It's been so long since I returned to China, and I don't even know the real strength of my country, has this prince of decades been in vain?

Although Zhou Yao was surprised, he didn't feel strange.

The fact that a monarch can ask about the strength and status of his country so sincerely shows that he wants to truly understand the real situation of the country.

Zhou Yao listened, thought for a while, and said, "Since the king asked this question, the minister can only tell the truth. Before answering this question, I would like to ask you, in your opinion, how strong is our country? ”

I asked you how strong you were, and you turned around and asked me.

This is a serious political issue, not a tongue twister.

After listening to Zhou Yao's words, Sangong Ji Zhao was a little stunned, hesitated a little and still truthfully said his feelings, "Before becoming the monarch, the widow was young and vigorous, and I always felt that as long as our monarchs and ministers were single-minded, they would definitely be able to defeat Rong Di by relying on their own strength. I also once blamed the monarch for why he didn't cheer up his spirits and disperse the country to resist foreign insults, and he wanted to invite a low-status barbarian like the Qin people to help us guard the border. ”

Zhou Yaoan listened to Ji Zhao's words quietly, and then asked, "How do you feel after becoming the monarch?" ”

After becoming the monarch, the widow's mind changed, especially when the widow was placed under house arrest by Liu Tong. It turns out that the current scattered country is not only not strong, but also has many domestic contradictions. Ji Zhao raised the wine bottle and gestured to speak while drinking.

Zhou Yao said while drinking: "The king is mature, let the minister say so to you!" If we want to talk about the strength of the scattered country, we must first start with internal and external contradictions. ”

Ji Zhao put down the wine bottle and listened carefully.

Zhou Yao said: "At present, there are three layers of contradictions in scattered countries, the first layer is the contradiction between countries, including the contradiction between scattered countries and Rongdi in the north, and the contradictions between neighboring countries and neighboring countries; the second layer is the contradiction between the nobles and the nobles of the scattered countries, and between the nobles and the common people; The third layer is the contradiction between the scattered countries and the Qin people. ”

Yes?

There are so many contradictions, and the problems are so big!

Zhou Yao continued, "At present, there are many contradictions at home and abroad, and it is not easy to resolve so many contradictions at once, and it requires strong wisdom and ability. ”

This time, San Gongzhao no longer has to worry, his mind is also calm, and he listens to Zhou Yao like a child.

"Let's talk about how to resolve the first contradiction, the contradiction between countries." Zhou Yao said: "The contradiction between Sanguo and Rong Di has been around for a long time, and the more the contradiction accumulates, the more difficult it is to resolve. Not to mention anything else, that is, Weichen's father died at the hands of Rong Di, it can be said that Rong Di is a feud of the scattered country, which cannot be forgotten for a day. ”

Sangong Ji Zhao nodded and said, "The contradiction between us and Rong Di is a feud, and it is difficult to solve it. ”

"Although it is difficult, it cannot be solved. If nothing else, Rong Di will lead his army to the foot of Sancheng this winter, and Sanguo will face the danger of life and death at any time. ”

Hey--, old problem is still an old problem, and there has been no progress.

As soon as Sangong Ji Zhao heard this, he immediately wilted, "The widow knows that danger has always existed, so let's talk about other problems first!" ”

The reason why the topic was diverted was because San Gongzhao knew very well in his heart that his monarch father had come to Qin because he wanted to solve this problem. Now that I am facing the same problem, should I go down the same path again?

"Then the micro-ministers will have contradictions with the monarch and the surrounding countries. Especially the contradiction with the country. Zhou Yao said, "The contradiction between the scattered country and the Yu country can be said in eight words, that is, interdependence and mutual annexation." ”

Interdependence, mutual annexation?

Sangong Ji Zhao was a little puzzled, "How do you say this?" ”

Zhou Yao smiled slightly: "Presumably, the monarch has some understanding of mutual annexation, but he doesn't understand interdependence, right?" ”

"Exactly. The widow only knows that over the years, the Kingdom of Qiu has annexed a lot of land on the south bank of our Weishui, and he has never seen us rely on the Kingdom of Qiu, or the Kingdom of Qiu has relied on us. ”

Regarding the relationship between the scattered country and the Yu country, Ji Zhao still knows that the surface is harmonious and harmonious, but in fact there are many contradictions.

Zhou Yao listened and said: "Although the Kingdom of Yu has annexed a lot of our land, it may not be a good thing for the Kingdom of Yu to really eliminate the Kingdom of San. ”

"Why?" Ji Zhao asked puzzled.

"Because of the demise of the scattered country, the next target that Rong Di wants to annex will be the kingdom of Yu, so for the sake of his own safety, the country of Yu will definitely send troops to help the country at the critical moment of the life and death of the scattered country."

"However, after so many years, why have the widows never seen the Kingdom of Yu helping the Scattered Kingdom?"

"That's because we're not at the critical moment of life or death." Zhou Yao replied.

After listening to Zhou Yao's words, Ji Zhao seemed to understand something.

"Next, the minister will tell the king about the contradictions within the scattered country, especially the contradictions between the nobles and the common people." Before answering this contradiction, Zhou Yao suddenly asked, "Before talking about this question, the minister wants to ask whether the monarch is important to the nobles or the common people in the country?" ”

Which is important to the nobles and the common people?

Ji Zhao had never thought about such a question, in his opinion, such a question was too simple. In a slave society, it has always been an aristocratic world, as for commoners and slaves are dispensable, now Zhou Yao actually asked him such a thing, Ji Zhao felt a little ridiculous?

So Ji Zhao smiled faintly, shook his head, and did not answer.

"Don't you think this question is funny?" Zhou Yao asked when he saw this.

"It's not funny, it's not worth answering. Every country and even the royal family in Guanzhong rely on the support of the aristocracy, do you say that the nobles are important or the people are important? It must be the nobility that matters. Ji Zhao replied affirmatively.

Zhou Yao shook his head lightly after hearing this, "If the monarch continues to insist on this, the minister feels wrong, in the minister's opinion, it is the opposite, the nobles are not very important, but we should pay attention to the interests of the people." ”

Valuing the interests of the people?

Zhou Yao himself is a nobleman, and he is also one of the top nobles in the scattered country, not only does he not defend the interests of the nobles but also agrees with the people to speak, which is really strange.

The noodle seller actually said that rice was important, and the firewood seller actually said that charcoal was important, do you want to smash your own stall?

"How can you say that you want to defend the interests of the people?" Ji Zhao asked curiously.

"Let me tell you this, although all the vassal states of our scattered kingdom and even Guanzhong were formed by nobles. But at critical moments, we still have to rely on the lowest level of civilians and slaves, for example, we have to rely on civilians to do business and make money to feed the country, and we have to rely on slaves to farm the land and fight as soldiers, etc. If we blindly harm the interests of these people, we will eventually lead to the people at the bottom of the country leaving us. Your Majesty, when the people at the bottom of society have left us, who will the monarch be, who will we be officials, and why should the nobles be nobles? When he said this, Zhou Yao was a little excited.

Although Zhou Yao did not understand Mencius's truth that "the people are noble and the king is light", starting from the actual interests of the country, he had already realized that the slave owners and aristocrats could no longer harm the interests of the lowest level of society without restraint.