. The people keep a distance from the king and maintain his mystery.
"In the past, during the wax festival, Chang'an Jun targeted the nobles of the world. After returning to Xianyang, he killed all the three great families. Was it useful? It was useless.
“Your Majesty, you need the help of nobles to govern the people.
"As long as the king is alive, the nobility will not perish."
These words were spoken extremely fluently, and it was obvious that they could not be made up in a short time.
After finishing speaking, Fusheng looked calm, open-minded and indifferent.
The words have been spoken, life or death doesn’t matter.
Ying Chengjiao smiled, reached out and patted Fu Sheng's shoulders twice, easing the tense atmosphere that Fu Sheng had created for himself.
Ying Chengjiao's two simple actions made Fu Sheng relax both physically and mentally - taking life and death lightly does not mean wanting to die.
"Your idea is similar to mine before."
It was similar to Chang'an Jun before, but it was different from Chang'an Jun now...
Fu Sheng thought secretly, and his anticipation grew stronger.
Although a change in thinking is sometimes not necessarily progress - solving the problem of royal power, it may also be a regression - bypassing the problem of royal power.
But Fu Sheng believed that Chang'an Jun, who could be king but did not want to be king and even wanted to rebel against the king, was more likely to take his thoughts a step further.
Then he was disappointed.
"The world cannot exist without my brother, just as the West cannot exist without Jerusalem."
The great scholar obviously did not know what Jerusalem was, but Xifang had some impression - Xifang, who was very glorious in Xianyang City, committed suicide to break the deadlock, saying that the nobles were not subject to Qin laws.
If it weren't for the veteran general Wang Xi who led more than a thousand old soldiers to make Ying Chengjiao realize the truth on the spot, the deadlock of the three major families might have been broken by the West.
The great scholar had doubts but did not ask them.
First, this question has no impact on the current problem.
Secondly, Ying Chengjiao’s first sentence has already determined the nature of the sentence, so there is no need to listen to what he said afterwards - the content derived from maintaining royal power cannot destroy the nobles.
Ying Chengjiao, who occasionally made remarks that people of his time did not understand in order to warn himself not to sink into the extravagance of the ancient times, saw that Fusheng did not speak, and knew that this great scholar was sympathetic, so he said in a deep voice:
"Sir, you might as well think about what the world would be like if our brother died at this moment."
Fu Sheng had never thought about this question.
The First Emperor was in his prime, and his life span was far from over. He was alert and intelligent, and surrounded by many experts. Over the years, assassins who came from nowhere died one after another, but the First Emperor was not even hurt.
At this moment, thoughts unfold and form a picture.
On the shore of the East China Sea, there are herds of cattle running with sharp knives on their horns and flames burning on their tails.
In Changping, groups of corpses crawled out of the ground, looking up to the sky and shouting in hatred: "Qin dogs! Blood debt must be paid with blood!"
Mist was rising from the Yunmeng Swamp, and a Nirvana Phoenix was surrounded by flames like the sun, screaming and crying.
"If your majesty dies, the world will be in chaos."
He breathed very quickly.
The death of the First Emperor, who made the remnants of the six kingdoms fear Qin as if it were a god and suppressed them to the point that they dared not act rashly, made the six kingdoms, which still could not obey Qin's words, bound to restore their independence.
Ying Chengjiao continued to seduce:
"Then Sir, you might as well think about it again. If Fusu cannot succeed to the throne after the death of the emperor's brother, and there is no prince who can make Wang Wan, Li Si, Feng Quji and other people like the dragon and phoenix submit to him, and no prince who can make Wang Ben, Meng Tian, Wang Jian and other arrogant and brave generals return to their hearts, then what will happen?"
The fire bull from the East gallops across the fields.
The descendants of Zhurong set the prairie on fire.
The righteous men who have converted to Hu culture will not stop until their death.
At this time, the invincible Qin elite soldiers in the west who were able to subdue an ox, destroy a phoenix, and bury people had not yet left Guanzhong, but had already become independent and fell apart.
Ying Chengjiao knows the answer from later history:
At the end of the Qin Dynasty, it was a chaotic time, with many princes rising up and the Chu-Han conflicting for supremacy.
Three million square kilometers of land were once again soaked in blood, and the population was halved.
The Xiongnu, who had not dared to confront the Central Plains head-on, took advantage of the situation to rise up. The Western Han Dynasty had no choice but to seek peace with them, conserve its strength, and endure humiliation.
It was not until the time of Emperor Wu of Han that enough money and food were accumulated, and 700,000 war horses were obtained. With the addition of two great generals, Wei and Huo, it was possible to change the situation of offense and defense and make the Han Dynasty famous.
Before Emperor Wu of Han, the Chinese always kept their heads down and their backs bent in front of the Huns.
Fu Sheng was not a person from later times, but he knew the answer from history that had already happened - the Central Plains was in ruins, the people were living in misery, the Rong and Di tribes prospered and advanced, while the Chinese nation was humble and declined.
History repeats itself over and over again. When the central government is weak and the local governments are strong, when the local governments press on the central government, the overall strength of China is reduced. When China is weak, the Hu people are strong, and when the Hu people are strong, China is weak.
Whether it was King Zhou of Shang conquering the Dongyi and having his home stolen by King Wu of Zhou, or King You of Zhou playing tricks on the princes and allowing Duke Xiang of Qin to rise, it was the same principle.
The great scholar immediately broke out in a cold sweat and dared not think any further.
"When Zhou lost its power, the whole world was chasing after it!
"Qin lost his majesty, there is no one to inherit, and the land of China is sinking!"
Ying Chengjiao shrugged.
"I understand. In the Qin Dynasty, we must do things in accordance with the Qin Dynasty's national policies. Otherwise, we will end up doing harm with good intentions."
As long as people form a group, there will inevitably be leaders and followers.
This has nothing to do with equality or inequality. Some people like to be led by others, and people with indecisiveness mostly like to have a friend who makes decisions around them.
Equality means that the led can say no to the leader when it goes against their own wishes without suffering any misfortune.
The great scholar touched the sweat on his forehead and nodded repeatedly. Suddenly, he tilted his head slightly and looked at Ying Chengjiao carefully.
Chang'an Jun does not regard royal power as important, but cares about the people. He understands their sufferings and knows everything. Isn't this a perfect king?
"If Chang'an Jun were to be king..."
"Stop!"
Ying Chengjiao rubbed his temples on both sides of his forehead with a headache. The great scholar Fu Sheng didn't know who was the nth person to say so.
His insights were a double-edged sword. They could convince Li Mu, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Fu Sheng and others to follow him, and they could also attract these people to elect him as king.
“My brother is dead, and the world is in chaos.
"If I inherit the throne and unify the world again, will things be better than now?
"Not only will the number of common people decrease drastically, but I, who have reached that position, will have no confidence in maintaining my original intention. The first thing I will do is burn books and bury scholars alive."
“…”
Fu Sheng's eyes were dull.
There are hundreds of schools of thought, why do you have to target Confucianism in particular?
After a long silence, Fang said:
"... Chang'an Jun, please tell me how to get rid of the nobles."
Finally convinced... Ying Chengjiao breathed a sigh of relief. He was waiting for Fu Sheng to say this.
He will be touring the country on behalf of the First Emperor soon and will not stay in Han any longer.
In his blueprint, all basic activities to enlighten the people must be led and implemented by a trustworthy and influential person.
Taoism is not good. They believe in governing by inaction and only care about their own things when teaching. Students can come or not, and learn or not. They will only answer your questions if you ask them actively.
Famous scholars are not good. They are good at sophistry. They can be electives, but definitely not majors. If a famous scholar points at a white horse and says it is not a horse, it would be strange if the ignorant students are not led astray.
Legalism is even worse. Before learning law, one must first learn to be loyal to the emperor and to reject others. The great legalists regard Confucianists as those who disrupt the law with their writings and chivalrous men as those who violate the law with their force. They look down on everything except the king and the law. Students who are taught by the Legalists are prone to flattery and cruelty.
Originally, Ying Chengjiao was interested in scientists. Mohism has always been open and never holds back in its teachings. For so many years, it has been engaged in free education and poverty alleviation, and has a very high reputation among the people.
But the trip to Yi Yang made Ying Chengjiao terribly scared. The Mohist school was too scary.
It was thought that idealists like scientists would run into obstacles in the chaotic Yiyang, but unexpectedly, the Mohists' salvation of the world did not mean sainthood. The scientists incorporated Yiyang with an order that was more stringent than the Qin law.
If the Mohists were to take the lead, there might not be any problems in the short term, but in the long run, there would be big problems. Suppressing desires throughout life and tempering oneself with a hard life is simply an anti-human principle.
Ying Chengjiao had this sudden but necessary trip to Nanyang.
After all the twists and turns, it turns out that Confucianism is more reliable when it comes to education.
As Fusheng was the great scholar whom he carefully selected and shouldered the important historical mission of enlightening the people, he must share the same aspirations with him.
The last piece of the puzzle of Handi has been put together, and this is all I can do now.
The royal power that I told you cannot control cannot be overturned for the time being, but it can be restricted, and the Mohist School is part of the restriction. As for more restrictions, it depends on you, the one who enlightens the people... Ying Chengjiao looked at Fu Sheng deeply.
When people’s wisdom is awakened, they will no longer be ignorant and will be difficult to deceive.
"Only the talents are promoted."
"On the day of the appointment, the county magistrate answered the questions in the mansion and entered the palace to continue the examination. The man who covered his face and examined the students turned out to be Chang'an Jun."
"Yes, I want to say that in a few years, the appointment of officials in Han will have nothing to do with blood relationship, but only with talent."
While Ying Chengjiao was speaking, he was carefully observing the attitude of the great scholar Fu Sheng.
Selecting people based on their talents, regardless of their bloodline, is undoubtedly in conflict with Confucian ideals.
The Confucian concept that maintains society is that relatives are more important than friends, friends are more important than strangers, and love has different levels.
Governing a country depends on relatives. If even relatives are unreliable, how can friends without blood ties or even unfamiliar passers-by be relied upon?
Fu Sheng seemed to be thinking about something.
"Will this eliminate the nobility? If talented people are promoted to high positions, won't they become the new nobility?"
It can be seen that Fusheng did not object to this statement which went against Confucian ideals, but continued to think about the question further.
Ying Chengjiao was very pleased and became more and more certain that he was looking for the right person. He said:
"Han has officials but no titles."
It is the title of nobility that can be inherited and guarantee prosperity for generations.
"this……"
Fu Sheng originally wanted to say that this would lead to chaos. Without a title, the interests of the aristocratic families would be affected and they would be counterattacked.
Then he thought of the First Emperor who was sitting high on the throne and demanded that the whole world follow Qin laws, and who had just sent troops to kill people in Zhao, causing a river of blood. It all became clear.
"With Your Majesty here, this is feasible!
"But when you are an official, you are also a noble, and you will also be infected with aristocratic habits. Not everyone is like Chang'an Jun, who can maintain his original heart and remain unmoved even when holding great power."
As soon as he raised the new doubt, Fu Sheng convinced himself again.
"Yes, but this is still much better than a noble family. It is rich but not glorious. Everyone in the world can be a dragon. Good, great good!"
Fu Sheng's eyes lit up.
“What you are talking about, sir, is human nature.
“I have watched human nature for a long time, but I am still powerless.
"I can only expel and prevent their habits from spreading. I can only hold on for a while."
Ying Chengjiao turned around, put his hands behind his back, and walked out the door.
He was a tall man, and his voice was clear, but the great scholar who turned around and watched him leave could hear a deep sense of helplessness in his voice.
It’s not that Ying Chengjiao didn’t make efforts for this. Marxism-Leninism is the result of his efforts and one of the anchors he left in this world.
Marx was dead, he killed him with his own hands.
"Human power is limited, but Chang'an Jun has done so much to give the world hope, which is a great kindness."
The great scholar shouted loudly.
Behind Ying Chengjiao's back where he couldn't see, he bowed deeply and kowtowed deeply.
"The people of the world are grateful to Lord Chang'an for their lives."
Ying Chengjiao seemed to have eyes on his back and moved away to avoid the bow.
"I am just talking nonsense. You are the one who did it. Whether you can break the aristocratic monopoly lies in the great scholar Fu Sheng, not in Chang'an."
"Chang'an Jun has not yet taught his own people, how can he teach the world?"
The first two points, abolishing rituals and eliminating aristocracy, are restrictions on Confucianism.
Finally, teaching the world is the reward.
"Your answer is under the teacup on the table. Remember, this is your idea, Fusheng, and has nothing to do with me."
Ying Chengjiao had already walked outside, waved his hand, and left.
Why can’t we speak directly to others?
Fu Sheng, puzzled, trotted to the table and picked up the teacup impatiently. Under the teacup was a piece of paper folded into a square.
This little piece of paper looks like just one piece. Can the words on this piece of paper enable me to teach Confucianism to the world?
Fu Sheng picked up the paper and frowned, suspecting that Ying Chengjiao was just making empty promises. Since there was no way to fulfill his promise, he left the paper and ran away.
Although he didn't believe it in his heart, he still unfolded it carefully with his hands.
He guessed correctly, it was indeed a piece of paper.
The first four characters that caught Fu Sheng's eyes were larger than the other characters. They seemed to serve as a summary or a generalization.
——Punctuation marks.
