As early as the Han Dynasty, hundreds of schools of thought began to unify.
Whether it is Mohism, Legalism, or Taoism, Yang Zhu has not really disappeared.
It was only after Confucianism became the orthodoxy of the dynasty and after thousands of years of development.
Except for the core concepts, most of these houses have been completely transformed and become part of Confucianism in disguise.
If it comes to scholarship, it makes sense for the academic school to be more rigorous.
But when it comes to governing the country, we are still limited by our family views...
It can only be said that this person is not good at home either in terms of knowledge or political ability.
To be honest, many of Chen Qinzhi's suggestions in "Ten Things to Beginners of Jinshi" are similar to those advocated by the Mohists such as frugality, respecting the virtuous, etc.
That's why Feng Yibo said that he "integrates the strengths of hundreds of schools of thought and will not be limited by his sect's opinions." Naturally, he was a bit lax.
"Master Hou, there is no need to put a high hat on me."
Chen Qinzhi smiled when he heard this, waved his hand again, and then said:
"Although I have no sectarian views, I am still a disciple of the Confucian sect. If the Marquis wants to use the name of a Confucian sage to practice Legalism, I will naturally think twice about it."
Before, he felt that Feng Yibo's way of spreading new knowledge was crooked.
But at this time, combined with further words and deeds, he had already noticed.
Whether it is asking others in the "name of a gentleman" or the so-called "well-off".
All of them vaguely reveal the style of the Legalist lineage.
Use the words of the sage as the criterion and the execution of the gentleman as the means of punishment.
It seems that he respects Confucianism, but in fact he practices Legalism.
Not to mention the so-called "well-off", which directly quoted the words of Legalism as an explanation.
It's not that Chen Qinzhi didn't like Legalism, but that the Wei Dynasty governed the country with "benevolence and filial piety".
To put it bluntly, it is to govern the country with the core of Confucianism, "ritual".
Of course he didn't know how to provoke the general, so before Feng Yibo could say anything else, he said again:
"Confucius said: 'If a person is rude, there will be no life. If a person is rude, there will be no success. If a country is rude, there will be no peace.'"
This "zi" is not Confucius. This sentence comes from another Confucian classic "Xunzi".
"Li" has developed into a set of patriarchal laws to maintain rule since the Western Zhou Dynasty.
In contrast, the era of "law" was a little later.
So strictly speaking, "ritual" is even greater than "law" in many cases.
Many times, not observing "etiquette" is also considered a crime.
When etiquette and law conflict, etiquette is often superior.
As the saying goes: kissing, respecting, growing up, men and women are different, so they cannot be changed by the people.
In the laws of the past dynasties, there is the principle of "hiding relatives from each other regardless of sin."
There is even a saying that "the five punishments are three thousand, and there is no greater crime than unfilial piety."
These are all extensions of "ritual" in "law".
When Feng Yibo heard this, he shook his head and said with a smile:
"I believe that virtue is used to cultivate one's character and law is used to discipline people."
He believes that morality restrains oneself, while the law protects the bottom line of life!
"It is Tao to have laws to follow, and it is virtue to be cautious in punishment. Morality goes hand in hand."
Feng Yibo used Tao and virtue to explain the relationship between law and etiquette.
He also said that the two are not in conflict and can complement each other.
Such a metaphor made Chen Qinzhi frown slightly.
But after thinking about it carefully, I feel it is quite appropriate.
However, as appropriate as it was, he still couldn't agree with it.
"The Great Wei ruled the world with benevolence and filial piety. It should be strict with itself and lenient towards others. The harsh punishments and laws will eventually be abandoned by the people of the world. It is stronger than the Great Qin and will perish in the second generation."
Scholars are like this, always talking about the tyranny of the First Emperor.
In addition to always saying that the Qin Dynasty "burned books and harassed Confucians", they also always talked about "severe punishments and harsh laws".
However, upon closer inspection, you will find that burning books and entrapping Confucians is pure nonsense.
It was entirely because the First Emperor wanted to unify his thoughts after unifying the world.
However, the Confucianists whom he favored were extremely opposed to this.
Even "Historical Records" writes that Confucianism opposed the system of prefectures and counties, which made the First Emperor furious.
"When it came to the end of the Qin Dynasty, poems and books were burned, sorcerers were trapped, and the six arts were lacking from now on."
It can be seen that what was burned was "Poems" and "Books", and this must have happened.
But the people they cheat are not Confucians, but magicians.
As for the so-called severe punishment, it was also confirmed after the Qin bamboo slips were unearthed in Suihudi.
Qin law has been under revision. After unification, it was considered strict, but it was also adapted to the times.
After that, Qin Fa gradually began to reduce the severity of punishments.
To put it bluntly, this is the case in the early days of any dynasty.
The Qin Dynasty only used heavy codes in troubled times and followed the rule of law.
For example, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang missed their terms. According to the data, similar defaults should be punished instead of death.
Because the rain and snow are missed, they will be exempted from punishment.
Therefore, there is a possibility that the two of them took advantage of the people below who did not understand the complicated Qin law to force everyone to rebel together.
There is a high probability that both of them are not farmers, otherwise where would their surnames come from?
Even Sima Qian's records also mention the "noble family" of Chen She and Wu Guang.
Generally speaking, the evaluation of Qin's law is that "although it is strict, it is fair, although it is harsh, it is correct."
Qin law was limited by the times and had its limitations.
But the later Han laws almost completely accepted the Qin laws.
This is equivalent to a major updated version based on it.
Of course, it may have been fine during the time of the First Emperor, but it would not be an exaggeration to call it "violent Qin" by the time of Hu Hai.
But this should be regarded as a human problem, not Qin Fa.
The only reason to insist on finding fault with Qin Fa is due to the limitations of the times.
Also, the update is too fast and the delivery is a bit slow.
Perhaps the most criticized thing is the lack of "benevolence" towards lawbreakers.
Those who accuse him of tyranny, are they doing it because they want to be restrained by Qin law?
Or was it because the Qin Dynasty unified the world and lost its privileges?
So after hearing this, Feng Yibo really couldn't agree, and immediately shook his head and said:
"The law is dead, but people are alive. Instead of worrying about harsh punishments, it is better to be more cautious when enforcing and punishing people. Isn't this the true virtue?"
He did not defend the First Emperor, because thousands of years of prejudice cannot be explained clearly in a few sentences.
Therefore, Feng Yibo could only find another way.
He found a place where "virtue" could be used in governing the country according to law.
Having said this, he paused slightly and then said in an upright voice:
"If we make an appointment with the law and judge with virtue, then the law and etiquette will coexist!"
The topic of the coexistence of rituals and rituals has actually taken shape in the past dynasties.
However, influenced by Confucian values, "ritual" is still the most important thing after all.
When Chen Qinzhi heard this, he somewhat understood what Feng Yibo meant.
"Are you saying that punishment should be used carefully to show benevolence?"
In fact, he also put forward similar suggestions in "Ten Things about Jinshi".
However, among his suggestions, there was only "benevolence" and no emphasis on the rule of law.
Therefore, he nodded when he said this, but then changed the topic and said:
"What the Marquis said makes sense, but isn't that what the Wei Dynasty is doing now?"
The Wei Dynasty ruled the world with benevolence and virtue, which was reflected in the process of joining the Ministry of Punishment.
For example: the three law divisions restrict each other, supervise and verify exchanges, and the death penalty belongs to the emperor.
Such caution towards human life is a reflection of careful punishment.
Also, except for the criminals who were sentenced to death, the rest had to wait until Autumn.
This kind of "suspended sentence" is also a manifestation of cautious punishment.
Maybe there will be an amnesty during this period.
It is not an exaggeration to say that careful punishment is a manifestation of benevolence.
Therefore, Wei Dynasty already had such a law.
This is what Chen Qinzhi puzzled over what Feng Yibo said.
"Yes, but more than that."
Feng Yibo shook his head when he heard this and asked:
"Cautious punishment may have been achieved to a large extent, but has the law been followed?"
There is caution in punishment, but it is not necessarily true that the law must be followed.
Do not say that the whole country will be amnesty at any time, just say that the emperor will make a decision, and many people will escape the sanction of the law.
Not to mention the fact that officials protect each other, there are even people who follow the principle that "a doctor cannot be punished".
In Feng Yibo's view, this is an act of privilege and violation of the law.
At this point, he sighed:
"The laws of Wei are actually very complete, but not perfect enough."
Chen Qinzhi's heart moved, and he said with a strange expression:
"You mean..."
…
Afterwards, Feng Yibo and Chen Qinzhi talked secretly for a long time.
From reform to party formation, from the rule of etiquette to the rule of law, from universalism to privileges, and from...
In short, when he came out of Chen Qin's house, Feng Yibo's face was full of fatigue, but he was also excited.
A few days later, he asked Dabo to go to Xiaohuazhi Lane to deliver the message.
The agreement between Feng Yibo and Yuan Chun was to send a message before each court meeting.
Yuanchun would regularly ask Baoqin to go to Rong Mansion, and he would have a special person responsible for keeping an eye on Xiaohuazhi Lane to determine whether there was any new news.
In this way, both parties will know their respective thoughts at each court meeting.
At the subsequent court meeting, Yuanchun and Chen Qinzhi sang "three invitations and three speeches" in front of all civil and military officials.
In fact, the rhetoric is still the same.
It's nothing more than "the government needs veterans like you" and "we orphans and widowed mothers are helpless."
In the end, Emperor Jingshun was dragged out and sold out.
This time, Chen Qinzhi really "could not refuse" and finally reluctantly took over the position of chief assistant.
Seeing this, all the officials in the court breathed a sigh of relief.
They felt that the turmoil of the new emperor's accession to the throne was over, and the government had entered a stable stage.
The upstarts of the Tiantai and Jingshun dynasties have now become veterans.
Under the influence of Prince Zhongshun, all the new rich people in Shandong were directly imprisoned.
The rest of the upstarts are still under investigation.
But when the situation in the court stabilized, they all couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
I hope they can take a breather under the new regime.
The people who founded the country were still immersed in joy and were elated all day long.
Especially those who were related to the Jia family felt that they had become the new favorites of the dynasty.
Many people quietly let go of their hands and feet and prepared to fight.
While making money, it also adds insult to injury to the new rich's arrogance.
Needless to say, Rongfu is bustling with traffic every day.
Even if you don't ask for help, go and look familiar.
The new party has a backbone and feels that it has hope.
Many people sent greetings, either seeking refuge with Chen Qinzhi or seeking refuge with Li Shouzhong.
There are also many wall-riders who try to throw from both sides.
In short, let’s find a wall in the cabinet first.
For a time, the situation in the court was indeed relatively stable, and all officials were happy.
What they didn't expect was that a series of personnel changes would follow.
Although it had little impact on them, those who were interested soon discovered something strange.
These changes are more or less related to Feng Yibo.
Either his sect, his same age, or his hometown.
These people are still in the prime of life, but they all hold important positions in the ministry.
Li Shouzhong became the second assistant, and it was not surprising that his protégé, Feng Yibo's fellow disciple, would be promoted.
But two of Feng Yibo's friends were unexpectedly promoted.
Yang Mingxin went to the Ministry of Industry and became the head of the Department of Renovation and Cleaning of the Fifth Rank.
Forget it.
Liu Zheng was directly promoted to the right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the third rank, responsible for the assessment of the administration of foreign officials.
Zhou Jun, who was far away in Jiangnan, was also transferred back to the capital.
He was appointed as a fifth-rank Yuanwai Lang in the Ministry of Household Affairs.
Even Wang Zhishan, who had some interactions with Xiangshan, was transferred back to the capital.
He joined the Ministry of Punishment and became the head of the sixth grade.
In the eyes of hundreds of officials, this is simply like "one person attains enlightenment, a chicken or a dog ascends to heaven."
So, there was another one on the wall.
This wall does not restrict civil and military personnel.
Whether it is the new rich, the founding of the country, or the new party.
They all rushed over at once.
But like Chen Qinzhi and Li Shouzhong, Feng Yibo also thanked guests behind closed doors.
In addition to some old acquaintances, they will also let me know.
Don't ask about the rest, they just disappear.
For this reason, the number of disciples in the Feng Mansion increased directly from sixteen people in the second class to forty-eight people in the third class.
Even if it tripled, it was still too much to refuse.
In the end, I could only let the invitations pile up, and all the gifts were rejected by Feng Mansion.
This approach did not reduce the enthusiasm of the officials.
Because they discovered that not only those related to Feng Yibo had been promoted.
All the memorials he wrote were accurate in the court.
This further confirmed Baiguan's suspicion.
Needless to say, Li Shouzhong was Feng Yibo's mentor.
The family now lives in the Feng Mansion, and obviously plans to retire there.
Of course, everyone in the DPRK and the Central Government knew about this.
The Queen Mother was rescued by Feng Yibo. She was grateful for his contribution and paid special attention to his opinions.
When the new emperor ascended the throne, he gave several favors.
Giving him face at this time was also expected by everyone.
Jiahua Jiayu Village, a clan member of the Jia family, obeyed the Queen Mother in everything.
Naturally, he also agreed with Feng Yibo.
This is taken for granted.
But the problem is that even the chief assistant Chen Qinzhi's attitude towards Feng Yibo is somewhat ambiguous.
Almost all of his petitions were acquiesced.
This left hundreds of officials puzzled!
But if you don’t understand it, you still don’t understand it. The facts are there.
This time, their enthusiasm was aroused even more.
Any foreign official with some connections, regardless of whether they meet or not, will definitely visit Feng Mansion when they return to Kyoto.
Otherwise, if others hear that he has never been to Feng Mansion, they will know that he has few connections in the court.
And if he falls into the eyes of the Marquis, he will naturally be promoted and make a fortune.
For a time, all the officials heard the news and tried to think of ways to interact with the Feng Mansion.
The wives and concubines in the back house of Feng Mansion often receive invitations from various parties. Needless to say,
The Xue family and Li family who live in Feng Mansion also receive countless requests every day.
Even the servants of the Feng Mansion are highly respected outside.
If Feng Mansion hadn't managed the family well, most of the people he would have used were old people who had met in Nanhai.
People who know his "Black Dragon King" methods are less likely to dare to act recklessly.
Otherwise, I am afraid that the servants of Feng Mansion would have become unscrupulous slaves like Jia Mansion.
If you act recklessly outside, no one will dare to control you.
After the new emperor ascended the throne, Feng Mansion's momentum was unprecedented.
It is even worse than the Queen Mother's natal family, Rongguo Jia Mansion.
Even Baiguan gave Feng Yibo an elegant nickname in private.
Logically speaking, the official title of the Minister of Rites should have been "Little Zongbo".
But Feng Yibo, the Minister of Rites, was different.
His energy is much higher than "Little Uncle Zong".
At present, even the six ministers are not as effective as his words.
So in private, all officials call him...
Xiao Ge Lao.
