"Lord Xiwen, look what I brought you."
"Hey, these pieces of cured fish and meat are really good stuff, Brother An Dao, how did you know I like this?"
"Yes, this is my treasured possession. I specially sent this to congratulate you on your return to Kaifeng Prefecture."
"I didn't call you all here today to celebrate, but for something else. But please sit inside first."
Fan Zhongyan greeted everyone.
Everyone is curious about what to do today if it is not a celebration?
He suddenly called everyone together. Is he planning to do something big again?
But since Lao Fan didn't say it when he was welcoming the guests, I naturally couldn't suppress my curiosity and wait for him to reveal the answer.
Soon everyone arrived one by one, and after the last historian Wang Zhu arrived, the banquet finally began.
It was not until this time that everyone noticed that there was a thick layer of paper on Fan Zhongyan's seat, which was two or three feet high. No wonder it was placed on the seat.
"Lord Xiwen, what are these?"
Ouyang Xiu asked curiously, "Could it be that this is your newly published collection of poetry? Are you planning to share it with us?"
Fan Zhongyan smiled and shook his head, saying, "No, I have called you all here today because I have something to say. I have some words to say to you and some questions to ask you."
Everyone looked at each other with puzzled expressions. Fu Bi asked, "What is the point of such a grand conversation that you specifically summoned us here to discuss it?"
Fan Zhongyan didn't speak immediately, but instead cast his gaze on the papers. He placed the thick stack of papers on the table and said to everyone, "Do you remember the master I mentioned before?"
"Is this related to that master?"
Yoon Soo asked.
"Um."
Fan Zhongyan pondered and said, "That wise man once asked me what I hoped for."
"Oh? What did Duke Xiwen say?"
Everyone became interested.
Fan Zhongyan still did not answer immediately. After a few seconds, he had organized his words in his mind.
Then he looked around and said to everyone in a serious tone, "I told him that what I hope for is an end to human suffering, a prosperous country, and a safe and healthy life for all. I only wish to 'worry before the world worries, and be happy after the world is happy.' If I cannot be a good prime minister, I will be a good doctor, curing illnesses and saving lives, saving the people."
"Great! What a great saying! 'Before you worry about the world's worries, you enjoy the world's happiness after you enjoy yourself!'"
Ouyang Xiu immediately clapped his hands in admiration, saying, "Such a lofty ambition is what our generation should possess! I will follow Duke Xiwen's example and pursue this aspiration throughout my life, no matter how difficult it may be, I will not change my mind!"
"I am very pleased that Uncle Yong has such a heart."
Fan Zhongyan said solemnly, "The master told me that if I want to fulfill my great wish, I cannot rely on him or me."
“Who should we rely on then?”
"us!"
"us?"
Everyone was quite surprised.
"good."
Fan Zhongyan pointed at the crowd and said, "We need a group of like-minded partners who share the same ambitions and ideals, who are willing to fight and are not afraid of sacrifice. So I have called you together today to ask, do you have such ideals and fighting spirit?"
After he finished speaking, he looked at them with sincere and bright eyes, waiting for their answers seriously.
Zhao Jun’s current situation is actually not very good.
He thought that after arriving in the Song Dynasty, he had given lectures to the emperor and his ministers, who had all developed lofty ambitions and aspirations.
In the end, we found out that they had not changed their minds at all.
Some of them are just superficial rhetoric. They just want to use Zhao Jun's knowledge of later generations to improve productivity.
They are corrupt and backward, stubbornly conservative, and will not accept institutional reforms for social progress. They do not want their own interests to be harmed, and will not accept the reality of the loss of imperial power and the power of the literati.
They still want to be a mountain that oppresses the people.
According to the great man, they are a group of conservative interest groups who do not want their vested interests to be destroyed.
Therefore, they will try every possible means to obstruct Zhao Jun and prevent the progress of the social system at all costs.
And in order to topple this mountain.
Zhao Jun found that relying solely on himself was far from enough.
Because the other party is very powerful, they still firmly hold the power of this era and even want to win him over, assimilate him, and corrupt him.
At least Zhao Jun is fighting alone now. Whether it is Kaifeng Prefecture or attacking the Ma and Han families, he is only compromising again and again when it does not threaten the imperial power and the scholar-official class.
When one day Zhao Jun really wants to overthrow them, everything Zhao Jun has today will turn to ashes.
So he couldn't fight alone anymore.
He needs more companions.
Even these companions do not fully accept the ideas of the new era.
But just going one step further than the old conservative interest groups would be a huge improvement.
After all, the ideas of the five great mentors are pioneering, outstanding and visionary.
If placed in later generations, it would naturally be advanced.
But in the Song Dynasty, if you are ahead by a hundred years, you are a genius, and if you are ahead by a thousand years, you are a monster. The difference between genius and madness is just a thought away.
Therefore, Zhao Jun was unable to spread the ideas of his mentors immediately. He had to take things one bite at a time and not take big steps. He could only take things one step at a time.
Today, people are just struggling to carve out their own path under the old social system, gain more power, obtain more social resources, and thus enhance their voice.
But the great teacher once said that we must cultivate a large number of people who are the vanguard of the revolution. These people have political foresight. These people are full of fighting spirit and the spirit of sacrifice. These people are open-minded, loyal, active, and upright.
These people do not seek personal gain, but only the liberation of the nation and society. They are not afraid of difficulties, and are always resolute and brave in the face of difficulties.
These people are neither arrogant nor sensationalists, but down-to-earth and practical people. If China has a large group of such pioneers, the tasks of the Chinese revolution will be successfully accomplished.
One day, Zhao Jun will get more things under the old system and create a group of such people. Even if it is only every ten or even twenty years, he can create a group of people who are more progressive in their original ideas. Then the future of China will be full of glory.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
