Although today's banquet met Pang Tong, Xu Shu and others, for Shen Chen, there was actually nothing to be happy about.

Because the values of the ancients collided with those of later generations, the joy of knowing celebrities was washed away.

When he saw the true face of these ancient families, he sincerely felt a kind of fear.

That is, the most basic moral concept of human beings was not erected in ancient times.

There is a very big difference in the moral standards that both sides have when looking at things.

It seems that in the eyes of most people in later generations, the twenty-four filial piety should belong to the foolish filial piety of stereotypes and bad habits.

But in the eyes of the people, it is the highest moral standard.

It's no wonder that the Wuhu Chaos happens.

The distorted morality, coupled with the fact that the high-ranking family has never taken the people at the bottom into account.

When the upper strata do not regard the lower strata as human beings, when the people are reduced to two-legged sheep.

Why do you have the luxury of expecting them to be able to defend your family and country for you elites?

This worries him.

However, after thinking about it for a long time, Shen Chen finally put this matter behind him for a short time.

After all, the values of later generations come from basic morality, and they also come from having enough productivity, knowing etiquette and etiquette, and thinking about life only when they can afford to eat.

In this era of war, you tell everyone that the lives of the people at the bottom are also their lives, which is tantamount to playing the piano to a cow.

So this discussion about current affairs ended quickly.

Everyone was a scholar, and they talked about academic inquiry, and Shen Chen also cheered up, no longer talking about the topic of three views, but integrating into it.

Although the three views are different, when the whole world is like this, I have become an outlier.

So there's no need to say something they don't like to hear.

In the afternoon, everyone was full of wine and food, and chatted for a long time, from astronomy and geography to people's livelihood, from ancient classics to today's current literature, and soon everyone became friends who talked about everything.

When the rain stopped and the banquet dispersed, Wang Cang planned to go to Zhonglu County to visit a friend in the afternoon, Pan Jun and they were going back to the academy, Xu Shu sent Pang Tong back to the township, only Shen Chen said that he planned to go back to his uncle's house in the city.

After Shen Chen arrived at his uncle's house, he learned that Deng Hong had gone out to visit friends, and he didn't want to go back to the academy, so he simply took some bacon from his uncle's house as a gift, and asked the servants of the mansion to drive the carriage to send him to Chengxi Longzhong.

Zhuge Xuan lived in Longzhong after he arrived in Xiangyang, bought some land to build a house, and after marrying Zhuge Liang's two sisters, he also relaxed a lot, and raised Zhuge Liang's two brothers alone.

After arriving in Longzhong, he knocked on the door with a familiar car, and it was the slave boy of the Zhuge family who opened the door, and Shen Chen asked the child where Zhuge Xuan was, and he wanted to go to see the elders first.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Tong told him that Zhuge Xuan also went to visit friends.

Because it has reached the end of the year, the state capital is closed, and many officials are on vacation, so if they don't pack their bags and go back to their hometowns at this time, they will take advantage of this time to walk around with friends.

However, although Zhuge Xuan went out, the Zhuge Liang brothers were studying at home, and when they heard that Shen Chen came to visit alone, they happily invited him to the backyard.

After Shen Chen handed over the gift to Xiao Tong, he followed Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jun to the backyard.

"Ah Chen, you haven't come to see me for more than a month."

Zhuge Liang is fifteen years old this year, one meter seventy-four tall, and his body is extremely slender, and he enthusiastically took Shen Chen to the backyard house.

"Is my brother reading at home?"

Shen Chen saw that the inner room was burning a charcoal basin, the ground next to the charcoal basin was spread with mats, and the wooden boards on the left and right sides were full of books.

Zhuge Liang sat down cross-legged, nodded and said: "Yes, it is approaching the end of the year, and my uncle said that he would visit the two brothers-in-law in a few days, and then sacrifice his parents and ancestors with his sister and brother-in-law, so he stayed at home for these two days and couldn't go out." ”

The Han Dynasty had a very grand sacrificial culture, and every year and festival, it was necessary to sacrifice ancestors. And there is also a set of rituals in the process, such as bathing and incense, not going out, and not eating hot food if it is a cold food festival.

Shen Chen sat next to him and said, "Well, in a few days, we are also going back to Huangmen Pavilion for the New Year, counting that it has been more than two years since we moved from Xuzhou to Jingzhou, and I am afraid that we will not be able to go back to our hometown, so we can only set up an altar in Jingzhou to worship our parents and ancestors." ”

Zhuge Jun next to him was twelve years old, a little shorter than Shen Chen, and suddenly said: "I heard that the Son of Heaven has returned to Luoyang and got rid of the control of those Xiliang martial artists. Will the world be peaceful in the future, and we will be able to return to our hometown? ”

Shen Chen shook his head and said, "The Son of Heaven just came out of the tiger's den and entered the wolf's den. Now Cao Cao opened a court in Xuchang and controlled the court. The so-called flattery to the Son of Heaven is just to coerce the Son of Heaven to order the princes, and in the future, the Central Plains will be in turmoil, and I don't know how many years it will take. ”

"Did Cao Cao get the Son of Heaven?"

Zhuge Liang frowned.

He and Zhuge were both at home all day and didn't know anything about the outside news.

At present, the information I have obtained is more than a month ago, Zhuge Xuan casually mentioned that the matter of the Son of Heaven to Luoyang, and Jingzhou is located in the south, and it is relatively lagging behind to learn the news.

For example, Liu Xie arrived in Luoyang in July and autumn, and then moved the capital to Xuchang in September.

So now the information that the entire Jingzhou has gotten is that Liu Xie moved the capital to Xuchang in September, and Zhuge Liang is even more behind than ordinary people know because the source of information is relatively closed.

Shen Chen nodded and said, "Well, yes, now that the Son of Heaven is in Cao Cao's hands, many people think that Cao Cao will be Duke Zhou and Huo Guang, what does my brother think?" ”

Zhuge Liang pondered for a long time and shook his head: "I don't know." ”

Shen Chen asked, "Does my brother also think that a person like Cao Cao would choose to support the Han family?" ”

"Judging by his deeds, he is extremely brutal, but he ..... I don't know...... But I don't think Zhou Gong and Huo Guang should be so fierce. ”

Although Zhuge Liang has been smart since he was a child, he doesn't dare to make a judgment at present, but he went all the way south from Xuzhou, and after seeing too many tragic situations, he felt that Zhou Gong and Huo Guang would probably not be so brutal.

Shen Chen asked again, "Brother thinks, is the people important?" ”

"Nature."

Zhuge Liang said: "Mencius said: The people are precious, the community is secondary, and the monarch is light. ”

"But why do those big families, high families and nobles, feel that the people are like weeds, trampling on them wantonly?"

"You mean Cao Cao?"

"No, today I am with some children of the Hao family, watching their words and deeds, I asked them what they think about Cao Cao's massacre of hundreds of thousands of people in Xuzhou, and they think it is not a big deal."

Shen Chen was a little depressed, different from the values of the ancients, which caused him to have some doubts about his original values.

It's not that I doubt whether the values of later generations are right or wrong, but I wonder if I really haven't adapted to this era, whether I should learn from those children of the family, and sometimes I should be ruthless.

He has always felt that he is not a particularly smart person, that he will make mistakes, and that there will be times when he is not well thought out. But Shen Chen felt that his advantage was that he would reflect and review afterwards.

Today, this matter is also reviewed, and he always thinks about whether he is out of step with this world, or is this world wrong, and he is the right party?

Zhuge Liang thought for a long time, shook his head and said, "I'm sorry Ah Chen, I can't give you an answer, but I think it's definitely wrong to wantonly slaughter people." ”

"I'm distressed."

Shen Chen scratched his head: "I don't understand why this is happening." ”

"Maybe someone can tell you."

"Who?"

"You can go and ask Pang Degong."

Zhuge Liang said: "My uncle took me to visit him last month, and I think he is a very wise elder. ”

Shen Chen said, "Can that brother go with me?" ”

"Okay."

Zhuge Liang glanced at Zhuge Jun and said, "Brother, you are at home, and Ah Chen and I will go to Yuliang Continent." ”

Zhuge Jun said: "It's all afternoon, you have to take a boat to Yuliangzhou, can you come back today?" ”

Shen Chen said, "It's okay, if you can't come back, just live in the city." ”

The two of them immediately set off.

Yuliangzhou is actually very far away from Longzhong, which is about 17 Han miles west of Xiangyang City, which is about 7 kilometers when converted into later kilometers, and it takes 40 minutes to get to Xiangyang by carriage.

And Xiangyang to Yuliangzhou to take a boat, from the wharf along the Han River to the east about 30 miles, although it is a smooth water, but also take more than an hour.

So it can take an hour to go and two hours to go back. In addition, I still have to talk to Pang Degong, it is already about one or two o'clock in the afternoon, and it may be too late to return to Longzhong today.

However, since Zhuge Liang agreed to accompany him, it naturally didn't matter, anyway, Shen Chen's uncle's house was his house, and sleeping alone wouldn't take up much space.

The two of them took a carriage to Xiangyang, and then took a boat to Yuliangzhou at the wharf, accompanied by two servants of the Deng family.

By about three o'clock in the afternoon, he arrived at Pound's house.

Pang Degong has a big mansion in Yuliang Island, and in "Xiangyang Ji", his family has many slaves in addition to his wife, so you can know that as the patriarch of the Pang clan, although he lives in seclusion on the island, his life is not bad.

At this time, Pang Decheng was eating at home, and it was time to eat in the afternoon, and when he heard that Shen Chen and Zhuge Liang were coming to visit, he let them in.

Both of them carried gifts in their hands, and in the hall, Pang Degong was with his wife and his son Pang Shanmin's daughter-in-law, Zhuge Shi.

"Brother, why are you here?"

Zhuge was surprised.

In history, Zhuge Liang and Pang Degong met after the second sister married Pang Shanmin.

So he and Pang Degong are also relatives.

Zhuge Liang said: "It's Ah Chen who wants to ask Pang Gong some questions, and I'll accompany him." ”

Shen Chen handed over the gift in his hand to the servant, and said to Pang De: "Pang Gong, take the liberty of disturbing." ”

Pang Degong was about fifty years old, looked like he was in his forties, very kind, and said with a smile: "Let's eat together?" ”

"I've eaten with Xu Shu and Pang Tong before."

Shen Chen replied.

Pang Degong nodded and said, "Then you go to the hall and wait for a while." ”

The two men withdrew and waited in the outer hall.

About ten minutes later, Pang Degong came out and sat cross-legged on the seat in the hall.

The two stood up and saluted.

Pang Degong waved his hand and motioned for them to sit down, and then asked, "Is there something wrong?" ”

Shen Chen told the matter again, and then asked, "I want to ask Pang Gong, is it really not that important whether the people live or die?" ”

Pang Degong thought for a moment and said, "It's important, but it's not important. ”

"Why?"

Shen Chen asked.

Pang Degong said: "In the peace of the world, the imperial court needs the people to grow food to maintain the livelihood of the country, so the people's noble society is secondary. But when the world was in turmoil, even Sheji and Jun could no longer be saved, and countless hungry people became a burden, so it became unimportant. ”

Shen Chen pondered: "So when the world is peaceful, the country can still maintain the law. But when the world is in turmoil, the laws of the country are no longer there, and human life is like a mustard. ”

Pang Degong said: "The Book of Rites" Zeng Yun: "Things have a beginning and an end, and things have an end." If you know what to do, you will be short. "The country is collapsing and the rule of law is gone, and people are doing anything to survive. So we can't morally condemn someone for slaughtering people, but we can only say that he was brutal. ”

"So Cao Cao slaughtered so many people in Xuzhou, and Gong also thought that he would be able to assist the Son of Heaven in the future and become Huo Guang, the Duke of Zhou?"

Shen Chen asked rhetorically.

Pang Degong shook his head: "I'm not Cao Cao, and I don't know what he thinks." I can only tell you, at least the Son of Heaven is now in Xuchang, so Cao Cao has orthodoxy in his hands and can snar the world. Then what he slaughtered the people, people will choose to forget. ”

"Why?"

"Didn't "Liutao" say it? The world is bustling, all for profit; The world is crowded, all for profit. ”

"So what is the root cause of all this?"

"You can say the same thing."

"But if among those slaughtered were relatives of those who sought power, would they do the same?"

"It's the same with all the big families. Shun kills Kun and Yu Shi Yu Shun, Wei Hou kills Yuan Jiao and Yuan Yu is loyal to Wei Hou, if the family wants to prosper, it is not possible for the powerful. ”

"I see."

Shen Chen probably also understood the values of this era.

For the family gate valve, the interests of the family are above all else, especially in the late Han Dynasty, Wei and Jin dynasties, and the door valve politics was the mainstream of society at that time.

Therefore, the life and death of the people are nothing in the eyes of the family gatekeepers.

Because they are for the sake of the family, even if they are from the enemy, it doesn't matter.

For example, Sun Ce broke through the Lujiang River and almost destroyed the Lu family. But Lu Xun was still born in Soochow and did his best for the Sun family.

Cao Cao killed Zhou Budo, and his uncle Liu Xian didn't dare to let one go, and later became the secretary of Wei State.

For the sake of power, even the hatred of relatives can be let go, and the people who have nothing to do with them die, what does it have to do with them?

So it's still the same sentence.

In ancient society, human life was like a pyramid, and only those with noble status were important.

The people at the bottom of the pyramid are nothing more than a bunch of cattle and horses for the means of production.

Shen Chen got Pang Degong's guidance, and he understood the temperament of those big families in this era, and understood a lot of things.

He pondered for a while and asked, "Is there a way to make the people take it seriously?" ”

"Yes."

Pang Degong said: "If they can settle down, the people can produce more food, and provide more money and food for the superiors, they will be valued, but maybe it will become a kind of property." ”

"Productivity."

Shen Chen finally understood the explanation of the content of high school political science.

Pang Degong asked curiously: "What is productivity?" ”

Shen Chen said: "Referring to the output in the field, Cao Cao slaughtered the people, one is to prevent Yuan Shu from going north, and the other is that there is no food in the army, so he killed hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in Xuzhou, and looted grain and grass to solve the problem of food shortage." If there was more production in the field and more food, maybe he wouldn't have done it. ”

It was previously analyzed that Cao Cao was to prevent Yuan Shu from going north, but another reason cannot be ignored, that is, the problem of insufficient grain and grass.

If Cao Cao had enough food, he would not have to carry out massacres at all, just carry out the great migration of Hanzhong and Huainan later.

So in the final analysis, it's still a question of productivity.

In later generations, because of the abundant materials and sufficient productivity, many people ignored what it means to not have enough to eat, and what it means to be so scarce that they are starving all over the wilderness.

Even after Shen Chen crossed over, he could be regarded as worry-free about food and clothing, so it was normal for him not to think of this at the first time.

However, after Pang Degong mentioned it, he remembered it.

Huangmenting has no shortage of food through manure technology.

But the world is not everywhere in the Huangmen Pavilion, the Central Plains war did not have a suitable farming environment, and there was a great famine everywhere.

If productivity was sufficient, perhaps Cao Cao would not have had to resort to massacres to solve his crisis.

"Yes, the root of the problem is that people have to eat."

Pang Degong sighed: "If everyone can eat enough and everyone can study, then why do those big families dare to treat the people like weeds?" ”

Shen Chen suddenly turned upset at this moment, got up and said to Pang Degong seriously: "Thank you Pang Gong for solving my doubts." ”

Pang Degong looked at him with interest and said, "What do you understand?" ”

Shen Chen said: "I understand why this world is unfair, why this world has become like this. ”

"Why?"

Pound asked.

"It's because it's already very difficult for the people at the bottom to even have enough to eat, so their lives are as cheap as grass. Moreover, the classics handed down by the ancient sages were all controlled by the family gatekeepers, and the people had no way to rise, and they could not change their destitute fate. ”

Shen Chen replied: "Zhumen's wine and meat stink, and there are frozen bones on the road. Isn't the root cause of the Yellow Turban Rebellion because the people's fields are occupied by wealthy families, and they have no choice but to rebel to make a living for themselves? ”

Pang Degong praised: "You can realize this, very good, I have also read a lot of books, met many people, traveled a lot of places, and only understood this truth after many years, so do you think, can such a world change?" ”

"I think so."

Shen Chen said: "If there is a person who appears to stabilize the chaos in the world, find a way to increase the yield in the field, and then selflessly teach the knowledge to all the people, then the world will definitely become a better place." ”

"It's hard."

Pang Degong shook his head: "I have thought about it for many years, but I can't think of a solution. So Liu Biao invited me to come out several times, but I didn't want to go. Because I know I can't change that. I can only teach here occasionally, farming on my own, but I can't shelter anyone. ”

On this issue, Liu Biao and Pang Degong also discussed. Liu Biao hoped that Pang Degong would go out of the mountain to help him, so that he could protect the people of the world.

But Pang Degong believes that everyone has their own destiny, and he has no ability to change all this, so it is better to be happy to be poor. Therefore, in the end, I chose to protect my ego instead of choosing to go out.

Zhuge Liang is different from him at this point, although Zhuge Liang also knows that Liu Bei's strength is too weak and the possibility of success is very small, but for the ideal in his heart, he still can't do it.

Maybe Pang Degong sees the essence of this world more clearly than Zhuge Liang, but at least on top of this righteousness and bravery, Zhuge Liang surpasses Pang Degong, the teacher who once taught him.

"Pang Gong just wants to live in seclusion because he has been disappointed in the world and feels that he can't change it, but I'm the opposite."

Shen Chen raised his head and looked at him with blazing eyes: "I firmly believe that there will be people in this world who are as kind to the people as I am and adhere to the mission in their hearts. ”

Pang Degong sighed: "The future is terrifying, I hope you can always stick to this belief in your heart." ”

"I will."

Shen Chen nodded heavily, at this moment, he understood the logic and laws of the operation of the class at the end of the Han Dynasty, and he also understood how to break this inherent social order.