Wei Zheng was a little stunned.
He originally wanted to raise a teacher to investigate, but he was annoyed that Fang Jun would teach such miscellaneous subjects as farming in a sacred place like the academy. But Fang Jun's last words seemed to ring an alarm bell in his heart, deafening and enlightening.
Once upon a time, all scholars in the world studied the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. This was a lofty ideal pursued tirelessly by generations of great Confucians.
But as Fang Jun said, if one day everyone in the world really studies the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, leading to the decline of all industries, is that really a good thing?
Let scholars go farming?
Let the scholar make iron?
Let the scholar burn glass?
Or let the scholar prepare the gunpowder?
"If all the scholars in the world become scholars who only focus on studying Confucius and Mencius, that will be the tragedy of the empire!"
This sentence is almost like an insult to a Confucian student, but if you think about it carefully, there is an irrefutable truth.
Wei Zheng frowned.
When Fang Jun wanted to set up a naval academy, he disapproved of it. Why was it necessary to spend such a huge amount of manpower and material resources to teach the reckless men in the army? He is completely familiar with things like fighting. Isn't it just one or two outstanding commanders leading a group of brave soldiers? As long as the commander's military quality is high enough and the soldiers under his command are brave and fearless of death, he will be able to sweep through the wilderness undefeated.
But the purpose of the Naval Academy is to train all soldiers to become commanders... Not to mention that this is impossible, even if it is really realized, what is the use?
A commander can lead a hundred soldiers to victory, but if there are a hundred and one commanders...how can the battle be fought?
It’s just nonsense!
But now, Wei Zheng felt that he should think about it carefully.
Could it be that Fang Jun's thoughts had already transcended the times and were above his own thoughts, and that he could no longer keep up with the rhythm and couldn't understand the meaning behind Fang Jun's various whimsical ideas?
While Wei Zheng was still deep in thought, Fang Jun continued to use his eloquent words to "incite rebellion" against this "Eternal Mirror" comrade who "remonstrated even without his life"...
"The empire needs scholars, and needs more and more scholars, but at the same time, you should also realize that after all, there are a lot of officials. With the rise of the imperial examination, there will be a large number of redundant officials. This is inevitable. Even so , there are still 99% of scholars who have no chance to become officials. For example, among the students in Zhuangzi, only three or five of the fifty students can become officials. What about the other forty or so? Should I delve into the learning of Confucius and Mencius in the pile of old papers, ignore the secular affairs and rely on my own loftiness, or should I apply what I have learned, use my knowledge to help my family live a better life, support my parents, raise children and grandchildren, and become an upright man who can stand up and honor his family?"
Wei Zheng's thinking was a little confused, and he gradually couldn't accept Fang Jun's ideas...
"Wait a moment, wait a moment..."
Wei Zheng frowned and interrupted Fang Jun's words: "Even if you have studied, you are just a domestic slave. Set up a family, honor your ancestors... Do you plan to release all these slaves who have studied in the future?"
Once you are a slave, you are not only a slave for life, but also for generations...
Slaves are the lowest class of people, and their fate and future are all in the hands of their masters. Their lives belong to the master's family, and the lives of their children and grandchildren still belong to the master's family. According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, if the master's family executes a slave in the family, it only needs to pay for the funeral expenses and compensate the family for some losses, and does not need to bear legal responsibility at all.
In other words, domestic servant servitude is equivalent to the property of the master's family, no different from livestock...
A slave who has read books is a very high fortune. Just imagine, if all the servants in the family were well-educated and sensible scholars, how noble and prosperous the family would be?
Of course, no matter how many books you have read, a slave is just a slave, just like an animal that depends on the master's family to survive. No matter when or where you are, your home will always be there to protect you from wind and rain.
Only civilians who have escaped from slavery can use words such as establishing a family and honoring their ancestors...
Fang Jun actually wants to convict all slaves who have read books?
Wei Zheng no longer knew what to say. He stared at the dark-faced but clean young senior official in front of him, wondering, are you so stupid that you are bubbling over, or are you as noble as a sage?
Fang Jun nodded matter-of-factly: "The Fang family has a huge amount of wealth and the skills to amass money. As long as the politics are correct, it can ensure that they will be wealthy for generations. Why use so many servants? The number of servants is used to show whether a family is prosperous. , it is too low-level, I don’t even bother to do it. If a member of the Fang family is released, he will be a middle-class person, and he will be a good person in society. This will provide the empire with an extra tax and an extra quota for conscription... "
Wei Zheng was in awe!
Today, every family is proud to hide its population. Countless slaves are not registered as civilians in order to avoid taxes, military service, and corvee. How did the extended family thrive? Hiding the population is one of the most important means. It embezzles the tax revenue and corvee that should be the country's due, and accumulates it for several generations, gradually becoming prosperous.
But Fang Jun did the opposite. If all the aristocratic families were like Fang Jun, how many more household registrations and population would the empire have? How many more taxes and corvees will be collected every year?
"Erlang's original intention is to serve the country and the people, which can be regarded as a model!"
This is what Wei Zheng said from the bottom of his heart.
Fang Jun held the tea cup in his hand and shook his head: "This is not the most original intention of someone. For an empire or a nation, poverty is not terrible, suffering is not terrible, and natural and man-made disasters are not terrible. You know the most terrible thing is What?"
Before Wei Zheng could answer, Fang Jun asked and answered himself: "Slavishness!"
"It's servility! People are slaves under the aristocratic families. They seem to have no dignity and are reduced to an existence like livestock. However, they also avoid the burdens of taxes, corvees, military service, etc. and only need to perfunctory day after day. In the past, you could get two meals and clothing. In years of great disaster, slaves are easier to survive than civilians. This is the reason. After being a slave for a long time, you lose your sense of responsibility and the courage and ability to be self-reliant. Therefore, slaves should After a long time, the bones will become soft and the spine will be broken. Once this servility is inherited from generation to generation, how can the Han people dominate the world and sweep across the barbarians? A nation accustomed to being slaves can only be slaves in the end... …”
Fang Jun's words were very emotional, because he knew what kind of suffering and humiliation the entire Chinese nation would encounter when they were invaded by servility!
The Han people, who had stood at the top of the world's nations for thousands of years, finally fell into the darkest, most cowardly and most miserable abyss!
After being a slave for a long time, you forget that you are a human being. If you want to stand up again, it will be difficult!
This was the first time Wei Zhengshang heard such remarks. While he was dumbfounded, he could not help but have doubts: "This... Erlang is a bit alarmist, right?"
"Alarmist? Haha..." Fang Jun smiled helplessly and shook his head.
The people in front of him can be regarded as the most knowledgeable group in the Tang Dynasty, but even he thinks that he is alarmist... I'm afraid this is still a euphemism. If it were anyone else, I would be afraid of "idiots talking about dreams" or "devious words to deceive the public" Words like that popped up.
This is the fact!
Why does the polar bear in the north maintain its dominance for generations? Just because it is located in a bitter cold land, the entire nation is constantly struggling to survive and forge ahead with determination. It has never given up to anyone and let the flames of war temper the soul of the entire nation!
I have never stooped down, so I naturally have the air to look down on the world!
After being a slave for a long time, you will naturally get used to groveling and lingering...
Not to criticize anyone, nor to brag about anyone, but this is the fact.
Wei Zheng felt Fang Jun's deep disdain, and while he was extremely unhappy, he also felt a strange feeling.
Could it be that I am really old and can no longer see clearly the general trend of the world and the future of the empire?
servility……
This is another word that has never been heard before. It is creepy to hear and thrilling to think about, but... it also seems to be alarmist. Throughout the ages, which era has not had slaves? The Jin Dynasty's journey south to Wuhuanhua was not necessarily caused by servility, right?
Wei Zheng felt that Fang Jun's talk was some fallacy. There must be some truth in it, but it was exaggerated. But in the final analysis, it is precisely because of the existence of slaves that the aristocratic families can hide their population as they wish, and have the tyrannical strength hidden under the water to change dynasties.
If everything is put on the table, all crises will cease to exist.
Wei Zheng raised his eyebrows: "So you will implement the census in Jingzhao Mansion?"
Fang Jun nodded: "Although it is impossible to curb the trend of population concealment, at least the family members must know that doing so is illegal and may be severely punished. Next, a certain committee will propose to His Majesty, the political affairs Hall, impose heavy penalties on the noble families who conceal their population."
Wei Zheng was speechless.
Not to mention Fang Jun's ability to govern, but this method of making money is indeed the best in the whole dynasty. The "urban management bureaus" in the east and west cities punished merchants with fear and fear. Ever since Fang Jun took office as Jingzhao Yin, Jingzhao Mansion has become the most well-funded yamen in the Tang Dynasty... …
