Chapter 41 postscript

The vast majority of intelligent and talented people, brave and powerful people are aggressive.The usual moral standards divide them into two categories: those who work hard to benefit the majority of people (including the country and society) are good people; those who only focus on their own power, status and material desires to harm others are bad people .The size of a good person or a bad person depends on the number and degree of its favor or damage.In most periods of politics, bad people are in power, so there are people who want to replace them; some people want to carry out reforms; there is another kind of people who have no hope for reforms, and do not want to join forces with those in power. Their choice is to withdraw from the whirlpool of struggle and be alone.So there have always been establishment factions, rebels, reformers and hermits.

The traditional concept in China is to encourage people to "be good at learning and become an official". Like Confucius, "know what is impossible and do it", but they also have a high evaluation of hermits, thinking that they are noble.Hermits do not contribute positively to society, yet their behavior is very different from that of power grabbers, providing another example.The Chinese are very lenient in morals, as long as they do not harm others, they are considered good people.There are many hermits recorded, such as Chenmen, Chu Kuangjieyu, Changju, Jieyu, Hejiezhangren, Boyi, Shuqi, Yuzhong, Yiyi, Zhuzhang, Liuxiahui, Shaolian, etc. Confucius treated them all well. Quite respectful, though, and don't agree with their style.

Confucius divided hermits into three categories: like Boyi and Shuqi, those who do not give up their will and do not sacrifice their dignity ("do not lower their aspirations, do not humiliate their body"); Some sacrifices are made, but words and deeds are reasonable ("I humiliate my body by lowering my aspirations, be honest in my words, and worry about what I do, that's all"); , not to participate in politics ("reclusive and speak out, clean body, abolish power").Confucius spoke very well of them all, apparently thinking that the hermit had a positive side as well.

To participate in political activities, the will and dignity have to be sacrificed, which is helpless.As a judge, Liu Xiahui was dismissed three times, and he was advised to go abroad.Liu Xiahui insisted on justice, and replied: "If you serve people in a straight way, how can you go without three times? Why go to the state of your parents when you are wronged (temporarily wronged) and serve people?" ( ) The key is to "serve people" (obey Chief will) and "straight" or "vain".To be in politics for the benefit of the public is to be a person; to stick to principles and serve the public, not to think about one's own fame and wealth, although one has to obey the orders of superiors, one can also be said to be a "hermit"—as for a hermit in the general sense, The basic requirement is to seek the liberation and freedom of individuality without having to deal with others.

When I write martial arts novels, I want to write about human nature, just like most novels.In those few years when I wrote about it, the CCP’s struggle to seize power during the Cultural Revolution was in full swing. In order to fight for power and profit, the establishment and the rebels did everything they could, and the despicableness of human nature was concentrated.I write editorials for "Ming Pao" every day, and my strong aversion to dirty behavior in politics is naturally reflected in the martial arts novels I write every day.This novel does not intend to allude to the Cultural Revolution, but uses some characters in the book to attempt to describe some common phenomena in China's political life for more than three thousand years.Allusive novels don’t make much sense, and the political situation will change soon. Only by portraying human nature can it have longer-term value.Reckless seizure of power is the basic situation of political life in China and abroad in ancient and modern times. It has been like this for thousands of years, and I am afraid it will still be like this for thousands of years to come.People like Ren Woxing, Dongfang Bubai, Yue Buqun, and Zuo Lengchan were not mainly martial arts masters, but political figures.Lin Pingzhi, Xiang Wentian, Master Fang Zheng, Taoist Chongli, Master Dingxian, Mr. Mo Da, Yu Canghai, Mu Gaofeng and others are also political figures.There are all kinds of people like this in every dynasty, and I believe they also exist in other countries, and they also exist in enterprises, schools, and various groups.

The slogan "for thousands of years, to unify the rivers and lakes" was written in the book in the 1960s.It is a common phenomenon of human nature to let Woxing become corrupted by holding power.These are not additions or adaptations after the book was completed.Interestingly, when the "Gang of Four" came to power and changed the national anthem of the People's Republic of China, the words "eternal and eternal" were included in the changed lyrics. When "Ming Pao" was serialized, 21 Chinese, Vietnamese and French newspapers in Saigon were serialized at the same time.During debates in the South Vietnamese Congress, members often accused the other party of being "Yue Buqun" (hypocrite) or "Zuo Lengchan" (those who attempted to establish hegemony).Probably due to the political turmoil in South Vietnam at that time, ordinary people were particularly interested in political struggles.

Linghu Chong is a born "hermit" who has no interest in power.Yingying is also a "hermit". She has the power of life and death over the heroes of the Jianghu, but she would rather live in seclusion in the back alleys of Luoyang and entertain herself with the piano and flute.In her life, she only pays attention to personal freedom and the stretching of personality, and the only important thing is love.This girl is very shy and shy, but in love, she is the initiative.When Linghu Chong's love is tightly wrapped around Yue Lingshan, he cannot be free.Only when he and Yingying were in the same cart on the road outside the green gauze tent, his infatuation with Yue Lingshan finally disappeared, did he get spiritual relief.At the end of the book, Yingying stretched out her hand to clasp Linghu Chong's wrist, and sighed: "Unexpectedly, I, Ren Yingying, will be locked up with a big horse monkey for life, and will never be separated again." Yingying's love has been fulfilled, she is very satisfied Yes, but Linghu Chong's freedom was locked again.Perhaps, only in Yilin's one-sided love, his personality is rarely restrained.

Human life, full and complete freedom is simply impossible.To get rid of all desires and achieve great enlightenment is the highest state "Nirvana" pursued by Buddhism, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people.Those who are passionate about politics and power are driven by the desire for power in their hearts and cannot help themselves to do many things that go against their conscience. They are actually very pitiful. In traditional Chinese art, regardless of poetry, prose, opera, or painting, the pursuit of individual liberation has always been the most prominent theme.The more turbulent the times are and the more miserable people's lives are, the more prominent this theme becomes.

"People are in the rivers and lakes, and they can't help themselves." It is not easy to retire.Liu Zhengfeng pursued freedom in art, valued the irresistible friendship, and wanted to wash his hands in a golden basin; the four friends of Meizhuang hoped to hide their names in Gushan and enjoy the fun of playing piano, chess, calligraphy and painting; politics) are not allowed.Politics exists in any group organization.Mr. Wang Meng said that he shed tears when he read the "Golden Basin Washing His Hands" in this book, and I believe this is why. There should be greater moral affirmation for a hero like Guo Jing who risked his life and knew what was impossible.Linghu Chong is not a hero, but a hermit like Tao Qian who pursues freedom and individual liberation.Feng Qingyang is disheartened, ashamed and depressed, and retires.Linghu Chong was born unruly.On Heimuya, whether it is Yang Lianting or Ren Woxing who holds the power, any casual smile by others will lead to death, and arrogance is even more unacceptable. The freedom of "Swordsman" is the goal pursued by characters like Linghu Chong.

Because I want to write about some common characters and common phenomena in political life, this book has no historical background, which means that similar situations can occur in any era and in any group. May 1980 Some literary critics in the Mainland commented: Mrs. Yue Ningzhong learned that her husband was despicable and vulgar, so she committed suicide in despair.There are also people who think that it is unreasonable for Xiao Feng to commit suicide, and it is unreasonable for him to slap A'Zhu.Of course, the "Anna Karenina" written by Russian Tolstoy did not have to commit suicide.The value of life is different for everyone.Some use modern people's utilitarianism to substitute martial arts characters, and some use "Wei Xiaobao's values" to comment on Xiao Feng and Ning Zhongze, which means that some people think that Shi Kefa and Wen Tianxiang did not surrender, and Yue Fei did not disobey orders as very "stupid".Some people in Hong Kong commented that more than a dozen generations of the descendants of the She family in Beijing guarded Yuan Chonghuan's tomb as "foolish loyalty", and of course some people regarded Dong Cunrui and Lei Feng as "unreasonable".It is reasonable to look at historical figures with "philistine motives", only faint kings, treacherous officials, corrupt officials, and despicable villains.

Some critics asked: Is it possible for Dongfang Bubai to engage in homosexuality?Self-conception is not a necessary condition or inevitable development of homosexuality.Male homosexuality is a historical fact. It was common in the armies of Greece, Rome, and India. There are many underground cultural relics unearthed. Today, if you visit the ancient sites in Pompeii, Italy, you can see it, and there are also many ancient towers in eastern India.The British historian Gippen said in "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" that among the first fourteen emperors of the Roman Empire, except for one, the remaining thirteen were all male, or both male and female.It is even more common in China. The allusions of Longyang, Fentao, and Duanxiu, Dong Xian, Deng Tong, etc. are all historical facts. It is inevitable that Emperor Wen of Han was a virtuous emperor.Sexual habits have always been obscure. Whether homosexuality is legal or not is not regulated by general laws. Today, some European and American countries stipulate that two men can officially marry.Homosexuals who identify themselves as women often like to wear female make-up. This is a sexual hobby and has nothing to do with whether they are in the womb. There are also people who are gay first and then undergo sex reassignment surgery.There have been eunuchs in the courts of Egypt and China for thousands of years, without masculine characteristics, but they do not necessarily have to be female. The book has been revised several times, with few changes to the plot. 2003 May