Chapter 1818: Think When Reading
Xiao Peng thought about it for a moment and suddenly said, "Maybe it's because all intellectuals are not good people?"
"Ah?" After hearing Xiao Peng's answer, both Terekin and his son were stunned.
Russians love literature. In the heart of Norilsk, in the heart of the city, there's a state-of-the-art theater, a large library, and numerous instrumental music schools. In short, people here love entertainment. But Xiao Peng asked, "Are all intellectuals bad people?"
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "Well, I'm not familiar with your Soviet history. Can I use our country as an example?"
"Of course." said old Terekin.
Xiao Peng picked up the glass and took a sip, then frowned slightly. He really didn't like this spicy vodka.
He put down his glass and said, "Actually, if you look at our country's history, you'll know that our ancient powerful emperors generally had bad reputations."
"Hmm?" Terekin and his son looked at Xiao Peng together.
Xiao Peng said, "Let me give you a simple example: For example, our country had a historical period called the Zhenguan Reign, which was the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin. He was highly regarded by history, being called the greatest emperor of all time. But what about his son, Li Zhi? According to historical records, he was the epitome of a weak character. And the following empress, Wu Zetian, became the epitome of tyranny."
"What about the truth?" asked old Terekin.
Xiao Peng smiled bitterly and said, "How can I know the truth? How long ago was that? I don't even know the truth about history from twenty years ago, so how can I know about things from fifteen hundred years ago? But I can be sure of one thing: the best economic period of the Tang Dynasty was during the reign of Li Zhi; and the most ruthless crackdown on the Five Surnames and Seven Aristocrats was during the reign of Wu Zetian; even Li Shimin's proudest military achievements were not as good as his son's. When he handed the country over to his son, it was also when he had failed in his three expeditions to Goguryeo. Basically, the country was a mess, and rats could even run away from the treasury. And after Li Zhi came to power, He vigorously developed agriculture and sericulture to strengthen the nation. After eight years of development, he began to fight, first destroying the Western Turks, then Baekje three years later, and then Goguryeo eight years later. He always ensured sufficient forces for each expedition and never acted rashly. The Tang Dynasty reached its largest territory during his son's reign. The economy also flourished during his son's reign! And what was the result? Historical records speak of Li Shimin with praise, but of his son with disdain. Look at the so-called "Zhenguan Reign": People didn't pick up things on the street, and doors were left unlocked at night. What was the point of locking doors when families were so poor they had nothing to lose?
"There are many similar examples, for example, during the Qing Dynasty. Historically, Yongzheng was considered a tyrant, while his father, Qianlong, and his son, Qianlong, were both wise rulers. History calls the Kangxi and Qianlong reigns prosperous, but Yongzheng wasn't there. But if you look at the data, you'll find that the Qing Dynasty was at its strongest and most prosperous during the Yongzheng era. Yongzheng's reforms made a huge contribution to the Qing dynasty, while Qianlong marked the beginning of the Qing dynasty's decline... Let me put it this way: if you pay attention to Daxia history, you'll find that none of the powerful emperors had a good reputation."
Old Terekhin asked curiously, "Why is this happening?"
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "This is the explanation of what I said, 'There are no good things about literati'. If you pay attention to history, you will know that the basic characteristics of those powerful emperors are: centralization of power, rule of law, and hard work. Take the reign of Li Shimin for example. Did Li Shimin do well at that time? To be honest, he did a very good job. At that time, the country had just been established not long ago. What he did was to maintain stability and rely on the power of the clans. At that time, the scholars were basically from the clans. Look at the history books. What is a wise ruler? It is the kind who accepts advice and values literati. All the emperors praised in history books are such emperors; what is a foolish ruler? It is the kind who monopolizes power and is dictatorial and arbitrary. And the people who record history are all literati. How can an emperor with such power and dictatorship like you get a good reputation? When Li Shimin was in power, he made use of the sons of the five surnames and seven families. At that time, the scholars How could they not speak well of Li Shimin when they were all in the hands of these powerful families? Li Shimin reigned for so long, and except for rebellions, he never killed a single minister. How could such an emperor not be praised? And what about Li Zhi? After he came to power, he cracked down on the powerful families and appointed children from humble backgrounds. Wu Zetian even slaughtered the powerful families. How could those scholars from the powerful families say anything good about him? So, I personally prefer to use data to speak for myself rather than reading history books. The reign of the Order of the Soviet Union was also the best time for the Soviet Union in terms of economy and military. Some people say that it was because he was lucky to catch the surge in oil prices, but there are more oil-producing countries than just the Soviet Union. Why did only the Soviet Union develop so well among so many oil-producing countries? So what the Order of the Soviet Union did should be recognized for his contributions. However, that was also the time when the former Soviet Union was at its most dictatorial, so it is normal for him to be criticized.
After hearing this, Terekin asked in confusion, "According to you, there's no point in reading history books anymore?"
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "It's not that reading isn't necessary, but you should think while reading. For example, our country has a very famous historical book called 'Records of the Grand Historian.' It's our country's first comprehensive history in the form of annals and biographies, chronicling 3,000 years of history from the Yellow Emperor to the Han Wudi. It's known as the 'First of the Twenty-Four Histories' and is a crucial work for later generations studying history and literature. What does the chapter 'Annals of Emperor Gaozu' describe the origins of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang? 'My father was Taigong, and my mother was Liu Ao. My ancestor Liu Ao once rested by the bank of a large lake when she dreamed of an encounter with a spirit. Thunder and lightning were raging in the darkness, and Taigong went to see her and saw a dragon on her. She soon became pregnant and gave birth to Emperor Gaozu.' What does this mean? Basically, the story goes that Liu Bang's mother, Liu Ao, was sleeping by a river and dreamed of a spirit. When Liu Bang's father arrived, there was thunder and lightning, and a dragon was lying on her body. Then she became pregnant and gave birth to Liu Bang."
After hearing this, Terekhin laughed and said, "Who would believe that? Why do I feel like it's an affair?"
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "In fact, I think so too. The population was very tight back then, and life expectancy was extremely short. With men away fighting in the wars, what could the family do without a labor force? Since the older one couldn't be relied upon, they'd try to raise a younger one. So, everyone was rushing to have a second child. If they saw a man they liked, they'd have sex with him. If they could get pregnant, that was great, but if they couldn't, they'd still enjoy it. The people were extremely open-minded. We can't look at what happened with today's eyes, right? After all, he was the emperor. You asked Sima Qian, who lived in the Han Dynasty, to directly say that Emperor Gaozu of Han's mother had an affair? Would he dare? So, this statement came about. See, writers always have their own subjective opinions when they write. So, when you read, you can't just blindly follow the book; you have to think for yourself. Don't worry about what those writers say; data speaks for itself."
After hearing this, Old Terekin was silent for a while, then suddenly asked, "Xiao, what exactly do you do? Your opinion is quite interesting!"
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