Kong Yingda was also quite unlucky. He was forced to do nothing by Li Mu, so he tried to repeat the same trick and escape by fainting, but the fall was too big, and the fake turned into real by accident, and he actually fainted.
Li Mu stretched out his hand to pull, but he missed it by accident. He watched Kong Yingda fall to the ground, let out a short "ah", then rolled his eyes, and a huge bulge formed on the back of his head, which hurt even when he looked at it.
.
Li Mu grinned and turned around to plead guilty: "Your Majesty, I have already said that I will not defend myself. Look, Kong Jijiu fainted again. What should we do?"
Li Shimin glared at him angrily, but he still remembered what he said a few days ago that he would defend Li Mu when necessary, and said: "I and all the officials saw it, Kong Jijiu fainted on his own, and you
It has nothing to do with you. Come, send Confucius’ wine back home. Dismiss the court!”
After saying that, Li Shimin flicked his robe sleeves, turned around and left. A good court meeting was disrupted by Kong Yingda and Li Mu as if they were scolding each other in the street. The most annoying thing was that Kong Yingda was clumsy and stupid. He knew that he couldn't talk but still insisted on provoking him.
If he hadn't thought about his identity as a descendant of Kong Sheng, I would have really wanted to drive him out of the court. But this guy Li Mu is actually quite eloquent. But the words he said...
Li Shimin thought for a while and gave a few instructions to Eunuch Gao who was following him.
Li Mu was retreating from the court with all the officials. Tang Jian came over. The two were about to talk when Eunuch Gao caught up with him and said with a smile: "Zhu Luhou, Your Majesty summons you."
Li Mu confessed his crime to Tang Jian and followed Eunuch Gao to the Tai Chi Hall. Li Mu saw Li Shimin sitting behind the table with a solemn look on his face, not daring to say a word, and stood obediently with his hands tied. Li Shimin glanced at him and waved his hand,
Eunuch Gao withdrew, leaving only him and Li Mu.
"Li Mu, you are so in the limelight today, and you made Kong Yingda mad again. Your reputation will soon spread all over the world!"
Li Mu could hear Li Shimin's dissatisfaction. He was blaming himself for not giving him the steps, but Li Mu didn't panic. Since he decided not to give Kong Yingda the steps, he must have prepared the steps for himself first, otherwise he would not
He would be so stupid.
Li Mu saluted and said: "Your Majesty, everything I said came from the bottom of my heart. I didn't want to defend myself, but Your Majesty asked me to defend myself. I dare not not defend myself. What I said must come from my heart. As for Kong Jijiu, who fainted after drinking.
I can only say that he brought it upon himself."
"From the bottom of my heart?" Li Shimin snorted and said, "Don't think that I am a foolish king who cannot hear the flattery in your words. Although I will not belittle myself, I will not be arrogant or arrogant.
Genius Mingjun, do you think I will believe this?"
Li Mu said seriously: "Your Majesty, this matter is definitely my true intention. There is no flattery at all. I really think so!"
Li Shimin was overjoyed, but he said calmly: "I would like to hear your explanation."
Li Mu pondered for a moment and said: "May I ask, Your Majesty, how many of the important ministers in the court today were officials in the previous dynasty?"
"About half of the people who were officials in the Sui Dynasty before the imperial court."
"In this way, the ministers are still the same ministers, but the monarch has changed. If the role of wise ministers is better than that of wise kings, why did the former Sui Dynasty perish?"
"Well..." Li Shimin nodded and said: "There is a certain truth, but it is still biased. Most of the ministers in the court today were born when the father was in power. In this way, the father is the wise king.
.”
Li Mu secretly thought to himself, Li Shimin is quite thick-skinned. They say you are a wise king and you are not satisfied yet. You have to be more sincere... That's all. Since you are my boss, I will praise you again.
Li Mu cleared his throat and said: "The Supreme Emperor competed in the world and established the Tang Dynasty. Looking at the history, he is indeed a wise king. However, the Supreme Emperor is too tall and powerful. At this time, a wise king is needed to inherit the great unification.
The foundation of the Tang Dynasty will continue. Otherwise, the Tang Dynasty will be like the Qin and Sui Dynasties. Although it was prosperous for a while, it will perish after two generations."
When Li Shimin heard this, he felt relieved both physically and mentally. The biggest problem he had always been criticized for was that the throne had an illegitimate origin. Li Mu's words could just play a role in justifying his name. How could he be unhappy? Moreover, this
It is a memorial from the king and his ministers, and it should be written in the notes on daily life. In the future, when people look at the notes on daily life and read this paragraph, they will probably also praise a wise king.
Li Shimin gave Li Mu an appreciative look and asked, "What do you think Aiqing is like to be a wise king?"
Li Mu replied calmly: "There is a saying in "Mencius": the people are the most important, the country is second, and the emperor is the least. My understanding of this is that if the emperor can put the people first, the country second, and enjoy happiness
Put it in the third place and you will have the foundation to be a wise king."
Li Shimin said displeasedly: "I know you have read the book, but I don't want to hear you answer in the words of a sage or express your own opinions."
Li Mu thought for a while and then said: "If your Majesty asks me for my opinion, my opinion is very simple. There is only one sentence. The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. As I just said, why are the ancient 'scholars' respected by others?"
, because his abilities are outstanding and the people rely on them. The value of a 'shi' is to serve the people. This is even more true for officials. Every penny of an official's salary is a tax paid by the people, and they have the obligation to be responsible for the people.
.And the emperor is rich all over the world, and his responsibilities are even greater. His majesty needs to be responsible for scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, and even the mountains and rivers of the world and all the beasts. If you can shoulder this responsibility, you will be a wise king."
"It makes sense!" Li Shimin originally planned to hit Li Mu a few words, but after hearing his remarks, he couldn't help but look at him with admiration. After three years as emperor, Li Shimin felt more and more tired. No matter where he was in the world,
Everything will be handed over to him and let him make the decision. He is responsible for everything. Isn't this the responsibility Li Mu said?
Li Shimin took a deep look at Li Mu and said, "Li Mu, please answer me, in your heart, am I really a wise king?"
Li Mu raised his head and looked at Li Shimin, and said word by word in a positive tone: "In my heart, your Majesty is a wise king."
"Why don't I feel that I am a wise king?"
Li Mu smiled and said: "If your Majesty feels that you are a wise king, then you are a foolish king. I know that your majesty wants to be a wise king, but I think that your majesty does not need to do it deliberately, because your majesty has already done a good job. I think that for the king
You don't have to do everything yourself, you just need to let the right people do the right things, and know the people well. For example, your Majesty discovered my strengths and placed me in the Ministry of Industry, so that my talents can be put into use and I can do good things for the country.
I have made some contribution. If your Majesty puts me in the Ministry of Rites, I will definitely make no contribution at all. This is your Majesty's credit. It is even more difficult for your Majesty to dare to admit his faults, just like what happened to General Li Jing today. Always reflect on yourself and be open-minded.
Accepting advice is easy to say, but how many ancient emperors could do it? If your Majesty can do it, it is already the magnanimity of a wise king."
Li Shimin felt embarrassed when his merits were praised, and said: "You kid, you haven't read "Historical Records" in vain, and you can't stop praising it... That's all, I won't listen to your flattery. I want to ask you one more thing,
You need to answer seriously."
"I answer everything your Majesty asks very seriously."
Li Shimin automatically filtered out Li Mu's nonsense and said: "I ask you, are the Hongwen Hall, Chongwen Hall and Imperial College really so unworthy in your eyes?"
Li Mu hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"I want to hear your reasoning."
"Your Majesty, I would like to ask you, do you think the purpose of students coming to study is to benefit themselves and their families, or is it to benefit your Majesty and the country?"
This sentence stopped Li Shimin from asking. He pondered for a while and said: "It should be for themselves and their families, but this is also human nature. You can't deny their knowledge just because of this reason."
Li Mu sighed and said: "Your Majesty, I do not deny their knowledge, but I think that their knowledge is of little use. Your Majesty, the words of saints are not wrong. I also quoted many saints' words, but I
But I feel that the way they study the words of the saints is wrong, too formal, and they cannot understand the fundamentals of the words of the saints. I read "The Analects", "Mencius" and "Historical Records" and discovered one thing, Confucius and Mencius
The Two Saints have traveled around the country and come into contact with all kinds of people, ranging from princes and nobles to traffickers and footmen. They have extensive knowledge, so they can summarize many principles. But today's students hold a book and recite it over and over again.
Isn’t it ridiculous to try to understand its meaning?”
"Now the important ministers in the Tang Dynasty, the so-called wise ministers, have one thing in common, that is, they have all experienced the chaos of the late Sui Dynasty, have been in contact with the people's livelihood, and know the sufferings of the people, so they can empathize with them and know how to deal with them.
Only by doing can we solve these problems, relieve His Majesty's worries, and contribute to the country. But now these students are protected by their families and learn the so-called ways of running the world. If they are allowed to serve as officials, it will not be a blessing to the people, but a disaster to them.
!”
"Your Majesty, just imagine, if a man who knows nothing about grains is used as a county magistrate, what can he do if there is a severe drought?"
"A person who has only seen floods in classics, what solution can he come up with if the Yellow River bursts?"
"Your Majesty, Confucius mentioned many times in The Analects that the nation's sons must master six arts, etiquette, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. But today's students, under the teachings of Kong Yingda and others, are indispensable.
Apart from reading, I'm afraid he can't do anything else. What's even more unbelievable is that Kong Yingda is a descendant of Confucius. He doesn't respect the six arts. He only cares about poetry and prose.
It is also not pragmatic. I don’t know what use the students taught by such people will be to the country.”
Li Shimin was silent.
Li Mu did not say that the words of saints were bad, nor did he say that reading was wrong. He just pointed out the shortcomings of education in the Tang Dynasty from a pragmatic point of view. Li Shimin was a wise emperor, and he naturally knew whether Li Mu's words were correct or not.
After a long time, Li Shimin took a deep look at Li Mu and said, "After reading the book, things are really different. Li Mu, after reading this, I can no longer despise your opinions just because you are young."
Li Mu chuckled and said: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten that I have been crowned? I have reached adulthood!"