Chapter ten embrace

Jing Lingyu hurriedly pulled his clothes to stop him: "Xiao Hei, I've told you, why are you still so angry? Our ally is in the capital, and making friends with the government is a necessary means of survival. How many officials at all levels in Taiyuan Prefecture have there?" He is a good man, and the Qin family can still maintain it from top to bottom,"

Chang Sihao waved his big hand in the air and said angrily: "It's nothing more than a member of the government. He just hooked up with Dongchang. It must not be the style of a hero. When Jue Xiang talked about the sword test competition, he mentioned meeting Dongchang. There were three of the four stalls in the factory. I didn’t notice it at the time. But now that I think about it, if we didn’t have a great friendship, how could the boss of the Dong Factory be so generous? Working for the Hundred Swords Alliance, the only reason why Leader Zheng passed the message was because he had friendship with Feng Bao. These are the words of people in your alliance and are not the nonsense of others. You don’t know who Feng Bao is. That day in Taiyuan City Outside, what are you talking about at Mr. Cheng’s house?”

Jing Lingyu said: "It is true that Feng Bao is greedy for money and good goods, and interferes in internal affairs. Although our alliance has some friendship with him, it is just for the sake of realizing the Jian family's ambition, and it's just a show."

"Hmph, what a joke," Chang Sihao sneered: "The ultimate goal of the joke is to win over people's hearts, cultivate party members, control the cabinet, and reach the top of power. What a swordsman's ambition is not to fight for power? Change the name,"

Seeing that she could not persuade him, Jing Lingyu sighed, turned around and briefly described how she heard Luo Aohan and the others talking in the central hall, and explained it to Alliance Leader Zheng.

"Hahaha," Alliance Leader Zheng smiled faintly after hearing this, leaned back and looked a little relieved, and said, "Chang Shaojian, please be patient, please sit down and listen to me." He paused After a pause, seeing Chang Sihao still standing upright, he stopped insisting, put down his cup and said, "I want to ask first, in your opinion, what kind of person is a hero?"

Chang Sihao clasped his hands towards the window, not looking at him, and said in a low voice: "It doesn't have to be anything special. It's enough to be able to stand up when the country is in crisis, and to draw a sword to help when there is injustice on the road."

Leader Zheng clapped his hands and said: "Okay, such a heroic and heroic figure is indeed remarkable. However, when the country is in crisis, not many righteous people can save the situation by sacrificing their lives. There are many injustices among the people. Even if you draw your sword to save the suffering every day, you will not be able to save the situation." How many people can you help, so although heroes and righteous men in your eyes are rare, their vision is not broad enough to see the general trend of the world clearly." Chang Sihao turned around and looked directly at him and said: "Whether you can see clearly or not clearly, In short, they are doing real things, which is much better than you leading the people in the alliance to think about how to exploit the camp, how to gain power, or even collude with Dongchang every day,"

What he said was extremely rude, like a curse. The expressions on Jing Lingyu and Xiaoqing's faces changed several times, and they looked very ugly.

Leader Zheng laughed heartily and said: "If Kong Ming had not come out of the mountain, An Neng could rule the whole country of Shu. I am not comparing myself to Prime Minister Zhuge, but I am explaining a truth: to truly benefit the people, we must take the initiative to grasp power." , you must not place your hopes on others. Authority is like a knife, and there is nothing wrong with it. The key lies in who holds it and what they use it for. How can you use your power if you don’t even have the right to speak? The idea is promulgated and spread, let alone implemented,”

Chang Sihao was startled, and suddenly recalled the conversation he had with the two scribes at the restaurant. He thought rightly, if he was powerless, even if he had a beautiful mind like Mr. Zhu, he could only talk at the wine table. That's all, after thinking about it, his angry face calmed down a little, and he still said coldly: "You people call yourself swordsmen, and you keep saying that you want to reform the evil and establish a new one, and govern the country in peace and stability. This is nothing more than empty talk. If there is really any truth in gold and stone." See, I'm afraid it has been spread for a long time, but why can't I hear a word of it in the market?"

Alliance leader Zheng took a sip of tea calmly and said with a smile: "Replacing evils, establishing new ones, and governing the country in an orderly manner are only the beginning of our sword family's ambition, but they are also the foundation of all futures. These are not empty words, but have concrete meanings." Implementation strategy and practical implementation methods. However, all these are meaningful only when they have obtained corresponding status and voice between the government and the opposition. Proclaiming them to the outside world is of no benefit. Instead, it has become real empty talk. This is an item of our alliance. It’s a big secret, but I see that Chang Shaojian has a straightforward temperament and cares about the people. He is actually of the same mind as us. There are no outsiders here, so it’s okay to say it.”

He put the cup on the table and continued: "A peaceful country brings peace to the people. The two are mutually reinforcing. To ensure that people in the world can live a stable life and live and work in peace and contentment, we can't just fight against injustice, act chivalrously and just kill a few corrupt officials." I have come to realize that since the time of Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty, the long-standing shortcomings have been deep and difficult to get rid of. Unless the reform is carried out with great courage, it is difficult to change. However, looking through history, the reform has always encountered great resistance, and it has been difficult to implement it. Most of them are middle-of-the-road. Failure and reform of the old system will lead to further decline of the country and make people's lives more miserable."

When he said this, his brows furrowed and his heart showed deep sorrow. He took a breath and continued: "All the swordsmen in our alliance brainstormed at the discussion meeting and all felt that the tree of reform was very windy and would not be easy to succeed. And the country The old system still has merits, but there are differences in its implementation at all levels. Rather than risking reform, it is better to make slight changes on the basis of the old system and increase implementation efforts so that words on paper can truly be implemented. Although this is not thorough enough , but it is the most practical state-governing strategy at this stage that can be truly implemented,”

Chang Sihao said: "How to make changes and how to implement them? Who doesn't know how to talk about empty words?"

Leader Zheng didn't care about his attitude, and said with a faint smile: "Okay, if you are willing to listen, that would be the best. The specific methods we have summarized are also very simple to summarize. For example, if the current court discussions are complicated, how to deal with the same problem? It is difficult to unify opinions on a matter, or it is contradictory to deal with it, and it is said eloquently, but in fact it is empty. This kind of situation leads to low efficiency of officials everywhere, and must be changed. You can't just talk nonsense and let people talk nonsense. You must be careful. At the beginning, I thought carefully, did not change the order, and implemented it practically. Haha, in your words, it is to ask the officials to stop talking about empty words and listen to the specifics."

Xiaoqing smiled sideways, looking at her father and covering her lips.

Leader Zheng continued: "If this is the case, and the officials get back on track and start doing practical things, a question arises: What should be done? The actual situation now is that orders cannot be done, officials are passing the buck among each other, and the response is slow. , like a pool of stagnant water. To change this phenomenon, we must make them pay attention to the edict again. It is required that after the order is issued, the subordinates must promptly report the work situation and progress, the results, and any problems that arise in the process. If you make a mistake, you will be punished; if you do not do it, you will be punished; if you do it late, you will be punished. Officials should not be lazy or lazy. Only if they can carry out their orders can they have a smooth journey."

When he said this, he saw Chang Sihao waiting silently, knowing that he had listened to the words in his heart, and slowly continued: "As the saying goes, there is no rule without rules, but the current situation is that the law cannot rule, Quan Ling On top of that, Huan Kuan of the Han Dynasty said in "Salt and Iron Theory·Shenhan": "The world is not worried about being unable to do anything, but worrying about not having a sure way to implement it." This means that the country is not worried about not having laws, but it is worried about not having practical basis. When the law is enforced, officials commit crimes, exchange favors with each other, practice favoritism and malpractice, and the people file lawsuits but are thrown into jail and no one cares about them. This situation must be eradicated to restore justice to the world."

Chang Sihao said solemnly: "The prince who breaks the law is as guilty as the people... Huh, it's easy to say. Unfortunately, there was a Bao Gong in the world."

Leader Zheng nodded: "If it's public, it's private, and if it's private, it's disadvantageous. Since the word "fair" came into existence, I'm afraid it's just a relative term. Whether it's fair or not depends on the person who makes the judgment. Nowadays, various prefectures and counties Among the officials, how many are just villains who got promoted through bragging and flattery? It is nonsense to rely on them to maintain fairness. Therefore, we should also clean up the officialdom, check the names and facts, and conduct examinations on the performance of all officials in office. Eliminating those who are greedy for ink allows the country to use talents, and also allows those who are capable and willing to do things to have room to display. Han Fei said: 'Determine right and wrong based on name and reality, and judge words based on experience. 'That's the way,'

After Chang Sihao heard what he said so clearly, his anger softened and he asked: "If it is true as you said, it would be a great thing, but this is only a matter for the court. What about the Tatars and barbarians? They are at the border every year. Turn around, invade the country from time to time, and kill a lot, this is the most troublesome,"

Leader Zheng smiled and said: "I know what you are thinking, and it must be inseparable from this. Yes, the tree wants to be quiet and the wind will not stop. Even if we all in the Ming Dynasty are determined to clear up the internal affairs of the Ming Dynasty and reorganize the court, these major foreign races will never be idle. Yes, although the Japanese pirates are at ease in the south, there is chaos in the Tatars, rampant barbarians, chaos in Tibet, and unrest in Tibet. If we do not make great efforts to reorganize our armaments and strengthen our border defenses, there will be no peace in the country. Arms for war are the most important thing. It is money and food. Where does money and food come from? It can only come from the people. If the people are not rich, where can the military supply come from? "Shang Shu·Song of the Five Sons" says: 'The people are the foundation of the country, and the foundation is solid and the country is peaceful.' This shows the importance of people's livelihood. , the ancients said that "conscience begets poverty" and "poverty leads to thieves", they are absolutely correct. The people have no food and clothing, how can there be no robberies? Look at the tycoons everywhere now concealing the number of fields they own and evading taxes. However, ordinary people only have a few acres of thin farmland and have to pay heavy taxes, causing the rich to get richer and the poor to become poorer, forcing civil unrest to occur frequently. It is empty talk, so enriching the people is the first priority, but wealth cannot be kept, and it is used to marry others, so a strong army is needed as a guarantee. Therefore, on the one hand, it is necessary to consolidate the foundation of the country and cultivate people's livelihood, and on the other hand, it is necessary to rectify the armed forces and strengthen border defense. The two are mutually exclusive. They complement each other and cannot be relied upon, nor can they be partial to each other.”

Chang Sihaosheng was at the farmhouse. When he heard about the land, he was naturally concerned and asked: "I don't know much about anything else, but what you just mentioned about the wealthy gentry hiding their land and evading taxes is indeed common among the people. Those who have Rich people have more land and less tax, so they can make a lot of money, while poor families have less land and more tax, and it's hard for them to have enough to eat, and they don't have enough money to bribe the government. Everyone knows this situation, but what can be done about it? ,"

Leader Zheng smiled slightly: "This matter is difficult to say and easy to say. In fact, we only need to order the whole country to re-measure the land, find out the land that has been concealed or lied about, and re-register it. At the same time, it is enough Rectify the official system, especially punish those who are greedy among the lower-level officials. If the top and bottom are cleansed, great things can be accomplished."

Chang Sihao thought about the past in his hometown. Although everyone had a headache about these things, they could only sit around and complain, and could not think of any way to change the solution. In the eyes of Alliance Leader Zheng, these things seemed to be nothing at all. , two or three sentences, it was like a golden needle breaking a blister, and it suddenly penetrated. Thinking about how the country could be rectified as he said, and the villagers had land to grow and food to eat, they would definitely be crazy with joy. Time's eyes light up, and I feel joyful.

Leader Zheng smiled and said: "Actually, what Zheng just said is, in a nutshell, 'rectify the internal affairs, enrich the country and strengthen the army'. It was Zheng who put forward a preliminary idea based on the current national conditions. This is a simple opinion that was formed through discussion among the Jian family. I have not heard what Chang Shaojian thinks about it, but I still hope to see you." Speaking of this, he covered his hands and leaned forward to salute, showing a sincere attitude of asking people.

Chang Sihao's face turned red and he hurriedly retreated: "The strategy of governing the country you mentioned is real and well-organized. Chang Sihao is an idiot. He only knows how to kill with a knife and does not understand the world's major affairs. How dare he participate in random things?" "Yan, just now, oh, those words I just said... are really rude and embarrassing," he said, turning his head and bending down.

Leader Zheng stepped forward with a smile, stepped in to support his elbows, and said: "My dear nephew, you don't have to be like this. You are upright, you know right from wrong, and you don't hide your words. You are indeed a straight-hearted man. A small misunderstanding can be ignored." What,"

Seeing that the clouds had dispersed one day, Xiaoqing poured tea and water and said with a smile: "Brother Chang, don't be confused. Dad is indeed not really angry with you. There are many visitors from our alliance who come here just to get the glory of our alliance. To increase one's worth or satisfy one's inner vanity, they are full of flattery and rotten words when they meet, and rarely dare to meet people who have questions. This kind of people are the most annoying to my father. In his spare time, he often says that saints may not be true saints, and there are many sages who are unworthy. Who is Yao, who is Shun, and the same is true for those who have made great achievements. Only when people dare to despise and doubt can they approach the right direction infinitely. He is a person who is addicted to criticism. If you accuse him to his face, he will still be happy. It's too late," Alliance Leader Zheng laughed and tried to comfort him. Seeing him like this, Chang Sihao felt even more uncomfortable in his heart, so he thanked him again.

The two sat down again, and Alliance Leader Zheng knew that he still had a knot in his heart that he had not yet opened up, so he said: "My nephew hates the actions of some people in Dongchang. In fact, I am not the same. However, their backstage is basically the middle official, that is, the eunuch." , these people serve the emperor all day long, and sometimes the memorials are written in stone, and every word is bloody. It is better for them to lightly blow a few words around the emperor. One of our alliances has its own ideas to realize, and the other Being in the important place of the capital, dealing with them is unavoidable. Moreover, even if suitable candidates are found in the cabinet in the future, these strategies can be implemented, and the help of the eunuchs and the support of officials from all walks of life are still indispensable. When the water is clear, there will be no fish. In the officialdom, there are only a few people who are as clear as water and as bright as a mirror. Everyone is selfish, and there are disadvantages to being selfish. This is unavoidable. If you can make a friend, you can't make an enemy. In terms of relationships, As long as it can be maintained, we should try our best to maintain it. Since we want to do big things, we must tolerate small anger to support the whole front. We cannot blindly lower our sights and dwell on other people's problems and other trivial details."

Chang Sihao couldn't help but nod when he heard what he said. However, thinking of what he had seen and heard in the cabinet, the Sixth Department, Yan Guan, Dongchang... and so on, he thought to himself: "Every group of forces has There are corresponding factions, and each faction has its own network of contacts, common interests and goals. These individuals are either hypocritical, cunning, incompetent, or ruthless, engaging in corruption, bribery, bending the law, and authoritarianism. But the Hundred Swords Alliance can live with it peacefully and mingle with it. Is this the so-called politics? To do big things, you have to sacrifice some principles of life. In that case, what is right and wrong and what is moral?"

Alliance leader Zheng saw his thoughts and said with a smile: "My nephew can't figure this out for a while, but that's okay. In the future, if you study more about swordsmanship, you will gradually understand."

When Chang Sihao heard that he suddenly switched from politics to martial arts, he was suddenly surprised: "What does swordsmanship have to do with this?"

"Of course it's related,"

Leader Zheng smiled and said: "Bodhidharma left a legacy of boxing in Shaolin. Most people think it was intended to strengthen monks and protect the temple. In fact, it was a convenient method he left for future generations to practice Zen and enlightenment, because he knew that understanding through the body is better than understanding through the mind. The simple truth is that most beginners learn martial arts from boxing, from form to mind, from the outside to the inside. As time goes by, the body will be strong, and the body will be strong, and the mind will be easy to understand. When you see a bird's wings rising, you can understand it. Borrowing the magic of Qi, you can see the snake moving quickly in its belly and understand its winding power. Once this insight appears, your boxing skills have reached its peak, and you can learn the sword. The sword is light and flexible, the water is soft and the silver is soft, and you can get rid of it after a long time of practice. Removing stagnation and changing the nature of the mind, the sword masters of our alliance can clear the heart with the sword, make the heart clear with the sword, and reach the most wonderful realm of martial arts in the world. This is the way to "realize" based on this. With such a realm and spirituality, it is used to deal with All worldly matters can be seen clearly and explained clearly. For example, as long as you understand the principle of "round entanglement, walking around, abandoning oneself and obeying others" in swordsmanship, you will know how to treat it peacefully. Everything will no longer be an excessive burden,"

,,Sacrificing oneself and obeying others.

When Chang Sihao heard these four words, he suddenly remembered the incident with old man Baofu fighting swords with firewood by the Yellow River. He immediately thought: "To sacrifice oneself and obey others is to retreat in order to advance, to give way to attack. Although Alliance Leader Zheng seems to be there, 'Following people' is actually 'employing people'. In the face of such a corrupt officialdom and chaotic court, toughness and confrontation will not help. Small sacrifices are just clever tricks that can eventually be transformed into comprehensive victory. He is not the one who laughs in the end,"

Thinking of this, my thoughts couldn't help but become more complicated: People say that a gentleman "does something and doesn't do something." However, there are really few gentlemen in this world who can accomplish great things. Those who really do things have to He sticks closely to reality, is not afraid of slander, disdains false reputations, and even resorts to any means to achieve his goals. It sounds ugly to say it, but if his ambition as a swordsman can be realized, countless people in the world will benefit. Among the things he has done before, As long as the integrity is not compromised and it is not excessive, there is nothing unacceptable. Liao Gushi once said that the alliance is full of wolfish ambitions. Most of the dirty and shameless people cannot see the dirt in their eyes and disdain to communicate. They fail to understand Zheng Zheng. The painstaking efforts of the leader.

Jing Lingyu had other things in mind, so he couldn't listen to what they said. He took advantage of every opportunity and said: "What national affairs, swordsmanship and principles? As a monk, I have no interest in hearing about them. Uncle Zheng, I only ask you, what do you think about me?" What do you think about cousin’s matter?”

Xiaoqing smiled: "It's strange that you, a monk, are not interested in state affairs, but you are interested in your cousin." Jing Lingyu looked back at her, slightly annoyed, turned around and pouted, and continued: "It seems that in your heart , and also confirmed that the Xiujian Hall records were stolen by my brother, right?" Alliance leader Zheng said: "You don't have to be anxious, I have my own branch on this matter." Jing Lingyu frowned and said: "How can I not be anxious, Shen The second brother is dead and the records are lost. My brother has been blamed for two things. He has no place to live in the world. He hides in Tibet every day. Is this an easy life?" Chang Sihao also said: "My nephew I have seen Mr. Liao take action, and I know his heart from the sword. Although he has a very lonely temperament, he is eager for justice and justice. He should be a cold-faced and warm-hearted person. He will not do anything unkind. I hope the leader of the alliance will investigate carefully."

Leader Zheng was silent for a long time, sighed, and said: "You don't need to explain, I already knew that there was indeed someone else who killed Shen Yuanji, and he did not steal the Xiujian Hall records,"
Chapter completed!