Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Official Trap Eight: The Danger of Being a Scapegoat

There is a passage in the novel that is familiar to Chinese people, which is used to describe Cao Cao's viciousness: The grain officer, Ren Jun's subordinate warehouse officer, Wang Hou, reported to Cao Cao and said: "There are more soldiers and less food, what should I do?" If you complain, how about it?" Cao Cao said, "I have my own plan." Gou obeyed his orders and scattered them with small dendrobiums.Cao secretly asked people to inquire in different villages, and they all complained that the prime minister was deceiving everyone.Cao Naimi called Wang Ge in and said: "I want to ask you to borrow something to suppress the hearts of the people, so you must not be stingy." Ge said: "What do you want the prime minister to use?" Cao Cao said: "I want to borrow your head to show everyone's ears. ’” Hou was shocked and said, “I’m not guilty!” Cao Cao said, “I know you’re not guilty, but if you don’t kill you, the army will change. After you die, I’ll take care of your wife, so don’t worry about it.” When Hou was about to speak again, Cao Zao called out his sword and axe and pushed out the door, cut it with a knife, hung his head high, and posted a notice saying: "Wang Hou is a small dendrobium, stealing official food, and I follow the military law." So the grievances began to be resolved.

This story is about the fact that Cao Cao, the traitorous hero of the world, was short of food and grass when he confronted Yuan Shu, so Cao Cao ordered the warehouse officer Wang Hou to use small dendrobium and withhold food, which aroused the anger and complaints of the soldiers.Then Cao Cao sincerely said to Wang Hou, "I want to use your head to show the public's ears", and he couldn't help but cut off the head of the innocent warehouse officer, claiming that the embezzlement of military rations was done by Wang Hou, so he resolved the public anger. This is the scapegoat strategy in the officialdom. You must know that there are many miscellaneous things in the officialdom. Maybe a troublesome incident will break out one day. At this time, everyone needs a scapegoat.People who lack protection against others often die inexplicably because of this.

Speaking of scapegoats, Shang Yang is the most famous in history.The era in which Shang Yang lived was the critical period of China's institutional transformation. At that time, the feudal system had come to an end, and scholars from a hundred schools of thought debated endlessly about where to go.Confucian scholars take weakening the power of the monarch as their own responsibility, begging the emperor, suppressing princes, demoting officials, known in history as ridiculing the world.That is, it no longer recognizes hereditary power, and believes that the power system should return to the people and be open to the people.

The academic point of view that is aimed at by Confucian scholars is the legalist method of criminal names.This group of people believes that instead of returning power to the people, it is better to do the opposite, thoroughly strengthen the power of the monarch, push the power of the monarch to the limit, implement the most brutal violent suppression of the people, and let the people become the power of the people. Appendages are reduced to violent tools for the monarch to achieve his goals. Scholars of Confucianism and Legalism are arguing endlessly, and the choices of the princes of the Warring States Period are not inclined to the Legalists in their hearts, strengthening their power, surpassing the people, and doing whatever they want. What kind of temptation is this?However, although the monarchs are eager to do this in their hearts, no minister is willing to come forward to help them, because it will mean the cost of their own reputation, family life, and the well-being of future generations, just to satisfy the tyrant himself. Of course, this is an extremely unwise choice.

Although this kind of thing is not beneficial to others or ourselves, there are always some people who would rather risk the displeasure of the world, just to gain immediate benefits in the process of centralizing power.And Shang Yang is such a person. He made a special trip to Qin State as the son of the Wei State, promulgated extremely cruel laws, gathered the scattered people, and managed each family according to the military system. While building a powerful military empire in Qin State, it also imprisoned all the people of Qin State under the rule of tyranny and power. Once tyranny is established, it will immediately backfire.After the death of Qin Xiaogong, the crown prince ascended the throne, and the elites who had been attacked by Shang Yang seized this opportunity to fight back. Shang Yang was afraid, so he fled secretly at night and fled to the pass. He wanted to bribe the soldiers guarding the pass to let him pass, but the soldiers replied: Said: "Shang Yang's laws and regulations are extremely strict. If one person breaks the law, the whole family will be implicated, so he cannot be let go."As a result, Shang Yang finally fell into the hands of political opponents and was quartered by five horses. From then on, he left an idiom of committing suicide.

The second most scapegoat in history was Chao Cuo in the era of Emperor Jing of the Western Han Dynasty.In the era of Emperor Jing, the vassal states were powerful and posed a strong threat to the central government, so Emperor Han Jing wanted to find a substitute for the dead ghost, at the cost of the dead ghost's wealth and life, to clear the way for the unification of imperial power.He found Chao Cuo, so Chao Cuo wholeheartedly sold his life for Emperor Han Jing, even at the risk of offending the world. Hearing about this, Chao Cuo's father rushed to the capital from Yingchuan, and said to his son, "I heard that you are dealing with political affairs now to invade and weaken the princes and alienate the royal family. How can you do this?" Chao Cuo replied bluntly: "Of course we have to do this. If not, how can the emperor be called honorable?" Chao Cuo's father was so angry that he cursed: "What does it matter to you whether the emperor is honorable or not? You take the descendants How could I have given birth to such a heartless son as you for doing such immoral things for the lives and well-being of future generations!"

In grief and indignation, Chao Cuo's father committed suicide by taking poison on the spot.A few days later, the vassal states set off a rebellion, claiming to kill Chao Cuo, but Emperor Han Jing immediately ordered someone to push Chao Cuo out of his waist. We can notice that all those who become scapegoats have committed extremely unwise mistakes, that is, before doing a bad thing that harms the public interest, they did not ask the specific person in charge of the incident to disclose it.Therefore, young people who are new to the officialdom must keep this characteristic in mind. Once someone in the officialdom pulls you to do something that may arouse public anger, and you don't make it clear in advance who is responsible for the incident, then you will probably Nine has been secretly regarded as a scapegoat.Once the incident happens, the punishment will fall on your head, just like it fell on Shang Yang and Chao Cuo back then.

But we must make it clear that even in the officialdom, there may not necessarily be a group of villains with sinister intentions looking for scapegoats everywhere.The main values ​​in the officialdom are always positive, upward, active, and sunny.However, if someone with the "temperament" of a scapegoat arrives, this kind of thing will inevitably happen. What is a person with the "temperament" of a scapegoat?Such a person has these characteristics: First, the moral concept is indifferent, and they do not feel the pain caused by harm to others. Second, power worship fanatics have no ability to resist in front of those who hold power.

Third, there is more than enough little wisdom but not enough great wisdom. He does not hesitate to bet his life's future for the sake of small immediate benefits. Looking at these three characteristics, it is precisely because of indifference to moral values ​​that people do things that hurt others.It is precisely because of the worship of power that the power is motivated to drive scapegoats to hurt others.Coupled with the third feature, the scapegoat will often receive a small material reward after doing harm under the orders of power. This alone is enough to make the scapegoat take risks.

For all those who have the psychological characteristics of a scapegoat, when they are in the officialdom, they will make things happen for themselves, and invisibly contribute to the occurrence of scapegoat incidents.Just as there was Wang Hou first, Cao Cao had the idea of ​​embezzlement of military rations; just as Shang Yang first had the urge to reform the king of Qin; just as Chao Cuo first had the move of Emperor Han Jing to cut down the vassal.Therefore, there is an iron rule about scapegoats in officialdom: The scapegoat incident would not have happened if there hadn't been a scapegoat already on the scene.