togophonebook #345 - Confucianism and Legalism merge, Confucian skin and Legalism bones! The core of Shang Yang
#345 - Confucianism and Legalism merge, Confucian skin and Legalism bones! The core of Shang Yang
"Sir." Gai Nie's tone carried a hint of urgency, as if he wanted to dissuade Luo Fu from getting involved with Lü Buwei.
However, Luo Fu directly waved his hand the moment Gai Nie opened his mouth, interrupting him, and said, "If Mr. Gai Nie is not in a hurry, why not stay for a moment and witness the 'rare commodity' Prime Minister Lü."
It must be admitted that Lü Buwei's 'rare commodity' strategy was indeed an unprecedented innovation.
Even after Lü Buwei, the hostage princes of various countries were often the subject of investment by merchants and other parties.
Even Prince Dan of Yan, who was currently in Qin as a hostage, would later owe his escape from Xianyang and return to Ji City in Yan to those who wanted to emulate Lü Buwei.
The 'rare commodity' strategy truly brought Lü Buwei enormous gains.
Hearing Luo Fu's words, the anxious Gai Nie had no choice but to stay for the time being.
After all, as a guard of the King of Qin, Gai Nie could not ignore Luo Fu's meeting with Lü Buwei. He not only had to inform Ying Zheng about the meeting process,
but also had to try his best to prevent the possibility of cooperation between Luo Fu and Lü Buwei during their meeting.
Nodding, Gai Nie said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, sir."
"It's no trouble." Luo Fu waved his hand and began to arrange for the Black and White Sisters to prepare to welcome Prime Minister Lü Buwei.
From the Eastern Zhou Spring and Autumn period to the Warring States period, although there were many prime ministers in various countries, Lü Buwei was undoubtedly one of the most famous and legendary.
The 'rare commodity' strategy alone was enough to make him the envy of countless merchants.
After Luo Fu made preparations to welcome Lü Buwei, it wasn't long before Lü Buwei's carriage openly drove into Luo Fu's residence.
Inside Xianyang Palace.
Ying Zheng, who was waiting for Gai Nie's return, learned from Zhao Gao that Lü Buwei had actually visited Luo Fu.
Although Ying Zheng had not found an opportunity to seize power before, he had loyal followers around him.
Not to mention Gai Nie, the guard and swordsmanship teacher, Zhao Gao could almost be considered the person Ying Zheng trusted the most at the moment.
After returning from Xinzheng, Korea, and gaining control of the 100,000-strong Pingyang Heavy Armor Army, Ying Zheng gave Zhao Gao even greater power, which was to allow Zhao Gao to become involved in the management of the Net.
Before this, Zhao Gao had already come into contact with the Net, but at that time, Zhao Gao had no power or influence, and no one would care about an eunuch like him.
But as Ying Zheng gained military power, Zhao Gao naturally rose with the tide.
In a short period of time, the Six Sword Slaves had already been recruited by Zhao Gao.
"Zhao Gao."
Ying Zheng's face was沉着.
"This servant is here." Zhao Gao appeared before Ying Zheng with a respectful posture.
"Immediately send someone to Mr. Luo Zi's residence. I want to know every word between Prime Minister Lü and Mr. Luo Zi."
Zhao Gao said with a confident look, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. When arranging the residence for Mr. Luo Zi before, this servant let the sisters Zhuan Po and Mie Hun stay in Mr. Luo Zi's residence as maids."
Nodding slightly, Ying Zheng said, "Go!"
Although he trusted Zhao Gao, Ying Zheng's trust in anyone was instinctively cautious and guarded after repeated betrayals.
Gai Nie and Zhao Gao were no exception, let alone Luo Fu.
Yes, Luo Fu did give Ying Zheng a chance to obtain the aura of an emperor, and even allowed Ying Zheng to glimpse the opportunity to transcend the ordinary.
But Ying Zheng knew very well that before he seized power, any promises he made to Luo Fu were just empty checks.
Lü Buwei, on the other hand, was the prime minister who held all the power.
How could Ying Zheng not worry that Luo Fu would defect to Lü Buwei?
Once Luo Fu, the famous Confucian sage, combined with Lü Buwei, it would create a situation that would be incredibly despairing for Ying Zheng.
Inside Luo Fu's residence.
Luo Fu had actually discovered the existence of Zhuan Po and Mie Hun the moment he entered the residence.
Who made Zhuan Po and Mie Hun, like Jing Ni, assassins of the Net?
Although it is certainly not comparable to Nong Yu, who can play the music of the heartstrings, Jing Ni's guqin skills are enough to be called famous in a city.
In the Net, most assassins cannot really rely on pure force to assassinate. In most cases, they disguise their identities to approach the target.
This process is especially common among female assassins.
Since she had wholeheartedly followed Luo Fu, Jing Ni naturally informed Luo Fu of the news as soon as she noticed the existence of Zhuan Po and Mie Hun.
Although Luo Fu knew that it must be Zhao Gao's doing, and Ying Zheng must be behind it, he didn't care.
Whether it was from his own strength or other aspects, Luo Fu had the qualifications to not take the entire Net seriously.
Since Zhuan Po and Mie Hun wanted to stay with him as maids, then let them stay.
On the one hand, he could use Zhuan Po and Mie Hun to appease Ying Zheng. On the other hand, even if Zhuan Po and Mie Hun were watching Luo Fu all the time, as long as Luo Fu had something he didn't want them to know, then these two sisters would definitely be ignorant.
When Lü Buwei's carriage arrived at Luo Fu's residence.
The moment they met, Lü Buwei was stunned in place, and after a moment, he said with a sigh, "I didn't expect that Mr. Luo Zi, who is famous in the Seven Kingdoms, would be so young and promising. Compared with Mr. Luo Zi, I am already old and dying."
"Prime Minister Lü is too kind. It's just that talents come forth from generation to generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years."
His eyes lit up instantly, and Lü Buwei laughed loudly, saying, "Good, what a talent comes forth from generation to generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years. In the future, the younger generation and Mr. Luo Zi will definitely rule the world."
Luo Fu smiled without answering, and gestured, "Prime Minister, please."
"Sir, please." Lü Buwei also bowed to Luo Fu.
This bow also meant that this time, Lü Buwei did not come as the Prime Minister of Qin, but as a scholar to visit Luo Fu.
Realizing this instantly, Luo Fu understood Lü Buwei's thoughts in an instant.
The Miscellaneous School is a rather unique school of thought. Before Lü Buwei, the prototype of this ideological system already existed.
But it was not until the appearance of Lü Buwei and the compilation of the Lüshi Chunqiu that the Miscellaneous School truly had a clear outline.
It combines Confucianism and Mohism, integrates Legalism and other schools of thought.
That being said, the Miscellaneous School actually has a similar feeling to the Legalist School.
Legalist disciples do not have a clear lineage, because almost all the big shots of Legalism rarely have a good ending. For example, the famous Shang Yang was torn apart by five horses after helping the Qin State complete the reform.
And Wu Qi's reform in the Chu State eventually led to Wu Qi himself being shot to death on the spot.
Le Yi, who presided over the reform of the Yan State, eventually fled to the Zhao State. Even King Wuling of Zhao, who presided over the reform of the Zhao State as king, eventually starved to death in Shaqiu.
Even the ministers who presided over the reform, these Legalist big shots, whether the reform was ultimately successful or not, either fled to other countries or were simply exterminated.
This also led to the Legalist inheritance often emerging out of nowhere.
The situation of the Miscellaneous School is also similar to that of the Legalist School.
The Miscellaneous School itself is not a conscious, inherited school. Accurately speaking, the Miscellaneous School is a concept born from taking the strengths of various schools of thought.
Even Luo Fu's Confucian scholarship has actually been mixed with too many concepts belonging to other schools of thought. To say that Luo Fu is a Confucian is just an empty title. In essence, Luo Fu's academic ideas are actually closer to the Miscellaneous School.
However, various schools of thought have developed from the Spring and Autumn Period to the present, and have actually become intertwined.
Even the Confucian-Legalist integration that appeared in the Han Dynasty in the future has now sprouted.
After welcoming Lü Buwei into the reception hall.
Lü Buwei bluntly said, "Mr.'s theory of the three lifetimes is really amazing, but although Mr. is from the Confucian school, he is more like combining Confucianism and Mohism, integrating Legalism, and encompassing all schools of thought."
These words were clearly Lü Buwei's test of Luo Fu.
Of course, this was both a test and an olive branch extended to Luo Fu.
Behind Luo Fu, Gai Nie held the sword sheath in one hand and placed the other hand on the sword hilt, posing as a guard.
Hearing Lü Buwei's words, Gai Nie couldn't help but frown.
In Gai Nie's view, Lü Buwei was clearly planning to pull Luo Fu, the Confucian sage, into the Miscellaneous School.
This was not only an academic dispute, but also a sign that Lü Buwei intended to entrust his ideals to Luo Fu.
In fact, it is not uncommon for disciples to jump left and right and switch schools among various schools of thought.
Not to mention anything else, Xunzi, the Confucian sage, had many disciples, but Li Si and Han Fei, who were the most outstanding, all became representatives of Legalism. Han Fei was even the master of Legalism.
This situation actually appeared a long time ago.
For example, Mozi, the founder of Mohism, initially studied Confucianism from Confucius, but because he was dissatisfied with the Confucian doctrines, he simply broke away from the school and established his own school. Mohism has even become one of the most powerful schools, alongside Confucianism as the two major schools.
Even the founder of Mohism was like this, let alone the disciples of other schools of thought.
The doctrines that scholars learn at the beginning may not be adhered to until the end.
But Luo Fu has now become a representative figure of Confucianism. If he defects to the Miscellaneous School, the effect would be a bit terrifying.
For Confucianism, it would almost be a devastating blow.
“The various schools of thought have long been intertwined; you are in me, and I am in you. The reason the predecessors of the various schools put forward various theories and ideas was not for the sake of achieving peace? Though the paths are different, the destination is the same.” Luo Fu said nonchalantly.
Lu Buwei nodded in agreement, saying, “Indeed, the various schools are now intertwined. Since this is the case, has Master Luo considered establishing his own branch, like the Mo family's founder, Mozi?”
With a flicker in his heart, Luo Fu vaguely guessed what kind of gift Lu Buwei wanted to give him.
The head of the Miscellaneous School.
Although the Miscellaneous School is not like the Mo or Confucian schools, which have clear lineages,
it is undeniable that in terms of power, academics, and so on, Lu Buwei considers himself the head of the Miscellaneous School, and there is no problem with that. In fact, no one in the world is more suitable than him.
And now, Lu Buwei is clearly planning to pull Luo Fu into the ranks of the Miscellaneous School.
It is not uncommon to win over disciples from other schools.
Although there are many contradictions between the various schools of thought, there is also cooperation in many cases.
Some scholars even inherit the traditions of multiple schools.
For example, Zhang Liang in the future, although he is from Little Sage Village, one of the three heroes of Qi-Lu, he will also inherit the traditions of the Taoist and Yin-Yang schools.
For the development and continuation of the school, this kind of tiger-skin-pulling tactic is actually very common.
It is obviously impossible for Luo Fu to join the Miscellaneous School.
In the Confucian school, Luo Fu has already become the leader of a faction.
In terms of status, he is enough to be on par with Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi. It's just that Luo Fu hasn't called for support yet; otherwise, based on the theories he has come up with, he could easily win over enough disciples to become a giant in Confucianism.
And the Miscellaneous School, as a special school that is so loosely based on academic ideas, can only barely exist because of Lu Buwei's own power.
Why would Luo Fu abandon his bright future to inherit Lu Buwei's empty title of head of the Miscellaneous School?
“My scholarship is centered on Confucianism. Although I have absorbed the wisdom of various schools, it is still Confucianism,” Luo Fu emphasized.
A hint of disappointment flashed in Lu Buwei's eyes.
Changing the subject, he simply began to discuss pure academic issues with Luo Fu.
“Sir, Qin became a powerful country by leaps and bounds because of Shang Yang's reforms. Now, the trend of Qin unifying the world is already clear. I wonder if Sir thinks that after Qin sweeps across the six kingdoms of Shandong, should Shang Yang's laws be changed with the times?” Lu Buwei asked with concern.
In the Qin court, Shang Yang's laws are almost like ancestral precepts.
To some extent, Lu Buwei's "Lu Shi Chunqiu" is a kind of gentle reform.
Moreover, Lu Buwei's reforms are not for now, but for the future, after Qin unifies the world.
This is why Lu Buwei's "Lu Shi Chunqiu" did not cause the same turmoil as Shang Yang's reforms back then.
However, even so, Lu Buwei has suffered backlash.
In the future, he will be relieved of his position as prime minister and enfeoffed to Ba-Shu by Ying Zheng, but he will commit suicide by drinking poison halfway. There may be some academic disputes in this.
From the Spring and Autumn Period, when the various schools of thought were born, academic disputes, in most cases, were not just academic disputes.
To put it in more modern terms,
it is a struggle for direction.
Yes, the so-called academic disputes in the courts of various countries are actually more of a struggle for direction, and the struggle for direction is also mixed with huge interests.
This has led to the fact that whether it is reform or other changes in direction, there has hardly been a stable transition.
Even the most successful Shang Yang reform, after initially establishing trust by moving a tree, did not kill people with severe punishments.
Even Shang Yang himself was eventually sentenced to be torn apart by five horses based on the code of law he created.
Lu Buwei is now testing Luo Fu.
Testing whether Luo Fu can become a successor and pioneer of his path.
Because Lu Buwei himself has realized that his departure is destined, but Lu Buwei is not willing to give up. He can give up power, but he cannot give up his ideals.
Although he was born as a merchant, after Lu Buwei compiled the "Lu Shi Chunqiu", his ideals have been firmly rooted in the path of the Miscellaneous School in the "Lu Shi Chunqiu". This is the ideal that Lu Buwei is willing to sacrifice his life to achieve.
Now, in Lu Buwei's heart, it depends on whether Luo Fu can take over his path.
If possible, Lu Buwei actually hopes that Ying Zheng, the King of Qin, can inherit his path.
Just like back then, Shang Yang and Duke Xiao of Qin worked together to reform, but after Duke Xiao of Qin died, King Hui of Qin turned around and tore apart Shang Yang, the meritorious official of the reform, but Shang Yang's law was completely continued by King Hui of Qin. The subsequent kings of Qin only made minor improvements to Shang Yang's law.
And what Lu Buwei wants now is a King Hui of Qin, so he might even agree to sacrifice himself for this.
Unfortunately, Lu Buwei knows that with Lao Ai's existence, whether from the public interest of the court or personal feelings, he is unlikely to gain Ying Zheng's approval.
Luo Fu, the rising star of the Confucian school, has become Lu Buwei's helpless choice as a second best.
As the prime minister of a country, Lu Buwei did not lie about one thing. He had indeed read Luo Fu's works. Whether it was Luo Fu's theory of three generations or Luo Fu's harmonization of various schools and the various ideas he put forward, in Lu Buwei's view, they were somewhat similar to his own theories.
It's just that Lu Buwei's Miscellaneous School is a true mix of various schools, mainly for governing the country, while Luo Fu's theory is more inclined to the ideas of Confucianism to a certain extent.
Unfortunately, Lu Buwei still cannot see through that the essence of Luo Fu's scholarship is completely a further step of Confucian skin and Legalist bones, and even more radical than Confucian skin and Legalist bones, leaving only a Confucian skin.
However, his Confucian skin perfectly wraps the true core.
Perhaps, among the various schools of thought,大佬 like Xunzi and Beimingzi, who truly implement their own ideas and scholarship, can see through the truth of Luo Fu's scholarship.
But even if大佬 like this see through it, they will not expose Luo Fu.
For example, Confucianism, no matter what kind of core Luo Fu wraps in the Confucian school, his academic growth will inevitably lead to the rise of Confucianism, which can be said to have gained face. And those schools whose academic core is wrapped in Luo Fu's Confucian skin have gained substance.
The only exception is Lu Buwei. Although he is the pillar of the Miscellaneous School and can even be regarded as the existence that truly laid the foundation for the Miscellaneous School, his background as a merchant, coupled with the "Lu Shi Chunqiu", is essentially based on Lu Buwei's ideas and was born after mixing various schools.
Even the real writers are the many retainers recruited by Lu Buwei, which has led to the fact that in terms of academic attainments, Lu Buwei is more of a signboard-like existence, but he does not have the ability to penetrate the true meaning of Luo Fu's scholarship.
Seeing that Lu Buwei was staring at Luo Fu without blinking after asking his most concerned question,
Gai Nie, who was on the side, also showed a curious look.
Not only that, outside the reception hall,
Zhuan Po and Mie Hun, the sister duo, were quietly listening to every exchange between Luo Fu and Lu Buwei in the reception hall.
“Shang Yang's laws are the foundation of the Qin state. The reason why the Qin state is so strong today is mostly due to Shang Yang's laws. Even if Qin unifies the six kingdoms of Shandong in the future, Shang Yang's laws can be adapted to the times, but the core must never be changed.” Luo Fu's words were decisive.
Lu Buwei showed a disappointed look.
After all, in his opinion, Luo Fu was also a bit pedantic.
It's just that he doesn't understand that the core of Luo Fu's so-called Shang Yang's laws is not those harsh laws, but giving the lower levels a channel for upward mobility.
Not to mention anything else, once Qin unifies the world, then the military merit system, even if it is not abolished, will hardly have much use.
After all, the six kingdoms of Shandong have been destroyed, so there is not much land that can be conquered in the world.
This world is different from the history Luo Fu knows. Even the terrain is not the cosmic starry sky, but a round sky and a square earth. The threat from the north is not the Xiongnu, but the wolf clan.
The vast yellow sands of the Western Regions are almost the edge of the world, and the vast ocean in the east is also the end of the world.
In this case, after Qin unifies the world, it is almost impossible for any major wars to occur in a short period of time.
Without war, the military merit system will naturally be useless.
In this way, the upward channel for the lower levels will almost be completely blocked.
The entire Qin will also fall into a stagnant state.
Even without Hu Hai's atrocities, it would only last a few more years, and eventually it would still fall apart.
Now, almost few people can grasp the true essence of Shang Yang's reforms, which is not in clear rewards and punishments, not in harsh laws, but in the military merit system, which truly gives the lower levels a chance to change their destiny.
This is the real core.
It is also the source of Luo Fu's insistence on not changing.
“Although Shang Yang's laws made Qin strong for a while, rigidity cannot last long, and flexibility cannot be maintained. A single-minded focus on harsh laws may have been adopted by the people of Qin, but the six kingdoms of Shandong will inevitably be in turmoil. If there are nobles from the destroyed states to provoke them, Qin's situation will inevitably become precarious.” Lu Buwei said earnestly, trying to persuade Luo Fu to change his mind.
But now, it is Lu Buwei himself who has not really figured out the key.
“For the common people, harsh laws are not terrifying.” Luo Fu said calmly: “Back then, when Shang Yang reformed, there was indeed turmoil among the people at first, but what happened in the end? Shang Yang's laws have made today's Qin have the potential to swallow the world, and the people are happy to hear about war.”
After a slight pause, Luo Fu looked at Lu Buwei meaningfully and said: “Prime Minister, what do you think is the reason why the people are so protective of Shang Yang's laws?”