Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 499 Valuing the People Over the Ruler
Wang Meng raised his hand to signal, and the deputy general next to him gave an order. The armored soldiers who were striding across the training ground immediately stopped and then quickly dispersed.

Above the main camp, two enormous phantom images of dragons and tigers remained coiled there for a long time.

Looking at the now empty space, Wang Meng said quietly, "In this chaotic world, all the states are at war. My Shu and Chu have been fighting each other for many years, and some battles are inevitable."

“I, Wang Meng, have the ability to lead troops into battle, so I will stand in this position and keep fighting. I must keep winning; I cannot afford to lose.”

Wang Meng was well aware that the Shu Kingdom was located in a remote corner, with wild and undeveloped lands to the west and south, Wei to the north, and Chu to the east. If it could not demonstrate sufficient national strength, it would be devoured by other major powers sooner or later.

Unfortunately, the ministers in the Shu court were not of one mind. Some advocated war and wanted to conquer the world, while others advocated recuperation and letting things take their course...

Wang Meng was a representative of the pro-war faction. Taking advantage of his abilities, he had repeatedly expanded the territory of Shu and laid a more solid foundation for the dynasty.

However, Wang Meng, who was at the center of the storm, knew that he could not afford to lose. If the war went against Shu, he would inevitably face criticism from some princes and ministers.

He wanted to stay in Chengdu and live a carefree life, but since the others were incompetent, he had to take on the responsibility.

Wang Meng's mind was in turmoil. He turned to look at Lu Zheng and said with a smile, "A scholar like you probably doesn't like war, does he?"

Lu Zheng said, "That depends on what kind of war it is."

In such a world, war is inevitable; even sages cannot stop the world from strife.

The circumstances of the various countries in the world are different, and their methods of governance are also very different, so it is obviously unlikely that they can live together peacefully.

Many people still harbor the idea of ​​unifying the world and creating a great dynasty.

Lu Zheng then said in a low voice, "If General Wang intends to attack Chu, please be more lenient towards the people of Chu."

Wang Meng laughed and said, "Do you also think that the Chu army across the river is no match for me? If we really conquer Chu, I will treat the people there well."

Wang Meng wanted to expand the Shu Kingdom, so he naturally wouldn't do anything to the people of Chu.

Even after conquering the Chu region, the most important thing was to purge the local deities and officials and destroy the temples.

Wang Meng felt that this action was still to save the people of Chu.

He knew very well the nature of the local minor deities; they could do anything, whether it was a ghost or a demon, causing the people endless suffering.

When he led his troops into Chu, he witnessed the people of Chu welcoming the Shu army with joy.

Just then, a grain official came over carrying a storage bag containing the seeds that Wang Meng had requested.

Wang Meng handed the seeds to Lu Zheng, saying, "This is a strategically important military location, so it's not appropriate to show you around too much. You can stay here for a few days, or if you plan to travel anywhere, I'll send someone to escort you."

Lu Zheng put away the storage bag and said, "No need to trouble the general. We plan to go up the river to see where the water level of the great river has risen so drastically. If there is any disaster, we can also lend a hand."

Wang Meng looked at Lu Zheng and couldn't help but say, "Is your journey all for doing good deeds and accumulating merit? You're a bit like some of those bald monks in the north... But I remember that Buddhism is forbidden where you are, right?"

Lu Zheng said, "The main reason for traveling is to see the conditions of people in different places."

Wang Meng's eyes flashed with a strange light. "You Confucianists emphasize self-cultivation, family management, and governing the country. Do you know these things so that you can better manage the people in the future?"

"No wonder I never heard of you going to those big places in Chu to discuss philosophy with certain figures. It seems you're different from other travelers..."

Lu Zheng smiled slightly and said, "That's pretty much what General Wang was thinking."

Wang Meng smiled and patted Lu Zheng on the shoulder, saying, "Young man, you have great ambitions... I sent someone to find out the situation earlier, and they should be back in a few hours. You can stay in the camp for a while, and I'll talk to you about how to govern the country and its people."

"Alright," Lu Zheng nodded.

Wang Meng cheerfully led Lu Zheng and the others back to the main military tent. The two sat there and chatted about some important national affairs.

Wang Meng discovered that Lu Zheng had some unique insights into certain aspects, which surprised and amazed him.

Although he was a famous military general in Shu, he was also quite accomplished in both civil administration and military affairs.

After chatting for a while, Wang Meng said leisurely, "I see that you have a strong sense of valuing the people over the ruler in your words. You have cultivated a strong sense of righteousness. It seems that you have truly inherited the teachings of Mencius in Confucianism."

Within Confucianism, there are also many different schools of thought.

In particular, the Mencian school of thought advocates that the people are more important than the ruler.

Mencius once said, "If a ruler treats his subjects like dirt, then the subjects will treat the ruler like an enemy."

However, few scholars today study this aspect of Mencius's teachings.

After all, with imperial power supreme, few dared to make strong comments about the emperor.

Upon hearing Wang Meng's words, Lu Zheng smiled faintly and said, "The world may be without a ruler, but it will certainly have people."

Wang Meng glared and disagreed, saying, "Without a ruler, how can there be a country?"

Lu Zheng slowly said, "In ancient times, virtuous people were elected by the people to lead the human race, while those without virtue were not allowed to take the position. In today's world, those who are without virtue and incompetent are in power. They can be emperors or gods, or lowly officials or landlords. The people are suffering and the situation is far worse than in ancient times."

"What difference does it make whether such a nation exists or not?"

Lu Zheng paused for a moment, then said, "Furthermore, who says there can't be a country without a monarch? Does governing a country really require an emperor? Just how much has the person at the very top of the dynasty actually accomplished?"

Wang Meng stared at Lu Zheng with a strange expression, and couldn't help but ask, "According to you, how else can the country be governed?"

Lu Zheng said calmly, "The separation of powers, distributing power to the people or... Besides imperial centralized power, there are actually many other forms of a country's structure, such as constitutional monarchy, separation of powers, and..."

Lu Zheng spoke eloquently, sharing some ideas that did not exist in this world.

Wang Meng was deeply shaken and his mind was filled with turmoil. He looked at Lu Zheng as if he were looking at a monster.

He never expected that Lu Zheng's mind contained so many strange and unusual thoughts.

"Absurd, utterly absurd..."

As a member of the royal family, Wang Meng found it difficult to accept Lu Zheng's remarks.

He found many of these ideas and assumptions to be too outrageous.

Among the ancient sages, some also imagined and described a kind of peaceful and prosperous world.

However, compared to Lu Zheng, Lu Zheng's statement was even more exaggerated, and the content was very detailed, even providing the methods and steps for implementation, which horrified Wang Meng.

Wang Meng stared at Lu Zheng in shock. "You, how could you have such unrealistic ideas? Who taught you that?"

Lu Zheng smiled slightly and said, "Is it unrealistic? Actually, I've mentioned this to more than just the general, but some people don't think it's impossible."

"Who?" Wang Meng asked curiously upon hearing this.

Lu Zheng said unhurriedly, "Yunmeng Sect."

(End of this chapter)