Chapter 27 Kong Lao I

Zhong Changtong was waiting for this day.He knew that Cao Cao would talk to him, and he was sent to Yecheng for this day, and he was also looking forward to this conversation—because he, like Cao Cao, might only have half a confidant in this world. Cao Cao denied the destiny, and he also denied the destiny, so he can be called a confidant.But Cao Cao's denial of the destiny is to break the destiny of others and establish his own authority; Zhong Changtong's denial of the destiny is to feel the reincarnation of the rise and fall of the ages, and to study the ups and downs of the next life.One is a king who intends to win the world, and the other is a literati who is obsessed with worldly education. They are completely horses running on two paths.In a sense, Cao Cao only used Zhong Changtong and his "Changyan" to criticize the destiny and the theory of loyalty to the emperor, but even this kind of use is enough to comfort Zhong Changtong.Because for him, who came from a poor family and insisted on dissent, this world is too lonely. No one understands him, let alone expect any approval. What he has encountered in the past twenty years is only indifference and hostility; to have a king like Cao Cao Paying attention to him and using him seems to him to be overjoyed.

Cao Cao didn't look directly at Zhong Changtong, and lowered his head in a daze, as if extremely exhausted: "I remember that thirteen years ago, the widow initially settled in Jizhou, and you talked about the failure of Yuan's administration. How does the widow's administration compare to Yuan Shao in the past?" "I dare not speak." "But it doesn't matter. It's okay to say what's good and what's bad." Having said that, Cao Cao didn't make eye contact with him, and was even a little afraid to look at him—no one in the world understands the king and power better than Zhong Changtong With his true face, Cao Cao has no mystery at all in front of him.

"Promise." Zhong Changtong gave a deep salute, and said slowly, "From the perspective of the people below, the current government of the king is compared with that of the Yuan family in the past... fifty steps laugh at a hundred steps." In the middle-now Cao Wei's politics has turned to the aristocratic family as the foundation, and Confucian classics as the teaching. How is it different from Yuan Shao back then?It's just that those powerful families are not so rampant, and they can't influence Cao Wei's state affairs. "Huh." Cao Cao smiled wryly, not surprised by this answer, "The opponent I want to defeat the most in my life is Yuan Benchu. I thought that the battle at Guandu was right and wrong, but I didn't expect that I still can't get rid of his shadow today."

"However... I secretly think that the king and Yuan Benchu ​​are definitely not on the same road. Yuan Shao, the fourth generation and three powerful men, treat the people like nothing, but the king has a heart of compassion." "Compassion for heaven and earth?" Even Cao Cao himself didn't understand the words, "You are a smart person, why should you flatter me like those vulgar officials?" "It's not because I'm flattering. Dare I ask my lord, why did you write 'Between heaven and earth, man is the most precious' at the beginning of the poem "Duguan Mountain" you wrote just now?"

Cao Cao looked away again, as if he didn't want to mention this: "Mencius said, 'The people are the most important, the society is second, and the king is the least'. What is the difference between the people and the people?" "Is the people no different from people?" Zhong Changtong asked rhetorically, "Humans are the spirit of all things and the heart of heaven and earth. And the people... To put it bluntly, they are just people under the rule of the holy king, even if they say 'love the people' Be like a son, cover it like the sky, and contain it like the earth'. It is just that people are regarded as subjects, and the king calls himself the father, the sky, and the earth. It must be known that people can create unprecedented careers with their own hands and eyes. Do things that no one has done before, set a precedent for a hundred schools of thought, people can control their own destiny, can the people under the shackles of the emperor do it? In other words, can the king who holds the universe in his hands and builds his own prestige allow them to do it?"

Cao Cao remained silent - Zhong Changtong hit the mark again.Cao Cao once yearned to bring stability and freedom to the people of the world, determined to go far away from Yao and Shun, and even "enriched the grass, trees and insects" (Cao Cao's "Song of the Wine"), all living beings are equal, creating a world of great harmony that has never been seen in ancient times.Such a beautiful ideal has finally been shattered... Now sitting here is no longer the enthusiastic young man who cares about the common people, but has already transformed into a lonely and lonely king.Maybe that dream is still deeply buried in his heart, but right now what he cares most about is how to consolidate his own authority, how to let this man always be seated by his children and grandchildren.

However, the moment Cao Cao picked up his pen to write a poem, the sleeping dream suddenly throbbed again, and he inadvertently wrote the six characters "In the world, people are the most precious".Man is the master of heaven and earth, from the emperor down to the slaves are all human beings, and they are also masters of heaven and earth, so what is the difference between them?Why does the king sit back and enjoy wealth and rule the people?Cao Cao was at a loss... How could he tell the world: You can actually have the same power as the king, and you can do whatever you want and pursue freedom?Wouldn't that negate the Cao family's sole power?

So he quickly changed his style of writing, and wrote "Establishing a monarch and herders, and following the rules" - if you want the herdsmen to be invincible forever, you cannot recognize free humanity, and the king will always be an insurmountable sky.Anyone's power must be the king's charity, any thought and creation must be within the scope of the king's permission, and the people can only kneel on the ground to thank for the gift.Even though he later praised Gao Tao, Tang Yao, Yu Shun, and Xu You, and even mentioned Mozi’s "love and unity", all of these must be within the rules of his herdsmen... Li people cannot escape the king , and Cao Cao himself could not escape the pattern of the millennium, no matter how far he went around, he would eventually return to the old road.No matter which one is more important, the dream in his heart or the actual interests, and whether he is willing to accept it or not, he has no choice.

Zhong Changtong felt that he had uncovered Cao Cao's scars. He couldn't bear it and was frightened by the majesty of the king. He was very disturbed and lowered his head, not daring to look at him again.Cao Cao laughed: "No wonder you can write a book like "Changyan". Yang Xiong broke the distinction between good and evil, Huan Tan broke the theory of prophecy, and Wang Chong broke the theory of ghosts and gods. You simply broke the mandate of heaven and the monarchy. To poke a hole out of the sky is really daring! But every sentence speaks to the heart of the widow."

Zhong Changtong shook off a cold sweat, and said modestly: "This humble minister is just talking nonsense." "Everyone is whitewashing. If one person dares to tell the truth, he will naturally be lying in the eyes of everyone." Cao Cao cheered up again, "Today I just want to hear you tell the truth and tell the truth. What is the rule of the widow? How? What will the world be like in the future? Can I, Cao Wei, have long-term peace and stability? You dare to say it!" "No." Zhong Changtong took a breath, and said with great determination, "Chao Cuo, a famous official during Emperor Xiaojing's time, calculated an account. It is estimated that there will be no fewer than two farmers serving a family of five, and they can farm. The harvest of a hundred mu is no more than a hundred stones. Spring plowing, summer cultivation, autumn harvesting, winter storage, firewood cutting, government administration, corvee labor, spring must not escape wind and dust, summer must not escape heat, autumn must not shelter from cloudy rain, winter Don't avoid the cold and cold. There is no day off between four o'clock. Sending ushers, hanging people to ask about illnesses, raising orphans and young children all rely on the income of these hundred stones. Even if we work so hard, we will encounter floods and droughts from time to time, urgent government and taxation, and excessive taxation. It was still like this in the previous dynasty..." At this point, Zhong Changtong gave a deep salute, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for asking boldly. Today's farming family is counted as five, and two people can serve as a farmer. But with a hundred mu, the security at home is better than that of the previous dynasty, and the disasters of floods, droughts, locusts, and plagues are less severe than in the past?"

Of course not, Cao Cao knew very well that those who fought hard all the year round had already surpassed the old system of drawing two out of five, and it was not uncommon for fathers and sons to serve in the army.And the war also disturbed the land, rich families merged land, although he could not stop this general trend in every possible way; the refugees were forced to make a living as villagers, carrying 50% to 60% of the heavy tax. Now that the war has subsided, many people would rather flee. How many self-cultivating farmers are there left in the world when they return to their hometowns and become tenants for landlords and do not want to be tenants for the country?But Cao Cao did not bear too much self-blame for this. After all, the world is not settled. In order to support the army, huge expenditures are helpless. As for plagues and disasters, they can only be properly managed in a stable world. Now that the battle is not over, how can we take care of it ? Zhong Changtong seemed to have seen through Cao Cao's fluke mentality, and said again: "I still want to do another calculation for the king, try to calculate the livelihood of the aristocratic family. The change of the mine field, the rich people and the goods, the house is located in the state and county, and the fields Even in Fangguo, they closed their doors to build a village, plotted land and built gardens. They are self-sufficient in everything they need for food, clothing, housing and transportation. At the beginning of the first month of each year, women workers weave and brew wine; In April, we plant grains, melons, and barley; in May and June, we plant beans and flax; in July and August, we can plant wheat when fruits and vegetables are abundant; in September, we buy millet; Gather millet, soybeans and grain; repair farm tools at the end of the year, collect land rent from the people, and raise cattle for the coming year... Your Majesty calculates, how much income will you earn in a year? This is not all, the official has a salary, and the knight has a year , Those who show their positions have rich bribes, those who command soldiers have war profits, lend money and collect interest to squeeze the blood and sweat of the people, and use money to forge tools to compete with the country for profit! Didn't the humble minister exaggerate?" Cao Cao didn't say a word—his Cao family also lived this kind of life during the reign of the first emperor. Although they can't compare with the noble families of the county, their income and expenditure are roughly the same.If you want to compare the powerful family with the people of the Li people, it is almost in the sky and in the mud. "Your Majesty is wise and wise. Whether you can make the world peaceful if you only govern with power and power, you must know in your heart." Cao Cao didn't understand, or he didn't want to understand, so he argued: "The aristocratic family is based on the classics and righteousness, loyal to the emperor and Shunde, and kind to the people, why not?" In fact, he didn't even have the confidence to say this. Why don't you take it as your duty to attack the rich? Seeing his denial, Zhong Changtong said boldly: "Your Majesty's words are certainly out of good intentions, but I am afraid that what will happen in the future is beyond what His Majesty can predict now. His Majesty entered the official court first, presumably the family of his relatives and eunuchs in the past. , Do you remember what happened to the Yuan family and the Yang family? They are gentry in the county, ministers in the court, and their descendants are well-clothed and well-fed. You know better than Wei Chen. I remember that the famous scholar Cui Yi once wrote an article "Bo Tu Lun", in which he ridiculed an old farmer who touched the heat and cultivated, with salt on his back, his shins like burnt rafters, and his skin like collar leather. Walking like a wolf, the hooves are cruel and the shin is sore. It is called grass and trees, and its limbs are flexed and stretched; Chun, you deserve to suffer and suffer poverty, right? All these people are officials, and my humble ministers are afraid for the king." A drop of cold sweat oozed from Cao Cao's forehead, and his fingers couldn't help trembling. It's not that he didn't know something, but he had to do it.His recent negligence of government affairs is not only due to his poor health and seeking alchemy, but also dissatisfaction with the state policy and his inability to change it.Today, these hidden worries were made clear by Zhong Changtong. Cao Cao felt sad inside, but he still argued strongly: "The matter of selecting officials is in the hands of the few, and judging the pros and cons can still save people's hearts." Zhong Changtong said again: "Politics is based on reason, and everything is taken. You can't judge the difference between the virtuous and the foolish, and use the number of prosperity and decline. How can the selection of officials be fair if the families of powerful families live in the court? Although the family started with the scriptures and righteousness, the disciples and old officials are scattered in Kyushu. Since they have ascended to power and profit, how can they keep benevolence? There is no teacher to teach, and the disciples are not employed. They offer goods and bribes to consolidate themselves. Seek to be an official. Respond to stubbornness for talent, rebellion for filial piety, greed for honest officials, darkness for enlightened scriptures, and cowardice for fierceness. The name does not match the reality, and the tribute is not commensurate. The rich take advantage of wealth and wealth. Those who rely on power. Governments use bribes, officials use private advancement, elections are false, and evil and sycophants are everywhere! How can the government be clean? How can people's hearts be restored?" Cao Cao was already sweating profusely, but he raised his voice even more: "There are still severe punishments! Emperor Xiaowu once killed Wei Qihou, and Emperor Guangwu once punished Ouyang She. Will you just sit back and watch them do nothing?" "I dare not despise the majesty of the king. Of course no one will disobey the king who has ruled the world for thirty years, but what about the kings of later generations? They must have the power and virtue of the king?" Zhong Changtong sighed, "Kuang Junzi's usage is as good as it is. The use of villains is chaotic. They are all the same law. If you let wolves herd the people, steal the Lord to collect taxes, be greedy and contemptible, punish the prison, flatter the cowardly and preach, the country is confused, and the officials are reckless. How can the law serve the people? The people are not convinced. The rich are arrogant and evil, the poor are poor and treacherous, flattery and evil are at the top, and treachery is at the bottom. The rich will do whatever they want, and the poor will hate the rich. The world is chaotic, good and evil are not clear. ? This is the result of the one-party rule of the family..." "Shut up! You are scaremongering!" Cao Cao's psychological bottom line finally couldn't bear it anymore. He had long forgotten that he was the one who let people speak out. He grabbed a roll of bamboo slips on his desk and threw it at Zhong Changtong. Zhong Changtong was startled and frightened, but he didn't dodge. His hair was disheveled by the bamboo slips, his crown fell to the ground, and he didn't care to pick it up. Cao Cao turned a deaf ear, trembling with anger, pacing up and down after Shuai's case: "Damn...Damn..." In fact, Zhong Changtong's assertion of the future society can be foreseen. Although power can be corrected for a while, it cannot be suppressed for a lifetime. After his death, will his descendants still have this ability?I am afraid that within a few decades, the humble family will have no one in the court, the aristocratic family will monopolize the court, and the monarchy will suppress the common people. This is nothing more than a double-edged sword for the Cao family's rule.Cao Cao saw it clearly, but did he have a choice?If you don't accept the aristocratic family, they can rebel and defect to others.There are grandsons and Liu who are not destroyed outside, and there are a thousand wastes waiting to be lifted inside. If they fall into endless internal strife, will the world still have a peaceful day?Can the Cao family still stand firm?The situation is pressing, and we must know that Sun Quan has long been integrated with Gu Lu, Zhu Zhang and other Jiangdong clans. Liu Bei also racked his brains to tie the Jingzhou soldiers to the chariot. If Cao Wei didn't do this, how could he stabilize the internal affairs and accumulate strength to fight them decisively?Gentleman politics is certainly harmful, but if the current difficulties cannot be solved, how can we talk about the future?Even if it was a glass of poisoned wine, he could only swallow it with restraint. Cao Cao was in great pain. He defeated Yuan Shao, but he wanted to bow his head to his defeated general and accept his defeated general's way of governing.Is there anything more humiliating to be a king than this?His self-deceiving lies were completely exposed by Zhong Changtong, he was filled with anger, and couldn't help roaring: "You are so bold! Good, good... You keep saying that I am wrong, so what do you want me to do? What else can I do? Say it!" This time it was Zhong Changtong's turn to be speechless—yes, what else can we expect from Cao Cao?Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the tyranny of the aristocratic family has been an intractable chronic disease, and ZTE has developed to the point where it cannot be controlled in the past two hundred years.Although Cao Cao is domineering and does not fear the destiny, is it realistic to ask him to fight against the historical trend of hundreds of years? "The minister is guilty..." Zhong Changtong had to bow his head, "Your Majesty calm down, take care of yourself..." "Shut up! If you wait for a literati, you will speak wildly! Who knows the suffering and trouble of the widow?" Cao Cao paced up and down, getting angrier as he thought about it, but he couldn't figure out whether he was angry with Zhong Changtong or with Zhong Changtong. Himself; full of grievances and nowhere to vent, he raised his leg and kicked the handsome case over. The eunuchs and warriors serving outside the hall were already alarmed, and rushed to the hall to have a look——Cao Cao was like a crazy white-haired old man, limping and hobbling, grabbing everything he could grab and hacking; Already terrified and paralyzed to the ground. Strict and alert, he pointed at Zhong Changtong, and greeted the guards: "This person deceived the king and angered the king, why don't you take it down quickly?" All the warriors swarmed up aggressively and pinned down Zhong Changtong.Rao Zhong Changtong was so bold and disheartened at the moment, he expected that there must be a catastrophe, and he was afraid that he would go through the same mistakes as Bian Rang and Kong Rong. Unexpectedly, Cao Cao suddenly shouted: "Who told you to capture him? Throw him, him...him out! Throw him back to Xudu, and I will never see him again!" No matter how he quibbles, he can't deny Zhong Changtong's prophecy, and the more outspoken he is, the more sincere he is.Cao Cao killed a lot of people, and he was convicted of many crimes because of his words, but he always killed whoever he wanted to kill with all his heart; let others speak out with confidence, but he used it as an excuse to kill people. Cao Cao was a hero after all, and he couldn't do it This is a trick. "Thank you for not killing me..." Zhong Changtong murmured tremblingly, and couldn't help but shed two lines of tears—after all, Cao Cao was kind to him, if he hadn't caught up with this turbulent era, if it hadn't been for Cao Cao who dared to challenge him The lord of destiny, how can he allow people like him who say "against the sky" to stay in the temple? "Boom away! Boom away quickly!" Cao Cao turned his head and waved his sleeves desperately, as if he wanted to drive away an ominous thing, but also seemed full of fear and dared not face it. Zhong Changtong was pushed out of the hall by the warriors, and he couldn't help looking back at Cao Cao for the last time—tears blurred his vision, and Cao Cao in the tears became extremely distorted, extremely ferocious, and extremely ugly, roaring and beating Struggling and struggling, but seeming so powerless, he is doomed to be unable to fight against fate.Who is his worst enemy?it's him... Youth is gone, friends are gone, father-son relationship is gone, Kuang Fu Han's original aspirations have been abandoned, the desire to be an emperor still needs to be suppressed, and the unification of the world is far away, and now his lifelong pursuit of ideals has been stifled by himself.All shattered... What else does he have besides the king who brought him loneliness?