"Take 10,000 steps back, we can strive to spread the Great Song Dynasty rituals all over the world, and consider everything very carefully and carefully, however, manpower is sometimes exhausted, and there has been a complete set of rules at sea for thousands of years. I don't think so. The wisdom of one person can rival the wisdom of thousands of people, and it may be even more unbearable than the original. ”

"But," Li Rui asked reproachfully, "if that's the case, what's the difference between us and the barbarians?" ”

"What's there?"

Zhao Xingde repeated word by word, his face was cold, as if he was facing the questioning of the state school and politics in the Ministry of Rites, and said slowly: "Uncle Wu, the brother of Uncle Tai Zhongyong, are the sons of King Zhou Tai, and the brother of King Ji Li of Zhou, Ji Lizi is King Wen Jichang. The prince knew Ji Changxian, and wanted to pass on the Ji Li and Ji Chang, so the Tai Bo and Zhong Yong let the virtuous and run to Jing Man, and the Jing Barbarians admired the morality of the two, and there were thousands of families who followed, and the Tai Bo was the king, and there was Wu State. Tai Bo and Zhong Yong, all ancient sages, Tai Bo three let the world, Confucius praised 'the most virtuous'. Let Xian Ji and Ji Chang go through the calendar, and only then can there be 800 years of the Zhou Dynasty. However, Tai Bo died, Zhong Yong's heir, cut off his tattoo, and won as an ornament. Isn't what these two people did any different from barbarians? ”

"Broken hair tattoos, after all, are just appearances." Li Rui retorted, "Uncle Wu, Zhong Yong, how can they be no different from barbarians. ”

"Wu Guo is not a country of etiquette and music, broken hair and tattoos are all appearances, so what is the essence of God?" Zhao Xingde said thoughtfully, "Isn't it that Taibo and Zhongyong have obtained the essence of Zhou Li, and with the virtue of Jing Barbarian and the way of Jing Man, they can establish a country in the land of Jing Barbarian." Later, it was one of the overlords of the Spring and Autumn Period. If it weren't for Wu Zhongyong's tattoo and winning as an ornament, in the land of Jing Man, I'm afraid it would be difficult to even survive, right? ”

Li Rui was silent, Wu Guo broke off his tattoo, and his brother on the throne died and his brother died, and he was close to barbarians. And after Wu, there was the sage Ji Zha, who repeatedly let his country, which shows that Taibo's sincere gentleman's style has not been broken. If it is said that the Wu people are no different from the barbarians, it is indeed unreasonable. He was vague in his heart, as if he had an understanding, but he was not very clear, and he couldn't help asking: "What is the difference between China and barbarians?" What is the essence of God? ”

"Maybe Uncle Wu knows." Zhao Xingde shook his head and said, "But I don't know." Or rather, I don't know exactly. In a sense, do more wrong. Because of this, the sailors passed through the southwest and South China Seas, and I could only change the rules of the sea as little as possible, and try to act in accordance with the original rules of the sea. As you know, the most important thing for the sailors to train these captives is to teach them military law and discipline and establish rules. But these rules are just a drop in the ocean compared to the original rules at sea. In addition to the minimum necessary insistence, there are many, many bright and dark rules in the southwest sea, which we must conform to, not confront them. And to adapt to these rules, the first step is to know the rules, which is useful for the people who defend the sea camp. ”

"Since you have insisted, even if you change the rules at the least," Li Rui said in confusion, "It is also different from the rules that people have followed for tens of millions of years, and this may also be against the Heavenly Dao in the Southwest Sea." Isn't your statement inconsistent? If you can do a little bit of persistence, why can't you do more to make the rituals of the Central Plains truly expand to the southwest sea? He stared at Zhao Xingde, as if he wanted to find the answer from his face. This kind of abstract problem of heaven and human morality, even in the scholar's mansion, Li Rui rarely talks about it with others, and at this time, it seems that he has been infected by Zhao Xingde, and he seems to be a little excited.

"If the way of heaven is the same, human morality will naturally remain unchanged." Zhao Xingde shook his head and said in a deep voice, "But, what about the difference in the way of heaven? ”

"The way of heaven is constant, not for Yao, not for death." Li Rui lost her voice, "How can the way of heaven change? ”

"Heaven is constant, and it really won't change." Zhao Xingde has answered this question countless times.

"However, there is indeed a slight difference between the current and tens of millions of years ago." He looked at Li Rui's puzzled expression, and said slowly, "First of all, the way of heaven is not high, but contained in all things in heaven and earth. Although the way of heaven will not change, it is indeed different from that of tens of millions of years ago or from tens of millions of years later. Tens of millions of years ago, there was no artillery, no gunboat, no country in the world could organize such a powerful fleet, and naturally there was no reason to connect with these. And today, with these extra things, there is naturally more reason. He looked at Li Rui and said in a deep voice, "Based on this Heavenly Dao, there is naturally room to reformulate the rules, match the sky with virtue, and the new rules are the new human virtues." ”

"In that case, why can't we spread the Chinese rituals to the four seas?" Li Rui asked rhetorically.

The discussion between the two seemed to be back to square one.

"Manpower is sometimes exhausted." Zhao Xingde sighed and said without thinking: "What about the powerful artillery?" From one place to another, it can be as short as a few months or as long as more than a year, and the distance and time have not changed. The long distance, the stormy waves, and the unpredictable reefs have not changed, and the original truth of the sea is naturally still there. Compared with the power of the sea itself, the guns are just a little more reasonable. How can you and I dare to say that the original rules of the sea will be replaced by Chinese etiquette? He took a sip of tea and sighed, "I knew in my heart that I couldn't do it." However, national affairs can only be done in accordance with the sky, not against reason. Otherwise, one person will be happy, and nine times out of ten people in the world will not be happy. ”

"Manpower is sometimes exhausted", many helpless. Li Rui's face suddenly changed, he sighed, and said, "So, thank you for your advice." ”

"You and me, why be polite. There is a specialization in the art industry, and you are not as good as me when you worry about these mundane trivial matters. Measuring the stars, peeping into the sky, I am not as good as you. Zhao Xingde shook his head and said humbly: "Thousands of years later, today's princes and princes will be turned into dung, and people still remember you, the first scholar Li who measured accurate charts." ”

"Brother Zhao has won the award." Li Rui arched his hand, frowned again, and said, "If you want to pass through the Southwest Sea, among the more than 20,000 ordinary captives, can't you choose some competent and reliable people?" Why do we have to use the vicious death row prisoners in the Hanhai camp? He looked out of the porthole, the army training on the dock was in formation, under the hazy glow, the old battalion of the sailor, the supplementary battalion, and the regimental training battalion, it was no longer distinguishable, however, the team of the sea defense battalion could still be identified at a glance. Those sinners who are waiting to die seem to have a dead breath on them, and anyone who sees them will frown.

Zhao Xingde's eyes also fell on those people, but a trace of essence flashed, and he said slowly: "When I was in the north, I heard people talk about horses and horses. Experienced horse trainers know that if the wild horses that are easily tamed are mostly ordinary horses, they will be exhausted after galloping for dozens of miles. On the contrary, it is a stubborn wild horse that is extremely difficult to tame, once tamed, it is a rare good horse, this kind of horse is often the first horse in the herd, often able to gallop hundreds of miles, and even in order to protect the herd, it can fight with wild wolves. ”

"Could it be that the people who defend the sea camp are like the stubborn horses?" ”

"Just an analogy. There is still a difference between people and horses. Zhao Xingde shook his head and said, "Of the 20,000 captives of the sea bandits, the vast majority of them were forced to be thieves, some were captured by the thieves, some were forced to make a living, and some were framed by others. However, people are different, the vast majority of people live in a muddy life, no different from the walking dead, when others kill people, he kills, and when others set fires, he sets fires. As long as they are tempted to take advantage of them and threaten them, they can burn and kill for the pirates, they can also fight for the imperial court, and they can even fight for the big cannibals and Khitans, like walking corpses. They may be able to enforce the ban, but it is not easy to really understand the rules, and even to be able to integrate the rules of our sailors with the old rules of the sea. ”

"Is there any difference between the people in the camp of defending the sea?"

"It's different." Zhao Xingde nodded, and said in a deep voice, "The people in the Hanhai camp, at least when their lives were at stake, they made a key trade-off. None of them are muddy. "Some people, seeing that the pirates are gone, gritted their teeth and turned themselves in to save their lives. Some people, who were bullied but couldn't be humiliated, slashed the enemy's family, and since then they have fallen into the grass. Some, in the pirate infighting, beheaded the leader and replaced him. They are all people who know the rules, make decisions, and survive. "Such a smart person, when trained, will save a lot of effort. Their judgment has saved their own lives, and I hope that after some tuning, their judgment will save more lives and allow the detachment to survive on the treacherous seas. ”

Zhao Xingde sighed slightly.

At this time, Li Rui suddenly had a kind of enlightenment, survival, not victory, was Zhao Xingde's primary consideration.

"Is the sea really so treacherous?" His heart flashed slightly, and he said: "If you are familiar with the rules, judge the situation, and make trade-offs, which is what the officers from Qingliu are good at, and these people are also your henchmen, why don't you continue to rely on them, but cultivate these thieves who wear crimes?" ”

"Have you ever heard of pox?"

"Pox?" Li Rui was slightly stunned, "Is this the way to plant cowpox on children so that they don't have smallpox?" ”

Pox is also found in Kanto, but it is not widely spread. In the Xia Kingdom, pox seeding was something that had to be done within three months of the birth of a child under the supervision of a sergeant. Li Rui has been in Kansai for many years and knows something about it. There is an old king of the shade who helps to carry firewood and cook under his door, and he still specially begged for pox in Dunhuang City, and Li Rui supervised and testified.

"It's pox. The pox virus is similar to the real smallpox virus, but the virulence has been conditioned and much weaker. Zhao Xingde nodded and said, "Compared with the people in the Hanhai camp, Officer Qingliu is still too unfamiliar with the ocean. Not only them, but the entire sailor is like a newborn baby, without immunity to the virus at sea. And these captives who have been conditioned by the pirates, they learn the rules of the sailors, and the sailors must also learn the rules of the sea from them. I hope there are fewer detours. He looked at the whole team of captive recruits and whispered, "They are the pox planted by the nascent navy." ”