It is obviously the most appropriate for Li Ran, as the former keeper of the Tibetan Chamber of Commerce in Luoyi, to advise the Chu State on how to restrain themselves and restore rituals.
If this can really be achieved, then it will be a good way out for both the Chu State and the entire world.
However, judging from the current situation, it is very difficult for the Chu people to listen to this.
This is not entirely due to the personal reasons of King Xiong Wei of Chu. In fact, there are also profound historical reasons for this.
After Wu Ju listened and thought for a while, he just shook his head slightly. A look of doubt slowly appeared on his face, and his eyes flashed with doubts, and he stared straight at Li Ran:
"Oh? Sir, do you think...our country of Chu still needs to learn the hypocritical and pretentious rules of the Zhou people? Don't you know, sir, that our country of Chu has its own way of becoming strong? And these methods,
How can we communicate with the Zhou people? Moreover, if we really do this, wouldn’t it still prove that our Chu country is not as good as the Zhou people after all?”
As mentioned before, the rise of the Chu State was largely due to their disdain for the so-called "Zhou Rites" of the Zhou royal family.
Divided we are weak, combined we are strong.
This is the reason why Chu State summed up the rapid decline of Zhou State.
As the saying goes, "stones from other mountains can be used to attack jade." Now that the Zhou people have learned from the past, what is Li Ran's intention now to promote their experience that has long been proven to be a "failure"?
What's more, as far as the Chu people themselves are concerned, they actually have many such experiences and lessons.
I think back then, the Cheng family and the Dou family were the two hereditary nobles of the Chu State. If their predecessor, King Chuzhuang, could not turn the tide and liquidate the two great Ruo Ao families of the Cheng family and the Dou family, they Chu
How can our country be so powerful today? How can we compete in the Central Plains and become the leader of the world?
Therefore, Wu Ju would naturally not agree with Li Ran's "following the rules".
"Haha, I, Li Ran, have never said that if the Chu people follow the Zhou rites, it means that the Chu people are inferior to the Zhou people? This is really a big fallacy!"
"But I'm just saying that if the king of Chu is so arrogant and extravagant now, I'm afraid he will lose the hearts of the people in the world! How can he take the princes from afar and think he is the leader of the alliance?"
Li Ran's explanation was also very clear.
The overall strategic goal of the Chu State must be to dominate the world! Moreover, all the Chu kings in the past dynasties had this as their ambition.
If the Chu State wants to continue striving for this goal, then "Zhou Rites" is a hurdle they cannot overcome now.
Regardless of whether you Chu people agree with the "Zhou Rites" or not, if the current behavior of the King of Chu is based on the natural principles explained by the "Zhou Rites", such a country and such a king will sooner or later be in great trouble.
of.
Therefore, naturally, other princes will not be in awe.
And this is just Li Ran's first reason.
"No, no."
"Sir's move may seem to shake the foundation of our Chu people!"
A coldness flashed across Wu Ju's eyes, and he immediately revealed Li Ran's "intention" in persuading him like this.
"Haha, I'm afraid what you are asking for is just a ploy to slack off our Chu. Although Wu Ju is not talented, he also knows the general trend of the world. Now, except for our Chu country, those princes who claim to 'rule the world with Zhou's rituals'
What are they doing? And what is the intrigue between their monarchs and ministers?"
"If the king restrains himself, then the ministers of power will be in charge. If the ministers of power restrain themselves, then the officials will overstep their bounds. Even in a small corner, there can be several countries coexisting with incomprehensible etiquette and lack of virtue. They are in conflict with each other. How can it be stupid?"
"The Zhou people themselves do not abide by their own rules, which shows that the 'Zhou Rites' are of little use. In this case, what is the use of this 'self-denial and self-cultivation' to the prince?"
Obviously, Wu Ju was still extremely repulsive to these so-called "Zhou rites" mentioned by Li Ran.
But what Wu Ju said is actually not unreasonable.
You advise me, the State of Chu, to restrain ourselves and return to rituals? But look at the monarchs and ministers of your Central Plains countries. How can they have any of the authentic virtues of Zhou Rites in their bodies?
Yes, when these great principles are quickly disappearing from the world, you are now trying to persuade me that Chu should abide by Zhou rites?
Isn't this typical reverse brainwashing?
So do you think I will be fooled?
Obviously, Wu Ju believed that Li Ran's set of conventional things should have been thrown into the trash can long ago.
And the so-called "self-denial and restoration of propriety", those pretentious virtues, are actually no longer the key to "striving for world hegemony".
Facing Wu Ju's answers that hit the mark, Li Ran didn't look very flustered. Instead, he had a rather strange smile on his face.
"Hehehe, it seems that Dr. Wu Ju only knows one thing but not the other."
"Then I dare to ask the doctor, what is the way to strengthen a country?"
He only asked this question with a smile, and Wu Ju's immediate answer was also very concise and clear:
"It goes without saying that you are a wise king and a wise minister."
Obviously, what he meant by "the king is wise and the minister is wise" refers to the upper-level state apparatus of Chu State.
In his mind, only the actions of those in power can truly affect the rise and fall of a country.
And this, in an impartial manner, played right into Li Ran's hands.
"Haha, what the doctor calls 'the king is wise and the ministers are wise' is nothing more than the official office and the ministers. If this is the case, then wouldn't the so-called kings, kings and ministers in the 'Rites of Zhou' be just right? This is the same as what Li Ran just said.
There is no difference between words."
"What's more, I think that the most worrying thing for the King of Chu now is not how to fight for external supremacy, but the troubles in the elbows and armpits!"
Once Li Ran said these words, they were immediately clear and clear.
Yes, this is the second reason Li Ran said. Moreover, it is also the most convincing one.
"What Dr. Wu Ju said is true. Since King Zongping of Zhou Dynasty moved eastward, the chaos in our Zhou Dynasty was all caused by the collapse of rituals and music. But just because of this, doesn't it just explain that the so-called monarchs and ministers in the 'Zhou Rites'
How important is it to the rise and fall of a country?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! This is indeed an era when rituals and music have collapsed, but this pot, "Zhou Rites" will never be ignored.
To put it bluntly, it is not precisely because the Zhou Dynasty no longer conducts business according to the Zhou Rites, and even turns a blind eye to the "natural principles" explained by the Zhou Rites. Therefore, this has led to the current state of the Zhou people.
Is it falling apart like this and declining day by day?
Therefore, the core question returns to the issue of the Chu State just now. How can the Chu State maintain its strong position for a long time, unite the nine princes, and rule the world?
Obviously, the most important key is to eliminate the current internal worries of Chu State.
In other words, if the Chu State cannot rely on a set of effective methods to maintain its own strong advantages, then how can it talk about the way to become a powerful country?
As a result, Li Ran finally brought the topic to the real theme that he ultimately wanted to express:
That is the orthodoxy of the current King of Chu, Xiong Wei, and the rules for the transfer of power!
As we all know, the current King of Chu, Xiong Wei, gained power by usurping the throne and committing regicide. The position of King of Chu itself can be said to have been obtained unfairly. If there is no way to make all the kings and ministers of Chu stay in their own right, then the Chu Kingdom
Civil strife will happen sooner or later.
Once civil strife broke out in the Chu State, whether it was a minister killing his king or a king killing his ministers, it would be a huge internal conflict for the Chu State.
By that time, let alone fighting for world hegemony, being able to protect oneself will be considered a good thing.
After hearing this, Wu Ju seemed to realize the seriousness of this problem, and suddenly felt a little surprised.
He never expected that after Li Ran talked so much, the final argument would be this.
And precisely because he finally understood the point of what Li Ran was talking about, he was speechless for a moment.
Imagine
He Wu Ju was very clear about the internal situation of Chu State. And naturally he also understood how the current King of Chu usurped the throne.
Is what Li Ran said wrong? No.
What Li Ran said is indeed reasonable.
And the reason behind this is actually surprisingly simple:
Since the position of the King of Chu can be seized by usurping the throne, what about other people? Can they also seize the throne by killing the king in this way and become the next generation of King of Chu?
Such a method of handing over power is obviously not suitable for a country to develop and grow, and it cannot even ensure the long-term stability of a country.
Today's Chu State really needs a system to restrain the behavior of the monarch and his ministers, so that the monarch and his ministers can keep their own affairs and fulfill their duties.
So does such a system exist?
——
Chapter 229_Only spectators
So, is the method proposed by Li Ran trying to persuade King Xiong Wei of Chu to restrain himself and return to ritual?
Yes and no.
He said so many times, just to hint to Wu Ju that the current Chu State's internal troubles are actually far more serious than foreign troubles.
In Li Ran's view, today's Chu State needs a system similar to the "Zhou Rites" to standardize the respective duties of the monarch and his ministers. This will not only be of great benefit to "struggle to dominate the world with literature". It can also make the public
The relationship between the royal family and the ministers, the rulers and the people is of the same mind.
The most important thing is that it will also allow Chu State to avoid another turmoil during the future transfer of power.
If a country wants long-term peace and stability, and if it wants its national power to grow, it is obviously not possible to rely solely on one generation of monarchs.
Therefore, the transfer of power is particularly important.
The Kingdom of Jin is a typical example. After the Kingdom of Jin experienced "Gong Xian killed a group of princes" and the "Rebellion of Li Ji", when Duke Xiang of Jin died, Rick, as a minister, killed Jin Jun Xi Qi first.
, and then killed Jinjun Zhuozi, and the chaos lasted for more than ten years. During this period, there were constant internal troubles and external humiliations. It was not until Duke Wen of Jin came to the throne that the internal strife was temporarily calmed down.
Therefore, on this point, even Wu Ju had to admit it.
Of course he knew that what Li Ran was hinting at was exactly what kind of undercurrents were surging in the Chu State's court and public.
However, he didn't know what to do in order to achieve what Li Ran called a state of wise kings and wise ministers, with everyone working together as one.
So, he had no choice but to continue asking Li Ran for advice. At this time, it was obvious that Wu Ju's previous disdain for "Zhou Rites" had disappeared by seven or eight points.
"Since the gentleman mentioned this matter, he must have already had the answer in his mind. In that case, I would like to ask the gentleman to speak frankly."
Wu Li stood up and bowed to Li Ran again. His humble posture was clearly visible.
However, regarding this matter, Li Ran did not have a clear answer as to what kind of system could make everyone in the Chu Kingdom stay in peace and be united.
After all, he himself is now looking for such a path, a path that can be applied universally.
It's a pity that so far, he can't say that he is really sure. He can only say that before he finds a better method, the "Zhou Li" in his mind in this life is considered to be the best at present.
Got it.
"As Li Ran said today, I think that for now, 'restraining oneself and restoring etiquette' is the most appropriate method."
After talking for a long time, I have returned to the original point. What Li Ran said is really anticlimactic. As wise as Li Ran is, what he can learn from now is still just copying the "Zhou Rites".
After Wu Ju heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
He originally thought that relying on Li Ran's ability to understand the past and the present, it would not be difficult to find a unique path for the Chu State.
However, Li Ran's answer did not satisfy him.
So, he replied to Li Ran very boringly:
"Only speaking of 'Zhou Rites', does this seem a bit far-fetched...or should I say..."
He originally wanted to say that Li Ran was talking nonsense.
It is useless to talk about it. What is this if it is not vernacular?
"Haha, don't forget, Dr. Wu Ju, but you are not from Chu. If you Chu people can have a better way, then you can just assume that Li's words were completely in vain, right?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "As the saying goes, 'Misfortune has no way, it can only be called by people.' The success or failure of the Chu people depends entirely on the Chu people themselves. I, Li Ran, am just an outsider.
Sir, what can you do?"
That's all I have to say, so you can do it yourself.
This should generally be what Li Ran is thinking now.
The kings, kings, ministers and ministers in "Zhou Rites" are definitely beneficial to the Chu State today. But whether you Chu people use them or not depends on you.
As an outsider, Li Ran can only talk. If you think it will be beneficial to your Chu country, just listen to it. If you think it is inappropriate, then Li Ran will stop talking.
"Sir, what you said... may be inappropriate. Aren't you afraid that I will let you listen to it?"
Wu Ju was not to be outdone, with a hint of arrogance in his eyes.
You have already agreed to the king’s request to become a servant, so what’s the matter? Are you here just to pick up the spoils? We, the Chu State, have spent all this money, just to hear you come here to sell “Zhou Rites”? If we Chu people don’t buy it,
Are you really taking advantage of this?
Wu Ju moved out of the King of Chu, thinking that Li Ran should be afraid.
And the implication behind his words couldn’t be more obvious:
Since he has been left in the Chu State, he should honestly discover and solve problems for the Chu State. Otherwise, given the temperament of the King of Chu, I'm afraid he won't be able to give him a good look.
However, who is Li Ran? Will he be frightened by this battle?
Not only did Li Ran not feel afraid, but he even laughed wildly in disapproval.
His laughter was like the last touch of autumn wind in this season, rising and falling like waves, and its chilling meaning made people shudder.
"What are you laughing at, sir?"
Wu Ju was very puzzled.
"Haha, King Chu can just listen to these words, but what can he do to me? I, Li Ran, will still be able to lie down in this Zhanghua Palace in the end!"
Li Ran's answer was still very domineering.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Wu Ju's expression suddenly changed.
"Sir, trouble comes from your mouth!"
Wu Ju looked around and spoke in a low voice.
"After all, this is in Zhanghua Palace. What you said... are you really not afraid of getting into trouble?"
He only thought that Li Ran was humiliating King Chu.
Little did they know, Li Ran's words had another profound meaning.
"Haha, Doctor Wu Ju misunderstood. What Li Ran said did not mean that the King of Chu was incompetent and could not kill Li Ran."
"What Ran means is that even if Ran is really like this and is indifferent to the affairs of the Chu State, I think the King of Chu will definitely not criticize Ran in the slightest."
"Oh? Are you so sure, sir?"
Although Wu Ju said this, in fact, both of them already knew about this matter.
As mentioned before, Li Ran's stay in Chu State was already a great help to Chu State.
If the King of Chu wants to be unfavorable to Li Ran, what should the princes of the world think about it? Can the King of Chu's reputation as "a wise king and a wise minister" and "a meritocracy" be maintained?
"Haha, if the King of Chu really wanted to kill Li Ran, I'm afraid he wouldn't recruit me like this again and again. Since the King of Chu has made such a determination, no matter what Li Ran does, the King of Chu will definitely not pursue him.
"
After Li Ran finished speaking, he looked at each other again with Wu Ju. Then, the two of them couldn't help but look at each other and smile, understanding each other tacitly.
As for the Chu State's disease proposed by Li Ran, although Li Ran formulated a prescription, if he really wanted to cure this serious disease, it would depend on whether the people of Chu State accepted it or not.
But regardless of whether the Chu people are convinced or not, there is no doubt that if Chu cannot completely cure this stubborn disease, Chu's hegemony will not last long.
As for Li Ran, he was able to discover this issue and raise it here today, which can be regarded as fulfilling the duty of a strategist.
After all, in this kind of thing, he can only act as a spectator.