Chapter 32: Fucking benefits
"So, should these Confucian scholars strive for some welfare for themselves while running the country and formulating rules?" Xi Xingchen asked.
All the elders looked at Zhou Zhenhai. Zhou Zhenhai opened his mouth, but finally gave up.
"It's so appropriate!" Xi Xingchen answered himself when he saw no one answered.
Zhou Zhenhai nodded in disbelief.
Xi Xingchen paused for a moment, letting the nine Mohist elders digest the topic just now, and then said word by word: "The most powerful thing about these Confucian superiors is that these benefits are not for themselves, but for everyone in the world. It belongs to scholars; and the scholars who can enjoy benefits have nothing to do with the wealth and background that the scholars once had."
Seeing everyone frowning, Xi Xingchen explained with an example: "For example, privileges. After Dai Andong won the election, he was no longer the same Dai Andong."
"It can be said that from now on, Dai Andong and the villagers who live together day and night are no longer the same kind of people. Because at this time, Dai Andong officially has the privileges that everyone in the world dreams of. With these privileges, his life is destined to undergo earth-shaking changes. .”
"For example, if Dai Andong went crazy and beat a villager to death one day, and the victim's family went to the county government to report him, without any real evidence such as witnesses or material evidence, Dai Andong would not need to go to court for a hearing. He would just Just send a servant to the court to explain the reasons."
"If a gentry with a good reputation is involved in a lawsuit, there is no need to appear in court in person. This is the first benefit that Confucianism gives to scholars all over the world."
Hearing Xi Xingchen say that Dai Andong could not stay in the hall after winning the election, Yuan Xingbang, the chief of the Discipline Hall, looked particularly solemn.
Others cannot see the benefits of this privilege, but Yuan Xingbang knows it very well.
When the defendant does not appear in court, the case has endless room for maneuver, and the plaintiff will most likely be unable to win the case.
"If the magistrate is full of energy and possessed by justice, and forcibly arrests Dai Andong, Dai Andong will not have to kneel in the courtroom like the torturer. He can stand and talk to the magistrate with confidence, because in theory he and the magistrate are the same. Level. The terrible thing is that the magistrate knows that he is a bastard but can't punish him because he has a reputation."
"If you don't kneel when you meet an official, you won't be punished by a scholar-official. This has been true since ancient times. This is also the second benefit that Confucianism gives to scholars."
As soon as Xi Xingchen said these words, the entire Mohist family fell silent.
"If the above two privileges are still bearable, then you will definitely jump up at the next privilege that Confucianism gives to scholars." Xi Xingchen said with a smile.
"Oh! So powerful?" Wen Gaoming didn't believe it.
"That's how powerful it is." Xi Xingchen was very sure.
"Then stop beating around the bush and straighten it out. It makes my head hurt." Wen Gaoming said impatiently.
"If you're impatient, don't listen!" Zhou Zhenhai was listening intently, and when he saw Wen Gaoming interrupting the rhythm of Xi Xingchen's narration, he immediately glared and said.
"You're awesome!" Wen Gaoming's job was to help Xi Xingchen buy time. Now Zhou Zhenhai took the initiative to speak to Xi Xingchen. He gave Zhou Zhenhai a rare thumbs up, and then said to Xi Xingchen, "Boy, then you have to change the situation." Say it, and I’ll listen.”
Seeing that this pair of living treasures rarely quarreled, Yuan Xingbang said to Xi Xingchen with great relief: "Let's talk more clearly."
"yes!"
When Xi Xingchen heard Yuan Xingbang's tone began to soften, he knew that his powerful medicine was starting to work.
"If the evidence is conclusive, the magistrate cannot directly convict Dai Andong. He must ask for instructions from his superior academic administration, who must remove his name before he can be sentenced and convicted. If this process is not followed, the magistrate is likely to be tricked by someone with ulterior motives. They impeached others, and finally got themselves involved."
"There is no shortage of people in this world who would take advantage of your illness to make things worse for you. In the officialdom, exposing flaws is tantamount to asking for death."
What Xi Xingchen is talking about now is the routine in officialdom. Zhou Zhenhai and Yuan Xingbang both know this and are very good at it, so they naturally have no objections.
"Even if he is convicted, because removing his title can offset part of his guilt, Dai Andong will most likely not have to pay for his life. Usually, he will pay some money to the perpetrator, and then be sentenced to exile in the frontier or jail for decades."
"Having a chance to avoid death is also the third benefit that Confucianism gives to scholars." Xi Xingchen concluded.
Yuan Xingbang nodded, confirming Xi Xingchen's judgment.
"Isn't this fucked up?" Wen Gaoming couldn't help complaining.
"There's something even more fucked up." Xi Xingchen said.
"After Dai Andong won the election, in addition to himself, his wife, children, and family members did not have to pay taxes and food, and enjoyed immunity from labor. This is why I said that after Dai Andong won the election, he would not fall into the trap of Yao Guoping The real reason for the clutches.”
"Not necessarily, right? If Dai Andong is a pauper himself, and his family doesn't have much land, even if he is exempted from taxes and labor, he will not really get much benefit." Wen Gaoming retorted with strong words.
Xi Xingchen smiled: "If I say that no matter whether Dai Andong has fields or not, he will have many fields, do you believe it?"
"Isn't this nonsense?" Wen Gaoming said angrily.
"Don't you understand this?" Xi Xingchen smiled and said, "Our people have a magical ability, that is, they can expand the country's policy loopholes infinitely. The exemption from taxation and labor is the greatest benefit left by Confucianism to scholars all over the world. Isn't it right? Is it as simple as it seems?"
"You're just talking nonsense! It's obviously not there, how can he conjure it up out of thin air?" Wen Gaoming was so excited that he immediately forgot Ximen Zhaixing's instructions and got into a fight with Xi Xingchen.
"Don't tell me, Dai Andong can really do magic." Xi Xingchen said without giving in.
"Hey, look at my little temper, can you show me how to change it?" Wen Gaoming rolled up his sleeves and looked at his posture. If Xi Xingchen didn't say that he was ugly today, he would not be able to do anything good today.
Seeing that Wen Gaoming was really angry, Xi Xingchen stopped making excuses and said, "Dai Andong doesn't have much land, but his relatives and friends do, his neighbors do, and those relatives who have gone through countless twists and turns do. Those small landowners, rich peasants, middle peasants, poor and lower-middle peasants whom I know or don’t know nearby.”
"What are rich peasants, middle peasants, and poor and lower-middle peasants?" Zhou Zhenhai listened the most carefully and immediately discovered the new terms in Xi Xingchen's words.
Xi Xingchen accidentally let it slip and uttered all the nouns used to classify people's origins in his previous life. He quickly made two haha words and said: "Even those who have more or less land, they can all attribute their land and property to Dai Andong's name." to reduce or avoid taxation and labor service.”
