Heirs of the Seven Swords of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 1492 The sudden change in the north
  "You know?" Fusu asked in surprise, "Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Tsk..." Gu Xun smacked his lips and asked him, "Do you still remember what I told you last time?"

"Just take care of yourself and deal with the things that need to be dealt with in Songhai."

"If you look into these two matters carefully, what does it have to do with you?"

"But……"

Fusu wanted to refute, but Gu Xun raised his hand and interrupted, "Stop it!"

“Learn to speak at the age of three, and learn to shut up throughout your life.”

"Fusu, you have to learn not to be so serious."

"It's not that the students are serious, it's that these things involve too much... I don't know how many tragedies it will cause."

Gu Xun raised his eyebrows indifferently and asked, "So...what does it have to do with you? It's not you who did it!"

"Saving people is doing good, but not saving people is not doing evil."

You are not Peter Parker, so you have to give yourself a moral kidnapping.

"Ha..." Fusu smiled bitterly at this, not knowing what to say.

After thinking about it, Fusu asked in a different way:
  "Let's not talk about whether we support these two things, teacher. Let's simply discuss these two things."

"Let's talk about the Northland first. Do you think the situation will deteriorate further?"

The things mentioned in the two urgent letters happened to be one related to Beidi and the other to Songhai.

Among them, the incident in the North Land was regarded as a military report, and the content was the news of the wolf army's invasion of Henan Province.

As for why the wolf clan, which was still busy taking care of themselves, suddenly took advantage of the bear's heart and started to provoke the empire again... the reason is also very simple, they have freed up their hands.

The Yuezhi army led by Sima Shang and Li Zuoche were not discouraged after several small defeats, regrouped, and once again faced off against the strange army under Mao Dun, and then... then a big battle was ushered in. defeat.

Although it was not completely defeated and unable to recover, the Yuezhi Kingdom was really unable to contain the wolf clan in a short period of time.

And Mao Dun's methods were indeed powerful. While the Yuezhi Kingdom was unable to fight anymore, he also successfully further embezzled most of Dong Hu's power.

The wolf clan, which was originally under attack from both front and rear, reversed the situation in an instant and became the most powerful clan on the grassland.

Perhaps it was because of this sudden change that Mao Dun had the illusion that he was doing well again, and he actually attracted the attention of Henan.

Because of this, the actions of the wolves were known to the empire so quickly.

The reason why Fusu was worried about the next development of the situation at this time was because of the defeat of Sima Shang and Li Zuoche.

You know, although the final winner of the Seven Kingdoms Chicken Eating Competition was Qin, when it comes to anti-wolf experts, most people only recognize Li Mu, the former Wu'an Lord of Zhao.

Sima Shang and Li Zuoche are the two people who have the closest relationship with Li Mu in the world.

Both of them have been defeated. Who else can stop the wolves?

"Well... you can talk if you want." Gu Xun shook his head and laughed. He was not as worried as Meng Tian, ​​and replied calmly, "The situation in the North will definitely not get worse."

"But……"

"There's nothing good about it." Gu Xun interrupted directly, "Even Li Mu can't be undefeated in his life, let alone Sima Shang and Li Zuoche."

"The wolves were not an easy opponent to deal with in the first place, but the disastrous defeat that year kept them from getting over it. As a result, they were restricted in everything, making it impossible for Mao Dun to use his skills."

"But once they seize the opportunity, they will take off very quickly."

"However, for now, the wolves are not enough to pose a fatal threat to the Central Plains... The strength of the empire is not comparable to that of the Yuezhi Kingdom."

The great victory of the wolves this time was just because Sima Shang and the others did not understand the Macedonian phalanx infantry.

Sima Shang and Li Zuoche, who were accustomed to dealing with the wolf clan, would definitely be confused for a while when they suddenly faced such a heavy armored infantry regiment. After all, they were not military wizards.

This defeat was even expected by Gu Xun to a certain extent, but although he expected it, he did not try to intervene.

There was no particular reason. The main reason was that he didn't know much about fighting and didn't want an outsider to guide an expert.

The secondary reason is that he doesn't care about the defeat of the Yuezhi Kingdom.

War is a means, not an end - at least not for Gu Xun.

The goal to be achieved through war may not necessarily be achieved by winning.

Of course, in Liusha's original plan, defeat was definitely not an option, but the intrusion of the foreign legion disrupted the original plan.

In this case, Gu Xun and Han Fei followed the trend and adjusted their plans.

Everything needs to be adapted to changing circumstances, and no one can guarantee that their plans will succeed. This kind of temporary adjustment is normal and does not mean it is a bad thing.

So Gu Xun was very calm.

"But..." Fusu still had doubts, "The current state of the empire..."

If there hadn't been a fight in the south, Fusu wouldn't have been worried about a mere wolf clan.

The Zhao State was so virtuous back then that it could hang up the wolves and beat them up. With the empire's abundant military virtue, this was not just a matter of pinching them!

The problem is that the empire is now at a time when its military equipment is weak, and it is simply not suitable to start a war in the north.

Fusu didn't want to fight, but he didn't want to retreat either. He was in a dilemma.

Gu Xun replied with a smile, "Just give our General Meng more trust and worry less."

"Besides, for the wolf clan, the Northland also hides other surprises."

"Surprise? What surprise?" Fusu was stunned and asked.

Gu Xun raised his eyebrows and smiled, but did not answer.

What surprise?
  What a surprise it could be, the eldest father of their wolf tribe is hiding in the North!

But there is no need to reveal this to Fusu in advance. There has to be a little surprise in life.

Seeing that Gu Xun didn't want to say anything, Fusu sighed softly, shook his head and didn't ask further:
  "The matter in the Northland...there really is nothing that can be discussed now. Let's wait and see the subsequent development."

"What troubles me more is another thing...Teacher, I think we have to find a way to persuade my father to give up this order."

"This matter... is really a headache." Gu Xun agreed with Fusu's statement this time.

The things recorded in another urgent letter mentioned by Fusu were said to be related to Songhai, but in fact they were related to the whole world.

It's just that the Confucian holy land Xiaoshengxianzhuang is located in Songhai, which seems to have a closer relationship with Songhai.

What is going on?
  Of course, it was a major event that could be recorded in the history books and passed down through the ages. Book burning.

In history, Yingzheng made many military and military measures that wasted people and money, and most of these things can be regarded as meritorious and beneficial to the future.

Whether it is building imperial mausoleums, conquering Baiyue in the south, defeating the Huns in the north, or rebuilding the Great Wall, they all have certain positive significance for future generations. The only exception is the burning of books.

To be more precise, book burning is the exact opposite of the above.

This incident caused little harm to the people at the time, but it had a profound negative impact on future generations.

The most intuitive point is that... the history of the Warring States Period is severely chronological, and the degree of fragmentation is even more fragmented than the earlier Spring and Autumn History.

This is also, in Gu Xun's opinion, the most unforgivable sin of Ying Zheng as the First Emperor.

Fusu didn't know history like Gu Xun, but the outrageousness of burning books was almost obvious to anyone at a glance.

The letter made it very clear that historical records of various countries other than "Qin Ji", as well as hundreds of works such as "Poems" and "Books" in private collections that are not part of the Doctor's Hall, are all included in the book burning list. The only exception is medical divination seeds. Look at these purely tool books.

By the way, I would like to emphasize that Legalist books are no exception.

The burning of books was not just about burning books, but also banned private education.

If someone wants to learn civil and military skills and sell them to the emperor's family, he can also seek apprenticeship from an official and engage in a master-apprentice teaching system.

How can I put it... The highlight of this set of operations is stability, ensuring that the people will never have unnecessary thoughts.

For Ying Zheng, this can undoubtedly ensure the stability of the Qin Empire to the greatest extent, and is also the best solution to realize his ambition to cancel the temple name, change his name to the First Emperor, and win the dynasty forever.

However, Ying Zheng apparently forgot that even if a pool of stagnant water could survive for a long time, its condition would not be very good anyway.

Unchanging eternity is equal to death...

The book returned to its main topic. After Gu Xun echoed Fusu's words, he turned to ask him again:
  "Of course this should be stopped, but... have you ever thought about how to stop it?"

After Fusu thought for a moment, he replied in a tentative tone, "Speak to your father about the interests and harms, use emotion and reason, explain the inappropriateness of this matter, and persuade him to give up?"

"Do you think this is possible?" Gu Xundu laughed and asked Fusu with a grin.

"..." Fusu remained silent.

If he thought it was useful, his tone wouldn't be so arrogant.

Seeing this, Gu Xun said with a smile, "In short, for the emperor, there is absolutely no reason to give up on this policy that seems to be able to stabilize the rule of the imperial court."

"Is the teacher trying to persuade me to give up again?" Fusu asked with a wry smile after hearing this.

"Of course that's impossible." Gu Xunyi shrugged, "This matter is too ridiculous and outrageous. It's impossible to just sit idly by and ignore it."

"Then..." Fusu showed a searching gaze.

Gu Xun lowered his eyebrows and replied in a deep voice with a smile, "Within the rules, you can't change anything."

"So Fusu, remember, sometimes you have to break out of the empire's rules and try to solve problems by crossing the line that violates the law."

"If you can't stop the issuance of the policy, try to stop the implementation of the policy."

"If you can't stop the implementation of the policy, try to influence the effect of the policy."

"In short, as long as your thinking does not slip, there are always more solutions than difficulties."

"Crossing the line...?" Fusu asked with a frown, "Teacher, did you already have a plan in mind?"

Gu Xun nodded.

How could he not have made arrangements for burning books earlier?

If possible, Gu Xun certainly wants to nip everything in the bud.

It's a pity that the book burning incident started with Prime Minister Li Si, and even Gu Xun couldn't kill him.

You can't use the mistakes he will make in the future to punish him who has not made any mistakes now.

So Li Si still made this unethical suggestion.

It can also be seen from here that Li Si is indeed a ruthless person. In order to consolidate his power and position, he can not only kill the teachers who taught him, but also sacrifice the Legalists who really made him today's status. .

However, the impact of book burning on Legalism was relatively small.

Because the officials who govern the country always have to understand the laws and regulations, Legalist pragmatism can still be implemented, and Confucianism is the worst.

Whether it is the Four Books or the Five Classics, there is really not much content in them that can be directly used to govern the country.

Of course, it is very good to use it to cultivate your character, cultivate your sentiments, and learn how to be a person.

But when you are an official of an empire, these things are obviously of little use, so naturally no one will learn them anymore.

It's a devastating blow.

But it’s not just Confucianism. Among the hundreds of scholars, Legalism is naturally the most adaptable to the imperial officialdom. Apart from it, the other schools and sects are not very compatible.

Maybe the situation will be better than that of Confucianism, but it is also very limited.

This is another reason why Fusu opposed the book-burning order - aside from the devastating damage this policy would have on the cultural field itself, for the empire, this operation would only unnecessarily aggravate domestic conflicts and further further Force more people to rebel.

For the sake of the stability of his own court, Fusu could not support such a policy.

As for why Ying Zheng couldn't see the harm of the book-burning order... Different experiences, different situations, and different identities will naturally cause different people to have different views on the same thing.

For Ying Zheng, who has always been domineering and dictatorial, and always speaks his mind, if someone dares to rebel under his rule, that is obviously the other party's problem, not his own.

It's clear that these unscrupulous people have something against them behind their backs. What does it have to do with me?
  It is precisely because he understands Ying Zheng's mentality that if Gu Xun wants to do something against the other party, he will always kill him first and then tell him about it.

Anyway, no matter whether you support it or not, whether you like it or not, let me get the facts straight first. If you have any dissatisfaction... you can decide for yourself whether you want to argue with me!
  Ying Zheng is just domineering, not brainless. When faced with the fact that the outcome is a done deal, he is better able to understand everything and make more rational choices.

But for Fusu, who is accustomed to following the rules and doing things according to the rules, his father is a difficult target.

Therefore, Gu Xun made a decision:
  "I decided to leave this matter to you instead."

"Ah?" Fusu was stunned, "Didn't the teacher already have a plan?"

"It is planned, but this does not prevent me from temporarily deciding to transfer this matter to you." Gu Xun replied lightly, as if he was not worried about whether the temporary change would lead to a complete collapse of the plan and defeat his purpose. .

Because his original plan was actually very simple and crude, which was to forcibly intervene in the implementation of the book-burning order.

With the imperial court's current level of control over areas outside the Pass, even if he could not completely prevent the implementation of the Book Burning Order, he could at least spare areas such as Yanzhao, Qilu, Jingchu and so on.

Gu Xun felt that this was enough, and there was no need to insist on perfection. When it came to burning a book, there was a huge difference between burning all the books and burning only a part.

The former is a devastating blow in the cultural field, while the latter is at best bad luck in some places.

And he couldn't completely stop the book-burning order - that would probably completely anger Ying Zheng and cause greater trouble. It was better to stop it, so that his goal could be achieved and Ying Zheng's face could be preserved.

Win-win!

It has to be said that when it comes to how to deal with Yingzheng, Gu Xun is second to none, and no one can be first!

No one understands Ying Zheng better than Gu Xun!
  (End of this chapter)