"You, why don't you want to be the emperor of the Wu Dynasty?"
This question is not only of curiosity to Yan Haochu, but also to everyone here, and even to the whole world.
For the dragon throne, so many things have happened from ancient times to the present, so many people have died, and so much blood has been shed.
That chair was a symbol of power. Whoever sat on it held the fate of everyone in the world in their hands. A tyrant ruler led a life of debauchery, while a wise ruler ushered in a peaceful and prosperous era. Even a mediocre ruler could enjoy the respect of the people.
The dragon throne was once placed in front of Fu Xiaoguan, but he did not sit on it. Instead, he ran away.
With Fu Xiaoguan's talent, if he sat on that chair, he would surely be able to bring eternal peace, leave a brilliant mark in the history books, and be passed down for generations to come.
What a great achievement this is!
What a reputation this is!
But he gave up and returned to the Yu Dynasty to continue serving as a minister.
If he wanted to be a carefree small landlord, he was actually busy working for the new policies and the future of the Yu Dynasty.
Instead of being free, he was entangled in mundane affairs.
If he wanted to realize his ambitions, wouldn't it be easier for him to achieve his dreams by sitting on the dragon throne?
"I didn't marry Xiaolou to you because you're a prince of the Wu Dynasty, nor did I encourage you to become the emperor of the Wu Dynasty. I'm just curious, so don't overthink it."
Fu Xiaoguan nodded, took a sip of tea, and a wry smile appeared on his face.
"That's not what I want."
"What do you want?"
Fu Xiaoguan was silent for a long time. He didn't want to say what he was thinking because he was afraid that it would have a bad impact.
After all, this was a backward feudal era, and he did not like such an era.
"If I tell you, don't be surprised, and don't spread it."
Yan Beixi glanced at his children and grandchildren and nodded seriously.
Fu Xiaoguan took a deep breath and said slowly, "In the affairs of the world, one must be able to take responsibility and yet be able to shed off responsibilities. Without responsibility, there will be no career in the world; without shed off responsibilities, there will be no hope of transcending the world."
Yan Beixi was startled, and his eyes suddenly became serious.
"What I want to do is the most difficult thing in the world. I want to make this world a more beautiful place."
"What is the most difficult thing in the world?"
"It's not about writing poetry or prose, nor about implementing new policies, nor about becoming a ruler. It's about liberating people's minds!"
"The Emperor's mausoleum is a cage, and today the thoughts of the people of the world are also a cage. Influenced by the sacred teachings, people are divided into different classes. The king's power is granted by God. This cage has been formed and is unbreakable."
"But I want to try to break this cage. As I added in Wen Xingzhou's book 'The Code of Neo-Confucianism,' reason exists in the heart. The principles of heaven, man, and physics reside only in my heart. All people share the same heart and the same principles. Although the universe is vast, if there is a thought for goodness and a conscience, even ordinary people can become sages! They can become Yao and Shun!"
"Hiss..." When Fu Xiaoguan said this, everyone in the hall took a breath of cold air - since ordinary people can all become sages and become Yao and Shun, doesn't this mean that everyone can become emperor?
Fu Xiaoguan laughed. "Look, you find it hard to believe. Your thoughts are already shackled, and you think that the imperial power is divinely granted and should be taken for granted. But I don't think so."
Although Yan Beixi was shocked, he still did not stop it. Yan Shidao and Yan Haochu looked at Fu Xiaoguan worriedly, while Yan Xiwen and Yan Linqiu frowned in thought.
"I spent about six months pondering this question: how to break the cage of people's thinking. It wasn't until I went to Pingling that I felt I had the answer."
"How to break it?"
"To enlighten people's minds, one should gradually open up what is clear to them, not force what is closed! This means that we need to proceed step by step. But how should we proceed step by step?"
"I once told Bai Yulian that people have five levels of needs. The first is physiological needs. Having enough food and clothing is the most basic need of people. If they don't have enough food and clothing, they will become bandits.
Second...
The fifth is the need for self-actualization, where people will pursue their abilities to the maximum extent possible, develop their talents, and perfect them.”
Fu Xiaoguan elaborated on the five demands again in an eloquent manner, paused, took a sip of tea, and spoke slowly because he felt a little dizzy.
"When people's food and clothing problems are not solved, their eyes are only on the present, staring at the next meal. When people's safety problems are solved and they enter the third level of needs, they will begin to have their own thoughts, but these thoughts are still superficial and based on the most primitive emotional exchanges.
Only when we reach the fourth level of needs, the need for respect, can we broaden our horizons, think about how to be respected by others, and break free from the stereotyped notion of hierarchy.
"The foundation of all this is based on the improvement of people's living standards. To put it more bluntly, it's the amount of money in their pockets. This is a bottom-up liberation of thought, a change that only occurs after the first level of demand evolves to the fourth level. All of this must be built on a solid economic foundation."
"This kind of ideological liberation is different from governance. Governance is top-down, driven by power. But ideological liberation is bottom-up, sprouting naturally."
"So even if I really became emperor, I wouldn't be able to instill such ideas into the poor people. But if I make these poor people wealthy and let them develop such ideas themselves, then this cage will be broken without any effort. In other words, this cage of thought can only be broken spontaneously from the inside out."
He shrugged and smiled faintly. "Do you think it's a bit absurd? Perhaps you would say that I could better implement this strategy if I became emperor. This has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that this strategy can be implemented faster, but the disadvantage is... If I became emperor, I would probably spend a lot of energy dealing with so many officials in the court. Maybe my eyes would be clear at first, but over time, they would inevitably be blinded."
"It will be difficult for me to understand the suffering of the people, and it will be difficult for me to see what their lives are like. I will eventually be confined to the small space of the imperial palace, and all sources of information will be obtained only through what others say, just like all emperors in the world today."
"I may become a wise ruler, and I may also be able to establish a high prestige in the hearts of the people. But this kind of prestige is not a good thing, as it will lead to the people's blind worship of me."
"The courtiers acted according to my will, no longer considering strategies for reform. The people benefited from my policies, and no longer considered whether everything I did was right or wrong. Even if they knew it was wrong, they dared not speak out, because I was like a god in their hearts!
To doubt God is blasphemy, and anyone who dares to speak out will be subject to abuse, attacks, and even life-threatening consequences.”
"Once this kind of dependence is formed, if the country meets a wise ruler, there will be no problems. But if the country meets a foolish ruler... I'm afraid it will bring great disaster to the people of the world."
"When everyone in the world places their lifelong hopes on one person, this is the source of disaster. Their minds remain trapped, and they will ultimately lack the courage to save themselves. The world remains the same: the emperor reigns supreme, while the common people live like ants, unable to even raise their heads to gaze at the lofty heavens."
"Besides, power is addictive. I can't guarantee that after experiencing the power, I still have the courage to give it up. I can't guarantee that my successor won't become obsessed with it and once again imprison the people's minds. The emperor receives the mandate from heaven, so the emperor will uphold this mission.
But emancipating the mind is about enlightening the wisdom of the people and encouraging them to bravely embark on revolution. Revolution is about getting rid of old habits and establishing a new order.
It cannot be said that these are two completely opposing ideas. When the world is peaceful and the people are happy, they will not think about revolution.
But if they encounter a tyrant ruler who causes great suffering to the people and makes their living in misery, I hope that such thoughts can have some effect, and they can take up arms to kill the tyrant ruler and his treacherous ministers!
No one wants to revolutionize themselves. The emperor, who holds the imperial power, will not, nor will all the officials in the court, because these people are the current vested interests. Revolution is about revolutionizing the lives of these people.
So, in order to protect their own interests, they would flaunt the imperial power and instill in the people a sense of hierarchy. This is the purpose of the so-called policy of keeping the people ignorant.”
"What I want to do is to enable people around the world to see further, to sow in their minds the seeds of courage to seek freedom and equality, and to have the courage to take up arms when they encounter power or injustice."
"This isn't just about changing dynasties. Changing them over and over won't bring about a single bloom. Ultimately, it's just a cycle, just like this millennia-old civilization."
"If we look back through history, it's easy to see that all dynasties collapsed because of corruption in power. And the cause of this corruption is absolute power! Power without supervision is like a wild horse on the loose, like a flood bursting its banks. It will act recklessly, ultimately ruining the nation and bringing immense disaster to the people."
"So the country I envision is like this: no imperial power, state institutions elected by the people, a separation of legislative, executive, and law-enforcement powers, with mutual checks and balances, a sound legal system, and rule of law. Ultimately, we will achieve prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality... a perfect country."
"I don't think I'll be able to complete this beautiful vision in my lifetime. I hope to sow this idea. Perhaps after a few years, it will take root, sprout, and even bloom."
"Then... the world will become a more beautiful place!"
"The journey is long and arduous. The road is long and arduous, but I will search for it up and down!"
"It's just drunken talk, so just laugh it off!"
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