Ming politicians

() "Master Liu, I wonder how you felt after listening to the story Brother Liu told?"

Liu Zongzhou looked at Su Tiancheng with deep eyes. He already felt that Su Tiancheng was not simple. <'s Kuaishu is very famous in Suzhou and Hangzhou. I have heard people say that Liu Fengchun's passage about Wu Song's fight against the tiger can shock everyone. The Kuaishu I heard today, I feel It's completely different, with a feeling of depression. I would like to hear how Mr. Su, as the magistrate of Jiangning County, would feel if he heard such a thing. "

Su Tiancheng stood up, what he needed was Liu Zongzhou's words.

"I'm offended, just say what I feel."

"The book that brother Liu said involved several issues, so I will repeat them one by one."

"The first question reflects the suffering of the people. In the past few years, my Ming Dynasty suffered many disasters, so that the people were displaced, the bandits plundered, and the Empress Jin took the opportunity to covet my Daming country and continued to invade in the north. The life of the common people has become more difficult, and even in some places, there have been human tragedies of cannibalism."

"The second question is that some officials corrupted the law, colluded with local gentry and wealthy households, disregarded the life and death of the common people, and lacked basic courtesy, justice and shame, let alone doing things for the common people. Such actions have chilled the hearts of the common people. As local parents and officials, they should abide by the law, do things for the people, and uphold justice. Unfortunately, their approach is the opposite. Disregarding human life has led to the local government. People with power and money can do whatever they want. Officials, gentry, wealthy households, Even the merchants, working together, messed up the place."

"The third problem is that some rich gentry, even literati, indulge their family members. They break the law and discipline, and blindly cover their families. Their children are extremely noble. As for the common people, they are despicable. The children of gentry and rich families You can bully the weak, you can bully men and women, you can even openly take the lives of others, if something happens, it’s no big deal, collusion with the government. Everything can be settled.”

"The fourth question is that some dandies have become black sheep by using their family power to do all kinds of evil. These people are ignorant and arrogant. The sad thing is that these dandies still know the importance of power and will never Offending the powerful and bullying are all ordinary people. They have the protection of their families. Even if they do bad things, someone will naturally settle them for them. After a long time, they think that doing bad things is nothing special, because they live in that A piece of land, the world is theirs, and they can decide the life and death of others at will."

After saying so much in one breath, Su Tiancheng looked at Liu Zongzhou.

"Master Liu, I don't know if what I said below is accurate."

"Master Su observes meticulously and touches on the key points. It is precisely because of this that I emphasize caution and independence. If the education of personal morality cannot be strengthened, such things will still happen."

Su Tiancheng smiled.

"Master Liu is very good. I have a question. If some officials, gentry, wealthy households, and even scholar-bureaucrats are unwilling to be independent, what should they do?"

Looking at Su Tiancheng, Liu Zongzhou suddenly understood that today's quick book by Liu Jingting was aimed at him.

"Mr. Su's words are wrong. Human nature is good at the beginning. As long as education is strengthened and everyone starts from themselves, good results will definitely be achieved."

Su Tiancheng shook his head, not hiding his feelings.

"I feel that Master Liu is taking it for granted."

Sun Chengzong and others looked at Su Tiancheng and were very surprised. They didn't expect Su Tiancheng to say such words.

"My lord Liu once said a word, which I remember very clearly: People's hearts are evil, and the emperor's faults in his own affairs must be avoided. Rescue death in case of decline."

"Master Liu's idea is very beautiful. If everyone in this world is a modest gentleman, the prudence and independence mentioned by Master Liu can naturally be achieved. Just imagine, the world is in harmony, and everyone is friendly to each other. What an aspirational sight, no killing, no hatred."

"It's a pity, I've thought about it seriously. I can't even reach this level. Don't do to others what you don't want. I don't dare to ask others to reach this level."

Liu Zongzhou's complexion became a little ugly.

"Master Su, why do you say that? Could it be that the Shendu I proposed, as a leader among scholars, you can't do it."

"Of course, I'm telling the truth, I don't like to talk about it."

"Master Su, can you explain why it can't be done?"

"Of course, I think of the Ming Dynasty, a vast country, and many people. Life is always good and bad. The ancients said that those who work hard govern others, and those who work hard govern others. The living conditions of scholar-bureaucrats and farmers, It will never be the same, the ranks of scholars, farmers, businessmen, and businessmen are so clear, I will not ignore many actual situations, think that many people are equal, and pursue the great harmony of the world, let alone mix with the three religions and nine streams in the market , if you do that, I am afraid that I will already be the target of public criticism."

"Lord Su, your explanation may not make sense. Shendu is a request from the moral level. For example, if you are the county magistrate of Jiangning County, you are the parents of the people in Jiangning County. You should always care about them and love them. .”

"My lord is very good. I have thought of this a long time ago. What my lord said, I am confident that I can do it. It is a pity that I have to ask my lord a question. Look at the many officials in Ming Dynasty. Is it possible for everyone to do this, including my scholar-bureaucrats and rich gentry in Daming?"

"It is precisely because they can't do it, so they have to raise it cautiously, from top to bottom."

"I don't know why my lord thinks that officials at all levels, scholar-bureaucrats, and wealthy gentry can be cautious and independent. If they can't, what do you want to do?"

"If you can't do it, of course you will be punished."

"My lord's words are very good, so the first condition is to have an iron-blooded system, or to have a stern and selfless system. Only by using the system to manage people can we slowly achieve great order in the world. I am not refuting your lord's words. Theory, I have always thought that adults' views are from a very high level, requiring everyone to strengthen their own recuperation. It is a pity that under the current situation, this set of theories promoted by adults , put it into practice, it is difficult to have good results, just like the key point mentioned in the quick book mentioned by Brother Liu, people are all selfish, and they are all for their own interests, and it is no exception to put it on the lower body Yes, I also want my family to live a good life. After ten years of cold windows, if I can’t guarantee food and clothing, and I can’t support my family, how can so many people go to study and ask for the gold list title.”

Liu Zongzhou looked at Su Tiancheng and was speechless for a while.

"My lord, I have always felt that human nature cannot be ignored. Why did that gentry spare no effort to protect his son? Why did the county magistrate turn black and white? In the end, they all put their own interests at their disposal. Expanded, I believe that normal personal interests should be guaranteed, but interests that exceed the limit will harm the interests of others, and this is particularly prominent in officials and scholar-bureaucrats.”

"My lord's point of view of Shendu is very good. For thousands of years, we and other scholars have pursued the great order of the world. Everyone thinks about Shendu and hopes that everyone has high morals. Unfortunately, thousands of years of In the development of history, Shendu has always been the goal pursued by scholars like me, and there is no dynasty that has achieved such a goal.”

"Taking the ultimate goal pursued by me and other scholars as a universally applicable moral requirement, isn't it just a matter of seeking fish, it is impossible to achieve such an effect, and it is impossible to produce a good effect. Instead, it will encounter everyone's jokes."

"I don't deny it. In China, there are always such outstanding people who are basically cautious and independent. Unfortunately, such people are rare. It is rare to meet one in decades or even hundreds of years."

"Look at what happened to my Ming Dynasty, the invasion of the late Jin Dynasty, the harassment of bandits, and the hardships of the people. It can be said that it is riddled with holes. To put it more seriously, the foundation of my Ming Dynasty is already crumbling. Now, in such a critical moment, what do we scholars need to do? Should we sit at home and ask for personal independence, or should we go out, experience the suffering of the people, and actually do things? In my opinion, this question is not very complicated. .”

"I have debated many times with Master Qian Qianyi, Zhang Pu, and even Master Huang. I frankly say that I can't understand the Qingliu advocated by Donglin Academy and Fushe. I think that they have distorted the meaning of Qingliu. It’s not about being superior, it’s definitely not about blindly safeguarding the interests of wealthy gentry, it’s definitely not about opposing issues for the sake of opposing issues, and it’s not about being proud of refuting the emperor and encountering the imperial staff for the sake of becoming famous. This is not Qingliu’s approach. Be polite, that's what a hypocrite does."

"I may have said something too serious, and if I offended, Lord Liu please forgive me."

"The cautious independence advocated by Mr. Liu is by no means opposed. This kind of teaching is necessary. If we and other scholars are all greedy for profit and pursue fame, then we and other scholars will all sink. The requirement of being cautious and independent needs to be raised at a certain time, and I think that if I, the Ming Dynasty, wiped out the bandits, ruled out the invasion of the Houjin, and let the common people basically have ample food and clothing, then it might be more appropriate to emphasize the matter of being cautious and independent."

"Lord Liu is a great Confucianist, and I admire him very much, but I have to speak out what I think in my heart, and I also have to stick to it. I think that the most important thing about the theory adhered to by Zhongxing Academy is to avoid empty talk and do it in a down-to-earth manner. Things, to do real things, let the common people see, feel and understand, so that the common people have enough food and clothing, how to do this requires the contributions of the gentry and rich households.”