Section 9: Governing the country by virtue

Putting aside the psychological burden, I calmly sat down. Listen quietly to their conversation.

Guan Ning first presented the Four Books and Five Classics he compiled for you to correct. At that time, most books were hand-burned on bamboo slips or copied onto newly invented paper, and there were inevitably many errors. The text in the book is different depending on the personal collection version, so it is difficult to say whose version is more correct.

Soon after the debate, it was already obvious that the scholars present were high, and in the fierce place, only Tian Feng was still arguing with Guan Ning. Others, when they say what they want, can only pat their thighs to show appreciation. I'm the only one who can't understand this kind of ancient text, and I'm drowsy to hear it.

Tian Feng saw my demeanor, he seemed very interested in this person whom Guan Ning called "Lord Gong", and in the interval between the words, he asked me: "What does Xuande Gong think this sentence should be interpreted." ”

I? I am not interested in this kind of work of searching for chapters and extracting sentences, but I can't say it explicitly, so I have to look sloppy: "What the princes say is reasonable, why don't we publish another book and record all the words you have said on it, so that the world can know the various interpretations of this passage?" ”

He immediately said in a fierce voice: "In this way, how will the world know what is a correct explanation and what is a fallacy and heresy." ”

Alas, I lamented, "Why do you have to distinguish between right and wrong, these books are all recorded by the predecessors, and the predecessors naturally thought that they were right to write in this way, and they have been handed down to posterity for hundreds of years, unless we have an original book to correct the fallacy, otherwise, it is better to record all these sayings in the classics, lest the people of later generations will not see the whole picture of the book because of your prejudices." ”

Everyone thought about it for a while, nodded yes, and this may be the best solution.

Now that the argument was over, Fu Zhu began to look down at the book: "Guan Gong does not seem to have recorded this book by hand, and there is no ink in the whole book, so I don't know how to record the words on the paper. ”

Guan Ning smiled and didn't answer, Tian Chou said: "My father-in-law ......" just said these words, I felt Guan Ning's hand next to me move, as if he pinched Tian Chou, Tian Chou immediately swallowed the rest of the words in embarrassment.

Good fellow, whoever said that the sage has no heart, I will be anxious with him. Guan Ning's wisdom is no less than Kong Ming, now the Han court is not authoritative, but the residual power is still there, Guan Ning is benevolent, he definitely has no idea of rebellion or independence from the court, but thinking of the greed of the officials, he can't help but consciously cover up the ideal country built by the exiles - Izumo City. Indeed, now is not the time to expose Cloud City.

Everyone stared at Tian Chou, and when he finished speaking, Tian Chou deeply regretted his speech, and couldn't bear everyone's eyes, so he had to secretly pull my shirt, hoping that I would come forward to speak.

Guan Ning glanced at Tian Chou deeply, Tian Chou immediately curled up slightly in cringe, and then, Guan Ning also pulled the placket of my clothes and motioned for me to speak. The crowd noticed his move and turned their eyes to me.

I organized the language in my mind and explained: "This book is printed in lead, and the words written by You'an are cast into lead characters, and then rubbed on paper, and this book becomes this book. ”

As soon as I said this, I immediately attracted a wave of admiration. Unbeknownst to everyone, I deliberately concealed the place where the book was printed and the inventor of this printing method.

In order to prevent them from continuing to ask, Guan Ning immediately followed my words and said: "Ning's trip is specially for the compilation of a book of virtue advocated by the sage, I want to solicit the opinions of celebrities and scholars from all directions, my lord once said that Fu Gong is a wise man in the world, so I came to the house to ask, what does Fu Gong think about the virtue of Confucianism?" ”

Fu Zhu immediately said in surprise: "I live in the countryside, and my reputation has not spread for 10 miles, how can Xuande Gong know my cheap name." ”

This makes it difficult for me to say, I can't say that I read the Later Han Book of the Three Kingdoms, so as to know your name. So I had to smile slightly and answer vaguely: "The peach and plum don't say anything, and the next is its own." Turning my head, I said to Tian Feng again: "We were going to visit Tian Gong in Julu at our next stop, but fortunately we met you here. ”

Tian Feng immediately gave up his hand, and said with a face full of honor: "How dare you." ”

I also asked Fu Zhu about my doubts: "Liu Bei, but a wild man from Zhuo County, how could Fu Gong know Liu Bei's cheap name." ”

Tian Feng preemptively replied: "Don't you know that Xuande Gong still doesn't know, since last winter, Youzhou Mu Liu Yu and Youzhou Governor and Zhonglang Gongsun Zan have put on each other's tables and attacked each other, and the imperial court specially sent people to Youzhou to mediate. However, the two of them praised Xuande Gong in the table, and Xuande Gong's master Wang Yue also explained the reason for you in Luoyang, and Luoyang Xiaoer also knew the name of Xuande Gong's benevolence. How can we not know? ”

Oh, it seems that my Luoyang campaign has been a great success, but I haven't contacted the people sent to Luoyang until now, which is really a mistake.

I was a little modest, and the conversation continued, and I frowned and said, "The sage once said: "The rule of chaos is a heavy code. At this time, disasters and famines broke out, and the imperial court sold officials and lords, and increased taxes and taxes; Eunuchs are treacherous and abuse power to harm the country; Loyal ministers and wise men are not allowed to enter; local tyrants do evil; The people are struggling to make a living, and they are fleeing in all directions. On the occasion of the advent of the great chaos, wouldn't it be the benevolence of Song Xianggong to talk about morality and morality of everyone."

Guan Ning frowned, "Cultivate yourself and govern others", "Inner Saint and Outer King". The rule of virtue to govern the world through his own moral cultivation has always been his advocacy. "Self-cultivation, family harmony, governing the country, and leveling the world" in "University" was his motivation for writing this book, and he was greatly dissatisfied with the denial of frustration.

I secretly clapped my hands, worthy of a person with strategic vision, who had already seen that the world was about to be in turmoil. The more morally degraded a society is, the more the elite of that society places more emphasis on morality, which is a basic social law.

China's culture consists of two parts, namely the elite culture of the Chinese and the culture of the common people; Chinese morality is also divided into two parts, namely the morality of ought and the morality of actuality. Confucianism is the elite culture and natural morality of Chinese culture, but it is only a marginal part of "Chinese culture", and it is not actually a cultural reality that actually exists.

Most Chinese live in a practical moral life that is in opposition to Confucian moral precepts, and this actual moral state and civilian culture is the basic content of Chinese culture, the truth of Chinese culture, and this is also the treatment of poor benevolence and morality.

For example, a person in power can vigorously advocate for the fight against corruption, but his children can take other countries' passports and lie on the beach in other countries to bask in the sun. When the huge corrupt people make anti-corruption reports, they can write a thousand words with enthusiasm, but the corruption behind his back is jaw-dropping. And all this is because the morality advocated by the giant greed is only a kind of natural morality, and everyone should act in this way, as for the huge greed itself, whether it actually acts according to it, it depends on another set of moral standards - the actual moral standards are their actual moral standards. This may be the reason why people who call on people to learn from Lei Feng like to ask for it themselves after others have dedicated.

Many sinologists in China have encountered this contradiction: why is it that so many people in this ceremonial country are so insensitive and morally degenerate? In fact, this is the inevitable result of their one-sided superstitious Confucian dogma.

Of course, the Confucian ideological system can be called broad and profound, and it cannot be denied that it has played a positive role in the unity and stability of the country, the harmonious coexistence of the nation, and the moral cultivation of human beings for thousands of years.

However, according to the Confucian attitude of "man sets the compulsory order" towards society, and in troubled times, only emphasizing the rule of virtue, that will only aggravate the disaster.

However, Guan Ning is my subordinate, I can't embarrass him, and as soon as this topic starts, I don't know how long the argument will be, maybe arguing for two thousand years will not be a problem, but I can't wait for such a long time.