Northern Song Dynasty Justice

Chapter 200 The Great Way to Jane
Is there a problem with Confucian morality?

The corner of Sima Guang's mouth began to twitch crazily.

You are generalizing and saying that there is a problem with hiding wealth from the people, that's all, you also say that there is a problem with Confucian morality.

Seeing that Sima Guang was crazily accumulating anger, Zhang Fei panicked and said quickly, "Brother Sima, let's sit down and talk slowly first? Let others see it, and it will cause misunderstanding."

Sima Guang took a deep breath, "Zhang San, if you don't understand this truth today, this matter will never end."

"Yes Yes Yes!"

Zhang Fei is really the only one.

Being sandwiched between Wang Anshi and Sima Guang is really fatal.

If there was Cai Jing, or a treacherous official like Qin Hui, it would definitely be much easier.

After all, these treacherous ministers are all about interests and power, and their personal morals are not good, so everyone can have something to say.

Both Wang Anshi and Sima Guang talked about political ideas, and even talked about values ​​with you. The key point is that their personal morals are very perfect, except that Wang Anshi doesn't like bathing very much.

To talk to this kind of person, first of all, you don't have enough confidence.

But Zhang Fei had to face it. The political ideas of the two of them were completely opposite. It was definitely a technical job to be able to find success between the two.

After Sima Guang sat down, Zhang Fei poured a cup of hot tea.

Sima Guang waved his hand, "You explain the truth first."

Zhang Fei could only put the tea on the table, then sat down, and said: "Scholar Sima's frivolous corvee and thin Fu, hiding wealth for the people, is completely based on Confucian ethics."

Sima Guang lowered his eyebrows and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Of course not." Zhang Fei shook his head and said.

"Ok?"

Sima Guang began to accumulate anger again.

Zhang Fei said: "These eight characters in the mouth of Sima University are not to educate others, but to define the concept of governing the country. At the same time, these eight characters are based on Confucian morality. In other words, it is to base a country on moral principles. Come on. Is that right?"

"Isn't it?" Sima Guang's eyes almost popped out.

"certainly.."

Zhang Fei still decided to say euphemistically: "Does Master Sima know the story of Song Xianggong?"

Sima Guang immediately said: "I know what you want to say, but do you know how many times the number of casualties in the Warring States Period was that in the Spring and Autumn Period?"

Zhang Fei remained silent.

Sima Guang asked again: "Do you know what is the difference between the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period? In the Spring and Autumn Period, both sides of the war still emphasized etiquette and morality, but in the Warring States Period, morality was degraded, rituals collapsed and music was broken. More than [-] lives. The cost of losing a war in the Spring and Autumn Period is much lower than the cost of winning a war in the Warring States Period.

Do you know what kind of life the common people lived in the previous era of feudal separatism?Also, if there is no Confucian morality, why do you stand above the court?
If you only talk about the Fa, no matter if it is Xu Zhongtu or Uncle Lu Hui, they have the right to prevent you from arguing in court. It is precisely because they are deeply educated in Confucianism that they allow you to go to court to argue. "

Zhang Fei was sweating profusely after this hard lesson, he wished he could slap himself in the face, I'm so fucking out of my mind!Telling this old man about historical allusions, I really still...!

This is definitely a major mistake. You can tell him the case, but you must not tell Sima Guang the historical allusion.

Seeing that he was silent, Sima Guang was a little disappointed and said, "What? You have nothing to say?"

Zhang Fei nodded and said: "The lesson of the Sima University is that I was wrong."

These words really made him speechless.

Especially the last sentence, he was able to fight in the court before, it was really not allowed by the law, it was all given by Confucianism.

If one wanted to fully respect the law, according to the existing law, Xu Zun had a hundred ways to rule him.

The same is true of Lu Gong's works.

The reason why he was given a chance was not because they were all fair and honest, impartial and selfless, and this was all given by Confucianism.

That's it?

Sima Guang was stunned, this is just the beginning, don't be shy, it's so boring.

My brother's aura has already been opened up, I can't stop it!
Zhang Fei suddenly admitted his mistake, but Sima Guang was at a loss. His old opponent, Wang Anshi, never admits he was wrong, and he could fight him till the end of the day.

Very boring!
Sima Guangqi couldn't even get angry anymore, he said very depressed: "Tell me your opinion first."

"I will not say anymore."

Zhang Fei shook his head, "I said it and you taught me a lesson."

Sima Guang clicked his tongue: "Aren't you very good at arguing in the courtroom?"

Zhang Fei said: "Teaching the law above the court is not what I am good at."

Sima Guang said angrily, "Don't you know how to refute my virtue?"

Zhang Fei was very aggrieved and said: "I was planning to refute your virtue with the law. But the problem is... I can't deny that if I don't have Confucian morality, I really can't go to court to argue."

Sima Guang was very depressed. It was as if he had done enough foreplay. He had just entered a back and forth when the red light suddenly turned on!

Terrible.

Sima Guang waved his hand and said, "Just pretend that I haven't said that."

"Huh? Can it still be like this?
"you."

Sima Guang took a deep breath and said, "Just talk about your views on hiding wealth from the people."

Zhang Fei shook his head like a rattle, "Don't say it. If you say it, you will teach me a lesson."

Sima Guang said angrily, "I'll just listen to your opinion. There is a saying that if three people go together, there must be my teacher. I, Sima Guang, are not such a stubborn person."

Are you not?Zhang Fei rolled his eyes and said, "If I tell you, you can't scold me."

"Don't scold."

Sima Guang said: "This old man never scolds anyone."

"Don't even teach me."

"No lesson."

Sima Guang added: "You are wrong, I have to correct you, right?"

Zhang Fei said arrogantly: "Then you have to wait until I finish speaking before correcting me?"

Sima Guang laughed angrily, "I just found out today that it takes so much effort to discuss issues with you."

Zhang Fei argued: "Scholar Sima, you are well-read and knowledgeable. I have only read "Song Xingtong". It is of course hard work!"

At this moment, Sima Guang missed Wang Anshi terribly, and said, "All right, all right, tell me, I'll correct you after you finish speaking."

"a man of his words."

"Say!"

"Hey!"

Zhang Fei nodded, and then said: "Scholar Sima hides wealth from the people, hoping to concentrate wealth in the hands of those who are deeply Confucian-educated, moral, and responsible. But the problem is that morality cannot be established." start a country..."

"Who."

"Wait until I'm done."

Zhang Fei said immediately.

Sima Guang lowered his hands, "Then speak quickly."

"Yes."

Zhang Fei nodded, and said: "There are no rules and no rules. The country must be established on the law. Although the legislative idea is born out of morality, since it has been removed, it should be clear. And Sima University said before that I To generalize everything, in fact, the most generalized thing is to generalize yourself.”

"you!"

"I'm not finished yet."

".you say."

Zhang Fei also said: "As far as the law is concerned, if there is something, there is something, if there is nothing, there is nothing, and black sheep and partial generalization cannot be used as reasons.

Just now the Sima University scholar mentioned that the landlords are not doing well, and the common people are living more. That's the truth.But why?The main thing is not that the court is immoral, but that the court does not abide by the law.

It can be seen that the light corvee and low tax, and the wealth of the people must be based on the law, not on morality.Because morality is personal self-restraint, and law is public power to restrain individuals.

It is impossible for the Sima University scholar to concentrate all the wealth in the hands of those virtuous people. If there is one Wei Yushan, there must be a second one.This is purely a gamble. Personal interests can be gambled, but national interests cannot be gambled. I just quoted Song Xianggong’s story. In fact, I just wanted to illustrate this point. National construction must have rules. "

Sima Guang asked, "Have you finished?"

Zhang Fei said: "The difference is almost the same. I just want to say that the law has given those people special privileges, and if they still break the law, it is too much and should be severely punished."

Sima Guang nodded and said, "Just now you said that morality is restricted by individuals, and law is restricted by public authority."

Zhang Fei nodded.

Sima Guang asked again: "Then let me ask you, is the person in the law, or the law in the person?"

Zhang Fei fell silent.

Sima Guang said: "If you don't restrain yourself well, who will teach the law? Those people evade taxes, I know better than you, and I want them to pay taxes, but if you restrain them with the law, let me tell you, it's not human Gone, but the law is gone.

Wang Jiefu's reform is bound to fail.

If you want to govern the country, you can only stop this phenomenon by paying attention to Confucian education and cultivating a group of gentlemen like Duke Fan and Duke Bao. This shows that virtue is more important than law. "

Rule of man or rule of law?

rule of man.

Is it the person or the law that matters?
Definitely people are important.

Today's law is just a piece of plasticine, the shape depends on who makes it.

Met Xu Zun.

take off!

Met Wang Hong.

Done!

It's that simple.

As expected of a man who wrote a comprehensive guide to governance, he really read it thoroughly!On this point, he is indeed better than Wang Anshi.Zhang Fei rolled his eyes, nodded straightly and said, "Yes, yes! The lesson of the Sima University is that I have suffered from not studying!"

Sima Guang asked with a smile, "How do you say that?"

Zhang Fei said: "I haven't read any other books, but I have read Song Xingtong, so I always have the illusion that this law is on people. As a result, I always don't understand many things, and I don't pay taxes. If you break the law, you will be punished. It’s such a simple thing, why can’t you do it. That’s how it is.”

Sima Guang joked, "That's why you keep getting into trouble."

"If you think about it this way, it really is."

Zhang Fei nodded repeatedly, and said: "Scholar of Sima University is worthy of being a scholar of the Imperial Academy. After this explanation, Zhang Fei suddenly realized that if everyone in the court and ministers were like Duke Fan, then everyone would be fine from the monarch to the common people." Don’t dare to do things that violate morality, and the world will be at peace.”

Sima Guang caressed his beard and said with a smile: "A child can be taught."

That's it.

If all the officials are Fan Zhongyan, there is really no need to reform, and the world will naturally be peaceful.

From this, it can also be deduced what their theoretical basis is for hiding wealth among the people. If the wealth is concentrated in the hands of a gentleman like Fan Zhongyan, then there is absolutely no problem, and the country will definitely have long-term stability.

Based on this point, the people certainly do not refer to ordinary people, but to those gentry and landlords, because ordinary people have no education and don't understand loyalty, filial piety, propriety, righteousness and shame, so how could they become Fan Zhongyan.

"That's not right!"

Zhang Fei suddenly seemed to think of something again.

Sima Guang asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Fei scratched his head and said, "Just now you said that the problem is that people are on the law, so it is still a problem on the law, so shouldn't the solution be to turn it into the law on people?"

Sima Guang's expression suddenly changed.

Zhang Fei didn't notice it, scratched his head, and said to himself: "If it is said that a group of courtiers like Fan Gong are cultivated, and everyone abides by morality, then no one dares to violate morality easily, from the monarch to the common people. .

But keeping morals is much more difficult than respecting the law. Failure to pay back money is not necessarily illegal, but it must be against morality.If the ministers of the DPRK and China respect the law, can it be said? "

Having said that, he secretly glanced at Sima Guang.

I saw Sima Guang staring at him expressionlessly, and seeing him glance over, he immediately said, "You should keep talking!"

Zhang Fei said hehe: "I don't read much, so I hope that Sima University can explain my doubts?"

"Okay! This time you win."

Sima Guang stood up, patted his buttocks, walked slowly outside, and sighed: "Wonderful words are the best, and the best is simple."

(End of this chapter)