It is obviously the most appropriate for Li Ran, as the former Luoyi keeper of the Tibetan Chamber of Commerce, to advise the Chu state on how to restrain themselves and restore rituals.
If this can be achieved, then it will be a good way out for both Chu State and the whole world.
However, judging from the current situation, it is very difficult for Chu people to listen to this.
This is not entirely due to the personal reasons of Chu King Xiong Wei. There are actually profound historical reasons for this.
After Wu Ju listened, he thought for a while, and then just shook his head slightly. A look of doubt slowly appeared on his face again, his eyes flashed with doubts, and he stared straight at Li Ran:
"Oh? Sir, do you think...our country of Chu still needs to learn the hypocritical and pretentious rules of the Zhou people? Don't you know, sir, that our country of Chu has its own way of becoming strong? And these methods, How can we communicate with the Zhou people? Moreover, if we really do this, wouldn’t it still prove that our Chu country is not as good as the Zhou people after all?”
As mentioned before, the reason why the Chu Kingdom rose was largely because they were most dismissive of the so-called "Zhou Rites" of the Zhou royal family.
Divided we are weak, combined we are strong.
This is the reason why Chu State summed up the rapid decline of Zhou State.
As the saying goes, "stones from other mountains can be used to attack jade." Now that the Zhou people have learned from the past, what is Li Ran's intention now to promote their experience that has long been proven to be a "failure"?
What's more, as far as the Chu people themselves are concerned, they actually have many such experiences and lessons.
I think back then, the Cheng family and the Dou family were the two hereditary nobles of the Chu Kingdom. If their ancestor, King Chuzhuang, had not been able to turn the tide and liquidate the two major Ruo Ao families, the Cheng family and the Dou family, how could their Chu country be so strong today? Why do you want to compete in the Central Plains and think you are the leader of the world?
Therefore, Wu Ju would naturally not agree with Li Ran's "following the rules".
"Haha, I, Li Ran, have never said that if the Chu people follow the Zhou rites, it means that the Chu people are inferior to the Zhou people? This is really a big fallacy!"
"But I'm just saying that if the King of Chu is so arrogant and extravagant now, I'm afraid he will lose the hearts of the people in the world! How can he take the princes from afar and think that he is the leader of the alliance?"
Li Ran's explanation was also very clear.
The overall strategic goal of Chu State must be to dominate the world! Moreover, all the Chu kings in the past dynasties had this as their ambition.
If the Chu State wants to continue to strive for this goal, then "Zhou Rites" is a hurdle that they cannot overcome now.
Regardless of whether you Chu people agree with the "Zhou Rites" or not, if the current Chu king's behavior is based on the natural principles explained by the "Zhou Rites", such a country and such a king will sooner or later be in great trouble. of.
Therefore, naturally, other princes will not be in awe.
And this is just Li Ran's first reason.
"No, no."
"Sir's move may seem to shake the foundation of our Chu people!"
A coldness flashed across Wu Ju's eyes, and he immediately revealed Li Ran's "intention" in persuading him like this.
"Haha, what you are asking for, sir, is probably just a ploy to slack off our Chu. Although Wu Ju is not talented, he also knows the general trend of the world. Now, except for our Chu country, those princes who claim to 'rule the world with Zhou's rituals' What are they doing? And what is the intrigue between their monarchs and ministers?"
"If the king restrains himself, then the ministers of power will be in charge. If the ministers of power restrain themselves, then the officials will act arrogantly. Even in a small corner, there can be several countries coexisting with poor etiquette and no virtue. They are in conflict with each other. How can it be stupid?"
"The Zhou people themselves do not abide by their own rules, which shows that the 'Zhou Rites' are of little use. In this case, what is the use of this 'self-denial and self-cultivation' to the prince?"
Obviously, Wu Ju was still extremely repulsive to these so-called "Zhou rites" mentioned by Li Ran.
But what Wu Ju said is actually not unreasonable.
Do you advise me, the State of Chu, to restrain ourselves and restore rites? But look at the monarchs and ministers of your Central Plains countries? How can they have any trace of the authentic virtues of Zhou rites in their bodies?
Yes, when these great principles are quickly disappearing from the world, you are now trying to persuade me that the Chu State should abide by the Zhou rites?
Isn't this typical reverse brainwashing?
So do you think I will be fooled?
Obviously, Wu Ju believed that Li Ran's conventional things should have been thrown into the trash can long ago.
And the so-called "self-denial and restoration of propriety", those pretentious virtues, are actually no longer the key to "striving for world hegemony".
Faced with Wu Ju's answer that hit the mark, Li Ran didn't look very flustered. Instead, he showed a rather strange smile.
"Hehehe, it seems that Dr. Wu Ju only knows one thing but not the other."
"Then I dare to ask the doctor, what is the way to strengthen a country?"
He just asked this question with an indifferent smile, and Wu Ju's immediate answer was also very concise and clear:
"It goes without saying that you are a wise king and a wise minister."
Obviously, what he meant by "the king is wise and the minister is wise" refers to the upper-level state apparatus of Chu State.
In his mind, only the actions of those in power can truly affect the rise and fall of a country.
And this, but impartially, played into Li Ran's hands.
"Haha, what the doctor calls 'the king is wise and the ministers are wise' is nothing more than the official office and the ministers. In this case, wouldn't the so-called kings, kings and ministers in the 'Zhou Rites' be just right? This is the same as what Li Ran just said There is no difference between words."
"What's more, I think that what worries the King of Chu most now is not how to compete with others, but the troubles in his elbows and armpits!"
Once Li Ran said these words, they were immediately clear and clear.
Yes, this is the second reason Li Ran wants to say. Moreover, it is the most convincing one.
"What Dr. Wu Ju said is true. Since King Zongping of Zhou Dynasty moved eastward, the chaos in our Zhou state has been caused by the collapse of rituals and music. But just because of this, doesn't it just explain that the so-called monarchs and ministers in the 'Zhou Rites' How important is the meaning of justice to the rise and fall of a country?"
This is indeed an era in which rituals and music have collapsed, but "Zhou Rites" will never bear this responsibility.
To put it bluntly, it is not precisely because Zhou State no longer acted according to Zhou Rites, and even turned a blind eye to the "natural principles" explained by Zhou Rites. So, this led to the current state of Zhou people falling apart and declining like it is now?
Therefore, the core question returns to the issue of Chu State just now. How can Chu State maintain its strong position for a long time, conquer the nine princes, and bring order to the world?
Obviously, the most important key is to eliminate the current internal worries of Chu State.
In other words, if the Chu State cannot rely on a set of effective methods to maintain its own strong advantages, then how can it talk about the way to become a powerful country?
As a result, Li Ran finally brought the topic to the real theme that he ultimately wanted to express:
That is the orthodoxy of the current King of Chu, Xiong Wei, and the rules for the transfer of power!
As we all know, the current King of Chu, Xiong Wei, gained power by usurping the throne and killing the king. The position of King of Chu itself can be said to be unfair. If we don't find a way to ensure that all the emperors and ministers above and below them can stay in peace, then civil strife in Chu State will happen sooner or later.
Once civil strife broke out in the Chu State, whether it was a minister killing the king or a king killing his ministers, it would be a huge internal conflict for the Chu State.
By then, let alone fighting for world hegemony, being able to protect oneself will be considered a good thing.
After hearing this, Wu Ju seemed to realize the seriousness of this problem, and suddenly felt a little surprised.
He never expected that after Li Ran talked so much, the final argument would be this.
And precisely because he finally understood the point of what Li Ran was talking about, he was speechless for a moment.
Wu Ju was very clear about the internal situation of Chu State. As for how the current King of Chu usurped the throne, he naturally understood it very well.
Is what Li Ran said wrong? No.
What Li Ran said is indeed reasonable.
And the reason behind this is actually surprisingly simple:
Since the position of King Chu can be seized by usurping the throne, what about the others? Is it possible to kill the king and seize the throne through this method and become the next generation of King of Chu?
Such a way of handing over power is obviously not suitable for a country to develop and grow, and it cannot even ensure the long-term stability of a country.
Today's Chu State really needs a system to restrain the behavior of the monarch and his ministers, so that the monarch and his ministers can stay in peace and fulfill their duties.
So does such a system exist?
——
Chapter 229_Only spectators
So, is the method proposed by Li Ran trying to persuade King Xiong Wei of Chu to restrain himself and return to ritual?
Yes and no.
He said so many times, just to hint to Wu Ju that the current Chu State's internal problems are actually far more serious than external ones.
In Li Ran's view, today's Chu State needs a system similar to the "Zhou Rites" to regulate the respective duties of the monarch and his ministers. This will not only be of great benefit to "struggle to dominate the world with literature". Moreover, it can also make the government and officials, the rulers and the people be of one mind.
The most important thing is that it will also allow Chu State to avoid another turmoil during the future transfer of power.
If a country wants long-term peace and stability, and if it wants its national strength to grow, it is obviously not possible to rely solely on one generation of monarchs.
Therefore, the transfer of power is particularly important.
The Kingdom of Jin is a typical example. After the Kingdom of Jin experienced "Gong Xian killed a group of princes" and the "Rebellion of Liji", when Duke Xiang of Jin died, Rick, who was the official of the Qing Dynasty, killed Jin Jun Xi Qi first. , and then killed Jinjun Zhuozi, the chaos lasted for more than ten years. During this period, it can be said that there were constant internal troubles and external humiliations. It was not until Duke Wen of Jin came to the throne that the civil strife was temporarily calmed down.
Therefore, on this point, even Wu Ju had to admit it.
Of course he knew that what Li Ran was hinting at was exactly what kind of undercurrents were surging in the government and the public of Chu State today.
However, he didn't know what to do in order to achieve what Li Ran called a state where the king and ministers are wise and the top and bottom are united?
So, he had no choice but to continue asking Li Ran for advice. At this time, it was obvious that Wu Ju's previous disdain for "Zhou Li" had disappeared by seven to eight points.
"Since Sir mentioned this matter, he must have already had the answer in his mind. In that case, I would like to ask Sir to speak frankly."
Wu Li stood up and bowed to Li Ran again. His humble posture was clearly visible.
However, regarding this matter, Li Ran did not have a clear answer as to what kind of system could make everyone in the Chu Kingdom stay in order and work together.
After all, he himself is now looking for such a path, a path that can be applied universally.
It's a pity that so far, he can't say that he is really sure. It can only be said that until a better method is found, the "Zhou Li" in his mind in this life can be regarded as the optimal solution at present.
"As Li Ran said today, I think that for now, 'denying oneself and returning to ritual' is the most appropriate method."
After talking for a long time, we are back to the original point. What Li Ran said is really anticlimactic. As wise as Li Ran, what he can learn from now is still just copying the "Zhou Rites".
After Wu Ju heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
He originally thought that it would not be difficult to find a unique path for Chu State with Li Ran's ability to understand the past and the present.
However, Li Ran's answer did not satisfy him.
So, he replied to Li Ran very boringly:
"Only speaking of 'Zhou Rites', does this seem a bit far-fetched...or should I say..."
He originally wanted to say that Li Ran was talking nonsense.
It is useless to talk about it. What is this if it is not vernacular?
"Haha, don't forget, Dr. Wu Ju, but he is not from Chu. If you Chu people can have a better way, then you can just assume that Li's words were completely in vain, right?"
"As the saying goes, 'Misfortune and fortune have no door, they can only be summoned by people.' The success or failure of the Chu people depends entirely on the Chu people themselves. I, Li Ran, am just a foreign minister, so what can I do?"
That’s all I have to say, so you can do it yourself.
This should generally be what Li Ran is thinking now.
The kings, kings, ministers and ministers in "Zhou Rites" are definitely beneficial to the Chu State today. But whether you Chu people use it or not depends on you.
As an outsider, he, Li Ran, could only talk about it. If you think it will be beneficial to your country of Chu, just listen to it. If he felt it was inappropriate, then Li Ran would stop there.
"Sir's words... may be inappropriate. Aren't you afraid that I will let you hear it?"
Wu Ju was not to be outdone, with a hint of arrogance in his eyes.
You have already agreed to the king’s request to become a servant. What’s wrong? Are you here just to show off your picks? We, the State of Chu, have spent all this money just to hear you come here to promote "Zhou Rites"? If we Chu people don't buy it, are you really going to fight?
Wu Ju moved out of King Chu, thinking that Li Ran should be afraid.
And the implication behind his words couldn’t be more obvious:
Since he has been left in the Chu State, he should honestly discover and solve problems for the Chu State. Otherwise, given the temperament of the King of Chu, I'm afraid he won't be able to look good on him.
However, who is Li Ran? Will he be frightened by this battle?
Not only did Li Ran not feel afraid, but he even laughed wildly in disapproval.
His laughter was like the last touch of autumn wind in this season, rising and falling like waves, and its chilling meaning made people shudder.
"What are you laughing at, sir?"
Wu Ju was very puzzled.
"Haha, King Chu can just listen to these words, but what can he do to me? I, Li Ran, will still be able to lie down in this Zhanghua Palace in the end!"
Li Ran's answer was still very domineering.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Wu Ju's expression suddenly changed.
"Sir, trouble comes from your mouth!"
Wu Ju looked around and spoke in a low voice.
"After all, this is in Zhanghua Palace. What you said... are you really not afraid of getting into trouble?"
He only thought that Li Ran was humiliating King Chu.
As everyone knows, Li Ran's words have another profound meaning.
"Haha, Doctor Wu Ju misunderstood. What Li Ran said did not mean that the King of Chu was incompetent and could not kill Li Ran."
"What Ran means is that even if Ran is really indifferent to the affairs of the Chu State, I think the King of Chu will definitely not criticize Ran in the slightest."
"Oh? Are you so sure, sir?"
Although Wu Ju said this, in fact, both of them already knew about this matter.
As mentioned before, Li Ran's stay in Chu State was already a great help to Chu State.
If the King of Chu wants to do harm to Li Ran, how should the princes of the world treat it? Can the King of Chu's reputation as "a wise king and a wise minister" and "a man of merit" be maintained?
"Haha, if King Chu really wants to kill Li Ran, I'm afraid he won't recruit me like this again and again. Since King Chu has made up his mind, no matter what Li Ran does, King Chu will definitely not pursue him. "
After Li Ran finished speaking, he looked at Wu Ju again. Afterwards, the two couldn't help but look at each other and smile, understanding each other tacitly.
As for the disease of Chu State proposed by Li Ran, although Li Ran formulated a prescription, if he really wanted to cure this serious disease, it would depend on whether the people of Chu State accepted it or not.
But regardless of whether the Chu people are convinced or not, there is no doubt that if the Chu State cannot completely cure this stubborn disease, the Chu State's hegemony will not last long.
As for Li Ran, if he could discover this problem here today and raise it, he could be regarded as fulfilling his duty as a strategist.
After all, in this kind of thing, he can only act as a spectator.
