Chapter 959: Scholar-Officials Should Come from the People

In Huaxia civilization.

The unique scholar-official spirit has always run through the entire history of Huaxia.

Cultivate the self, regulate the family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world; this is the mission and responsibility that scholar-officials set for themselves.

"The sound of wind, the sound of rain, the sound of reading—each sound enters the ear; family affairs, state affairs, world affairs—each affair concerns the heart." This is a famous couplet from the Donglin faction during the Ming Dynasty, which shows that to become a scholar-official, one must not only have outstanding learning but also a broad mind and a sentiment of concern for the country and the people.

Today.

This Li Huang was representing the Scholar-Official Group of the Li Dynasty to engage in this dispute over the Great Court Principles, so Liu Zheng started with "scholar-official" and retorted, fitting the topic, which could not help but make people cheer one after another.

"Good!"

"Domineering!"

"The teacher's learning is broad and profound!"

Li Huang sneered: "The son of a merchant dares to talk wildly about officials? A scholar-official takes the world as his home. However, if a ruler has faulty plans or actions that threaten the state or endanger the altars of soil and grain, and a high official, father, or elder brother can offer advice to the ruler—if used, it is well; if not used, one leaves—this is called Admonishment. If one can offer advice to the ruler—if used, it is well; if not used, one dies—this is called Bitter Remonstrance. If one can unite knowledge and strength, lead the crowd of officials and hundred clerks to together force the ruler and correct the ruler—even if the ruler is uneasy, he cannot but listen, and thus the great calamity of the state is resolved, the great harm to the state is removed, and it results in honoring the ruler and pacifying the state—this is called Assistance! If one can resist the ruler's command, steal the ruler's authority, and act against the ruler's affairs to pacify the state's danger and remove the ruler's disgrace, with merits sufficient to achieve the state's great benefit—this is called Correction. Therefore, those who Admonish, Remonstrate, Assist, and Correct are the ministers of the altars of soil and grain, the treasures of the state ruler, and what a wise ruler respects and values, yet a dim-witted ruler confuses them for thieves of his own!"

"Follow the Dao, not the ruler—this is a scholar-official!"

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"Vice Minister Liu, what do you think?"

That is "Follow the Dao, not the ruler"!

Simply put, the reason a scholar-official is a scholar-official is that he should have the world in his heart, acting for the country and the people. If the monarch has a wrong judgment, the country will be in danger. At this time, if a minister offers advice and the opinion is adopted, that is fine; if it is not adopted, he leaves—this is called Admonishment. If someone offers advice and the monarch listens, that is fine; if he does not listen, one dies to manifest one's will—this is called Bitter Remonstrance. If someone can unite these scholar-officials to force the monarch together, correct the monarch, and change his faults so that the country is peaceful and the people are secure, this is true Assistance! And if a scholar-official can openly resist the monarch's command to turn the state's danger into safety, this is called Correction!

Follow the Dao, not the ruler—Li Huang started from this viewpoint to oppose the supremacy of imperial power, and he also successfully used "Admonishment," "Bitter Remonstrance," "Assistance," and "Correction" to implicitly refer to the Southeast, Northwest.

A group of civil and military officials also cheered from the sidelines.

This rebuttal also made Liu Zheng's eyes light up.

This Li Huang did not fall into Liu Zheng's linguistic trap to argue about the Southeast, Northwest, but instead interpreted the spirit of the scholar-official from another angle.

This is a master of debate!

There was another round of cheers at the scene.

Liu Zheng listened and nodded slowly, a smile on his face.

To prove that the scholar-officials of the Li Dynasty, even if their political views differ, are all for the country and the people.

Easily resolving Liu Zheng's sharp question.

An expert.

Liu Zheng laughed again.

The philosophical concept of "the people are my kin, and all things are my companions" is a saying by the Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian Zhang Zai. Later, Cheng Yi renamed it the Western Inscription, held it in high esteem, and placed it on par with the Analects and Mencius. "The people are my kin, and all things are my companions" is the Confucian thought of "Unity of Heaven and Man" and "All Things are One," treating all things in the universe with the virtue of benevolence; the people under heaven are all my brothers, all my companions and friends, and we should treat them as we treat our own brothers.

In the eyes of a scholar-official, the people of the world are all his kin, and he is willing to share all things with them.

He had actually always admired the scholar-officials of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. In that era, thought was relatively liberated, and scholars insisted on justice and insisted on the Great Dao, even to the point of pointing at the monarch's nose and scolding him. It is just that, since ancient times, many people have competed to enter officialdom, but positions are limited, and various competitions exist between upper and lower classes, which led many scholars to start playing with power—this is the tragedy of the scholar-official. Li Si and Han Fei were both students of Xunzi and were even classmates and close friends, but when Han Fei came to the Qin State, Li Si feared that Han Fei would replace him, so he framed Han Fei and poisoned him to death.

Liu Zheng asked again: "Sir reveres Zhu-Cheng Neo-Confucianism, so Liu Zheng asks, what does Sir think of 'the people are my kin, and all things are my companions'?"

Li Huang was stunned, then laughed loudly: "Great Good!"

"Look, Zhu-Cheng Neo-Confucianism is the orthodoxy!"

"Vice Minister Liu is still not up to it!"

A group of civil and military officials had already begun to celebrate.

Within the four seas, all are brothers, therefore one should shelter the people of the world. This is the embodiment of the scholar-official's benevolent governance and love for the people in Confucian thought.

"Good!"

"Hahahaha, this is true talent and learning!"

He was slowly guiding these people toward a giant pit.

Sure enough.

Liu Zheng smiled: "Therefore, the temperament of a scholar-official lies first in learning, second in virtue, third in concern, fourth in Noble Spirit, fifth in Self-Strengthening, and sixth in acting for the altars of soil and grain without fearing death! Sir, what do you think?"

Li Tun also laughed at this time.

He understood why Liu Zheng asked these things.

He was guiding them.

"Indeed."

Liu Zheng suddenly changed the subject: "Can Liu Zheng consider that 'Follow the Dao, not the ruler' actually means 'Follow the people'?"

"'Follow the Dao, not the ruler' actually means 'Follow the altars of soil and grain'?"

Li Huang laughed loudly: "Great Good!"

"Great Good!"

A group of people also followed suit and echoed, and the atmosphere at the scene suddenly seemed to become much more harmonious.

"Good!"

The whole audience burst into applause again.

The applause was like thunder.

"'Follow the Dao, not the ruler' actually means 'Follow the world'?"

"'Follow the Dao, not the ruler' actually means 'Follow the will of the people'?"

Li Huang looked awe-inspiring: "Literature is used to carry the Dao; it has been so since ancient times! A scholar-official should shoulder the will of the people of the world and shoulder the responsibilities of the world! A scholar cannot be without breadth of spirit and strength of character; the burden is heavy and the road is long! Even if I die, I have no regrets! Is this not the sage that Vice Minister Liu spoke of? How about it?"

Yet he did not know that he had already fallen into Liu Zheng's trap at this moment.

Liu Zheng laughed loudly and suddenly pointed at the surrounding commoners and the masses: "Then Liu Zheng dares to ask Sir, have you ever asked for their will, and have they ever needed you to shoulder it?"

The noise of the scholar-officials came to an abrupt end.

Li Tun also frowned slightly.

Queen Inhyeon and Li Xuanya both looked worried.

The commoners also looked at one another, wanting to say something, but stopping themselves. The voices of the Scholar-officials were too loud at this moment, seemingly drowning out everything else.

Upon hearing this, the commoners, who had just been left completely bewildered by these Scholar-officials, suddenly came back to life, their faces twisted and their gestures wild.

"Right! Have you ever understood it?"

"Good!"

Liu Zheng continued to shout: "Their world—did they ever ask you to govern it?"

"The state they want, the Li Dynasty they want, the sentient beings they want, the imperial court they want, the royal family they want—you Scholar-officials, have you ever tried to understand them?"

A rapid succession of questions immediately caused the faces of these Scholar-officials to change drastically, leaving them unable to answer.

"How many feet of cloth it takes to make a garment—do you know?"

"Do we need your universal love?"

"Do we need your worries?"

"Why are you able to represent us?"

"You don't know a damn thing!"

"Spring plowing and autumn harvest—how much do you know about them?"

"An insult to refinement!"

"What do you know of the Dao of governing a country?"

Even Li Huang's expression sank.

In an instant, the atmosphere of the entire scene was ignited; this time, there were quite a few commoners who had come to watch.

"You, you all..."

"Preposterous, simply preposterous! Unruly mob, unruly mob!"

As soon as these words were spoken.

Everyone's expression changed.

"Scholar-officials should be for the people, yet Scholar-officials should also come from the people."

Liu Zheng, however, smiled slightly: "The Scholar-officials you champion are the first to act for the world, the first to worry for the world, the first to die for the world, the first to govern for the world, and the first to disobey the monarch for the world."

"Then, sir, have you ever thought..."

This.

Is the greatest malady of the current Li Dynasty.