The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 481 The Two Yangs Meet
The ideal world of the Legalists is to treat the country as a precision instrument and people as parts of the machine.

The function of each component is clearly defined, and there will be various penalties if you don't want to do it.

Not only civilians, but also emperors and nobles were made into spare parts.

However, the Legalists still formulated a path for changing classes, which can be changed according to the needs of the country.

If it is a time of war, then the class will be changed through the military merit system.

This instrument can be transformed into the most powerful war machine.

The advantage of doing this is that you can mobilize the whole country's strength to accomplish something big.

For example, helping the Qin State to unify the world.

However, this system completely denies people's subjective initiative.

People are not allowed to have subjective initiative.

Human beings are not machines, but living beings with emotions and desires.

The ideal world of the Legalists is anti-human.

Shang Yang's reforms made everyone, from the common people to the powerful, victims.

It was the unanimous demand of the Qin State from top to bottom to liquidate him. It would be a miracle if he did not die.

The Qin Dynasty insisted on building the ideal society of the Legalists, but was eventually overthrown by the people who could no longer tolerate it.

It can be said that the Qin Dynasty was built on laws, and it was also destroyed by laws.

Moreover, the Legalists had an ultimate problem that they failed to solve, which was the inability to limit the power of the monarch.

When they designed the system, they did not believe in human nature, but they were unable to restrict the monarch who possessed humanity. This was the biggest contradiction.

If this contradiction cannot be resolved, the ideal world of the Legalists is doomed to fail.

Of course, the ultimate reason why the Legalists failed was that they did not treat people as human beings.

This is Chen Jingke’s comment on the Legalists in the second chapter of “The World of Great Harmony”, “The Ideal World”.

It explains why he dislikes the Legalists, and also points out why the Legalists helped the Qin Dynasty unify the world and why they were replaced by Confucianism.
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A few days ago, the article "What is Great Harmony" was published, sparking discussions among people all over the world.

Most of them were criticisms.

The most active criticism was directed at the suppressed Neo-Confucianism.

However, those who really have a say are waiting.

Waiting for the official release of "Great Harmony World".

Whether to criticize or support it can only be decided after seeing the whole picture.

Chen Jingke did not let them wait any longer, and a week later "Great Harmony World" was officially published.

And an initial print run of 100,000 copies was completed.

He was able to use the distribution channels of the Ming Weekly to achieve simultaneous distribution across the country.

Therefore, the impact caused is unparalleled.

Countless readers rushed to the sales point to buy this book.

"Hey, didn't you always scold Anping Hou for being arrogant? Why did you come here to buy?"

"I came here to buy it so that I can curse him better... What about you? Didn't you say you are irreconcilable with him? Why are you queuing up too?"

"I'm just like you. I bought it just to be able to curse better."

The people around looked at each other and said:
"We are all the same..."

Yang Rong was also having a headache when he saw the bookstore door was surrounded by people.

When will it be my turn?
What I fear most is that it will be my turn and the book will be gone.

As for what the people around him said, he also heard it, but naturally he didn't believe a word of it.

Why did you come to buy books just to curse Chen Jingke better?
They are all talents recommended by local areas to come to Beijing to take the assessment. Everyone knows who knows whom.

I just want to learn more about Anping Hou's thoughts before the exam, so that I can have some advantage when answering the questions.

Of course, he did not despise these people.

Because he came to buy books for the same purpose.

It’s a pity that we set off a little late. We went to several bookstores, but they were either sold out or too crowded to squeeze in.

Just when he was worried, he suddenly saw someone squeezing out from inside.

But there were too many people and one was pushed to the ground and about to be trampled by the people around him.

Yang Rong rushed over quickly, grabbed the person in front of him with his arms and threw him out.

The person who was dragged away wanted to curse, but when he saw his muscular back and arms that were thicker than an ordinary person's thighs, he immediately swallowed the curse words that were about to come out of his mouth.

Yang Rong didn't have time to care about what those people were thinking. He pushed away the people who had gathered together and rescued the man.

"Brother, you are not hurt, right?"

The man seemed a little dizzy and it took him a while to return to normal.

Then he subconsciously looked at the book in his arms, and was relieved to find that it was intact.

It was only then that he remembered that there was someone beside him, and he smiled awkwardly:
"Thank you for saving my life, brother. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you."

Yang Rong's mind had already turned to the book. He had actually snatched the Great Harmony World.

He had a quick mind and an idea immediately came to his mind, so he said enthusiastically:

"Ahem... it's just a small favor, you don't have to be polite, brother."

"I am Yang Rong from Jianning Prefecture. I came to the capital to take the exam at the behest of the village elders. I wonder if you, brother..."

The young man said quickly, "It turns out to be Brother Yang. I am Yang Pu from Shishou."

"I am here to take the test at the order of the village elder."

Yang Rong was even happier: "So your last name is Yang too, what a fate."

Yang Pu also laughed and said, "Yes, maybe we were one family five hundred years ago."

Yang Rong laughed and said, "Haha... I don't know if we were one family five hundred years ago, but I would like to continue this relationship with Brother Yang."

"I want to hold a banquet at Zhuangyuan Building. I hope Brother Yang will come and show us the honor of attending."

As the name suggests, Zhuangyuanlou is a restaurant that specializes in serving scholars, who come here to seek good luck.

Yang Pu said, "I should invite Brother Yang, but Zhuangyuan Building is too noisy. How about going to a quieter place?"

Yang Rong was waiting for this sentence, and said immediately:
"I didn't think it through. Let's not go out of our way to find a place."

"Why don't we just walk and go wherever we want?"

Yang Pu also thought this was very interesting and said, "Brother Yang, you are so elegant. I will respectfully obey your command."

So the two of them strolled along the street, chatting as they walked.

They soon figured out each other's situation.

It’s worth mentioning that the two are of similar age. Although they were not born in the same year, there is only a few months between them.

They entered school at about the same age and performed very well in school.

The most amazing thing is that he obtained the status of a tongsheng in the same year and passed the academy examination to become a xiucai in the same year.

They all obtained the status of juren last year.

He was supposed to take the imperial examination this year, but unfortunately the emperor suspended the examination.

At the beginning of this year, the new emperor asked government offices across the country to recommend talented people. Both of them were juren in their twenties, and they would be outstanding talents no matter where they were placed.

All received recommended places.

Then I came to the capital to take the exam.

This similar experience surprised both of them, as if they saw another self.

This also made them feel good about each other and their relationship quickly became closer.

Having said that, the two of them no longer wanted to wander around, so they found a restaurant on the side of the road, asked for a private room and began to have an in-depth conversation.

But since it was their first meeting, they were rather conservative in their conversation.

It's more about exchanging knowledge.

Yang Rong came from an orthodox Confucian background...orthodox Confucianism, not the "simplified" Neo-Confucianism.

He was best at "Mencius" and had profound attainments in poetry and calligraphy.

The most important thing is that he is proficient in martial arts.

It's not just ordinary martial arts, but the kind of martial arts that can be used to kill enemies in battle and charge into battle.

Hearing Yang Rong say that he was good at martial arts, Yang Pu looked at his sturdy body and had no doubts. The calluses on his hands and the muscles all over his body were too convincing.

Although Yang Rong was influenced by Neo-Confucianism, he did not have a deep affection for it.

He even believed that the Cheng brothers' "simplification" of Confucianism was a betrayal of Confucius.

Therefore, when the imperial court suppressed Neo-Confucianism, he did not have any special thoughts and was not implicated.

Of course, in an era when Neo-Confucianism was flourishing, he did not dare to express such thoughts.

However, he was not a disciple of Neo-Confucianism, and everyone who was close to him knew this.

It was for this reason that when the imperial court asked for recommendations of talents, the elders in the village dared to report his name.

Yang Pu was not a disciple of Neo-Confucianism. Although he also read the Four Books and Five Classics, he was more inclined to study history.

This is also a big reason why he was recommended despite his ordinary family background.

A large part of those who could compete with him were eliminated because of their science label.

The rest were not as talented as him, so this spot fell on him.

Although the two people have different academic backgrounds and personalities, their views on many issues are surprisingly consistent.

The more we talked, the happier we became, and soon we started talking about politics.

Naturally, both of them supported the new policy and had studied it in detail.

It’s just that the two people understand it in different ways.

Yang Rong is from Fujian and is more concerned with industry and commerce:
"Since the opening of the sea, our shipbuilding industry and commerce have flourished, and many people have made a good living from it."

"The prosperity of commerce also promoted the development of handicrafts, and workshops were everywhere."

"Many workshops can't find enough workers to do the work, so they have to raise the price of labor to find people."

"There are also employment laws to protect the basic rights of workers... Many people started working in workshops."

"Now in our area, working in a workshop can earn more than farming."

“However, the prosperity of business has also led to a widening gap between the rich and the poor.”

"In places with convenient transportation, people are very wealthy, and in remote areas, things remain the same as before."

"Until the first phase of the national plan was implemented, the court encouraged local governments to build bridges, roads and ditches."

"We also require local government offices to proactively find outlets for local products..."

"Many people in remote areas have also benefited from this."

Yang Pu praised: "Marquis Anping is truly the wisest man in the world, and he has a perfect grasp of the situation."

“We can always propose the most appropriate changes at the right time to nip problems in the bud.”

"Yes, Marquis Anping really has a sharp eye." Yang Rong first praised, then said:

"But his changes were so radical that many officials could not understand his intentions."

“I understand a little bit, but I don’t know how to start.”

“The implementation of the national plan has not been smooth.”

"Fujian is at the forefront of the reforms, and it is still like this. The situation in inland provinces is probably even worse."

Yang Pu nodded and said, "Brother Yang is right. The national plan has made almost no progress in our area."

"You can't blame the local officials entirely. Everyone is still focusing more on pest control."

Schistosomiasis, the two lakes area is the worst hit.

Apart from anything else, the Dongting Lake area alone is enough to cause trouble for the two provinces.

Moreover, if the schistosomiasis here is not properly controlled, it will also affect the downstream areas.

At present, the most important task for the two provinces is still pest control.

However, it does not mean that the economy will not be developed at all, the focus is just different.

The court's new policies in recent years have reduced the burden on the people. Even without vigorously developing industry and commerce, people's lives have generally improved.

Yang Pu said: "Now, every household in our area has surplus food. The old grain has not been eaten up yet, and new grain has been put into the warehouse."

"Such days can be traced back to the Song Dynasty."

The two of them also praised Lao Zhu, Zhu Biao, Zhu Xiongying and Chen Jingke.

Since we are talking about the new policy, the topic naturally inevitably turns to "Great Harmony World".

Scholars love to give advice on how to deal with the country, and the two of them also had a lot to say in their hearts.

It was just because of Chen Jingke's special status and the fact that they were all about to enter officialdom that they did not dare to discuss related issues with others casually.

He was afraid that if it got out, his career would be ruined.

Because of the conversation just now, the two of them had a certain understanding of each other and finally dared to talk about some opinions.

Yang Pu was the first to say: "I like to read history, so I have learned about materialism."

"It is indeed unique to interpret history from a completely new perspective and explain the development and evolution of Chinese civilization."

"However, I think the biggest problem with this theory is that it overemphasizes the role of matter and ignores the significance of the 'mind' itself."

Yang Rong could not help but nod and said, "Great minds think alike. I also have the same idea."

“This is also where materialism is most criticized.”

It’s not that this knowledge is not good enough, but it’s a bit extreme.

This is the most criticized aspect of materialism.

Yang Pu took out the "Great Harmony World" that he had snatched and said:

"I just hope that the knowledge of Anping Hou will not have such problems, otherwise it may not be a blessing for the world."

Yang Rong stared at the book and said:

"Then what are you waiting for? Just take a look and you will know."

Yang Pu laughed in silence, but did not delay any further as he was also quite impatient.

If Yang Rong had not invited him, he would have gone home to study behind closed doors.

Without saying anything else, he opened the book and started reading.

Yang Rong had already sat next to him, reading together.

The first article was exactly what Datong was. It was exactly the same as the one in the newspaper. The two of them just glanced at it and turned the page.

The second article, titled "Ideal World", introduces the meaning of the world of great harmony.

A great doctrine must have a great concern for humanity.

An idea that can be used to govern the world must construct an ultimate ideal world and establish a reference.

With a reference, people will know whether to trust you or not.

Only those who believe in this idea know which direction to move in.

This ultimate ideal world must be beautiful and achievable in theory...

……

Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism all have their own ideal world, but in this regard, Buddhism does a better job.

Confucianism and Taoism later made up for their shortcomings and also had their own ultimate concerns.

The world of great harmony is the ultimate ideal world summarized based on the thoughts of ancient sages.

……

The article also analyzes the thoughts of various schools of thought in detail, listing the ultimate concerns in their doctrines and the ideal world they want to build.

Of course, it’s not all praise, there is also criticism.

For example, Chen Jingke expressed his disgust for the Legalists' ideal world without any concealment.

It is considered to be against human nature and will inevitably fail.

It also clearly states that a truly ideal world with great care must achieve both material and spiritual satisfaction.

Without any of these features, it cannot be called an ideal world.

His world of great harmony is built on this basis.

After reading this article, Yang Rong and Yang Pu were both shocked.

There really are people who can possess such a broad mind and compassion.

(End of this chapter)