"What's next … to become an emperor?"
The sun was about to set. Qin Shaoqian spoke up on the grassy slope. His words seemed casual, but naturally had an unusual meaning. No matter who it was, to be able to talk about the emperor in such an understated tone contained an unusual meaning in itself.
Ning Yi looked at the military camp in front of him, not looking at him. After a while, he spoke, "Do you know … when is the most perfect state in this world?"
"Hmm?"
"When I was young, I especially liked the feeling after finishing something. For example, after reading a book, you know you can rest after reading it, wash the dishes, and then you don't have to do anything else. You've satisfied the world's expectations, and your body is empty. When I grew up, I also pursued such a feeling, chasing after everything is done and then taking a break. But slowly, you will find that things can't be finished no matter what … "
Ning Yi's tone was regretful. Qin Shaoqian frowned, and then said, "But … you married into the family at the beginning …"
Ning Yi was silent for a moment, "… Let's make an analogy."
Qin Shaoqian nodded, "Oh."
"… It's been more than ten years since the Female Zhenren first went south, and we finally won a battle with great difficulty. We have sacrificed a lot, and it's even more touching when we think about the sacrifices over the past ten years. From here forward, there will be countless things and countless troubles, but at least this moment in front of us is perfect. We believe that the sacrifices of the past have their meaning, and that there will be infinite hope in the future. This kind of pure emotion can probably only be experienced a few times in a lifetime. Look at the sun setting … Elder Qin the second, when did you defeat Zong Han? "
Noticing Ning Yi's gaze, Qin Shaoqian touched his chin, not looking at him, "The twenty-fourth …"
"The twenty-fourth … Today is the twenty-ninth …" Ning Yi nodded, "It's been five days, Elder Qin the second, you celebrated the victory, saw off your comrades, laughed, and cried. You even posted all over the world to show off … I just arrived today, saw the wounded, and held a meeting for the whole day. My brain is still broken, and I sat here watching the sun set … I've thought about it many times, I have to sing, it's the surging Yangtze River, all water, remember …"
"Yes, the one you asked people to sing when my father died."
"That's right." Ning Yi raised his hand at the setting sun. "The rolling Yangtze River flows eastward, the waves wash away heroes … right and wrong … success and failure … the sky turns to nothingness … the green hills are still there, the sunset is red …"
He looked at Qin Shaoqian, and Qin Shaoqian looked away. After a while, he reached out and clapped. Ning Yi picked up a lump of soil from the ground and threw it at his head.
The originally serious scene turned into two big shots throwing dirt at each other. Not far away, the accompanying guards watched helplessly, not knowing whether they should go up and help. On the third throw, Ning Yi accidentally grabbed some mud from the ground and threw it at Qin Shaoqian's face. The two of them had no choice but to go to the stream to wash their hands and faces. Qin Shaoqian patted the dust off his coat. "Alright, let's talk in two days, okay?"
Ning Yi shook his head. "No, it's time to talk …" He then added, "You've ruined the atmosphere anyway."
"Pretentious."
"Straight man."
The two of them chatted casually as they slowly walked toward the hillside. Ning Yi thought for a moment. This time, he was the first to speak.
"Our problems have always been serious. We're short on manpower, and we don't have enough reserves. After the war in the southwest, our reserves have been depleted. Half of Hanzhong's forces have been lost. There are very few officials, teachers, and other talents who can carry on Huaxia's political ideals. You've also accidentally conquered Hanzhong, adding thousands of miles to the south. I can't cook without rice, and I was just worrying about it …"
Qin Shaoqian smiled. "With the achievements of the Huaxia army today, all we have to do is make a call, and people will come to us."
Ning Yi shook his head. "The problem is that it's too fast. The Huaxia army has suddenly become rich from poverty. Now, all their poor relatives are coming to us. Most of them are speculators, and only a few are truly knowledgeable and have political ideals. They're all from the Confucian school. Their ideals are also built on the foundation of the Confucian monarchy. In the past, I could slowly discuss and influence the Huaxia army. Now, I can't do that. In such a big place, there are vacancies everywhere. It's impossible not to use people. If I use them now, they'll be other people's people … I'll be hard-pressed for a while … "
"We were just talking about being an emperor, right?" Qin Shaoqian reminded him with a slight frown.
"Watch me beat them up in a meeting …" Ning Yi muttered and waved his hands. "Being an emperor isn't important. In such a big place, with such a huge change, the people's ability to differentiate isn't up. In a few decades, no matter what, power will be centralized. The person in charge will be the person in charge, it's just changing the name. President, Prime Minister, Speaker, Chairman … We talked about it before. The key to a system isn't what the boss is called, but how the successor is chosen."
"… Ning Xi's position as Crown Prince is gone just like that …" Qin Shaoqian sighed.
Ning Yi smiled. "We are brothers, if you like, you can be the first emperor."
Climbing up the hill, Qin Shaoqian frowned and looked at Ning Yi. After a while, he said, "You are really scary when you talk like that."
"If you can work hard for a few years and then retire, you will be a good role model. Actually, changing from inheritance to abdication is a new situation that hasn't been seen in a thousand years. There aren't many people I can trust. " Ning Yi smiled. "Of course, if someone doesn't come down, they might have to see Watermelon's knife. I might not be able to suppress her."
Ning Yi and Qin Shaoqian had worked together to kill the emperor for more than ten years. During this time, they had talked about various ideas, ideas, and futures many times. There was no need to repeat some words. Qin Shaoqian thought of Watermelon's radical ideas and laughed. Then he said seriously, "So, what do you plan to call me?"
Ning Yi was silent for a while. "… In terms of politics, what do you think about going down the path of the people's congress?"
"You have the final say on this. I have no opinion … However, after chatting a few years ago, I also mentioned a few of your ideas to some other people. Most of them felt that if you didn't kill the emperor, your original idea of establishing a constitutional monarchy and ruling by an empty monarch would be more stable."
"It's the opposite." Ning Yi's voice was heavy. "In terms of system, most apply the original rules and let the emperor step back. From then on, the real ruler will be the most capable. It sounds beautiful, but in fact, it is too idealistic. There is not much possibility of operation. The reason is that in this place, the idea of monarchical power is deeply rooted in the people's hearts. But after more than ten years of war, we say that there will be no need for the emperor to be in power in the future. It is feasible for a while. As long as there is an ambitious emperor, he can immediately restore the throne. In the end, most of our people are looking forward to a wise emperor. "
"Yes." Qin Shaoqian nodded. "Then what about the two-party or even multi-party rule that you mentioned before? In fact, more than ten years ago, when you just killed the emperor and rebelled, I could hear that you liked this. This system can ensure a smooth transition of power. Maybe you can really achieve a great empire that will last for thousands of generations. Today … are you sure you don't want to use it? "
"… The conditions in all aspects are still not enough." Ning Yi shook his head. "Multi-party rule can best reflect the essence of human rights since ancient times. That is, power equals responsibility, and responsibility is the premise of power. From the slave society to the feudal society, in the end, it is the people who are more and more responsible. They take responsibility on their shoulders, and then they get a little more power. Today, we set up a system, and it will also give birth to privileges. In the end, as long as you take more responsibility, your power will be greater. "
"… Once the multi-party rule is implemented and power is delegated to the greatest extent, it will require the people to have the quality to participate in politics. In the past, it was the emperor who made the decisions. Today, it will all be decided by everyone. In that case, there are several necessary systems that need to be established. First, a healthy news system must be in place. Whatever happens in the country, the people must know. Not only must they know, but the timeliness must also be guaranteed. In such a large country, there must be a decisive breakthrough in the dissemination of information. Things that happen thousands of miles away must be immediately known here … "
The two slowly walked forward. When Ning Yi said this, Qin Shaoqian glanced at him. "The thing that you asked people to study in the research institute …"
"It's still too early to talk about that." Ning Yi smiled. "… Even if we solve the problem of news and information, the people's ability to measure things is a rigid requirement. How do we view and deal with things that happen thousands of miles away? You must have a serious attitude and a relatively correct method. The core of our society's thinking is based on reason and law. There are many people who cheer when they see someone beheading someone. That will definitely not work. Even if a system is set up, it will collapse before long. We've talked about these things in the past. "
"Many years ago, you said that once a system is set up, a portion of people will begin to think about things."
"There will be a boost." Ning Yi nodded. "But in our society, if we want to reach that standard, we need a revolution … a complete revolution."
The two of them stood on the top of a small hill, looking at the distant horizon dyed red by the setting sun. It was like a great fire. Ning Yi said, "In the next half a year, there will be meetings in the Southwest. These are the things that will be discussed. I will tell you in advance. If you have any ideas, feel free to speak."
Qin Shaoqian looked at the setting sun. "More than ten years ago, after killing the Emperor, on the way to the Little Blue River, you first told me and Chen Fan about this matter. In these ten years, we have talked about it many times, but there is something that left a deep impression on me … More than ten years ago, when you talked about this matter for the first time, you were the most impassioned. Chen Fan and I were also the most excited when we heard it. But after that, every time we talked about it, you would frown, worry, and worry about it more and more …"
"But that's also why I told Chen Fan that you really want to do this …" He smiled and paused. "You've been killing the King for more than a decade. We've followed you all the way here. To be honest, your ideas sometimes make it hard for others to follow, but generally speaking, you've been right to get to where you are today. What happened next … I can't say. More than ten years ago, when you told us about it, I said that it was a good thing, to let everyone have education, to let people be sensible, to let people control their own lives … But you had a lot of concerns. Sometimes, we can't really see these concerns, and we also don't know where your concerns come from. You let Old Ox-Head, Chen Shanjun, and the others split up. Some of Watermelon's ideas, you suppressed them and didn't let her move. As for the idea of everyone being equal, we originally thought that you would push it out on a large scale. At the beginning, you seemed to have said that you would use a few big movements to push it forward, but it hasn't happened yet … In fact, we still feel more or less optimistic. Of course, the important thing is that you know what you're doing. From now on, you'll be the leader. "
Qin Shaoqian's words were both an expression of his position and encouragement. In fact, although he walked the path of a military general, the Qin family had been literate for generations. Qin Shaoqian was naturally well-read when he was young and had received personal guidance from Qin Siyuan. He could understand many of the things that Ning Yi said. The clouds in the distance burned even redder. Ning Yi nodded and was silent for a long time.
"Actually, to put it bluntly, this turmoil has lasted for too short a time …"
"Hmm?" Qin Shaoqian frowned.
Ning Yi's gaze was complicated. "More than ten years of turmoil and the deaths of millions of people are very important, but from a macro perspective, it's difficult to prove that the monarchy system is backward and unnecessary. Because in fact, it is indeed the only path that has been proven to be highly mature. The millions of people in the world can accept a few emperors, but it's hard to imagine a state without an emperor. Once the regime changes, ambitious people will still surge out. "
"Then … how many years will it take?"
"Perhaps it will be a hundred years of turmoil. Everyone will keep looking for a path, keep hitting walls, and use countless blood to prove that the past path is not working. Only then will a new path be walked …"
Qin Shaoqian's one eye was slightly confused. After a while, he stretched out his finger and rubbed the spot beside his eye mask. He narrowed his eyes. "… After all, we didn't experience this hundred years of turmoil. You speak as if you have seen it … You haven't seen what a hundred years of turmoil is like."
Ning Yi laughed. "Yes, I haven't seen it."
"It's only been more than ten years, and it's already very bitter. I don't know what you're thinking in that melon head of yours …"
Qin Shaoqian laughed. At this time, there was a wind blowing over the mountaintop. The two found a big rock nearby and sat down. For more than ten years, Qin Shaoqian couldn't understand some of the ideas that Ning Yi would occasionally come up with. Sometimes, he would be very forward-looking, and other times, he would be so stiff and cold that it made people speechless. This was the situation now. A hundred years of turmoil, constantly looking for a path, and constantly hitting walls. The system of monarchs could no longer be used, and then everyone in the world would agree to some new ideas. What kind of turmoil would that be? There were also several major turmoil in the history of the Han, but in the end, weren't they all resolved by the system of monarchs?
He heard Ning Yi's voice. "Without a hundred years of turmoil to prove, it's a bad thing, but of course, it's also a good thing … So today, I plan to take another path to force some ideas to appear. This is another path that was buried more than ten years ago. Now, it seems a little clearer. "
He said, "Investigating things and capital is the most powerful axis. On one hand, developing things and promoting the emergence of all kinds of new things, using a new business system and capital system to crush the old business system, using the spirit of contracts to ensure the expansion of capital, and at the same time, using the spirit of contracts to break the framework of reason and law …"
Qin Shaoqian blinked, a little confused.
Ning Yi continued, "Capital is not a good thing. When we allow it to expand without limit under the framework of contracts, slowly, in order to expand the workshops and increase profits, the merchant system will start to break the old land system. In order to fill the workshops with workers, they will use all kinds of methods to make farmers go bankrupt. In order to increase profits, they will use all kinds of methods to make workers work overtime, pay them less, and exploit them. At that time, everyone will start to fight."
Ning Yi's words were unusually cold, as if he was talking about the future, so much so that Qin Shaoqian frowned at this time. The words continued.
"Today, we tell everyone that everyone is equal. They don't know what equality is, and they don't know how to use equality. When capital starts to eat people, they will remember that there is still human rights and the knife of equality. They will start to shout such slogans, they will start to take to the streets, there will be demonstrations, there will be riots. Only when they really stand up for this kind of benefit will they really understand what human rights are. At that time, we will protect them, we will promote them, and equality and rights will really take root in their hearts. "
"…"
"We don't have a hundred years of turmoil and an irresistible enemy, so we can only use the tyranny of capital to prove the warmth of democracy. You say you don't know why I don't push those ideas out. First, I have been pushed by things for more than ten years, and there is no good opportunity. Second, it is useless to push it out. Rights that are given out of charity are not rights. If they want to defend their rights, they must stand in line, express their position, and cherish it … Then, we will promote the development of commerce and capital in the early stage, and in the later stage, we will guide their demands. In the next few decades, maybe it will be enough for us to complete this one thing. "
"… This is the only possible way that I can think of to let democracy and rights take root in people's hearts …"
"… As for the rest, including who will be the boss, what to do, and so on, they are all problems of a later stage …"
Two figures sat on a rock, and the tone of their conversation was not high. The mountain mist blew the flowing clouds, and the red clouds swept across the land.
*****
The two talked for a long time on the top of the mountain, until the sky was finally swallowed by the mountains in the west, and the stars floated in the night sky. The two returned to the military camp to eat, and they were still talking and discussing. They lit candles in the canteen and talked like this for half the night. When Qin Shaoqian came back from the toilet, he took a report and talked about Dai Mengwei. But then, he was shocked by another thing that Ning Yi said.
At the end of April, the war had just ended, and the breath of summer gradually brightened. Just as Ning Yi and Qin Shaoqian were talking about the plans and ideas for the next ten or even a hundred years, countless existences were already in an uproar against this background …
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