Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 608 Hongdu School
“I am not unaware of the situation in the Han Dynasty.”

"It is also clear that selling official positions can bring considerable benefits to some extent."

"But we must look at the reasons behind a person's actions."

The root is rotten.

The branches and leaves that followed were naturally not good either.

When God wanted to demonstrate his impartiality,

After visiting Huainan to observe Zhang Jiao's development, he came to Luoyang and touched the Taoist priest.

This prompted the Taoist priest, who had chosen a roundabout way to spread his teachings, to express his helplessness.

"The emperor's temperament is that of an ordinary person."

There are times when one is young and ambitious, eager to make a name for oneself.
There are also times when they are lazy, escapist, and abandon everything, letting things rot away.

Many people have the same shortcomings.
Many emperors had the same shortcomings.

He possesses all of these qualities, and some of them have been amplified.

For example, greed for money,

For example, being lustful.

But when it comes to politics, to power,
He also inherited the keen insight unique to the descendants of the Liu family.

"That is precisely why more advice and correction are needed to prevent him from going down the wrong path."

The smarter and more astute a person is,
If it cannot be corrected

So if his starting point is wrong...

His heart had become lazy and lethargic.
The resulting damage will then become increasingly severe.

Was Emperor Huan not intelligent or quick-witted enough?

However, he did not use his talents in the right way, and in the later years of his life, he became addicted to wine and women.

The country was mired in pointless internal strife, and the treasury was severely depleted, which further exacerbated the problems that had accumulated over a century in the Han Dynasty.

"If the emperor uses the money he obtains from selling official positions to build a powerful army, harboring lofty ambitions for the restoration of the dynasty, and emulates Emperor Wu and Emperor Guangwu to sweep the world clean once again, how could I object?"

As a successor doing the work of an entrepreneur, one needs to be even more unburdened.

There's really no problem throwing away unused bottles and jars.

Just as the emperor himself said:
Those places have already taken on the shape of aristocratic families.

At best, the imperial decree was only superficially implemented there.

But the problem is,
Based on Shi Daoren's understanding of the emperor's personality,
He knew clearly that

The enormous sums of money obtained from auctioning off official positions were mostly used for the emperor's personal enjoyment.

Perhaps he will make some minor changes.

Perhaps he will assemble a royal guard to protect the palace.

After taking these steps to safeguard one's status and power, prevent the selling of official positions, and guard against the increasingly sharp relationship between aristocratic and commoner families that could backfire on oneself,
The emperor basically wouldn't do anything else.

Because he has no pressure or worries.

It's time to keep the music playing and the dancing going.

The lessons of our predecessors are still fresh in our minds.

Why do it that way?

Shi Daoren knelt on the ground, his head slightly lowered.

He Bo then asked him, "So, are you sticking to your original idea?"

Master Shi paused for a moment, then nodded and said:
"It's come to this point, and I want to keep trying."

"If it cannot be accomplished in the Han Dynasty, it can be done in the new dynasty."

Zhang Jiao was striving for a utopian world in the distant future.
He chose to infuse the ideal of "peace" into this dynastic system that was bound to continue for many more years.

"How difficult it is to change the mind of a monarch who rules the country alone."

“Moreover, for the ideal of peace and harmony, a monarch who is neither good nor bad is very frightening,” He Bo told him.

Throughout history, many events and figures have been recorded, emphasizing the role of "enlightened rulers."

A strong and capable leader with a broad vision who can unite the hearts and minds of his subordinates.

It has been tremendous in guiding national power onto the right path and rapidly enhancing national strength.

It doesn't have to be an emperor.
It doesn't have to be a great and virtuous teacher.
But the world always needs a central core and rules for doing things, so that it doesn't become a disorganized mess.

Wise leaders are just too rare.
Whether it's inherited or passed down through generations

Whether it's group recommendation or mass selection, it doesn't matter.
Power always tempts people to unleash their hidden desires, which can then lead a group, an organization, or a nation toward collapse.

A leader with poor character can also be very influential, just in the opposite way to the former.

Emperor An held power for several years.

This undermined the hard-won achievements of Emperor He and Empress Dowager Deng in governing the country.
He had to clean up the mess left by his son, Emperor Shun, for the rest of his life.

This demonstrates the power of a spendthrift son.

In general,

Good at uniting people,
Bad things drive people away.
Neither good nor bad, neither up nor down, it's the kind of thing that leaves you hanging on.

A monarch who is sometimes wise and sometimes foolish.

Some people will love him, some people will hate him.
In the end, they argued and quarreled.
The national ancestral temples could not be preserved.

The traces of its decay and corruption cannot be completely removed.
Even after the new dynasty is established, there will still be a large number of remnants of the previous dynasty who miss it.

"This is also a drain on the country."

Shi Daoren remained silent on this matter.

At last,
He then slowly said:
"Long-term stability is stability, and temporary stability is also stability."

"I see."

He Bo simply said to him, "Then keep up the good work!"

Subsequently,

He waved and turned to leave.

Zou Yan emerged from the ground, looked at the location of Shi Daoren, and said:
"The Taiping Dao in the Central Plains still has quite a few complaints about this young man."

Perhaps it's because Sun En once established a state that lasted for over sixty years.
Perhaps it is because of the implicit discrimination that the Han Dynasty has long practiced against the Way of Peace.
The Taoist priests in the Central Plains always harbored a strange ambition, believing that they could do more and do better on the basis of the Gonghe Yan Kingdom.

Shi Daoren's indirect way of spreading his teachings

Some Taoists felt that he had betrayed the original ideals of the Way of Great Peace, gone astray, and betrayed the cause of his fellow Taoists in the Central Plains.

They even argued in front of He Bo—

Not all Taoist priests can easily see God and hear His teachings.

However, as the rituals of Taoism became more refined, the Taoist priests' practice of "burning memorials to pay homage to Heaven" became increasingly smooth.

of course,

Considering that at the same time, there might be many people burning paper money and submitting reports to God,
But given God's lazy nature, very few can reach His ears directly.

Therefore, the Taoist school established regulations.
Before burning the petition, one must clearly write down one's identity, place of origin, and which deity or spirit one wishes to send it to, requesting that the spirit or spirit deliver it to God on one's behalf, and so on.

The argument got really bad.
That way, God wouldn't be confused about who said which sentence.

To some extent,

Such a ritual,
It also facilitated the improvement of the household registration system in the western region.

After all, whether it was Rome or the Western countries with their Xia rulers and Yi peoples,
Before this,

Limited by national conditions, as well as the influence of some historical and cultural customs,
In terms of compiling statistics on the number of people registered in the country, it is impossible to do so as meticulously as in other places.

As the Way of Peace spread more widely and the people increasingly followed and believed in it,
Only then were the Western countries able to achieve the goal of "registering households and equalizing the people".

"It doesn't matter."

"Everyone's thoughts will never be exactly the same."

"Once the ideas of a school of thought grow and flourish, it is only a matter of time before new schools of thought emerge from it."

Just as Confucianism immediately split into eight parts upon Confucius' death.

After Mozi's passing, the Mohist school also "transformed into the Three Pure Ones from one breath."

There is no single, unchanging ideology in the world. Circumstances change.
People's hearts can change.
Theories will naturally change as well.

Actually,
The fact that the Way of Peace has developed to this point and can still maintain its general unity is already a miracle from God.

If He Bo, this real God, didn't exist...
Let alone the three great families of the Western Sea, Xinxia, ​​and Central Plains,

In the West alone, within a few decades of development, several factions have splintered, each accusing the others of heresy and declaring that they must excommunicate them and burn them before God for judgment.

therefore,

He Bo was never annoyed by Shi Daoren's actions.

He'll even go and visit him!

"The true truth will not change no matter how intense the argument goes."

"No matter how strong the wind and waves are, for gold buried under the mud and sand, they only help it to shine."

"Besides, if someone wants to try other routes and put their ideas into practice, what is there to be afraid of or reject?"

He Bo laughed and said, "The Han Dynasty is already in this state. It would be a good thing if it could get better, but if it gets worse... how much worse can it get?"

It's nothing more than the dam collapsing again, the floodwaters sweeping across the land once more, carrying mud and sand with them.

But the same principle still applies.

The flood will eventually recede.
Even flawed dams can be repaired by those who come after them.
On the accumulated silt, new farmland will be cultivated, new cities will be built, and new vegetation will grow.

Let them be!

"Come fishing with me in Zhongnan!"

The soil and water in Central and Southern China are very different from those in the Central Plains.

The fish that swim in the Lancang River are quite unique compared to those in the Central Plains.

Recently, He Bo has been enjoying venturing into the remote, uninhabited jungle to find a deep, murky bay and fish for passing fat catfish and pythons.

Occasionally, when he was bored, he would casually make a few small ornaments and throw them into a corner of the jungle, adding a few "unsolved mysteries" for later scholars.

While God was at leisure
Emperor Liu Hong of the Han Dynasty also began his intermittent struggle.

Shi Daoren stood with the court officials to oppose his selling of official positions and titles.

There was also that memorial requesting the abolition of the "Three Mutuals Law,"

To make the emperor believe,
This is a manifestation of the powerful families further expanding their power and attempting to sideline themselves.

Right,

The twenty-year-old emperor was still immature and inexperienced in many ways.

Despite all that had happened before,
He has already demonstrated the emperor's methods and wisdom, and is a true son of the Liu family.

But politics is an art of constant testing.

If we don't lend a hand and pull a rope...
How can we figure out the bottom line?
And several years have passed.
Emperor Liu Hong's personality and style were also discovered and understood by his ministers:
He was not a steadfast and unwavering monarch.

Once his inner desires are temporarily satisfied, he will indulge in pleasure and loosen his grip on power.

Obviously,

The money from the auction of official positions had just filled the emperor's private treasury.
This is a good opportunity to test the waters.

If we don't seize this opportunity to make a move and gain more benefits for ourselves, are we going to wait until the emperor turns thirty?

Humph,
Given the current lifespan of the Han emperor,

If they keep delaying, won't the emperor above us be replaced by a new one again?
The emperor, in turn, decided to "repay" this favor.

Liu Bian has grown up and looks very healthy, rarely getting sick.

Many people believe that he could live to adulthood.

Given that the emperor currently has only one surviving prince, he is still very likely to inherit the Han Dynasty and become the new emperor in the future.

He naturally had to consider the child's well-being.

Although, given the emperor's cold-hearted nature,
He had no extra feelings for Liu Bian.
The reason why it is valued now
Firstly, because the imperial power required it.
Secondly, it was because Lady He, a noblewoman, was enjoying great favor.

As for whether he will change his mind and start to dislike the mother and son in the future?
That's a matter for later.

that's it,
After the emperor summoned Shi Daoren and talked with him for a while, he ordered the construction of a new central academy.

Because the new academy was located near Hongdu Gate, it was called "Hongdu Gate Academy".

The system of this academy was also different from that of the previous Imperial Academy and the academy at the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty.

The emperor was very lax in controlling the entry and exit points.

Anyone who is wealthy, of the right age, and possesses a skill can come here to study and, upon completion of their studies, receive an official position granted by the imperial court.

"Your Majesty is trying to emulate Emperor He and Emperor Shun by cultivating talent and strengthening your foundation."

When his disciples asked him why the emperor was acting this way, Shi Daoren told them in private.

The disciple, puzzled, said, "This is a good thing!"

Why does the teacher still look so worried?

By emulating Emperors He and Shun, isn't this a sign of the emperor's renewed vigor?

Shi Daoren recalled his heartfelt conversation with the emperor during his visit to the palace, and how the emperor spoke to him, only saying to his disciple:
"I heard that before his death, Emperor Shun and Empress Liang planted a tree in the palace together to symbolize the importance of educating people."

"But the frost and snow later damaged the tree, making it sick and showing signs of withering."

"To this day, although its vitality has not been extinguished, it can only grow branches and leaves in a few places... As for bearing sweet fruit to nourish people's mouths, it is something that cannot even be imagined."

The disciple was still puzzled, "What does this have to do with His Majesty establishing the Hongdu Gate Academy?"

Shi Daoren sighed again, "It takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to cultivate a person... How can this be done in a short time?"

Haven't you heard the story of "pulling up seedlings to help them grow"?

The emperor adopted some of the regulations of the Imperial Academy, but added many things that he liked.

For example, the extremely expensive tuition fees.

For example, the clause that allows graduation even if grades aren't good, as long as enough money is paid.
For example, the promise that one can be directly appointed to a post simply by successfully obtaining a birth certificate.

This would inevitably cause great dissatisfaction among powerful families, who would see it as yet another instance of the emperor squandering his wealth, following the practice of "selling official positions and titles."

Simultaneously,

This will inevitably lead to a massive influx of people struggling to find employment and advance their careers into Hongdumen Academy.

With a mere wave of the emperor's hand, people from all over the land, from humble backgrounds, would voluntarily sell their possessions to come to Luoyang and become his disciples.

Even if rejected by the upright families,

Even if it comes at a great cost.

But Shi Daoren was worried:
After putting in so much effort, wouldn't they want to recoup their costs and make a profit afterwards?
The academic program at Hongdu Gate Academy is very short.
Students who can afford tuition will naturally have families that can hire tutors to educate them from a young age.

Therefore, before enrolling in Luoyang,
They thus developed certain abilities.

However, their character and conduct will be established and difficult to change.

And after several years of study,

It was impossible for the imperial court to clearly observe the other party's character.

The emperor was eager to promote people from humble backgrounds, believing that they would help him fight against the powerful families.

But human nature is not that simple.
If one's character is not guaranteed,
They only think about promoting talented people.
Won't this cause more harm to the people of the world?

Emperors He and Shun reformed the Imperial Academy, allowing children to study there, hoping not only that they would become capable people, but also that they would become moral people.

otherwise,

Wouldn't they also issue an edict, just like the current emperor, to attract thousands of poor people to their side?
“If we only talk about virtue and not talent, it will lead to the situation in the world today where all those who want to become officials are just putting on a show.”

“If we only value talent and not morality, it will produce cruel and shameless people.”

"If talented people could be selected so easily, why would people praise the discerning eye of a talent scout?"

Shi Daoren looked up to the sky and sighed:
"A sharp sword is wielded by a virtuous person, so that he can defend himself and protect others."

"But if it falls into the hands of villains, how much suffering will the people endure from the slaughter of the entire world?"

unfortunately,

He ultimately failed to persuade the emperor to change his mind.

The fact that the emperor was willing to retain some of the Imperial Academy's systems and continue teaching the knowledge of investigating things was already a result of Shi Daoren's efforts.

After all, the emperor disliked the dry and tedious study of things and preferred the moving poetry, books, rites, and music.

(End of this chapter)