Three Kingdoms

Under the auspices of Linghu Shao and Sima Hui, the Spring Examination of the Academy quickly started. Unlike later exams, there are no so-called fill-in-the-blank multiple-choice questions here, only a strategy.

Moreover, there was not even a specific topic for the policy paper. It was just a general statement that "the national affairs are difficult, and everyone has to offer his own strategy." He drew up the topic by himself, and then set three hours. Regardless of whether he could finish it or not, he put it away.

Fortunately, the weather has been kind and it hasn't rained in the past two days. Although sitting on the ground in the open space of the academy under the sun will expose you to some degree of sunburn, it's better than being soaked in the rain, right? Fei Qian couldn't be like the imperial examinations of later generations, and he couldn't get out of the examination room. Moreover, this kind of examination also had supplementary examinations and supplementary examinations. It all depended on personal performance, so there was no need to use any anti-cheating measures.

The policy topic is simple, but it is not easy to write it within three hours. After all, many people know most of the words, but it is not necessarily possible for everyone to catch these words together in their minds and put them into writing. It seems like a simple thing.

After the strategic examination, some of the students were naturally happy and some were worried. Near the academy, some restaurants and restaurants in Pingyang City were also filled with these students, discussing and arguing with each other, creating a lively atmosphere compared to the Chinese New Year. It's not much different.

But what happens next is Fei Qian, Linghu Shao, and Sima Hui's turn to have a headache...

As the saying goes, cultural relics are first and martial arts are not second. After all, things about military force are easier to distinguish, and the outcome is relatively clear. However, when it comes to words, everyone has his own taste. Some like Xiaobai, and some like Japanese. If it is light, it is difficult to decide which one is higher.

In terms of vocabulary, some of these students were really good at writing. It was Linghu Shao's favorite, so when he found an article with some gorgeous sentences, he couldn't help but pick it up. He groaned and shook his head, feeling very comfortable.

"...The sun rises in the east and the moon sinks in the west. The stars shine two rays, and Yao is in charge of Beichen. We should support the body and the body, and use the correct etiquette to Kun. The chess division is divided into government offices, and the bureau is played by Zhang Baiguan. The three princes are in charge, and the nine ministers are in charge. The censor Weigang, The doctor is in the prime minister's hall. He can handle the country's court affairs and conduct thorough inspections..."

Fei Qian was flipping through the scroll and listening to Linghu Shao's reading. He couldn't help but shook his head.

"Okay, but what's wrong with this article?" Sima Hui saw Fei Qian's movements and couldn't help but ask.

Linghu Shao on the side also put down the scroll he had just read and looked at Fei Qian with some confusion.

Fortunately, I'm here to sit in charge, otherwise it might really be messed up. Fei Qian smiled and said: "It's not that this article is not good, but...Uncle Kong, do you know that all large and small inscriptions in Pingyang are limited to rulers?"

In the early days of Pingyang's rule, Fei Qian was also surrounded by a large number of complicated and gorgeous words. Later, he couldn't stand it anymore and ordered to emphasize the need to speak concisely. However, there is no reference standard for the so-called "succinctness". Some people think that it is very concise. A single character is concise, and some people think that a thousand characters can be considered concise, so in the end, they simply stipulated it physically. Any transfer of text should be limited to the size of a ruler. If there are more, they will be rejected. This is considered to be a containment. The trend of trivial talk.

This kind of move also promoted the gradual miniaturization of the original Han official script from another aspect, and some of it was deforming in the direction of later generations' regular script. I don't know if this is another good thing.

Linghu Shao understood and said: "My intention is that this article... is too complicated?"

Fei Qian nodded and said: "If it is just a selection of articles, the beauty will naturally be the rich and elegant literary talent... But this competition is about discussing national affairs. If we talk about it in a general way, what benefit will it bring to the country?"

Linghu Shao and Sima Hui looked at each other and nodded.

Linghu Shao put down the scroll in his hand with some regret. Although Linghu Shao felt that the text arrangement of the volume in his hand was indeed good, but as General Fei Qian said, under a large series of colorful words, there are relatively ordinary things...

What is the connection between the sun, the moon, the stars, the three princes and nine ministers, etc., and the current state affairs? Or what plan was proposed? What problem was solved?

Sima Hui looked through the pages and said with a smile: "In terms of national affairs, the winner of this competition will definitely be weak..."

"That's right, as the saying goes, it's better to be lacking than to be indiscriminate..." Fei Qian nodded and said.

It can be said that this time the Academy Spring Exam Competition is also to set a tone for the future, otherwise it will go astray the first time, and it will probably take a lot of effort to get it back again.

"The so-called national affairs and world affairs are mostly made up of superficial opinions without taking any measures..." Fei Qian explained while looking at it, "Since the national affairs are difficult...if you can explain why they are difficult, you can be in the middle." , In addition, if you can say what you should do, it is the best. If what you say and think is reasonable and well-founded, and you can act accordingly, it should be excellent..."

Sima Hui laughed loudly: "Okay, it should be like this, it should be like this! It is easy to discuss, but it is difficult to do it... Officials and officials must have solid evidence to discuss things. People who are chasing after the wind and shadows are not the right way!"

Linghu Shao also nodded at the side, stroking his beard and said: "What the general said is true. When I was in the Shangdang, there were often literary gatherings to discuss things, and there should be some words of guidance... But Now that I am in charge, I realize that my previous remarks were mostly vague and useless... Sigh..."

"The country's affairs are difficult, and there must be reforms. As for reforms, there are only three things to enrich the people, strengthen the army, and recruit soldiers..." Fei Qian opened an answer sheet and scanned it up and down, while saying, "However, it is easier to know than to do... …Take enriching the people as an example. What is wealth, how to be rich, and how to be rich are all knowledge. If it can be described in detail, if it can be explained in detail, it can be regarded as a good work if it corrects its roots, outlines the main points, and explains one or two things..."

Sima Hui moved his eyes from the answer sheet on the desk to Fei Qian. He was slightly stunned, and then smiled: "Those who don't know it are called knowing difficulties, and those who know it are said to be difficult... I never thought that the general would be so transparent. National government should be a blessing to the great Han..."

Linghu Shao didn't pay much attention at first, and casually said from the side: "At the beginning of my dynasty, I also wanted to cultivate myself and make the country rich and powerful... hmm... hmm?" Linghu Shao only realized it at this time, and just now he said What he said before was to enrich the "country" and strengthen the army, but what Fei Qian said before was to enrich the "people" and strengthen the army!

Just one word, and the meaning is completely different!

Although most of the time, it can probably be used interchangeably between countries and people, but sometimes, there are actually some contradictions. The saying that only small rivers and creeks have water when the big rivers are full is actually correct in reverse. If the small rivers and creeks are not full, how much water will there be in the big rivers?

Sima Hui put down the book in his hand, stroked his beard, and after thinking for a while, he nodded and said: "Rich country, rich people... If I say it right, it's really simple... If I make the people rich and have sufficient warehouses, there will be no need." Even if the disease is painful, there is no chaos like the Yellow Turban..."

Sima Hui paused for a moment, then continued: "I quelled the chaos of the pre-Qin Dynasty and governed the country with Huang Lao, making the people rich and the country able to continue... But now..."

Sima Hui shook his head and did not continue.

After a while, Linghu Shao picked up a scroll and said: "Well... there is an article here... it is interesting... it talks about the current politics of our dynasty. It is a symptom of strong branches and weak trunks. You can remove the branches and feed the trunk to warm it. Health-preserving machine can heal naturally..."

Fei Qian listened and nodded with a smile: "Well, there is some truth to it. It's really interesting... Let those who have become strong branches be like the princes from all over the world, and like us... Well, maybe there are some relatives of the emperor. , the powerful nobles and nobles from all over the country took their money and provided it to the court..."

"Okay, it's really interesting..." Sima Hui also smiled and said, "The book is a bit heavy, which is a bit unrealistic... Everything has its own law, how can it be arbitrarily cut off? Just like Zhuang He, What is the benefit of plowing in spring and harvesting in autumn, if the harvest is not harvested at the right time? There are still weak stems and strong branches. If you want to cure the disadvantages, you must first have a method... Otherwise, it will be like the old things of the Seven Kingdoms..." Seven Kingdoms, This is not about the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, but about the Seven Kingdoms of the Han Dynasty.

Fei Qian turned to look at Linghu Shao and said, "Uncle Kong, does this article contain any specific measures?"

Linghu Shao looked up and down, and finally shook his head and said: "The imperial edict is to eliminate the feudal lord...hehe..."

"Take it." Fei Qian also shook his head. If the edict was really so effective, do you believe that Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty could issue an edict for a hundred baggage vehicles in one day?

Sima Hui held a scroll, stroked his beard, and said: "There is another article here... It talks about the disadvantages of trade. The way of a saint is to focus on virtue. People who do business are selfish and greedy, destroying customs. , it is really a big harm..."

Sima Hui glanced at Fei Qian and continued: "...We should encourage farmers and mulberry trees, educate the three elders, and make the people's customs simple, so that the country can be peaceful and the people are safe..."

"If there hadn't been this competition, I wouldn't have known that the students in the academy were so partial to the way of saints..." Fei Qian put down the book in his hand and sighed, "Sages value virtue, so saints don't eat?" He is a Chinese. , it is inevitable to have some feelings of being a teacher, otherwise there would not be so many forum trolls in the future, and Fei Qian is no exception, especially in such an environment, it is easier to spark some collisions of ideas.

"Sages advocate virtue and oppose selfish pursuit of profit. This is the right way and is understandable." Fei Qian said, "However, when the saints in ancient times lived, their clothes were only kudzu and hemp, and their food was only corn and wheat. If there was minced meat, they could sing. But nowadays, brocade robes are very popular among the people. Confucius also said that one never gets tired of food. Although it is a courtesy, it is also a human desire."

Sima Hui nodded, threw the scroll aside, and said, "So, the general wants to implement a mercantile strategy?"

"No..." Fei Qian also put down his book, shook his head and said, "From the Spring and Autumn Period to the present, under Tao Gong, there are those who bring disaster to the country and the people, and there are also those who squander wealth and resources. From the beginning of all schools of thought, there has been rule of virtue. There are also arguments for the difference between the rule of law, but the two are not mutually exclusive, but complementary. The same is true for agriculture and business. If there is no agriculture, business has no foundation; if there is no business, agriculture has no source. Why suppress business? This is mostly due to the fact that merchants are unstable and inconvenient to manage. They are also well-informed and keep private slaves. If they are not careful, they will cause trouble... Therefore, we cannot do without scholars and farmers, nor can we do without workers and merchants..."

Why does Confucianism only suppress businessmen? Is it because businessmen eat Confucian rice? Or are Confucian people short-sighted and only care about the present?

Normally speaking, people who can join the imperial court and play well in politics basically have high IQs, and it is unlikely that for hundreds or thousands of years, no one will understand the importance of business, but the problem is like what Fei Qian said. As said, the main reason is that businessmen are not easy to manage.

Is it true that because money and food are the most important, agriculture and mulberry are the most important?

Not really.

Farmers are so good and simple. From birth to death, a household registration can be as simple as a single line. It saves worry and effort, and can collect taxes on time and in quantity. It is easy to scare and coax, but businessmen are completely different. Just like Tang Monk doesn't eat meat, in addition to his personal willpower and Buddhist precepts, there is another very important reason, which is that he has never eaten meat...

Businessmen travel all over the country and see a lot. Those who are flexible and inflexible will naturally not be able to be businessmen. In addition, they have a lot of money on hand. If the government comes to cut leeks at every turn, it is inevitable that some ideas will come out, and what will happen next will naturally happen. It gradually broke away from the control of the imperial government. If it was investigated and dealt with, it would be a waste of strength and bones. If it was not investigated, it would become increasingly rotten.

Therefore, Confucian people, in the later stage, simply cut them all off with one knife. Even if it can't be cut off or cleanly, the businessman will become a third-class cripple.

"Well..." Sima Hui nodded in agreement. After all, in the Han Dynasty, the status of Confucianism had not yet been elevated to the sacred altar, and the methods of governing the country were still being explored. Fei Qian's remarks exclude his status as a general in the Western Conquest. It wouldn't be unacceptable to an ordinary person.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" After a while, Linghu Shao suddenly slapped the table and shouted, "This volume is definitely the first! It is definitely the first!"

Before Fei Qian and Sima Hui could ask, Linghu Shao was already holding the paper and reading aloud:

"...The virtues of a saint are more beautiful than those of a virtuous person; the most precious thing about a virtuous person is not to know the person. If you know the person, your talents will be in order, and the king's career will flourish. Therefore, the sage's Yao Xiang establishes the words of a gentleman and a villain, the sage Narrating poetry is the career of elegant singing, the way of the saint, and the meaning of the Five Classics and Six Arts..."

It's a decent beginning.

But what happened next surprised even Fei Qian...

"...Zhongni regards virtue, literature and politics as four branches of study, and general discussion of talents can be divided into three branches. This is the case. Emphasis on moderation is to highlight saintliness, advocating benevolence and government to respect human ethics, and training despicable people to guard against deviations. Thinking always uses common materials to get what you want. Where people are at peace, there must be a reason. Where people stop, there must be a reason. What people observe should be as detailed as it is. If a person is drowned, no repairs can be made. , how can you disobey the way of a saint? Only a gentleman can complement each other..."

As Linghu Shao read, Fei Qian couldn't help but widen his eyes. Hey, this is interesting...