Chapter 367 Justice
This decision is dangerous.
Even Guo Jia felt that it was an appropriate choice to show goodwill to the aristocratic families amidst the rumors, but Qiao Yan chose to do the opposite.
What makes this matter even more dangerous is Zhong Changtong's age.
If Zhong Changtong was a famous person with a long-standing reputation and works, there might be no problem in using "Changyan" as a book suitable for the occasion. But what if Zhong Changtong was only eighteen years old the next year?
Of course, a true genius will not confine himself to the limitations of the times, and it is precisely because of his youth that he is not at all restrained in words. But this also means that if Qiao Yan were to bring his various remarks to the forefront, he would face far more criticism than anyone else.
"Perhaps they will feel that every word in this is from my instruction, and not written by you word for word. Or perhaps they will feel that when you choose to publish such shocking words on my behalf, you have disgraced your scholar family and violated your fundamental position. Even so, you insist on agreeing with my choice of promoting Changyan at this time?"
Before Qiao Yan handed the document over to the printing workshop, she asked Zhong Changtong another question.
A few years ago, Xi Zhicai had met him once in Leping Academy. At that time, "Changyan" still existed in the form of fragments, but when "Jijiupian" was promoted last year, the book had already taken shape with the results of Zhong Changtong's travels over the years. A year later, this book was followed by Zhong Changtong from Chang'an to Luoyang, where he observed the experiences of the people of Luoyang in the fourth year of Jian'an, and then there was a period of in-depth consideration of the words, which became what it looked like when Qiao Yan handed it to Guo Jia yesterday.
Zhong Changtong replied, "Allow me to explain it one sentence at a time. Your Excellency said that he was worried that someone would question that the words were not written by me, but I, Zhong Changtong, am not a timid person, and I will have no problem sitting down and arguing with them. Your Excellency became famous in the Dingzhongguan in Luoyang with his arguments about the governor of the state, so why can't I follow suit? But I still need to repair and tidy up that place first."
Luoyang became deserted several years ago, and Dingzhongguan was naturally no longer a place where celebrities came and went. After being eroded by wind and rain, it had become a dilapidated state. Even though Qiao Yan was in charge of Luoyang, he didn't think of this place for a while.
When she suddenly heard this place from Zhong Changtong's mouth, she couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
But her thoughts quickly turned back to his words.
Zhong Changtong is not a timid person - this is not just arrogance as a genius, but a fact.
If anyone else were to write such remarks as “human affairs are more important than the laws of nature”, none of them would have the courage to use such a sentence as the beginning of the “Chapter on Rectifying Chaos”.
He said, "Heroes who are destined by heaven have never had a share of the world. Without a share of the world, wars have arisen. At this time, they all pretend to be the power of heaven and seize control of other countries..."1
These words were like a stab in the lungs of those previous emperors.
Translated, it means that those heroes who are said to have become emperors because of "the will of heaven" do not actually own the world, so it is natural that there is no one who is destined to be the emperor. Because of this, everyone thinks that they can become the emperor and fight for the world. When these heroes emerged, each of them claimed to be destined to dominate a certain area.
If the "wars of war" refers to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, then the Han Dynasty's founding emperor's killing of the snake was also such a destiny.
Even though he said in his subsequent remarks that Emperor Gaozu of Han and Emperor Guangwu of Han were "holy rulers appointed by God", it is hard to ignore the shock brought about by those opening remarks.
He is not only not timid, he is extremely bold!
Zhong Changtong obviously did not think that there was anything wrong with the words he wrote to express his own aspirations. Qiao Yan in front of him was obviously not someone who would stick to etiquette and restrict his words.
So he went on without hesitation.
"Your Excellency also said that he was worried that some people would suspect that I was rebelling against my position as a scholar. But all the words in the world come from the mouths of the people, and the scholars can only embellish them with words and quote classics to make them sound more reasonable."
"I am a humble man, but I take the name of Justice. I want to stand on the foundations of the Lord and compete with the ignorant people!"
After he finished saying this, he bowed deeply towards Qiao Yan.
When he stood up and looked into Qiao Yan's eyes, it was enough for her to see clearly that she was determined not to compromise with the powerful families. Zhong Changtong was equally resolute in his determination to print Chang Yan to counter the rumor about the "Red Air Penetrating the Purple Palace" astronomical phenomenon.
Axiom, Axiom, this is indeed a nickname that suits him best!
"When I made this decision yesterday, Xun Wenruo came to see me once." Qiao Yan continued to say to him.
If Guo Jia suggested that Qiao Yan choose the fourth round of printing as a work of family classics in order to help her win over such a group of allies, then Xun Yu's attempt to dissuade her from promoting "Chang Yan" was more because of his own position.
"I asked him a question - after witnessing the reconstruction of Luoyang, does Wen Ruo hope to keep the people ignorant so that they can defend themselves, or to enlighten them so that they can move forward together?"
Zhong Changtong had long heard of Xun Yu's talent and asked, "I wonder what Mr. Xun said?"
Qiao Yan smiled and said, "He said he hopes you can give him an answer."
But before Zhong Changtong faced criticism from all sides and allowed Xun Yu to see another possibility, the book "Chang Yan" first appeared before the world.
At the beginning of November in the fourth year of Jian'an, Chang'an City was still immersed in the undercurrents caused by the previous astronomical phenomena, and Qiao Yan was still staying in Luoyang and had not returned. However, on this ordinary morning, the bookstores in the city were filled with newly printed books.
There was the first round of printing of literacy books "Jijiupian", followed by the second round of printing of geographical atlas "Shanhelu", and then the third round of printing of four miscellaneous books, which paved the way for the rise of agriculture, industry, medicine and other categories. Ordinary people did not think there would be any problem with the emergence of new books after surviving this year's drought.
But when literate people opened this book, they suddenly realized that it was completely different from previous popular science books.
This is a book of discussion!
The argument was distributed in such a way that thousands of copies were printed, which was equivalent to Da Sima putting this argument, which she thought was necessary to appear at this moment, in front of everyone.
"What does she mean?" Liu Yang opened the book in his hand and his face suddenly changed.
The unusual celestial phenomena a few days ago and the words he had people guide in Chang'an City made him suddenly realize that in the face of huge interests, there are many people who want to bring Qiao Yan down. Even if not everyone can sit opposite him and plot the assassination, there are actually many people who can be recruited by him to help, and they have not been considered by him before.
However, before he could turn these rumors into a real blow to Qiao Yan, and before he could enjoy this seemingly God-given success for long, he was suddenly met with such a counterattack.
Everyone knows that Qiao Yan's previous action of printing books in the name of saving the people's lives has expanded the team of literate people and increased the number of people willing to spend money on books.
Once this book is published, it will surely spread throughout the world in a very short time.
And when the words in it are accusations against some people, it is undoubtedly an extremely sharp knife, striking back when people are caught off guard.
Yes, in Liu Yang's view, this is an accusation.
This is because immediately after the earth-shattering statement "heroes accept the destiny" to establish a country, the dynasty was destroyed.
The following words were clearly printed on this piece of paper:
"The foolish rulers who succeeded them, seeing that no one in the world dared to disobey them, thought that they were as indestructible as heaven and earth. They indulged in their own selfish desires and indulged in their evil desires. The ruler and his ministers indulged in debauchery, and both the superiors and the subordinates were evil..."
"Then the fat of the world was boiled away, the bones of the people were gouged out, resentment and boredom arose, disasters and chaos arose, China was in turmoil, the four barbarians invaded and rebelled, the country collapsed and fell apart, and it was gone in a day."2
When Liu Yang saw this, he immediately became furious: "Who are you talking about?"
If this is said to be the case for Emperor Ling of Han who in the past cast bronze men, favored eunuchs, imposed heavy taxes, and indulged in pleasure, which led to the Yellow Turban Rebellion and laid the foundation for Dong Zhuo's rebellion, then there seems to be nothing wrong with it.
In particular, the description of selfish and evil thoughts is very consistent with the actions of Emperors Huan and Ling.
But you have to know that such words could not be said by Qiao Yan. Zhong Changtong, who was authorized by her to write the book, certainly could not use this sentence to accuse Emperor Ling of Han. After all, her initial title of the trusted minister came from the grant of Emperor Ling of Han.
Liu Yu certainly does not fit this statement either.
Everyone knew that this emperor might not be as capable as the Grand Marshal who traveled all over the country to fight wars, but he was a truly benevolent monarch, and there was nothing wrong with his moral character and conduct.
Then in Liu Yang's opinion, there is only one person who can be brought into this role——
It's him!
The so-called foolish ruler of later generations, the culprit who caused the dynasty to "collapse and disappear in an instant", was the name Qiao Yan used to retaliate against Liu Yang after he received those groundless accusations caused by astronomical phenomena.
Once Liu Yang made this assumption, he couldn't get out of it for a while.
His gaze stayed on the phrase "the four barbarians are invading and rebelling" for a long time, and he subconsciously thought of the situation of Chang'an City being surrounded on all sides at the moment. He felt that this was indeed a true portrayal, or it was a direct threat made by Qiao Yan to him.
Chun Yujia was visiting when he heard Liu Yang suddenly question: "How dare she be so presumptuous!"
"Why do you say this is presumptuous?" Chun Yujia immediately replied: "She is obviously very smart."
Liu Yang looked towards Chun Yujia and asked in confusion, "Why are you still praising her so much?"
Chun Yujia shook his head. "I'm not praising her, I'm stating a fact. You'll know from the last part of this Changyan that it's not a desperate move made by her after she was enraged, but a well-organized point-by-point rebuttal."
Just as Qiao Yan guessed, Chunyu Jia and others felt as soon as they got the book "Chang Yan" that Qiao Yan was using Zhong Changtong's mouth to express his own views.
But no matter whether these were Zhong Changtong's words or Qiao Yan's words, this was indeed a very well-organized rebuttal to the rumors.
In line with the suspicion that the throne of the emperor was a false destiny, what was said next was the true origin of the name of the "Holy Lord" of the Han Dynasty, which then led to the conclusion that "human affairs are the basis, and the way of heaven is the end."
"The cleverness of this statement lies in the fact that it shifts the focus from the upper class to the people," Chun Yujia sighed and said, "Your Highness, think about it. Although most of the people who can read this book are from the upper class, who is the largest group of people who have obtained this book?"
Liu Yang did not respond, but he already had the answer in his heart.
It was the vast majority of the people who were enlightened by the "Jijiupian" and "The Book of Songs" together with the Leping Monthly.
He had already read on following Chun Yujia's words.
It can be seen that the subsequent statement "Heaven's Way is the Last" was indeed written in accordance with the habits of the people.
What is the basis of human affairs? Let’s start with the “Secrets to Longevity and Longevity”.
For these people living in disaster and disease, almost no one does not want to live longer.
But just like what Xi Zhicai wrote on his paper when he first met Zhong Changtong -
"Moreover, if one digs nine feet deep in the ground to get water, digs a mountain a hundred steps to carve gold, cuts trees in the forest without choosing the day, and cuts grass in the wild without choosing the time, and then builds and lives in it, makes and uses it, and then doubts whether it is good or bad, isn't that also foolish?"
"To neglect the worship of the ancestors, to go against the will of the times, to go against the will of the people, and to seek blessings from inauspicious things, and to gain the trust and sincerity of foolish and confused people, is that not a mistake?"
How ridiculous it is to violate the agricultural planting season, disobey human principles, and instead seek blessings from things that are not auspicious, and seek trust from ignorant people.
If you want to have a healthy body and a successful career, you should harmonize your vital energy, clear your thoughts, control your diet, and moderate your desires.
If you are unfortunately really sick, you must not seek talisman water to drink from the likes of the Yellow Turban bandits in the past, but should go to the medical offices that have been established in various places to seek medical treatment and medicine. At the same time, you should behave properly, enjoy morality, practice benevolence and righteousness, and be upright. This is the so-called "auspicious technique."
None of these things are determined by the so-called "celestial phenomena"; they rely entirely on human decision-making and execution.
If that is the case, why should we be confused by some kind of celestial phenomenon or destiny?
"All the previous words were just the beginning. This is the first response in the true sense," Chunyu Jia commented.
Zhong Changtong's travels in the land under Qiao Yan's rule over the past few years were by no means a way to kill time. Instead, they allowed him to take root in this land that was deeply influenced by Qiao Yan from the moment he created his speech.
In his subsequent remarks, he even traced back the general conclusions to a series of actions in accordance with the will of heaven, allowing the people who found it difficult to understand the obscure remarks to see the familiar words that once appeared in the monthly reports and in life, and find a sense of familiarity.
Chun Yujia said that this was the first response, and he was absolutely right.
The second response, which is about how to be an official, comes several chapters later.
This was indeed not something that the common people were familiar with, but Zhong Changtong explained the matter in a way that seemed very cunning to Chun Yujia.
He said that some local officials, in order to show their integrity, traveled in skinny horses and broken carriages, did not bring their wives and children to the places where they took office, refused to accept rewards and promotions, and did not offer wine and meat to guests. With this way of doing things, everyone said they were honest and noble.
Just like the "Xuanyu Taishou", he is a typical example.
He did not mean to criticize such behavior, but he felt that such actions were too extreme and contrary to common sense.
People praise them because there was no justice between the government and the people before, and people had to pursue a benchmark that was not corrupted by the secular world. But think about it in another way: if the government was fair and upright, wouldn't it be necessary to force such a clear-cut person to handle things?
He wrote:
Therefore, if they obtain it in the right way, the people will not think it is extravagant; if they take it in the right way, the people will not think it is laborious. When natural disasters occur, opening warehouses to provide loans, isn't that kind? If one has surplus food and clothing, one should reduce extravagance and give them away; is that not righteous? 】4
Just like the much-criticized Grand Marshal, the generals under her command all used the best horses from the Western Regions and wore the latest cotton-padded clothes. However, in the year when the drought came, she was able to open the granaries to provide relief and quell the chaos, suppressing the price of grain to a level that the people could afford. Why should she be accused of indulging herself and overstepping her authority after enjoying it?
This is just another form of benevolence that can only exist under fair laws.
He even wrote at the end of this second response:
[Some say: The government is in the hands of one person, and his power is very great.] He said: People are hard to come by, so why should you be so suspicious? 】5
"It's really hard to find a good person, why should you suspect me so much... It's really hard to find a good person, why should you suspect me so much!" Liu Yang couldn't help but grit his teeth when he saw this.
This statement is almost like telling everyone directly that Da Sima is the number one person with great power, but she can perform all the duties that she is supposed to do. At this time when talent is most scarce and urgently needed, how could anyone think that her power is too high?
In the nine provinces controlled by the Chang'an court, at least half of the people had a particularly intuitive understanding of the phrase "opening warehouses to provide loans" because of two consecutive years of drought.
Such an immersive interpretation is undoubtedly more convincing than the groundless accusation of "red energy penetrating the purple palace".
"Your Highness, we are in big trouble." Chun Yu Jia spoke, forcing Liu Yang to retract his rage that was about to explode.
Yes, instead of being angry about such sharp remarks, they should be more concerned about how to fight back against them.
The rumors alluding to Qiao Yan were only spread in Chang'an, but this book "Changyan" could not have been kept only in Chang'an.
According to the efficiency of the printing factories that Qiao Yan knew, even if there were delays in transportation, these books should have already spread throughout the north!
As they expected, the explosive publicity and sales were certainly not just happening in Changan.
In Leping, which is Qiao Yan's real base, this book has already become a common thing for everyone.
From students to teachers, no one was left out.
Even the disciples who lived in a hut on Mount Taihang to keep vigil for Xun Shuang received a special copy.
In this thorough net casting, Lu Zhi, who was once recommended by Wang Yun to Liu Yang for contact, had already received the book long before Liu Yang, Chunyu Jia and others got hold of it.
Although he had read "Chang Yan" three times, Lu Zhi still fell into long contemplation after reading the last paragraph.
I only saw Zhong Changtong writing there:
Carve jade, dye Sikkim, show benevolence to the people and things, spread your name throughout the world, and encourage each other with all of us. 6
Lu Zhi couldn't help but murmur: "This is like clear water that reveals the bottom and a mirror that reflects the heart.":,n,
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