Tang Dynasty Little Godfather

Chapter 248 The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao

Zhang said he saw it all very clearly from the side.

Zhang Jiuling's saying, "Those who follow Heaven prosper, those who defy Heaven perish," is irrefutable; in fact, it can be considered common sense.

If you try to refute common sense in order to refute Wang Xi, you will only leave yourself speechless.

However, in Zhang Shuo's view, Wang Xi's reasoning was not without problems. He was just using a smokescreen, applying common sense to Daoist thought, and then concluding that Confucianism and Legalism were based on Dao.

It is unwise to refute without first separating these two points.

Xu Jin clearly made this mistake.

Therefore, the best approach is not to argue with him, but to let him explain. As an elder, arguing with a junior is unbecoming; winning is not something to celebrate, and losing is simply very embarrassing.

Later generations criticized Emperor Wu of Han primarily from the perspective of Confucianism, believing that he was warlike, cruel, ambitious, and only cared about his own pleasure, disregarding the well-being of the people, which led to the decline of the nation.

But almost no one says that the decline of the Han Dynasty at that time was simply because it abandoned the Huang-Lao school of thought and exclusively promoted Confucianism.

First of all, of course, it was the later adoption of Confucianism as the orthodox ideology that led to this, so we cannot criticize Confucianism. Even if we discuss the matter objectively, it was not caused by Confucianism, and Confucianism would not have approved of Emperor Wu of Han doing so.

Secondly, before Huo Qubing's death, Emperor Wu of Han's actions and achievements were still recognized by everyone. The problem was that some of Emperor Wu's policies became very distorted after that.

To put it another way, if Emperor Wu of Han had continued the Huang-Lao philosophy and governed by non-action after ascending the throne, he would never have been able to launch such a large-scale campaign.

Emperor Wu of Han had to first reorganize the internal affairs and achieve a high degree of imperial centralization before he could concentrate the nation's strength to strike a decisive blow against the Xiongnu.

Because the Xiongnu were very powerful at the time, it would have been difficult to completely defeat them without concentrating the strength of the entire nation.

This is very difficult for Taoism to achieve.

However, according to Wang Xi's logic, Emperor Wu of Han's failure was due to his abandonment of Taoism and exclusive promotion of Confucianism from the very beginning.

In Zhang Shuo's view, this was a fallacy, and therefore, the best way to refute it was to let Wang Xi explain it himself.

What are your reasons for saying this?

"Oh."

Wang Xi nodded, then suddenly asked, "Master Zhang, have you ever heard the story of 'a mantis trying to stop a chariot,' which is absurd and shows a lack of self-control? That's a story from Zhuangzi."

Zhang smiled and nodded, "Of course I've heard of that."

Wang Xi said, "How strong and big is that mantis? How could it possibly stop a chariot? This is the way of all things."

From Emperor Gaozu of Han to Emperors Wen and Jing, they all followed the principles of nature, knowing that the country's strength was insufficient to wage war against the Xiongnu. At this time, they had to bide their time, accumulate strength, and avoid their sharp edge.

By the early reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Han Dynasty was powerful enough to launch a war against the Xiongnu, and it was justified to do so to ensure the safety of the country and to avenge the defeat, as revenge is a natural part of life.

However, by the later years of Emperor Wu of Han, the Han Dynasty's treasury was empty and the people were suffering. Yet, Emperor Wu chose to exploit the people to the point of exhaustion, issuing various decrees to compete with them for profit and amass wealth. He also launched attacks on all sides, and although he achieved some victories, it was all in vain and a case of overestimating his own strength.

As a result, popular uprisings broke out everywhere.

Even at this point, Emperor Wu of Han still disregarded Daoist principles and the facts, resorting instead to Confucian and Legalist doctrines to violently suppress the popular uprisings, which ultimately spiraled out of control.

Yuan Qianyao felt uneasy upon hearing this and said, "The violent suppression of popular uprisings is not a matter of using Confucianism and Legalism."

Wang Xi said, "Wasn't Confucianism the sole state ideology at that time?"

"???"

Yuan Qianyao said, "That was purely Emperor Wu of Han's personal tyranny. It could be said that he used Legalism, but it had nothing to do with Confucianism. Confucianism has never recommended doing this. However, those who raised objections were all executed by Emperor Wu of Han."

Wang Xi then asked, "If someone rebels, will the Confucian school not care?"

Yuan Qianyao hurriedly said, "Of course we should take care of that. But...doesn't the Taoist school care about that?"

He was a little tongue-tied by the question.

Wang Xi hurriedly said, "Confucianism wants to intervene because it thinks this is wrong. But from the perspective of Taoism, if people can't survive, they should rebel or wait to die. This is not in accordance with the way of all things. The will to survive is an instinct. So from the perspective of Taoism, this is just a battle for survival, without right or wrong. If we follow Taoism, we will not intervene."

Everyone gasped in surprise, and they all glanced at Li Longji out of the corner of their eyes. It was clear that Li Longji was listening with great interest, leaving them speechless.

Wang Xi immediately added, "And this is also why my husband never wanted to enter officialdom, because he believed that Taoist thought was incapable of governing the country and that we had to rely on Confucianism and Legalism."

Everyone was stunned again, their eyes gradually becoming confused.

what are you talking about?
What are we arguing about?
They didn't want to argue with Wang Xi and his group, but they felt it was inappropriate for Wang Xi to base his Confucianism and Legalism on Taoism, so they argued with him. But now he's saying that Taoism can't govern a country, which...

None of the three families are a good match!

Wang Xi continued, "This path is just a wasteland. Whether millet and wheat grow on it, weeds grow on it, or even nothing grows at all, the path considers it all normal."

Confucianism, on the other hand, stipulates whether to plant millet and wheat, flowers and grass, or dig a waterway. As for what to do, it depends on whether it benefits the people.

Without Confucianism and Legalism, if one only follows Taoism, then the people can only eat whatever grows, many will not survive, and they will be unable to reproduce. But without land, you can't grow anything, and death is inevitable.

Zhang Jiuling's eyes lit up, and he murmured to himself, "The Way is the earth, and Confucianism and Legalism are millet, wheat, flowers, and grass."

Zhang Shuo glanced at Zhang Jiuling and stroked his beard.

At this point, Wang Xi's entire theory is actually very clear.

According to Wang Xi's interpretation, without the Dao, Confucianism and Legalism would perish, but without Confucianism and Legalism, relying solely on the Dao would also make it difficult to become powerful.

Therefore, Confucianism and Legalism, based on the Dao, form a complete chain of thought.

In that case, it's not about using this as a pretext to suppress Confucianism, but rather about the difference in their positions.

This is something Zhang said he could accept, since the Li family has always revered Taoist thought.

However, this argument is difficult for Confucian scholars to accept. If emotions are not guided by the Way, then Confucianism is also ineffective. This poses a significant challenge to traditional thought.

Pei Guangting suddenly asked, "What you said seems to make some sense, but there are still some questions that cannot be explained. Emperor Wu of Han promoted Confucianism as the sole state ideology in his early years before sending troops to fight against the Xiongnu. According to you, he started to make mistakes from that point on."

Wang Xi nodded and said, "Of course it's wrong."

Pei Guangting asked in astonishment, "Wrong?"

"of course."

Wang Xi said, "Look at how our Emperor Taizong conquered the Turks, and then look at how Emperor Wu of Han conquered the Xiongnu. You can see the difference even with your eyes closed; it's a huge difference!"

He suddenly mentioned Emperor Taizong, and Pei Guangting dared not argue. Many ministers looked at Wang Xi with displeasure; you're cheating, kid!

Li Longji was thoroughly enjoying the conversation. Seeing that no one dared to ask any more questions, and knowing why, he finally spoke up, "I wonder what the difference is?"

"Uncle, that's a world of difference."

Wang Xi said: "Emperors Wen and Jing, for the sake of the country and its people, chose to endure and refrain from provocation by the Xiongnu, opting instead for recuperation and development. This is the way. Emperor Taizong was the same; for the sake of the people, he also signed the Wei River Alliance with the Turks, focusing on governing the country."

Similarly, after accumulating sufficient strength, Emperor Taizong, like Emperor Wu of Han, decided to send troops to fight for the safety of the country and to avenge his grievances. However, the difference between Emperor Taizong and Emperor Wu of Han was that Emperor Wu of Han had only one purpose in sending troops: to kill the Xiongnu, to fight to the death. But this was not the right way.

But Emperor Taizong was different. He always adhered to the principle that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Before launching the war, he made many arrangements, the first of which was to ensure that the war would not increase the burden on the people.

Strategically, this was also the arrangement: the first and decisive battles should be fought quickly to avoid depleting too much of the nation's strength.

During the war, Emperor Taizong also made preparations for two scenarios: if he could not eliminate Jieli in one fell swoop, he would first call a truce and resolutely prevent the war from turning into a war of attrition.

Did Emperor Wu of Han make these preparations?

Everyone was silent.

It's not a matter of whether I dare to say it or not; it's simply a fact.

From the moment Emperor Wu of Han ascended the throne, all his policies were aimed at eliminating the Xiongnu, regardless of the cost. This doesn't mean he lacked the ability to govern the country well; Emperor Wu was undoubtedly a prodigy, otherwise, he couldn't have consolidated power at such a young age. Rather, he had absolutely no interest in it. His interest was in achievements, achievements, and damn achievements.

Li Shimin was different. Although he conquered the country on horseback, governing the country was always his top priority after he ascended the throne. When he formulated the strategy to destroy the Turks, he took into consideration that the war could not be fought for too long and had to be resolved quickly, otherwise it would affect the people's livelihood.

At that time, the national treasury was not very full. If it dragged on for too long, it would inevitably follow the same path as Emperor Wu of Han, which was to increase taxes and amass wealth. He did not have the foundation laid by his fathers Emperors Wen and Jing.

Even during the process, he considered that if he couldn't eliminate Jieli in one fell swoop, he should still negotiate, or let the grasslands fight amongst themselves.

Even though Li Shimin became somewhat arrogant and complacent in his later years, he did not go to the same extremes as Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Yang of Sui.

Although the campaign against Goguryeo brought burdens to the country, it actually had a popular support base. Moreover, he did not take a hard line but stopped when he had the advantage. On the contrary, the subsequent shipbuilding brought many burdens to the people of Lingnan.

Fortunately, he passed away, and when General Manager Gao took over, he stopped these projects.

Wang Xi continued, “After the destruction of the Turks, did our Great Tang Dynasty destroy fewer countries than the Han Dynasty? Why is our national strength growing stronger? In contrast, during the later years of Emperor Wu of Han, every time a country was conquered, regardless of success or failure, more than a dozen uprisings would break out in the country.”

The reason is simple: our dynasty has always respected Taoist thought, rather than exclusively advocating Confucianism, and has always taken Tao as its foundation.

When people are prosperous, they will have more children. With more children, the number of households increases, tax revenue increases accordingly, and the country's strength will naturally increase. This is the way of things.

It is precisely because our dynasty's policies are all based on Taoism that, although our Great Tang has destroyed countless countries, its national strength has not decreased but increased, and its population has increased year by year. If it were Emperor Wu of Han, who had destroyed so many countries, the Great Han would have perished long ago.

Emperor Wu of Han's actions in his later years disregarded moral principles and pursued short-sighted exploitation, ultimately leading to widespread chaos.

Yuan Qianyao said, "During the Zhenguan period, Confucianism played a major role."

Wang Xi nodded and said, "Yes, because only Confucianism and Legalism can play a role, while Taoism cannot play any role. What I am saying is to respect Taoism, not to go against Taoism, but to use Taoism."

Yuan Qianyao nodded slightly, as if deep in thought.

He gradually realized that the reason he was somewhat confused was that there was a big difference between the Taoist thought that Wang Xi spoke of and the traditional Taoist thought. The traditional Taoist thought, like Confucianism, is dynamic and can be used to govern the country. However, Wang Xi's Taoist thought is static and can only be followed, not adopted.

The atmosphere was also somewhat quiet.

There's no arguing about that.

That's the truth.

But whether I accept it or not, I don't accept it.

Is this the difference between Taoism and Confucianism?
Isn't this the difference between Li Shimin and Liu Che?
You're really good at making things up.

Xu Jin then said, "This is due to the wisdom and martial prowess of Emperor Taizong."

Wang Xi said, "Wise and powerful emperors follow Taoist thought and do not go against the will of Heaven. Only tyrants and foolish rulers would do such a thing."

Xu Jin deflated again.

He couldn't even last one move.

He was completely bewildered.

how so.

Wang Xi continued, "Emperor Wu of Han is certainly no match for our Emperor Taizong, that's for sure."

As Emperor Taizong once said, "Since ancient times, barbarians have been despised, but I alone love them equally." This applies not only to China and foreign countries, but also to ideology. Emperor Taizong never followed any particular school of thought. Even though he promoted Taoism, he did not suppress all other schools of thought like Emperor Wu of Han. Confucianism and Legalism are not wrong, but the problem is that policies must be formulated according to the laws of nature.

Do not exhaust the resources, do not try to stop a chariot with your bare hands, and do not force growth by pulling up seedlings. These are all natural laws. Only when these laws are followed can policies be considered benevolent governance. Ignoring these natural laws, regardless of the underlying ideology, will only result in tyranny, without exception. You uncles and elders can provide examples if you don't believe me.”

You've said everything, why bother with any examples?

If interpreted this way, Taoist thought would be virtually invincible.

Zhang Jiuling smiled and nodded, saying, "You're absolutely right. All ideas should follow the Daoist way of all things."

But then he changed the subject, saying, "Confucianism has always emphasized this point, and this is also the way of Confucianism."

The officials nodded in agreement.

Yup!

Confucianism has always emphasized respecting common sense, and many of its ideas are based on common sense. This is not unique to Taoism, but you have interpreted it as unique to Taoism.

Wang Xi shook his head and said, "This is because Confucianism originated from Taoism, not from the Confucian Way. One good explanation is that Confucianism only follows common sense without understanding it. Confucian thought only explains human behavior without explaining the laws of nature."

It can only be said that Confucianism contains theories based on Taoism, but it cannot be said that Taoism also belongs to Confucianism.

Zhang Jiuling nodded.

Wang Xi turned back to the drawing board and wrote as he spoke: "Since Confucianism and Legalism are based on the Dao, and the Dao is the law governing the operation of all things, then if we do not understand the law governing the operation of all things, Confucianism and Legalism cannot play their greatest role."

And this is the purpose of Uncle Wang's actions, because the study of Qi (vital energy) is the essence of Buddhism and Taoism.

Having said that, he gestured towards Wang Maozhong.

Wang Maozhong slightly puffed out his chest.

(End of this chapter)