Chapter 32 123 Wang Meng touched the lice and talked about the world

When Huan Wen was stationed in Bashang for the first time in the Northern Expedition, one day, a scholar in a shabby short jacket came to the barracks to see Huan Wen.Huan Wen was trying to recruit talents, when he heard that a scholar had come, he was very happy to receive him. The scholar's name was Wang Meng. He grew up in a very poor family and made a living by selling dustpans.But he likes to read and is very knowledgeable.At that time, the nobles in Guanzhong thought he had a humble background and looked down on him, but he didn't care.Someone once asked him to be a small official in the former Qin government, but he refused to go.Later, he simply lived in seclusion in Huayin Mountain.This time when he heard that Huan Wen had entered Guanzhong, he went to Bashang to ask to see Huan Wen.

Huan Wen wanted to test Wang Meng's knowledge and ability, so he asked Wang Meng to talk about the current situation in the world. Wang Meng made a clear analysis of the political and military situation between the North and the South, and his insights were so insightful that Huan Wen couldn't help admiring him secretly. While Wang Meng was talking, he reached into his clothes to touch the lice (in classical Chinese it is "木蝴", 早闻, men).The soldiers around Huanwen almost burst out laughing when they saw this.But Wang Meng acted as if no one was there, and talked enthusiastically with Huan Wen.

Huan Wen asked him: "This time, I brought a large army and went to Guanzhong under the emperor's order to eliminate harm for the people. But why didn't all the local heroes come to me when I came here?" Wang Meng smiled lightly and said, "You are not afraid of traveling thousands of miles to penetrate deep into the enemy's hinterland. But Chang'an is right in front of you, but you don't cross Bashui. Everyone doesn't know what you have in mind, so they don't want to come to see you." Wang Meng's words hit Huan Wen's heart.It turned out that Huanwen's Northern Expedition was mainly to establish his prestige in the Eastern Jin Dynasty and subdue his political opponents.He was stationed in Bashang, and he was not in a hurry to capture Chang'an, but just wanted to preserve his strength.

Huan Wen had nothing to answer.But he saw that Wang Meng was a rare talent. When he retreated from Guanzhong, he repeatedly invited Wang Meng to go south with him, and even gave him a relatively high official position.Wang Meng knew that there were great internal conflicts in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, so he rejected Huan Wen's invitation and returned to his Huayin Mountain. But in this way, this scholar who rubbed lice became famous. Later, the former Qin emperor Fu Jian died, and his son Fu Sheng was a very cruel man, who was soon overthrown by his cousin Fu Jian. Fu Jian was an accomplished emperor in the former Qin Dynasty.Before he took the throne, he wanted to find a capable assistant.Someone recommended Wang Meng to him.

Fu Jian sent someone to invite Wang Meng, and the two hit it off right away, and when they talked about the rise and fall of history, their opinions completely matched.Fu Jian was very happy, thinking that it was really like Liu Bei finding Zhuge Liang. After Fu Jian ascended the throne, he proclaimed himself King of Qin.Wang Meng became his most trusted minister and was promoted five times in a year, so powerful that no one could compare with him. At that time, Wang Meng was only thirty-six years old, young and Han nationality.Seeing that Fu Jian trusted Wang Meng so much, the old officials of the Di tribe in the former Qin Dynasty would not be convinced.There was a minister of the Di tribe, Fan Shi, who followed Fu Jian to conquer Guanzhong.Once when I saw Wang Meng, I scolded him angrily: "We have cultivated the land well, but you eat plain rice instead."

Wang Meng also said to him, "Not only do you have to farm, but you also have to cook for me!" Fan Shi got even angrier, and said, "If I don't cut off your head and hang it on Chang'an City, I don't want to live anymore." A few days later, Fan Shi and Wang Meng argued again in front of Fu Jian. Fan Shi wanted to beat Wang Meng in front of Fu Jian.Fu Jian felt that Fan Shi was making a fuss, so he was sentenced to death.From then on, officials of the Di clan no longer dared to speak ill of Wang Meng in front of Fu Jian. Wang Meng was trusted by Fu Jian and helped Fu Jian to suppress the powerful and rectify the government.When Wang Meng was concurrently serving as Jing Zhaoyin, the Empress Dowager's younger brother, Dr. Guanglu, drank and made trouble by drinking and robbing other people's property and women.As soon as Wang Meng took office, he arrested Qiangde and sent someone to report to Fu Jian.When Fu Jian sent someone to announce the pardon of Qiangde, Wang Meng had already executed Qiangde.In the next few days, more than 20 people from rich and powerful families in Chang'an, relatives of the emperor, were executed, sentenced, and dismissed from office.The court officials were shocked, and the bad guys didn't dare to do anything wrong.Fu Jian said in admiration: "I only now understand that a country should have a legal system."

After more than ten years, under the governance of Fu Jian and Wang Meng, the national power of the former Qin became stronger and stronger. It destroyed the three small countries of Qianyan, Dai and Qianliang successively, and unified the Yellow River Basin. In 375 AD, Wang Meng fell seriously ill.Fu Jian went to visit him.Wang Meng sincerely said to Fu Jian: "Although the Eastern Jin Dynasty is far away in the south of the Yangtze River, it inherited the orthodoxy of the Jin Dynasty, and now the court is peaceful. After I die, Your Majesty must not attack the Jin Kingdom. Our opponents are the Xianbei people and Qiang people, keeping them is always trouble. We must get rid of them to ensure the safety of Qin."