Qin Official

"Fuqiupe?"

Liu Ji was stunned when he heard the name, and then he remembered with a high-five: "Isn't this the wife that my brother Liu Jiao worshiped in Lu Di many years ago!"

Liu Jiao was the child of Liu Taigong's concubine. He was completely opposite to Liu Ji's character. He was weak-minded by nature, fond of reading, and had many talents. Liu Taigong also loved this son the most and sent him to study in Lu. In the years before Qin destroyed Chu, Confucian scholars are still a very popular profession in Zou Lusi, and they are better than Liu Ji, a libertine.

However, Liu Jiao didn't study for long before he returned home. He heard that it was Fuqiu Bo who left Lu to avoid the Qin Dynasty. He never thought that he would actually come to Jiaodong...

Although Liu Ji had always disliked Confucian scholars, and when he was in Peixian County, he liked to think about poor Confucian scholars and took away his Confucian crown to urinate in his room. However, the old man was his younger brother's teacher after all, so he asked Cao Shen more: "Cao Jun, the county guard." What happened to that Fu Qiupe?"

Cao Shen had just returned from work and happened to meet Liu Ji, who lived next door to him, playing sword throwing with several county gatekeepers. Liu Ji is now "accepted as a guest" by Hei Fu, but Hei Fu seems to have no idea what he wants him to do, and he just entertains him with fish and wine.

These days, Xiao He and Cao Shen both have their own errands and are busy here and there. Only Lao Liu is bored, but he dare not make any mistakes. When he first came to Jiaodong, what Hei Fu said in the courtyard scared Liu Ji. Here we are, this black guy seems to be a roundworm in his stomach, or can he have the legendary mind-reading ability?

Cao Shen also felt that the county governor seemed to value Liu Ji very much, so he suppressed his impatience and replied:

"What else can we do? Uncle Fuqiu is a great scholar from Qilu and a famous scholar from Jimo. It is said that he is also the senior brother of the prime minister. He apologized and begged for mercy for his disciples. Although the county governor did not agree, he did not embarrass Uncle Fuqiu. He just asked me to transfer the more than ten Confucian scholars are temporarily detained."

Liu Ji had also heard about what happened in the township school. He really wanted to laugh it off. He wanted to use his elegant words to encourage the people of Jimo City to follow them in petitioning the government and resume private education? I really drank too much ink.

After laughing, Liu Ji asked: "Will those sour scholars be killed?"

Cao Shen said: "Life or death, it all depends on the governor's thoughts."

Cao Shen, who had been in prison, knew that although Qin's laws were strict, there was still a lot of room for maneuver when it came to defining crimes and responsibilities.

The dozen or so Confucian scholars who made trouble could be classified as rioters and sentenced to abandoning the market. The leader would even be punished by the Yi tribe. It could be as minor as gathering a crowd to discuss and slandering the government. The leaders, Lu Musheng and Shen Sheng, were sentenced to "sikou", that is, exile, and were thrown to small islands and salt fields along the coast of Jiaodong to perform hard labor. The rest will be fined a heavy sum of money and asked to be taken back to their respective families.

"The county guard has taken the scholars into custody and welcomed Uncle Fuqiu into the county mansion. They are probably discussing it in detail now."

Cao Shen also spent several years in the officialdom and understood that the governor's purpose was not with the group of Confucian scholars, but with Fuqiu Bo!

Fu Qiu Bo had previously rejected the conquest, but now for the sake of his disciple's life, he probably had no choice but to agree, right? According to Xiao He, if Uncle Fuqiu agrees to be the "Three Elders of the County" with the false title and the head of the great Confucianism bows his head, then most of the Confucian scholars in Jiaodong County can be successfully recruited!

"Will Uncle Fu Qiu give in?" Liu Ji expressed doubts. Although most Confucian scholars are cowardly and incompetent, there are often some strong bones among them.

"The Sheriff said he would agree."

Cao Shen smiled and said, "The governor said it's because Uncle Fuqiu is a good teacher!"

…

In the governor's house, Heifu had a banquet prepared and asked Uncle Fuqiu to take a seat in a respectful manner.

"Zhang Cang once told me that when he entered Lanling, Xunzi's sect was headed by Uncle Fuqiu, who took great care of him. Zhang Cang and I were friends, and we treated Uncle Fuqiu as brothers..."

Hei Fu sighed again: "Xunqing's knowledge covers all the nine schools of thought, and his disciples are also full of talented people, and they are not limited to one family's words."

"There is Prime Minister Li, who is the head of hundreds of officials. He is in charge of the emperor's assistants, and he is the leader of the world. He punishes, punishes and seizes gifts. There is Han Zi, who has gathered the great achievements of Legalism and written books and established theories. There is Zhang Cang, who has learned a lot and has strong records. He is good at numerology; and there are great scholars like Fu Qiubo who are famous in Qilu... It's a pity that Hei Fu was born more than ten years later. Otherwise, he would have gone to Lanling. He didn't ask to come into the room and just let me sit on the outside and listen to Xunzi's class. My husband is also satisfied.”

This is the truth. China’s two thousand years of learning, including Xun’s learning, cannot be accepted.

Heifu praised Xunmen, and Fuqiupo moved the corners of his mouth, but said nothing.

He is in his sixties. As a student of Xun Qing, he has been studying "Poetry" all his life. He has a gentle and kind personality. Although he was unwilling to cooperate with the government before, he did not instigate his disciples to cause chaos, so Hei Fu could not make trouble with him. If he forced the old man to death, it would be detrimental to future governance.

Xiao He, who was sitting next to him, saw the awkward atmosphere, stood up and toasted to Uncle Fuqiu: "Uncle Fuqiu is now willing to speak elegant words and is the third elder in the county. This is the blessing of Jimo scholars."

Just like Cao Shen said, the sins of those young Confucian scholars can range from minor to serious. For the sake of the lives of his disciples, Fuqiubo reluctantly agreed and was willing to be the "three elders of the county" in exchange for the government to treat his disciples lightly.

This is a false position, nominally responsible for moral education, but in fact it does not have any real power, it is just a symbol.

Heifu's purpose was just to choose a highly respected person to be his maintenance president. The Qin officials needed a banner to gather Jiaodong Confucian scholars and bring them under the rule of "County Jijiu". In this way, Heifu controlled education and public opinion.

After a long silence, Fuqiu Bo finally spoke: "The county governor really thinks that this move can cure Jiaodong?"

This old man can obviously speak elegant English fluently!

Heifu gestured with his hands: "What advice does Fu Qiupe have? But it doesn't matter."

Uncle Fuqiu said: "I wonder if the county governor has heard of something. Eight hundred years ago, Taigong Wang and Bo Qin were granted the title of Qi and Lu respectively. In the fifth month of Taigong's kingdom, they reported to Zhou Gong. Zhou Gong asked, why is it so fast? The Taigong replied, "I simplified the etiquette and followed the customs, so I became ill."

"It took three years for Bo Qin's Lu to report to Duke Zhou. Duke Zhou asked why it was so slow. Bo Qin replied, I changed the customs and changed the rituals, so I was late."

"Then the Duke of Zhou sighed and said, Wow! In the future generations of Lu, everything in the north will be unified! Government will not be simple and easy, and the people will not be close; if it is easy for the people, the people will return."

He cupped his hands at Heifu and said, "Sure enough, in the following hundreds of years, Qi was strong and Lu was weak. The reason should be traced back to the difference in the government of Taigong and Boqin. This is called governing according to customs!"

"When the county governor first arrived in Jiaodong, he wanted to change the old customs and speech of Jiaodong, and change his private education. The administration is complicated and old, and I am afraid that the county governor will spend a long time with little effect. Seeking governance in this way is tantamount to going in the opposite direction!"

Hei Fu understood that although Fuqiu Bo bowed his head to save the lives of his disciples, he was still unconvinced in his heart and felt that Hei Fu's move was a big mistake!

So he smiled and said, "Listen to Uncle Fuqiu, is it true that vulgarity cannot be changed?"

"Of course!"

Fuqiu Bo plausibly said: "The King's System has it that the vast valleys and rivers are different, the people's livelihood is different, the hardness and softness, the weight and the speed are different. The five tastes are different, the instruments are different, and the clothes are suitable for the country. Therefore, the saint serves the country. , cultivate his teachings without changing his customs, keep his politics in order, and do not change his habits..."

Hei Fu pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked: "I heard that Xunzi once went to Qin to observe the government. Can Uncle Fuqiu go with him?"

"At that time, I was at home mourning my mother and had never entered Qin."

On Fuqiu Bo's face, he didn't feel that it was a big loss not to join the Qin Dynasty.

Heifu said: "Uncle Fuqiu, you should know what Xunzi said about Qin?"

Uncle Fuqiu certainly remembers that not long after Xunzi returned from Qin, he discussed with his disciples why Qin was able to win for four generations, strengthen its army and dominate the sea, and dominate the princes?

At that time, Li Si, who entered school at almost the same time as him, stood up and said: "Master, Qin's victory was because it abandoned benevolence and righteousness and was able to do things cheaply. In everything, a strong country and a strong army came first!"

Xunzi rebuked Li Si's views. He believed that one of the reasons why Qin was able to win in four generations was that its people were simple and honest. Xunzi praised the people of Qin for their simplicity and fear of law, the officials of Qin who were thrifty and loyal, the scholar-bureaucrats who were not inferior to Zhou Zhou or cliquey, and the administrative efficiency of the court. He also regarded the rule of Qin as a model of ancient ideal politics and praised it as "the best in governance."

Well, the only flaw is that "no Confucianism" can strengthen a country and conquer the world, but it cannot last long.

Although this is completely different from the "Qin of tigers and wolves" in the impression of Fu Qiu Bo and other people in Qilu, it is the Master's words after all, and there must be truth to it, and Fu Qiu Bo will not deny it.

After he finished speaking, Heifu laughed: "Uncle Fuqiu knows that if Xunzi had entered Guanzhong a hundred years earlier, the Qin he would have seen would be completely different!"

"The people of Qin more than a hundred years ago did not have the knowledge of etiquette and music, but they had the teachings of Rong Zhai. There was no distinction between father and son. They lived in the same room. They liked private fights. They often gathered together to become thieves. They did not know what the law was."

"Most of Qin's officials are children of the old tribe. They are brave enough but lacking in literary quality. Many of them can't even write their own names. How can they govern the people?"

"The scholars and officials of the Qin Dynasty also stayed in their positions and lived without food. They formed cliques for personal gain. The common people and elders could not lose the old clan members, so they killed the king several times and established new ones."

"The court of Qin is also the most inefficient in the world. It still follows the system of Duke Mu of Qin. It has suffered repeated defeats externally and is impoverished internally!"

Heifu counted them one by one and said:

"However, Xiaogong used the method of commercial martingale to change customs. Ten years later, the people of Qin did not pick up relics, there were no thieves in the mountains, and the families had enough food. The people were brave in public wars but timid in private fights, and the countryside was well governed. After a decade, the people were When the Yin Dynasty prospered, the country became prosperous and powerful, the people were happy to use it, and the princes obeyed it. They won the troops of Chu and Wei, and the territory was thousands of miles away. After a hundred years of rule and strength, the world was unified within one sea!"

After saying this, Hei Fu spread his hands towards Uncle Fuqiu: "Uncle Fuqiu, this is the result of Qin's change of customs!"

Uncle Fuqiu held it in for a long time, and then argued: "Otherwise, abandoning the teachings of etiquette and justice and assigning punishments and names, this is corrupting the customs and harming..."

Heifu understands Fuqiubo's views. Confucians believe that a cautious attitude should be adopted when changing customs. In order to avoid causing social unrest, the traditional habits formed in various places should be respected. Regardless of good or bad, they have become what they call "the ancient system." "a part of.

But the Legalists don't care about this. From their perspective, they pay more attention to the overall prosperity of the country and the victory of the war! Therefore, I like to use administrative orders and legal provisions to promote changing customs and transform society.

In the final analysis, the so-called old customs are the organization and production methods of the village based on the "clan". Changing customs means change and will inevitably be resisted, but only by destroying old customs and habits can new things emerge, thus promoting overall social change.

So Hei Fu pressed forward step by step: "This is called a custom that corrupts the past? According to Fuqiu Bo, customs cannot be changed. So the Qin people like the custom of private fights and the custom of gathering people to become thieves. Should they be preserved?"

"Like the Rong and Di people, the whole family lives together in a narrow house, and the custom of being lazy and poor together should be preserved?"

"Is it the destiny of a country to remain poor, weak, and eventually decline if it does not make changes?"

For a moment, Fu Qiu Bo was speechless by Hei Fu's question. Under the living example of Qin's success, changing customs seemed to have great effect.

But deep down in his heart, the old Confucian still couldn't accept it, so he could only say stubbornly:

"China's Rong and Di, the people of the five directions, all have their own nature, which cannot be transferred. What applies to Qin may not necessarily apply to Qi..."

But Hei Fu smiled: "Qin Mo and Cheng Shang told me that Mozi once said that we can unite the world."

"Doctor Sun Tong once told me that Mencius once said: The world is determined to be one!"

"Zhang Cang also told me that Xunzi once said: In one world, all wealth and wealth can support the people and benefit the world!"

"Looking at it this way, should this be the consensus among Mohists, Mencius, and Xunxue?"

No matter how fierce the struggle between the various schools was, they all realized in the fierce war that unity was the only way to solve all this.

But they have empty ideas, but they are unable to achieve actual results, because the only one who can conquer the world is the art of war! Only Legalism can create a strong military power!

"The six unified styles and the unification of all nine states are obviously the common ideal of all schools of thought. But when it is your turn, why are you so stubborn and unwilling to make changes? Could it be that the unification ideas of each school are just lip service? You talk about it but don’t want to put it into practice?”

For a moment, Uncle Fuqiu was speechless, and Xiao He, who was listening in the audience, also recovered from the shock and glanced at Hei Fu in surprise. He couldn't tell that the county guard was so eloquent!

Yes, if you change customs, you will indeed lose a lot of writing, history, and customs of Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, and Wei, but this is the price of unification...

Because they were losers, they lost the opportunity to choose and could only bear the rules imposed by Qin!

Either choose to accept it, or break out and use violence to break this shackles!

But no matter what, once the gear of unification starts, it can never stop! Whether it is pain, discomfort, or personal emotions, they all seem insignificant in this big trend...

Seeing that Fu Qiu Bo had nothing to say, Hei Fu sat down again and said with a smile:

"However, Uncle Fuqiu is right. There are differences in the place. Of course it is not feasible to completely copy Qin customs. Therefore, I decided that while changing the customs, I will also retain some old local customs in Jiaodong."

Uncle Fuqiu raised his head in surprise, and saw Hei Fu holding out two fingers: "First, private learning will not be completely banned, but it will be governed by Jijiu and taught in Qin characters."

"Secondly, the rural schools used for political discussions in Jimo City can also be preserved!"

This shocked Fuqiupe, and he quickly asked: "Seriously?"

"Absolutely true."

Heifu stopped Xiao He who wanted to dissuade him and said: "Chen Ping told me that hundreds of years ago, Zheng Zichan did not destroy the rural school. He also said that if he did good, I would do it, and if he did evil, I would do it. I will change it, it is my teacher. In this case, why should the rural school be abolished?"

"It's just that... the scholars will no longer have the right to beat the drum. On the first and fifteenth day of each month, the county guard will personally beat the drum of the township school, summon the people, issue decrees, and listen to the opinions of the scholars and powerful officials. "

It is better to defend people's mouths than to defend rivers. Heifu understands this truth. In this case, he might as well surround three and leave one out, leaving a window for intellectuals to vent. As for whether to listen or not, that is his business.

In this way, the township school became a window for dialogue between the government and the people of Jimo. The people did not trust their officials, and the officials did not know that the situation of the people might be improved.

Just do it, Heifu said with a smile: "Tomorrow is January 15th. After the morning meal, the drum of the township school will be beaten again, and I will announce three things."

"First, Fuqiu Bo was appointed as the county's third elder."

"Second, the punishment of Confucian scholars."

"Third! It is to call on Jiaodong Confucian scholars to enter the public schools. On the first day of February, there will be a test of Qin Yan and Qin characters. Those with excellent results will be given fifty taels of gold by the government, and their names will be dyed on a wooden list with red paint. Hang it in the township school so that all the people in Jimo will know!"

Heifu's way is different from the Qi of the past, and also different from the Qin in Guanzhong. When the sun rises tomorrow morning, a system of Confucianism and Legalism with Jiaodong characteristics will emerge!