Three Kingdoms

Chang'an.

Duling.

Xing Yong didn't seem to know how he returned to his temporary place of residence. He felt that the things he heard in Qinglong Temple seemed to have been tumbling in his mind.

Those things were like an awl, which hurt my heart, and they were like a crowbar, which pried open some closed doors.

"In ancient times, if you want to bring enlightenment and virtue to the world, you must first govern your country; if you want to govern your country, you must first regulate your family; if you want to regulate your family, you must first cultivate your body; if you want to cultivate your body, you must first rectify your mind; if you want to be righteous, you must first rectify your mind. Those who are sincere in their hearts must first be sincere in their intentions; if they want to be sincere in their intentions, they must first gain knowledge, and knowledge lies in studying things..."

"Haha, haha...that's really..."

Xing Yong shook his head and smiled a little nervously.

This is what Confucius said.

Master Kong said it very easily.

It seems that after studying things, one can gain knowledge, and after gaining knowledge, one can be sincere, and then step by step, he can finally rule the country and bring peace to the world.

Xing Yong had always believed this before.

But he encountered many problems in the process.

There are so many problems, and these problems cannot be explained by Xing Yong, or in other words, they cannot be explained by the words of Master Confucius. Because the relationship between Confucius's ideas about governing the country and bringing peace to the world, etc., is not necessarily related to each other at all.

Because what Confucius said casually may seem reasonable, but there is no logic.

There are corrupt officials, there are corrupt officials, and there are villains who use chicken feathers as arrows. There are too many people who are not considered to have any moral character at all, but they are holding the position of managing the local area and the country.

Similarly, there are also some well-educated Confucians and honest gentlemen who have no problems with their knowledge or moral character, but they may not be able to govern the country well. Even ordinary counties are in a mess...

More importantly, in the past three or four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, among the many emperors, how many of them had practiced a series of practices such as family cultivation before they sat on the throne to govern the world?

So, what exactly went wrong?

Xing Yong began to doubt, but he did not dare to doubt. Because doubting Confucius's scriptures is like doubting his own life. Therefore, Confucius cannot be wrong; he can only be wrong by others, or even himself.

The more I think about it, the more frightened I become.

The more panic you feel, the more it accumulates in your mind.

Then today, like a clogged toilet, there was a gurgling sound.

Transparent.

"Benevolence, justice, interests..."

Xing Yong was spinning around in the small courtyard excitedly, and he couldn't sleep.

Before today, most students studied hard and what was the standard for success?

Cultivate oneself, manage one's family, govern the country and bring peace to the world...

How many do it?

There are always only a few official positions. How many people can become them? In order to become an official, I eventually forgot what I had learned and what my original intention was. I tried my best to climb up and down, just to keep the official hat on my head, and I could do all kinds of disgusting things.

But now, there is another way.

A path that most people can do and can do.

No matter what stage you are at, whether you have become an official or not, you can do it, and you must do it.

"If it is beneficial to the world, do it; if it is detrimental to the world, then change it." 』

It has nothing to do with benevolence, loyalty, filial piety, etc.

It has nothing to do with how many books you have read or how many years you have kept your filial piety.

"Yes, benevolence and righteousness have nothing to do with self-interest!" Xing Yong laughed hahaha, and then couldn't help but shed tears, "Benevolence and righteousness are benevolence and righteousness, and interests are interests. Why do they have to be mixed together?" Now that we're separated, isn't it all clear? I read it wrong, wrong! 』

From now on, you no longer need to be interrupted every time you talk about something and asked, "Are you virtuous?" Are you loyal and filial? Are you virtuous and filial?

A thing is a thing.

There is no need to hang on to the shell of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness in everything!

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Xing Yong laughed and felt relaxed all over.

Then someone in the yard next door yelled, "Guapi!" Filial piety kills pinch? ! If you don’t even want to break your horns, how dare you pinch it! 』

"Uh..." Xing Yong was interrupted, obviously a little unhappy, but when he thought about the butcher next door, with a thick and fleshy face, he didn't dare to make a mistake. He silently put his hands behind his back and went back to the house. Go within.

See, sleeping is beneficial, not sleeping is harmful, it’s as simple as that.

Is it necessary to associate it with loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness?

Is it possible that by talking about loyalty, filial piety and benevolence with the butcher next door, everyone can stop sleeping?

ha!

sleep!

The mind is clear!

……(?▽?)/……

Xing Yong went to bed feeling enlightened, but some people found it difficult to calm down.

Such as Zheng Xuan.

In the hall, a slightly dim candle flickered.

Zheng Xuan was sitting in the hall, watching Guo Yuan serving respectfully, and he couldn't help but remember that when he studied with Ma Rong, he was just like Guo Yuan, who did his duty with all his heart.

Ma Rong, he also taught Zhou rites, but he didn't follow any so-called "rituals" at all. This guy was famous for "teaching students first and female music behind", so when Zheng Xuan came to learn from Ma Rong, Some thoughts inevitably popped up in his mind, but at that time Zheng Xuan forced himself not to think about it.

Now Zheng Xuan actually understood it early, but he just didn't dare to say it.

Good knowledge does not mean good moral character.

This is obvious.

The converse is also true, so knowledge and moral character are fundamentally two different things, with no connection at all between them.

So Ma Rong is good at learning, is there any conflict with Ma Rong playing with women?

But at that time, why did Zheng Xuan think that a person with good knowledge should have good moral character and practice privately?

"Zini..."

Zheng Xuan said.

"Master." ” Guoyuan took a step forward and stood with his hands down.

Zheng Xuan looked at his hands, which looked increasingly dry and old under the dim candlelight. He quietly put his hands on his knees, and then said calmly: "Today, you have listened to everything in Qinglong Temple. What do you think?" 』

Guoyuan didn't know what to say for a moment.

The candle flame swayed and burned itself, still seeming to be unhurried and unhurried.

But if the candle is really so peaceful, why does it cry again?

Is it sadness that the candle burns on its own, or is it sadness that it cannot drive away the darkness?

Guoyuan was silent for a while, then bowed his head and said, "Master, if today's theory of interests is widely publicized, it will inevitably lead to moral corruption. They only know how to pursue interests, and no loyalty and filial piety will exist!" 』

Guoyuan kneeled on the ground, pressed his left hand on the back of his right hand, and then pressed it on the floor in front of him. He slowly leaned forward and touched the back of his left hand with his forehead, and gave the most standardized and solemn salute, "Master..."

Although Zheng Xuan has not done anything yet, and it is very likely that Zheng Xuan will not be able to do anything, because this involves something at a higher level, a political direction, and a brand new future.

But only Zheng Xuan can do it.

In the Han Dynasty, knowledge is priceless and stained with countless blood.

Every time a school of thought is established, there are endless corpses.

Therefore, Guoyuan's worship was not only to worship Zheng Xuan, but also to worship what he and Zheng Xuan had insisted on before.

Zheng Xuan bowed to Guoyuan and sighed slightly.

In the hall, the light and shadow of the candlelight swayed, as if there were countless battlefields of light and darkness unfolding, fighting, devouring and annihilating each other.

There was a deathly silence, and time passed at an unknown speed.

I don't know how long it took, but Zheng Xuan's somewhat cloudy eyes gradually became clear and clear again. The old man slowly raised his palm and looked at it quietly, his face was calm, and there was no other expression in his eyes, "Zini. ,look……"

Guoyuan raised his head, not knowing what he meant.

"Your hand..." Zheng Xuan motioned to Guo Yuan to raise his hand, and then joined his hand with Guo Yuan's, "Did you see... I'm old..."

"Master!" ” Guoyuan moved forward and held Zheng Xuan’s hand, “Master...”

"The Qiaoqi's plan is not in the Han Dynasty, but in the four directions of China." Zheng Xuan said slowly, "No one in the Han Dynasty has done this in four hundred years." No one in the former Qin Dynasty could do it, and no one could do it in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period... And I'm old, so I probably won't be able to see that day..."

"When I arrived in Youfufeng, I thought that the west of Longxi was the west of the Han Dynasty," Zheng Xuan seemed to be sighing, "but now, the Western Region, Anxi, Daqin, and even the west of Taixi... and the Northern Region In the desert, south of Jiaozhi, could Confucius in the Spring and Autumn Period have imagined these things? Does he know that the Han Dynasty currently has a hussar general? Does he know where the boundaries of the four directions of China, east, west, north and south are? 』

"Confucius only climbed Mount Tai..."

"Small world, this world is actually not small..."

Zheng Xuan held Guoyuan with his backhand, "If others talk about interests and benefits, but not about benevolence and righteousness... But this is a hussar..."

"Master!" ” Guoyuan became a little excited, as if he wanted to show that he was unyielding or something.

But Zheng Xuan didn't want Guoyuan to say it, "Let me ask you, what is benevolence, justice, loyalty and filial piety?" 』

"Benevolence, justice, loyalty and filial piety..."

Guoyuan suddenly became a little confused, because he knew that Zheng Xuan was not simply asking about the meaning of these words. He was following the scriptures according to the scriptures. Who doesn't know?

But is what the scripture says really "loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness"?

Confucius was the great military commander of the Lu State, but Confucius was a native of the Song State. So should Confucius be loyal to Song or Lu? Are you loyal to the Song State? Confucius did nothing for the Song State. Are you loyal to the Lu State? When Lu was in civil strife, Confucius did not step forward to turn the tide and save the country and the king, but ran away.

Confucius was only three years old when his father died, and was forced to leave his hometown. When he grew up, he even married a Song girl as his wife in order to be able to go home and worship his father. So did Confucius observe funeral filial piety? How long have you been mourning again?

Confucius boldly declared to Qi Jinggong that there must be rules. This rule is "the king, the ministers, the fathers, the sons." The so-called king is the principle of the ministers. If the king wants his ministers to die, the ministers have to die. As a result, someone in Qi State wants to do something. Death to Confucius, Confucius went to Qi Jinggong, Qi Jinggong said that he could not control it, and then Confucius ran away without saying a word. So did Confucius follow the rules or did he not?

Qi Jinggong also said that he would grant a piece of land to Confucius. How can he be considered as being benevolent and righteous and favoring him? But Confucius abandoned Qi Jinggong because of his own safety. Is this considered benevolent or unbenevolent?

"Everything is illusion...there is nothing..."

Zheng Xuan said slowly.

"Loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and justice...actually nothing..."

After hearing this assertion, Guoyuan was silent for a long time. Then he raised his head and looked at Zheng Xuan, and asked seriously: "Doesn't loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness come from the heart and be practiced in practice?" How can it be an illusion? How can it be said that it doesn’t exist? 』

"The so-called loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness are thoughts. The idea of ​​loyalty is loyalty, either to Lu or to Qi. Being loyal to Lu may not be beneficial to Qi, and being loyal to Qi may not be harmful to Lu. Therefore, this loyalty is not real, but imaginary. Loyalty is like this, filial piety is like this, it's all like this. 』

Zheng Xuan sighed and said, "Confucius also knew how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. A gentleman would not stand under a dangerous wall, let alone all living beings?" Therefore, if a gentleman does not establish his place, why should he ask the common people to establish it under his false name? If so, why is such loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness necessary? 』

"Therefore, loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness are all rituals. Zheng Xuan raised his head and looked beyond Guoyuan to the dark night. "And this "property" is someone who is not "proper" at first, and then understands the "property", and may not follow the "property". also. Now, it is just a matter of words, but it does not mean that loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and justice have been abandoned. What should be there is still there..."

…(???)…

Late at night, some people are sleeping soundly, while others cannot sleep.

If you can't sleep, get up and drink tea.

Can't sleep anyway.

The firepower of the red clay stove is not very high, and the speed of boiling water is naturally not fast.

The sound of gurgling water is particularly loud in the middle of the night, just like the words that were said during the day are still vibrating in the ears, hitting the eardrums and colliding in the brain.

Neither Sima Hui nor Sima Yi spoke.

I don't know if it's because the quiet night can't be broken, or because the faint fragrance of tea makes people calm, or maybe it's just that the two of them are thinking and haven't found any clue yet.

Sima Hui claimed to be a hermit, but he did not really see through the world of mortals, but just pretended to see through it. Real hermits basically hide in the remote mountains and forests, or wait for death in remote and dilapidated old houses. They will never show up in front of ordinary people, let alone see the emperor's uncle.

This does not mean that Sima Hui is a hypocrite or a moral villain, but that most students in the Han Dynasty, and even the gentry children in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, have this idea. The more you hide your reputation, the bigger your reputation will be. Why not "hide" it? The more you "abandon" your official position, the higher your promotion will be. So why not "abandon" your official position?

Why bother climbing the mountain when there is a shortcut to the south?

Until one day, an emperor was angered by these people who would "hide" and "abandon" them after just a few words. He issued an edict that anyone who "hides" or "abandons" will not be hired again in his life...

Then after the Wei and Jin Dynasties, gradually there were no more hermits, or in other words, hermits did not become a social custom or trend.

Unspoken rules are unspoken rules.

The more reclusive a hermit is, the bigger her official position will be, the longer the mourning period, the more filial piety is, and things like how to make money without being shabby, etc. These are all unspoken rules. They are all gold to put on one's face and a placebo for one's heart.

"The water is boiling..."

The sound of water boiling.

The brewed tea is not as strong as boiled tea, but it is also a little less bitter and has more fragrance.

The uncle and nephew each held tea bowls and drank, gulu, gulu.

"It's okay to say it's okay..." Mr. Shui Jing said politely a few times out of habit, "Okay, it's okay to say it's okay..."

Once an unspoken rule is broken, it cannot continue to be an unspoken rule. And the vast majority of unspoken rules are not a good thing.

Sima Yi put down the tea bowl and hesitated slightly, "Uncle, Hussar...is it..."

Sima Hui raised his long eyebrows slightly, "What do you want to say?" 』

"Well..." Sima Yi raised his head, "Uncle, although this was said by Mr. Pang, but... it means "benefiting the world"... but not saying it is benefiting the emperor... Besides, this benefit is benefit, loyalty. It's loyalty and righteousness. The two aspects should be separated and never discussed again...Does it mean..."

Mr. Shui Jing was silent for a while and nodded, "No need." 』

The two fell silent again. After a while, Sima Hui said: "Actually, it's a good thing to talk about it." 』

Sima Yi nodded, "It's a good thing. It's better to say it first than to say it later... After all, Guanzhong is now very different from Shandong..."

Sima Hui snorted, then picked up the tea bowl, "Yes, it's like this tea... Hussar's tea... If not Hussar, who would think of drinking tea like this?" Essence, dregs, haha, good..."

"Indeed. Not only this tea..." Sima Yi said, "There are also many things. My lord, with almost one person's power, moves the world...weapons, farming, spices, and...this serious and correct solution, all over China..."

"How much do you know about the Quartet of China...Zhongda?" How much of it is true and how much of it is false? asked Mr. Shui Jing.

Sima Yi said in a deep voice: "Except for Taixi's learning, which has many scholars, the rest are all true. A few days ago, Li Mancheng of Yinshan also defeated Ding Ling's troops and made a lot of gains. He will escort the prisoners to Chang'an in the near future. The Northern Territory Protectorate first defeated Xianbei and then drove away Ding Ling. Now most of Mobei is owned by Hussar... Jiaozhi? Although Yi doesn't know much about it, Liu Xuande did defeat the Shi clan and marched into Rinan. It is said that a passage from Jianning to Jiaozhi is being built to facilitate the transfer of various supplies from the north to the south..."

Of course Sima Yi, as a middle-level and high-level person under Qiusi, knew all these things.

"Therefore, this "Confucius and Mencius" in the West is probably true? "Mr. Shui Jing said, "Yanhuang, Five Emperors, Scholars, Hundreds of Schools, Pre-Qin, Han... Hmm... Hiss..."

Mr. Shui Jing suddenly took a breath of cold air and rolled his eyes.

Then Sima Yi didn't understand at first, but then he was startled, and he and Sima Hui stared at each other.

"Could it be..."X2

Both of them saw their guesses in each other's faces.

The lights swayed, the light and shadow swayed, as if something was growing in the darkness, and then slowly sneaked into the surrounding objects, growing quietly...