Chapter 668
24 People
Chapter 668 Twenty-Four People
That's a really harsh charge.
Qin Yuan scanned the expressions on everyone's faces; some seemed thoughtful, some were smug, and some showed disdain...
Qin Siyuan couldn't help but take a step forward. Seeing that he was about to interrupt, Qin Yuan quickly reached out and grabbed his sleeve, gently shaking her head to signal him to calm down.
Mr. Songshan remained calm and said, "The founding emperor said that the four classes of people are the foundation of the country, and it is still the same today, without any change. In the time of the founding emperor, in addition to the four classes of people, there were also military households, salt-making households, doctors and diviners, monks and Taoists, etc. Yet my Great Xing Dynasty has been stable for more than a hundred years. How do you explain this?"
The scholar naturally had nothing to say.
Mr. Songshan further stated: "At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, all industries were waiting to be developed. The government used the teachings of Huang-Lao to allow the people to recuperate and do its best to avoid war. Even though the Xiongnu sent a letter that insulted Empress Lü, she still remained lenient. During the reign of Emperor Wu, the national treasury was full and the people were prosperous. Therefore, the teachings of Huang-Lao were abolished, Confucianism was honored, Legalism was used internally, the Xiongnu were defeated, and those who offended the Han Dynasty, no matter how far away, were punished."
Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Wu governed the country in different ways, so who would say that Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Wu were wrong?
The situation has changed, but to fail to adapt the methods of governance accordingly is tantamount to trying to catch fish by climbing a tree or trying to find a lost sword by marking the boat.
The scholar managed to squeeze out a retort: "These are all old sayings that have been repeated to death; they have nothing new to say."
Mr. Songshan laughed heartily, tilting his head back, and said, “When there are many wheel tracks, there is a road. Since there is a road ahead, why bother to go to places where there are no wheel tracks? It is certainly necessary to be innovative in scholarship, but we cannot ignore the fundamental issues in order to seek novelty. Otherwise, scholarship will just be seeking novelty and difference for the sake of novelty and difference.”
The scholar's expression was very unpleasant.
Qin Siyuan said, "I am very pleased with your teachings. What you say is very true. The purpose of doing scholarship is to thoroughly understand the classics and comprehend the principles. If one does it for the sake of being different and ignores the original meaning of the books of ancient and modern sages, then that is just trying to please the crowd."
The scholar was still unconvinced, so he shouted, "But I only asked one question. What is the purpose of all that Mr. Songshan has said? Mr. Songshan has not given me a clear answer yet."
The onlookers were abuzz with discussion; some supported the scholar, some mocked him, and others made sarcastic remarks about the two of them.
Mr. Songshan waved his hand and waited for everyone to quiet down before saying, "Although those outside the government should not speak about the actions of high-ranking officials, the founding emperor allowed us to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the government, so I will reluctantly say a few words."
When Emperor Taizu said that a country has four classes of people, he did not mean that the country only had scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Rather, he meant that the foundation of the country lies in these four classes. In the previous dynasty, monks, Taoists, soldiers, and farmers competed for people, disrupting the order of the four classes, shaking the foundation of the country, and thus causing great chaos.
When the Great Xing Dynasty was founded, Emperor Taizu personally established the categories of people's registration and ordered all officials to strictly manage the Yellow Register, which was to be re-examined and registered every ten years. People were to live and work in peace and not leave their registered place of residence at will.
The Buddhist and Taoist Registries registered all monks and Taoists in the land, issued them ordination certificates, and promulgated the "Zhouzhilu" (a comprehensive record) to allow temples to verify the identities of monks and Taoists. As for military households, I won't elaborate; everyone here is a citizen of Daxing and should understand.
Everyone nodded.
Mr. Songshan further stated: "The terms 'scholar, farmer, artisan, merchant' refer to the hierarchical order of the four classes of people, with scholars being the most respected and merchants the least respected. Originally, 'scholar' referred to soldiers and armored warriors, but later it came to refer to officials. As the saying goes, 'When the main rope is pulled, everything else falls into place.' If the scholars, who are at the head of the four classes, are in disarray, it will shake up the government."
Why do I say that?
All this is because the world is at peace now, and in the future the court will naturally make good use of civil officials.
Civil officials were all scholars selected through the imperial examinations and were the emperor's protégés.
Is that right?
Mr. Matsuyama looked around.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and some of the onlookers even shouted in agreement.
Mr. Songshan used his storytelling skills to explain the principles of governing the country. Although he was meticulous in his word choice and quoted classical texts, even people who did not read books could understand him.
Once the surroundings quieted down again, Mr. Matsuyama continued:
"It is evident that the moral character of the scholars determines the moral character of the court. If the scholars are morally corrupt, how good can the court be?"
Scholars represent the very conscience of a dynasty. If scholars all seek novelty and eccentricity, flaunting their knowledge and behaving in a frivolous and extravagant manner, the court will naturally decline. Sages have always said that to govern a country, one must be close to virtuous ministers and keep away from petty men. If the court is full of petty men, they will inevitably have no heart for the emperor and the people, only caring about forming cliques and eliminating dissent, making the court a chaotic mess.
To put it bluntly, they're all just old black crows; how can one be any whiter? So, who should the emperor, sitting high on his throne, befriend?
Mr. Matsuyama appeared flustered and looked around, as if he had nowhere to turn.
A murmur of dismay immediately arose from all around.
Scholars all lowered their once proud heads.
Mr. Songshan lowered his voice slightly and said, "Merchants are driven by profit. If the status of merchants is higher than that of scholars, or if scholars also turn to merchants to pursue profit, then the very foundation of the nation will be shaken."
Qin Siyuan suddenly sighed, "No wonder you compared the atmosphere of scholars twenty years ago with that of scholars today. I understand now."
At the time, he only thought it was because the world was going to the dogs and people's hearts were no longer what they used to be, never expecting that the reason was actually this.
The goals of scholars in pursuing knowledge and taking the imperial examinations have changed. They have shifted from seeking to make achievements to pursuing fame and fortune. In fact, the order of the four classes of people has been quietly changed to merchants, scholars, artisans, and farmers.
So that's how it is!
After a moment of realization, Qin Siyuan felt a pang of regret.
Freezing three feet is not a day's cold.
The relaxation of the rule of law and etiquette brought about by affluence exists from top to bottom.
In the South, where land is scarce and the population is large, it is difficult to make a comfortable living by farming alone; therefore, engaging in commerce to pursue profits is the preferred option.
As fashion trends spread from south to north, more and more southerners began doing business in the north.
I fear that in another ten or twenty years, scholars in the north will also gradually fall into this situation.
How could a mere candidate, a mere scholar, or a court official possibly influence or change this?
Qin Siyuan already had a good reputation at the Imperial Academy, and his poems were praised for being included in "Poems on Visiting Yuyuantan" and "Firefly Collection". Now, he publicly supported Mr. Songshan and showed the respect due to a disciple, so others naturally dared not underestimate him.
The scholar remained silent, while those around him nodded repeatedly: "Sir, your insight is absolutely correct."
Mr. Songshan glanced at the scholar whose face was flushed and pale, and said, "I have heard that there are twenty-four classes of people in the capital. Let me tell you about them. If there is anything wrong, please correct me."
The crowd said, "Please speak, sir."
Mr. Songshan said: "It is said that there are twenty-four kinds of people in the capital nowadays. In addition to scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, soldiers, monks and Taoists, there are also doctors, diviners, astrologers, face readers, geomancers, chess masters, merchants, drivers, unconventional men, hairdressers, pedicurists, beauticians, prostitutes, singers, actors, zaju (a type of Chinese opera), and bandits."
After hearing this, everyone started discussing it.
"Even bandits have become civilians now, sigh..."
“These are people who neither farm nor reap, and they should indeed be sent back to their hometowns and not allowed to linger in the capital.”
"But life is very inconvenient without them; these things always need to be done by someone."