Chapter 471 Recommendation! Law is about to die?
Since Liu Bingyi ascended the throne, he has issued orders to recruit talents more than once, asking county and state officials to recommend talented and honest people in their counties and countries.
"Please go!"
A high and disdainful voice sounded, and a black-faced scholar said: "Wang Guochi is small, and dare not accommodate an evil talent like you."
The young man's clothes were a little messy, his hair was randomly scattered, and even a little dirty. He looked very embarrassed. He said with grief and indignation: "Is this what the king wants? I don't believe it. It must be you, the traitor, who is making false accusations."
The black-faced scholar sneered, "You fool, look at what kind of academic classics you are studying. In this world, who would dare to take you in?
Don’t blame us, blame your teachers and predecessors for not doing you any good deeds.”
These words woke the young man up, and he left here in a daze.
…
"You have lost your place as a scholar, and even less a place as a filial and honest official. The county governors and marquises you are familiar with are unwilling to recommend you."
"Why? Weren't these people on good terms with you a few years ago?"
"Because Sang Hongyang was boiled to death, because some people don't like us, and because we have become the culprits that have brought chaos to the world."
"The court did not issue an order to prevent us from becoming officials. On the contrary, the Han law clearly stipulates that every family must have someone serving as an official. What the court did is against the Han law."
It is a paradox that the imperial court violated Han laws.
Laws are made by the king, and the law is under the king. This is the purpose of Legalism.
Now the king wants the law to die, and the law has to die.
This is what is called self-destruction.
The only way to resist is to learn from Confucianism, first label the king as unjust, and then attack him, just like what the princes did during the Jingnan Rebellion.
But wouldn’t that be admitting that the law is in the wrong under the king?
Neither of them was talking.
…
In a slightly dim room, several middle-aged men dressed in scholar's crowns and robes were kneeling. These people were the main leaders of the Legalists in the Three Jins today.
"Your Majesty requires all the counties and states in the world to recommend one virtuous and upright person. The Confucian school received 70% and the other schools received 30%."
"No county governor or prince in our branch is willing to recommend us."
"The marquises were also unwilling to recommend scholars for us, and some scholars who had previously served in the shogunate were even dismissed."
The faces of everyone in the room were somewhat bleak. "The calamity of the tyrannical Qin Dynasty and the calamity of the evil emperor, the people of the world have attributed it to us, and we are afraid to avoid it as much as possible."
Someone sighed and said: "Emperor Li was killed by the princes who pacified the rebellion, and the ministers who followed him in the rebellion were either killed or exiled, but Sang Hongyang was boiled to death.
'The first culprit is Emperor Li, the second is Hongyang.'
This is truly an indelible stain. With such a reputation, where should we go from here? "
After what happened to Sang Hongyang, the other schools of thought naturally wanted to add insult to injury, and the struggle between schools became a life-and-death struggle. Now the Legalists of the Three Jins were like filth, and the princes of the world avoided them. Even the Emperor Liu Bingyi did not dare to employ them.
Whenever the emperor wanted to employ students of the Three Jin Legalists, he could be directly rebuked by a simple question: "Your Majesty, by using Qin laws, do you want to emulate the tyrannical Qin and Emperor Li?"
A scholar with a rather resolute face said: "Legalism is the great way to govern the world and be useful. Since Emperor Xiaowen respected Confucianism, all schools of thought have relied on the grace of the court to survive.
Only our Legalists can always stand firm and fight against Confucianism, because our Legalists can assist the king, stabilize the country, and win the emperor's heart. "
These words touched everyone's heart, and they all echoed: "Yes, those Confucian scholars can only talk big and say nonsense about rebuilding Zhou and Luo and prospering the kingly way."
At this time, a voice suddenly sounded, "The Confucians are boasting that they have already gained seven or eight of the world and are almost swallowing up all the other schools of thought. We are practical and useful, but only one of us has survived, and our reputation is in disgrace.
Luo Wen Xiao Wen used Huang Lao and Confucianism to create a peaceful world, while Li Di used the law to bring disaster to the people. How can we explain this to the world?"
Lies don't hurt, the truth is the sharpest knife!
These two sentences made everyone lose their composure. Their faces fell in an instant, and they tried to defend themselves, "That was all done by individuals. How can you blame us, the Legalists?
Our Legalist sage Guanzi is listed among the holy scholars. Isn’t this proof? "
Everyone looked at him with puzzled expressions. What does Guanzi have to do with us? He is a sage of Qi and Fa. You have made the wrong choice.
The old man sitting at the head of the group stopped everyone and said with a sigh, "What's the point of saying these things at this moment?
Are you just going to watch our Legalist school perish just like that?
Is it true that my Legalism has no merits at all?
If this is true, why didn't King Zhaosheng directly destroy our Legalists when he practiced the law in Zhaocheng?
Do you think that King Zhaosheng is soft-hearted?
Do you think that King Zhaosheng can't do it?
That's just too ridiculous.
It is because our Legalist family must have value in this world that we have been favored by King Zhaosheng and allowed to exist!"
Everyone was silent. Suddenly someone walked in and bowed, saying, "Mr. Chen, Liu Xiang Liu Zizheng is back."
Liu Zizheng!
Everyone present knew him. He was a relative of the Liu clan and had once been a disciple of Jie Gong. He was very talented, well-versed in laws and regulations, and methodical in his work. He was a disciple who was focused on training by the Legalists and was supposed to be a leader of the new generation of Legalists.
But after Jie Gong died at the hands of Liu Dan, he left the Legalists and mingled with the Confucians, and even worked as a clerk in the military tent of the princes during the Jingnan Rebellion.
One of their most outstanding disciples actually joined the rival's school. Even the Legalists, a school that did not care much about the inheritance of master-disciple relationship and even attacked each other, felt ashamed. They felt a sense of humiliation of being trampled under the feet of the Confucians.
Liu Xiang walked into the room, bowed, and then said, "I heard what you said just now from outside."
As soon as Liu Xiang said this, everyone's faces turned ugly. As the saying goes, family disgrace should not be made public. Now it's really embarrassing.
Liu Xiang said with emotion: "What Mr. Chen said just now is very good. Even the King Zhaosheng did not destroy the Legalists. I think the Legalists must have their merits. Why do you all belittle yourselves?
I have always wondered why the disciples of the Legalists, who clearly have the talent to govern the country and apply it to the world, always help tyrants to achieve their goals and bring disaster to the people.
Why is it that Confucianism is always at the highest moral level, when all the dirty and tiring officials are criminal officials, but the kings still respect the Confucian sages? "
Everyone wanted to scold Liu Xiang and ask him to leave, but what Liu Xiang said was exactly what they were confused about, so they forced themselves to hold back and wanted to hear what Liu Xiang had researched over the years.
Liu Xiang said with a light in his eyes: "Over the years, I have made friends with Confucian disciples, communicated with disciples of Laozi and Zhuangzi, and debated with disciples of Mohism. After learning from the strengths of many, I have come to a conclusion.
The sins in the Legalist classics are "only the superiors care about the people" and "there is only evil and no good".
I once communicated with Mengru's disciples about why Mengru took it as his responsibility to kill tyrants. Mengru's disciples said that the king was the most important person in the world. If the king did good, the world would benefit; if the king did harm, the people would suffer. Killing tyrants was not to threaten the emperor all the time, but to prevent the king from being reckless.
The law comes from the king, but there is another way in this world that is above the emperor!
That is the human heart of the world.
This is the reason why the people are more important than the king!
Just these four words.
My Legalists will never be able to defeat Mengru!"
After hearing this, some of the Legalists could no longer hold back and shouted, "This is simply a fallacy. Everything in the world comes from the king. Without the king's restraint, will the powerful be obedient and treat the people well?
Without the restraint of a king, would those corrupt officials fairly use the law to treat the people and powerful people who break the law?
How could a king accomplish these things if he was not powerful enough and holy enough?
No one should challenge the authority of the king, especially something as treasonous as the Jingnan Campaign!
Look at the princes who participated in the Jingnan Campaign. Are they still in Chang'an City now?
If the Jingnan princes were really right, then why did the emperor drive all of them back to Guandong?"
Liu Xiang looked at them coldly, watching them scold him loudly, and listened quietly. Their voices became lower and lower, and they looked at each other for a few times, then asked in confusion: "Why don't you refute?"
Liu Xiang sneered and said, "Is there anything worth refuting? You guys are right. Isn't this the path that dictators are gradually taking?
The more you talk, the more I feel that there is something wrong with the core idea of Legalism!
Mencius was the Confucian school that was most hostile to Legalism. Other schools still learned some of the Legalists' ideas, but Mencius was extremely hostile to Legalism.
Do you know how those Confucian scholars evaluated the Legalists? "
As he spoke, he looked around at everyone and sneered, "The Legalists talk about laws, and treat officials and common people equally. Legalists have always been strong and fearless of the powerful. Do you think Meng Ru is praising you?
Oh.
The Legalists are completely obedient to the king from the root of their thoughts, and their bottom line is gradually lowered with the pressure from the king!
Those Confucians who integrated the ideas of Legalism went astray.
Confucian appearance but Legalist body, that is Legalism, not Confucianism!
Once Confucian disciples are infected with the ideas of Legalism, they will eventually become cynics who obey the king!
A man of such talent as Sang Hongyang, for the sake of wealth and glory, submitted to a tyrant like Liu Dan. None of the ministers in the hall pointed out Liu Dan's mistakes to his face, and no one dared to directly rebuke him as a tyrant.
Water and fire are incompatible; the way of supremacy and the way of the monarch cannot exist at the same time.
This is the thought of Meng Ru. "
The whole room is quiet!
Cynic!
This was an insult to the Confucians who had gone along with Liu Dan, and it was also an insult to the Legalists. In Mencius's mouth, the Legalists' idea of obedience to superiors became the source of all evil, and they tried to avoid it as much as possible.
"absurd!"
"absurd!"
Being pointed at and scolded like this, several people were so angry that they couldn't even finish their words, but they didn't know how to refute.
Looking at the wise men of the Legalists of the Three Jins throughout the ages, they have never criticized the king and are truly the most obedient ministers in the world.
"There is evil but no good, do you still want to hear it?"
Question:
Confucianism behind the Confucian appearance and legalistic spirit.
In the end, is Confucianism more important or Legalism more important?
(End of this chapter)
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