At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

"Is it just scholars?"

Guo Jin frowned, and asked a question: "Father just said that the scholars threatened us in the central government, and the powerful threatened us in the local area, so they should all be enemies, right?"

Guo Peng smiled and understood what his son meant.

"A Jin, my father knows what you mean. It is true that they are all enemies. This is for sure, but you can't act too hastily. As far as the present is concerned, scholars are more threatening than powerful people. It is also scholars who need to be resolved as soon as possible. , rather than powerful.

Moreover, if you want to solve an interest group, you can't do it alone. If you don't have help, do you want to fight a group of them with a knife alone?So you must have a helper, this helper, not to mention how strong, must at least have the strength to fight with scholars. "

Guo Peng looked at Guo Jin, and said, "I want to ask you for my father, who is your helper who can fight with scholars?"

"Like the Xiahou family of the Cao family, they are literate and powerful."

This time, Guo Jin did not hesitate.

Guo Peng nodded.

"Yes, it's these tyrants. Li Shu is not in the mood for the time being, and it is impossible to be your arm. Even if you want to, you can't do it. If you want to fight against the scholars, you can only rely on the tyrants. So the tyrants are not our enemies for the time being. Although they are all people, but There must always be a sequence.

Reform requires slow work and meticulous work. If a reform involves too many people, you cannot overthrow a boat with one shot. Reform must always unite the majority, attack the small part, do your best, and win over those who can. Object, to minimize the enemy's counterattack force.

You have to constantly unite with those who can be united, eliminate your enemies bit by bit, and accumulate small staged victories in order to obtain the final fundamental victory, instead of turning all the 40 people into one enemy, then you will become an enemy of the whole people, and you will end up as Wang Mang. "

Guo Jin nodded again and again, then thought for a while, and asked, "Then according to what my father said, we should take it slow and constantly reduce the strength of the opponent, so can some different groups be formed among the scholars?" , what about differentiation strikes?"

Guo Peng looked at Guo Jin with satisfaction, nodded and smiled.

"That's right, my son has already entered the family room. You have a good idea. Even in the group of scholars, there are existences that can be used, such as Cheng Yu, such as Cai Yong, such as Tian Feng, such as Man Chong, they and our family The relationship is different, there is an in-law relationship, or the earliest old ministry of the father.

In the eyes of others, they are not only scholars, but also foreign relatives, and both scholars and foreign relatives. This identity can be distinguished from other simple scholars, or it is the contradiction between the big gentry and the small gentry. You can take advantage of the eagerness of the small gentry to challenge the big gentry.

A Jin, as long as you are a person, as long as you have mastered power, you will have the desire to climb up. This is irrefutable. You have to see who these people who are eager to gain power are, whether they can use them, how to use them, and their loyalty. Is unreliable, reliable is a suitable interest.

We can set the initial target on the top gentry with the smallest number of people, such as the Xun family, such as the Chen family, and use all means to instigate the small gentry and the humble tyrants to dismember the big gentry, and then turn their guns and unite The tyrants deal with the relatively small number of petty gentry.

A Jin, you have to know that on the political battlefield, different interests are enemies, so we, as kings, are enemies all over the world, but there is a more crucial point, you should know, remember, on the political battlefield, the enemy Your enemy is your friend. "

Guo Jin narrowed her eyes and slowly pondered the meaning of this sentence.

"The enemy of the enemy is a friend...so divide the powerful and the scholars, win over the powerful, attack the scholars, win over the small nobles, and attack the big nobles..."

"That's right, so since my father started his army, he has used tyrants multiple times, oppressed the scholars, attacked the scholars, promoted the tyrants to his side, occupied a certain position, promoted the tyrants, came to compete with the scholars for power, and deliberately created scholars. The contradiction with the powerful makes the strong and the scholars confront each other."

Guo Peng said slowly: "Understanding this major premise, we can start to reform. Then, we need to figure out what needs to be done in each step, how to do the first step, how to do the second step, take your time, and be careful. Don’t mess up the position, this is a century-old national policy, and it cannot be completed in a year or two.”

"So, father, what should we do first?"

Guo Jin looked at Guo Peng expectantly.

"The first step, being the Father, has been done for you."

Guo Peng smiled and pointed to the factory building: "Papermaking and printing are the basis of all this. It has been completed, and we can directly start the second step."

"This... this is great! What about the second step?"

Guo Jin looked at Guo Peng happily.

"The second step is a bit more difficult. You have to divide it into small steps to complete it. Maybe you won't be able to complete it in your father's lifetime."

Guo Peng took a deep breath: "If we want to change the status quo of being an official based on blood relationship, the imperial examination is necessary, but the root of the problem is not the procuratorial examination or the imperial examination, but the monopoly of knowledge, and the domination of education by scholars.

If we cannot find sources of officials other than scholars, then no matter how we reform the system, we will just put old wine in new bottles without substantial changes. We have done so much, not really for political struggle, but for reform. If the goal is not achieved, it is purely political struggle. "

"What does father mean to choose officials from among Li Shu?"

"Not only Li Shu, but also Hao Qiang. On this point, the interests of Li Shu and Hao Qiang are the same, because Li Shu doesn't even know characters, and Hao Qiang knows characters, but they don't have knowledge to pass on, or even if they learn it, they won't be able to get scholars. Acknowledgment is useless.

Therefore, we need to select officials from the powerful and the Li Shu, reform the procuratorial examination, establish the imperial examination, and include the powerful and the Li Shu's children into the scope of the imperial examination, so that the powerful Li Shu can compete with the scholars and compete for official positions together, so that, The second step is done. "

Guo Jin frowned: "But father, most of the powerful and powerful have no family inheritance, and their knowledge is not good. Most of the Li Shu are illiterate and don't read. It's just relying on my father to send people to literacy in the villages, so that Li Shu can know limited characters. Knowing the principles of governance, it is simply impossible to be with scholars..."

Having said that, Guo Jin suddenly stopped her words, her eyes widened, and she turned her gaze to the factory building not far away.

Guo Peng smiled.

"You didn't understand just now, but now you finally understand what the first step you said for the father is?"

"Father improved the papermaking technique and created the printing technique in order to let the children of the powerful and the common people have books to read, to be able to read, and to learn knowledge?"

Guo Jin was shocked: "Is this so that the imperial examination can replace the imperial examination, so that the children of the powerful and the Li Shu can also compete with the scholars?"

"Yes, that's why."

Guo Peng nodded with satisfaction.

"Father! This...you thought of today five years ago?"

Guo Jin immediately looked at his father with admiration.

Chapter 764 .770 three The third step will never end

Looking at the factory in the distance, Guo Peng slowly shook his head.

"I thought about it a long time ago, as far back as five years ago, but to do such a thing, you need corresponding strength. If you don't have the strength, just talk about the goal and just talk big."

Guo Peng took Guo Jin's hand and said with a smile: "Having said that, this is the first step, and the second step will face more and more obstacles. It is not enough just to have papermaking and printing technology. What we need It’s powerful execution.”

"Not only do we need to let the children of the powerful and powerful get the inheritance of knowledge, but also let the father's policies be implemented at the local grassroots level, so that the children of the Li Shu can also study! And the ultimate goal is to let the Li Shu also be able to study!"

Guo Jin was very excited.

"Yeah, but it's too difficult, Ah Jin, it's not something that can be done just by talking about it."

Guo Peng asked Guo Jin to sit down, and then said seriously: "Reading has never been an easy thing. Leaving aside all the problems, first of all, people who study have no time to work. People want to be free from production and not to farm.

With the financial resources of a Lishu family, it is extremely difficult to support a scholar who does not farm and only eats. The grain output and family wealth cannot support them to study and study. At the age of two, you have to go to the fields to farm and work hard all your life, otherwise, you will be hungry. "

"What... what should I do? The government will help them with money so that they can let their children study?"

Guo Jin tentatively asked.

"The government must provide money to help, otherwise, it would be impossible for the children of Li Shu's family to study, books, tuition fees, all of which we have to pay for, and even subsidize their food. Those who study can get government subsidies. Only in this way can we ensure that Li Shu's family will not go bankrupt."

Guo Peng took a deep breath: "However, this is a huge financial burden and expenditure. Putting such a sum of money into it, let alone other things, is debatable whether our finances can afford it. How much, no one knows.

Moreover, in this way, the results will not be seen in a short period of time, and it will take at least a few years to see the initial results, and in this way, they will inevitably be blocked and resisted by the scholars with all their strength. They will definitely not sit still.

Although the father is there, they may not dare to act publicly because of the prestige of the father, but if the father is gone, it is hard to say, how the nobles of Qi State treated the scholars in the Jixia Academy back then, in the future, These scholars will treat the people in our school in the same way.

Therefore, Ah Jin, not only should you stick to this policy for your father, but you also need to win over powerful tycoons who have a certain strength, so that tyrants can also spontaneously maintain the policy of being a father, defend the imperial examination, and let the tyrants know that the imperial examination is theirs to fight against The foundation of scholars. "

"I will persevere, father, I will definitely persevere!"

Guo Jin immediately made a promise.

Guo Peng shook his head.

"You will naturally insist, because this is what you have to do. It is necessary to stabilize the throne and make the country of Wei permanent, but it is hard to say whether you can succeed as your father and do these things. , It’s really hard to say, because even the father himself is not sure if it can be done.”

"But father, this must be done. Whether it can be done or not, this must be done. We have no way out, right?"

Guo Jin looked at Guo Peng.

At this moment, Guo Peng suddenly saw himself in Guo Jin.

So Guo Peng showed a little smile.

"Yes, it must be done no matter what, so what my father hopes most is to set up elementary school in the village, set up a rural school in the township, and set up a county school in the county, so that the children of Li Shu can study in these third-level schools. , grow up, after graduating from the county school, you can take the imperial examination, and then the outstanding ones can be selected as officials."

Guo Peng said to Guo Jin enthusiastically: "This is still an immature design, it is the initial idea of ​​the father, so that the children of the powerful and the Li Shu can have the knowledge that is not inferior to the children of the scholars after this three-level study. The two sides competed on the same stage, competed with each other, and finally used the advantage of numbers to make the advantage of the gentry no longer exist."

"This... is really possible! Let the scholars lose their advantage, and the scholars will naturally cease to exist. No one can compete with the emperor for power. At that time, the Wei family will be stable."

Guo Jin was very happy.

As a result, Guo Peng shook his head again.

"That's not the case, Ah Jin. After losing the advantages of blood inheritance, knowledge and official position, scholars will naturally cease to exist. But at that time, the main conflict in the entire Wei State will not be the contradiction between scholars and powerful Li Shu. Instead, it will become a contradiction between the ruler and the people and the common people."

The excitement on Guo Jin's face disappeared immediately, and his face gradually became serious.

He remembered what Guo Peng had said to him before.

"This is what my father said, the whole world is constantly changing, everything is a dynamic balance, everything will change with the passage of time, won't it stay the same?"

"Yes, the third step of the reform, the third step after the success of the imperial examination, is to deal with the changes after the disappearance of the scholars. The scholars disappeared, but what they want to do will not disappear. become new people, they will continue to do what scholars have done.”

Guo Peng nodded: "No matter when, this kind of thing will never end. Now that you are the emperor, there is no way out. If you don't maintain the dynamic balance in this world, our country of Wei will still follow the old path of the Han Dynasty. .

The only difference is that they have to rely on imperial examinations to obtain official positions, and cannot continue to rely on blood to inherit hereditary official positions. They are no longer nobles, and their status can be replaced at any time rather than irreplaceable.

Therefore, they can no longer threaten the emperor, but they will still ask the emperor for power in the central government, embezzle land and population in the local area, and what they do will remain unchanged and will always be like this.

As a king, we need to keep suppressing old bureaucrats and promoting new bureaucrats. When the new bureaucrats get old, we suppress the old ones and promote the new ones. This cycle goes on and on, maintaining a dynamic balance. If this balance cannot be maintained, the same will still happen. The body dies and the country perishes. "

In the past, scholars paid a heavy price in order to break the blood inheritance of the pre-Qin nobles.

For hundreds of years in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, the scholars created a prosperous and prosperous Spring and Autumn and Warring States period. A hundred schools of thought contended, and finally relied on the Qin State to win the qualification to be an official from the nobles, and completed the first academic transfer, which changed the academic history. The situation in the government.

But until now, the scholars have transformed into a brand-new nobleman, more noble than the nobleman, doing exactly the same thing as those nobles of blood, even worse, turning official education into family education and private education, as usual closed.

What they did and the attitude they upheld were the main culprits that dragged the Han nation into a long night of 400 years, and until the Tang Dynasty, the lingering poison of the gentry was still slowly eroding the vitality of the Tang Dynasty.

The scholars took hundreds of years of chaos in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States to defeat the nobles, and the common people also used the longer chaotic years of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms to defeat the scholars.

How bloody and long is this process.

Guo Jin understood what Guo Peng meant.

"So, father, this third step, never ends?"

Guo Peng nodded.

"Yes, it will never end. It is going on every moment. If there is a day when it can't continue, it will be the time when the emperor of Wei loses power, which is the beginning of the end of Wei."

Chapter 765 Four From now on, you really have no way out

Facing the facts Guo Peng said, Guo Jin was silent.

Guo Peng sighed.

"Although I want to be a father once and for all, but due to human nature, there is no such thing as a once and for all. Sitting on the emperor's seat and becoming a real emperor, you must take on such responsibilities, otherwise, you are not worthy of the throne.

A Jin, this is true for being a father, it is also true for you, and it is even more true for your heirs. No matter what, our Guo family monarch must understand the burden on us, and we must constantly fight, fight, and fight to the death. "

"This is the emperor?"

Guo Jin asked.

"This is the real emperor, the real emperor who can't be slack, and can't make mistakes, but how many people have been such a real emperor since ancient times? There are too few of them. As a father, I can't even guarantee that I won't make mistakes, and I can't guarantee that you won't make mistakes. Don't talk about your future king."

Guo Peng shook his head: "The emperor's seat is really not easy to sit. There is no imperial examination. If you are a little careless, you will be a puppet emperor. Others will usurp power and take the throne and replace him. With the imperial examination, if you are a little careless, the story of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang will be lost." If it happens again, the emperor will become a dead emperor.

Ah Jin, do you understand now what the emperor means, what your status and your inheritance mean? If you can do it for your father, you will try your best to do it for you. But if you can’t do it for your father, you It is necessary to take over as the father, for the Wei country, for yourself, and for your heir, and continue to do it.

You can't make big mistakes. The mistakes you make will cause your descendants to repay them with thousands of times of effort. People's demands are too high. "

Guo Jin swallowed, showing hesitation.

"Father, this is really difficult."

"Is it not difficult to be the emperor and No. 1 in the world? You have mastered the power of the supreme being in the world, so you will naturally become the most embarrassing person in the world. If not, what is the meaning of being an emperor? It is difficult to become an emperor. The emperor's is even more difficult."

Guo Peng showed seriousness: "Are you really ready to be the prince of the Wei Empire? Are you really ready to inherit your father's career? Are you really ready to fight to the death?" Are you ready? Are you really ready to accidentally die and the country will be destroyed? Ah Jin, answer me!"

Guo Peng stopped drinking and stared seriously at Guo Jin's eyes. His aura of coercion suddenly surged, and he pressed down on Guo Jin fiercely.

Guo Jin's eyes suddenly widened.

He bit his lips tightly, clenched his fists tightly, his breathing became more and more rapid, and his body trembled unceasingly.

"I... I have no choice, and I will not have other choices. I am the eldest son of my father. There is no way out, even if I die, and... there is no way out!"

Guo Jin exhausted her greatest courage and looked at Guo Peng, accepting Guo Peng's torture from the soul.

After a long time, Guo Peng closed his eyes and withdrew his aura.