"I would like to ask you about the essentials of using troops."
Lord Linwu raised his head and said: "First obtain the climatic conditions that are conducive to the attack, then obtain a favorable geographical position, observe the enemy's changes, act behind the enemy but arrive before the enemy. This is the key to using troops."
Xunzi shook his head and said with a smile: "That's not right."
"I heard that the real way to use an army is to unite the people with yourself. If the bow and arrow are not coordinated, then Hou Yi cannot use it to hit a small target. If the six horses are not coordinated, then Cepheus cannot rely on him.
When they reach distant lands, if the people do not stick close to the monarch, then King Tang of Shang and King Wu of Zhou will not be able to win the battle."
"Thus, those who can make the people surrender are those who are good at using troops. Therefore, the key to using troops is to make the people surrender to themselves." Xunzi said, looked at King Zhao, and said: "If your Majesty can reduce the number of
At this banquet, if you give the food hidden in the palace to the people, distribute the horses you use to drive to the generals, protect your people, trust your generals, and work together as one, you will definitely be able to win.
Strong enemy."
King Zhao was thoughtful, but Lord Linwu was a little anxious and said hurriedly: "That's not right! What matters in using troops is the favorable situation, and what they implement is cunning and deceitful. Those who are best at using troops are so elusive that no one knows where they are from.
Where did it come from? Sun Wu and Wu Qi used this method and became invincible in the world. Why must we rely on the method of making the people surrender?"
Xunzi didn't even look at Lord Linwu. He just looked at King Zhao in front of him and continued: "No, what I'm talking about is the army of benevolent people. Among benevolent people, all the generals are united.
The three armies work together, ministers to the monarch, subordinates to their superiors, just like a son serving his father, and a younger brother serving his elder brother, just like an arm protects the head and eyes, and protects the chest and abdomen."
“Moreover, a virtuous man who governs a country with a radius of ten li will understand the situation of a hundred li. If he governs a country with a radius of a hundred li, he will understand the situation of a thousand li. If he governs a country with a radius of a thousand li, he will understand the situation of the world.
Situation. A benevolent person will not sit in the palace, observe the situation of the people in the country, reward the meritorious soldiers, and help the poor and hungry people."
"Therefore, when a benevolent person is in power, the country will become increasingly prosperous. Those who submit first will be at peace, those who are late will be in danger, those who oppose him will be weakened, and those who betray him will perish."
After Zhao Kuo and several others left, King Zhao asked Lord Linwu and Xunzi about the war. Xunzi spoke seriously about his views on the war, and Lord Linwu retorted from time to time. All the officials present listened.
He was so obsessed with it that the imperial censor Zhao Hui hurriedly woke up, picked up the bamboo slips, took out his pen and ink, and based on his memory, he quickly wrote: "The king said: May I ask for the soldiers? Lord Linwu said to him: Shanghao.
When the weather is right and the terrain is favorable, you can observe the enemy's changes, attack later, and arrive first. This is the key to using troops."
Xunzi advocated righteous warfare and unified the country with "the soldiers of benevolent men and the ambition of kings", so that the four seas would be as close as one family. This was his lifelong pursuit and ideal. Unlike Lord Linwu, Xunzi believed that the use of troops was to prohibit violence and eliminate harm.
, to give the people a more peaceful and orderly life, instead of fighting desperately for their own selfish desires. It is precisely because of this ideal that Xunzi hated the deception and injustice during war, and even more hated the wanton massacre that regarded human life as nothing.
This is a person who lives with pain because of an unattainable dream.
Xunzi spoke faster and faster, and his words became more and more fierce. He stood up and commented on the armies of various countries. He said Qi's army was worthless, and Wei's army was said to endanger the national security.
Army, he didn't scold the Qin army, but scolded the King of Qin! The censor's hand became faster and faster, and soon, the entire bamboo slip was filled, and the censor changed another one.
The book of bamboo slips continues.
King Zhao listened with great interest, but Lord Linwu looked a little disdainful. He didn't believe in the saying that the teacher of benevolence and righteousness is invincible. Marching and fighting are meant to be unscrupulous. How can we talk about benevolence and righteousness when both sides kill each other? If
If someone like Xunzi is appointed as a general, the whole army will be in danger.
"Sir, I have never forgotten to sacrifice to the gods, and I am very pious every time I offer sacrifices. However, God has repeatedly brought disasters to me. What is the reason for this?" King Zhao asked again.
"The gods have no emotions, and they will not change because of your respect or slander. They have their own laws, which we cannot understand and cannot be changed."
King Zhao was stunned and asked: "How can I avoid these disasters?"
"Although you cannot avoid disasters by praying to gods, you can avoid these disasters by yourself. If you can dig channels, avoid droughts, build dams, and avoid floods, treat the people well, and govern the country diligently, others will not dare to invade again.
Zhao Guo, you can also avoid military disasters." Xunzi replied.
King Zhao nodded and asked again: "I heard that you said that anyone can become a saint. Is that true?"
"It's like this. Saints and ordinary people, gentlemen and villains, all have bad natures when they are just born. The reason why a saint is a saint is that he has accumulated a lot of knowledge and done many meritorious deeds through his own efforts.
No matter what kind of person you are, you can become a saint through learning." As soon as Xunzi said this, everyone in the room was shocked, and the one who found it hardest to accept it was probably Lord Linwu.
Saints are different from ordinary people. However, any great person can always cause some strange weather when he is born. Most of his fathers are not mortals. How can we say that all people are the same and can become saints?
?In Chu State, this division is most obvious. Lord Linwu is a born noble person, so naturally he cannot agree with Xunzi's theory.
He asked somewhat maliciously: "Is Xunzi already a saint?"
Xunzi shook his head and said: "Although I have been studying various principles, learning knowledge, and urging myself to do benevolent and righteous things all my life, until now, I have never been able to do anything that a saint should do. I have no merit. I
We are still far away from the road to becoming a saint."
"If people like you have not become saints, then what kind of people can become saints?"
“Be able to spend all your family property to help the villagers, be able to bow your head to ask for food for the people, be able to accept criticism from others face to face, be able to have courage even if you are afraid, be kind to everyone, and be able to help those you encounter on the road.
Stranger, such a person can definitely become a saint."
"Hahahaha~~~" Lord Linwu laughed, shook his head and said: "Where can there be such a person?"
Xunzi also laughed and said, "Yes."
The banquet was still going on, and Lin Xiangru and others also left one by one. Xunzi was still kept by King Zhao. King Zhao valued Xunzi very much. It seemed that he wanted Xunzi to stay in Zhao and hold an official position. The weather was getting worse.
It was cold. When Lin Xiangru walked out of the palace, the driver's face was red from the cold. When he returned to his mansion, Lin Xiangru, who was still thinking about Xunzi's words, saw the familiar young man standing at the door of the mansion.
, he took off his fur coat and put it on a naked child.
The child raised his head in fear. The young man smiled, wearing thin clothes, standing in the wind, stretched out his hand and rubbed the child's head.
Lin Xiangru's eyes lit up, he clapped his hands and shouted: "Yes!"