"Official, the prince is a good man."

"Hmm. Take a bite? ”

The two of them sat by the lake at the construction site, and Zhao Jiaren handed the wine bottle next to Wen Tianxiang. Wen Tianxiang changed the fishing rod in his right hand to his left hand, took the wine bottle and took a sip. At the entrance, Wen Tianxiang praised: "Heh! Good wine. ”

It is said that when the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty was fishing, the guards had already put a lot of carp that had been hungry for several days in the fishing waters, but those were all legends that had been circulated before, and the fish baskets around Zhao Jiaren and Wen Tianxiang were empty. It's clear that the guys of the Guard Regiment didn't learn from the former Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Putting down the wine bottle, Wen Tianxiang continued: "But I don't know if the official family can ask the prince to add the charter first. ”

"Lao Wen, we will all die. When we were studying, when did the teacher say that you should add a certain charter? Zhao Jiaren never relied on fishing to make a living, and he only came to fish to talk, and he was not afraid of being scared away by the fish, "The children will grow up and go their own way." You have to do exactly the same thing as before, and that's too old-fashioned. If that's the case, why don't we tie the rope and remember slash-and-burn? ”

Wen Tianxiang couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard this. The friendship between him and Zhao Jiaren is the envy of many people, and they all know that there is no estrangement between the two monarchs. However, as far as Wen Tianxiang's own feelings are concerned, there is no barrier between the Zhao Guanjia and anyone. The reason why the relationship between the two seems to be intimate is that Wen Tianxiang never considered seeking an official position from Zhao Jiaren, so he is just rigid if he has no desire. Talking to Zhao Jiaren actually made Wen Tianxiang uncomfortable many times. This time Zhao Qian's matter was the same.

Since he never considered his official position, Wen Tianxiang also told the truth, "Official, it's too different to do this." The things that the prince wants are different from the previous rules. ”

"Which do you think Zhao Qian's new system is better than the previous one?"

"It's not about who is better, it's about whether they can do it. What Wang Quanle did must be reprimanded and demoted. In order to appease the military, it is even more necessary to punish severely. But as the prince said, that's all. Wang Quanle will punish whatever is wrong. I think the prince is still young. Wen Tianxiang has a fierce personality, but it's not that he doesn't know how to be an official, let alone that he doesn't understand the rules of officialdom.

"Just tell me the truth, which do you think is better?" Zhao Jiaren said as he retracted the fishing rod and hung up the new earthworms.

"What does the prince mean or does the official family mean?" Wen Tianxiang simply put down the fishing rod. This kind of thing is not to be taken lightly.

"Lao Wen, I think society should progress. And for thousands of years, smart people have actually known to improve. Zhao Jiaren used a smooth bouncing technique to throw the fishing line with a lead sinker far into the water, causing a circle of ripples, "But why is the progress so slow?" Many times many things have to affect the interests of many people, and it is also necessary to make the operation of the imperial court look troublesome. But the right thing is right, I heard that Wang Quanle himself asked the officials to quickly formulate a clause against retaliation, right? ”

"Wang Quanle didn't think of these things when he attacked others." Wen Tianxiang replied more cautiously.

"That's right. If it is a means of retaliation, Wang Quanle has done something excessive, we can also retaliate with all our might, and we don't have to care about anything. I guess a lot of people think so. Looking at the ups and downs of the fish float, Zhao Jiaren picked up the wine bottle and took a sip, and then sighed, "Heh! Zhao Qian said that this kind of retaliation is wrong, and no one can do it. A lot of people feel uncomfortable. They had long wanted to clean up a lot of people, but after the new system was formulated, they couldn't enjoy it. So it's not happy. However, judging from Wang Quanle's reaction, he seems to have come to his senses. ”

"It's not enlightenment, it's just fear." Wen Tianxiang sighed.

Zhao Jiaren nodded, "So, I don't think there's anything wrong with Zhao Qian." Wouldn't it be good if it wasn't a sin if he didn't die in the future? ”

Wen Tianxiang responded: "But this requires that everyone can't do evil." For thousands of years, this was just a matter of thinking. ”

Zhao Jiaren was silent. He knew that what Wen Tianxiang said was not prevarication. In a sense, retaliation is also a constraint. It is too much to make those people afraid to do things. In the more than 300 years of the Great Song Dynasty, how many times did the wall fall down and everyone pushed it, and finally the power after the fall ended tragically, and it cannot be said that the people who pushed the wall were all with evil intentions. The person who fell to the ground ended up like that, and he also planted a lot of hatred for himself.

Sow melons and get melons, sow beans and get beans, and whoever sows hatred will suffer himself.

However, from the point of view of progress, if everyone had avoided such tragedies from the beginning, it was possible that there would have been fewer tragedies in the future. Zhao Qian's opinion is not a problem in Zhao Jiaren's view.

"Do you think Zhao Qian can hold down the formation?" Zhao Jiaren changed the question again.

"The prince is benevolent." Wen Tianxiang could only choose what he could say. In some ways, Zhao Qian has shown the same stubbornness as Zhao Jiaren. Wen Tianxiang has known Zhao Jiaren for a long time, and the two had a confrontation at the beginning because of Jia Yidao's public land reform policy. At that time, Wen Tianxiang thought that the reform of public land was an evil law that would plunge the Great Song Dynasty into chaos. Zhao Jiaren, who supported the reform of public fields, was very dissatisfied.

Wen Tianxiang still remembers Zhao Jiaren's answer at that time, "I think the problem with the reform of public land is that it is not implemented well." After that, Zhao Jiaren fully supported the traitor Jia Nidao, not that he would do whatever Jia Nidao said, but in accordance with the policy ideas of public land reform and Zhao Jiaren's means. As a result, the public land reform was not a great success, but it did not lead to devastating results.

Compared with Zhao Jiaren, who was just 20 years old at the time, Zhao Qian's level as an official was far worse. No matter how cheerful Wen Tianxiang was, he didn't dare to say the words of the tiger father and the dog.

"Do you think Zhao Qian is still too weak?" Zhao Jiaren understood the meaning of Wen Tianxiang's words.

was picked out on the topic, Wen Tianxiang was not subtle, he responded: "There is nothing wrong with punishing evil and promoting good." But the prince wants everyone to be good. This is not easy. If you are too entangled in doing good, wouldn't it give people a chance to get up and down. No matter how much chaos there has been in the past dynasties, it has not been caused by evil. It's just to be good, so all kinds of traitors have the opportunity to mess with the court. ”

Zhao Jiaren liked Wen Tianxiang's answer very much. He has always respected Wen Tianxiang in history very much, and feels that this person's integrity is impeccable, and most of the evaluations of historical figures in the first half of the righteous song make people feel the foundation of Chinese culture. However, Zhao Jiaren also once felt that Wen Tianxiang's personal ability was probably like that.

has really been in contact with Wen Tianxiang for so long, Zhao Jiaren feels that Wen Tianxiang's ability to be a peaceful prime minister is more than enough. Because Wen Tianxiang is a person who dares to face the darkness, even in the dark world, he will not go with the flow. For example, if Fang Cai is a man, the number of hands that dare to say this in the Great Song Dynasty is no more than two hands. If you can stick to your own idea of doing good, you can only say this on one hand. This has to include a Qin Queen. Qin Yuzhen is out of responsibility to the family and the family, so she must make it clear.

Thinking of this, Zhao Jiaren smiled and said, "If that's the case, I probably have to talk to Zhao Qian about the technique." Hehe. ”

Wen Tianxiang was stunned, he knew that although Zhao Jiaren was also studying science and Confucianism, this official himself was a real fortune. Or Xun Ru. Of course, Zhao Guanjia himself said that he was a materialist. also gave Xunzi the title of simple materialism.

If it is Han Fei's magic, technique, and potential system. The standard of good and evil is completely different from that of Confucianism. Confucius did not mention good and evil, so Confucius's views were passed down to later generations, and they were divided into the idealist Mencius school, saying that human nature is inherently good. The Xunzi school of materialism is 'human nature is evil, and its good ones are hypocritical.' ’

Han Fei simply proposed that pure good and evil do not exist at all. It is the monarch and the system that make good and evil. In "Five Worms", Han Fei satirized these people in a spicy way. Ancient and modern social customs are different, and the old and new political measures are also different. If we want to govern the people in an era of upheaval with leniency and moderation, we will be like riding a fierce horse without reins and whips, and this will be unwise. Today, both Confucianism and Mohism praise the former kings, saying that they love all people in the world as much as parents love their children. What proves that the first kings were so? They said: "When the priest was executing the penal law, the monarch stopped playing music for it; After hearing the report of the execution of the criminal, the monarch was so sad that he shed tears. This is the first king they praised. If we think that the relationship between the monarch and the minister can be like the relationship between father and son, the world will be governed well, and it can be inferred from this that there will be no disputes between father and son.

In terms of human nature, there is no emotion that can exceed the love of parents for their children, but everyone loves their children the same, but the family may not all be harmonious. Even if a monarch loves his subjects, how can he see that there will be no turmoil in the world? Moreover, the ancestors did not love their people more than their parents loved their children, and children did not necessarily turn their backs on their parents, so how could the people be governed by charity? Moreover, the execution of the penal law according to the law, and the sovereign's tears, is only used to show benevolence, but not to govern the country. Shedding tears and not wanting to be tortured is the benevolence of the monarch; However, it is necessary to use punishment, which is the decree of the state. The first king had to enforce the decree first, and did not abolish the criminal law out of sympathy, so it is clear that the country cannot be governed by charity.

Those who broke the law should have been convicted, but those Confucian scholars were appointed by virtue of the doctrine of articles; Those who violated the ban should have been punished, and the rangers were supported by acting as assassins. Therefore, what is opposed by the decree has become the reuse of the monarch; Those who are punished by officials have become those who are supported by the powerful. The laws and regulations oppose the reuse of the monarch, the punishment of officials and the maintenance of the powerful, and the four contradict each other, and do not establish a certain standard, even if there are ten Yellow Emperors, they cannot cure the world.

Therefore, one should not praise those who preach righteousness, for if they do, it will hinder their deeds. Appointments should not be made to those who are engaged in the academic work of articles, because if they do, they undermine the rule of law.

There was a man named Zhibow in the state of Chu, his father stole other people's sheep, he went to Ling Yin to expose it, and Ling Yin said, "Kill him!" He was judged to be upright to the monarch but unfilial to his father, and was sentenced to death, and from this point of view, the monarch's loyal servant became his father's rebel. There was a man in the Lu State who followed the monarch to fight and fled repeatedly; Confucius asked him why, and he said, "I have an elderly father in my family, and after I die, there will be no one to support him." Confucius thought that this was a filial son, so he recommended him to be a Ding official. From this point of view, the father's filial son is precisely the traitor of the monarch. Therefore, Ling Yin killed and bowed directly, and no one would report the bad people and bad things in the Chu State to the top again; Confucius rewarded deserters. The Lu people fought and surrendered easily. The interests and disadvantages of the monarch and the courtiers are so different, and the monarch approves of the pursuit of self-interest. If you want to make the country prosperous and strong, you definitely have no hope.

……

Wen Tianxiang understands these things, and there is also a fierce debate within the ministry. In fact, the process and results of the controversy did not go beyond what Han Fei said back then. Therefore, Wen Tianxiang himself was hesitant on the two paths. He believes that Zhao Qian's benevolence and righteousness are benevolence under the legal system, not benevolence in human nature.

If Zhao Qian uses his bad feelings towards Wang Quanle as an excuse to punish Wang Quanle, I am afraid that everyone will praise Zhao Qian for respecting his teacher and distinguishing between right and wrong. However, Zhao Qian used 'strictly prohibiting the attack on colleagues and their families' as the reason to deal with Wang Quanle, and this kind of praise became 'the prince acted harshly', 'the prince was too indecisive', and 'the prince was not thoughtful'.

This is not because Zhao Qian's views have changed, but when the law is put on everyone's necks without discrimination, the vast majority of officials have to instinctively struggle to resist.

Thinking of this, Wen Tianxiang sighed: "Official, the prince should first learn to select talents." ”

"Oh! It's fishing! Zhao Jiaren did not answer Wen Tianxiang's words, but happily put away the fishing rod, and saw a small white strip hanging on the hook, struggling left and right on the water. Looking at the little fish that could probably only feed cats, Zhao Jiaren smiled: "Sure enough, if you are lucky, you will never go home empty." ”

Wen Tianxiang would not be deceived by this reaction. If Zhao Jiaren agrees with Wen Tianxiang's talent, he will continue to talk even if he asks the big fish to drag the fishing rod away. Therefore, Wen Tianxiang continued to speak, "Official, the prince is now hurrying to select talents and talents, and he will definitely succeed in a few years." As long as there are loyal ministers in the court, Wang Quanle and these people will not dare to come nonsense. Since the official family has added the title of the crown prince to Kaifeng Mansion Yin, let the prince continue to do so. ”

While listening to Wen Tianxiang's words, he took off the small white strip and threw it into the fish basket. After Wen Tianxiang finished speaking, Zhao Jiaren said: "Old Wen, you are a talent, did you decide to follow me back then because I was a benevolent monarch like Renzong?" ”

Wen Tianxiang was stunned. In history, if the emperor said this, it would be a complete reversal with the minister. However, he knew that Zhao Jiaren would not treat him like this, so Wen Tianxiang continued to think according to the Zhao family's thinking. In fact, there is nothing to think about, Wen Tianxiang has thought about this problem for a long time.