In troubled times, people have their own places to go.
After leaving Bazhong, the advancing caravan emptied most of its cargo and lost dozens of accompanying personnel.
Two of the five scholars also parted ways with Ning Ji and others here. The remaining three, Lu Wenke, who was "promising", Fan Heng, who was "respecting the gods", and Chen Junsheng, the "cold-faced guest" who occasionally expressed his opinions, made an appointment to go together.
After a long journey, they passed through Bazhong and entered Dai Mengwei's territory, and then headed eastward along the Han River. Ning Ji was on the same road with them.
Leaving Bazhong and heading north, the caravan sold all the goods in the next county. Theoretically, their journey ended here. Ning Ji, Lu Wenke and others who would continue on would either find the next caravan to accompany them.
Or just go on the road. However, on the evening of the day they arrived, the boss of the caravan found them in the inn and said that they had taken a good job temporarily and that they would go to Dai Mengwei's territory next, and they could still go with them in the future.
one paragraph.
The two sides had become familiar with each other for the rest of the month, and Lu Wenke and others were happy to accept this, and Ning Ji could do anything. So on the fifth day of June, this team with dozens of horses and more than 90 people came again
He picked up some goods and picked up some fellow travelers, gathering a hundred people and heading east along the winding mountain road.
There were also two scholars among the new passengers, and they soon became acquainted with Lu Wenke and others. The team of "corrupt scholars" who traveled with them had now returned to five people, chattering beside Ning Ji every day. As for Wang Jiang, the monkey performer,
At this time, Wang Xiuniang and her daughter were still following the team, and they became more familiar with each other. During the day, they walked on the mountain road, and at night, when they chatted over a bonfire, the average-looking but physically fit Wang Xiuniang was able to interact with Lu Wenke.
Waiting for someone to say a few more witty words.
There are still many mountains around Bazhong. Going north will eventually reach the edge of the Han River and enter Hanzhong, which is ruled by the Chinese army. It is not easy to travel eastward along the rugged mountain road, but after crossing Micang Mountain, you will enter the reign of Dai Mengwei.
the heart of the district.
The situation in recent times has been special. The number of merchants taking this east-west mountain road has increased several times compared to previous years. However, except for a very small number of locals, most of them are profit-seeking businessmen with their own special purposes and demands, such as Lu Wenke and Fan.
Scholars like Heng and Chen Junsheng who considered "reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles" and therefore planned to visit the backside of Dai Mengwei's territory were only a minority among the minority.
In fact, before they crossed the Han River, passed through Jianmen Pass, and arrived in the southwest, Lu Wenke, Fan Heng and others did not have the consciousness to wander around. Only after staying in the bustling atmosphere of Chengdu for several months,
Only these few scholars are ready to see the whole world in a relatively harsh environment.
Of course, Ning Ji is even less clear about these things in the middle. His current policy is still to endure the humiliation in the name of Long Aotian. But in the past few days, he can vaguely feel the words of several scholars.
Subtle changes in tone when chatting.
When these scholars were in the territory of the Chinese Army, they talked about many major world events, most of them with high spirits and arrogance, and from time to time they pointed out the inappropriateness of this and that in the territory of the Chinese Army. However, after entering Bazhong, they were like those who loudly pointed out the country.
The scenes gradually became less and less frequent. Many times they compared the scene outside with the Chinese army, and most of them reluctantly admitted that the Chinese army was indeed powerful, although it was inevitable to add a few "however..."
, but these "however..." are ultimately much quieter than they were on the Jianmen Pass side.
There was peace and prosperity in the Wu Dynasty, but those dreamlike scenes happened more than ten years ago. The arrival of the Jurchens destroyed the dream of the Central Plains, even though there were several years of peace and tranquility in Jiangnan afterwards.
Prosperous, but that short-lived prosperity could not really cover up the humiliation of the fall of the Central Plains and the fear of the Jurchens. Only ten years of Jianshuo could not create a practical atmosphere of "regarding Hangzhou as Bianzhou".
The Jurchens' fourth march south indeed brought about a catastrophe that caused the entire Wu Dynasty to fall apart. However, in the later stages of this disaster, the Chinese army, which had been on the edge, emerged and defeated the Jurchens' most powerful West Route Army.
It brought too huge impact to them.
These scholars plucked up the courage to go to the southwest and saw the development and prosperity of Chengdu. In fact, this kind of prosperity was not what touched them the most, but what really made them feel at a loss was that the core behind this prosperity had something they could not understand.
, theories and statements that are incompatible with the past prosperous times. These statements make them feel vain and uneasy. In order to fight against this uneasiness, they can only make loud noises and work hard to demonstrate their own value.
However, after truly leaving the land in the southwest, what they had to face was a broken mountain and river after all.
What's the use of continuing to speak loudly?
For Ning Ji, these things could not be truly seen clearly until he recalled them a few years later.
…
"...However, the biggest problem with the Chinese army, in my opinion, is still its inability to win soldiers."
As the caravan passed through the mountains and set up camp on the mountainside to light a fire in the evening, Fan Heng and others continued this discussion. They seemed to realize that they had left the southwest, so they had to review the previous events while their memories were still deep.
After making a summary of what they saw and heard, the discussion over the past two days went deeper into some aspects that they had not elaborated on originally.
"...I have been in the Southwest for several months. All kinds of things are dazzling. The market is full of excitement and all kinds of information on the news are eye-opening. But what concerns you the most? To put it bluntly, it is the Southwest.
The system of selecting scholars. I have been to the so-called civil servant examination once, have you ever been there?"
When a middle-aged Confucian scholar named Fan Heng talked about this, he looked at the people around him. Chen Junsheng smiled enigmatically with a cold face. Lu Wenke shook his head. One of the other two scholars said: "I passed the B-level exam."
Someone said: "It's okay." Fan Heng also laughed.
"On the day I went to take the exam, not long after entering the venue, two candidates tore up the paper and cursed that the paper was nonsense. They had studied the scriptures in their lives and had never seen such a vulgar system for selecting scholars. They were then asked to leave by the examination room staff.
To be honest, although I had prepared before, I never thought that Mr. Na Ning would do it so thoroughly... He took the exam in five subjects, so-called Chinese, mathematics, theory, grid, and Shen. He overturned everything that Confucian students had learned in the past.
No wonder everyone then made a fuss on the newsprint..."
Fan Heng said, shaking his head and sighing. Lu Wenke said: "Chinese and theory, after all, have some relationship with what we have learned."
"Brother Lu, what you said is ridiculous." A scribe next to him also shook his head, "I have been studying for decades. I have been literate since I was a child, and I have interpreted the four books and five classics throughout my life.
It's just the foundation for elementary school literacy. Look at the so-called Chinese test questions... In the first half of the volume, "Xue Er" is translated into vernacular, and correct punctuation is required. "Xue Er" is just the beginning of "The Analects". When I was a child,
You have to memorize everything by heart, it’s written on it, what’s the point of these test questions?”
The man spread his hands and said: "As for the second half of the volume, something happened somewhere, and I want you to write a letter to summarize it... Everyone, with just one volume of Chinese language, what I have learned in more than twenty years has been halved, and I cannot pass the exam.
It is the basis of elementary school. What Mr. Ning wants is just someone who can write and write fluent sentences. This test is 100%, and it is said that we have taken advantage of it. However, as long as you can read, no one can pass the 80% test.
?Later I heard someone secretly say that those with neat and gorgeous handwriting can receive up to five points... five points."
When he talked about those five points, he felt indignant. Everyone naturally nodded.
"This is where we take advantage the most." The man said bitterly, "And alongside Chinese, mathematics also has a 100% score. Who should be selected? They are just shopkeepers and accountants! Of course, Mr. Ning is a high-sounding person.
Among the six arts of a gentleman, we can admit that we cannot compare with those accountants. The basics of physics are private goods of other people, but up to now, it cannot be said to be unreasonable. After all, those who come to the southwest, Mr. Na Ning's "Preliminary Exploration of Physics"
"I have seen them all...but what is the so-called "Thinking about Objects"! On most of the test papers, one of the five patterns is different, and the two are different from the others. Why are they different? Later, it was full of controversy. Mr. Ning talked all about physics and Objects.
, what is the relationship between these test questions and the investigation of things!"
"The five items taken from the scholars, except that the Chinese language has a slight relationship with the past classics, the numbers, objects, and patterns are all private property. As for the last argument mentioned by Brother Lu before, although it can be written in a comprehensive way to discuss the situation of the world, it can be
When talking about the Southwest, we still have to talk about one of his things. The Southwest now has muskets, hot air balloons, rockets, and factories and workshops all over the mountains and plains. If we don’t talk about these, how can we talk about the Southwest? Once you talk about it,
And these, how can you discuss its development without understanding its principles? So in the end, everything here is the private property of Mr. Naning. So these days, how many scholars went to the southwest
It’s not about leaving in anger. Brother Fan hit the nail on the head when he said you can’t win scholars.”
When he said this, everyone nodded. Chen Junsheng, with a stern face on the side, threw a stick of firewood into the fire:
"It's not surprising. There were rumors in the early years that the devil's lifelong ambition was to destroy Confucianism. However, later on, Confucian classics were not banned in the southwest, and even the Four Books annotated by the late Right Prime Minister Qin Siyuan attracted people's desire and followed the natural principles.
Southwest was selling a lot of classics, and everyone in the world thought he was giving up. Unexpectedly, this time Southwest was recruiting scholars, only to see that he was out of ideas. He didn't say anything, but he really didn't do anything.
Be merciful. One volume of Chinese only tested literacy and hyphenation. First, it failed everyone’s decades of hard study, and then several volumes of scheming and calculation methods. If Black Flag really conquers the world, I’m afraid he will become the top one in the future.
Shopkeeper, accountant and the like."
Chen Junsheng didn't speak much along the way, but whenever he spoke, he always had a target in mind. Everyone knew that he was talented and knowledgeable, so they couldn't help but ask: "Brother Chen, could it be that he also failed the exam?"
Chen Junsheng said proudly: "What I place in my heart is not in Southwest China. After seeing it, I will eventually go back."
Everyone admired him greatly. Long Aotian, who was sitting nearby, shrank his head. At this moment, he actually felt that the scholar's domineering attitude was exposed and he was a little shorter. He was very skilled in martial arts and would be the best in the world in the future, but after all, he didn't like him.
He was not destined to be a top scholar in school, so he was always a little confused about people with profound knowledge. Of course, Chen Junsheng was the only one who could give him such a feeling at this time.
"What I have in my heart is not in the southwest. After seeing it, I still have to go back...write it down..." he thought in his heart. When he meets other people in the future, he can also speak like this.
At this time, the sun had set, and stars and night were rising in the dark mountains. Wang Jiang, Wang Xiuniang, his daughter, and two bookboys went to the side and brought food over. Everyone continued to talk while eating.
"The same is true. In the past, everyone was not aware of the theory of destroying Confucianism in the Southwest. By the first half of this year, these things became clear. Several of my friends also went out together because of this, preparing to join Dai Gong.
If Jundao Southwest behaves so rebelliously, something big will happen eventually, and those of us who study and do knowledge will not be able to stay out of it in the future. With the help of the shopkeeper, Southwest's accounting methods certainly defeated the Jurchens for a while, but Confucianism has been passed down for thousands of years.
Could it be that it is really inferior to such a profit-seeking path?"
"It is useless to talk about moral articles. This statement is irrefutable. But if we don't talk about moral articles at all, will it last forever? I think Dai Gong is right. He is unjust and has few helpers. Sooner or later, he will do bad things. It's just that he did bad things like this.
, and it is possible that the world will be in chaos for another few decades..."
"I think the essence of Southwest lies in the study of things, the way of physics, which is indeed broad and profound, but what is missing is the moral articles. Rule of things can make the world rich and useful, but Confucianism values people's hearts. Between the two, what is emphasized is a sublation.
It’s just about sense of proportion.”
"Actually, this time in the southwest, although many people were caught off guard by the five test papers of Geshen in Chinese, Mathematics, and Math, the people with the sharpest minds in the world are still among our generation of scholars. In a few days, those shopkeepers and accountants will
Such people cannot take any advantage. After our generation of literati thoroughly understands the study of objects, we will definitely use them better than the vulgar people in the southwest. Mr. Ning is known as the inner demon, but what he accepts are all kinds of vulgar things, and he will definitely
It was the biggest mistake of his life."
"In my opinion, quick thinking does not depend on what you read. It's just that in the past, in my Confucian world, most of the smart people in childhood were selected in this way. It was those who couldn't read that became shopkeepers and accountants.
Craftsmen... In the past, the world did not understand the benefits of analyzing things. This is a huge omission. But even if we want to make up for this omission, we need people with quick thinking among the crowd to do it. I think Mr. Nanning's interest in measuring things is not wrong.
What was wrong was that he acted too carefully. Since in the past, the world's elites all studied Confucianism, today only the Confucian method can be used to filter out the elites, and then use these elites as a basis to slowly change them, and then they can be correct. Today
These shopkeepers, accountants, craftsmen and the like are engaged in lowly businesses because of their mediocre and inferior qualifications. He selects those with average and inferior qualifications and wants to carry out innovation, but how can it be achieved?"
"Brother, great discussion."
"It makes sense, it makes sense..."
Everyone discussed for a while, and then talked about the fact that many Confucian scholars in the southwest went out to choose their future. One of the two new Confucian scholars asked: "Have you ever considered Dai Gong?"
Fan Heng, Lu Wenke, Chen Junsheng and others looked at each other. Fan Heng frowned: "During the journey, I and a few others discussed with each other and we did consider it. However, at this time, I have many doubts in my heart. To be honest, Mr. Dai himself
From last year to this year, the situations we encountered were not easy, and the way we dealt with them sounded admirable..."
Everyone talked about Dai Mengwei's situation and nodded to Fan Heng's statement.
The Southwest War ended last year. As a descendant, Dai Mengwei saved millions of people from the hands of Zong Han and Xi Yin. In the blink of an eye, he became the leader of some of the largest forces in the world.
The Chinese Army has retreated, and it is true that apart from the Southwest Chinese Army, it is the most prominent figure in the entire world.
In a sense, his operation of turning his hands into clouds and rain is even more in line with the bravery of the Chinese army and more in line with the Confucian literati's imagination of influential figures. Just like the rise of the Jin Kingdom, the Liao Dynasty
Before the country was destroyed, various types of literati from the Wu Dynasty joined forces and devised endless strategies. However, the Jin people were too barbaric, and in the end all these plans went bankrupt.
But Dai Mengwei's success this time has undoubtedly told the people of the world that it is still possible to control the world with the power of a Confucian scholar by relying on the strategy in his heart, seizing the opportunity, taking decisive action, and applauding.
Of course, despite this encouragement, in the following year, everyone more or less knew that Dai Mengwei was not doing well either.
Previously, the Jin Kingdom's West Route Army fought from Jingxiang to Hanzhong, and from Hanzhong all the way to Jianmen Pass. Almost all the cities and towns for thousands of miles along the way were burned, killed and looted. After that, a large number of civilians transporting grain were captured by the Jurchen army along the Han Dynasty.
Water is stuffed in.
After the West Route Army retreated in embarrassment, these people and supplies could not be taken away. Millions of people, already damaged cities, few supplies, plus a few Han armies with large numbers and weak combat capabilities
The team... was all given to Dai Mengwei. Although the Chinese army retreated temporarily, what was left to Dai Mengwei was still an embarrassing mess.
To most onlookers at that time, if Dai Mengwei was really a rotten scholar who only understood moral articles, then the Dai regime, which was cobbled together due to the special situation, might have suffered due to various objective factors in the second half of last year.
Fall apart.
However, things did not develop like this.
In the second half of last year, while the founding conference of the Chinese People's Power attracted the attention of the world, Dai Mengwei also completed his political arrangements in the Han River area. In the face of lack of food and clothing, he faced the outside world - mainly Liu Guangshi -
To seek help, on the other hand, they selected respected elders and village sages from within, combined with the military situation, divided the land step by step, and settled the settlements. Dai Mengwei himself led by example and practiced frugality, and also called on all the people below to share the hardship, resume production, and even
Even when he was on the banks of the Han River, he personally went fishing in the water to set an example.
For more than half of last year, the area under Dai Mengwei's jurisdiction experienced a difficult famine, and later Cao Silong's rebellion split a narrow strip of land close to the Chinese army into a neutral zone. But under Dai Mengwei's jurisdiction,
In most places, from the army to mid-level officials to rural sages, the layer-by-layer responsibility distribution system has played its role within a certain period of time.
Although some people starved to death inside, except for the "just right" rebellion broke out by Cao Silong's tribe, who had some tricks inside, there were not many signs of unrest in the rest of the place. Even this year, the Jurchens who were originally occupied are still here.
The miscellaneous generals and soldiers under his command seemed to be more sincerely loyal to Dai Mengwei. Everyone in the world had their own guesses about the detailed reasons, but they all admired Dai Mengwei's methods.
Consistent emotions.
This old man who rose to a high position in a blink of an eye with his eccentric skills has more than just some eccentric plans in mind. In terms of upright governance, he indeed has some solid skills of his own.
So much so that in the first half of this year, after the Confucian scholars who went to the Southwest finally understood Mr. Ning's ideas, they in turn praised Dai Mengwei even more enthusiastically. Many people felt that Dai Mengwei had the qualities of an "ancient sage"
"The attitude of Tie Yan, Wu Qimei and others in Lin'an City, although they also fought against the Chinese army, were really not the same as them.
"... When I was in the southwest, I even heard rumors in private that Mr. Na Ning couldn't help but make a cross comment when talking about Dai Gong, saying, 'Nourish the righteousness of the heaven and the earth, and the law of ancient and modern people will be perfect'... I think it will touch the hearts of other generations.
Although the devil and Dai Gong are in hostile positions, they are sympathetic to each other's abilities and cannot help but admire them..."
In the light of the bonfire, Fan Heng shook his head and talked about the gossip news he heard from the southwest, and everyone listened with interest. After saying this, he paused slightly.
"However, I can't wait to come to Dai Gong for three reasons... First, naturally everyone has his own place to go; second, I can't help but worry that even if Dai Gong has outstanding morals and brilliant methods, he will not be in this situation.
After all, it is still the first leg of the Chinese Army after leaving Sichuan. In the future, if the Chinese Army really wants to do something, whether the world will be able to take it is a matter of course. But those who bear the brunt are most likely unlucky. Dai Gong is the enemy of the Chinese Army.
, with a firm will, he is the leader of the world, there is absolutely no room for change, and he will inevitably die together in the future. After all, this position is too close..."
"As for the third concern, it is the news that has been spread on the road recently, saying that those under Dai Gong's command are human traffickers. If this rumor is implemented, it will greatly damage Dai Gong's reputation. Although it is most likely that the Chinese army deliberately spread rumors, it can be implemented
Before, it was inevitable that people would feel uneasy..."
When he said this, he lowered his voice slightly and gestured in the direction of other people in the camp:
"The original itinerary of this caravan was to stop in the north of Bazhong. Unexpectedly, when they arrived, the leader of Nalu came over and said that they had a new business, so they went all the way eastward. I inquired privately, and it was said that they came here.
We need to transport a group of people to Jianmen Pass... Dai Gong's side is short of food and clothing. I'm afraid there will be no major relief this year. Many people are about to starve to death, so they have to sell themselves and their families.
The caravan signed a twenty- to thirty-year death contract with almost no reward. The caravan prepared some food and then took the people away. The people were transported to Jianmen Pass like animals. As long as they did not die, they would be the same as those outside Jianmen Pass.
If you contact illegal businessmen in the southwest, you can make a lot of money in the process."
The fire was sobbing in the night, and the faces of the people around the fire were bright and dark. They recalled the scene of walking through the rugged mountain road. They did pass by two caravans suspected of being "traffickers" on the road, but these
Most of the people were "voluntarily" sold, so their freedom was not restricted. It is difficult to make a conclusion, but now that I imagine it, I feel that it is seventy or eighty percent credible.
"...Dai Gong's side is really short of food. If we have done our best, some people will sell themselves to the southwest. It seems...it is not a big evil..."
Lu Wenke thought for a while and said hesitantly.
Fan Heng shook his head and lowered his voice: "If you are just voluntarily betrayed, then there is nothing to say, but if there are troops under Dai Gong's command and local sages involved, so what? On one side, General
The people who cannot support themselves under the rule are easily sold, and at the same time they collude with the black businessmen in the southwest, and the local village sages and the army make the bulk of it... If this is the case, how do you think about it? "
His low voice was mixed with the sound of the wind. Everyone around the fire leaned forward to listen. Even Ning Ji was picking up his empty rice bowl and listening with open ears. Only Chen Junsheng beside him picked up a branch and poked the tree in front of him.
The fire crackled with sparks, and he smiled coldly.
"If this is the case, it can only show that Commissioner Dai is really shrewd and powerful... If you think about it carefully, in such a situation, he has insufficient money and food to feed so many people, so he sells off the people at the bottom who cannot feed him.
He worked in the southwest, so he got money and food, and used this money and food to stabilize the army, the old men, and the wise men in various places who were working under him. Because of the suppression of the army, the old men, and the wise men, although there was famine in various places, there would be no chaos.
, due to the benefits gained by the middle and upper levels, the original group of Jurchens were truly united in just one year, and they accepted Dai Gong as their master with sincerity. According to the Southwest,
United by Dai Gong..."
The branch in his hand pulled the flames: "In these troubled times, if someone didn't have such means, how could he really be on the same stage with the golden people of the north and the black flag of the southwest, fighting each other. If Dai Gong didn't have such ability, how could he have achieved that?
Mr. Wei Ning said sincerely, "The law of ancient and modern times is perfect"? I had said it as early as in Bazhong, where did so many people come from? There were also speculations at the time, but if it was true, I would be even more interested in Dai Gong.
Looking up at the mountain, you must know that when he took over the land from the Jin people, he was still a mob. In one year, the interests of all parties were taken care of, and everything was well organized from top to bottom. I admire it, and I must be the one in the southwest.
It was only after seeing these that Mr. Ning really regarded him as his opponent."
"Of course you can say that." Fan Heng sighed, "But those who were betrayed..."
"In troubled times, they were still alive after all, so how could they complain?" Chen Junsheng said, "And when they lived later, they were sold to the southwest. Think about it, they signed a 20-30-year contract to sell themselves to
Those black traders worked hard for no reward. After ten or eight years, their grievances broke out, and I am afraid they were vented on the Chinese army. When Dai Gong shows his benevolence and righteousness, he might be able to defeat the other party's army. Follow me
Come on, Southwest said it was respecting the contract, but in the end it left such a big loophole. After all, Mr. Ning didn’t have all his plans. Sooner or later, he would suffer a big loss in these things..."
Everyone had mixed emotions. After hearing this, everyone nodded. Ning Ji next to him held the empty bowl and licked it. At this time, his face tightened and he couldn't help but nodded. According to this "cold-faced bitch"
, the old guy surnamed Dai is so bad. Like everyone else in the General Staff, he is a scheming dog who is good at digging holes...
And I overheard such a big secret today, and I didn't know whether to write a letter back to warn my father. It was a big deal for me to run away from home, but the news from Dai Laogou was obviously a big deal too. It was hard to make a decision for a while, and I was entangled.