Red Chamber: Bring Xue Baochai home at the beginning

As early as the Han Dynasty, hundreds of schools began to be unified.

Whether it is Mohism, Legalism, or Yang Zhu of Taoism, in fact, it has not really disappeared.

It was only after Confucianism became the orthodox dynasty and experienced thousands of years of development.

Except for the core philosophy, most of these schools have been completely transformed and become part of Confucianism in disguise.

As far as scholarship is concerned, it is reasonable to be more rigorous about the school of thought.

But if governing the country is still limited by the views of the sect...

It can only be said that this person is not good enough in terms of knowledge and governance ability.

To be honest, many of Chen Qinzhi's suggestions in "Ten Things to Begin" are similar to the Mohism's advocacy of thrift and meritorious service.

That's why Feng Yibo said that he "integrates the strengths of hundreds of schools and will not be limited by the views of the sect", which is naturally targeted.

"Master Hou doesn't need to put a high hat on this old man."

Chen Qinzhi smiled when he heard the words, waved his hands again, and said:

"Although I have no views of the sect, I am a Confucian disciple after all. If Lord Hou wants to use the name of a Confucian sage to do legalist things, I will naturally have to think about it."

Before, he thought that Feng Yibo's way of spreading new learning was crooked.

But at this time, combined with further words and deeds, he has already noticed something.

Whether it is asking others in the name of a "gentleman", or the so-called "well-off".

All of them vaguely reveal the legalist lineage's behavior style.

Use the words of the sage as the criterion, and use the punishment of a gentleman as the means of punishment.

It seems to respect Confucianism, but in fact it is Legalism.

Not to mention the so-called "well-off society", which directly quotes the words of the Legalists as an explanation.

It's not that Chen Qinzhi doesn't like legalism, but that Wei ruled the country with "benevolence and filial piety".

To put it bluntly, it is to govern the country with the core of Confucianism, "propriety".

Of course he doesn't know how to use aggressive methods, so before Feng Yibo could say anything else, he said again:
"The Master said: 'If people are disrespectful, they will not be born, if they are disrespectful, they will fail, and if they are disrespectful, the country will be restless'."

This "zi" is not Confucius. This sentence comes from another Confucian classic "Xunzi".

"Li" has developed into a whole set of patriarchal clans to maintain the rule since the Western Zhou Dynasty.

In contrast, the era of "law" came into being a little later.

So strictly speaking, "ritual" is even greater than "law" in many cases.

In many cases, failure to observe "rituals" is also considered a crime.

When etiquette and law contradict each other, it is often the etiquette that prevails.

As the saying goes: Kissing relatives, respecting respect, and growing up, men and women are different, so it is impossible to change people with the people.

In the laws of the past dynasties, there is the principle of "relatives conceal each other regardless of crime".

There is even a saying that "five punishments belong to three thousand, and there is no crime greater than unfilial piety".

This is an extension of "ritual" in "law".

Feng Yibo shook his head when he heard the words, and said with a smile:
"I think that morality is used to cultivate one's morality, and law is used to regulate people."

He believes that what morality restrains is one's own, and what the law protects is the bottom line of life!
"Having laws to follow is the way, and being cautious about punishment is virtue. The two go hand in hand."

Feng Yibo uses Tao and virtue to explain the relationship between law and etiquette.

He also said that the two are not in conflict and can complement each other.

Such a metaphor made Chen Qinzhi frown slightly.

But after thinking about it carefully, it feels quite appropriate.

It's just that it's appropriate, but he still can't agree with it.

"Great Wei ruled the world with benevolence and filial piety, and should be strict with self-discipline and lenient to others. Severe punishment and harsh laws will eventually be abandoned by the world. It is stronger than the Great Qin, and it will perish in the second generation."

Scholars are like this, always talking about the tyranny of the First Emperor.

In addition to always talking about the Qin Dynasty's "burning books and burying Confucianism", they always talk about "severe punishment and harsh laws".

However, after careful investigation, it will be found that burning books and burying Confucianism is pure nonsense.

It is entirely because the first emperor wanted to unify his thinking after unifying the world.

However, the Confucianism he treated favorably opposed this very fiercely.

Even the "Historical Records" wrote that Confucianism opposed the system of prefectures and counties, which angered the first emperor.

"By the end of the Qin Dynasty, poetry and books were burned, and warlocks were killed, and the six arts were lacking from then on."

It can be seen that what was burned was "Poetry" and "Book", so there should be such a thing.

But it's not Confucianism that people cheat, but warlocks.

As for the so-called severe punishment, it was also confirmed after the Qin bamboo slips were unearthed in Sleeping Tiger Land.

The Qin law has been in the process of being revised. After the unification, it is considered strict, but it also adapts to the current situation.

After that, the Qin Law gradually began to reduce the punishment.

To put it bluntly, this is the case in the early days of any dynasty.

The Qin Dynasty only used heavy codes in troubled times, and followed the rule of law.

For example, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang failed their dues. According to the data, similar breaches of dues should be punished by second-class players instead of death.

Because of the rain and snow, he will be exempted from punishment.

So there is a possibility that the two of them used the cumbersome Qin law that the people below did not understand to force everyone to rebel together.

There is even a high probability that the two of them are not farmers, otherwise where would they get their surnames?

Even Sima Qian's records describe the "family" of Chen She and Wu Guang.

The general evaluation of Qin Fa is "although strict and fair, although harsh and upright".

Qin law was limited by the times and had its limitations.

However, the laws of the Han later accepted the laws of Qin almost entirely.

This is equivalent to a large version updated on its basis.

Of course, it may have been okay during the time of the first emperor, and it is not an exaggeration to call it "tyranny of Qin" when it is time for Hu Hai.

But this should be regarded as a human problem, not Qin Fa.

Insist on finding fault with Qin Fa, except for the limitation of the times.

Also, the update is too fast, and the delivery is a bit slow.

What people criticize the most may be the lack of "benevolence" for lawbreakers.

Is it because those who called him a tyranny were bound by the Qin law?

In other words, because the Qin Dynasty unified the world and lost its privileges?

So upon hearing this, Feng Yibo couldn't agree more, he immediately shook his head and said:
"The law is dead, but people are alive. Instead of worrying about harsh punishments and severe laws, it is better to be more cautious when implementing and punishing. Isn't this the real virtue?"

He did not argue for the first emperor, because the prejudice of thousands of years cannot be explained clearly in a few sentences.

Therefore, Feng Yibo could only find another way.

From the rule of law, he found out where "virtue" can be used.

Having said that, he paused for a moment before saying solemnly:
"A contract is based on the law, and a judgment is based on virtue, so the law and the etiquette coexist!"

The topic of the coexistence of rituals and rituals has actually taken shape in the past dynasties.

However, under the influence of Confucian values, after all, "ritual" is the most important thing.

Chen Qinzhi understood what Feng Yibo meant when he heard the words.

"You mean, the punishment should be prudent to reflect benevolence?"

In fact, he also put forward similar suggestions in "Ten Things to Begin".

It's just that among his suggestions, there is only "benevolence" and no emphasis on the rule of law.

Therefore, he nodded at this point, but then changed the topic and said:
"Hou Ye's words are quite reasonable, but isn't that what Da Wei is like now?"

The Great Wei ruled the world with benevolence and morality, which is reflected in the process of the Ministry of Punishment.

For example: the three judiciaries restrict each other, supervise and verify each other, and the death penalty belongs to the emperor.

Such prudence on human life is the embodiment of prudent punishment.

Also, except for the criminals who were sentenced to capital punishment, the others had to wait until the autumn beheading.

Such a "probation" is also a manifestation of prudent punishment.

Maybe there will be an amnesty during this period.

It is not an exaggeration to say that prudent punishment is the embodiment of benevolence.

Therefore, Wei already had such a law.

This is what Chen Qinzhi didn't understand about what Feng Yibo said.

"Yes, but more than that."

Feng Yibo shook his head when he heard the words, and asked:
"Prudent punishment may have been achieved to a large extent, but has the law been followed?"

There are strict punishments, but there are laws that must be followed but not necessarily.

If you don't say that the world will be amnesty at every turn, if you just say that the emperor will make a decision with one word, many people will escape legal sanctions.

Not to mention the mutual protection of officials and officials, and some people even follow the "Punishment is not a doctor".

From Feng Yibo's point of view, this is an act of privilege trampling on the law.

Having said that, he sighed:

"Great Wei law is actually very perfect, but not perfect."

Chen Qinzhi's heart moved, and he said with a strange expression:
"You mean..."

……

Afterwards, Feng Yibo and Chen Qinzhi talked secretly for a long time.

From reform to party formation, from rule of rites to rule of law, from universality to privilege, and from...

In short, after coming out of Chen Qinzhi's mansion, Feng Yibo's tired face reveals two points of joy.

A few days later, he sent Da Bo to send a letter to Xiaohuazhi Lane.

The agreement between Feng Yibo and Yuan Chun is to send a letter before each court meeting.

Yuanchun would send Baoqin to Rongfu regularly, and he would have a special person in charge of keeping an eye on Xiaohuazhi Lane to see if there was any new news.

In this way, each court meeting, both sides will know their own ideas.

At the subsequent court meeting, Yuan Chun sang "Three Requests and Three Resignations" with Chen Qinzhi in front of all civil and military officials.

In fact, the rhetoric is still the same.

It is nothing more than "there is no need for a veteran like you in the court", "we are orphans and widows, and we have no one to rely on".

In the end, Emperor Jingshun was pulled out and sold out.

This time, Chen Qinzhi really "couldn't refuse", and finally reluctantly took over the position of chief assistant.

Seeing this, all the court officials breathed a sigh of relief.

They feel that the turmoil of the new emperor's ascension to the throne is over, and the court has ushered in a stable stage.

The upstarts of the Tiantai and Jingshun dynasties have now also become Lao Xun.

Under the influence of Prince Zhongshun, all the upstarts in Shandong went directly to prison.

The rest of the upstarts are still under investigation.

But when the court situation stabilized, they couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief.

Looking forward to the new regime, they can breathe.

The founding lineage is still immersed in joy, triumphant all day long.

Especially those who are close to the Jia family feel that they have become the new favorite of the dynasty.

Many people quietly let go of their hands and feet, ready to do a big job.

While making money, it also hits the arrogance of the upstart.

Needless to say, Rong Mansion is full of traffic every day.

Even if you don't ask for work, go get acquainted.

The new party has a backbone and feels hopeful.

Many people sent worship posts, or turned to Chen Qinzhi, or took refuge in Li Shouzhong.

There are also quite a few fencers who try to shoot from both sides.

In short, let's find a wall in the cabinet first.

For a while, the court situation was indeed relatively stable, and all officials were happy.

But what they didn't expect was that a series of personnel changes followed.

Although it had little effect on them, those who were interested soon discovered a strange thing.

These changes are more or less related to Feng Yibo.

Or his classmates, or his same year, or his fellow countrymen.

These people are still in the prime of life, but they have all joined the ministry and held important positions.

Li Shouzhong became the second assistant, and it was not surprising that some of his disciples, that is, Feng Yibo's fellow disciples, were promoted.

But Feng Yibo's two good friends were unexpectedly promoted.

Yang Mingxin went to the Ministry of Industry and became the head of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the fifth rank.

That's fine.

Liu Zheng was directly promoted to the right servant of the third-rank official department, who was in charge of the official assessment of foreign officials.

And Zhou Jun, who was far away in the south of the Yangtze River, was also transferred back to the capital.

He went to the household department to serve as Yuanwailang from the fifth rank.

Even Wang Zhishan, who had a little contact with Xiangshan, was transferred back to the capital.

The Ministry of Penalties received the head of the sixth grade.

In the eyes of all officials, this is simply "one person attains the Tao and ascends to heaven".

As a result, there was one more wall on the dark wall.

This wall does not restrict civil and military affairs.

Whether it is an upstart, a founding state, or a new party.

All rushed over in one go.

But like Chen Qinzhi and Li Shouzhong, Feng Yibo also thanked guests behind closed doors.

Except for some old acquaintances, there will be a report.

Don't ask any other questions, just don't see them at all.

For this reason, the number of students in Feng's mansion increased directly from 16 people in the second class to 48 people in the third class.

Even if it tripled, it was still too late to refuse.

In the end, they could only let the worship stickers pile up like a mountain, and all the gifts were rejected by the Feng family.

This approach did not reduce the enthusiasm of the officials.

Because they discovered that not only those related to Feng Yibo were promoted.

All the memorials he gave were all inaccurate in the court.

This further confirmed Baiguan's conjecture.

Needless to say, Li Shouzhong was Feng Yibo's mentor.

Now the whole family lives in Feng's residence, obviously planning to retire in Feng's house.

In this regard, all the officials in the DPRK and the Central Committee knew nothing about it.

The queen mother was rescued by Feng Yibo, she was grateful for his contribution, and paid special attention to his opinions.

When the new emperor ascended the throne, he was rewarded several times.

Giving him face at this time is also expected by everyone.

Jiahua Jiayu Village, the clan of the Jia family, obeys the Queen Mother in everything.

Naturally, he also agreed with Feng Yibo.

This is also a matter of course.

But the problem is that even the chief assistant Chen Qinzhi's attitude towards Feng Yibo is a bit ambiguous.

Almost all of his petitions are acquiesced.

This made Baiguan baffled!

But if you don't understand it, you can't understand it. The facts are there.

This time, their enthusiasm was even more aroused.

All foreign officials who have some connections, regardless of whether they see them or not, will come to Feng's residence when they return to the capital.

Otherwise, when people heard that he had never been to Feng's residence, they would know that he had no contacts in the court.

And if he fell into the eyes of this Lord Hou, it would be no problem to get promoted and get rich.

All of a sudden, all the officials were moved after hearing the news, trying to find a way to get around with Feng's residence.

The wives and concubines in the back residence of the Feng Mansion often receive invitations from all parties, needless to say,

Xue's and Li's families, who lived in Feng's mansion, also had countless people ask for entrustment every day.

Even the servants of the Feng Mansion are highly respected outside.

If it weren't for Feng's family management, most of the people who used it were old people who had met in the South China Sea.

Those who know his "Black Dragon King" methods are unlikely to dare to act recklessly.

Otherwise, I'm afraid that the servants of Feng's mansion would have become like slaves of Jia's mansion.

I am afraid that no one will dare to do anything wrong outside.

After the new emperor ascended the throne, the momentum of the Feng Mansion was the same for a while.

Compared with the Empress Dowager's natal family Rongguo Jia Mansion, it is even worse.

Even Baiguan gave Feng Yibo an elegant nickname in private.

It stands to reason that the elegant name of the Minister of Rites should have been "Xiao Zongbo".

But Feng Yibo, the Minister of Rites, is different.

His energy is much higher than that of "Little Zongbo".

Right now, even the six ministers are not as good as his words.

So in private, all officials call him...

Old Xiaoge.