When everyone turned to look outside, they found that it was not Fusu who came in, but Hu Hai.
Ying Zheng said with a smile but not a smile: "Isn't this the governor of Longxi County Fusu? Has he turned into you like this?"
Hu Hai bowed and said, "My child is in Shangjun. I heard that my father was nearby, so I hurried on and came to pick him up."
Ying Zheng smiled slightly and said, "I have traveled hundreds of miles to welcome you to other counties. It's really hard for you."
Last time in Xianyang City, Hu Hai ordered Ji Ming to bribe the great man. Ying Zheng knew about this. From that time on, he became dissatisfied with Hu Hai.
But... Hu Hai is his son after all. After not seeing her for many days, I suddenly saw her today, and I felt a little happy.
And Chunyu Yue sighed slightly in his heart: "Young Master Hu Hai, you know how to be a good person. He has come all the way to see His Majesty. In comparison, Young Master Fusu, who has not shown up until now, makes people a little dissatisfied."
Chunyu Yue thought to himself: Could it be that he had been taught too many poems and etiquette in his daily life, which made him less understanding of the ways of the world?
But... when the monarch comes to inspect, isn't this the most basic etiquette for juniors to come out to greet him? Mr. Fusu, it’s impossible that he doesn’t even know this.
Just when Chunyu Yue was thinking wildly, Fusu arrived.
Fusu was wearing a set of Confucian robes. When he walked, he was panting slightly, which showed that he came in a hurry.
After he met with Ying Zheng, he kept apologizing, saying that he didn't know that the emperor came from afar and didn't greet him. He was really damned.
This made Chunyu Yue slightly stunned: "He doesn't know?"
Ying Zheng also looked at Chunyu Yue a little strangely and thought: Did Chunyu Yue not inform him in advance? Could it be that he is so confident that he wants me to see a Longxi County that I have not made preparations for?
Ying Zheng nodded to Fusu and said, "It's okay, sit down."
After Fusu sat down, Ying Zheng asked, "What have you done since you took charge of Longxi County?"
Fusu said: "After my son arrived in Longxi County, he set up a school and convened old Confucian scholars in the county to give lectures and promote enlightenment. Now it has been quite effective."
Chunyu Yue nodded beside him, thinking: Mr. Fusu, you have indeed lived up to my teachings. As long as the people know honor and disgrace and know their integrity, why worry about the world being unstable? Why worry about the country not being prosperous?
Fusu continued: "My son first set up a school in Didao City, and then gradually expanded it to nearby cities. It also expanded from Chinese people to barbarians. So far, more than 70 schools have been built."
Ying Zheng nodded and asked, "Besides building a school, what else is there?"
Fusu said: "In addition, the ministers also reduced taxes and recuperated with the people. In the city, twenty or thirty people were retained to maintain public order. In the countryside, clans were relied on to manage the place. , so even the government officials are saved.”
"In this way, the people's tax burden is greatly reduced, and they have more time to cultivate the fields."
Ying Zheng asked again: "What else?"
Fusu thought for a while and said: "Also... reduce the punishment and give leniency..."
Ying Zheng asked again: "What else?"
Fusu was a little confused: There is more? Still more like this? Haven't you done enough?
At this time, Hu Hai, who was standing next to Ying Zheng, suddenly grinned.
Ying Zheng glanced at Hu Hai and said, "What do you think of your brother's governance?"
Hu Hai saluted to Ying Zheng and then to Fu Su: "I'm just a little confused."
Ying Zheng said: "But it doesn't matter."
Hu Hai said: "Brother Cai just said that taxes and servitude would be reduced or reduced. Can this be understood to mean that fewer corvees are levied and less taxes are collected?"
Fusu said: "Naturally."
Hu Hai groaned: "No wonder along the way, I found that the roads in Longxi County are in tatters, full of potholes, and muddy. It can be seen that the corvee recruitment is not enough, and no one is building the roads."
Fusu: "..."
He felt that Hu Hai's perspective on the problem was a bit tricky.
Isn’t it enough for the people to live and work in peace and contentment? Does it matter whether the road is good or not? If the roads are built wide and smooth, but the people starve to death one after another, what will happen?
Hu Hai added: "Brother, what percentage of the food stored in the county is what it was in previous years?"
Fusu said: "Thirty percent."
Then he added: "This is how wealth is hidden among the people. Although there is less food in the county, there is more food in the hands of the people."
Hu Hai groaned and then asked: "If suddenly there is a flood or drought in a certain county. The people are in dire straits and the food rations are exhausted, how can my brother provide relief?"
Fusu was stunned for a moment, and then said: "Everyone in Longxi County is a gentleman. If there is a disaster in a certain county, the people in the county will naturally donate generously to provide relief."
Hu Hai added: "Brother has reduced the corvee, and there are only twenty or thirty government officials in the city. If suddenly there are thieves who make trouble, how can I suppress them?"
Fusu thought for a while and said: "Thanks to the education of ritual and music, everyone in Longxi County is a gentleman. If there are thieves, they will naturally fight to be the first to be loyal to the emperor and patriotic."
Hu Hai looked at Fusu with suspicion, obviously not agreeing with this statement.
In order to protect his apprentice, Chunyu Yue stood up and said: "Master Fusu, this is to govern Longxi County from the root. It can be seen that as long as the etiquette and music education are enough, then everyone will be a gentleman, and there will be no thieves. Even if Even if there are thieves coming from outside, you can live there defensively."
"Isn't it wonderful that the people don't need to pay more taxes and the country enjoys peace?"
Hu Hai smiled: "Since ritual and music education is so effective, how come Zhou, which is famous for its ritual and music, died?"
Chunyu Yue was stunned.
Hu Hai pressed forward step by step: "Since King Shang's reform, my father has unified the world. The national policy of our Qin Dynasty is to weaken the people. The wealthy people in Guanzhong moved to Xianyang. If the people have more than two sons, those who do not differentiate will be given twice as much wealth."
"Brother, do you know why? Only by breaking them up will they not gather together and cause trouble in the world. Only then can they be better controlled by the court."
"The people are stupid and need the court to plan for them. Collect heavy taxes to help them store food for the famine years. Collect corvee to cultivate their loyalty and courage."
Fusu's face turned livid with anger: "What's the truth?"
Hu Hai was unmoved, sighed, and continued: "My brother is in the countryside, withdrawing the power of the imperial court. He will give the power of collecting taxes and sending corvee to the so-called clan leader."
"In this way, within thirty years, there will be big households resisting the government. At the least, they will resist donations and taxes, and at the worst, they will raise troops to rebel."
Fusu's face was livid, he glared at Hu Hai and said, "You are alarmist."
Hu Hai chuckled, and then said: "Who doesn't want to go further? Who doesn't want to stand out? At that time, once chaos occurs, how will my brother deal with it? After all, my brother has been tolerant for many years and does not even have enough soldiers to suppress the rebellion."
Fusu said: "Even if that day comes, it's just a matter of conscription."
Hu Hai sighed: "The people are used to not having to perform military service. How can they be willing to be drafted suddenly?"
Fusu said: "These people, after being educated in poems, books and etiquette, will definitely be able to..."
Hu Hai smiled and did not refute again. At this point, there was no need to continue the debate.
He knew that this time he had already won.
Ying Zheng looked at Fusu with some disappointment.
This son is indeed a benevolent and righteous person, but... he is too kind and cannot control the world. It is even possible to be deceived by powerful officials.
Ying Zheng closed his eyes and suddenly felt that he should think of a way to let Fusu practice, preferably more harshly.
He wants to experience Fusu precisely because he has not given up on Fusu yet.
This assessment is related to the selection of the crown prince, but it is not the final result.
The emperor's selection would not be so hasty.
Ying Zheng opened his eyes and said to Fusu, "Get the household registration."
Fusu responded and sent someone to find the household registration.
Ying Zheng looked at it for a while, looked unhappy, and asked, "Why are there less than a thousand households in Longxi County?"
Fusu said: "My ministers did not prohibit the people from migrating. Therefore... some people could not bear the poverty in Longxi and wanted to go to richer places."
Hu Hai lowered his head and did not refute.
In fact, he was holding back a laugh.
There is no need to refute now. Almost every decree of Fusu is contrary to the emperor's.
Ying Zheng spent so much effort to immigrate to the border. Fusu is so good, he came directly and did not prohibit people from migrating. In order to show your benevolent government, you might as well give the people more money and ask them to stay.
Oh, by the way, Fusu has no money.
Hu Hai seemed to see the crown prince waving to him from afar.
Ying Zheng said calmly: "That's all, let's arrange dinner and drinks."
Fusu responded and immediately ordered someone to make arrangements.
He took the time to ask Chun Yuyue: "Master, how are you doing?"
Chunyu Yue stroked his beard and said in a low voice: "My intentions are good, but I am a little impatient. Some policies are obviously contrary to His Majesty. I am worried that His Majesty will not like it."
Fusu asked again: "Did I do the right thing or the wrong thing?"
Chunyu Yue said: "Of course I did the right thing. If you follow the teachings of the saints, how can you do it wrong?"
Fusu added: "Then why did Hu Hai refute me so much that I was speechless? I also saw Huai Guzi and Li Xin snickering beside me, as if they were laughing at me."
Chunyu Yue said: "First of all, you are kind and kind, and are not good at sophistry. It is normal that you cannot argue with Hu Hai. Does it mean that you are right if you win the debate? Huaiguzi is eloquent in the court and has never had an opponent. But there is How many adults think he is right?”
"Secondly, it takes a long time to govern a country with Confucianism. In the first ten years, it seems to be fruitless. However, after twenty years of accumulation, small achievements can be made. Thirty years later, the contribution of ritual and music education begins. When it appears, great rule will be achieved in the world at that time, which will be the foundation of all ages.”
Fusu's eyes suddenly lit up, and some of his original doubts gradually disappeared.
Chunyu Yue added: "Hu Hai loved the techniques of Legalism. He imposed severe punishments and laws to suppress the people. This was very effective, but the consequences were endless. It should be noted that the people are the most important thing in the world, the country is second, and the king is the least."
Fusu nodded and asked: "What about the business-based governance that Huaiguzi advocates?"
Chunyu Yue said disdainfully: "That's nonsense, I won't comment."
…………
At dinner that night, most people were not full.
Because everyone is used to steamed buns, fairy wine, stir-fry dishes in Xianyang City...
But here, none of that.
Mr. Fusu believes that those extravagant things will make people lose their way, so here they only cook beans, white meat, and vegetable leaves...
Everyone seemed to have returned to the unbearable past overnight.
Fusu was the only one in the audience, and he ate with gusto.
Chunyu Yue said with emotion: "One basket of food and one bean soup, lying in a shabby alley. People can't bear their worries, and they won't change their happiness even after returning home. Mr. Fu Su is truly a wise man."
The surrounding courtiers all nodded hypocritically in agreement.
When the banquet was over, the empty-bellied courtiers suddenly discovered that Li Shui and Li Xin had set up a stall nearby, selling fairy wine and steamed buns.
There are even craftsmen from Shangjun Courtyard who hold iron pots and cook on the spot.
When I asked about the price, it was higher than in Xianyang City.
The courtiers all cursed endlessly.
They had not eaten enough to begin with, thinking that His Majesty would not be able to stay here for long, and it would not be too late to find some food when they left Longxi County.
As a result, the smell of cooking made people unable to walk.
It seems...even hungrier.
The courtiers wanted to eat, but they didn't want to disgrace Mr. Fusu.
When I was hesitating, I suddenly found that some people from Longxi County had also gathered around me, and they were eating happily.
The courtiers all thought: If these gentlemen who have been soaked in ritual and music have eaten, how can we be so reserved?
So everyone ate happily.
Fusu felt that his face was almost swollen.
Chunyu Yue patted Fusu on the shoulder and said to him: "Food and sex are the same. It is inevitable that ordinary people cannot withstand temptation."
"The most abominable thing is this Huai Guzi. He uses food and wine to seduce the ministers. He is really a treacherous villain. He is comparable to Youhun Fei Zhong."
"If you inherit the throne in the future, you must distinguish between loyal and traitorous people. People like Huai Guzi cannot be reused. It is enough to let him stay in Shang Jun's courtyard and come up with some weird inventions."
"Of course, inventions that benefit the country and the people, such as printing and the Daida method, can be encouraged. For example, things like ambrosia and phonographs that are made to please the world must be destroyed on the spot."
"When choosing courtiers, you should also choose some upright gentlemen. Don't fall for Huaiguzi because of some small temptations."
Fusu bowed and said, "Yes, I understand."
He looked at his master with admiration, feeling that Chun Yuyue was that upright gentleman.
Suddenly, he heard Chunyu Yue's stomach growl.
The scene suddenly fell into embarrassment.
Fusu had to pretend not to hear.
Chunyu Yue stroked his beard, coughed dryly, and said, "I'm old and my stomach is not in good condition. Let's go and have a rest as soon as possible."
Fusu responded and accompanied Chunyu Yue to the arranged room.
When passing Huaiguzi's food stall, Chunyu Yue couldn't help but sniff. But the next moment, he felt that this was a great sin.
It was as if the aroma contained something evil, tarnishing his otherwise innocent soul.
So Chunyu Yue sighed in his heart and thought: Tonight, all I can do is memorize the Analects from beginning to end. Otherwise, I will also fall.
