Du Yulu heard Zhang Chao claim to have received the great favor of Emperor Yang of Sui, even Du Yulu couldn't refute this, because if Zhang Chao's statement made sense. Zhang Chao received great favor from Emperor Yang of Sui, who created the imperial examination system, which allowed him to embark on the path of the ruling class of officials. If Emperor Yang of Sui didn't die for a long time, he immediately turned his face and began to spit on Emperor Yang of Sui, wouldn't this be forgetting his roots? As an official, if you forget your roots, this is very intolerable in traditional Chinese morality. Therefore, Zhang Chao can't forget his roots and doesn't evaluate Emperor Yang of Sui, so it makes sense, no one can say anything about him. On the contrary, many nerds will praise him for his good character, but Du Yulu is really helpless.

"Director Zhang, since you are already an official, that is, an official of the imperial court, how do you think you can be an official? In your heart, what kind of person is a good official? I hope you can tell me the truth, not the false ones. Du Yulu asked.

Zhang Chao asked rhetorically: "Then Miss Du, what kind of official do you think is a good official?" ”

"I think a good official is loyal to his duties, able to assist the emperor, and able to lead the people and appease the people. Be able to make decisions for the people, lead the people and lead them to the right path. Du Yulu said.

Zhang Chao shook his head and said, "I don't think so!" ”

"Oh? Director Zhang, what do you think is a good official? Du Yulu asked.

Zhang Chao replied: "Serve the people, that is a good official!" ”

"What? Serving the people? Du Yulu was surprised.

Zhang Chao's words made Du Yulu really surprised, because Zhang Chao's words actually said that they were serving the people, which was definitely a very fresh statement for the ancient people. Because in the eyes of ancient people, officials were all from above to rule the people, and officials were all to help the emperor rule the people, and belonged to those in power. And the whole world is royal, and the officials are only responsible for assisting the emperor. If Zhang Chao said that he served the emperor, then there must be no problem with this, because Du Yulu also thought that officials were actually servants of the emperor to a large extent. You must know that the name of the official position of prime minister came from the two positions of "Cheng" and "Xiang", and the two positions of prime minister were both people in charge of the family affairs of the princes and kings, and they were actually the servants of the princes and kings. The meaning in this is very obvious, that is, it means that the official is the emperor's servant.

In this era of family world, any official is only a servant of the emperor in a sense, so as to reflect the loyalty of officials to the emperor. But when it came to Zhang Chao, the officials should serve the people, not the emperor, which surprised Du Yulu very much. And Du Yulu deeply doubted that Zhang Chao's words would be scolded to death by some people who wanted to slap the emperor's ass, as if he was disloyal to the emperor. However, Zhang Chao didn't seem to care.

"What is an official, who is not engaged in production himself, but enjoys the worship of the people, so shouldn't he do something for the people? Shouldn't having enjoyed the offerings of the people be blessed by the people? Zhang Chao asked.

But Du Yulu asked: "Isn't it right for the people to worship the court officials and nobles?" And rightfully so! ”

"Then why did the people worship the officials? Can you name a necessary reason? Why did the people give their own things to the officials, and why did the officials enjoy the people's offerings with peace of mind? Zhang Chao asked.

"This ......"

Du Yulu couldn't say anything, because it seemed that it was really like what Zhang Chao said, and the officials had no reason to enjoy the people's offerings with peace of mind. In the past, she didn't think that way at all, or didn't dare to think about it at all. Her identity is definitely not ordinary, she should be the daughter of a certain family, and even these families have been officials for generations. And they enjoyed the offerings of the people, and they seemed to take it for granted. They seem to take it for granted that the people worship the officials, and they don't think about why they do it, or they don't think about it at all, and they don't want to think about it that way.

But now Zhang Chao has unceremoniously said this problem, that is, the people actually have no reason to unconditionally support these officials. And even the people themselves think that they should pay taxes to support the officials, but in fact it is untenable, because why the officials can accept the people's support unconditionally, this is unreasonable!

"The court officials are the parents of the people, they are the parents of the people, shouldn't the people provide for their parents?" Du Yulu said suddenly.

Zhang Chao asked rhetorically; "Parents official, the official sang a chorus to give the people a bite to eat, and the chorus gave the people the conditions for survival? Parents are responsible for giving birth. The officials of the court neither gave birth to the people, nor did they feed the people, and everything was supported by the people's own labor, so why did the officials call themselves the parents of the people? ”

"This ......" Du Yulu had nothing to say again.

Du Yulu felt how "ignorant" she was, and she was so untenable to be refuted by Zhang Chao, and she seemed to be unreasonable to say anything. She tried hard to find a legitimate reason for the people to support the officials, but in the end she did not find any reason to prove her claim, because any reason was problematic. The people didn't seem obliged to support this official and nobleman, and they had never thought about it that way, so now Du Yulu didn't know how to explain it.

"Tell me, then, if the people pay their taxes in this way, shouldn't they?" Du Yulu asked.

And Zhang Chao replied; "The people pay the taxes, and that's how they should be. Because these taxes are taken from the people for the people, and not for the officials to squander. The people need a peaceful environment and not be bullied by foreigners, so it is natural to form an army to protect their stability, which is the reason why they support the army. And they need to ensure that their legitimate wealth is not violated, so they also provide for the judicial officials to adjudicate, and they can protect their legitimate wealth through the law and the officials who enforce the law, which is the basis of their support for the judicial officials. ”

"And the people need to be able to live a better life and be able to produce better, so they will raise a group of people who are not engaged in production to make them produce better. This is also known as sharpening knives and cutting wood, because officials should be able to serve the people better, so that they can produce more food and make the people's lives better. This is the value of the existence of officials, otherwise if they are all a group of wine bags and rice bags that only care about eating and drinking, then what is the use? If the officials one day forget their duties, the people will replace themselves with someone who will enable them to live a good life. Zhang Chao said.

"Don't you know that you are going to offend a lot of people when you say this? Even, if you are detained, a plot to rebel is possible! Du Yulu immediately exclaimed.

Zhang Chao said indifferently: "I'm expressing a fact, that is, an indisputable fact." At the end of Liu Han, although Liu Han finally died in the princes of all walks of life, in fact, from the beginning of their Yellow Turban Rebellion, it was doomed. And if the Yellow Turban does not rebel, the situation will not be eroded to this point. And the reason why the Yellow Turban rebelled, in fact, was it not that the emperor and the court officials at that time were inconsiderate of the people, and as a result, the people could not survive, and then they could rebel? If the people could be given a way to live, would they rebel? ”

"And the former Sui, in fact, why not? The former Sui Dynasty conquered Goryeo three times, and built the Grand Canal, although the motive was not wrong, but in fact, it abused the people's power, and finally forced all the princes of the world to rebel together, which gave me the opportunity of the Tang Dynasty! If, without the rebellion of the princes from all walks of life, then how could there be a chance for my Tang family to be established, and you can't deny this, right? ”

"So, don't underestimate the power of the people, although they seem to have nothing, but once they erupt, they are definitely a force that can change the world. And every clothing and every food of the court officials comes from the people, and these are the people's fat and people's ointment, shouldn't they make more for the people? If there is no such people's fat and people's ointment, what will the officials eat? While eating the offerings of the people, but abusing the people, what kind of thing is this! Therefore, if the officials are not able to serve the people, they are worthy of the support of their parents, and they are worthy of the trust of the people. And if everybody does that, then the people will use their own methods to tell the officials that they are not so easy to be bullied. And this is often the beginning of a change of dynasty! ”

Listening to Zhang Chao's words, Du Yulu couldn't help but start to really think seriously about the meaning of the existence of officials. The people provide for the officials, which is actually to enable the officials to lead the people to produce better, and it is by no means for them to be powerful and blessed to spread wildness on the heads of the people. Moreover, since ancient times, even those officials have not been able to legitimize the power and blessing of the people, which is not in line with the thinking of the Confucian sage. So after hearing Zhang Chao's words, Du Yulu also felt a little correct.

But her thinking from childhood to adulthood cannot be changed at one time, and Du Yulu doesn't know what to say. Du Yulu didn't know how to face Zhang Chao's words, because many dynasties also originated from peasant uprisings, and the so-called new dynasties after Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty also originated from peasant uprisings from all walks of life. And then from the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the current Sui Dynasty, isn't it all like this? If there were no peasant uprisings, how could it be possible to give those heroes who aspired to hegemony in the world a chance? Therefore, everything originated from the peasant uprising, and if these peasants did not revolt, I am afraid that it would not cause the situation in the world to deteriorate.

"And the people support the officials, even the emperor, they all hope that the officials and even the emperor can do things for the people, not to exert power on the people's heads. If officials or even emperors forget their duties, the people will eventually abandon them. The people are the water, the king is the boat, the water can carry the boat, and it can also overturn the boat. Therefore, do not resent the people for rebelling, because you have not done a good job yourself. If you give them a way to live, they will not be willing to rebel. And if the people don't rebel, then even those heroes who are aspiring to the world will not have any chance. Therefore, it is better to do the most basic things well, rather than thinking about killing the people. The people are not afraid of death, so why should they be afraid of death? Is it that you persecute the people not to be afraid of death, so you still want to make the people afraid by killing, is this fundamentally putting the cart before the horse? Zhang Chao said.

Zhang Chao soon left, and Du Yulu left the place. Not far away, Du Yulu came to the young man in his twenties.

"King Qin!" Du Yulu took the initiative to salute and said.

And this man, that is, Li Shimin, he has been listening to it just now.

"What he said is not for you, but for the lonely king!" Li Shimin said.

"Oh? Did he find King Qin, you? Du Yulu was surprised.

And Li Shimin was also surprised, because he was wearing ordinary people's clothes, and Li Shimin didn't think Zhang Chao could recognize him. Because although they had all met in the Taiji Hall at that time, they were far away. Li Shimin is standing in the front row, while Zhang Chao is in the back position. And there are hundreds of people in the Taiji Palace, Zhang Chao may be able to come out of Li Shimin if he is not hungry. And Li Shimin didn't look back to meet Zhang Chao, so Li Shimin didn't think Zhang Chao could recognize him.

And Li Shimin didn't know that even if he was wearing ordinary people's clothes, his skin was white, and he was obviously not an ordinary person. Therefore, Zhang Chao can be sure that Li Shimin is not an ordinary person, and as for who he is, Zhang Chao can naturally guess it. Because the one who can let a woman of Du Yulu's status test Zhang Chao is definitely not an ordinary person, but definitely a high-ranking official.

But the vast majority of high-ranking officials are at least forty or fifty years old, or even older. But this Li Shimin is not very old, but his status is very high, unless he can only blame the royal family. But at present, there are many people in the royal family, except for Li Jiancheng, that is, Li Shimin, there is no other possibility. As long as the elimination method is used, it is easy to get the answer, so he thinks that this person is not Li Jiancheng or Li Shimin, and Zhang Chao thinks that he is more likely to be more biased towards Li Shimin. Because Du Yulu's surname is Du, Li Jiancheng does not have a high-ranking official surnamed Du around him, so naturally there will not be a relative of an official surnamed Du.

"Yulu, this Zhang Chao has cheated Ling Zun, don't you hate him?" Li Shimin asked.

Du Yulu shook his head and said: "He is a real official, an official who really serves the people. However, he has a heart for the people, but he also has certain means. ”

"Maybe!" Li Shimin said.