The Sage of Confucianism and Taoism

Chapter 1725 Breaking Obstacles

Zeng Yuan smiled bitterly and said: "The student has been convinced by you. The human race can still make progress even if it does not implement the common script, but if it uses the common script, it will progress faster. Therefore, it is better to choose to implement the common script. I will never I will not advise you to use less common Chinese characters in "Min Bao", but I will advise you to use more, because this will allow more people to read "Min Bao". At the same time, the student admits a mistake to you. "

"Oh?" Fang Yun looked at Zeng Yuan.

Zeng Yuan's face turned red, he coughed lightly and said, "The students didn't realize it at first, but after listening to what you said, they realized that students supporting the complicated traditional Chinese characters are actually using them as roadblocks to hinder others. . Words are a tool, and the information carried by words can continuously improve oneself. There are different levels of people's mastery of words. The more complex the tool, the more people have weak mastery of it, and those with strong mastery. There are fewer people. Traditional Chinese characters are difficult to learn, and articles in traditional Chinese characters are even more troublesome to read. The gap between those people and me will become wider and wider. Only those very few geniuses can be far inferior to me in terms of body, time, family background, etc. , and their scores in the imperial examinations are equal to or even better than mine. The traditional Chinese characters may not be able to stop those geniuses, but they can make most ordinary people more mediocre. In fact, I don’t mean to hinder others, it’s just... my own instinct.”

Fang Yun said: "So Confucius once said, restrain yourself and return to etiquette. A saint must restrain himself and follow the etiquette to achieve the state of benevolence. You and I are not saints, so naturally we cannot restrain ourselves and return to etiquette. Our instinct is to reduce competition. who, let It is easier to satisfy one's own desires. This is due to nature. Unless you become a saint, whoever dares to say that our instincts are bad, who dares to say that we are evil, and whoever dares to say that our human nature is ugly, then that person must be A very evil person.”

Zeng Yuan nodded repeatedly at first, then coughed slightly at the end and said, "Fortunately Xunzi is the Lesser Sage."

Fang Yun smiled, Xunzi adhered to the theory of evil nature, although there are many interpretations, but it does not essentially regard human instinct as neutral.

Fang Yun continued: "Before the first war in the Two Realms Mountains, that is, sixty years ago, a piece of news that shocked the entire human race appeared in Wenbao. A private school teacher taught his students with sticks, and finally beat one student to death. Three were left alive. Afterwards, countries reflected on this, so In many places, liberal education was carried out, reducing the school time for Meng children, reducing the number of scriptures and meanings in textbooks, and learning more poetry, riding, archery, swordsmanship, and Cuju. But after the first battle between the two realms, the saints suddenly came forward and called out. Do you know why this kind of lax education should be stopped?”

Zeng Yuan frowned and thought for a moment, then showed a look of shame and said: "Back then, students couldn't figure out why local governments implemented lax education for civilians, but our wealthy family still forced their children to study crazily. After listening to your words, I finally understand, Saying what sounds good is a way of weakening the branches and strengthening the trunk of the saint family. Saying what is unpleasant means that the body People in high positions obviously benefit from a good educational environment, but in order to allow their descendants to continue to be in high positions and to prevent their descendants from being replaced by people from lower classes, they use the most vicious means to cut off the paths for advancement for lower class people. The best way for humankind to rise is to study, study hard, and study with all your strength!”

Fang Yun smiled and said: "There is nothing new under the sun. Speaking of this kind of deception, you have done many similar ones in the past."

Zeng was stunned at first, then showed a look of shame again and said: "Indeed. Whenever we want to acquire some government workshops that have the potential to make money, we will spread a lot of half-true and half-true news before the acquisition. , let all hundred Everyone thought that there was a big problem in those government workshops, and all the people would be affected if they were left in their hands. Only by selling them would the people be better off. Three years ago, we were acquiring the freight and passenger transport chamber run by the Yuzhou government. spread the word about those The people in charge of the chamber of commerce are so greedy, and how expensive they charge for transporting goods and customers. This is asking for advice. If the people find out our intentions and object to someone acquiring the government chamber of commerce, we will stop and wait for the next opportunity; if the people don't find out, we will successfully form public resentment. , I think the government should sell the Chamber of Commerce, we should take over immediately, and then find an opportunity to raise the price. What can the people do to us besides complaining? However, since I followed you, I will not do such a thing again."

"No, we will definitely do this kind of thing, maybe not to rob the workshop or make money, but for our own benefit, we will definitely do similar things." Fang Yun said.

Zeng Yuan was speechless.

Fang Yundao: "Don't talk about anything else, let's continue with Min Bao. What you said at the beginning is very important, so Min Bao must make targeted changes. Starting from the next Min Bao, it will involve people's livelihood, society and current affairs. The content will be written in easy-to-understand vernacular, and And a large number of common characters are used, not only to make ordinary people understand, but also to make them like to read, without setting up any obstacles for them. As for the imperial examination and cultural aspects, the traditional characters are still strictly used, and the common characters are not allowed. The word embodies seriousness and authority.”

Zeng Yuan immediately said: "Then students will promote vulgar calligraphy on a limited basis in Fang's library and academy. Of course, it will not involve Meng children at the moment, only those who are over sixteen years old or have literary degrees. Let more People use common characters to communicate, for example, some official documents and documents can use common characters, which will not only increase efficiency, but also pave the way for you in the future.”

Fang Yun smiled slightly and said, "No wonder you are the first person in the Zeng family to do business. No wonder you are over 30 but people compare you with Ge Baiwan. Indeed, I will gradually promote the vernacular characters in Xiangzhou until the whole human race uses the vernacular characters I formulated, and let my vernacular characters become standard characters!"

Zeng Yuan's face flashed with shock and admiration. He only vaguely knew that Fang Yun wanted to promote vernacular characters, but now he understood that Fang Yun's goal was far greater than he had imagined before, as if he was following the path of the semi-saint Li Si.

The reason why Li Si was canonized as a saint was that the Legalist Saint Dao was profound. The main reason was that he promoted the great reforms in the Qin Dynasty. Everyone praised the contributions of Qin Shihuang. In fact, Li Si's contributions in "writing the same script, the same track, the same currency, and the same weights and measures" were no less than Qin Shihuang, because he was the first to write and personally carried out many reforms. This was the basis for Li Si's canonization.

So even Lu Buwei had to admit that when it came to governing the country, Li Si was better than him.

Zeng Yuan stood up and bowed, saying: "No one can match your talent and wish. If you can become the only creator of the next traditional Chinese characters of the human race, your foundation of sainthood will be extremely solid, far beyond that of ordinary semi-saints. From today on, I swear to follow you to the death, to overcome all obstacles and clear all obstacles on your way to sainthood!"

"Good!" Fang Yun nodded gently.

"I have a suggestion. You can simply open a special edition in the Minbao to compare the popular characters with the traditional characters for the content of the Minbao that day, almost like teaching."

"Great!" Fang Yun smiled.

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