Great Qin's son-in-law

Chapter 481 The virtuous and unworthy of people are like mice! (seeking subscription)
Li Si sighed sadly: "The New Deal of the Qin Dynasty is indeed time to rectify, His Majesty is worried, and the minister has been having trouble sleeping and eating!"

Ying Zheng said lightly:
"I was walking like a dragon and a tiger back then, but I didn't have time to take care of the details."

"The Great Qin New Deal has been implemented for several years. Not only did it not weaken the resistance of the restoration forces, but it exhausted the reserve forces of the Great Qin and dissipated the axis of the Qin government. As the emperor who leads the world, I am so short-sighted. How can I lead the world? "

"If I had seen through this earlier, why did I come to this?"

heard.

Li Si's face changed drastically.

Ying Zheng didn't seem to notice, and continued: "Li Si, how long have you been in Qin Dynasty?"

Li Si looked extremely cautious.

respectfully said:
"Go back to Your Majesty."

"I have been in Qin Dynasty for nearly 30 years."

"30 years? Has it been so long?" Ying Zheng seemed a little dazed, then nodded again, and said, "It should be 30 years. Besides you, I had Wang Wan, Wang Jian, Wei Liao, and Dun Ruo, Zheng Guo, Meng Wu, Wang Ben and others, now you are the only one left."

Looking at Li Si with gray beard and hair, Ying Zheng couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"You are getting old."

"And I'm old too."

Hearing this, Li Si hurriedly knelt down.

Trembling voice:
"Your Majesty is so healthy, why are you old?"

"Under His Majesty's rule, Daqin has entered the right path. Although I am old, I can still do my best for Your Majesty. As long as Your Majesty is willing to use my ministers, I will follow Your Majesty for the rest of my life. I have no other plans."

Ying Zheng waved his hand.

laughed:

"Daqin's affairs are serious right now, and the monarch and his ministers still need to govern, so you don't need to be overwhelmed."

"It's just that I have been confused about the current affairs of the Great Qin Dynasty recently. Not only did I think of Xunzi. Although Xunzi was a master of Confucianism, he actually advocated legalism. Regarding the chaos in the world, Xunzi may have a good opinion. Unfortunately, Xunzi has passed away, and everything has been in vain."

"Ugh."

Ying Zheng shook his head and left without saying anything.

heard.

Li Si stood on his knees dumbly.

a long time.

He just came back to his senses, but Ying Zheng had already gone far.

Li Si slowly stood up from the ground.

in mind.

But it drifted away to the past.

The scorching sun was scorching hot, like baking or steaming. On that day, the hall was so hot that people couldn't stay still, so Xunzi proposed to teach outside the hall, that is, under a big locust tree with green shade all over the ground. straw mat.

Xunzi said at the time: "If a country is disrespectful, it is not right. Tang and Wu won the world, not by taking it, but by practicing benevolence and righteousness, cultivating rites and laws, and the world will naturally return to it; Jie and Zhou lost the world, not by losing it, but by doing injustice. Disorderly etiquette, the world will naturally perish."

At that time, everyone else applauded.

Saying things like 'no one is born without manners', 'nothing can be done without manners', 'the country is restless if there is no manners' and so on.

but.

Among the fellow disciples at that time, there was one person who had a different opinion.

That was Han Fei.

Han Fei rarely spoke in the classroom.

Because he was born with a stutter and was exhausted in speaking, he had always been reticent and mostly walked in books. Before that day, Han Fei was actually not outstanding among the teachers and brothers. At that time, Han Fei seemed to be After holding back for a long time, I decided to speak freely, and when I spoke, it was like a river flowing straight out, without hindrance, or because of emotional excitement, I stumbled a lot less.

He still remembered what Han Fei said.

Han Fei said:
"The Master's theory of propriety and righteousness."

"No mistake!"

"But times are different! It doesn't apply now."

"In the age of the sage-king, there were few people and plenty of land, and plenty of vegetation and plenty of food and clothing. There was not much wealth but plenty of things. The people would not fight."

"Story can be told about etiquette and righteousness."

"At that time, it was not easy to govern, but it was difficult to lead."

"In those days, Yao lived in a dilapidated house, ate elm bark, drank water, and wrapped himself in tree clothes. His life was no better than that of his master's doorman today. Shun got up early every day and carried Lei Lei to the fields. The hardships of life were far worse than today's hard labor. Yu, you have passed through the house three times but never entered. To cure the floods, you have traveled all over the Kyushu. Your legs are tired and thin. Among kings, no one really wants to suffer like that. Can you not give in to each other?"

"Nowadays, when the population is large but the foundation is poor, the support is poor and the property is scarce, the people have to fight, so it is difficult to talk about etiquette and righteousness."

"Don't talk about the monarch, just talk about a county magistrate, feasting every day, singing songs every night, living in a luxurious house, driving a bus, one person attains the Tao, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, and future generations can enjoy the blessings. Who would not want to? Fight for power and position , can't you beat your head to the ground?"

"Governing today's anxious people with the lenient government of the past is like riding a wild horse without borders."

"Dangerous!"

At that time, Han Fei's words were earth-shattering.

Everyone was stunned.

When had they heard such bold and penetrating statements before?
Especially their teacher is Xunzi.

Confucian master.

However, Xunzi was not angry, but asked Han Fei very kindly: "In your opinion, how should the country be governed today?"

It was Han Fei's words that gave Li Si a clear direction.

Han Fei said:
"What are the common people afraid of?"

"Power also!"

"Common people don't read or read, so what kind of etiquette do they know?"

"Confucius, a sage in the world, practice benevolence and righteousness in the sea, and there are only 70 followers."

"Duke Ai of Lu, who is called Gu in the south, among the people in the territory, who would not submit to you?"

"It's not that Duke Ai of Lu is more benevolent and righteous than Confucius, it's because the common people are afraid of power."

"Common people are like unfilial sons in the family. Parents don't listen to what they say, neighbors don't listen to advice, teachers don't change what they teach, they are arrested in the government, locked up and flogged, and immediately disciplined."

"Severe penalties can make the people afraid of them!"

"Confucian scholars who write articles advocating heresies, knight-errants who use weapons to disrupt social order, political strategists who rely on foreign forces for self-respect, courtiers who form gangs around the king and seek private affairs, and individual businessmen who do not engage in farming and warfare, should all be severely punished. .”

"Punish without pardon!"

"Even if you can't, you should catch one or two typical models and kill chickens and scare monkeys."

"Great rewards, people tend to follow."

"Those who are diligent in farming will be rewarded according to the time they worked; those who are brave enough to fight will be rewarded according to the head they have captured."

"Set up three or four models and imitate the whole country."

"Besides rewards and punishments, it is strictly forbidden for the common people to think wildly. Those flashy, demagogic, and messy techniques should be burned."

"Take the law as a teaching material, let officials teach, make the world a standard of right and wrong, everyone's speech is in accordance with the law, and behavior conforms to the law."

"A plower only knows how to dig the soil hard; a fighter only knows how to behead bravely."

"If the monarch can govern the country according to the law, how can the country not be strong?!"

"When the time comes, not only will the hegemony be just around the corner, but the achievement will surpass the five emperors and catch up with the three emperors."

between words.

Han Fei's forehead was bright, his eyes were shining, and he was in high spirits.

But the audience was dead silent.

Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, not daring to speak to each other.

Xunzi came from Confucianism, but Han Fei defined Confucianism as a school that wrote literature and advocated heresy, and even set up a master to burn literature.

Think of this.

Li Si frowned slightly.

He thought about it carefully in his mind.

How did I do it at that time.

immediately.

Li Si couldn't help showing a wry smile. He saw Xunzi's complexion darkened back then, so he thought that Xunzi was dissatisfied. In order to avoid Xunzi's embarrassment, he chose to refute Han Fei out loud.

He said at the time: "Brother Han Fei's words are reasonable, but what the Master said is 'propriety and righteousness', and I'm afraid we can't give up. If we don't use 'rituality and righteousness' as the foundation, we will achieve hegemony in the future, and I'm afraid it will also be an inhuman hegemony." , unjust deeds"

Thinking of this.

Li Si's forehead was covered with cold sweat.

He thought of what he said later.

"The general trend of the world, if you get it and hold it, you will be safe. If you have no way to seek it, you will be in danger. Although Si is not talented, I dare not forget the teachings of my husband. We would rather serve a weak country with propriety and righteousness than help a weak country. In a powerful country with no benevolence."

Li Simeng looked out the door.

But the surrounding area was empty, and there was no one at all.

Li Si looked away, and suddenly realized that his cheeks were red and hot, and his heart was still beating wildly, so he couldn't help laughing at himself.

"Li Si, Li Si."

"What's wrong with you? Are you scared?"

"No!"

"You have always been fearless, you have always been confident, and you have never looked back. Why are you afraid?"

"In terms of background, you are just a small official in Shangcai. You are just a rat in the toilet who laughs at yourself as a toilet rat. It is fate, talent, will, and more importantly, the observation of words and deeds that pushed you to the high position of the prime minister of the empire. Yu Renchen is the ultimate."

"You have not failed His Majesty's trust, let alone this high position. You are not like other officials who have a vegetarian meal. Since you entered the Qin Dynasty, you have done your duty and are well-known. It is obvious to all that Your Majesty relies on you. Since ancient times, there have been several times. The minister's children and the emperor's children were married in a staggered marriage? Only you, Li Si, sat down."

"Then why are you afraid?"

"Where does the fear come from?"

Li Si's mood was heavy and erratic.

It's almost like the heavy and fluttering snow that I just didn't want to leave.

After His Majesty returned from his hunting tour, some unfathomable changes seemed to have taken place in his words and deeds, and he had some unspeakable thoughts on his mind.

What kind of change?What's on your mind?
He vaguely caught some shadows.

But it can't be confirmed.

In fact, he had already sensed His Majesty's intention to amend the New Deal, and also noticed the possible changes in the court situation. He had been aware of His Majesty's intention to slow down the corvee service in the world and postpone the people in Guanzhong to serve corvee.

But he was indeed afraid.

He was afraid that His Majesty would rectify the rule of law and ask him, the prime minister, to sacrifice and let him go to the altar.

Yes too!

In this world, the most shameful thing is being humble, and the saddest thing is being poor. However, he has been in a humble position for a long time and suffered from poverty. He has long been unable to bear it, so he deviated from his own choice.

He doesn't want to be a toilet mouse, he wants to be a hamster.

He is very clear that if he dies or is deposed, he will definitely be attacked by those who are dissatisfied with the Qin government. Even if he was involved in a car accident because the monarch changed hands, could Li Si's prestige, power and achievements be greater than that of Shangjun?

If the crime of tyranny is imposed on Li Si, how can the extermination of the family be the end?
So he didn't dare to speak out to make up for the lack!

But now His Majesty has begun to think about the gains and losses of the New Deal, and has begun to rectify some laws and regulations that are likely to cause turmoil in the world, and where will he go?

Li Si's eyes were full of numbness and despair.

(End of this chapter)