Crowned the New Han Dynasty

Chapter 5 It’s not about right or wrong, it’s about likes and dislikes

Xu Zhi holds the post of three elders. Even if he is only a township official, he still has real power.In comparison, Chen Bian is just the second eldest son of the Chen family. Although the Chen family is large, it is not the only one in Pengcheng.

When people from other families interact with the Third Elder, no matter from the perspective of prestige or reputation, they must try to figure out his thoughts, not to say flattery, but at least express goodwill.

It would be better for Chen Bian to slander Han Zi in person without asking about his preferences in advance!
Xu Zhi's dissatisfaction is obvious.

In fact, Xu Zhi had wronged Chen Bian, and he was wise because of his power. Chen Bian's mind was full of the fertile land that was about to be acquired, which was a dozen households of servant farmers, and was worth a lot of money. He couldn't pay attention to many details.

But now that he had spoken, Xu Zhi certainly would not be stunned and ignored Chen Bian. He asked Chen Zhi: "From what you said, I am quite familiar with Han Zi's teachings. Guijing Academy inherited the teachings of Legalists and mixed them." According to the words of the sage, if you want to be a person who worships books and scriptures, it is essential to be familiar with the classics. You must also be able to draw parallels and be able to speak eloquently. Let me ask you a few questions. Only if you can answer them can you be successful. Qualify to participate in the competition.”

"Thank you, elder!" Chen Zhi showed just the right amount of joy and saluted respectfully. He was polite and thoughtful, neither humble nor overbearing. This was something he had long been accustomed to after meeting too many celebrities and participating in many events in his previous life.

But in the eyes of Chen Bian and Xu Zhi, this attitude seemed a bit like honor and disgrace. In the original history, it was the period of the Jin Dynasty. Although history has changed and the Han Dynasty has risen again, the trend is hard to change. The same is true. In an era where grace and character are important, if a person has good manners, the ridiculous things they do are considered romantic and anecdotal, while those who do otherwise are considered disgraceful to their family status.

Even Chen Bian couldn't help but have a slight change in his opinion of Chen Zhi, but he was determined to seize the field. He thought it was a sure thing, but how could he let the duck he got fly?He didn't think that Chen Zhi, an ignorant and incompetent person, could handle the three elders' inquiries.

"I heard that this kid usually doesn't get involved in the school. How much money can he have in his belly? You may have emptied your head with the two sentences just now. If you ask again, it will definitely reveal the secret."

Nowadays, paper made of mulberry bark, temperwood, and Chupi has basically replaced bamboo slips and silk. However, the printing technology has not developed much. The inheritance of knowledge is limited to copying and teaching by words and deeds, which is difficult to spread widely. Therefore, it is monopolized by big players. There is a clear gap between the family, the poor family and the commoner family, and knowledge is hereditary.

Knowledge is all in books. Even if the children of a rich clan want to study, they must have a way. There are often rumors among the clan about what they have learned and how they have learned it.

Chen Bian wanted to plot Chen Zhi's family's land, so it was inevitable to have a proper understanding. He knew that Chen Zhi's visits to the school and library were limited, and the Chen family's library also had several Legalist works. You can follow Chen Zhi's method, unless you have a superb memory. , Have a photographic memory, otherwise you will only know superficial articles at most.

"There are certain risks in investing in the favor of the three elders. You have to find a reason to explain the origin of your knowledge afterwards, but you also have to get through the immediate difficulties first." Chen Zhi also knew this.

In fact, as a counselor in his previous life, Chen Zhi had not read a few legalist works. In the era of war and chaos, reading more military books and strategy books was the way to survive. However, when Xu Zhi wanted to ask a question, he first had to have the answer in his mind. He could only ask questions, so Chen Zhi was not afraid at all after swallowing the pill. This was like answering questions while reading a reference book, an open-book exam.

I heard Xu Zhi ask: "I think you have some understanding of punishment. Punishment comes from words and follows the law. I wonder how you view words and laws?"

Chen Zhi immediately said without hesitation: "Han Feizi said in an article about questions and debates that in the country of the Ming Lord, the orders are the most noble ones; the Dharma is the most appropriate to do things. Words are of the same importance, and Dharma is not the best. , so those whose words and deeds are inconsistent with the law must be banned.”

"Huh?" Xu Zhi was stunned for a moment, surprised by Chen Zhi's answering speed, and then sighed secretly. You must know that this question was not something he came up with on the spur of the moment. In this era, it is difficult for you to learn more knowledge. Often you can only learn a limited amount of content and then study it over and over again. Xu Zhi has carefully studied the relationship between words and law. Even if Chen Zhi didn't mention the method of punishment just now, he would still find a way to bring the problem to "words and law". law".

In fact, this third elder visited several houses and asked similar questions. As soon as he heard Chen Zhi's answers, he started comparing them.

"In the past few questions, the boy from the Peng family answered the fastest, the boy from the Liu family said the most, and the boy from the Wang family answered the most appropriately. Now I see that the boy from the Chen family answered faster than the Peng family. Although he didn't say as much as the Liu family, he still It is extremely accurate and captures the essence in just a few words. It is more exciting than Wang Jiazi and coincides with my years of research!”

Of course it coincides with each other. This was Chen Zhi's answer after directly reading Xu Zhi's thoughts.

"This question will be regarded as a subjective question in future generations. No matter how standard the answer is, it cannot compare with the examiner's inner view. I can directly read the mind. How can I be wrong?"

Sure enough, after pondering for a moment, Xu Zhi nodded with satisfaction, stroked his beard and said with a smile: "It is true that words are more valuable than law. You have read Hanzi carefully, so I will give you another test." He pondered for a while. , and asked the carefully prepared second question: "Since you are interested in joining Guijing Academy, do you know where the name of this academy comes from?"

"From "Han Feizi. Jie Lao", the original text is 'This is why a wise king values ​​tranquility and does not value reform.'"

"That's right," Xu Zhi smiled and extended the questions he had prepared, "You should know that when Shang Jun reformed the law, the Qin State was strong and prosperous. It can be seen that Legalism advocates reform. Why does it say that it does not emphasize reform here?" His Every word and action seems to be random, but they are all painstakingly arranged to show the style of a famous person. They can be picked up at your fingertips and it is just a question.Elegance and style are sometimes artificial, but the key lies in the pretentious word.

Of course, the effect was also very obvious. Chen Bian was stunned for a moment. He was not only surprised by the erudition of the three elders, but even more shocked by Chen Zhi's response.

"This method is not the other method," Chen Zhi did not mean to give up when he was satisfied. Faced with the new question, he answered as usual, "Han Zi himself also advocates reform and believes that reform can enrich the country and strengthen the army, but the reform advocated here is This means that when countries are in conflict, they will carry out corresponding reforms in accordance with the changes in world affairs and the growth and decline of power. However, if the world is unified and the peace lasts for a long time, laws cannot be changed easily, or in other words, laws cannot be 'numbered', because one law runs through the whole country. Billions of people follow it. If it is changed at will, it will be more serious than changing the order overnight. It must be carefully considered and weighed repeatedly before it can be implemented."

There may be objections to this answer in later generations, but Chen Zhi knew very well that it looked like he was answering the question at the moment, but in fact he was following the preferences of the three elders. The answer was not right or wrong, but likes and dislikes.

"Not bad," Xu Zhi looked satisfied, his eyes brightening, "How well do you know Han Zi's life? You even know his old man's views on the reform. I think he is very familiar with it."

"I don't dare, I know a little bit, I know a little bit." Chen Zhi said modestly, but he was not polite at all. He talked eloquently and talked about Han Fei's life and glorious deeds. Feeling so bad, even the original purpose was forgotten.

This is normal. Xu Zhi originally admired Han Fei. When he asked questions, he would unconsciously think of Han Fei's life, which was temporarily remembered by Chen Zhi. Every word and word he said hit the target. It was like a roundworm in his heart. He was so considerate, and there was no evil thought at all. It was too late to lament that it was so rare to find a close friend.

This made Chen Bian anxious. If things continued at this pace, how would they get started with the few acres of land?

"Ahem!" With a slight cough, Chen Bian tried to call Xu Zhi's attention back, but the latter remained oblivious and still chatted animatedly with Chen Zhi, deriving from Han Feizi's deeds to the gains and losses of the reform.

"It's self-defeating!"

Looking at Xu Zhi with a smile on his face, Chen Bian felt extremely regretful, but he couldn't figure it out no matter what...

"Chen Zhi is uneducated and has no skills. Let alone studying hard, he can't even write a few words, let alone the theory of Legalism and the life of Han Zi. It's simply unreasonable! It's unreasonable! Could someone have tipped him off and asked him to make preparations in advance? ? No, even if someone reports the news, how can Chen Zhi prepare in advance for Xu Zhi’s impromptu questions? In any case, we can’t let it go.”

Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Chen Bian's anger became even higher and he interrupted directly: "Chen Zhi, you keep talking about Han Zi's method, but you can't do it yourself. You are very clear about how much trouble you have caused. Today..."

Unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Xu Zhi.

"In court, it stands to reason that you should educate the younger generation, and I shouldn't talk too much, but it's just a bit inappropriate now."

The elder frowned. Chen Zhi's words tickled his itch. Many of his conclusions coincided with his. How could he have ever been so comfortable chatting with others?In the end, he was disappointed by Chen Bian. How could he feel comfortable?Can’t have enough fun!

Chen Bian was also unhappy and couldn't help asking: "What's wrong with the times? Punishing the younger generation according to family law, but also having to listen to outsiders' comments?" As soon as he said this, he suddenly woke up and realized that he had made a mistake out of anger.

Sure enough, Xu Zhi was stunned for a moment, and immediately sighed: "I can't control the affairs of the Chen family. This is true, but I want to tell you the truth. The guest who is about to come has a distinguished status, and it concerns Pengcheng County, Mr. Guijing will personally welcome the great fortune of Xuzhou, so you can weigh the importance yourself."

"Mr. Guijing greets you in person? This... no one has told me." The sudden revelation made Chen Bian flustered. That Mr. Guijing's country quality is much higher than his, and the Chen family can't afford to offend people.

Xu Zhi sneered and whispered: "The biggest problem at the moment is the lack of a few juniors who can take the stage to support the scene. Although the juniors of the Wang family and Liu family are excellent, they studied Confucianism, but the nobleman respects the law, and the nobleman is surrounded by There are also some young men who have studied the Legalism deeply and are highly regarded. Everywhere they go, these young men discuss the law with others and explain what they know. If anyone can answer the question, they will be favored. Because of this, Mr. Guijing asked me to contact everyone and recruit talents to make preparations."

This news shocked Chen Bian again: "With such a young man, could it be that the noble man is Zhuge..."

Xu Zhi immediately stroked his beard and interrupted: "You think in court, if you can get that favor, no matter which family's children, the future will be bright. I contacted you all the way and met several outstanding people, but I have to say that your family Chen Zhishi is a leader and has a superb study of Han Zi. If he can perform well when the noble man comes, it will be of great benefit to the Chen family!"

(End of this chapter)