The river flowed leisurely along the simple embankment. Near the embankment and the fields, there were houses and small threshing grounds. While the trees were being planted, there were pedestrians passing by the road leading to the market. They would occasionally look in their direction. Ning Yi led He Wen to the small courtyard by the river embankment.
"… Using commerce and war to promote the development of things, using the advancement of productivity so that the people in the world can start to read. This is the first step that must be taken. And the end of this path is to hope that the people can grasp reason and logic, to make up for the shortcomings of the top-down reform, so that the supervision from the bottom up can digest the solidified interests and negative causes that this society constantly produces. Of course, there is a long way to go in between. "
Ning Yi said with a smile, "My wife, Liu Watermelon, advocates the concept of returning power to the individual. She tries to let the people of Tyrant's Blade Camp rely on self-choice and rational voting to control their own fate. Of course, so much time has passed, and everything is still in its infancy. The people of Tyrant's Blade Camp trust her and let her toss things around, but she has no confidence that this kind of choice can lead to a good result, and the result may be negative. I don't advocate the freedom of voting at this stage, so I often debate with her. If she can't win, she will beat me … Of course, she can't beat me, but that's not good either. It affects … family harmony. "
Ning Yi's words were humorous, and He Wen also smiled. He had been in Black Flag for three years, so he naturally knew what kind of skills Liu Watermelon from Tyrant's Blade Camp had.
"The key to making people make the right choice is not reading, or even knowledge. Even if a person can memorize all the knowledge in the world, it doesn't mean that he is a person who can make the right choice. The key to making the right choice is logic. Confucianism … or rather, in the early stages of development, because it is impossible to explain everything to everyone, it is more for people to form conventional concepts. You have to be a good person, you have to be moral. 'Lose righteousness and then be polite. Propriety is the root of loyalty and trust, the root of chaos. Good people, morality, is this propriety or righteousness … "
As Ning Yi spoke, He Wen's face darkened. "Mister Ning, you are too rebellious! Morality is the foundation of a person. If there is no morality, what difference is there between humans and beasts! Your words … "
"Why are humans different from beasts!?" Ning Yi glared at him. "Today, I'm going to be a beast, not a human. Will the heavens let lightning strike me? Why should I be a good person? Why should I have morals? You said it as if it's only right and proper, but I really can't ask?! This is the final question leading to logic! If morality is truly justified, then why is there a need to learn and teach? Why is there a need to seek propriety? "
He Wen's face darkened and his eyebrows knitted together. He stopped where he was, "Then … I would like to ask Mister Ning for guidance!" When he arrived in the Black Flag Army, he knew that it was almost impossible to convince Ning Yi with just words alone. Moreover, after three years of interaction, he felt some admiration towards Ning Yi, so right now, he wasn't willing to use words to resist. It was just like Ning Yi said. Confucianism was formidable, but there was a problem. Then, no matter how he spoke of the greatness of Confucianism, he still wouldn't be able to touch the other's core. He Wen knew that he had to leave, so he left after understanding what Ning Yi was thinking. His mind wasn't that passionate about debating. However, Ning Yi's' why should I be a good person, why should I speak of morality 'truly touched his bottom line. At this time, he also became unyielding.
Ning Yi turned around and stood there. He enunciated each word clearly, "Being a good person, speaking of morality, the ultimate goal is because doing this can protect everyone's long term benefits, and not cause the cycle of benefits to collapse."
He Wen was silent for a moment, and then said with a cold laugh, "In this world, there is only benefit."
"Since Mister He is afraid of benefit, there is no harm in replacing it with needs. What humans need in this world isn't just money, there is also the stability of the mind, the realization of one's self-worth. Ever since ancient people formed societies and began to cooperate, the essence of cooperation lies in meeting the various needs of humans. Needs can be short term and long term. In order for people to cooperate with each other in the long term, the sages that you believe to be summed up the various rules that people need to follow when interacting with each other. In the later development, people gradually came to understand more and more rules that need to be followed, which we call morality. "
"In the past, Confucianism can't be read by everyone. There is no way to explain the principles to this step, so these things are passed down as things that don't need to be discussed, things that only need to be followed. For thousands of years, people really do feel that these things don't need to be discussed. But the problem that appears is, if one day, I don't want to be a good person, I don't speak of morality, will the heavens punish me? I will even obtain more benefits in the short term. Slowly, I feel that benevolence, righteousness, and morality are all false. "
After Ning Yi said this, he turned around and walked forward, "Past morality has taught many people to be good people. Fine, now it's natural to be a good person. Ordinary people will immediately deny everything when they see the slightest 'bad'. Just like I said, when two interest groups are at loggerheads, each saying that the other is bad and the other wants money, can ordinary people make the best choice in the middle? The paper workshop is polluted, and a person comes out to say that the pollution will cause a big problem. We say that this person is a bad person, so the words of the bad person are naturally also bad, and there is no need to think about it. Just like I said before, ordinary people who are so wrong in their basic understanding of the world, their choices are actually up to fate. "
"When we can start asking this question, and let the relationship between morality and good people be tied to each person, then they can naturally make a better choice. Under the current conditions, it was a better choice to make the interests of society last longer and in the long run. At least they won't be confused by all that nonsense. "
As he said this, the two of them walked into the courtyard by the river embankment. He Wen knew that this courtyard belonged to the Jishan Chamber of Commerce, but he had never been here before. After entering, it was an ordinary courtyard with three entrances. A few staff members who looked like accountants were walking around outside. There seemed to be a meeting room and a few work rooms in the courtyard.
Ning Yi pointed at the meeting room and said, "There have been a few discussions here. They talked about the principles of the game in the development of the market. One of the big concepts of the game principle is that in a market made up of countless people, when everyone is able to consider the industry itself, the average value obtained by everyone is the highest. It is the same for society. When everyone in a society tries their best to abide by morality, everyone can obtain the most benefits. We hope to prove this understanding through mathematical methods in the future. It is enough to become the foundation theory of a society. "
He Wen did not understand what Ning Yi said, but he saw him shake his head. "However, the development of society is often not the best system, but the second best system. For the time being, it can only be used as an explanatory theory. It is not easy to do. Mr. He, walk in …" He sounded like he was talking to himself, as if he did not intend for He Wen to understand.
Passing through the atrium and entering the innermost courtyard, the afternoon sun was quietly sprinkling down. The courtyard was quiet, and there was no one. Ning Yi opened the room in the middle. There were many bookshelves in the room, and three tables in the middle were placed together. A few stacks of draft paper were pressed down by stones on the tables, and there were some brushes, ink stones, and other things beside them. It looked like an office.
"Feel free to sit. Not many people come to this place. I came back last autumn. Every time I come to Ji Mountain, I'll call some trustworthy and smart young people over. I'll let them think about it and then write down some questions for the exam …"
Ning Yi pointed at the draft paper on the table, and He Wen picked it up to read.
"As I said, I do not trust the choice of the people now, because they do not understand logic, so I will promote logic. The Confucian way of the gentleman, the democracy we are talking about, is ultimately to allow people to be independent. All knowledge actually leads to the same goal. In the end, the glory of humanity is the greatest. My wife, Liu Guagua, hopes that in the end, the people will be able to take the initiative to choose the emperor they want, or to overthrow the emperor and choose the prime minister they want — it does not matter, those are all details. But the most important thing is how to achieve it. "
"Then let's take the exam." Ning Yi raised his hand. "What you are holding in your hand is the passport to citizenship … it is a waste and prototype. These questions that we have come up with need to be relatively complex, dialectical, and be able to accurately point out the law of society's operation. Here, I will not say that those who shout slogans are good people. We do not need such a pure good person to participate in the operation of the country. What we need is someone who understands the complex law of the world's operation, and is not discouraged, not extreme. In the questions, a person who seeks the middle ground … will naturally not be able to achieve that in the beginning. "
He Wen flipped through the draft paper and saw the description of 'pollution'. Ning Yi turned around and walked to the door, looking at the light outside. "If we can really defeat the Jurchen, and the world can be stabilized, we will build many factories to satisfy the needs of the people, let them study, and finally let them begin to vote. It does not matter what they participate in, but before voting, they must take an exam. The exam questions … for the time being, let's say ten questions. It is these questions that point towards complexity, and those who cannot answer them will not have the right to vote. "
He tilted his head to look at He Wen. "This exam can be discussed, can be plagiarized. We can release the questions one year before the exam and let them discuss it. In this way, the first batch of people, as long as they can write numbers, will have the rights of a citizen, and will have a voice in the country. Then, every five to ten years, these questions will be changed according to the development of society, so that everyone in society will understand the complexity of these questions, and try to understand the basic model of the country's operation. Let it penetrate deep into every school's classroom, into every aspect of every culture, and become the foundation of a country. "
"Then, these questions will need to be tempered and tempered, millions of times of discussion and refinement, and will need to condense all the shining points of wisdom and culture …"
He Wen clenched the draft paper tightly, raised his head, and gritted his teeth. "These questions will make all the people talk about benefits, will make all morals and etiquette unbalanced, and will become the cause of chaos!"
"Yes, of course it will be chaos." Ning Yi nodded. "The Confucian society is based on emotions, reason, and law, and it has long penetrated deep into everyone's heart. However, a true Great Harmony society must be based on reason and law, and supported by emotions. If people all talk about short-term benefits, then it will be chaos beyond repair. However, if these questions all talk about long-term benefits, then the core will be reason, law, and emotions! 'Four Peoples', 'Equality', 'Investigating Things', and 'Contract', they all have a common point, they all use reason as the foundation. Every bit can be clearly analyzed. Mr. He, defeating the emotions, reason, and law in everyone's heart is my true goal. "
"The world will be in chaos, there will definitely be chaos …" He Wen said in a low voice. "It's clear, why will you …"
"Of course it will be chaos." Ning Yi nodded again. "If I fail, it will just be a country that will rise and fall for one or two hundred years. What is there to regret? However, the people's yearning for independence will be engraved in everyone's heart, and the Confucian castration will never be complete. From time to time, they will ignite like a spark, and if people want to be independent, they can only use reason as the foundation. Success or failure, I will be the starting point of change. And as long as the Investigating Things is left behind, this change will not be a castle in the air. "
"In the past, when it comes to change, it has always been from top to bottom. If it is from top to bottom, it must be a party to those who are of the same faction and those who are different. Only when the interests of the people are tied to them, so that they can earnestly and effectively defend the rights of each and every one of them, will the so-called gentleman be in a group and not in a party truly appear. When the time comes, as an official, if you want to do something, they will lend their strength to you. They will become a part of your correct opinion, lending their strength to you to defend their own interests, and will not seek excessive rewards. All of this will only happen when the number of people who understand reason reaches a certain level. "
He took a deep breath. "He Wen, it is naturally good that you can clearly see the complexity and chaos in the middle, but does the Confucian School really have to walk the path? Once you walk out of this mountain range, you will see an increasingly large knot. Confucius said, to repay grievances with righteousness. He said that the ruler is the ruler, the subject is the subject, the father is the son, and the son is the son. He criticized Zi Lu for accepting an ox. He said that only when everyone understands reason and speaks reason will the world become better. When productivity is insufficient, it has been expedient for almost two thousand years. The Investigating Things will promote productivity, giving a possibility that is no longer expedient. It is time to walk back. "
"My student is quite good at practical learning, but he is still lacking when it comes to deeper knowledge. They have not thought of these questions well. If one day they defeat the Female Zhenren, I can summon all the great Confucians of the world to participate in the discussion and set the questions, but I can also do it first. There are already some Confucians in the Chinese army doing this, mostly in harmony, but it is definitely not enough. It will take ten or twenty years to refine. I want ten questions, and if you can think it through, you can stay and set the questions. If you can't think it through, but are still willing to stay for Jing Mei, you can do your best to refute and oppose them, and argue against all of these question setters. "
"If there are no two possibilities," Ning Yi paused, "then go home. I hope you find the path of Confucianism."
He Wen held the draft paper and waved it in the air, his gaze stern. Ning Yi smiled, "Before you leave, you just want to know what I have up my sleeves. I have told you sincerely, so think about it. If you want to argue against me, you are welcome. " After he finished speaking, someone at the door signaled for him to attend the next meeting. "I still have things to do, so I will leave first. If possible … treat Jing Mei well. "
Ning Yi left the room. There were still members of the Chinese army waiting for He Wen outside the room. The afternoon sun shone in through the door and window, and dust danced in the light. He sat on a stool in the room and flipped through the rough and awkward questions. Because of the complexity of Ning Yi's requirements, these questions were often obscure and awkward, and there were often traces of scribbling. There were also some words that had been written incorrectly on the draft paper:
"… Based on the basic concept of Physics and the observation of the world and society that humans live in, we can understand this basic rule: In the society that humans live in, all conscious and influential changes are produced by the actions of every human that makes up this society. Under the guidance of this basic rule, in order to seek the realistically achievable and universally sought fairness and justice of human society, we believe that humans are born with the following reasonable and legitimate rights: First, the right to live … "
This thing seemed to be written casually, and the handwriting was very sloppy. Perhaps because these words seemed like awkward nonsense, the person who wrote it didn't continue. He Wen roughly read through it and the other nonsense questions, and his mind was a mess. These things would obviously cause a huge disaster. He put down the draft paper, and even felt that Confucianism might really be destroyed by it …
He walked out of the courtyard and returned to the school. He packed his things, not planning to continue teaching at the school. That evening, when he was returning home with his books, someone pounced on him from the side and punched him in the face. He Wen was skilled in martial arts, but he was in a trance at the moment. He only managed to block the punch slightly, and his whole body was knocked to the ground.
*****
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
