Zhang Yue heard that Zeng Gong was coming and went out to greet him personally.
He walked out and saw a thin man following Zeng Gong.
Zhang Yue looked at the man for a moment, but saw that the man was looking at a cluster of flowers and plants in his yard. His expression could be described as cold and stern.
Zhang Yue quickly looked away and smiled at Zeng Gong: "Brother Zigu!"
Zeng Gong smiled and said: "Save it."
The two smiled and held hands together.
After chatting for a while, Zhang Yue smiled and said: "Brother Feng Shen is handsome and handsome. I wonder which relative or friend of Brother Zigu is he?"
Zeng Gong glanced at the other party, and the other party immediately bowed to Zhang Yue.
Zeng Gong smiled and introduced: "This is Shi's disciple Xuan, who is now transferred to the capital as Zuo Lang."
Zhang Yue knew who it was as soon as he heard it. It turned out to be Zeng Gong's younger brother Zeng Bu.
They were both Jinshi in the second year of Jiayou's reign, but Zeng Gong was only among the top five candidates, but Zeng Bu ranked much better than him.
It’s also quite strange that my brother, who is more famous for his articles, is ranked lower than his younger brother.
In the history of another time and space, the Zeng brothers were both great men. The older brother was one of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, and the younger brother became the prime minister and the most effective general in Wang Anshi's reform.
Unexpectedly, in this time and space, his brother would actually introduce him to him.
Also, there is nothing to say about his relationship with Zeng Gong. It would be strange for him not to bring him.
In fact, he had a good relationship with five of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties. As for the other one...
I remember that this kid in front of me has the habit of writing a diary... I wonder how he would evaluate himself secretly?
Zhang Yue met Zeng Bu and then invited them inside to drink tea and chat.
…
And now in Wang Anshi's mansion.
Zhang Dun met Wang Anshi in official uniform.
Wang Anshi was not facing Zhang Dun. When Zhang Dun came in, the servant had just served Wang Anshi a cup of tea.
Wang Anshi noticed that he was thirsty, so he fetched tea and drank it.
Zhang Dun wanted to salute when he saw this, but he retracted his hand and stood aside.
Wang Anshi put down his tea bowl and looked at Zhang Dun and asked, "Why don't you see me?"
Zhang Dun replied: "Mencius said that adults should despise them and do not regard them as majestic. The lower officials want to talk about inner Han, so they do not regard them as majestic."
Wang Anshi's face was expressionless when he heard what Zhang Dun said. This actually showed his disdain for provocation. There are many people who want to deliberately make big words in front of me, and you, Zhang Dun, are the oldest.
Wang Anshi said calmly: "What do you have to say to me?"
Zhang Dun said: "Nei Han has been the hope of the world for thirty years, and the world is looking forward to him. The prince is naturally smiling proudly, hugging his knees and sitting in danger. After entering the capital, the officials asked the prince for advice. The most urgent task for the prince is to change the customs. , legislative degree'."
"I think the prince's consideration is not appropriate. It is better to change it to 'strict customs and strict laws'."
Wang Anshi knew immediately that Zhang Dun and Li Chengzhi in front of him were the people he was looking for. He said to Zhang Dun: "Zihou, sit down and talk."
Zhang Dun said with an expected expression: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for sitting down."
…
On the side, Zhang Yue and Zeng Gong were talking.
It turned out that after Zeng Bu came to Beijing, he wanted to try for a job in the library and wanted to be recommended by officials. Originally, with Ouyang Xiu's relationship, this matter was not difficult for Zeng Gong at all, but now Ouyang Xiu has been demoted.
Zeng Gong then thought of Zhang Yue and wanted Zhang Yue to help him find recommendations from senior officials.
Zhang Yue did not agree directly, but looked at Zeng Bu and asked: "Zixuan, how are you doing with Confucian classics? How are you doing with literature and history?"
Zeng Buqi said: "The examination for the position of the library is to test poetry, articles, and the right words. Why do you ask about Confucian classics, literature and history?"
Zhang Yue couldn't help but laugh, and Zeng Gong said: "Although my brother is stupid, what he said makes sense. I don't know why he is laughing?"
Zhang Yue smiled and then said: "Please forgive me, Kunzhong. In fact, with Zixuan's talent, poetry and articles are not included, but is the position of the library just for writing poetry and articles? The most important thing is to understand the classics in order to prepare for the emperor's advisors." !”
Zeng Gong nodded when he heard this and said: "I see, Du Zhi's statement makes sense."
Zeng Bu on the side said very straightforwardly: "It's fair to say that Bu thinks otherwise! The position of the library is the choice of the nobles. It is important to prepare the emperor's advisers, but the most important thing is to use one's knowledge and experience as an official to assist the world's governance. How can it be just How about making a bookcase?"
Zhang Yue was stunned after hearing this. He finally understood why Zeng Bu looked unconvinced from the very beginning of their meeting. It turned out that the other party was a practical person, so he was not interested in someone like him who had been serving as an official in the central government and had no local practical experience. The officials were less than impressed.
Zhang Yue laughed when he heard this and said: "Zixuan, what is the so-called governance? To put it bluntly, it is to solve problems!"
"So we want to help the emperor solve problems, why should we use the classics and history?"
"Because scriptures are horizontal and history is vertical!"
The so-called classics are horizontal and history is vertical, which means that we look at problems from two angles: horizontal and vertical.
What is the Sutra?
In other words, the Confucian classics are an ideology. The so-called ideology is a conventional method for solving this problem, so that it is convenient for everyone to coordinate, so that no one person has the same solution.
For example, if you associate with a brothel girl, one person thinks it is romantic, and the other thinks it is immoral.
There are many people with both views, but ideology is to unify everyone's views and believe that doing this is wrong.
What is the so-called sutra?
That is, when we politicians want to solve a problem, we must take into account the views of the majority of people.
For example, if I want to go to a brothel, you will know that this is wrong if you use your brain for a moment. If your good friend goes, you must advise him. If you are an official and there are scholars under your rule who stay in the brothel all day and night, you can take it. This thing spanked him.
As for history, it is vertical.
Politicians solve problems in the present, and all past events can be used as a reference.
Since the classics is about understanding ideology, why do we need a general history?
Zhang Yue said to the brothers of the Zeng family: "In the past, Kumarajiva's eminent monk Zhao said in his theory that things will not change. People seek the past from the present, saying that it cannot live; I seek the present from the past, knowing that it will not change. Not going."
"Why do you say this? Look for things in the past, but you have never experienced nothing in the past; blame things in the present, but they have not yet existed. Since you have not yet existed in the present, you know that things will not come; you have not experienced nothing in the past, so you know that things will not go away."
What Zhang Yue said was very mysterious, but it was actually very simple.
Seek the present from the past, so you know that things never go away. People think that things in the past have passed. This thing seems to be far away from you, but in fact it is not. Just like the books you have read, the meals you have eaten, you Along the way, I have even suffered losses and been deceived.
These seem to be things in the past, but they have become a part of your body, becoming your experience, knowledge and nutrition that remain with you.
Therefore, when a person encounters a problem now, the methods and means to solve the problem are actually judgments based on your past experience and practice.
On the other hand, we seek to preserve the past and the present, saying that it will not go away.
There are always various regrets in life. For example, if I had worked harder in twenty years, I would never be where I am today.
If I hadn't said those words that made the girl angry, she would have been my wife by now, etc.
If you take that question more seriously during the exam, you won't be wrong.
But it’s not the case. Even if you live your life again, you will still fall if you should. That girl will not become your wife. You will still make mistakes when you encounter that question.
why is it like this? Because the conditions and environments you live in today are different from those of you in the past.
Just like we often feel sad for what happened in the history books, and always think about what we should do, but history is not accidental but inevitable.
Of course, unless you are a time traveler, because you are no longer the same person you were before.
Therefore, don't regret the past, because there is no second reason to explain except your own taste. But you learn from it, and whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
This is the essence of the theory that things do not change.
Things in the past have not come back, so where are things going now?
If the things in the past don't make you who you are today, then where will you go today?
Why is the national policy of the Song Dynasty to strengthen the branches and strengthen the weak branches, and use culture to control military force? Knowing that all the soldiers they trained were so bad that they couldn't even fight, why not go back to the pattern of vassal towns in the Tang Dynasty and let warriors lead the army as Jiedu envoys?
After Zhang Yue finished speaking, he said: "The scriptures are popular and are established principles for the world. History seems to be far away. We don't need it on daily basis, but when we encounter difficulties, it is the true truth!"
"If a person acts regardless of the common principles, no one will believe what he says. But blindly caring about the common principles is like succumbing to popular customs, and is farther and farther away from the true road. Therefore, history must be used to correct the meaning of the classics. absurd."
"As members of the library, why do we need to be familiar with classics and history to prepare ourselves as advisors to the emperor? Does Zixuan understand?"
Zeng Bu stood up at this moment, without any trace of his arrogance, and said with an expression of admiration: "Zhang Zhengyan has great views, Bu has learned a lesson!"
…
Zhang Dun said to Wang Anshi: "I have heard that wise men and gentlemen know the way of prosperity and decline, know the number of success and failure, judge the trend of chaos, and understand the principle of leaving and ending. Therefore, I live in hiding to follow the way and wait for the right time."
"It's the right time for a prince to come out of the mountain. It's the right time for us to seek governance from ministers. It's the time for our generation to make achievements. There is no other person in the world except the prince who can do this. As for the princes changing customs to the officials, legislation is the way to go. The path of prosperity and decline lies in the number of successes and failures, and the judgment is based on the management of chaos."
Wang Anshi nodded slightly when he heard this, but there was a noncommittal look on his face.
Zhang Dun ignored Wang Anshi's cold expression and continued: "The so-called change of customs, what is custom, is the conservative custom of this dynasty for hundreds of years. The ministers in the dynasty adhere to the Confucian classics and the words of sages, but they don't know that now it is The autumn of life and death."
"The meaning of the scriptures will not change, the customs will not change, and the old-fashioned spirit in the court will not dissipate! Therefore, it is necessary to write a new meaning of the scriptures and make it clear that the world will practice it. If the word change is too slow, it is not as sharp as one! Scholars will not Those who study the new scriptures and principles are not allowed to be officials!"
"As for legislation, the prestige of the imperial court is gone. Without prestige, there is no way to legislate. Why is Shang Yang erecting a tree at the south gate, and a thousand pieces of gold and a promise? Because if you want to legislate, you must do what you say, and what you do must be effective!"
"When Fan Wenzhenggong reformed the law, the whole court opposed it civilly and militaryly, and the officials were divided. How can we blame the people in the world for being skeptical and violating the new laws issued by the imperial court? Why is this? It is because the prestige of the imperial court is not established."
"Therefore, I would like to propose to the prince that in the future, if any legislation is enacted, anyone who makes any false remarks about the new law should be immediately beheaded outside the south gate!"
"How outrageous!" Wang Anshi slapped the case angrily.
