Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3903 People with Different Paths Cannot Make Plans Together

On the wall, Cao Cao's stern accusation of "forcibly seizing the ancestral property of the gentry and corrupting the ancient social order" immediately resonated strongly with many gentry youths from Shandong and the Central Plains.

Although they had no gratitude or favor towards Cao Cao, Cao Cao's mention of "ancestral lands and property" was indeed their greatest fear and the biggest obstacle to their unwillingness to accept Fei Qian's new land policy!
The winter sun shone on their faces, which were filled with fear, indignation, or feigned sternness, but it could not penetrate the shadows of their deeply ingrained, self-evident ways of thinking.

This dark shadow is often shrouded in a veneer of righteous loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness!
Four hundred years of darkness under the lamp!
Why did the Shandong Central Plains of the old Han Dynasty, or the later feudal dynasties, seem destined to repeat the same old path of land annexation and class solidification until collapse?

The answer actually lies deep within the very marrow of these people…

Since Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu relied on the powerful clans of Hebei and Nanyang to revive the Han Dynasty and established his capital in Luoyang near the Shandong gentry, a clan system based on small manor economy, linked by the inheritance of Confucian classics, and using the recommendation and recruitment system as a channel has taken deep root in the Central Plains.

Land is not only a source of wealth, but also the foundation of power!

It's also a form of identification!

It is also the lifeblood of the family's heritage!
Just like Hajimedi, the district where one resides determines one's status.

The lives of ordinary people are deeply intertwined with land and real estate, from which they can never escape.

The Shandong gentry were the same; they were accustomed to entering officialdom and acquiring political privileges through classical studies, and accustomed to asking about each other's place of origin and family background as soon as they met...

They also became accustomed to using their privileges to annex land and gather population...

These lands and people can generate even more wealth to support families, raise children, cultivate allies, and consolidate and expand political influence...

This cycle continues, like a snowball rolling downhill, accumulating over generations to create a lineage of high-ranking officials!
It has become a behemoth with disciples and former officials all over the world!
In their eyes, the private ownership and inheritance of land are the cornerstone of social order and the outward manifestation of etiquette and social norms.

They believed in a hierarchical system of social status, and that they would always occupy the "noble" position, possessing land and knowledge, which they attributed to destiny, virtue, and the blessings of their ancestors.

The vast majority of the population are considered "lowly" because their ancestors were not "hardworking" or "diligent" enough. As a result, they can only depend on them now, acting as cattle in human form but not even as good as cattle, to cultivate their land, pay rent, and provide various forms of labor.

As for the original source of this "ancestral property," whether it was obtained through cunning and forceful seizure of public land, or through the acquisition of bankrupt small farmers at a very low cost during famine years, with the passage of time and the continuous shaping of discourse, it has long since become not only legal, but also sacred and inviolable, and absolutely subject to the protection of the government...

They read Confucian classics that upheld hierarchical order, discussed profound and lofty principles, and pursued the glory and continuation of their family lineage.

Their world was separated by high walls and deep courtyards, protected by servants in attendance. The cries of hunger and cold, and the selling of children by the common people, could hardly penetrate these barriers and touch their noble hearts.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion plunged the country into chaos. In their view, it was a result of the ignorant masses being misled by sorcerers, a temporary loss of order, and what was needed was strong suppression to restore the old order.

So when they sang praises to Huangfu, they were truly clapping their hands and singing!
Huangfu killed him well, he killed him brilliantly, he killed him splendidly!

They previously supported Cao Cao because he could bring relative stability and protect their estates and properties from raids by rebel groups like the Yellow Turbans. Furthermore, Cao Cao himself came from an official family and could be considered a figure of the same social class...

As soon as Cao Cao threatened their interests, they immediately turned against him.

Now they fear and hate Fei Qian, not because they dislike Fei Qian, but because of the new policies Fei Qian has implemented in Guanzhong!

Land surveys, restrictions on land annexation, the imperial examination system, and an emphasis on practical skills fundamentally shook the very rules of the game upon which they depended for survival!
This is not a simple change; in their eyes, it is desecrating ancestral graves, disrupting the order of social hierarchy, and causing the collapse of ritual and music!

The goal is to bring them down from their lofty positions and make them compete for resources with those they consider "commoners" and "lower-class citizens"!

This is an absolute taboo, a more terrifying upheaval than a change of dynasty.

They would rather Fei Qian be replaced by another emperor, or Fei Qian become the new emperor, than see the ancestral laws be changed!
Therefore, when Cao Cao uttered those words, many officials and aristocratic youths on the wall felt not only a sense of political agreement, but also an instinctive response to defend their way of life and their value.

Their nods and their indignation were all external manifestations of this deep-seated fear and resistance.

They may not all be completely loyal to Cao Cao personally, or even have a very high opinion of him at the moment. But at this moment, Cao Cao represents them in their fight against the brutal warrior who is trying to overthrow their fundamental interests!
"The Prime Minister is right!"

This was Cao Cao's last trump card and source of confidence!
Cao Cao believed that as long as he firmly grasped and represented the core interests and deep fears of the Shandong gentry, he could gain their support, whether overt or covert, and push Fei Qian into the desperate situation of "being an enemy of all the gentry in the world"!

Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu had no choice but to compromise with the powerful clans, and Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling could not shake this foundation. Cao Cao also tried to suppress and control them, but the results were limited!
You, Fei Qian, are nothing more than a military general who rose to prominence on the frontier. What makes you think you can break all this and redefine the rules of the game?

However, Zhuge Liang, who was behind the wall, had a different thought in mind at that moment.

As he listened to the impassioned accusations from the city walls, he recalled his experiences in Jingzhou and Sichuan, the temporary submission of powerful clans like Cai Mao and Kuai Yue to the might of the Flying Cavalry, the still self-willed Qiang and Di chieftains in the mountainous regions of Sichuan, and the displacement and hardship his own family endured after losing their land…

"Forcibly seizing ancestral property? Disrupting social order?"

Zhuge Liang sneered inwardly.

What he saw was a completely rigid Han Dynasty system.

He is a patient who has lost the ability to self-renew.

Like a towering ancient tree hollowed out by borers, it lets out a desperate roar when facing a real storm.

Or perhaps it's a helpless lament...

If the ancestral laws are truly immutable, then Zhuge Liang should still be in Langya County right now!

If it were truly true that one's land and property could not be taken away, then Cao Cao on the other side should have been beheaded by the law long ago!
It was this rigid and hypocritical system that dragged the Han Dynasty into the abyss.

Land annexation led to the displacement of people, which in turn turned into riots and wars. The central authority was exhausted in the process of appeasement and suppression, and local powerful families took the opportunity to grow stronger. The result was the current situation of warlordism and the devastation of the country.
Without breaking this cycle, any resurgence will be short-lived, and no benevolent governance can truly benefit all people.

And General Fei Qian...

He took a completely different path, a new path that attempted to fundamentally reshape the Han Dynasty and rebuild the court!
Cao Cao attempted to use the principles of the old era to negate the budding new era, but these principles themselves were riddled with holes and exuded an air of antiquity.

After a brief silence, the loud and steady voice rang out again...

"Cao Mengde! The ancestral property and social order you speak of are nothing but a fig leaf for you powerful Shandong gentry to occupy the land, seize territory, and enslave the people, all to enrich yourselves and display your power!"

"Tell me, this vast Central Plains, with its billions of fertile fields, was it ever truly your ancestral property? It was nothing more than something you seized through trickery and plunder, annexed over generations!"

This is unjust!

"When so many people had their fields and homes seized, reduced to tenant farmers and servants, suffering from hunger and cold, forced to sell their children, where were the moral principles you upheld? When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, the world was in turmoil, corpses littered the fields, and nine out of ten houses were empty, where were the rites and laws you protected?!"

This is utterly inhumane!

"You only know how to cling to your own selfish interests, treating the world as your private property and the people as straw dogs! The court's taxes are collected from the people, yet you try every means to hide land and shift the burden onto others; when the country is in trouble and needs to raise troops and supplies, you fortify yourselves, waiting for the highest bidder! The Han Dynasty's four-hundred-year reign did not perish from foreign enemies, but was truly destroyed by vermin like you who erode its very foundation!"

This is disloyalty!

"The General of the Cavalry retreated three paces, sincerely inviting peace talks, yet you have repeatedly delayed! First, you extended the invitation for five days, then for three more, first using the Emperor as an excuse, then the officials, then claiming illness, then using the pretext of discussion—where has your integrity been found? You pride yourselves on studying the classics, yet you should know that a person without integrity is utterly worthless!"

This is disbelief!

"Now, the General of the Cavalry is implementing new policies, clearing land ownership, suppressing land annexation, and distributing land to the landless. This is to relieve the people's suffering and strengthen the foundation of the nation! Ensuring that farmers have land, residents have houses, the young are cared for, and the elderly are provided for—this is the true order of things, the greatest law and order in the world! You, for your own selfish interests, obstruct these policies and slander them as the source of chaos; this is truly turning black into white, and you are like monkeys in human clothing!"

This is unwise!

"As for the so-called disorder of social status, that's utterly laughable! The General of the Cavalry established the imperial examination system, emphasizing practical skills and selecting only the talented, thus giving even those from humble backgrounds a path to serve the country. This truly embodies the sages' principles of education for all and appointing the virtuous and capable! How can you, on the other hand, judge people by their family background, categorize the wise and foolish by their ancestral origins, block the path of the virtuous, and create stagnation and corruption, turning the court into the private domain of a few families! You betray the pioneering spirit of the Chinese people, abandon the arduous struggles of your ancestors, and lack the formidable strength of the Han Dynasty, which vowed to punish those who offend us from afar. Instead, you use the patriarchal system to pursue your own petty and selfish desires!"

"This is the greatest act of filial impiety!" "Bah! You are unjust, unkind, disloyal, untrustworthy, and unwise; you lack even the most basic human virtue of filial piety! What face do you have to stand between heaven and earth!"

These words were like a thunderclap, causing everyone at Sishui Pass to change their expressions!

Zhuge Liang ruthlessly tore away the veneer of ancestral property and so-called social order that Cao Cao had previously mentioned, exposing the naked self-interest, historical ills of the Han Dynasty, and the injustice of the entire social order to the light of day.

This was not only a counterattack against Cao Cao's personal accusations, but also a direct challenge and complete denial of the entire value system upon which the Shandong gentry clans relied for their survival!
The expressions on the faces of the aristocratic officials' sons on the gate tower became extremely interesting at this moment...

Some were flushed red like pig liver, some were as pale as paper, some were dumbfounded, and some had shifty eyes and dared not meet the gaze of their colleagues...

Zhuge Liang's direct and incisive criticism brought not only anger, but also a sense of shame and panic, as if he had been stripped naked and displayed in public.

Cao Cao's face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

He hadn't expected that the people below the city walls would not only respond quickly, but also launch such a sharp and thorough counterattack!
He knew that he had already suffered a crushing defeat in the battle of words.

The other side stands on a higher ground of people's livelihood, the world, and justice, while on our side, it seems that all that remains is naked, and increasingly difficult-to-refute, self-interest...

The sun was still blazing, shining on Cao Cao in his gold and silver armor on the gate tower, and also on the cavalry army standing solemnly in black armor below the gate.

But at this moment, the sunlight seemed to possess a certain magical power to divide the world, clearly illuminating two distinct worlds!

It's like two cruelly opposing fates.

On one side is a last-ditch effort to maintain the old shell and vested interests, while on the other side is an iron-willed determination to break free from the shell and rebuild a new order.

After a moment of silence at Sishui Pass, some sounds came from below the city.

At this moment, the voice seemed to have lost some of the ferocity of a battlefield roar and gained more of a calm, declarative power, as if it were narrating the ultimate truth of the universe, and would not cease to exist just because some people are unwilling to see, hear, or accept it.

"The way to govern a country, distinguishing between the virtuous and the wicked, is not something you, Cao Mengde, can decide alone, nor is it something you, a few aristocratic sons who occupy high positions in the court, live on riches, and recite poetry and books, can decide!"

Ask the farmers toiling in the fields!

Ask the artisans working in the streets and alleys!

Ask the soldiers guarding the frontier amidst wind and snow!

"Ask the hundreds of millions of people under heaven! Ask the prefectures and counties under your rule, including Guanzhong, Hedong, Longxi, and Jingbei! Ask if the people are spared from hunger and cold? Ask if the children are able to grow up? Ask if the elderly are properly cared for?!"

Ask whether the granaries are gradually filling up, whether the villages are gradually returning to peace, whether the people have the rosy glow of being well-fed and clothed, and whether their eyes shine with hope. Instead, ask yourselves, who stand in the court and boast empty words!

"Now, in the Central Plains, in the regions of Yan, Yu, Qing, and Xu, the gentry live in abundance, while the common people are displaced, starving, and forced to eat each other's children and burn their own bones for sustenance. These tales still echo in our ears this time last year! What is the right path to governing the country, and what is the evil path to harming the people? The people themselves know the clear mirror in their hearts! The people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is firm, the state is at peace! When the people have their lives, their security, and their hopes, that is the greatest propriety and the most fundamental way in the world! Yet, in your eyes, there is only the propriety of gentry families, only the way of the classics; have you ever truly placed the lives, the joys and sorrows of the common people in your hearts?!"

These words, simple and unadorned, were like a thunderclap from the heavens, resounding before Sishui Pass and echoing in the hearts of countless listeners.

Among the cavalry formation below the pass, many soldiers involuntarily straightened their chests.

Meanwhile, on the wall, some of Cao Cao's military officers from humble backgrounds began to have shifty eyes.

Cao Cao seemed to have seized upon a 'weakness' in Zhuge Liang's words that he could attack, and almost immediately ordered an announcement...

"This is utterly absurd! The common people work from sunrise to sunset, toiling all day just to earn a living. Illiterate and short-sighted, they are easily swayed by flattery and easily driven by short-sighted gains. How can they understand national policies and the great principles of governance? To use such ignorant and confused individuals to judge right and wrong, and the success or failure of the government, is like herding sheep and discussing the quality of pasture or the danger of the road—it is utterly ridiculous! Governing a country and ensuring its stability is a profound matter, not something that can be accomplished by only wise and virtuous individuals who understand the classics, know the laws and regulations, comprehend the changes of the past and present, and understand the mechanisms of order and chaos! This is the legacy of the sages and the true principle of heaven and earth!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang, standing below the pass, couldn't help but laugh. He recalled Fei Qian's earlier words about valuing the people, and was deeply moved. After a moment, he instructed the loud-voiced messenger to respond...

"Cao Mengde, you constantly spout the rites and laws of sages, but do you know the origins of Chinese culture? And how has the flame of Chinese civilization been passed down through the ages, shining brightly for millennia?"

"In ancient times, Cangjie observed the tracks of birds and beasts and created writing. Then, millet rained from the sky, and ghosts wept at night! Why did the sky shower millet? It was to celebrate that all living beings were finally freed from ignorance and confusion, able to use writing to observe the workings of heaven and earth and record the fruits of our ancestors' wisdom! And why did the ghosts weep? It was because they feared that darkness and chaos could no longer obscure the eyes and deceive the hearts of the people! The fundamental purpose of the birth of writing was to transmit wisdom, knowledge, and light to more people of our kind, dispelling ignorance and illuminating their hearts! This is the original intention of Chinese civilization!"

"Why is Confucius revered as the teacher of all ages? It's not because he adhered to the old system of education being confined to the government, but because he was the first to advocate education for all, spreading the great principles of self-cultivation, family harmony, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world to many ordinary children from humble backgrounds who were eager to learn! This is the true spirit of Confucius!"

"Our lord, General Huo Qubing, has acted in Guanzhong, in the northern regions, in Hedong, and in Longyou in accordance with the will of Heaven that benefits all people!"

"Let the benefits of cultivating the land reach the farmers who till the fields!"

"By providing opportunities for literacy, reasoning, arithmetic, and the investigation of things, we can enlighten the people in both urban and rural areas!"

"May the justice of the law and the hope for redress reach ordinary people!"

"And what have you all done?!"

"Complex scriptures sever the path to learning! They solidify privileged positions, making them worthless and self-important! This will condemn the vast majority of the world to eternal ignorance and suffering! This is not the right path to protect Chinese civilization, but a dead end that stifles its vitality!"

What is the general trend of the world?

The will of the people is the true trend of the world!

This trend is like a surging tide, vast and mighty!

Those who follow the natural order, though they may encounter thorns temporarily, will surely prosper! Those who oppose it, though they may enjoy temporary glory, will ultimately perish!

You are nothing but ants...

"And can we stop the tide of history?"

The final question, like a grand bell that has gathered the power of thousands of years of civilization, resounded and echoed in the vast天地 (heaven and earth) before Sishui Pass. It not only reached the pass wall with perfect clarity, but also seemed to penetrate the bricks and stones, penetrate into the heart of every listener, and spread to the deeper historical depths and future time and space.

A deathly silence fell upon the wall.

Zhuge Liang seemed neither to expect nor need Cao Cao to provide an answer at this time.

Before the echo of the last word had completely faded, he, along with his colleagues and guard cavalry, calmly returned to their main camp.

Throughout the entire process, not a single word was uttered.

Below the pass, the mighty cavalry, clad in black armor and bearing red banners, still stood solemnly like the silent mountains.

But this silence is entirely different from the previous mere intimidation...

The silence of these cavalrymen seemed to be infused with the power of the universe by Zhuge Liang's words!
It was as if a layer of spiritual and ideological power had been added, and even without any action, it pressed down on Sishui Pass like thunder from the heavens!

A clash of ideas, though without the glint of swords, yet even more powerful than swords and spears, has come to a temporary end.

But what followed was an unavoidable choice concerning life and death, which was placed before Cao Cao and everyone inside the pass...

At the wall, countless gazes, some bewildered, some fearful, some desperate, and some harboring ulterior motives, once again focused their complex gazes on Cao Cao's back, which he tried to straighten but could not hide his stiffness.

The magnificent gold and silver armor and the bright red cloak, under the winter sun, no longer exuded any sense of grandeur or opulence. Instead, they appeared somewhat hunched over, lonely, and…

Decline and decay in old age.