Three Kingdoms

Chapter 2539: Find a step?

Snowing.

This time it snowed, it fell all day and all night, and it still didn’t seem to stop.

The raging north wind drove gray-black clouds, which rushed over from the north in layers. The rolling clouds were pushing and squeezing each other as if they were scrambling, and seemed to be pressing on the crenellations of the city wall.

The snow was carried by the cold wind, passing over the bare treetops, and rushed into the sky in clumps, covering up the sun without a trace.

The world is dark and chaotic, and only the sound of bells and drums ringing from the Bell and Drum Tower in the east of the city can make people know what time it is now.

The jackdaws in the woods where they live seem to be unable to bear the cold. If they want to exercise, they will chirp amidst the sound of bells and drums, and then cross the sky.

Chen Qun stood with his hands behind his back under the dripping eaves of the upper room of the West Courtyard of the Official House in Yecheng City, looking at the snowflakes flying in front of him with a thoughtful expression on his face.

 Youzhou is in trouble.

big trouble.

Since the Yingchuan Incident, heads have fallen under the palace walls, and officials implicated have been imprisoned and dismissed from their posts. I have to say that Chen Qun felt that Cao Cao's angry treatment was inappropriate. , so that it has affected Jizhou. Many places have no one to make decisions due to the shortage of officials.

Not only did General Cao Chun have no achievements over there, but the rear camp was also attacked. What's even more frightening is that he didn't know what kind of troops they were. Some looked like barbarian cavalry, but some looked like hussars. means…

 Under such circumstances, Chen Qun also felt a little tricky.

Xiahou Dun wanted to control Yanzhou, Xiahouyuan wanted to protect Jizhou, Le Jin and others were stationed in Hanoi, Cao Ren and others were stationed in Jingzhou, and Cao Hong wanted to keep an eye on Qingxu. For a while, Cao Cao could not recruit any generals who could control one side alone or be brave enough to defeat the three armies. Go and support Youzhou.

 Without a general, it is also difficult to have soldiers.

 The situation in Youzhou may worsen.

When Cao Chun attacked, he originally wanted to pre-emptively attack the Ding Ling people in the northern part of Youzhou, the land of western Liaoning, so as to avoid being attacked on both sides. However, what Cao Chun did not expect was that his plan did not go smoothly at the beginning, and Chen Qun didn't expect it to be so unlucky.

 No one is skillful without learning. If you want to make a system fall from the sky, it is mostly a daydream. Chen Qun also did not know how to fight from his birth. It is said that Chen Qun suddenly changed his wits and won the battle thousands of miles away. This would inevitably be a bit overwhelming.

A gust of wind suddenly passed over two bare golden-leaf locust trees in the courtyard with a cry. A snowflake suddenly rolled down from the eaves, hit the Jinxian crown worn by Chen Qun, and then fell on him.

 He touched it subconsciously, and then gently twisted the fine ice crystals between his fingers that had not had time to melt. His mind was still immersed in the problem he encountered at the moment.

This difficulty is not entirely in strategic planning, but in strategic planning, we must also take into account human nature and sophistication.

Xia Houyuan came to him and said that Cao Chun lost the first battle in Youzhou and needed further arrangements.

 But this matter actually has nothing to do with Chen Qun.

 Youzhou is heavily defended by soldiers and generals. Chen Qun only needs to provide supplies. It is not suitable to be too involved in other matters.

 Especially the matter of soldiers and armor.

Xia Houyuan’s colorful intestines are actually not difficult to guess. Xia Houyuan's hands were itchy.

Cao Chunhou's road camp was broken, and the responsibilities of relevant official military academies should be pursued, but according to the reason, such a matter could not help but get his mind at all.

The country has established laws and the court has established practices. No matter who it is, as long as it is an officer or civil servant who has lost his land and neglected his duties and lost the city, regardless of the reason, he must be detained for investigation until the officials from the relevant departments sort it out. What is the reason for the punishment? Write a detailed official document and submit it. Chen Qun can directly sign it with a seal and settle it directly. If it exceeds his authority, it will be handed over to Prime Minister Cao Cao.

 But this time, it was not like that.

Xia Houyuan, who clearly knew how the matter should be handled, was like an idiot, but actually put the matter in front of him and asked him to make a decision...

Chen Qun knew that Xia Houyuan was embarrassed to come forward, so he pretended to be dumbfounded.

After all, Cao Chun was also Cao Cao's own family. Impeaching his own family could not be justified, so he simply handed this embarrassing matter to Chen Qun.

It is a fact that something happened in Cao Chun's rear camp, but whether it is necessary to go on the line or not is uncertain.

 No one can guarantee victory in every battle.

And Cao Chun didn't mean that victory or defeat was already decided at the moment, with heavy losses and nothing left. It was just that the rear camp was attacked and there may be some shortages of food and grass. The overall situation cannot be said to be defeated and unable to fight anymore.

Now impeachment doesn’t seem a bit...

Although Chen Qun had temporarily dealt with Xia Houyuan, Chen Qun knew that Xia Houyuan would definitely come to him again.

 He clenched his fists and then unclenched them, looking at the gray-black clouds that seemed to hang above his head. The pale sun moved slowly behind the clouds. He sighed silently in his mind.

　This matter is difficult to handle.

It is like the document reported by Xiahou Shang, stating that he not only defeated the invading Hu cavalry, but also discovered a young general of the Cao family on the battlefield, entrusted him with important tasks, calmly collected the broken troops before the battle, and maintained the safety of the rear camp...

At a quick glance, I thought that Xiahou Shang had won the battle instead of being attacked.

A withered yellow leaf was carried by the wind and climbed over the ridge of the wing. It swayed down to the yard covered with a thin layer of snow. It rolled all the way on the icy stone floor and hit the door of the yard with the help of the wind. steps.

 Find a step to get down!

 The steps are ready…

Chen Qun returned to the table and opened the information on the table.

One is a report from the garrison in the Linyu area of ​​Leyang. Recently, Ding Ling people's scouts have been found frequently. Moreover, according to the people fleeing from Liaodong, the Ding Ling people have almost occupied Liaodong and seem to be coveting western Liaoning.

The intelligence detailedly listed the activity areas of the Ding Ling Cavalry in the past ten days. Chen Qun looked through it in detail, and then an inference rose in his mind. Is it possible that these Ding Ling people wanted to stay in Lezhou before the heavy snow closed the road? Occupy a leading position in the Yanglin and Chongqing areas, or are they preparing for a feint attack to test the strength of Cao's army in western Liaoning?

 After all, Liaodong and Liaoxi are like two pieces of meat on a pole. Those who eat one side will naturally think about the other side...

The other piece of information was a text sent by Xia Houxun stating that the back camp was attacked and requesting reinforcements.

So these two things can be connected?

Chen Qun walked to the map set up in the corner of the room and compared it repeatedly with the summary in the detailed text and the map. He stood in front of the map for a long time, and then he thought about it and returned to the table. He dipped his pen in cinnabar and made an eye-catching mark on the cover of the official document, and then put the two documents together.

 From beginning to end, he did not sign any opinions on this document.

Then, Chen Qun called his attendants and asked them to urgently deliver these two documents to Xu County...(д)…

 Chang'an.

 Chinglong Temple.

 In a small hall, there was a huge crowd of people standing there.

In the middle position, which is slightly higher, there are two seats. Two people are sitting facing each other, glaring at each other, as if they are about to pounce on each other, beat them and tear them apart at the next moment.

There were several students surrounding him, and even the windows were full of people.

The man on the left stood up slightly and said loudly: "Mencius also said that everyone can be like Yao and Shun." To obey Yao, to recite Yao's words, and to practice Yao's deeds is just Yao. To obey Jie's obedience, recite Jie's words, and perform forbidden actions is just Jie. Therefore, if you want to understand the common people's order, it is the order of the sages. Yao and Shun followed the same path as the people, and the sages followed the same path as the common people! To do this is our mission and to continue Confucius' great cause. 』

As soon as the words fell, many people nodded in agreement.

 Suddenly there was a commotion.

 Under the deliberate guidance of General Hussar, the debate in Qinglong Temple began to gradually become more formal.

 Many of the topics that were chaotic and disorderly, random and absurd at the beginning were canceled, while other topics that were relatively far-reaching were repeatedly brought up for discussion.

Although it is still not possible to say that all topics are positive, in general, it has been controlled to a certain extent, and the situation of being suppressed and banned by Zheng Xuan and others is gradually being alleviated.

 Things related to literature and thought are the most difficult to explain clearly.

 But it is also the most important.

Generally speaking, unless the ruling class of the superstructure does not want the people to think, they will not easily resort to the method of deleting posts, banning comments, and detaining one-stop trains. However, in the implementation process of the middle and lower levels, it is because of laziness and neglect of government. The one-size-fits-all situation has caused many 404s to appear.

Afraid of something happening, afraid of taking responsibility, afraid of being stripped of their hats, afraid of losing their jobs, so they seal everyone's mouths, and if there is a slight breeze, they will immediately uproot the trees and knock them down to show their loyalty. It is better to kill by mistake than to let go. There were many such things in ancient times.

Don't cause trouble, don't embarrass me, I'm just a small official, and I also take other people's jobs, etc. These middle- and lower-level officials who are enforcing the ban just keep talking about their difficulties, but never Consider whether their actions have caused any harm to ordinary people.

Just like this time, Zheng Xuan and others banned speech. It was not the intention of General Fei Qian, but Zheng Xuan and others were using Fei Qian's banner. If Fei Qian hadn't seen that Zheng Xuan and others would still be useful in the future, it would have been necessary. One or two crimes should be punished.

It is not possible to be punished by death, but it is inevitable to be punished by living.

As the voice on the left fell, the person on the right stood up from his seat, looked around, waited for the discussion to gradually subside, and then coughed slightly and said, "Everyone can be like Yao and Shun, but everyone does not have to be a sage!" The so-called obey it, recite it, and practice it, it is difficult to defeat the heart! If you don’t have a good heart and a conscience, how can you imitate Yao and Shun and imitate the sages? Therefore, when there is distinction between the upper and lower levels, farmers are farmers and workers are workers. If each goes his own way, then there will be great harmony. 』

 Everyone who was listening started to chirp again, feeling that what this man said seemed to make some sense.

 The person on the left scoffed, "What a joke!" How can one determine what is good and what is evil? In the name of good, how many evil things have been done in ancient and modern times! Dongluozi said in a poem that when the superiors give orders, they don't care about their true intentions, they don't care about good or evil, they don't distinguish between right and wrong, and they just follow the rules. So what? Good or evil? Evil people can do good things, and good people can do evil things! Judging from the heart, there is nothing to say! 』

　　　Is it impossible to say anything? Good and evil will be judged for themselves! Those who serve the world must be doing good, and those who go against the world must be doing evil. This is a principle that has never changed through the ages! ” The person on the right refused to give in and rebutted directly, and even raised his head after speaking, as if he represented the so-called “public opinion”.

The person on the left looked up to the sky and laughed, as if he had heard the funniest thing.

　　　　What is the public opinion? ! If you and I discuss this, is it fair to say? If you and I are not enough to be a public judge, what number can be called a public opinion? The people in the world are all people, but those who are inferior to others and measure the world based on their own opinions are all people! The common customs and accumulated habits, those who value the ears but despise the eyes, are also common! These are also public, can they also be public opinions? 』

 The person on the right widened his eyes and said, "False! Ridiculous! If many opinions cannot be made public, how can they be made public? !

The man on the left still smiled and said: "Confucius also said that if the world has a way, then rituals and music will come from the emperor!" If there is no way in the world, rituals, music and conquests will come from the princes! From the princes, the hope for ten generations will not be lost; from the official, the hope for the fifth life will not be lost; from the accompanying ministers to carry out the country's orders, the hope for the third life will not be lost. If there is a way in the world, the government will not be governed by the officials; if there is a way in the world, the common people will not discuss it. Therefore, if there is a way, then don’t discuss it! There is no public opinion! Do you know? ! 』

 "This..." The person on the right obviously didn't think of this, and suddenly got stuck.

Of course, what the people on the left said is not the truth. The so-called conquest of rituals and music "sent by the emperor" is just wishful thinking of Confucius. He tacitly believed that the emperor would not make mistakes and was as capable as the Duke of Zhou. But in fact , not all emperors can meet Zhou Gong's standards.

However, in this passage of Confucius, it does reveal a truth that has continued to later generations. It is said that the world has a way, "rituals and music conquered from the emperor", and the sign of no way is that the princes in different places have their own " Conquest of Ritual and Music." The biggest drawback of the feudal dynasty was the complicated local regulations that would not give up until the common people were killed, and even contradicted each other. This was the biggest drawback of the feudal dynasty and a stumbling block to the development of Chinese civilization.

"If the world is righteous, then the common people will not discuss it." After all, the common people are running around for a living every day. Most of them are exhausted if they can only have enough food and clothing to support the elderly and children. If the government is transparent and harmonious, who will have the leisure to engage in "public debate" 』? Wouldn't it be nice to have that time to plow more fields, rest more, earn two extra hard-earned coins, buy some rice, noodles and some cloth for the family?

When there really is a large-scale "public discussion" outbreak, it is usually when the social contradictions have reached the extreme and a lot of resentment has arisen. But what is interesting is that these officials who usually talk about "public discussion" in their daily life also At this time, they would cover their mouths, arrest others, and use all means to suppress the "public opinion", completely forgetting how much they respected the so-called "public opinion" before.

 ‘Ahem…’ The person on the right coughed a few times, and then said loudly, ‘Everything in the world is beneficial, and this is the so-called public opinion! How can it be covered in one word? Only the rites of heaven and earth are immortal. Therefore, the rites of Gonglun should first follow the rites of heaven and earth. The etiquette does not depend on the Confucians, but on the Confucians who first understood the etiquette and passed down the etiquette through written records! We carry forward the past and open up the future to show the etiquette! How can a peasant or a village woman be polite? 』

The man on the left said calmly, "When I first heard this, it seemed that there was nothing wrong with it, but it was completely wrong." As the saying goes, after yielding, there will be aggression, and after aggression, there will be usurpation. There were many such things in the ancient Spring and Autumn Period! Is it polite to bow down? What should Duke Zhou do? What etiquette can be extended to the Duke of Zhou? What is practiced in the former cannot be practiced in the latter, and what is suitable for the ancients cannot be suitable for today. The so-called etiquette and law should be adapted to the times. The dead are all rotten dogs, so why not decay? 』

 Times are always developing, and so-called principles must be constantly updated to adapt to new social forms.

The same is true for laws and regulations derived from principles.

The student on the right said angrily: "If it is as you say, there will be no rules in the world!" In the court hall, all the masters were reading the scriptures. What was the reason? Why did they open this great talk in Qinglong Temple to discuss the three rites? Could it be that you want to ridicule Hussar and disobey the court? 』

In fact, at this time, the right person is basically at his wits end. He may not be trying to impose any crime on the other party, but he just feels that his own face is not good enough, so he is looking for a way out.

 There is a step, which is very important.

The person on the left sneered, saying that it was just a big hat, and it was not a new method. It was like following orders from the superiors at every turn, but often failing to come up with any specific items. "If you don't discuss etiquette, is it a crime?" This kind of behavior is like destroying a rural school to cover up a fallacy. What's the difference? You say that you are studying to seek understanding, but I think you are actually seeking selfish desires! Yang is for propriety, Yin is for selfishness, the clothes are elegant, the behavior is like a dog and a pig, and the self-promotion is like an ugly woman! 』

　　　『You, you, you...you actually hurt others with your words! ” The person on the right is furious.

　　　『You are only allowed to lie, but you are not allowed to curse others? ” The man on the left laughed, “Absurd, ridiculous, ridiculous, ridiculous! 』

The man on the right howled, jumped up in anger, and shouted loudly to the students around him: "As you can see today, this man is extremely arrogant, and every word he says is treasonous and unethical. In today's debate, let's just ignore it!" 』

The person on the left also stood up, without giving the person on the right any step to step down, "If you can't argue, you are falsely accusing others of being treasonous, pretending to be a scholar, and acting like a villain!" How can people like this have the appearance to discuss the three etiquettes? It would be embarrassing to sit with him! Go quickly, go quickly! Your breath here is really polluted, and the stench is unbearable! 』

 The people watching on the periphery burst into laughter, all looking very happy.

"you you you…"

The man on the right screamed, in a dilemma, and became angry. He stepped forward and tried to pull the man on the left. Then the two of them struggled together until the soldiers maintaining order rushed in and separated the two...

 One debate ends and another begins.

  After such a collision of opinions, which may be effective or ineffective, and the fists and fists intersect, some things slowly have new changes...

 (End of this chapter)