The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 332 Matchup
Suddenly, the Fiery Dragon King felt that Yue Wenxuan seemed to be someone he could win over.

In this situation, isn't letting him speak, or rather, speaking on his behalf, helping him spread the doctrine?

What a kind person! What a wonderful person!

Yue Wenxuan continued: "I also yearn for 'equal distribution of wealth'. Ah, how wonderful it would be if I could share the wealth with the rich."

The Fiery Dragon King was overjoyed: "It seems that you, young master, are also one of us."

But just as he thought of this, Yue Wenxuan suddenly changed the subject: "But there is something I have been unable to find the right answer to, and I would like to ask the Dharma King for guidance."

Fiery Dragon King: "Please speak."

Yue Wenxuan: "If Zhang San from the east end of the village is a very hardworking person, working from sunrise to sunset every day, but Li Si from the west end of the village is a very lazy person, idling around every day and not doing any proper work, then... should we make Zhang San and Li Si equally poor?"

The hundreds of people below the stage who had just been converted into believers immediately froze. It was obvious that they had never thought about this before. They had only thought about equalizing wealth with the rich, and had only thought about "equalizing upwards" but not "equalizing downwards". Now, upon hearing "equalizing downwards", their faces turned dark.

The Fiery Dragon King remained calm.

This isn't the first time this question has been raised since the establishment of Manichaeism. He put on a righteous and upright face and calmly said, "We won't let someone like Li Si join our religion."

The people breathed a sigh of relief: That's right, as long as that guy isn't allowed to join the church, haha! No problem. We only treat our fellow believers equally, regardless of social status or wealth, and we don't do these things with non-believers, so there's no problem, hahahaha! Lazy people aren't allowed to join the church.

Yue Wenxuan clapped his hands: "So there's another way, that's a great idea."

His tone immediately changed again...

“If everyone is hardworking and diligent, but Zhang San from the east end of the village is an experienced old farmer who can grow two shi of grain per mu, while Li Si from the west end of the village is a new farmer who can only grow one shi of grain per mu… should we make Zhang San and Li Si equal in wealth?”

The people: "!!!"

This is embarrassing!
A test of the soul!
If I were Li Si, of course I'd be happy. But if I were Zhang San...

In reality, most ordinary people think of themselves as Zhang San! Because most people think, "I'm awesome at farming."

The Fiery Dharma King began to feel the pressure, but he still explained according to the doctrine: "The community practices mutual assistance. Since we are all fellow believers, Zhang San can teach Li Si how to farm. It is impossible for Li Si's farm to only produce one shi of grain. He can also produce two shi like Zhang San's farm. Everyone can have 'thriving farming and abundant resources'..."

The people breathed a sigh of relief: Yes! It can be done this way; technology can make up for it.

Yue Wenxuan clapped his hands: "I see, that's a great idea. But Zhang San taught Li Si how to farm, so shouldn't Li Si call Zhang San 'Master'?"

The Fiery Dharma King nodded in agreement: "That is certain."

Yue Wenxuan: "In order to ensure that everyone's farming harvest reaches its maximum, everyone in the village must accept guidance from the person who is 'most skilled at farming,' namely Zhang San. So everyone in the village must call Zhang San 'Master,' right?"

Everyone agreed in unison: "That's only right."

Yue Wenxuan: "A teacher for a day is a father for life. Shouldn't a master be above his disciple? Can you and your master be treated as equals? If he beats you, can you fight back? If he insults you, can you talk back? Can you get along with him like ordinary neighbors? During holidays, you have to give your master some gifts, right? If every household gives the master some gifts, then the master will receive an extra batch of gifts after the distribution of wealth, and he will definitely be richer than you. How can you distribute wealth? Shouldn't you distribute these gifts back to him?"

"Huh?" The common people were stunned for a moment. If they could answer Yue Wenxuan's series of questions, they wouldn't be ordinary people.

Not to mention them, even Yan Chengping, the newly appointed top scholar in the crowd, was stumped by these questions.

No matter how learned he is, he cannot solve this problem.

Because even nearly a thousand years later, this problem remains unsolved.

Yue Wenxuan could only raise this question, as he himself had no answer.

The Fiery Dragon King was immediately drenched in sweat...

Yue Wenxuan pressed his advantage, continuing, "Master Zhang San has enabled everyone in the village to grow two bushels of grain from their fields. He'll definitely become the most powerful person in the village. Making him the village chief is surely the right choice, isn't it?"

The people nodded blankly, "Of course."

Yue Wenxuan continued: "When Master Zhang became the village chief, he had a lot of trouble. He had to deal with Li Si and Wang Mazi fighting, he had to deal with Widow Zheng in the east of the village having an affair, and he had to deal with Zheng Qi accidentally digging down Qian Wu's field embankment... He had a lot of trouble and he still had to teach everyone how to farm. What was he going to do when he couldn't take care of his own farmland?"

The people said, "All our harvest will go to him."

Yue Wenxuan: "What's the difference between that and collecting a certain percentage of tax per mu? Isn't it all your harvest, with a portion being given to people of higher status than you? It's just a different way of saying it, but the result is the same."

The people: "!!!"

numb!

Everyone was stunned!

Those hundreds of newly joined Manichaeans felt as if they had been hit on the head with a large wooden hammer, swaying and unable to recover for a long time.

Just then, Yan Chengping raised his hand from the crowd and shouted, "Young Master Yue, upon hearing this, I feel completely lost and don't know what to do. Please teach me, Young Master Yue! What should we do?"

Yue Wenxuan smiled and said, "It's very simple!"

He then turned to the Fiery Dragon King and said seriously, "Listen carefully too."

Turning back to the crowd below, he bowed deeply and said, "My idea is: to hell with equalizing wealth! Why should I share wealth with lazy people and idiots? The more you work, the more you earn! I work hard and have excellent skills, so I should be richer than others."

An old farmer in the crowd immediately shouted, "That's right! Why should I share wealth with good-for-nothings? I work from dawn till dusk, just to earn a little more than others. I should be the one who makes others rich."

A craftsman in the crowd clapped his hands: "Good! Me too, I work from morning till night."

Yue Wenxuan continued, "To hell with the hierarchy. Master Zhang should be the village chief, the one who makes the decisions. The capable should rise to the top. I have the ability, and everyone follows me. So I should have more influence than others."

The crowd also joined Yue Wenxuan in shouting: "Those who work harder should be rewarded, and those who are capable should rise to the top!"

(End of this chapter)