"Your Majesty, even if this witchcraft is not trustworthy, it is still a bit ominous to order them to curse and kill."
Over the years, Zhou Chang felt increasingly unable to do so.
He is not young anymore. As an old minister who followed Emperor Gao’s founding of the country, his grandson Zhou Yi has now taken the important position.
Now, this Majesty is always causing trouble, so it’s okay to cause trouble. This person is “killing or burying”, and the burial matters are often handed over to Zhou Chang for the aftermath. Zhou Chang only felt exhausted physically and mentally. Not every old minister is Zhang Cang, and Zhao Tuo is becoming stronger as he grows older.
"Do you believe these witchcraft statements?"
"I just want to expose their true face!"
Zhou Chang sighed and said, "If Your Majesty wants to ban witch affairs, you can let Zhidu do more publicity in the newspaper, write some things related to witches and cheating, ruin his reputation, and let the people not easily believe it... This is not the fundamental method. You can ask Zhang Shaofu to deal with this matter. It is the most appropriate for him to do this."
Liu Chang looked at Zhang Cang next to him in surprise.
"Master? Is that true?"
Zhang Cang did not refute, but said calmly: "If Your Majesty gives you an order, I can do it."
Seeing Liu Chang was still a little puzzled, Zhou Chang explained: "Your Majesty, do you know how Xunzi views ghosts and gods?"
"have no idea."
"Your Majesty, Xunzi said: Why is it raining when it rains? He said: Nothing is there, it is still raining when it rains..."
Seeing Liu Chang's confused eyes, Zhou Chang sighed helplessly again and looked at Zhang Cang, "Come and tell His Majesty."
Zhang Cang nodded and looked at Liu Chang.
Liu Chang had never seen Zhang Cang look so serious. Zhang Cang always looked very lazy. There was no light in his eyes, as if he didn't care about anything and could not disturb him. But at this moment, he even saw the flash of light in his master's eyes, and people couldn't help but sit up a little, with a loud voice.
"My teacher said: There are certain routines in the operation and change of nature. It will not exist because Yao ruled the world, nor will it die because Jie ruled the world. If you use correct governance measures to adapt to the laws of nature, things will be done well; if you use wrong governance measures to treat the laws of nature, things will be done badly."
"My teacher said: Strengthening agricultural production and saving expenses will not make people poor; having sufficient living materials and being able to adapt to changes in the weather will not make people sick; and following the rules without making any mistakes will not make people suffer!"
"My teacher said..."
Zhang Cang's voice became louder and louder, and his whole person exuded an unprecedented state, as if a layer of seal on his body was touched, revealing the true body of a great scholar.
"The shooting stars fell and the trees burst. Everyone in the capital was frightened and asked: What's going on?
"My teacher replied: Nothing! This is a change in nature and things rarely appear! Don't be afraid!!"
"It rained when the sacrifice to pray for rain was held. People in the capital asked: Why is this?
"My teacher replied: Nothing! Just like it rains if you don't hold a sacrifice for rain!! Sacrifices are just decorations, and it rains if you don't offer sacrifices!!"
Liu Chang was stunned when he heard it, not only he was stunned, but he was even stunned.
Sacrifices are in vain? Is this really something a great scholar can say???
After finishing Xunzi's "Theory of Heaven", Zhang Cang talked about "Xiebi", combining many remarks from Xunzi such as "Xiashu's South". Liu Chang became more and more surprised as he heard it. Because he found that his ancestor was exactly the same as himself.
He did not believe in ghosts and gods, and believed that all witches were lying. He completely smashed the remarks that "Jie and Zhou were destroyed by no sacrifices" and shouted loudly: "Nature does not care about Yao and Shun or Jie and Zhou at all. As long as things are done wrong, anyone will be destroyed! It is not because of the power of heaven, but because of human power!!"
Liu Chang stroked his beard, and his eyes kept flashing.
He found another common point with his ancestors.
We all like to use allusions. We don’t ask about the origin of the allusions, we are all irritable, we all like to curse people, and we don’t believe in ghosts and gods... Thinking of this, Liu Chang was shocked. It turned out that I had reached the realm of Xunzi!
"How virtuous, it's a celestial!"
Liu Chang couldn't help clapping his hands and said.
Zhang Cang was stunned, how about you imitating Confucius?
After saying that, Zhang Cang naturally quickly returned to his original appearance, and his eyes became casual again, as if he would never focus on one place, with an indifferent look on his face, and he wanted to beat him up after seeing it.
After Zhang Cang explained this, Liu Chang could understand it, and naturally he understood what Zhou Chang meant. He found that Zhou Chang was really right. It was the most appropriate for Xunzi's school to do this. Xunzi's thoughts simply did not believe in these things. Even sacrificial sacrifices were false, let alone witchcraft.
"Master, I am going to build a mansion in Chang'an and summon famous scholars from all over the world to study the teachings of the ancestors!"
"ah?"
Zhang Cang was a little surprised. He shook his head, "I'm afraid that these people will make up random things and become the doctrine of a cheap scholar in a hundred years!"
"Hahaha, the true teachings of my ancestors are here, who can change them randomly?"
"Your Majesty, the teacher has many disciples, so it is possible for more talented people to take on the role..."
"No, you are the only one! How good you said just now! Even I understand it!!"
When Zhang Cang walked out of the Houde Hall with a stern face with Zhou Chang, Zhou Chang shook his head and said, "Your Majesty wants to promote Xunzi's theory. You can do this for Your Majesty with all your heart."
Zhang Cang didn't seem very happy, "My teacher once told me that when a school is attracted by too many people's attention, it will face the most severe test."
"I'm afraid I'm going to become the common enemy of all the sects."
Zhou Chang suddenly seemed to have a sudden realization and said, "Oh, yes, I almost forgot that you are different from others. You cherish your life the most. When the ministers are taking huge risks, you are the only one hiding at home and not going out on the pretext of being sick. For example, today the scholars are trying to make their school valued, but you only accept one disciple and are unwilling to teach others more. You don't care about your school at all... What you care about is your wife and concubine."
Zhou Chang was very dissatisfied with Zhang Cang's previous timid behavior.
Zhang Cang ignored Zhou Chang's ridicule and said with a smile, "I can't blame me, this is what the teacher taught me."
"Are you learning sexual intercourse with Xunzi?"
"At the beginning, the teacher summoned us to ask about our ambitions... Some of my senior brothers said they wanted to be prime ministers, while others said they wanted to be wise men... The teacher asked about my ambitions, and I said I wanted to be an official, and I ate meat every day and earned a few more beauties."
Zhou Chang was stunned, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Didn't Xunzi drive you out?"
"No, the teacher was not angry. He smiled so hard that he leaned back and forth, and then told me; if he really thought so, then do it."
"Now, am I just doing things as the teacher told me?"
Zhou Chang was speechless. He didn't react until Zhang Cang left and cursed: "If Xunzi knew that the number of beauties you mentioned meant hundreds of beauties, he would definitely not have said that!!!"
Zhang Cang returned to his mansion with a helpless look on his face.
He really didn't like these academic disputes. He accepted Jia Yi as a disciple because he was too lazy to debate. He wanted this incompetent person to help him collide with other schools. As a result, this incompetent person actually became the prime minister. This mess fell on his head again, but it was okay. If other schools came to find trouble, just shut the door and didn't see them.
Zhang Cang thought so, but things seemed to not make him happy.
When the emperor began to build the mansion with great fanfare and declared that he wanted to hire someone to study Xunzi's theory, the person in charge Zhang Cang became the object of despise. Who is Zhang Cang? Who is Zhang Cang? Who is the person who suffers from personal morality, is he worthy of doing this?
Zhang Cang didn't care about the insults of the unexpected, and refused several people to come to ask for advice.
But such behavior attracted more people to him. Zhang Cang's attitude gave others the impression that this guy was not good at debate and he was afraid!!
When Zhang Cang walked out of the mansion and headed to the Shao Mansion, his car was stopped by these people.
"Mr. Zhang? I heard that you are seriously ill, and I finally saw you today!"
Among these people who came to him, not only from other schools, but also from many Confucians.
Except for some people who oppose Xunzi, more people who actually oppose Zhang Cang. They agree to His Majesty's construction, but they all hope that they can take over this matter.
Zhang Cang just smiled, "Thank you for your love, I want to go to the Shaofu to do business and talk about it later."
"Please don't worry, we have something important to ask you for advice."
"I am a little uninformed. What are you asking me for advice? In Chang'an, Fu Qiubo is the only great scholar! I will only be convinced by such a great scholar in my life. If you want to ask for advice, you can go to him. If you want to impress me, you can also convince him first!"
Hearing Zhang Cang's words, a great scholar immediately said: "Mr. Fuqiu suffered from the court and is still recuperating at home. How can he find him?!"
"Then wait for him to heal... I'll leave first."
"Mr. Zhang is afraid of us?"
"Yes... I'm very scared of all of you."
"you...."
Facing this guy who couldn't get into the air, everyone was helpless.
Seeing that these people couldn't speak, Zhang Cang then ordered the driver to continue his journey. Just as Zhang Cang was about to leave, he suddenly heard a sentence from the crowd: "Xunzi Shaode."
Zhang Cang suddenly was stunned, slowly turned his head and looked at the people in front of him.
These people all raised their heads, and Zhang Cang searched among them for a moment.
"Mr. Zhang? What are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for a virtuous gentleman."
"you!"
"Are you a Confucian scholar in Mencius's school? Xunzi said: Mencius was defeated and had a wife, so he could be self-improvement, but he had not thought about it... Now it seems that he has not been able to improve himself, so how can he think about it?"
The Confucian man's face turned pale and his eyes widened in anger. Someone said, "This is not true..."
"Indulging in a romantic and self-contained manner, the beastly behavior is not enough to integrate the literature and govern the country... Is it still a hustle and arrogant disciple?"
The man's face suddenly turned pale and his hands trembled.
"Not the twelve sons."
Zhang Cang said that Xunzi's non-twelve sons can be said to have scolded all schools in the world, including Confucianism, which is completely violent.
But everyone in the Huang Lao School was not very scared at this moment. After all, although Fei Shizi scolded the Yang Zhu School and other factions, these Huang Laos were still not among them. Perhaps because of Xunzi's era, their influence was very limited, and even Xunzi was too lazy to scold them.
"I heard that you used Xunzi's theory to persuade Your Majesty to give up sacrifices. Is this going to bring crimes to the country?!"
Zhang Cang looked at the arrogant questioning of these people, and Zhang Cang probably understood in his heart that the words must have been said by these people. He asked calmly: "All you all attach so much importance to sacrifices and believe in the words of witches, isn't Wu the most evil?"
"You...you...you...no...no..."
These Huang Laos didn't even say a complete sentence. His whole body became soft and his eyes were full of fear. He was so scared that he almost collapsed on the ground, in a mess.
Zhang Cang drove away very calmly.
"Oh, I'm so troublesome... I have to come to me to debate... What should I do now..."
...........
"Mr. Fuqiu... All these mistakes are my faults... Please forgive me."
Liu Chang's face was full of helplessness, and now he sat on the edge of the bed, coaxing Fu Qiubo.
After Fu Qiubo was released, he was recuperating at home.
This is not because of any torture he suffered. No matter how crazy Hou Feng was, he would not torture an old man of such an old age. At most, he would kill him. This is mainly because of Fu Qiubo's guilt. He felt that as the head of the Imperial Academy, he could not protect his students. More than a hundred people died. Fu Qiubo was extremely sad.
During these days, he basically didn't eat or drink, and cried all day long, feeling that he was dereliction of duty.
When Liu Chang knew about this, he naturally hurriedly brought the imperial physicians to him. Liu Chang actually liked Fu Qiubo, the uncle. Although he now belonged to other schools, he was one of the few people in the temple who really understood Liu Chang and was still a very kind old man.
These elves went to the palace to write a letter, and were killed by Hou Feng despite Fu Qiubo's dissuasion. No matter how you say it, you can't blame Fu Qiubo. But Fu Qiubo didn't think so. He had already explained his funeral to his disciples and was preparing to apologize for his death.
He is another Warring States old stubborn!
Hearing Liu Chang's words, Fu Qiubo finally spoke.
"Your Majesty is not in Chang'an, what does this have to do with Your Majesty?"
"You were not in Taishang at that time, what does this have to do with you?"
"I didn't teach them well and let them take such risks... How could I be considered as having no mistakes?"
"This...If you say that, then I have not disciplined the minister well and I am also guilty."
Fu Qiubo was silent for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty... they have no selfishness, they are all for the sake of the great man... Maybe the idea is wrong, but they have no bad ideas..."
"I know... Don't worry, I will definitely prevent such things from happening again!"
"However, please eat something and don't punish yourself like this anymore. Otherwise, I will stay here with you. If you don't eat or drink, you will be treated as a punishment!"
This rogue tactic is the most effective. When Liu Chang asked someone to lay the mat here, Fu Qiubo finally surrendered and got up to eat something, but not much.
Liu Chang also tried his best to change the topic and turned the topic to Xunzi's theory.
Fu Qiubo said seriously: "It's great that Your Majesty can have such an idea... The teacher called us over to ask about our ambitions. Some of the senior brothers said they wanted to be prime ministers, and some said they wanted to save their own country. When I arrived at me, I said: I want to open a school, recruit more disciples, teach them carefully, and become a person like you..."
Liu Chang asked, "The ancestor must be very happy, right?"
"No, he said to me seriously: You can't be a person like me."
"Ah??? Have you offended him?"
"No, the teacher told me: there is only one, and there is only one uncle."
"Who is it?"
Fu Qiubo opened his mouth, and Liu Chang suddenly realized, "Oh, he meant himself."
"The teacher is right. I really can't be a person like him. I haven't taught my disciples well, nor can I protect them..."
Seeing that the topic was turned to this again, Liu Chang hurriedly cleared his throat and asked, "Ah, by the way, Mr. Lu also asked the ancestors. Do you know what Mr. Lu's original ambition was?"
"I know, he said he wanted to be someone like Su Qin and Zhang Yi."
"Okay, the ancestor didn't beat him up?"
"No."
"What about... what about Mr. Mao?"
"He said he could just read more books..."
"It's boring... By the way, where is my teacher?"
"Uh...I forgot."
After appeased Fu Qiubo, Liu Chang led everyone to the palace.
Chao Cuo lowered his head and followed Liu Chang. During these days, Chao Cuo has lost face and has performed well in his peers. He is the worst.
As arrogant as Chao Cuo, he could not stand this. He was depressed all day long, lowered his head and didn't even dare to say anything, as if he had changed his own person.
Liu Chang glanced at him and asked, "Wrong... Why don't you say anything?"
"I...really..."
"Okay, there is no need to say more about the past... cheer up, I have something to ask you for advice."
"Please say it, Your Majesty."
"You say that a person is particularly arrogant and doesn't take anyone seriously on weekdays. He argues with others everywhere, but he does nothing when something happens. Who can such a person be called?"
Chao Cuo's face turned redder, and he subconsciously looked at his sword.
This is too shameful, that is, the Han Dynasty has different styles. If it were twenty years ago, Chao Cuo should have committed suicide now.
Can ministers of the Han Dynasty be humiliated? They can be humiliated, but they can only be humiliated a little, not too much.
Looking at Chao Cuo who was ashamed, Liu Chang shook his head.
"It's wrong... Xunzi said; no matter how much you say, it's better to do something useful!"
"You usually think of yourself as noble, but this time? You were arrested by Zhao Ping... Even if you were arrested by Zhang Buyi?"
Chao Cuo's head was even lower.
"However, you are still young and have the opportunity to correct mistakes. In the future, you should not always argue with others. You cannot just be able to say or do it... Otherwise, you will become a person who only knows nothing. Do you know the allusion of Bai Qi burying Zhao people?"
"ah???"
"At the time when Qin and Zhao State were fighting, Zhao Kuo was the son of Zhao She, the Ma Fujun of Zhao State. He read a lot of military tactics on weekdays, but during the war, he had never even fought Bai Qi! Then Bai Qi buried many Zhao people! This looked like a person who only boasted about not fighting. If I were asked to come, Bai Qi would have run away with his head in his arms!"
"You can't be a person like Zhao Kuo!"
Chao Cuo opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but he held it back.
Forget it, I understand what Your Majesty wants to say anyway.
"I will definitely change my past in the future and do things with all my heart, and say less and do more!"