Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 80 The Sword Is Not the Enemy of Thousands of People (4)

This Li Sihai is powerful, Huang Jian and Li Ruobing naturally will not treat him as an idle boatman.Having seen each other, Li Sihai turned around and ordered his subordinates to kill the other pirates scattered in the fishing village who were looting, and then find the sea boats moored nearby, cut the weeds and root them out, and no one was released.His subordinates immediately split up and acted as usual, and returned to report after a short time.Huang Jian and Li Ruobing looked at each other, and they both saw surprise in each other's eyes. Even the elite frontier army may not be so swift and fierce.

Boat people from fishing villages kept coming to the thatched cottage to bring back their children, and the pirates robbed them. How many families would have been ruined, and seeing that everyone was safe, they all chanted the blessings of gods and Buddhas, and left with gratitude.After all the schoolchildren were taken away by their families, a dozen pirates had just been killed in the hut, and the smell of blood was strong, so the three of them went out for a walk.

Not far away is a sandy beach with fine and white sand grains. In the distance, the sea and sky are blue and the same color. You can only see the head of the tide fluctuating far and near. Many seabirds are circling at the junction of the sky and the sea, gliding up and down against the wind.The red sun is gradually sinking to the west, and the cool breeze is blowing, rustling the coconut groves on the coast.

Li Ruobing sighed: "Although these boat people have been wandering on the sea all year round, they are like rootless weeds, after all, they are also the people of our Great Song Dynasty. They were invaded by bandits, and the court was unable to protect them. As an official, I am really ashamed."

Huang Jian glanced at him and said slowly: "These boat people didn't need to live here originally, but in a bustling place, there are many officials and gentry who suck their bones and marrow, and the poor and lowly can't make ends meet, so they brought them here and lived together in the village. Although this barren land is accompanied by miasma, pests, snakes, bandits and pirates, it is free from the suffering of corvees and taxes."

Li Ruobing was taken aback for a moment, but he didn't expect such a reason. He shook his head and sighed: "My son said that a tyrannical government is fiercer than a tiger. I know it."

Li Sihai smiled slightly and said: "Whether these boat people are the people of the Great Song Dynasty is still open to question."

Huang Jian had been with these boat people for a long time, and seeing Li Ruobing's puzzled look on his face, he said: "These sea boats are Song people when they arrive at the port of Dasong. Overseas ports such as Ba, Tianzhu, and Lumei often call themselves Xiaguo Ships. In the Xiaguo system, each ship only needs to pay one copper coin per year to be registered as a ship. The survivors living overseas in wilderness, villages with less than 500 people, only pay A copper coin can also be settled."

Li Ruobing said suspiciously: "When I was in the west station of the Duting, I also saw the 'map of the world's Kunyu countries', and the country of Xia didn't even have a port to go to the sea. The sea ship came to the port of the country and called itself the ship of the country of Xia. Don't you? Is there any benefit?"

Huang Jian said: "Naturally. I call myself China in the Song Dynasty, but in terms of terrain, the land of Xia Kingdom is actually in the middle of the mainland. It borders on land with all the big overseas countries such as Dashi, Turkic, Tangba, Tianzhu, and Lumei. The sea ships registered in the Xia Kingdom, the officials of these overseas countries are just a little extortion, if they do something like killing people and seizing the ship, the Xia Kingdom will send troops from the land, and they will burn the city and burn the town. There are many such things, and the sea is controlled by land. These sea ships call themselves Xia ships, and they are anchored in foreign ports, which saves a lot of danger and trouble. The boat people drift at sea all year round. Over time, Song people are still Xia people. Also confused."

Huang Jian said while secretly looking at Li Sihai, Li Sihai's expression was normal, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Li Ruobing thought of Xiao Bing, the envoy of the Xia Kingdom, who seemed to be refined and elegant, and who had been running around in Bianjing all year round. He was really an extremely cunning person. It’s just an excuse to plunder other countries, and these overseas boat people don’t need to be grateful.”

Huang Jian looked at Li Sihai's expression again, only to see that he only smiled faintly, and his doubts deepened.At this time, a round of red sun in the sky is gradually falling to the sea, like a big wheel, red clouds are piled up one after another, and many terns are flying up and down around the red sun, gliding to and fro, tired birds keep singing, and the sunset is infinitely beautiful. scenery.Huang Jian was moved by this, and asked with emotion: "Qingqing, what is the way for China to defeat the barbarians?"

Li Ruobing replied without hesitation: "Benevolence and righteousness are the handle of the world, and China lives in it, so it obeys the four barbarians. The way China wins the four barbarians is to practice benevolent government, advocate loyalty, filial piety, and unite as one, so the barbarians have no gaps to enter. This is the so-called victory over the court."

Huang Jian nodded and sighed: "Humans are not as fierce as lions and tigers, as swift as birds, but humans are the most precious in the world. Use, why? Xunzi said: People can group together, but others cannot. How can people group together? Xunzi said: Divide. How can division work? Xunzi said: Yi. More strength, more strength will make you stronger, and strength will prevail over things. Tai Shigong said, the people who are many are better than the sky, and the sky is better than people. It is so strong!"

Li Ruobing was very familiar with the passages and sentences of the sages that Huang Jian recited. At this time, he also respectfully received the teaching, just like a disciple. After listening to Huang Jian, he said: "The way that human beings win over animals is also the way that China wins. The way of the four barbarians. China has the way of loyalty, filial piety and fraternity, and each has its own place. Therefore, the Chinese can unite. If they are united, they will be strong, and if they are strong, they will be strong. If they are strong, they will defeat the four barbarians. People can't keep their own place, they can't unite, they fight against each other, the weak prey on the strong, the power is divided, and the power is subdued, so the barbarians will eventually be controlled by China."

Huang Jian explained it slowly, Li Sihai's expression of deep thought was revealed, and Li Ruobing immediately praised: "What you said is very true, the student suddenly understood."

"Alas!" Huang Jian let out a long sigh, changed his voice, and said sadly: "There is not much left in the way of China, and its strength is declining day by day, while the way of the barbarians is gradually rising. One fades and the other grows. What can we do?"

"Why did you say that, sir?"

"Qin lost its deer, and the whole world pursued it. Therefore, there was Han, who deposed all schools of thought, respected Confucianism alone, and ruled the world with the principles of loyalty, filial piety and fraternity. Later, Wang Mang usurped the Han. In the end of the Han Dynasty, Hengling had no way, and the world was in great "chaos". Emperor Wu of Wei fought all his life, and served the emperor to order him not to be a minister. There have been losses. When the Sima family usurped Wei, they went back to the evil path of "chaotic" ministers and thieves. China lost its way of loyalty, so the old ministers could not keep their own parts, and they attacked and killed each other, and finally ended in "chaos". Hua, go south in clothes."

Huang Jian said slowly with a sad tone: "Once the Dao is lost, it will be hard to return. Just look at the countries in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, where all the 'chaotic' ministers and thieves ruled the world. Mencius said that those who steal hooks punish those who steal the country. It is true! There are one or two virtuous kings and ministers who still have small details but lose the great way! Loyalty and righteousness are lost, and filial piety can hardly survive alone. In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, some sons killed their fathers, younger brothers killed their brothers, and sons steamed their mothers There is such a thing as a man who privately loves his daughter-in-law! The faults of a gentleman are like the eclipse of the sun and the moon. Everyone sees the faults. If the past will never return, if loyalty, righteousness, filial piety and brotherhood are lost, the Chinese people will not be able to get along, and they will become exhausted day by day. This is why the forces were divided and subdued, and they were ruled by the barbarians, until the Five Dynasties, given the size of China, it was impossible to defeat even a corner of the Khitan, how sad!"

Huang Jian stopped talking at this point, Li Ruobing's face showed embarrassment, but his heart seemed to be weighed down like a huge rock. The minister and the thief have lost the way of loyalty. That's why Taizu wanted to use the old general Fu Yanqing. He once said, "I treat Fu Yanqing very well. How can he bear me in the future!" How can you defeat Zhou Shizong!" Taizu was silent and took back his order.The former emperor wanted to use the famous general Di Qing, and once said, "Di Qing is a loyal minister", Wen Yanbo immediately retorted, "Isn't the Taizu a loyal minister of Zhou Shizong?"The so-called favorable weather is difficult to defeat the enemy, and the favorable geographical position is difficult to harmonize with the enemy.If you lose the way of loyalty and righteousness, you will lose harmony among people, and you will be on guard against each other. The monarch and his ministers will fight each other, and they will eventually be controlled by Di Yi.

Huang Jian glanced at Li Sihai, changed the subject, and said calmly: "The founding emperor of Xia is certainly wise and powerful, but he served successively in the Northern Han Dynasty, Southern Tang Dynasty, and our Great Song Dynasty. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is a "disorderly" minister and traitor."

Li Ruobing's face changed suddenly. Like Huang Jian, he suspected that Li Sihai had something to do with Xia Guo when he mentioned the identity of the boat people.From what he saw in the west station of the Duting, the royal family had a high prestige among the Xia people, and if the Song people even insulted them, they would definitely argue endlessly.This Li Sihai seems to have a lot of influence in the waters near the left, and he is also a ruthless person. I am afraid that when he becomes angry, he will kill the two of them.

As expected, Li Sihai's face changed, he looked at Huang Jian, and said in a deep voice: "Sir, what you said is wrong. When the founding emperor welcomed the Tang emperor into the summer, there was a saying of giving up the country, willing to live as a minister, so loyal, How can it be said that it is a 'chaotic' minister and thief."

Although Li Ruobing was worried that he would be tricky, but he was born with a "sex", and now that he knew Fang Xia's identity, he refused to weaken the momentum, and immediately said: "There is no evidence for the transfer of the country, and the rumors in the world are not credible."

Li Sihai's eyes turned cold, he hesitated for a moment, and finally said in a deep voice: "Back then, the founding emperor welcomed the Tang Lord into the summer, and the matter of letting the country go, my ancestors were fortunate enough to meet him. What he saw and heard with his own eyes must not be faked. At that time, the founding emperor asked the Lord of Tang to reinstate himself as the emperor, and acted as the protector of the country. The Lord of Tang misunderstood and replied, "I want to be Cao Cao". Forgive me for not being the emperor of Han." It was only then that I gave up. When the country was established, although there was no longer the position of protector of the country, the power of the country was vested in the five houses, and the emperor ruled. Seeing this situation, the Tang Lord knew that the founding of the country had no intention of power, but sincerely surrendered the country. He paused for a moment, and then said: "It's about the reputation of the late emperor, the younger generation has to argue with reason, please forgive me, Mr. Huang."

Huang Jian didn't expect Li Sihai to tell such a secret, so he couldn't help being taken aback, he just smiled and said: "It turned out that Mr. Li is a famous minister after the founding of the country. It's a pleasure to meet him. I don't know who it is?" Li Sihai clasped his hands and replied: "People who are wandering all over the world dare not insult the name of their ancestors."

Huang Jian nodded, without further questioning, he turned to Li Ruobing and said, "Loyalty has been lost, and if we want to use it to rule the world, we have to cover it up with lies. Qingqing, have you ever lied? If you are lying, what is the most troublesome problem?"

Li Ruobing glanced at the man, saw him sneer, ignored him, and then replied respectfully: "The younger generation has read the poems and books of sages and sages, and has never lied."

Huang Jian smiled and said, "Even when I was a child, I never did?"

Li Ruobing frowned and thought for a while, then said with embarrassment: "Remind me, sir. As a result, there were more and more lies, and finally I couldn't cover them up. My father was very strict and punished me severely, so he didn't dare to lie again."