Zai Chun was still thinking about the exam Xiao Letian mentioned, the tyranny of Shunlong Yangtze Bank on the Yangtze River, and the helpless wails of the relatives of the dead sailors, all of which deeply stimulated the little emperor's heart.
He thought that Xiao Letian would help him and kill a few irrelevant foreign dogs, which meant nothing to Xiao Letian, but Xiao Letian stopped. He made it very clear that since you are angry, you should also open your mouth. , then it’s up to you to solve the problem.
The young emperor had been thinking about how to kill people during this time. He killed six foreigners to pay for the unjust deaths. It was definitely useless to resort to diplomatic intervention. He himself did not dare to show up in public in Jiangnan, let alone diplomatic intervention.
If you can't do it clearly, you can only use the underworld. Who said that a king must be upright, and killing people in the dark is also a method.
Everyone put down their chopsticks and listened to the murderous decree of the little emperor. No one dared to speak. When the angry little emperor repeated the atrocities committed by Shunlong Yangxing, people discovered that Zai Chun's eyes had filled with tears.
In this situation, Hu Xueyan didn't dare to speak at all. He lowered his head and pretended that he didn't exist. Xiao Letian was currently competing with a big crab, biting it loudly, and had no intention of answering.
The ball had already been kicked in front of the Zeng brothers. The two brothers really didn't expect that Zai Chun would make such a request. This was never what they expected.
It took a long time before the Ninth Commander smiled faintly, "Your Majesty, after all, this matter is a local criminal case and should be handed over to local officials. Besides, I don't understand. For the sake of three despicable sailors sailing on the river, I risked my life and... Is it worth the risk of Britain becoming hostile?"
In the end, the Ninth Commander muttered to himself in a low voice, "It's just three Han Chinese who died..."
As expected, Zai Chun couldn't help but burst into anger, "In my eyes, all the people of the Qing Dynasty are my responsibility. There is no distinction between Manchu and Han... Since they are my people, they have also paid taxes to me. I have an obligation to protect them."
"Hahaha..." Zeng Guofan laughed, "Your Majesty said it nicely, but things in this world are not that simple. Those who pay taxes may not be protected, and those who do not pay taxes are just treasures..."
Zai Chun knew what the commander was talking about. Wasn't it that the Manchus didn't pay for food? Not only did they not pay for food, but they also enjoyed the protection and support of the country. On the contrary, no one cared about the poorest Han people even when they died.
Zai Chun, who had red eyes, said quietly, "Back then, the bandit Tuo once said to Confucius that thieves also have a way of doing things. A husband thinks wrongly about what is hidden in his room. The sage is the one who enters first and is brave. The one who comes out later is righteous. Knowing whether he can do it or not is wisdom. Equal distribution is benevolence, and there is no one in the world who can become a great thief without preparation..."
"Look, even the local gangsters have their own rules. The Qinggang and Cao Gang also pay attention to morality when doing things. People who have collected protection fees know to protect businesses from being bullied by other gangs... Could it be that the imperial court can't do this? .”
"I am only 12 years old this year. I have not yet taken charge of the world. I don't understand everything. I can't guarantee that the rules left by my ancestors will be changed in the future. But at least I still have an innocent heart... I know what is right and wrong. When I see injustice, I am willing to reach out and help..."
"Could it be that the commander-in-chief and the prime minister just want to watch the fire in my heart go out? Do you ultimately hope that the person in charge is just a cold king?"
No one expected that Zai Chun would actually come up with such a great truth, put aside all the messy constraints and ties, and get to his true heart. This is what I think, and I will do the same. This simple and unpretentious statement The language actually brings out a little bit of the essence of Wang Yangming’s philosophy.
The unity of knowledge and action is the essence of Xinxue. Follow your own heart and move forward without losing your innocent heart. You just stand on the stage and talk about great principles, but you never do it yourself. Such a person is the Great Qing Dynasty. There are too many. What the Qing Dynasty needs now is people who can do something personally.
The little emperor wanted to assassinate six foreigners to avenge the Han boatmen. Zeng Guofan did not agree with this method, but Zeng Guofan must agree today, because the innocent heart of the little emperor cannot be dusted, and this fire cannot be poured cold water on.
The Zeng brothers, Xiao Letian and Hu Xueyan all stood up. They bowed and wanted to salute Zai Chun. "Your Majesty has such benevolence. How can I not obey? There will be good news within three days..."
Zai Chun looked at Xiao Letian excitedly. "Master, I have solved your problem. How many points can I get?" Xiao Letian said calmly, "I have a good idea but average means. I'll just settle for sixty points."
Ah, the little emperor was very disappointed and wanted to ask himself why he didn't get full marks, but later Xiao Letian was already talking to the Zeng brothers about the future development direction of foreign guns and fast artillery. Xiao Letian was trying to persuade the two commanders Don't buy so many muzzle-loading guns and Mini bullets. Sooner or later, those things will become obsolete.
The evening banquet lasted until after nine o'clock. I was very happy but not too drunk. That night, Zai Chun took a small sedan and lived in a small garden. It was Zuo Jigao's temporary residence in Jinling, but it was actually Xiang. A secret stronghold of the army, where many secret meetings were held.
Xiao Letian and Zai Chun separated briefly because he knew that Zai Chun needed a private space to make up for the lost forty points, and he had to understand what he was testing him for.
The midnight in Jinling was completely silent, with only the faint noise coming from the Qinhuai River in the distance. When Zai Chun sat upright and accepted the commander's obeisance, the little emperor suddenly had red eyes and tears rolling down his face.
Zai Chun actually stood up, bowed to the two marshals and said, "Please save me, please don't stand idly by. I am already in danger."
"Ah, why did your Majesty say this? Could it be that Xiao Letian dared to kill the king?"
"No, no, no, Commander, don't get me wrong. The danger I'm talking about is not around you, but in the city of Beijing..." There were only two brothers Zai Chun and the Zeng family in the room. The little emperor finally put aside all pretense and confessed to Zeng Guofan.
"Both commanders, I will tell you the truth. When Japan's Ryukyu army threatened the Emperor of Japan, I had an epiphany. This is an era of great change that has not happened in three thousand years. Sticking to the old rules will lead to death sooner or later. This is for sure. I don't want it. The Qing Dynasty is dead, so if we want to reform, we must conform to the trend of the times..."
"But the conservative forces will not hand over their power easily. Who will spit out the meat in their own mouths? Therefore, there will definitely be a battle in Beijing in the future. Whether it is an open battle or a secret battle, people will always die... Now look Come on, I’m the one most likely to die.”
Zeng Guofan and Zeng Guoquan took a breath of air. They didn't think that the little emperor was talking nonsense, but they didn't expect that such words could be said by a 12-year-old child. How did Xiao Letian educate him?
Note: It’s Monday. I’d like to ask the main site for red envelopes. The list of red envelopes has been cleared. Please search and see the Great Qing Hidden Dragon on this website. Thank you.
