Jinting Han people

Chapter 45: The Science of Statecraft (4k)

As the conversation came to an end, the two old men finally reached a consensus.

Li Mi said, "How about this, we each take a step back."

Chen Shou asked: "What kind of mutual retreat?"

Li Mi replied, "If you can introduce me to him, I will teach him for a year, and I will not mention the restoration of the country to him. After a year, when he gets married, I will return to Brazil and make arrangements for his restoration."

"and then?"

"Then we just have to wait," Li Mi replied solemnly, as if he had made a rather strict resolution. "If he can enter Shu someday, we will proceed according to my plan. If he can't come, then we will pretend nothing happened. How do you do it?"

Chen Shou knew that this was his old friend's last bottom line. If he refused again, Li Mi would probably die with regrets.

He couldn't refuse, because when he closed his eyes, he seemed to be back in that dark night with thunder and lightning. He seemed to be in Chengdu again, surrounded by the broken bodies of his comrades...

……

When Liu Xian awoke, the sky outside was still pitch black. The stars and moon hung in the sky, though their light had grown fainter. Based on experience, it was probably around the hour of the morning. Liu Xian lit a lamp, washed up at the well, and then retrieved his elm bow from his room. He slipped a jade ring around his thumb to prevent cuts, and began to draw his bow in the courtyard.

Unlike archery, air drawing is purely for strengthening the arms, emphasizing the importance of drawing the bow without releasing it, and then storing it without releasing it. Liu Xian first spent a quarter of an hour drawing with his right hand, then another quarter with his left. This practice proved very effective. Four years ago, he could only draw a one-stone bow, but now he can draw three.

After finishing his bow, the sky in the east began to lighten. His fatigue had completely faded. Liu Xian stretched his aching arms, drew his Zhaowu sword, and began to dance alone in the courtyard. As he danced, a gentle, cool breeze blew in from afar, accompanied by the intermittent crows of roosters. His mount at the gate let out a long neigh from the stable. In this scene, Liu Xian's heart naturally surged with joy and pride. He felt truly growing.

After the sword dance, the sky was completely bright. Liu Xian wiped the sweat off his face with a wet towel, then sat by the stone well and read aloud from "The Doctrine of the Mean": "Sincerity leads to wisdom; this is called nature. Wisdom leads to sincerity; this is called education. Sincerity leads to wisdom; wisdom leads to sincerity..."

Liu Xian was so absorbed in reciting that he seemed to have completely abandoned the outside world and his physical body. Although he still had eyes, ears, nose and flesh, he could not see, hear or smell anything, and had no perception.

His entire attention was focused on capturing each word in the book. These words were like dancing spirits, possessing incredible magic. As they were recited, the fatigue from drawing the bow and dancing with the sword flew away with the words. The warmth in his chest also dissipated, and by the time Liu Xian finished reading, a comfortable feeling of fullness spread from his lungs to his limbs.

Bowing, swordplay, and memorizing scriptures—these were Liu Xian's daily unwavering tasks after following Little Ruan Gong. Whether supervised or unsupervised, in the mountains or in the bustling city, unless something urgent came up, he would insist on completing them. He knew firsthand that a good start to self-discipline could determine a person's mental state for the entire day. And physical fulfillment often brings spiritual peace.

But today, after Liu Xian finished his homework, he suddenly felt a flash of inspiration. He looked up and realized that a burly, sallow-faced old man had suddenly stood beside him. He silently sized him up, his gaze like a heavy knife, and when it fell on Liu Xian, he felt as if he were being beheaded. But he clearly felt that there was no hostility in his gaze, but rather a pure, weighty expression, the weight of time.

The person who came was Li Mi.

In fact, Li Mi had already woken up when Liu Xian was dancing with the sword. He watched silently by the window and was surprised to find that Liu Xian had achieved considerable accomplishments in swordsmanship.

Beginners in swordsmanship often rush to unleash the power of their weapons, neglecting their physical strength. This leads to the sword leading the mind, and the body becoming detached from the sword, often leaving both body and mind exhausted in no time. A skilled swordsman understands the principle of guiding the sword with the mind, avoiding excessive movements and exerting excessive strength. He uses a calm will to restrain the urge to wield the sword wildly, while maintaining a vigilant and attentive eye and ear. Only then can he master true killing techniques.

Li Mi observed the Prince of Anle before him and discovered that he had surpassed the realm of guiding the sword with his mind, nearing the state of unity between body and sword. The sword in his hand seemed like an extension of his arm, and as his whole body moved, sword and man became one. Though the swordsman exerted minimal force, the sound of the sword remained condensed and undiminished, and there was always room for change. This was no longer a simple sword technique, and only those with wisdom and perseverance could grasp it.

After that, when Li Mi heard Liu Xian reciting the book as if no one was around, he was even more delighted: this is the way of a gentleman with sincerity and uprightness.

In recent years, the aristocracy has embraced idle talk and boasting, looking down on those who work hard and achieve results. While seemingly elegant and refined, they are in fact completely useless in state affairs. He had been most worried about Liu Xian developing this habit before this trip. But now, it seems that under the guidance of Chen Shou and Ruan Xian, Liu Xian has been on the right path, which can save him a lot of effort.

When Liu Xian looked over with a puzzled look, he smiled at him. Liu Xian then bowed and asked, "My name is Liu Xian, Liu Huai Chong, and I'm a disciple of Lord Chengzuo. May I ask who you are?"

Chen Shou is so lucky! Li Mi sighed inwardly, but remained calm and said with a smile, "I am also a good friend of Lord Chengzuo, and my name is Kongkong Shanren. I stayed here last night. I hope you don't mind."

"Hermit of the Empty Caverns"? It was clearly a Taoist name. But Liu Xian, observing Li Mi, couldn't discern any trace of a profound cultivator. Instead, he seemed profoundly worldly, like a frustrated bureaucrat who had spent years in the political arena. Simply put, his temperament was identical to his teacher, Chen Shou.

Liu Xian thought that maybe the old man had some unspoken difficulties, and the two of them had never met before and had no friendship, so it would be impolite to continue to delve into it.

He was planning to exchange pleasantries and then return to his room to read, but Li Mi spoke first, saying, "Sir, you just recited the Doctrine of the Mean with such passion and emotion. I imagine you have ambitions to become an official in the future."

Was this old man interested in me? Liu Xian was surprised, but he said, "You're joking, hermit. The world is vast, and life is short. If you're not careful, you'll be young and gray, and your life will be wasted. Therefore, no ordinary person wants to be content with being lowly. I am also such an ordinary person, so of course I aspire to be an official."

After hearing this, Li Mi lowered his head and stroked his gray beard. He then said, "Oh? I wonder how far you have progressed in your studies, young master?"

Is he asking about his own accumulation? Liu Xian was a little puzzled, but since this person could stay overnight at his teacher's residence, he must be a friend of his. He had nothing to hide, so he said, "Thanks to the guidance of the two teachers, I have been diligent in my studies since childhood. Today, I should be able to master both civil and military skills."

Although he claimed to be somewhat proficient in both civil and military matters, Liu Xian remained deeply proud. Over the years, he had met all sorts of scions from aristocratic families. There were descendants of founding fathers like Shi Chao and Jia Mi, as well as sons of scholars like Ruan Xuan and Cao Hui, not to mention royal clans like Sima Wei and Sima Yun. In Liu Xian's eyes, while they possessed strengths, they also possessed significant flaws. Putting aside their family backgrounds, their personal qualities alone were not comparable to his own.

Li Mi could sense the arrogance in his tone, but his smile remained unchanged. "Sir, could you please be more specific?"

“How specific?”

"One of the essays, what books have you studied?"

Liu Xian pondered for a moment and listed, "I studied under my teacher. Initially, I was taught the Book of Songs, the Book of History, the Book of Rites, the Book of Changes, the Analects of Confucius, and the Book of Filial Piety, all from Zheng. Later, when I had made some progress, he taught me the Great Learning, the Mencius, the Xunzi, and the Doctrine of the Mean. Because my teacher was a historian, he taught me the Records of the Grand Historian and the Book of Han. I've memorized most of the Annals and Biographies within them. I also studied the Zuo Zhuan and the Strategies of the Warring States, as well as the Records of the Three Kingdoms, which my teacher studied himself, the Wei Lue compiled by Yu Huangong, and the Dongguan Hanji by Cai Yong. Besides that, I've also read a number of miscellaneous collections of essays, poetry, and prose."

Li Mi asked, "Oh? What are some collections of miscellaneous works?"

"My other teacher, Mr. Ruan, was fond of Laozi and Zhuangzi, so I've read the Tao Te Ching and the Nanhua Jing. Mr. Ruan also lent me some of the Buddhist scriptures recently translated by Master Zhu Fahu of the White Horse Temple, such as the Prajna Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, and the Nirvana Sutra. His collection also includes the Mozi, the Han Feizi, and the Shangjunshu. Although I'm not very talented, I've read some of them."

"Your knowledge is indeed profound," Li Mi nodded and continued, "and what have you learned about martial arts?"

Liu Xian replied, "When I was with my teacher, I read the Art of War, including Sun Tzu, Sun Bin, Wu Zi, the Three Strategies, and the Six Strategies. Later, when my teacher moved south, Mr. Ruan taught me horseback archery and swordsmanship. Now, I can barely fire a three-stone bow, hitting five or six out of ten targets. Of the five sword techniques in the world, I've probably mastered the two types: the scattering sword and the sword-fighting sword."

Seeing Li Mi nodding so frequently, Liu Xian couldn't help but feel a little smug. Although he had a calm personality, he hadn't completely eradicated his vanity. Furthermore, the desire for recognition was something everyone possessed.

He thought he would be praised by the old man, but the old man said, "In that case, you really need to work harder. If you want to make a difference in your official career, relying on these alone is far from enough."

This was completely unexpected for Liu Xian. His first reaction was that the old man was joking. He looked up at him and found that Li Mi's expression was serious and his words were sincere. He didn't seem to be joking, nor did he seem to be looking for trouble. For a moment, he was puzzled: "Are you serious, sir?"

"Could it be that you have become complacent, sir?"

Liu Xian wasn't complacent, he was simply bewildered. As far as he knew, he'd already learned almost everything his peers were supposed to. If that wasn't enough, then what exactly was missing? He had no idea, and even if he wanted to work hard, he didn't know where to begin. Was this old man really serious? But Liu Xian still maintained his respect for the elder, lowering his head and asking, "I dare not, sir. Please advise me."

Li Mi pointed at Liu Xian and said slowly, "What you just said, sir, is about self-cultivation and survival, not about governing a country."

Liu Xian asked, "Why do you say that? Can't the classics and history be used to govern a country?"

Li Mi smiled and shook his head, saying, "Neither of them can govern a country." He paused briefly, then explained, "The sages' scriptures teach us how to be human. Ultimately, it comes down to one simple statement: Be a gentleman, not a villain. This is a classic example of self-cultivation. Using it to enlighten the mind is perfectly adequate, but applying it to practical matters is completely useless."

Liu Xian wanted to speak but stopped because he couldn't find the words to refute.

Li Mi then said, "As for reading history books, you say you've memorized most of the Annals and Biographies. What have you learned? I'm afraid it's all about conspiracy and power struggles! Who to team up with, how to organize forces, how to be two-faced, how to avoid the real and attack the fake, how to unite the weak to defeat the strong, how to defeat the small with the big. Is that right? These are the tactics to survive, to protect yourself in politics. But how to govern the country and benefit the people, have you really learned them?"

Liu Xian finally found some flaws here. He questioned, "But don't the history books also record some methods of disaster relief, techniques for defeating bandits, and ways to support the people? Isn't your statement too biased, old sir?"

Li Mi waved his hand and said, "Those are just empty claims. They only give the general outlines but no details. Only those who are familiar with common affairs can understand their profound meanings."

"Take, for example, the case of Zhao Chongguo's proposal for military farming during the reign of Emperor Xuan. He stated, 'Monthly, we have 199,630 hu of grain, 1,693 hu of salt, and 252,860 dan of water chestnuts. It's difficult to stop the labor service for a long time.' The "Book of Han" explicitly mentions the costs incurred by soldiers, but this is the clear account of the army's receipts. When the court allocated food and fodder, it had to consider losses along the way, how many civilians would be mobilized, which counties and prefectures to recruit, and also consider minimizing the impact on people's livelihoods, avoiding price fluctuations, and preventing disruptions to farming. Can you understand these details, young master, by reading history books?"

These words opened a whole new door for Liu Xian. He had never thought about policies and state affairs from such a deep perspective.

In the past, he had only paid attention to the joys and sorrows of the people recorded in history books, but the actual operation of their every move had always been separated by a pale veil. Now, the old man gently touched, and the veil was lifted. He suddenly realized that behind the history books, there were so many mysteries and shadows, and these mysteries and shadows were the things that truly affected the fate of the country and the people.

He hurriedly asked Li Mi, "Is this the art of governing a country? Where did you learn this, sir?"

Li Mi smiled and said, "Of course someone taught me. Why, sir, do you want to learn?"

Liu Xian was a little excited, yet also a little hesitant. After all, this was only his first meeting with the old man before him. Why was he so kind to him? No good fortune came without a price. The engagement proposed by the Duke of Juancheng had cost him dearly. And now, he didn't even know the old man's name.

While he was pondering, Chen Shou, who had been observing for a long time, finally came over. He stepped between Li Mi and Liu Xian, patted his disciple on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "There's nothing to worry about. I called you here so you can meet my old friend. He truly has the knowledge to govern the country. From today on, you will accompany him and study with him for the last time."

After saying this, Chen Shou looked at Li Mi with a complicated expression and said softly, "Now, I hand Huai Chong over to you."

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(End of this chapter)