Chunyu Yue glared and said to Li Shui: "You are simply quibbling. I took out two copper coins, which are obviously the same, but you said that the dust on them is different and the wear and tear is different. If you follow your quibbling method, everything in the world will be ruined. There’s nothing the same.”
Li Shui smiled slightly and said nothing. And those who came to listen to the lecture all turned around and looked at Chunyu Yue with a smile: "Dr. Chunyu, didn't you just say that about banishing the immortal? Everything in the world is different. Now you have come to the same conclusion. "
Chunyu Yue: "..."
He was silent for a while and said quietly: "Can a conclusion reached by sophistry be considered a conclusion?"
Then he suddenly found the key point and said to Li Shui: "Just now you said that the same thing is different at different times?"
Li Shui nodded.
Chunyu Yue took out the copper coin and asked, "Has this copper coin changed? Is it different from just now?"
Li Shui still smiled and said nothing, and the businessmen around him all laughed: "Dr. Chunyu, the dust falling on this copper coin must have changed. You can't see it with the naked eye, but you may be able to see it with Miss Zhu's microscope. "
Chunyu Yue glared: "Are you still using the same tactics to quibble?"
He lowered his head and began to think hard.
Li Shui was not in a hurry. He sat on the chair and said to the businessman: "Today is a rare opportunity to test whether what you have learned is solid."
Chunyu Yue: "..."
He was a little angry: This guy Huaiguzi, does he regard me as a whetstone? Okay, I will refute you one by one today.
In the past, Master Meng was eloquent and eloquent. Who was he afraid of? Today I, Chun Yue, want to revive the eloquent style of Confucianism.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind, and he thought of a way to defeat Li Shui. He said extremely excitedly: "I just said that everything is different at different times?"
Li Shui nodded.
Chunyu Yue said proudly: "But is there any difference between the old man at this moment and the old man just now?"
Chunyu Yue thought that when he asked this question, the businessmen would be speechless. Unexpectedly, these businessmen all had mysterious smiles on their faces.
Especially when there was a poor man in the corner who said excitedly: "I know this, we have already discussed this."
The poor man volunteered and said to Chunyu Yue: "Dr. Chunyu, you are different now from you before. For example, a few years ago, you definitely didn't know what a telescope was and what a gramophone was, but now, don't you already know ?"
"For example, the dinner you ate a moment ago hasn't started to be digested yet. Isn't it already more than half digested?"
Chunyu Yue's eyes widened: "Does this count?"
The businessmen laughed and said, "Why don't you count it?"
Chunyu Yue sneered: "This is what you call philosophy? Can these fallacies solve all problems? I really can't believe it."
Li Shui smiled and said: "What I said are the most basic principles in the world. If you want to solve practical problems, you need to make specific decisions based on these principles."
Li Shui looked at the businessmen: "Who can tell me?"
Immediately a businessman stood up.
The businessman said: "The villain is originally from Chu, and has been making chopsticks for three generations."
When he saw the banished immortal, he was stunned for a moment, and then explained: "These are the chopsticks that the banished immortal mentioned."
Li Shui nodded.
The businessman continued: "We cut down bamboo, made chopsticks, and sold them to various places, so we accumulated a lot of wealth. Now I heard that the banished immortal conquered the Peacock Kingdom, and the population of the Peacock Kingdom is no less than that of our Great Qin."
"So I thought I had found a business opportunity, and immediately ordered my clerk to recruit more people, cut down more bamboo, make chopsticks, and sell them all the way to the Peacock Kingdom."
"After the results came in, I lost everything, from the labor cost of the waiter, to the cost of buying bamboo, to the cost of making chopsticks, and then to the travel expenses. It actually caused a lot of damage to the villain."
"Later, the villain made some inquiries and found out that people in the Peacock Kingdom are used to eating with their hands. The villain here did not analyze the specific problems in detail and forgot that everything is different."
"I thought people in Daqin used chopsticks, and people in other places also used chopsticks. Hence this failure."
Chunyu Yue sneered: "Hua Yi is different and has different customs. Who doesn't know this? Do you still need such a flashy, mysterious and mysterious theory?"
Li Shui smiled and said: "My theory is not mysterious and anyone can understand it. I heard that Dr. Chunyu has been worrying about why Confucianism cannot govern the country. Maybe my theory can help you."
Chunyu Yue's eyes widened.
Li Shui said: "Excuse me, Dr. Chunyu, why do you always admire Confucianism in governing the country? Do you really think that Confucianism can govern the country?"
Chun Yuyue said: "Of course! Yao, Shun, Yu and Tang Wenwu were the models of Confucian governance. Confucius put forward the concept of Confucianism based on what they did. Therefore, although there were no Confucian scholars in the Three Dynasties, it was indeed Governing the country with practical Confucianism and etiquette.”
Li Shui said: "Since Confucianism is so good at governing the country, why is it that none of the dozens of countries in the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States practiced it?"
Chunyu Yue sighed: "The world is declining, and people's hearts are not the same as before."
Li Shui clapped his hands and said, "This is a change. After thousands of years, the world of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty is no longer the same as that of Yao, Shun, and Yu."
Chunyu Yue's eyes widened: "What's the difference?"
Li Shui said: "Yao, Shun and Yu were small countries with few people. At that time, the world was only in the Heluo area, with a population of only a few hundred thousand. With the so-called etiquette, the world can be stabilized."
"However, during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the world expanded more than ten times, and the number of people increased more than hundreds of times. At this time, the world has changed greatly. Does the ritual still work?"
"For example, the shoes that the doctor wore when he was a child fit perfectly and were very comfortable, but can he wear them again when he grows up?"
Chunyu Yue stared: "Then why do you say that Confucianism could not govern the world in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty?"
Li Shui smiled slightly, picked up a big brush, dipped it in thick ink, and then wrote a few ugly big words on the paper: Practice makes true knowledge.
Li Shui said: "Song Xianggong talks about benevolence and righteousness in vain, but what is the result? He becomes a laughing stock. But I, the Qin Dynasty, practice legalism and annex the world. The facts are all there, is there anything else to discuss?"
"For example, there are two bowls of soup in front of Dr. Chunyu. One bowl of soup is poisonous, and the other bowl of soup is not poisonous. I have caught two mice and tested it clearly. And doctor, you still have to discuss everything from smell to color. This is not Is it unnecessary?"
Chunyu Yue was speechless.
The businessmen all laughed twice, then took out pens and paper, and quickly wrote down the words of the banished immortal: practice brings true knowledge.
Chunyu Yue said: "Then... then why does the banished immortal now advocate the way of merchants?"
Li Shui said: "It is better to analyze specific issues in detail. Is the Great Qin at this time the same as the Great Qin after the annexation of the world?"
"At the end of the Warring States Period, the people had been fighting for hundreds of years and were miserable. At this time, I, the Qin Dynasty, asked for orders for the people to unify the world. But how to unify the world? There is inexhaustible food and grass inside, and the ability to conquer the outside A soldier who is good at fighting."
"Therefore, severe punishments were imposed, and farming and war were rewarded. All the people of Qin tightened their strings, and finally it took ten years to conquer the world. In these ten years, the people of Qin suffered a lot."
"And the Qin Dynasty has already taken over the world, and if it continues to implement severe punishments and laws, it will squeeze the people like cattle and horses. Is it okay? The people will definitely be dissatisfied, and the world will not be peaceful."
"Therefore, I made an analysis and thought that what the people want is very simple, just to live and work in peace and contentment."
"So I first increased the food production so that the people would not go hungry. Then I practiced the way of merchants and exchanged what I had, so that the people became rich."
"This is the beauty of analyzing specific issues in detail. Now the Qin Dynasty is stable and the people live and work in peace and contentment. Foreign countries surrendered without a fight. Doesn't this just prove that the way of merchants is useful?"
Chun Yuyue's lips moved and he said feebly: "However... merchants are cunning and buy cheaply and sell dearly. If things go on like this, everyone wants to be a merchant and make quick money. Are there still people farming? Are there still people working? Isn’t it? Isn’t our Great Qin going to decline quickly?”
Li Shui smiled slightly: "What Dr. Chunyu said about focusing on agriculture and suppressing business is already old history. It is still a mistake of not analyzing specific problems in detail."
"At that time, the world was barren and the grain production was very little. The people worked hard for a year, but they could barely survive starvation. Therefore, the court wanted to focus on agriculture and suppress business, so as to avoid too few cultivators and cause famine."
"And now? Since I implemented the field method and implemented chemical fertilizers, food is no longer a problem. It doesn't matter if there are fewer farmers."
"And since there is no longer any restraint on merchants and grain prices have been rising, farming has become profitable now. It is said that the area of reclaimed land this year has greatly increased compared to previous years."
Li Shui looked at Chun Yuyue in confusion: "Does the doctor not know these things?"
Chunyu Yue was speechless.
Li Shui smiled: "So, the doctor just relied on his own impressions to say that once there are more merchants, farmland will decrease?"
Li Shui shook his head, dipped his head in thick ink, and wrote a few big words on the paper: Without investigation, there is no right to speak.
The merchants were all enlightened and began to take notes again.
Li Shui continued: "Besides that, the appearance of merchants did not cause people to become confused and cunning. Businessmen are actually the fairest people."
"You pay with one hand and deliver the goods with the other. If you sell it too expensive, I will naturally find someone else. You lied to me this time, and no one will do business with you next time. If things go on like this, people will become more and more honest." "
The merchants present all nodded vigorously, looking deeply convinced.
Chunyu Yue said with some dejection: "However...so it means that Confucianism is no longer useful?"
Li Shui said: "Who can say for sure what will happen in the future? At least for a short period of time, it will not be needed. Even if it is used in the future, it may be modified, such as external Confucianism and internal Dharma, such as Bawang Taoism. "
"Confucianism is used to put on a facade. It is naturally magnificent and very beautiful. However, to really control a country, you still need some means."
"However, I feel that Confucianism's way of self-cultivation is not bad. Depending on the specific situation, it can be slightly modified to make Confucianism a tool for self-cultivation. Virtue and law complement each other, and may be of unexpected use in stabilizing the people of the world."
"As for governing the country...it seems a little inappropriate. A country is so huge, and the country is constantly changing. We must rely on the words of sages hundreds of years ago to govern the country. I am worried that it will harm the world. People."
Chunyu Yue sat on the chair a little slumped.
He was silent for a while, then slowly stood up.
He bowed his hand to Li Shui and said, "I have benefited a lot from the great talk of banishing immortals."
Then, he staggered outside.
Li Shui was about to send him off, but Chunyu Yue shook his head: "No need, I have some things to think about again. If the banished immortal is around, I won't be able to think clearly."
Li Shuigan laughed and said, "Then I'll go back first."
Chunyu Yue nodded and walked towards the gate at a slow pace.
At this time, Li Shui's voice continued to float into his ears.
Chunyu Yue heard Li Shui say: "Today, we will talk about special contradictions and general contradictions. Before we talk about it, I first want to talk about a concept called pilot..."
Chun Yuyue couldn't hear the rest of the words clearly because he had gone far enough.
He got into the carriage and prepared to go back to his home.
The carriage was swaying, and Chun Yuyue's heart became increasingly empty.
Tonight, he felt like he was completely drained.
It’s not that I’m drained physically, but I’m drained mentally.
Over the years, Chunyu Yue has armed himself with Confucianism. He is very upright and can find solutions from Confucianism no matter what difficulties he encounters.
Chunyu Yue felt that nothing in this world could stump him.
But today he suddenly discovered that the Confucianism he had always believed in might be wrong?
Is it really wrong to use Confucianism as a way to govern the country?
Chunyu Yue shook his head: "How could it be? How could it be? How could I have doubts about the teachings of sages just because of his words about banishing immortals?"
Soon, Chun Yuyue suddenly discovered to his surprise that this suspicion had long been rooted deep in his heart. He has ignored it and chosen to ignore it.
How long ago? Some people have criticized Confucianism for being unrealistic and criticizing Confucianism for teaching the king before the king but not the king after the king.
At that time, although Chun Yuyue didn't take it seriously, there was a crack in his heart quietly.
This time, Li Shui followed the crack and directly shattered what he was holding on to.
Chunyu Yue sighed, opened the curtain and looked outside the carriage.
Xianyang City, which was very desolate a few years ago, actually has a lot of lights outside.
They are the vendors who set up stalls. These poor people who were originally extremely poor and struggling on the verge of death came to Shangjun Courtyard to set up stalls to feed their families.
Chunyu Yue heard their conversations and their laughter. Such happiness seemed rare in the past.
Suddenly, he remembered Fusu's words: If the world were to be governed, it would not be through Confucianism. Are Confucius and Mencius happy or angry?
