Han Shizhong followed Wang Zhong into the military camp and arrived outside Wang Xiao's tent. Looking at the open space in front, several instructors are training soldiers. The more than thirty students were serious, moved neatly, and looked very impressive.
Sitting down in the pergola, Wang Zhong served tea.
Han Shizhong took a sip of tea and said: "There are many armies in Kaifeng, but none of them are as strict as yours."
Wang Zhongdao: "Control, the people in Xiaoshe are very strict, so everyone has to obey orders."
Han Shizhong couldn't help laughing after hearing this: "Being able to make your subordinates obey orders is beyond the reach of most people. How many leaders in Kaifeng City can restrain their subordinates? Soldiers are not allowed to go out here. Everything is in order, which is very rare. "
Wang Zhong nodded in agreement. Wang Zhong didn't know whether Han Shizhong was right, but since he was an honored guest, it was always good to follow his advice.
After drinking tea for a while, I saw a large group of people, fifty or sixty in number, coming out of Wang Xiaolie's barracks. They all looked happy. Wang Zhong saw it and hurried forward to report. Wang Xiaolie came over quickly after hearing this.
Arriving in front of him, Wang Xiao said, "I didn't know that the ruler was coming, so I missed you from afar! Please forgive me!"
Han Shizhong responded: "No need to be polite. I have free time today and will visit you in the army. I don't want to disturb your business."
Wang Xiaolie had visited Han Shizhong several times, but unfortunately, the two never met. Han Shizhong's visit today is a return visit to Wang Xiaolie. During the Battle of Luoyang, Han Shizhong and Ding Jin had a conflict, and they fought endlessly after returning to Kaifeng. Knowing that Wang Xiaolie had also fallen out with Ding Jin, and that Wang Xiaolie had won several battles, he had a good impression of him.
After chatting for a while, Han Shizhong pointed to the departing people and said, "Who are these people? The people of Xiaoshe value them so much?"
Wang Xiaolie said: "These are some unworthy literati in Kaifeng City. After the Jin army came, they had no chance to leave and lost their livelihood. Our army was short of people, so we recruited them to work in the army."
Han Shizhong shook his head after hearing this: "Xiao Sheren, when is this? The army wants heroes who can wield swords and guns. What's the use of recruiting a group of people with awls? It's a waste of food!"
Wang Xiaolie said: "You can't say that. There is no harm in being literate. There are many things to do."
Han Shizhong just shook his head, obviously not thinking so. Unlike Yue Fei, who was kind to literati, Han Shizhong did not like literati very much, and they were also missing in the army. It was not until his later years, after he left the military power, that he learned to recite poetry and became a different kind of person.
The army that Wang Xiaolie wants is a new type of army that requires knowledge. Not knowing how to read is not enough. If you don't know a word of Chinese characters, and you can't even understand military proclamations, you can only fight as generals, and it's still an old-fashioned army. There were many down-and-out literati in Kaifeng, and many of them were hungry, so Wang Xiaolie recruited them into the army. Even if he can't do anything else, he can still teach his soldiers how to read.
Wang Xiaolie understood that these middle- and lower-class literati should not place too high expectations on them. Just put them in the right position and do the right job. Anything more cannot be expected. Fighting is a matter for soldiers. The so-called Confucian generals must first be generals before we can talk about Confucianism and non-Confucianism.
The middle and lower class literati are very difficult to deal with. To use a word from later generations, many of them were little literati. Why are they called literati? Because most of them have no feelings about their family and country, let alone the world in mind. Many people just hope to find a job where they can eat, preferably a job that is both leisurely and can provide them with good food. We say they are literati because they know how to read, not because they have literati feelings.
Small literati, or small intellectuals, as well as small proprietors, petty bourgeoisie, etc., are very difficult for the country to govern. They face the bottom and are familiar with all the dark sides of the world. Their lives are relatively superior and different from those at the bottom. Above them, there is an entire state apparatus, with many levels controlling them. In addition, they are literate and have a certain culture, and countless troubles arise.
In his previous life, Wang Xiaolie had a friend who was a middle school politics teacher. According to him, his teaching achievements are unparalleled. He once asked Wang Xiaolie a question. We talk about building a harmonious society every day, and so on. But why in life, for example, he has good teaching results, but all advanced rewards and so on depend on the leader's face. Moreover, the leader does not look at your teaching performance, but looks at who gives him gifts, who treats him to dinner, and who has a relationship with the leader. It's completely different from what's said in the book.
Wang Xiaolie's answer at that time was that he had not yet understood the reading. Thinking about it now, this answer should be appropriate. From middle school teachers, to officials at all levels, to national leaders, I don’t know how many layers there are. From the perspective of middle school teachers, the country's major policies such as harmonious society are of course used for teaching. I understand it in my heart, but they cannot guide work and life. It is normal for what you learn in books to be different from real life. But when you go up one level of bureaucracy and reach the top level of politics, it's completely different.
Objectively speaking, this is determined by their status in society. Of course there are characters who transcend their status, but most of them are limited to this class. After the founding of New China, going to the mountains and countryside and receiving re-education from poor and lower-middle peasants was a response to the characteristics of this class.
Social status determines social consciousness. Although it may not be true for individuals, it will not be too far different for classes. A social class with such a status in society will inevitably give birth to such a social consciousness, which is in line with materialism.
A society needs officials, capitalists, workers, farmers, small proprietors, petty bourgeoisie, and petty intellectuals. These are all inevitable. Since it is inevitable, we must admit that the social consciousness generated by these people is also inevitable. Society is complex, and so is social consciousness.
In Wang Xiaolie's previous life, society was changing very rapidly, and this change in social consciousness can be clearly felt. For a period of time, everyone was very poor, and the popular culture in society was about making money, and besides making money, it was about drinking, sex, and wealth. As society develops, the culture of petty intellectuals and petty bourgeoisie becomes popular. First, there are all kinds of thick black studies, deconstructing history, deconstructing reality, then Chinese studies, antiques, foreign wine, clubs, memberships, etc. These popular cultures themselves illustrate the progress of society and the changes in social consciousness.
For a while, a particularly popular article from this era was said to be "Ode to the Cold Cellar" written by Lu Mengzheng, and was even said to be the most extraordinary article in history. In fact, as long as you read a few sentences, you will have a clear feeling: How could the number one scholar in the Song Dynasty write such a thing? In fact, the "Hanjiao Fu" named after Lu Mengzheng was definitely not written by Lu Mengzheng. Because what is written in it is about the impermanence of fate, with obvious imprints of lower-class intellectuals. The popularity of this kind of article shows that the mainstream social consciousness at that time accepted this idea.
Everything in New China is changing too fast, and so is social consciousness. Many of Wang Xiaolie's thoughts are actually based on the consciousness of his past life, so he must pay attention to himself and remove those things that are obviously marked by the changes of the times.
This is the case with these lower-class literati. Don't place too high expectations on them, just use them in the right position. The talents you need must be carefully cultivated by yourself before they can truly be used.
During this month, Wang Xiaolie was not only getting familiar with the world, but also changing his own mind. Adapt your thoughts to the world. Only in this way, only if we do it well, can we truly change the world.
Naturally, Han Shizhong couldn't understand Wang Xiaolie's thoughts. After saying a few words, he changed the subject.
Watching the sun rise, Wang Xiaolie said: "Zongzong, it's really rude to speak here, please ask the accountant to speak."
Han Shizhong said: "We are the ones leading the troops in the war, why should we care about false etiquette! The weather is hot, and it is just right to talk here."
Wang Xiaolie had no choice but to agree. Instruct Wang Zhong to get the fruit and chat with Han Shizhong.
