"Hey! Young Master! Don't look around! Don't look around!"
The old servant driving the car screamed in horror.
A young man standing on the carriage, about the same age as Liu An, was looking around. There were many carriages here, even forming a long queue. Looking back, he couldn't see the end. Maybe he had been waiting for a long time.
, there were irritable people cursing, and from time to time there were conflicts. Heavily armed soldiers walked around with cold faces. Anyone who caused trouble would be whipped, but almost no one dared to resist them.
This is the East Gate of Chang'an. Under the strong sun, most people are anxious. Some even lie under the carriage to block the blazing heat. The old man driving the car keeps wiping the sun on his forehead.
Sweating, some Tang Hu people in the distance were already naked to the waist. The people around them shook their heads in disdain. These Tang Hu people are so rude.
Here, you can hear all kinds of strange dialects from all over the world, and you can also see people with all kinds of faces, such as the Hu people from the Tang Dynasty with high nose bridges, the short, dark and thin South Vietnamese people, the Liaodong people with big faces and small eyes, and people with extremely complex skin.
The white people from the Western Regions speak all kinds of dialects together, making them so chattering that it makes people have a headache.
The young man had never seen such a scene before. He stood very high and looked at those strange people with a smile on his face.
The old man was a little scared, fearing that his gaze would offend these rude people.
"There are soldiers here, you don't have to worry!"
As the young man spoke, he looked at the mighty soldier again. His eyes were filled with fire as he looked at the weapons all over his body. A soldier passed by and glanced at him displeasedly. However, seeing that he was a half-grown child, he did not follow him.
He hesitated, turned around and continued to move forward. The old man looked bitterly and looked at the road ahead again, "Why haven't you moved forward yet? How long will it take?"
The young man suddenly sat down, took out some food from his sleeves, and said while eating: "This is already very good!"
"Don't you know? At the beginning, people in various places could not leave their hometowns at will. They had to be certified by local officials and had sufficient reasons before they could leave their hometowns. In the Qin State, anyone who left home without any reason would be regarded as a exiled citizen.
The punishment is the current Holy Emperor. He has abolished the original decree and allowed people from all over the world to travel freely to various places without the need for local officials to testify. This is how we have today's prosperity. The Han Dynasty can be so strong because of the Holy Emperor!"
When the young man talked about the Holy Emperor, his voice rose a lot and his eyes were fiery.
The old man didn't speak. How could he not know? He lived from the Qin Dynasty to the present... What the child said was his life experience.
"As for the current congestion in Chang'an, that's because this is Chang'an. Under the emperor's feet, if you want to prevent anyone from bringing in a crossbow, you will naturally have to check it. There are many people coming and going, so it is naturally like this. But this cannot be blamed on the emperor. If
If it weren’t for the Holy Emperor to expand Chang’an, I’m afraid this team would be able to line up all the way to Luoyang!”
The young man's eyes were full of longing, and he asked: "I have been waiting for so many years and I have already arrived in Chang'an. What's the point of waiting a little longer?"
"The Holy Emperor is an unprecedented sage, but he is surrounded by useless sycophants who know nothing and only drag the Holy Emperor down all day long. The Holy Emperor lacks people like me around him!
"
The boy's words became more outrageous and his voice became louder.
People on the carriages in front and behind all poked their heads out in surprise, wanting to see what kind of person it was that was saying such big words. When they saw that it was a child, they didn't say anything more.
But facing so many eyes, the old man just felt embarrassed, and said hurriedly: "Don't talk nonsense! Young Master, the Master asked you to come to Chang'an to study at the Imperial College, not to join the palace to assist His Majesty Zuo.
..."
"Tai Xue??"
"Oh, are the people in Taixue worthy of teaching me? The people in Taixue are all rotten Confucian scholars, not worthy of my study!"
Finally someone couldn't help it anymore. A Confucian scholar sitting on a donkey cart raised his head, looked at him and scolded him: "You are so young, why do you act like a crazy student?!"
But he was not afraid at all. Instead, his eyes were full of joy. He saluted the man and asked, "Then at what age should I look like a madman?"
"People must observe etiquette and should not act wildly at any time!"
"If exceeding the etiquette means being crazy, then how can Confucius talk about following one's heart without violating the rules? I heard that there are three types of crazy people in the world: those who have no talent and despise others, those who hate others whose talents and status exceed one's own,
You don't know your own talents and the talents of others, and you don't know me but you think I have no talents. You despise me and reprimand me. You are angry because my ambition exceeds yours. From this point of view, your behavior is consistent with madness.
What a standard for students!”
"you!
"
The old man stood up in a hurry and said, "Please don't be angry with the child. Please forgive me..."
The Confucian scholar pursed his lips and continued to lie down with a cold hum.
The young man laughed, "I thought there would be many sages in Chang'an, but it turns out they are almost the same as those in Liang!"
The old man's face was bitter, and he was even more worried. He, the young head of the family, had loved reading since he was a child. He had read a lot of books and could read all kinds of books. The head of the family was very happy, thinking that a famous minister would be born in the family.
When he was very young, he was sent to Mr. Tian in Zouxian County to study "Han Feizi" and the doctrines of Zajia. He learned quickly, but when he got a little older, he became a little arrogant and looked for people all day long.
Debates often offend others.
The head of the family couldn't sit still, so he wanted to send him to Chang'an to study.
But this has already happened before we entered Chang'an. How can we pay it back in the future?
The old man's eyes were full of worry.
But the young man was very happy. He looked around for a long time, then took out his book. When he looked at it, the motorcade was slowly moving forward. He didn't know how long he waited, but the vehicle finally arrived at the gate of Chang'an. The soldiers guarding the place followed them.
They asked for their IDs and asked about their purpose of coming.
"Study."
The soldier pursed his lips and cursed a few words in a low voice.
The old man heard clearly that he was scolding the Guandong people.
The old man has become accustomed to it. After passing Hangu Pass, he was scolded like this all the way. At this time, the Kansai gentlemen looked down on the Kanto country bumpkin. The Kansai lord is the lord! The poor Kanto people come to Kansai to beg for food, right?
!
Even within the fiefdom, there was discrimination. The marquis in Kansai were nobler than the marquis in Kanto.
During the reign of Emperor Wu, there was a building general named Yang Pu, who was from Yiyang. He wanted to become a Kansai native, and he made several petitions to change his fiefdom, but this was not something that could be done easily. In order to be able to
As a Kansai native, Mr. Yang came up with a clever plan. Since I can't move to the west of Hangu Pass, wouldn't it be better if I moved Hangu Pass to the east of me?
So, he wrote to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, hoping to build Hangu Pass to the east of him, and said that he would pay for it without having to pay a penny from the temple. Emperor Wu thought, he didn't need to spend money, so it would be a good feeling, you
Go and repair it, so Liang Marquis Yang Pu led his subordinates and disciples, spent his family property, and moved the east of Hangu Pass to present-day Xin'an County three hundred miles away, calling it New Pass...
.Then he became a Kansai native.
In order to fight against this unfair regional discrimination, Mr. Yang also risked his life. Mr. Yang also proposed a brand new idea for the people of the world to move. If Emperor Wu had not stopped it, Hangu Pass would have been destroyed all the way.
Go to Jiaodong for cultivation....
Interestingly, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the situation was reversed. The gentlemen in Kanto began to look down on the Kansai people and called them Kansai barbarians. They hunted and killed them all day long without courtesy. Hangu Pass began again
Ran to the west.
The soldiers did not check for too long before letting them in.
Entering Chang'an, the young man was immediately stunned. He looked at the prosperous capital city and the bustling pedestrians. He cheered and even ran out of the carriage and wandered around Chang'an. Compared with Liang Guo, the people in Chang'an looked very good.
Busy and hurried, there is no silence like that of Liang Guo. The roads are filled with the sound of hawkers, making it extremely lively.
The young man had never seen such a scene before and walked around Chang'an curiously.
The old man couldn't resist him, so he had to follow him.
There are all kinds of people in Chang'an, there are all kinds of things that you have never seen before, and there are tall buildings everywhere, which dazzles everyone.
"Big father!"
"I want to buy this!
"
"I want to buy this!
!”
The little doll held an old man's hand, pointed at the snacks sold by the merchant, stamped his feet, and his words were full of urgency.
The old man was tall and wearing very ordinary clothes, but he shook his head and said softly: "Hui, if you are content with what you have, you will not be disgraced. If you know where you are, you will last for a long time... You have already bought a lot. If you buy more, you will also
If you can’t eat it, if you save the money and come back to buy it tomorrow, you can continue to eat it. Do you know this truth?”
The young man who was buying snacks heard the conversation between the two and looked at the old man in surprise.
As expected of Chang'an, how can an old man say such a thing?
He saluted the old man and said, "May I ask, father-in-law, are you the one who treats Huang Lao?"
The old man narrowed his eyes and shook his head, "I have never studied anything. I just read a few books when I was young."
"Then are there any great sages in Chang'an who are good at debating?"
"Not sure."
The old man said, pulling the child to leave, but the young man followed him with a smile, "What is Chang'an famous for?"
The old man stopped and looked at him sideways, "Just came to Chang'an?"
"Yes, my name is Han Anguo, and I am from the Liang Kingdom. I came to Chang'an this time to assist Emperor Zuo Sheng and create a prosperous age!"
"Oh...then what talents do you have?"
"I can do it all: study, politics, and military affairs!"
"The palace is over there."
The old man pointed him in the direction of the palace and continued walking forward. Han Anguo was stunned and became even more interested in this old man with extraordinary words and deeds. When he talked about his ambitions, almost everyone laughed at him and despised him.
, this old man is actually so calm??
"Old man! Old man!"
"What's the matter with you?"
"Why aren't you surprised at all?"
"I have seen many people like you, but most people like you die of grief and anger in the end. They have empty ambitions and have a wide range of interests, but they can't do anything well. People's energy is always
Being limited, it is impossible to achieve results in all aspects. Everyone must perform their duties, find their own strengths, and work hard to develop them, so that they can achieve something... Young students should go back and study hard."
Han Anguo had heard a lot of cynicism along the way, but none of them had such power. This made him particularly angry, "How do you know I have no talent?"
"I read through Han Feizi..."
"There are many people who have read Han Feizi thoroughly. A few days ago, I met several craftsmen who didn't know how to read, and they used Han Feizi's knowledge to perfection."
"You're talking nonsense! What craftsmen use is the knowledge of Mohism. How can people who don't know how to read use the knowledge of Han Feizi?"
"According to names and facts to determine right and wrong, judging words based on examination, and craftsmen using the method of examination and examination to make instruments. Isn't this the knowledge of Han Feizi?"
Han Anguo hesitated, his hands began to tremble, and he was speechless. "I also know how to govern the country and promote agriculture!"
"There are many people who know how to govern a country. I saw a few merchants selling sheepskins a few days ago, and they know how to govern a country."
"You are humiliating me!
!How dare a businessman talk about running a country?!"
"When things are stored, they are heavy, when they are distributed, they are light, and when they are scattered, there are many. If the coins are heavy, the people will die, and if the coins are light, they will not be used. Therefore, the weight should be adjusted to the number... They are clearly implementing Guan Zhong's policy of governing the country. How can
Can’t it be regarded as a strategy for governing the country?”
"I...I..."
"I still..."
"As for leading troops to fight, my grandson also understands this... You see, when the two of us were talking, he ran over and bought snacks. This is the truth recorded in the Art of War. This is true.
What’s so surprising?”
Han Anguo felt like his whole body was trembling. He gritted his teeth and hesitated for a long time before asking, "Who is my father-in-law?"
"I am just an ordinary old man from Chang'an. When I was young, I worked as a driver for others. Go back and study hard!"
The old man didn't say anything more, gave the merchant money, and led his grandson out of here.
Han Anguo was stunned and stood for a long time.
The old man who came with him stepped forward worriedly, "Young Master? Are you okay?"
Han Anguo shook his head and said bitterly: "Fortunately, I thought I had enough knowledge to come to Chang'an to compete with real sages. An old man in Chang'an could reprimand me like this... but I couldn't answer...
What kind of knowledge can this be?”
The old man was silent for a moment and said, "You are still young and are not his opponent. This is normal."
"No...we will only bring humiliation to ourselves in Chang'an. Let's go back...I want to go back to study..."
"Aren't you studying in Chang'an?"
"I suddenly realized that what I learned from my teacher was far from enough... When I have learned enough, I will come to Chang'an again..."
On this day, a frivolous young man died in Chang'an and left in disgrace.
Chen Ping held his grandson and walked casually on the road. Chen Hui quickly ate all the snacks, and then asked curiously: "Father, why did you talk so much to that person?"
"That person is not bad, he is courageous and ambitious, but he is too frivolous and has too many interests. If he polishes his skills for a few years, he might be able to be used by the National University of China."
"What about me?? I also want to use it greatly!
"
Chen Ping laughed and said, "Okay, okay, you will do the same."
Ever since Liu Chang sent Chen Hui to Chen Ping, Chen Ping's life has been different. He is no longer the cold and irritable old man he used to be, and he is no longer boring at home studying. This little guy is very noisy and spends all day long.
Even if he wanted to play outside, Chen Ping would pamper him, hold his little hand and wander around Chang'an. He has turned into a real retired old man, and he doesn't look like the Han Dynasty who once scared all the officials.
Mutually.
Although there is a woman helping to take care of him, the little guy still likes to play with his elder father, and even asked Chen Ping to ride him as a horse. Chen Ping let him ride on his neck and slowly acted as a war horse for him. This scene,
If the officials saw it, they would probably think that they were hallucinating.
I returned to the house and coaxed my grandson to eat.
Chen Ping picked up his pen and started writing. Chen Hui sat obediently on the eucalyptus and watched his father write.
"Father? What are you writing?"
"The strategy of governing a country."
"oh..."
Chen Hui's eyes widened and he looked at it carefully, as if he wanted to see something from it, but he didn't know how to read yet, so it didn't work no matter how he read it, "You have been writing for so long, haven't you finished it yet?
?”
"No."
Chen Ping answered and continued writing.
After writing for a long time, Chen Ping finally put away his pen and looked at it again and again for a long time. Then he nodded with satisfaction and put away the paper.
Putting away the pen, he saw Chen Hui dipped his hand in ink and smearing it curiously. Chen Ping frowned and immediately washed his hands. Chen Hui lowered his head and looked at the busy eldest father.
Everything is fine, but he looks very serious. Unlike my father, he rarely smiles.
...........
During the court meeting, the ministers discussed the matter one after another.
On the issue of economic development, except for Zhang Buyi and Zhang Cang, almost no one stood by Liu Chang. They all felt that Liu Chang was too aggressive and that merchants would never be able to take on big responsibilities. The system was completely copied from the Qin Dynasty's Han Dynasty.
The issue of merchants was also of the same origin. Priority was given to them in mining, corvee, and war work, and they were very stingy when giving titles. Shang Yang's emphasis on agriculture and suppression of merchants created a powerful Qin farming and warfare system, and Chao Cuo proposed
Su Guilun wanted to build a tall building based on Shang Yang's work.
The disdain for merchants and the concern for merchants and farmers are deeply rooted in the bones and cannot be easily changed.
Only Liu Chang has always firmly believed that commerce and agriculture should not be in opposition. The two should develop each other. The era when the people of Han Dynasty were about to starve to death has passed. In the new era, if we do not change, we will continue to contain
The economy, curbing the development of commerce, and focusing exclusively on agriculture will not achieve the goal of promoting agriculture at all.
Liu Chang was very stubborn, and his ministers were even more stubborn, so the two sides faced off like this.
The smell of fireworks from the court meeting became very strong.
Zhang Buyi was loudly reprimanding these ignorant but dull ministers with violent curses, but the ministers just kept raising their own doubts. If the sons of merchants are allowed to be officials, what will happen if the government and businessmen collude? What if merchants are allowed to own land?
, what if they carry out a merger? If the merchants are allowed to hire other people, what if they form private soldiers to rebel?
Just when the court meeting was at its most intense.
A man pushed aside the soldier who was standing in front of him and walked slowly into the Xuanshi Hall.
When he walked in, all the officials were silent.
The person who came was none other than Chen Ping.