Red Chamber: Bring Xue Baochai home at the beginning

Chapter 369 Improvement, Reformation, Revolution X
Wang Anshi is actually a good prime minister.

He not only has extremely high attainments in literature, scriptures, etc., but also has impeccable character.

The most important thing is that the policies he formulated are also very targeted.

This is his many years of experience in local politics, and it is by no means comparable to the Taiwan admonisher who claims to be clean.

He actually knows how the people below do things, and he also knows where Da Song's problems are.

However, he has no successful cases to refer to, so he can only fumble and summarize the failure of the "Qingli New Deal".

Therefore, he did not start with the administration of officials like Fan Zhongyan did.

Instead, I want to start with finances and the situation of the people.

Judging from his various methods, words and deeds, he probably wants to make improvements first, then start reforms, and finally carry out deeper reforms.

His idea is good, but unfortunately, apart from Fan Zhongyan, he has no other examples to learn from.

The lesson he learned from it is probably that if he touches a vested interest group, he will immediately encounter a backlash, so he wants to change a little bit.

Little did he know that vested interest groups were greedy and used his new method to amass money.

In the end, Da Song's problems became more serious.

Feng Yibo said that he didn't want to be Wang Anshi, except that he didn't want to bear the same infamy as him.

More importantly, he didn't want to be hindered by others, using the reform he wanted as a tool for profit.

This requires a highly respected person to deter those greedy guys to a certain extent.

Chen Qinzhi, the emperor teacher of the previous generation, is the best choice to suppress the field.

Because, not only does he have enough reputation, but he also happens to have a heart for change.

But when Chen Qinzhi heard Feng Yibo's words, he was slightly taken aback.

After that, I didn't know if I understood or not, so I just laughed and said:

"I thought you all admired Wang Jiefu!"

Seeing that he didn't ask the reason, Feng Yibo also smiled, and responded:
"Praise his character, dare not compliment his means."

Although his methods were not so unbearable, they were cast aside by scholars.

In "Biography of Traitors", there are fourteen traitors listed in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Nine of them agreed with or participated in the reform.

But even so, no one questioned his character.

Throughout his life, Wang Anshi was loyal to the country, to the emperor, and even more to the people.

Even if the new law was completely negated by the later Southern Song Dynasty, it still failed to negate the character of this stubborn gentleman.

Chen Qinzhi nodded slightly when he heard the words, as if he agreed with his statement, and said casually:
"That also depends on your means."

What he meant was that he was not optimistic about what Feng Yibo was going to do.

After all, reform is not something to talk about casually.

Although the new learning has achieved initial results, it is eager for quick success.

In the eyes of a great Confucian like Chen Qinzhi, this is a guise of a saint, but the methods used are all crooked.

But Feng Yibo was overjoyed when he heard the words, and immediately cupped his hands and said:

"Thank you, Mr. Ge, for your success!"

Chen Qinzhi was a little confused, and said in doubt:
"What did the old man do to you?"

Feng Yibo showed his white teeth, and said with a natural expression:

"Hasn't Mr. Ge already agreed?"

When Chen Qinzhi heard the words, he immediately understood what Feng Yibo meant, and scolded with a smile:
"Agreed shit!"

Don't think that great Confucians can't swear, real great Confucians laugh and scold and do whatever they want.

Of course, this does not mean that he scolds people casually, and when it is time to scold, he will not stop scolding due to his status.

It was obvious that Feng Yibo was following along, deliberately misinterpreting the meaning of his words.

If you don't scold at this time, when will you wait?
"Didn't you say you want to see our methods?"

However, Feng Yibo, who was scolded, was not only not angry, but also had a puzzled look on his face.

It looked as if Chen Qinzhi had cheated his feelings, and said aggrievedly:
"Forget it! Elder Ge, let's take a look at what we're not doing well, so that you can have a reference when you host it yourself in the future."

Seeing his appearance, Chen Qinzhi smiled and shook his head:
"It's long-term thinking, yes! I'm afraid the old man won't live that long."

Feng Yibo looked suddenly enlightened, nodded, and said with a smile:
"Then why don't you come first?"

This stalking posture made Chen Qinzhi a little dumbfounded, and could only sigh:
"You think the reform is just playing tricks?"

Naturally, he won't be held back by a few words, but Feng Yibo won't give up the gap he finally opened.

Hearing the words, he looked at Chen Qinzhi with admiration and said:

"They all say 'the Qi family governs the country'. Speaking of it, playing the family is a simulation of the Qi family, so Mr. Ge asked us to reform first, which is to simulate governing the country!"

Speaking of this, Feng Yibo stretched out his thumb and said in admiration:

"Ge Boss is indeed very wise. 'Reform is playing tricks'. This statement is comparable to 'governing a big country is like cooking a small fish'!"

After Chen Qinzhi listened, he looked at Feng Yibo with a half-smile, as if he wanted to see through him.

It can be seen that Feng Yibo's face is calm, he can only shake his head and sigh:
"If Lord Hou's method of reform can be half as flattering, it will not be difficult!"

Feng Yibo nodded happily, and said with a smile:
"Ge Lao Miozan, it's also my first time to shoot, and it seems to be a bit of talent to get your compliment."

The two looked at each other, and suddenly burst into laughter.

After the joke, Chen Qinzhi became interested in Feng Yibo.

He pondered slightly, then asked:
"Master Hou is full of reforms, don't you just want to use the old man's name to act?"

"of course not!"

Hearing such a temptation, Feng Yibo knew there was something to be done.

He said without hesitation:
"The first step of reform has already begun. As for the second step, forming a party is not good, but if you are alone, you can't talk about reform."

The first step is undoubtedly new learning.

All reforms must have a core appeal.

This appeal is generally made public in the form of slogans or doctrines.

When Wang Anshi reformed, he established his own theory.

Jing Gong's new learning.

If this theory revolves around the word "morality", the core of Feng Yibo's new study is "gentleman".

It looks similar, but the directions are quite different.

To put it simply, Wang Anshi demands himself with morality, and Feng Yibo demands others with a gentleman.

Wang Anshi's thought is "king outside and being holy inside".

Among them, "inner sage" refers to the study of "morality and life", and "outer king" refers to "new law".

He must first establish a moral system, and then extend to affect the implementation of the new law.

But Feng Yibo's thinking is actually Confucianism outside and law inside.

His idea is to use the sage's knowledge to establish new rules to restrain others.

Wang Anshi's theory is standard Confucianism, while Feng Yibo's new theory is closer to Legalism.

It's a pity that Chen Qinzhi still has some misunderstandings about their new learning, and he doesn't want to talk about it.

So he skipped the topic of the first step and asked directly:
"Speaking of forming a party, the old man has to ask Lord Hou, what is the most important thing in forming a party?"

When talking about forming a party, many people will think of four words:

Like-minded.

However, Feng Yibo has a different understanding of this.

He feels that the fundamental purpose of all reforms is actually to alleviate the contradictions between classes.

To put it bluntly, it is to redistribute part of the interests of vested interest groups.

Take less, or in other words, in order not to cause turmoil, try to only take the most unreasonable part.

On the premise of not changing the existing distribution method, let vested interest groups eat less.

This is called improvement.

If you get too much, vested interest groups will definitely not want it.

If the two sides finally set off an armed struggle, it would be fatal.

If the final result is to completely break the original distribution model, a new distribution model will emerge.

Playing the lives of vested interest groups, so it is called...

Leather X.

But if you want to find a balance in the middle, you should take no more and no less.

Let vested interests take out unreasonable parts, redistribute them, and correct the unreasonable distribution methods.

Only modify and change the unreasonable parts.

It's called reform.

Therefore, the reform issue is not only a class issue, but also an interest issue.

Then, behind the four words "like-minded", there are four more words hidden.

That is……

"The interests are aligned."

Hearing Feng Yibo's words, Chen Qinzhi couldn't help being startled.

Then, his brows were furrowed?
Apparently, he thought of "like-minded people", "selecting talents and appointing talents", and even thinking of "everyone gathers firewood to make a bright flame".

But he thought of many possibilities, but he didn't expect Feng Yibo's answer to be these four words.

After thinking about it for a while, I was almost overwhelmed.

But after thinking about it carefully, he shook his head firmly and said:

"To gather people's hearts with benefits, that kind of reform is just replacing a group of people and bringing in another group of people."

Confucianism has always been ashamed to talk about "profit".

Although Chen Qinzhi knows that governance of the country is inseparable from the word interests, he still believes that morality is the real cornerstone.

He believes that the ultimate goal of a group gathered by interests is also interests.

Such reforms will obviously only make things worse.

But upon hearing such an evaluation, Feng Yibo didn't panic at all, and said with a smile:
"Reform and reform, of course, means reforming the old and making new ones. Regardless of whether it is old or new, someone must manage it. So as long as you replace a group of people, set new rules, and then mend it, won't it take another few hundred years?"

The reform he wants is naturally not the thankless way of Wang Anshi.

In his view, Wang Anshi was in the wrong social environment, had a revolutionary heart, and worked hard to do reforms, but most of them used reformists.

This dude wants far more than what he can do, and what he can do is using the wrong person.

This may be the reason for Wang Anshi's failure.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, Renzong had no descendants, which led to the change of the emperor's lineage.

Faced with the combination of Empress Dowager Cao, Han Qi, and Fu Bi, Yingzong, who took over, was overwhelmed and completely unable to grasp the right to speak.

Fortunately, Song Yingzong will soon be gone.

It's a pity that his son Shenzong's situation is not much better than his.

When he faced Han Qi, Han Qi was already the elder of the three dynasties.

The situation of mastering the weak and the strong made Shenzong, who was "aspirational", eager to make some changes.

He needs to do something to establish himself.

Fortunately, he can do a lot at this time.

There were no problems in politics, economy, diplomacy, etc. in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Among other things, there are only "three redundancy", two captives in the northwest, plus the serious and deformed land annexation.

Each of these three mountains has the potential to shake the country.

At this time, Shenzong, or Great Song Dynasty, needed a change.

It was under such circumstances that Wang Anshi started the reform.

It seems that the social environment seems to be the time to change the law.

It's a pity that Shenzong had great ambitions, but he didn't make a decision.

It is impossible for an indecisive monarch to support a reform.

The current Great Wei, except for its larger territory, has no other problems compared to the Great Song.

But it happened that the young master ascended to the throne, and the empress dowager who represented the imperial power belonged to Feng Yibo.

Isn't this a good time for reform?

While making Dawei better, he can also gain a greater voice.

No matter for their mother and child, or for themselves.

Why not?
Hearing Feng Yibo's words, Chen Qinzhi smiled and said:

"I didn't expect Master Hou to know how to do needlework?"

Faced with such ridicule, Feng Yibo just pretended to be a breeze, and said with a smile:

"After all, Mr. Ge is so mature and prudent, and there are too few people who are dedicated to serving the country. If there is no interest connection, I am afraid that it will be difficult to achieve great things."

As soon as these words came out, the smile on Chen Qinzhi's face gradually disappeared.

Yes!

Morality can be used to restrain oneself, but cannot restrain others.

Why was Wang Jiefu not selfish and dedicated to the country?
In the end, everyone betrayed their relatives, and everyone shouted and beat them.

Isn't the reason behind this the word "interest"?
Although Feng Yuan is young, he seems to be eager for quick success, and has engaged in some crooked ways.

But if it is more realistic, such an approach may not be unsuccessful.

At the level of the cabinet, it is naturally clear that there are interests involved in everything.

It's just that the inertia of thinking has made him a little hard to accept?
Thinking about it now, if I understood this truth a few years ago, wouldn't I have to wait until now?
Thinking of this, Chen Qinzhi began to take Feng Yibo's suggestion seriously.

He asked solemnly:

"What is the ultimate goal of your reform?"

Hearing this, Feng Yibo knew that the matter was half done.

He immediately restrained his smile and replied solemnly:

"What reforms do is to make the country rich and the people strong."

This answer is a cliché, nothing new.

Chen Qinzhi was inevitably disappointed.

But Feng Yibo's next words moved Chen Qinzhi.

"What I hope is very simple, as long as Da Wei's family is honest, everyone has enough food and clothing, the law is not expensive, and the law is not bent."

Having said that, he showed a nostalgic smile, and said with some emotion:
"This goal can be called a well-off society."

It's an aspirational rhetoric that no one in this day and age fully understands.

"The people are tired, but they can be well-off."

This is a sentence in the "Book of Songs", Chen Qinzhi naturally knows it.

For this word, his understanding is nothing more than to make people live more comfortably.

Letting the people live well is naturally understandable for reform.

Reminiscent of Feng Yibo's previous two sentences, Chen Qinzhi sighed:
"Your words belong to the Legalists."

"If the granary is real, you know the etiquette, and if you have enough food and clothing, you know the honor and disgrace."

This sentence comes from "Guanzi", so I won't repeat it here.

"The law is not noble" is Han Feizi's thought.

In modern terms, everyone is equal before the law.

These two are representatives of Legalism.

Chen Qinzhi's face changed after hearing this.

Feng Yibo smiled when he heard that, and said:

"Whether it is Legalism or Confucianism, it is a good theory that benefits the country and the people."

Having said that, he chuckled twice and said:

"Presumably, a great Confucian like Ge Lao has long absorbed the strengths of hundreds of schools for his own use, so he must not be limited by the views of the sect?"

　Thanks to the blessings of the big guys, I will hurry up and write a chapter today when I have time!
　　My daughter-in-law will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow, and it should be able to update stably after that.

　　Thank you guys for your understanding and support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)