He was originally asking for justice, and was annoyed that Fang Jun would teach farming and other miscellaneous subjects in a sacred place like the school. But Fang Jun's last words seemed to ring an alarm bell in his heart, deafening and enlightening.
Once upon a time, all scholars in the world studied the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. This was a lofty ideal pursued tirelessly by generations of great Confucians.
But as Fang Jun said, if one day everyone in the world really studies the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, leading to the decline of all industries, is that really a good thing?
Let scholars go farming?
Let scholars make iron?
Let the scholar burn glass?
Or let the scholar prepare the gunpowder?
"If all the scholars in the world become scholars who only focus on studying Confucius and Mencius, that will be the tragedy of the empire!"
This sentence is almost like an insult to a Confucian student, but if you think about it carefully, there is an irrefutable truth.
Wei Zheng frowned.
When Fang Jun wanted to set up a naval academy, he disapproved of it. Why was it necessary to spend such a huge amount of manpower and material resources to teach the reckless men in the army? He was not unfamiliar with such things as fighting, and there were only one or two outstanding ones. Is it enough for the commander-in-chief to lead a group of brave soldiers? As long as the military quality of the commander-in-chief is high enough and the soldiers under his command are brave and fearless of death, it will be enough to sweep through the wilderness undefeated.
But the purpose of the Naval Academy is to train all soldiers to become commanders... Not to mention that this is impossible, even if it is really realized, what is the use?
A commander can lead a hundred soldiers to victory, but if there are a hundred and one commanders...how can the battle be fought?
It’s just nonsense!
But now, Wei Zheng felt that he should think about it carefully.
Could it be that Fang Jun's thoughts had already transcended the times and were above his own thoughts, and that he could no longer keep up with the rhythm and couldn't understand the meaning behind Fang Jun's various whimsical ideas?
While Wei Zheng was still deep in thought, Fang Jun continued to use his eloquent words to "instigate rebellion" against this "Eternal Mirror" comrade who "remonstrated even without his life"...
"The empire needs scholars, and needs more and more scholars, but at the same time, you should also realize that after all, there are a lot of officials. With the rise of the imperial examination, there will be a large number of redundant officials. This is inevitable. Even so. , there are still 99% of scholars who have no chance to become officials. For example, among the students in Zhuangzi, only three or five of the fifty students can become officials. What about the other forty-odd students? They are poor people who spend their whole life burying the classics. Should I delve into the learning of Confucius and Mencius in the pile of old papers, ignore the secular affairs and rely on your own loftiness, or should you apply what you have learned, use your knowledge to help your family live a better life, support your parents, raise your children and grandchildren, and become an upright man who can stand upright and honor your ancestors?"
Wei Zheng's thinking was a little confused, and he gradually couldn't accept Fang Jun's ideas...
"Wait a moment, wait a moment..."
Wei Zheng frowned and interrupted Fang Jun's words: "Even if you have studied, you are just a domestic slave. You will establish a family and honor your ancestors... Do you plan to release all these slaves who have studied in the future?"
A slave for one day is not only a slave for life, but also a slave for generations...
Slaves are the most humble group of people. Their fate and future are all in the hands of their masters. Their lives belong to the master's family, and the lives of their children and grandchildren still belong to the master's family. According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, the master's family only has to take responsibility for executing the slaves in the family. Just pay for the funeral expenses and compensate the family for some losses, without having to bear legal liability at all.
In other words, domestic servant servitude is equivalent to the property of the master's family, no different from livestock...
A slave who has read books is a very high fortune. Just imagine, if all the slaves in the family are well-read scholars, how noble and prosperous the family will be?
Of course, no matter how many books you have read, a slave is just a slave, and he is just like an animal that relies on his master's family to survive. No matter when and where, the master's family will naturally be there to protect him from wind and rain.
Only civilians who have escaped from slavery can use words like establishing a family and honoring their ancestors...
Fang Jun actually wants to convict all slaves who have read books?
Wei Zheng no longer knew what to say. He stared at the dark-faced but clean young senior official in front of him, wondering whether you are so stupid that you are bubbling over or you are as noble as a sage?
Fang Jun nodded matter-of-factly: "The Fang family has a huge amount of wealth and a knack for amassing money. As long as the politics are correct, it can ensure that they will be wealthy for generations. Why use so many servants? The number of servants can show whether a family is prosperous. , is really too low-level, and I don’t even bother to do it. If a person from the Fang family is released, he will be a middle-class person, and he will be a good person in the society, which will provide the empire with an extra tax and an extra quota for conscription... "
Wei Zheng stood in awe!
Today, every family is proud to hide their population. Countless slaves are not registered as civilians to avoid taxes, military service, and corvee. How do big families prosper? Hiding the population is one of the most important means. The tax revenue that should have been due to the country was misappropriated by the corvee for himself, and accumulated over several generations, gradually becoming more prosperous.
But Fang Jun did the opposite. If all the aristocratic families were like Fang Jun, how many more household registrations and population would the empire have? How many more taxes and corvees would be collected every year?
"Erlang's original intention is to serve the country and the people, which can be regarded as a model!"
This is what Wei Zheng said from the bottom of his heart.
Fang Jun held the tea cup in his hand and shook his head: "This is not the most original intention of someone. For an empire and a nation, poverty is not terrible, suffering is not terrible, natural disasters and man-made disasters are not terrible, you know the most terrible thing is What?"
Before Wei Zheng could answer, Fang Jun asked and answered himself: "Slavishness!"
"It's servility! People are slaves under the aristocratic families. They seem to have no dignity and are reduced to an existence like livestock. However, they also avoid the burdens of taxes, corvee, military service and so on. They only need to perfunctory day after day. In the past, you could get two meals and food and clothing. In years of great disaster, slaves are easier to survive than civilians. This is the reason. After being a slave for a long time, you lose your sense of responsibility and the courage and ability to be self-reliant. Therefore, slaves should be After a long time, the bones will become soft and the spine will be broken. Once this servility is inherited from generation to generation, how will the Han people dominate the world and sweep across the barbarians? A nation accustomed to being slaves can only be slaves in the end... …”
Fang Jun's words were very emotional, because he knew what kind of hardships and humiliations the entire Chinese nation would encounter when they were invaded by servility!
The Han people, who had stood at the top of the world's nations for thousands of years, finally fell into the darkest, most cowardly and most miserable abyss!
After being a slave for a long time, you forget that you are a human being. If you want to stand up again, it will be difficult!
This was the first time Wei Zhengshang heard such remarks. While he was dumbfounded, he could not help but have doubts: "This... Erlang is a bit alarmist, right?"
"Alarmist? Haha..." Fang Jun smiled helplessly and shook his head.
The people in front of him can be regarded as the most knowledgeable group in the Tang Dynasty, but even he thinks that he is alarmist... I'm afraid this is still a euphemism. If it were anyone else, I would be afraid of "idiots talking about dreams" or "monster words to deceive the public" Words like that popped up.
This is the fact!
Why has the polar bear in the north maintained its strong hegemony for generations? It is because it is located in a bitter cold land, and the entire nation is constantly struggling to survive and forge ahead. No one is willing to accept it, and the flames of war temper the strength of the entire nation. Soul!
I have never stooped down, so I naturally have the air to look down on the world!
After being a slave for a long time, you will naturally get used to groveling and living on your last breath...
Not to criticize anyone, nor to brag about anyone, but this is the fact.
Wei Zheng felt Fang Jun's deep disdain, and while he was extremely unhappy, he also felt a strange feeling.
Is it possible that I am really old and can no longer see clearly the general trend of the world and the future of the empire?
servility……
This is another word that has never been heard before. It is creepy to hear and thrilling to think about, but... it also seems to be alarmist. Throughout the ages, which era has not had slaves? The Jin Dynasty traveled south to Wuhuanhua, and it was also It’s not necessarily the fault of servility, right?
Wei Zheng felt that Fang Jun's theory was some fallacy. There must be some truth in it, but it was exaggerated. But in the final analysis, it was precisely because of the existence of slaves that the aristocratic families could hide their people as they pleased, and that there were people hidden under the water. Strong enough to change dynasties.
If everything is put on the table, all crises will cease to exist.
Wei Zheng raised his eyebrows: "So you will implement the census in Jingzhao Mansion?"
Fang Jun nodded: "Although it is impossible to curb the trend of population concealment, at least the family members must know that doing so is illegal and may be severely punished. Next, a certain meeting will propose to Your Majesty, political affairs The court will impose severe penalties on the members of the aristocratic families who conceal their population."
Wei Zheng was speechless.
Not to mention Fang Jun's ability to govern, but this method of making money is indeed the best in the entire dynasty. The "Urban Management Bureau" in the east and west cities punished the businessmen with a change of heart and fear. Since then, Jingzhao Mansion has become the most well-funded yamen in the Tang Dynasty...