Chapter 65 Analysis of Social Structure in the Late Han Dynasty
Chapter 65 Analysis of Social Structure in the Late Han Dynasty
Although I met Pang Tong, Xu Shu and others at today's banquet, for Shen Chen, there was actually nothing to be happy about.
Because of the collision of values between the ancients and those of later generations, the joy of meeting famous people was dispelled.
When he saw clearly the true face of these ancient aristocratic families, he felt a kind of fear from the bottom of his heart.
That is, the most basic moral values of human beings were not established in ancient times.
There are very big differences in the moral standards between the two sides.
Just like the twenty-four filial piety, in the eyes of most people in later generations, they should be regarded as stereotyped and foolish filial piety.
But in the eyes of contemporary people, it is the highest moral standard.
No wonder Wuhuanhua happened.
The distorted moral values, combined with the fact that the aristocratic family never paid attention to the people at the bottom.
When the upper class does not regard the lower class as human beings, when the common people are reduced to two-legged sheep.
Why do you have the extravagant expectation that they can fight tooth and nail to protect their homes and country for you upper-class people?
This worried him.
However, after thinking about it for a long time, Shen Chen finally put the matter behind him for a short time.
After all, the values of future generations come from basic moral values. They also come from having enough productivity, having enough food, and knowing etiquette. Only when you can afford to eat can you think about life.
In this war-torn era, telling everyone that the lives of the people at the bottom are also their own lives is tantamount to playing the lute to an ox.
So this discussion on current affairs ended quickly.
Everyone was a scholar, and they talked about academic research again. Shen Chen also cheered up, no longer talking about the three views, but integrated into it.
Although the three views are different, when the whole world is like this, I become an alien.
So there is no need to repulse people by saying things they don't like to hear.
In the afternoon, everyone was full of wine and food, and chatted for a long time, ranging from astronomy and geography to people's livelihood, from ancient classics to today's culture. Soon everyone became friends and talked about everything.
When the rain stopped and the banquet dispersed, Wang Can planned to go to Zhonglu County to visit a friend in the afternoon. Pan Jun and the others wanted to go back to the academy. Xu Shu sent Pang Tong back to his hometown. Only Shen Chen said he planned to return to the city. Great uncle's house.
The wine house arranged carriages and horses for them respectively. After Shen Chen arrived at his uncle's house, he learned that Deng Hong had gone out to visit friends. He didn't want to go back to the academy, so he simply took some bacon as a gift from his uncle's house and let the servants of the mansion drive the carriage. Send him to Longzhong, west of the city.
After Zhuge Xuan arrived in Xiangyang, he lived in Longzhong and bought some land to build houses. After marrying off Zhuge Liang's two sisters, he felt a lot more relaxed and raised the two Zhuge Liang brothers by himself.
After arriving in Longzhong, he knocked on the door. The boy who opened the door was a servant boy of the Zhuge family. Shen Chen asked the boy where Zhuge Xuan was. He wanted to visit his elders first.
Unexpectedly, the boy told him that Zhuge Xuan also went to visit friends.
Because it is the end of the year, the state capital is closed, and many officials are on vacation. Therefore, if you have not packed your luggage and returned to your hometown at this time, you will take this time to visit friends.
However, although Zhuge Xuan went out, brother Zhuge Liang was studying at home. When he heard that Shen Chen was visiting alone, he happily invited him to the backyard.
After Shen Chen handed the gift to the child, he followed Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jun to the backyard.
"Ah Chen, you haven't come to see me for more than a month."
Zhuge Liang is fifteen years old this year. He is 1.74 meters tall and has an extremely slender figure. He enthusiastically took Shen Chen to the backyard house.
"Brother, are you reading at home?"
Shen Chen saw a charcoal pot burning in the back room. There was a mat on the ground next to the charcoal pot, and the wooden boards on the left and right sides were filled with books. It was cold recently, so he burned charcoal at home to keep warm and read.
Zhuge Liang sat down cross-legged, nodded and said: "Yes, it is approaching the New Year. My uncle said that he would visit his two brothers-in-law in a few days, and then he would worship his parents and ancestors with his sister and brother-in-law, so he stayed at home for these two days and could not go out. "
The Han Dynasty had a very grand sacrificial culture. During every year and festival, ancestors had to be sacrificed. There was also a set of rituals in the process, such as bathing and incense, not going out, and if it was the Cold Food Festival, you couldn't eat hot dishes.
Shen Chen sat next to him and said: "Well, in a few days we are going back to Huangmenting to celebrate the New Year. It has been more than two years since we moved from Xuzhou to Jingzhou. I am afraid that we will not be able to go back to our hometown, so we have to Set up an altar in Jingzhou to worship parents and ancestors."
Zhuge Jun next to him was twelve years old and a little shorter than Shen Chen. He suddenly said: "I heard that the emperor has returned to Luoyang and got rid of the control of those Xiliang warriors. Will the world be peaceful in the future? We can also What about going back to your hometown?”
Shen Chen shook his head and said: "The emperor has just come out of the tiger's den and entered the wolf's den. Now Cao Cao has opened a court in Xuchang and controls the court. The so-called "welcoming the emperor" is just holding the emperor in order to order the princes. In the future, the Central Plains will be in chaos and it will take many years. .”
"Did Cao Cao get the emperor?"
Zhuge Liang frowned.
He and Zhuge Jun stayed at home all day and did not know the news outside.
The information we have received so far is that Zhuge Xuan casually mentioned the emperor's arrival in Luoyang more than a month ago, and since Jingzhou is located in the south, it was relatively late to get the news.
For example, Liu Xie arrived in Luoyang in July at the beginning of autumn, and then moved his capital to Xuchang in September. Liu Biao only got the news a few days ago and sent envoys to pay tribute.
So the information that the whole Jingzhou has now is that Liu Xie moved his capital to Xuchang in September, and Zhuge Liang and others are lagging behind what most people know because of their relatively limited information sources.
Shen Chen nodded and said: "Well, yes, now the emperor is in the hands of Cao Cao. Many people think that Cao Cao will be Duke Zhou and Huo Guang. What do you think, brother?"
Zhuge Liang thought for a long time and shook his head: "I don't know."
Shen Chen asked: "Does my brother also think that someone like Cao Cao would choose to help the Han Dynasty?"
"Looking at their actions, they are extremely cruel. I don't know, but I feel that Duke Zhou and Huo Guang are not so cruel."
Although Zhuge Liang has been smart since he was a child, he dare not make a judgment now. He just traveled south from Xuzhou and saw too many tragic scenes, so he felt that Duke Zhou and Huo Guang would probably not be so cruel.
Shen Chen asked again: "Brother, do you think the people are important?"
"nature."
Zhuge Liang said: "Mencius said: The people are the most valuable, the country is the second most important, and the king is the least important."
"But why do those aristocratic families and nobles feel that the common people are like weeds and trample them wantonly?"
"Are you talking about Cao Cao?"
"No, today I was with some wealthy men and watched their words and deeds. I asked them what they thought about Cao Cao's massacre of hundreds of thousands of people in Xuzhou. They thought it was not a big deal."
Shen Chen was a little depressed. His values were different from those of the ancients, which led him to have some doubts about his original values.
It’s not that I doubt whether the values of later generations are right or wrong, but I wonder if I really haven’t adapted to this era, and whether I should learn from those children of aristocratic families and be more cruel sometimes.
He has always felt that he is not a particularly smart person, and he will make mistakes and sometimes be ill-considered. But Shen Chen feels that his advantage lies in his ability to reflect and review things afterwards.
After reviewing this matter today, he would always think about whether he was incompatible with the world, or was the world wrong and he was on the right side?
Zhuge Liang thought for a long time, shook his head and said: "Sorry, Chen, I can't give you an answer, but I personally feel that it is definitely wrong to slaughter people wantonly."
"I am very troubled."
Shen Chen scratched his head: "I don't understand why this is happening."
"Maybe someone can tell you."
"who?"
"You can ask Mr. Pang De."
Zhuge Liang said: "My uncle took me to meet him last month. I think he is a very wise elder."
Shen Chen said: "Brother, can you accompany me?"
"good."
Zhuge Liang glanced at Zhuge Jun and said, "Brother, you are at home, Ah Chen and I will go to Yuliangzhou."
Zhuge Jun said: "It's already afternoon. We still have to take a boat to go to Yuliangzhou. Can we come back today?"
Shen Chen said: "It doesn't matter, if you can't come back, just live in the city."
The two people set off immediately.
Yuliangzhou is actually very far away from Longzhong. Longzhong is about 17 miles west of Xiangyang City, which is about 7 kilometers when converted into kilometers in later generations. It takes 40 minutes to get to Xiangyang by carriage.
To get to Yuliangzhou from Xiangyang, you have to take a boat. It takes about thirty miles east along the Han River from the dock. Although it is along the river, it takes more than an hour.
So it may take an hour to go there, and two hours to go back. In addition, I have to talk to Pang Degong. It is already about one or two o'clock in the afternoon, and it may be too late to return to Longzhong today.
But since Zhuge Liang agreed to accompany him, it naturally didn't matter. After all, Shen Chen's great-uncle's home was his home, and sleeping alone wouldn't take up much space.
The two of them took a carriage to Xiangyang, and then took a boat at the pier to Yuliangzhou, escorted by two servants of the Deng family.
We arrived at Mr. Pound's house at about three quarters in the afternoon.
Pang Degong had a big house on Yuliang Island. According to "Xiangyang Ji", in addition to his wife, his family also had many slaves. We can know that as the leader of the Pang clan, although he lived in seclusion on the island, his life was not bad.
At this time, Justice Pang De was having dinner at home. It was dinner time in the afternoon. When he heard that Shen Chen and Zhuge Liang were coming to visit, he let them in.
Both of them carried gifts in their hands. In the hall, Pang Degong, his wife, his son Pang Shanmin and his daughter-in-law Zhuge were together.
"Brother, why are you here?"
Zhuge was very surprised.
Historically, Zhuge Liang and Pang Degong met after his second sister married Pang Shanmin.
Therefore, he and Mr. Pang De are also considered relatives.
Zhuge Liang said: "Ah Chen has some questions that he wants to ask Pang Gong. I will accompany him."
Shen Chen handed the gift in his hand to the servant and said to Mr. Pang De, "Mr. Pang, I take the liberty of disturbing you."
Mr. Pang Degong was about fifty years old and looked like he was in his forties. He was very kind and said with a smile: "Let's have something to eat together?"
"I had it with Xu Shu, Pang Tong and the others before."
Shen Chen replied.
Mr. Pang Degong nodded and said, "Then you go to the hall and wait."
The two of them resigned and waited in the outer hall.
About ten minutes later, Mr. Pound came out and sat cross-legged on the banquet in the hall.
The two stood up to greet each other.
Pang Degong waved his hand and motioned for them to sit down, and then asked: "What's the matter?"
Shen Chen explained the matter again, and finally asked: "I want to ask Pang Gong, is the life and death of the people really not that important?"
Pang Degong thought for a while and said: "It's important, but it's not important either."
"why?"
Shen Chen asked.
Pang Degong said: "When the world is at peace, the court needs the people to grow food to maintain the country's livelihood, so the people value the country and the country. But when the world is in chaos, even the country and the king can no longer save it, and countless hungry people have become a burden, so becomes unimportant."
Shen Chen thought: "So when the world is at peace, the country can still maintain its laws. But when the world is in chaos, the country's laws are no longer there, and human life is like a piece of grass."
Pang Degong said: "The Book of Rites once said: "Everything has its beginning and end, and everything has its beginning and end. If you know the sequence, you will be shortcut." The country collapsed and the legal system did not exist. In order to survive, people will do anything. Therefore. We cannot morally condemn others for massacring people, we can only say that they are cruel."
"So Cao Cao massacred so many people in Xuzhou, did the Duke think that he would be able to assist the Emperor in the future and become Zhou Gong Huo Guang?"
Shen Chen asked back.
Pang Degong shook his head: "I'm not Cao Cao, and I don't know what he would think. I can only tell you that at least the emperor is in Xuchang now, so Cao Cao has the right to rule the world. Then people will know about his massacre of the people. Choose to forget it.”
"why?"
"Didn't "Six Tao" say something like that? The bustling world is all for benefit; the bustling world is all for benefit."
"Then the root cause of all this is power?"
"You can also say that."
"But if among those who were massacred were relatives of those who pursued power, would they do the same?"
"This is true for all the great families. Shun killed Gun and Yu served as Shun's minister. The Marquis of Wei killed Yuan Jiao but Yuan Yao was loyal to the Marquis of Wei. If the family wants to prosper, it cannot be done without power."
"I see."
Shen Chen probably also understands the values of this era.
For aristocratic families, the interests of the family are above all else. Especially in the late Han, Wei and Jin Dynasties, clan politics was the mainstream of society at that time.
Therefore, the life and death of the common people are nothing in the eyes of the aristocratic families.
Because for the benefit of their family, it doesn't matter even if they work for their enemies.
For example, Sun Ce conquered Lujiang and almost wiped out the entire Lu family. However, Lu Xun still served as an official in Soochow and devoted his whole life to the Sun family.
Cao Cao killed Zhou Buyi, but his uncle Liu Xian didn't dare to kill him, and later he became the Minister of Wei.
For the sake of power, you can even let go of the hatred of your loved ones. If the people who have nothing to do with you die, what does it have to do with them?
So it’s still the same sentence.
In ancient society, human life was like a pyramid. Only those with noble status were important.
The people at the bottom of the pyramid are just a bunch of cattle and horses used as means of production.
After receiving the guidance from Mr. Pang De, Shen Chen finally understood the nature of the aristocratic families of this era and realized a lot of things.
He thought for a while and asked: "Is there any way to make the people take it seriously?"
"have."
Pang Degong said: "If we can settle down and the people can produce more food and contribute more money and food to the superiors, they will be valued, but maybe it will become a kind of property."
"productive forces."
Shen Chen finally understood the explanation of what he learned in high school politics.
Pang Degong asked curiously: "What is productivity?"
Shen Chen said: "It refers to the yield in the fields. Cao Cao massacred the people. Firstly, he wanted to prevent Yuan Shu from going north. Secondly, there was no food in the army, so he killed hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in Xuzhou and plundered food and grass to solve the food shortage. Question. If there were more yields in the fields and more food, maybe he wouldn't do this."
It was previously analyzed that Cao Cao wanted to prevent Yuan Shu from going north, but another reason cannot be ignored, and that is the problem of insufficient food and grass.
If Cao Cao had enough food, there would be no need for him to carry out massacres, he could just carry out the great migration like later in Hanzhong and Huainan.
So in the final analysis, it is still a question of productivity.
In later generations, due to the abundance of materials and sufficient productivity, many people have ignored what it means to not have enough to eat, and what it means to be so scarce that they starve to death everywhere.
Even after Shen Chen traveled through time, he had no worries about food and clothing, so it was normal that he did not think of this immediately.
But after Pang Degong mentioned it, I started to think about it.
Huangmenting has no shortage of food through retting technology.
But Huangmen Pavilion is not everywhere in the world. The Central Plains is war-torn and there is no suitable farming environment. There is famine everywhere.
If productivity were sufficient, perhaps Cao Cao would not have to resort to massacres to resolve his crisis.
"Yes, the root of the problem is that people still need to eat."
Pang Degong sighed: "If everyone can have enough to eat and everyone can study, then why do those wealthy families dare to treat the common people like weeds?"
At this moment, Shen Chen suddenly became serious. He stood up and raised his hands to Mr. Pang De in earnest and said, "Thank you, Mr. Pang, for clearing up my doubts."
Mr. Pang De looked at him with interest and said, "What do you understand?"
Shen Chen said: "I understand why the world is unfair and why the world has become like this."
"why?"
Duke Pang De asked.
"It's because the people at the bottom have difficulty even having enough to eat, so their lives are as low as grass. Moreover, the classics handed down by the ancient sages are all controlled by the aristocratic families. The people have no way to rise, and they cannot change their fate of poverty. .”
Shen Chen replied: "The wine and meat in the Zhumen stinks, and the roads are frozen to death. Isn't the root cause of the Yellow Turban Rebellion because the common people's fields are occupied by wealthy families, and they have no choice but to rebel to find a way out for themselves?"
Pang Degong praised: "It's very good that you can realize this. I also read a lot of books, met a lot of people, and traveled to many places. It took me many years to understand this truth. So, do you think, in such a world, can it be possible?" What about change?”
"I think so."
Shen Chen said: "If a person appears, stabilizes the chaos in the world, finds ways to increase the yield of the fields, and then selflessly teaches knowledge to all people, then the world will definitely become a better place."
"It's hard."
Pang Degong shook his head: "I have thought about it for many years, but I can't think of a solution. So Liu Biao asked me to serve as an official several times, but I was unwilling to go. Because I know that I can't change all this. I can only be here occasionally. Teach and work on your own, but you can’t protect anyone.”
Liu Biao and Pang Degong also discussed this issue. Liu Biao hoped that Pang Degong would come out to help him, so that the people of the world could be protected.
However, Mr. Pang Degong believed that everyone has his own destination, and he was unable to change it, so he might as well live in poverty and live freely. Therefore, he ultimately chose to preserve his ego rather than become an official.
Zhuge Liang is different from him in this regard. Although Zhuge Liang also knows that Liu Bei is too weak and the possibility of success is slim, he still cannot do it for the ideal in his heart.
Perhaps Pang Degong sees the nature of the world more clearly than Zhuge Liang, but at least in terms of this sense of righteousness and courage, Zhuge Liang is better than Pang Degong, the teacher who once taught him.
"Pang Gong just wants to live in seclusion because he is disappointed with the world and feels that he cannot change. But I am just the opposite."
Shen Chen raised his head and looked at him with bright eyes: "I firmly believe that there will be people in this world who are as kind to the people as me and who insist on the mission in their hearts."
Duke Pang De sighed: "You will be formidable in life. I hope you can always stick to the faith in your heart."
"I will."
Shen Chen nodded heavily. At this moment, he understood the logic and rules of class operation in the late Han Dynasty, and also understood how to break this inherent social order.
Shen Chen's setting is actually not as powerful as Uemoto's setting to attack Chen Mu. Chen Mu's setting is actually very evil, with an intelligence of 110. Fortunately, I didn't write him as a moron. He did become a monster. In Shen Chen's words, he is growing up step by step, so his understanding of social structure and overall consideration are far less than Chen Mu's, but I believe he will grow up. The big drama is coming soon, so look forward to it.