Qin Official

"Zhao separates the inside and outside, and the waste is not pure, and it is given to the heirs. The transformation will be endless, obey the imperial edict, and always carry out the precepts..."

It was night, and the music scheduled to be played on Mount Tai tomorrow was coming to an end. After practicing the Zen ceremony with the ceremony officials sent by Feng Chang, the ministers went back to the halls outside the palace to rest and prepare for tomorrow's main performance.

However, Heifu personally escorted Tingwei Ye Teng to his residence and helped him out of the car.

He is far away in Jiaodong. Although he often exchanges letters with Xianyang, the round trip takes at least two months, and many messages are delayed. Therefore, there are many things that Hei Fu has to ask his father-in-law for advice in person.

Ye Teng was also sent by Qin Shihuang to offer sacrifices to Dongtai Mountain, so he arrived late. After not seeing each other for a while, Ye Teng seems to have aged a lot. The county guard who was decisive in killing Nanjun ten years ago has turned into an old court captain.

Only the gaze in his eyes was still sharp, and the words in his mouth were as sharp as swords, often drawing blood.

"Do you think this is just a factional dispute among scholars?"

After sitting across from each other in the house, Ye Teng said in amusement: "Others only saw the Confucian scholars criticizing each other and making His Majesty unhappy, but they never saw that the Right Prime Minister knew the ancient monarch, but secretly added fuel to the flames. Remove the right of Confucian scholars to discuss the title of Zen, Adopting the old Qin system of offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, arresting old Confucians who fight for private reasons, and not taking any Confucians to Mount Tai, this is what Prime Minister Li asked someone to propose to His Majesty!"

"And Zhang Cang keeps saying that he doesn't want to get involved in the trouble. I'm afraid he also understands that his senior brother will never sit back and watch the scholars succeed!"

"What I mean is that the Prime Minister was also involved in this matter..."

Heifu recalled Li Si's behavior these days: the old guy was mostly silent and rarely expressed his opinions on Feng Chan. However, after analysis, it was found that every time the people around Li Si spoke, they hit the Confucian scholars' target, which made the emperor even more disgusted with the Confucian scholars.

Ye Teng liked his son-in-law who took the exam very much: "Hei Fu, tell me, as a high-ranking prime minister, why does Li Si have to argue with a group of empty-talking scholars?"

Heifu also understood everything and immediately thought of three possibilities: "The dispute between Xun and Mencius, the dispute between right and left, and the dispute between Confucianism and Legalism?"

He knew that Li Si, Han Fei, Zhang Cang and others came from the sect of Xunzi. Although Xunzi was generally regarded as a Confucian and respected Confucius, he was a Confucian heretic.

There are five famous topics in the contention of a hundred schools of thought: the debate between heaven and man, the debate between human nature, the debate between justice and benefit, the debate between kings and hegemons, and the debate between name and reality.

Each school, including Confucianism, Mohism, Taoism and Dharma, has put forward its own views on these five major issues, each with its own emphasis, and sometimes even completely contradictory ones. This basically reflects their "outlook on life, values, and world view."

Except for the debate between name and reality, Xunzi's other four are completely different from Qilu Confucianism and Simeng School.

He said that instead of fearfully offering sacrifices to heaven, it is better to actively transform and utilize it; he believed that human nature is inherently evil, not good...

The three views were different, so it was impossible to reach a consensus. The Xun School was criticized as a heretic by the Confucian scholars.

Although this academic struggle took place decades ago, it is normal for Li Si to be in control now and give some eye drops to these former enemies of the division.

As for the "right-left dispute", this involves the grievances between Right Prime Minister Li Si and Left Prime Minister Wang Wan...

Ye Teng lowered his voice slightly: "Although His Majesty does not like party disputes, in the past few years since you were in Beidi and Jiaodong, the Li Party and the Wang Party in the court have become distinct."

Although Li Si jumped over the rank and became the right prime minister, overpowering Wang Wan, Wang Wan did not fall.

"The Qin officials who came from the academy are basically around Li Si, while the virtuous literary people from the six eastern countries are headed by Wang Wan."

"That's interesting."

Heifu smiled and said: "My dear, I didn't remember. Li Cheng was also a scholar from the East. He joined Lu Buwei's house as a guest because of his good calligraphy and articles. Later, His Majesty expelled guests, and he was almost killed. He was implicated in the expulsion, and became famous for a while with his "Book of Remonstrance and Expulsion of Guests". At that time, people in Guandong knew that it was Li Si who had changed His Majesty's mind, and they were all happy to pay him a visit..."

"This time, that time."

Ye Teng motioned to Hei Fu to get him some more wine: "Li Si is best at giving up."

"He learned from the mouse the truth about getting ahead, decisively gave up his status as a minor official, and went to Lanling to become a disciple of Xunzi."

"After learning the emperor's surgery, he decisively abandoned his home country of Chu and defected to Qin."

"When the Qin court was about to undergo changes, he abandoned Lu Buwei, who had been kind to him, and turned to His Majesty. He successfully jumped from the sinking ship, entered the court, and became famous."

"Now, he has chosen your majesty's favor. He regards Xianyang as his hometown and Qin as a township party. He has long forgotten that he is a scholar from the east. Besides, after the world is unified, geographical origin is no longer important. Belief in the Dharma is still Belief in Confucianism is the most important thing.”

Ye Teng's analysis of Li Si was very thorough. Heifu said, "So in the final analysis, is the essence of this matter still a dispute between Confucianism and Legalism?"

When the Qin Dynasty was first unified, more than 70 Confucian scholars from Guandong were sent to Xianyang as Qin Shihuang conquered them and became doctors in order to prepare for consultation. From that time on, the dispute between Confucianism and Legalism in the court began.

From the mutual testing of the superior names to the differences between the feudal and county theories. In the end, Li Si's proposal to abolish feudalism and unenclosed land was adopted. His position as right prime minister was, to a large extent, the spoils of victory in this struggle.

But now, taking the opportunity of the Eastern Tour to Consecrate Zen, the debate between Confucianism and Legalism is once again raging! It became the main contradiction in the court.

"That's right."

"Do you think they are arguing about using the old Qin rituals or the Eastern rituals? Are they arguing about how to kill the cow during sacrifice, how to go up the mountain, and how to dress?"

Ye Teng drank the hot wine that Hei Fu poured for him, brushed the wine beads off his beard, and sneered: "No, what they are fighting for is the national body!"

…

According to Heifu's understanding, the dispute between Confucianism and Legalism, aside from their huge differences in three views, focused on the two major political issues of "how to build a country" and "how to govern a country."

Confucianism has lost the task of "building a country", and they will try their best to participate in the next "ruling the country". After all, Confucianism has been a school of thought that has actively engaged with the world since the time of Confucius.

Qin established the country by law and unified the world by law, which all reflects the correctness of this system. Qin Shihuang himself is the biggest beneficiary of this state system. He will definitely regard the Legalist Qin officials' governance as a basic national policy and will never waver.

But the emperor did not abandon all other possibilities, otherwise there would be no need to recruit An Qunru and Huang Lao as doctors, and the Mohist school would continue to exist.

Other schools of thought still have room for their own survival. Confucianism, with Left Prime Minister Wang Wan as its backer, very much hopes to gain a certain status for itself in the government and the public.

Ye Teng analyzed: "That's why Wang Wan and the doctors earnestly urged His Majesty to tour the east to enshrine Zen. The most important thing in the country is to worship and fight. This ceremony is very important for improving the status of Confucian scholars in the government and the public."

Wang Wan, Zhou Qingchen and others have clearly understood their position: in governing the country, the emperor will only trust the Legalist Qin officials for the time being. Confucian scholars will not get a share of the pie. They can only work hard on what they are best at, which is "Sacrifice".

This is also the most unfamiliar thing in Legalism. In the eyes of Confucian scholars, this group of legal officials who do not understand poetry and law and violate the laws of the ancestors have no way to interfere!

Wang Wan and Zhou Qingchen's original plan was to pull Qin Shihuang out of the "Four Domains and Four Emperors" rituals controlled by the Kansai shamans through the Feng Chan with Eastern characteristics, so that the emperor could fully accept the Eastern heaven and earth gods, thus moving from the east to the east. West, reconstruct the sacrificial system of the entire empire...

This was consistent with Warlock Fang's goal, so Lu Ao, Hou Sheng and others also actively cooperated.

As long as the emperor agreed and completed the ceremony under the design and accompaniment of the Confucian scholars, it was equivalent to recognizing the status of the Confucians as chief priests in the government and the public.

First defend the position of national rituals, and then slowly reach out to the secular world, thereby reversing their weakness in the dispute between Confucianism and Legalism...

Heifu kept nodding, feeling that he had gained a lot of experience. It turned out that this Feng Chan involved so many confrontations.

Speaking of this, Ye Teng couldn't help laughing: "But Wang Wan and Zhou Qingchen never expected that although Li Si and the other officials were not good at sacrificial etiquette, they understood people's hearts very well. Li Si knew that His Majesty also wanted to become a Zen monk, so he did not dissuade him. On the contrary, he said that the title of Zen is of great importance. Just rely on more than seventy doctors, and I am afraid there will be omissions. It is better to recruit Qilu Confucian scholars to Mount Tai to discuss etiquette together..."

"This is really hard to get."

Heifu also smiled: "After all, Prime Minister Li has spent some time in Jixia and Lanling. I am afraid he is very clear about the differences among the Confucian scholars. He knows that when these people come together, the more people there are, not only If you don’t succeed, you will fail.”

Of course, what happened later was known, and a situation emerged that even Wang Wan and Zhou Qingchen could not control.

After all, this was the first time for Zen conferment, and there was no record to test it. The Confucian scholars performed all kinds of strange rituals based on their own understanding, which turned their own family into a mess and angered the impatient emperor...

Wang Wan and other doctors had painstakingly planned for several years to be granted Zen status, but Li Siluo used a small plan to resolve it easily. The Confucian scholars suffered a huge defeat on the ground they were good at, but who can blame them? I can only blame myself for having too many pig teammates.

However, Heifu did not gloat, but frowned and said secretly:

"Li Si was happy to have won the second round of the Confucian-Fascist dispute and dealt a blow to his competitors, but in the long run, this will be detrimental to the unification of the entire country..."

He knew that unification was not limited to politics, territory, but also ideology.

A husband and wife who have different views cannot live together, let alone such a big country with so many people. The Mohist ideal of "universal love" is difficult to achieve, but it is necessary for the people under the rule to have a sense of belonging to the new dynasty.

The Qin Dynasty had merged into the country, and through the use of the same trains and texts, it became possible for various places to communicate. However, the unification of ideology has just begun, and it is too early for "nine states to unite and the six states to share the same style". In the vast six kingdoms, with a population of more than 20 million, very few people identify themselves as Qin citizens.

It is obviously not enough to just rely on a decree. The recognition of ideas needs to be subtle and silent.

Legalist Qin officials who kept a straight face all day were not good at doing these jobs, but Confucian scholars were very suitable. Although there were mixed good and bad among this group of people, we had to admit that they were good at educating.

Mount Tai is an excellent opportunity. It is a national ceremony recognized by everyone in the world, and it is something that only saints and benevolent kings can do. The object of Fengchan sacrifice is "Heaven", which is also the supreme god that everyone believes in.

Feng Chan can make the intellectuals in Guandong feel good about the Qin Dynasty and recruit them to peace. But now, by mistake, it has become the beginning of the split. Confucian scholars, I am afraid that they are now alienated from the imperial court...

"What are you thinking about?" Ye Teng asked Hei Fu when he saw that he hadn't spoken for a long time.

Heifu stopped thinking and said with a smile: "I want to know, which side does the old man stand in this fight?"

"I am a court official, in charge of the laws, orders and prisons of the world, so naturally I have to side with the Legalists."

Yes, after Han Fei's death, Legalism was no longer a school, but expanded to include the entire group of officials in the Qin Dynasty. From the low-level official Xi who copied legal slips every day, to the respected Prime Minister Li Si and Tingwei Ye Teng. As long as you agree with the laws and recite Shang Yang's laws, you can be regarded as a believer in Legalism. This group is so large that it is the backbone of the empire's maintenance of rule.

Although Ye Teng is a thoughtful politician, he cannot think as far-term as Heifu did. He said:

"Since he became the right prime minister, and your majesty has allowed his daughters to marry several young men, Li Si has become much less competitive with me, and his words are very polite. After thinking about it, maybe what you mentioned before The suggestions of consolidating the foundation of Kansai and opening up the northwest just helped Li Si. If there was no westward expansion and no motivation to find the Queen Mother State of the West, His Majesty would definitely be more interested in the East, and there would be more Confucian scholars and alchemists. Chance."

Hei Fu laughed dumbly: "So, although I am in Jiaodong, I am already considered an enemy by the Confucian scholars and alchemists?"

"Do you still want to turn enemies into friends with them? Help them with the Feng Chan issue?" Ye Teng looked at his son-in-law. Hei Fu seemed to have his own plans.

But Hei Fu shook his head: "The matter has reached this point and is irreversible. Besides, I am different from the two prime ministers Li and Wang. My battlefield is neither in the court nor on Mount Tai..."

He smiled: "And in Jiaodong!"

"Your Majesty will only get anger and disappointment in Taishan, but I guarantee that Jiaodong's new policy will definitely make him feel refreshed!"