Chapter 375: Times have changed, and the world has changed!
The Xia Dynasty Palace.
In the main hall.
At this time, a group of people were arguing in the hall.
There were not many people, only five.
But anyone who is slightly familiar with the Xia Dynasty should understand how much authority these people in the hall at this time have in the Xia Dynasty.
It is no exaggeration to say that if he stomped his feet, the entire Xia Dynasty would shake.
The third emperor of the Xia Dynasty, Emperor Qizhi, was also here.
Wang Mang, the first and founding emperor of the Xia Dynasty, did not establish a reign title.
Even the current year of the Xia Dynasty is not divided by reign titles, but simply the 133rd year of the Xia Dynasty.
But after Emperor Qizhi's father, Emperor Chengping, ascended the throne, he simply established "Chengping" as the reign title. Of course, the more accurate purpose of this reign title was to separate him from Wang Mang, rather than to use it as a real reign title.
The reason why Emperor Chengping did this was not only to tell the world that the emperor had been replaced, but also that the original founding emperor had passed away.
It was also to tell himself that he could become emperor only by continuing the efforts of the previous generation.
Peace and prosperity will continue.
Although Emperor Chengping's reign was not very long, he still promoted Wang Mang's original policies during his reign, recuperating and maintaining peace. He did not carry out any drastic and deliberate reforms. He simply took a few steps forward on the basis laid by Wang Mang, and did everything steadily and cautiously to avoid any future troubles.
In this way, he can be called a very good king who maintained the status quo. He did not disgrace the throne of the Xia Dynasty and did not disappoint the expectations of the people.
Although he is not as good as Wang Mang, he is still praised by the people.
As the third emperor of the Xia Dynasty, Emperor Qizhi is no longer young.
The reign title he chose for himself was Qizhi.
Dad is peaceful, he wants to start a new career.
The meaning is self-explanatory.
After two generations of kings and more than a hundred years of recuperation, the Xia Dynasty has now become truly wealthy. It is no longer the country that barely stood on the devastated land of Dayue.
How powerful is the Xia Dynasty today?
Even if you run into an ordinary village, you can still see horses walking on the ground!
The Xia Dynasty was so wealthy that ordinary people dared to buy and raise horses.
Although it is not guaranteed that everyone has a horse, at least one out of ten households can afford a horse, not to mention the number of oxen, which will be even greater - this is definitely a remarkable achievement.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Xia Dynasty had reached its peak in terms of prosperity.
All the surrounding countries bowed their heads, gave in some ground if they had reason, and apologized ruefully if they had no reason.
The people of the Xia Dynasty were also included. Whether they were doing business or traveling, who would not look up to them? A while ago, a Confucian scholar from the Xia Dynasty went to Dayong to help with disaster relief. He encountered mountain robbers on the way and was about to be beheaded. As a result, someone recognized his Confucian scholar's clothing and asked him about it. He was a Confucian scholar from the Xia Dynasty. He was released immediately, not only compensated with a horse, but also given silver, just asking him not to pursue the matter.
The Xia Dynasty was now so powerful that it didn't need to brag about itself. Even the mountain robbers and guys who disregarded the laws of the country did not dare to underestimate it and could only treat it with respect.
The so-called admiration for virtue and tribute from all nations, are they just empty words?
Every year, countless foreign students travel thousands of miles, regardless of wind, rain, or difficult roads, just to reach the imperial capital of the Xia Dynasty.
After arriving at the imperial capital, he knelt all the way just to worship the statue of Mo Qiu.
Of course, the Mohists have criticized this behavior many times, but it still couldn't stop that group of people from worshipping so fanatically.
Whether it is the wealth of the country or the influence of the Xia Dynasty on dozens of neighboring countries, or even more distant countries, it has reached an unprecedented peak! Although this may not have much to do with Emperor Qizhi, since such a prosperous scene appeared during his reign, the credit must account for at least 30%! It is precisely because of this that Emperor Qizhi has always been quite arrogant, and he has the right to be arrogant.
As the emperor of the Xia Dynasty, what's wrong with being a little arrogant? Hmm? Who dares to object? !
But now, it is in the Xia Dynasty palace.
The person who should have been the most respected and prominent was standing in front of an old man with a smile on his face.
There was only one person sitting in the entire hall.
The man looked very old, with wrinkles piled up on his face like dry bark, and dark age spots piled up on one side of his cheek, making him look quite ugly.
Only his eyes did not have the turbidity and chaos of an old man.
On the contrary, those eyes were particularly sharp, as sharp as a sword drawn from its sheath, making Emperor Qizhi dare not look directly at them.
He could only stand aside with a smile and a fawning look on his face. Where was the arrogant attitude of the Emperor of the Xia Dynasty?
"Oh my, why are you here? If you want to see me, I can just go find you directly."
Emperor Qizhi stood beside the old man, and his almost flattering voice made everyone around him feel a little bit disgusted.
But after thinking of the methods of the old man in front of them, they still lowered their heads, trying hard to maintain the expressions on their faces, not daring to reveal the slightest smile. They all wanted to bury their heads in their chests, for fear of being noticed by the old man.
This guy dared to kill more than a thousand Confucian scholars in one go, so what's wrong with bowing his head? If necessary, it's okay to kowtow to one of them! Since the Confucian leader Xunzi traveled around the countries, there has been no one in the entire Xia Dynasty who could make this guy bow his head.
Emperor Qizhi also had to step back a little. He was able to become emperor because of this person's nod!
This gentleman is not only the emperor's teacher, but also a veteran of two dynasties, and is at the pinnacle of power.
When Emperor Chengping was in power, he was his right-hand man. When Emperor Qizhi came to power, he was even more powerful, becoming the pillar of the Xia Dynasty, equivalent to the status of Xun Ke, Qin Lisheng, and Gong Shangguo! Even now, at least 70% of the officials of the entire Xia Dynasty came directly from his school, and the remaining 30% must have received the teachings of this gentleman and had a close relationship with him.
Emperor Qizhi might not even know about what was happening in the imperial court, but he knew about it first, and no one dared to make a fuss about it.
That's not asking for trouble, that's not wanting to live.
As we all know, since the founding of the Xia Dynasty, the emperor has never been the most powerful one.
Emperor Qizhi didn't even dare to say that his achievements surpassed those of the previous two emperors, so naturally he didn't dare to put on airs in front of such a person - he would be grateful if the other party didn't put on airs with him.
People cannot be generalized. Sometimes the emperor also has to play the role of a grandson.
“You did a great job.”
Faced with Emperor Qizhi's flattery, the old man did not respond immediately, but locked his eyes with Emperor Qizhi until Emperor Qizhi lowered his head and dared not look at him, then he slowly said: "You are treacherous, you go back on your word, and you allow the prince to undermine the laws and regulations of the Xia Dynasty that we established."
The old man laughed. His smile was obviously very warm, but it made people feel as if they were falling into an icy cave, because he said: "Compared to you, Emperor Taiping and the founding emperor are three points inferior. I am ashamed of myself!"
“This, this, this!”
In an instant, Emperor Qizhi's face turned pale.
No matter how proud he is, he can just compete with his father, but he would never dare to compare himself with the holy king praised by the people and the founding ancestor! Cold sweat dripped from his cheeks. Emperor Qizhi knew that the old man was really angry, and hurriedly said: "Don't say that, misunderstanding, misunderstanding, it's all misunderstanding!"
"Misunderstand?"
The smile on the old man's face became warmer and warmer, but it did not make people feel friendly, it only made people feel scared!
"Prince Yu has withheld as much as 10,000 dan of grain sent to various countries. You are not trying to tell me that Prince Yu has no money to eat and has resorted to this desperate measure. Or is he blinded by greed and wants to take this opportunity to start a rebellion?"
The old man leaned on his cane and knocked on the ground.
The force he used was not great, but at this moment, in the extremely quiet hall, it was particularly clear.
Prince Yu is Emperor Qizhi's younger brother, a brother from the same mother, and a capable man.
When Emperor Chengping asked him to choose an emperor, he was actually choosing between the two of them.
He chose Emperor Qizhi.
As for Emperor Qizhi's younger brother, he was naturally made a prince and sent to the frontier to play on his own.
Although he could no longer be involved in power, he never caused trouble for Emperor Qizhi. He even traveled thousands of miles to the imperial capital twice a year just to meet the emperor - the time spent on the road alone was several months!
Such a prince suddenly withheld ten thousand dan of grain.
"I'm just old, not blind."
The old man lowered his eyes slightly. His voice was not loud. No matter what he said, it seemed to be in the same tone, but his words always made people tremble with fear. "Since the emperor does not know about this, please punish him according to the law."
Punish according to national law!
As soon as these words were spoken, even the breathing in the entire hall froze. You could hear a pin drop, and the whole hall was filled with corpses.
Everyone knows that Emperor Qizhi and Prince Yu have a very good relationship and there is no gap between them at all. He said this purely to disgust Emperor Qizhi, but Emperor Qizhi has no way to deal with it.
Damn, the national laws of the Xia Dynasty were compiled by this person in front of him, as well as Xun Ke and Prime Minister Cang. What exactly is the national law? Every word contains the other party's hard work. No one in the entire Xia Dynasty understands the law better than him.
Because he was the leader of the Legalists of the Xia Dynasty, a disciple of Xunzi, and a senior official of the Shang Dynasty! He was a pillar of the country! After the Confucian leader Xunzi traveled around the countries, even Prime Minister Cang only restrained him during his tenure.
When Prime Minister Cang resigned from his post, it cannot be said that he was the only one who had the final say within the Xia Dynasty. It can only be said that everyone followed his lead.
Look, Emperor Qizhi gave an extremely secret order, and even directly asked his own younger brother to do something. Not even three days had passed, and the other party had already found the palace!
The emperor could only lower his head and listen to the lecture.
People cannot be compared.
This kind of great sage is almost as good as Xun Ke and Qin Lisheng, and is even more of a great talent who founded a school of thought. His main feature is real talent and hard work. He has countless disciples, all of whom hold important positions in the court.
There’s no time to offer it!
Ordinary people would wish to hide in the ground just by looking into the other person's eyes, let alone arguing or quarreling with him/her.
Unless the Confucian leader or Mohist master who traveled around the countries comes back, he can scold anyone he wants in the entire Xia Dynasty, and the emperor will have to listen obediently!
Being pressed by the other party like this, Emperor Qizhi's face turned blue and red, but he did not dare to refute directly.
What are you refutating? Are you refutating the Confucian leader Xun Ke, the prime minister of the Xia Dynasty Cang, or the unreasonable laws agreed upon by the leaders of the Legalists?
When the Legalists’ lackeys are gone, or when all the Confucian scholars are dead?
If this is said today, the spit from outside will flood the palace tomorrow! He no longer needs to seek praise from a sage ruler, and should just think about how to avoid being infamous for eternity.
Alas, being an emperor is afraid of not meeting a great talent, and also afraid of meeting a great talent. This is the so-called pain and happiness! "This is wrong."
While Emperor Qizhi could only avoid the attack and remain silent, a man beside Emperor Qizhi stood up, looked directly into Shang's sharp eyes like swords, and said without giving in: "Prince Yu must have his reasons for doing so."
"oh?"
Shang was contradicted, but he was not angry. He just smiled and looked at the person who was speaking, as if he was looking at a three-year-old child showing off. "I wonder if the Minister of War, the Grand Master of the Xia Dynasty, Wei Da Sima, has any advice for you?"
Another name for the Minister of War is Grand Marshal.
When he read it out loud at this time, it did not give people respect, but more like a mockery.
Sima Wei's face turned serious. He was a great master. Although the old man in front of him was very famous in the temple, his martial arts skills were really average and he hadn't even reached the level of practicing internal organs.
In other words, the other party relied on his status as Xunzi's apprentice and was sure that he would not dare to attack. Otherwise, how could he dare to speak to a master like that! Others were afraid of him, but he was not.
Why should a master have to consider other people's opinions when doing things throughout his life? A martial arts master is so confident!
For an old man of over 80, he could kill him with just one breath, so how could he be the one to point fingers! "This matter is so simple, how could the leader of the Legalists not have thought of it? As a disciple of Xunzi, the Legalists you founded are extremely cruel and ruthless, and you should not have much compassion. Why do you pretend to be ignorant of this matter?"
Sima Wei knew that when it came to legal principles and even laws, all the people in the Xia Dynasty combined might not be a match for the other side, but it didn't matter.
We are warriors! Warriors don't care about those things! The bigger the fist, the more right it is.
And now, the Xia Dynasty happens to be the largest one, much larger than any other country around it, and all of them together are not enough to defeat the Xia Dynasty.
Moreover, no country was spared when natural disasters struck before, but the foundation of the Xia Dynasty was extremely strong due to the efforts of the two emperors. Although there was some damage, it was not a serious blow at all.
But other countries were far less powerful than the Xia Dynasty.
An earthquake of such a large scale that affects the entire country may take at least a decade to recover.
At this time, you are talking to me about benevolence, righteousness, and morality?
This is such a waste of a God-given opportunity! He must have been stupid from studying so much, he is not as straightforward as a warrior.
Wei Da Sima said directly without any hesitation: "At this time, the casualties of Dayong, Daqi and other countries were heavy, and their national strength fell to the bottom. Why should the Xia Dynasty help them at this time?
If the people of Dayong, Daqi and other countries were under the leadership of the Xia Dynasty, how could they have starved to death? The greatest kindness at this time was not to give food and rescue their people. Instead, it was to uproot the incompetent emperors of those countries and directly incorporate them into the territory of the Xia Dynasty!
This is the real way to treat the symptoms and the root cause! But what about now? Aid to various countries. Yes, the Xia Dynasty has a lot of surplus wealth, and it doesn't mind aiding those people who are in dire straits and suffering.
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The problem is that we could have done better, so why did we stand still and let those useless people take charge of such a huge territory?"
Wei Da Sima patted his chest and said coldly: "I am a rough man, but I also understand the principle of long-term pain and short-term pain.
And you are already old!
They are still holding on to the old ideas! Look at the world today, is there any country around that can compete with the Xia Dynasty? Even if they all come together, they will definitely not be a match for the Xia Dynasty!"
Such an impassioned speech can be said to be very passionate and enthusiastic.
Although he is a warrior, he is obviously not completely ignorant, otherwise he would not have been able to reach the level of a master.
What was said at this time was extremely reasonable, and even Emperor Qizhi was nodding secretly.
What did he want to inspire? Universal peace!
The prosperity of the Xia Dynasty had reached its peak.
He was unable to accomplish more merits than the previous two emperors in the Xia Dynasty.
In other words, the Xia Dynasty had reached the limit of what could be done.
If we continue to hold on to the same idea, we will only be adding to it in the future.
But, is it really impossible to surpass or even match it?
not necessarily.
In addition to making the people rich and strong, there is a true road to becoming a king ahead.
Expanding the territory!!! Even if the crime was committed at one time, the merit will be remembered for thousands of years! I believe that future generations will give him a fair evaluation, and it is even possible that he can be compared with the founding emperor!
Even if this causes some negative criticism towards him in the country temporarily, more than a hundred years later, future generations will certainly praise him for his decisiveness.
Those people who live again under the rule of the Xia Dynasty and work in peace and contentment will not regard their ancestor as a tyrant because of his temporary suffering. Instead, they will be extremely grateful for the opportunity to live and work in peace and contentment in the Xia Dynasty!
But the prerequisite for doing all this is that he must first cross the mountains within the Xia Dynasty.
For example, Mohism’s universal love and non-aggression.
For example, Confucianism’s benevolence, righteousness, and morality.
For example, the leader of the Legalists in front of us is still alive.
As an emperor, he still has to save face.
There are some things that he is not good at saying, but it doesn’t matter, someone else will say it for him.
Just like Sima Wei in front of him.
As a soldier, and a leader of soldiers, the leader of such a powerful country, and a martial arts master himself! He did not go to the legendary Buzhou Mountains, but chose to stay in the Xia Dynasty. How could he be a person who coveted wealth and fame? He wanted to leave his name in history!
There are so many grandmasters in total, and the best among them are even more brilliant. Their names are all vast chapters and magnificent masterpieces. Just hearing about them is enough to make people cry and admire them endlessly.
Although the martial arts master can stand proudly in the mortal world, he is just an insignificant one among the masters. If compared with them, he pales in comparison and is like a clown.
But it doesn't matter, he still has a chance.
The Xia Dynasty was the best way for him to leave his name in history!
Although he does not have the talent, integrity and strength of Mo Qiu, Xun Ke and Qin Lisheng, it does not matter. He has the power of a master and the insight into battle.
In this way, he can become a marshal, expand the territory, and leave his name for eternity.
Whoever stands in the way of his being recorded in history is his enemy.
Neither can the Legalist leaders.
For this reason, he was willing to bear the infamy of the three schools of thought: Mohism, Confucianism, and Legalism, and insist on having his own way.
Scold me, I don’t care!
Thousands of years later, who will remember those who scolded me? As for me who expanded the territory for the Xia Dynasty, I will surely be praised by the world! By then, I wonder if his fame will be on par with Mozi and Xunzi? For this bright future, he wants to be the knife in the hands of Emperor Qizhi.
The other party will achieve great success, and he will also be famous for generations to come. Each of them gets what they want!
"Oh I know what you mean."
Shang nodded gently. Even though he was scolded so loudly, he was not annoyed or angry. Even his expression did not change at all, as if what the other party said was just a passing wind.
"You mean, the Xia Dynasty is so powerful now, why bother talking about morality? We should just wipe out all the other countries and unify the world.
I said, yes or no?"
Shang asked.
"yes!"
Wei Da Sima nodded affirmatively, full of energy and not giving in at all.
Then Shang turned his gaze to Emperor Qizhi, who stood with his hands down and had remained silent since Wei Da Sima spoke, and asked, "Is that what you mean?"
“.”
Emperor Qizhi said nothing.
At this time, no answer is the best answer.
He has made his choice.
Help the people of other countries? It's not impossible, but why can't we incorporate other countries into the Xia Dynasty and then help them?
The grand plan of hegemony is just around the corner, and there is a golden opportunity from heaven. It is not a problem to go against the ancestral teachings! "Ha."
Shang laughed again. He laughed so hard that his whole body trembled, and it even felt like his heart was being torn apart.
Qi Zhidi, who was hiding his head like an ostrich, was so frightened that he had to raise his head and support him with both hands, for fear that Shang would laugh too intensely and die.
If he died of laughter in the hall, he would never be able to wash it off even if he jumped into the source river !
Shang Xiao was out of breath, but he still stretched out his dry finger, pointed at Emperor Qizhi, and said with a smile: "Do you think you are the only smart person? Are you the only one who wants to expand the territory? Are you the only one who knows that the Xia Dynasty is strong? Are you smarter than the previous emperor and the founding emperor? Or do you think that me, Master Xun, and even Prime Minister Cang are all fools who can't think of this?"
There's no way to respond to this.
No matter who it is, he cannot insult or question it.
So, when there are too many great talents in governing the country, sometimes it is even a headache for the emperor.
Since it was difficult to refute, Emperor Qizhi could only put on a stern face and listen to Shang's ridicule.
"Have you forgotten your ancestors' teachings?"
Shang stretched out a hand and grabbed the collar of Emperor Qizhi's dragon robe very rudely - even for someone of his status, this was a huge overreach!
Emperor Qizhi gave him face because he admired his contributions to the Xia Dynasty, not because he really wanted to worship him as his grandfather.
Shang stood up from his chair angrily, his old face full of wrinkles, like an angry lion, questioning the current emperor of the Xia Dynasty.
"Have you—have you forgotten what he said?"
The sword-like edges were finally unsheathed, like a divine sword slashing down, or like a spring thunder exploding, striking people's hearts!
As the emperor of the Xia Dynasty, Emperor Qizhi could certainly see through the layers of packaging and see how the throne of the Xia Dynasty came about. As the emperor of the Xia Dynasty, he was qualified to know all the secrets.
But knowing is knowing.
Things are different now.
As the saying goes, times have changed.
It is now one hundred and thirty-three years into the Xia Dynasty, and that being has long gone!
How can what he said be used now?
Could he have foreseen the changes that are happening now? It doesn't matter if future generations make some minor corrections!
This is not to say that people are leaving and the tea is cold, but rather to say that it is in line with the changes of the times and choosing the side that is most beneficial to the Xia Dynasty! "That person is gone, how can the words he left behind still count after so many years?! I think you are really confused!"
Emperor Qizhi's face also darkened. He was being scolded by the collar, and the scolding was based on a sentence from over a hundred years ago. No matter how good his temper was, he couldn't help it.
"Ha, you want to deny it now?
If he comes back and sees the Xia Dynasty become what you want it to be, how can you let the late emperor, the founding emperor, keep his dignity?
The Xia Dynasty was founded because of him, and now you want to tamper with his words?"
Shang refused to give in and spit all over Emperor Qizhi's face.
"I am the Emperor of the Xia Dynasty!
It's not someone's turn to instruct me yet! Are his words more effective than an imperial decree? Come back?
It's been so many years, if he wanted to come back, he would have come back a long time ago!
I think he probably won't come back! Even if he does, what's the use? Just ask him to come to me directly!"
Qizhidi roared in anger.
As soon as he finished speaking, a voice came from outside the hall, floating towards him from afar.
"Oh? I heard that you wanted to see me?"
Big chapter! (End of this chapter)