noveltune Chapter 5500 Rule of Law
Chapter 5500 Rule of Law
Chapter 5500 Rule of Law
Li Chengqian, of course, understood the implication Fang Jun was implying.
His stance was based on the supremacy of imperial power and the rule of the Tang Dynasty.
Fang Jun's stance is that of the nation and the world.
Among the common people.
There is no right or wrong, only perspectives.
The drizzle outside the window continued to fall, yet under the dim sky, the flowers and trees in the nearby courtyard and the distant palaces appeared exceptionally clear.
Li Chengqian sighed softly: "Why must it come to this? Chancellor Fang was a meritorious minister during the Zhenguan era, and the Second Prince is even more outstanding in military achievements. He should be honored and live a life of glory with the country."
As long as the Tang Dynasty exists, the Fang family's glory and power will not decline. Therefore, the interests of the Fang family are highly aligned with those of the Li Tang Dynasty. Why should they target the imperial power at every turn?
You yourself are also a beneficiary of imperial power.
How could a person betray their own class?
Fang Jun knelt steadily opposite the coffee table, his hands resting on his knees, his upper body slightly leaning forward, and his eyes lowered.
"The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors embodied morality, while the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties achieved great fame. The Seven Hegemons and Five Tyrants fought during the Spring and Autumn Period. Rise and fall were fleeting events. A few lines of names are recorded in history, while countless desolate mounds lie in the northern hills. The fields of our ancestors are reaped by our descendants. What is the point of talking about the struggles between dragons and tigers... On this land of China, outstanding people have emerged in great numbers, dynasties have risen and fallen, and no one can stop the mighty and unstoppable tide of history. Only the people who live here are the eternal masters."
Li Chengqian pondered the words that were neither quite a poem nor quite a lyric, and muttered, "I govern the world with 'benevolence and forgiveness,' and with the assistance of Erlang and his ministers, I have already created a golden age that is unprecedented in history. So why do you not believe that this golden age can continue?"
Fang Jun raised an eyebrow: "Does His Majesty believe it himself?"
Li Chengqian remained silent.
Fang Jun knew he understood the reasoning, but he still pointed it out without hesitation: "When the fate of hundreds of millions of people in a country depends on the emperor, it is already destined that prosperity and decline are inevitable."
Emperor Taizong was a great ruler, a great emperor throughout history. Li Chengqian was also known for his benevolence and leniency in governing the country. But will the Crown Prince continue this philosophy? And what about the Crown Prince's heir?
Most importantly, many things in this world are not subject to one's personal will; you can't do something well just because you want to.
Emperor Yang of Sui was a man of great talent and ambition. Did he not want to create a prosperous era and be remembered for all time?
However, this led to the disintegration of the vast empire, with war raging across the land and countless lives lost.
He calmly took a sip of tea and asked softly, "Does Your Majesty know why I put into practice the seemingly absurd statement that 'the earth is round,' and why I vigorously promote the 'study of things'?"
Li Chengqian seemed to be hit hard, or perhaps he was suppressing his anger, and remained silent.
Fang Jun himself explained: "For thousands of years, Confucianism has inherited Chinese culture and governed the world, which has benefited the country and future generations. However, the harm caused by its dominance will inevitably outweigh all its achievements. When any power is unchecked, the only outcome can be corruption, without exception."
Humans are driven by profit; they will forge ahead wherever profit is within their reach.
What could bring greater benefits than absolute power?
Imperial power possesses absolute authority.
Confucianism also possessed absolute power.
Therefore, if these two factors cannot be contained, they can only lead to absolute corruption.
Li Chengqian laughed in extreme anger: "So, in that case, the royal family and the Confucian school should thank Erlang?"
Absolute power equals absolute corruption.
Absolute corruption is tantamount to digging one's own grave and utter destruction.
Fang Jun's aim to both restrict imperial power and suppress Confucianism, preventing both from becoming corrupt and perishing, is tantamount to saving imperial power and Confucianism.
Such paradoxes are simply unheard of.
Fang Jun spoke with heartfelt sincerity: "Your Majesty has always been kind and benevolent, and has never been an ambitious person. Moreover, with the world prosperous and the four seas at peace, what does it matter to you whether you have absolute power? On the contrary, if Your Majesty is willing to limit your imperial power and suppress Confucianism, such noble virtues that place the interests of the empire and the well-being of the people above all else will surely be remembered for eternity and be praised for generations to come."
Li Chengqian was silent for a moment, then sighed and shook his head: "Perhaps you are right, but different positions lead to different perspectives on how to view and handle affairs... There are some things I may not need, but I cannot be without."
Fang Jun also sighed. This was one of the few peaceful exchanges he had with His Majesty recently, but due to their different stances, it was unlikely to end well.
He could only say, "I still stand by what I said in the Hall of State Affairs. The principles of the world and the laws of the universe are just there, and someone will discover them sooner or later."
Once the legal principles constructed by Confucianism were defeated by natural science, the "Way of Investigating Things" naturally emerged and shone brightly, breaking a gap in the rule of Confucianism and ending the situation of "exclusive veneration of Confucianism" and "one school of thought dominating".
As Confucianism suffered a severe blow, the imperial power that was tied to it naturally declined as well.
This is an unstoppable trend.
Li Chengqian was puzzled: "Why does Erlang (Li Chengqian) have such a strong aversion to and criticism of Confucianism?"
Fang Jun shook his head: "Your Majesty, I have never opposed Confucianism. What I oppose is the exclusive veneration of Confucianism and its dominance. Confucianism emphasizes self-cultivation, family harmony, governance of the state, and bringing peace to the world. With 'benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness' as its core, it provides a moral foundation and alleviates the indifference and alienation brought about by pure utilitarianism. Morality is a key link in maintaining the operation of society in an era lacking sound rule of law or material scarcity... But Your Majesty, times have changed."
He was slightly agitated, and this was the first time he had publicly articulated his political philosophy, aside from his father: "Nowadays, the Tang Dynasty relies on sea routes to plunder the world, and the wealth imported into the Tang Dynasty every year is astronomical. Various infrastructure projects in the country are in full swing and changing rapidly. This huge amount of wealth will inevitably impact the values that have been formed in the past. It is no longer enough to rely solely on morality to restrain behavior, because morality has no clear boundaries and cannot be quantified. We can only govern the country by law!"
Morality is the foundation of Confucianism and even the entire Chinese culture. It is above the law and enables the whole society to be forgiving and benevolent.
However, morality also has its limitations. Whether it leads to hypocritical moral performances or suppresses legitimate personal desires, both appear conservative in the face of efficient economic competition and technological development.
Humans are born to pursue profit. Faced with sufficient benefits, one's moral character alone cannot withstand the overwhelming tide of wealth and power.
It can only be regulated and governed by law.
But no matter how much reality may be "Confucian in appearance but Legalist in essence," Confucianism can never accept "ruling the country by law."
Without a moral foundation, everything about Confucianism will collapse.
Li Chengqian seemed to understand the reasoning behind it. After a moment's hesitation, he frowned and asked, "The country is already so strong and the world is already so wealthy. Why bother to tirelessly seize wealth from the whole world? For the people, stability is the greatest blessing, rather than having more wealth."
Fang Jun laughed. This is the understanding that Confucianism has subtly shaped in people's minds over thousands of years.
"Your Majesty, stability depends on abundance and strength... As the saying goes, 'When the granaries are full, people know etiquette.' If the people don't have warm clothes or enough to eat, how can they know etiquette? If they don't know etiquette, how can we talk about stability? The strength of a nation depends on money and wealth. Without abundance, how can we talk about a strong army? Without a strong army, how can we have stability?"
China has never been a peaceful land. It is mountainous with few plains, prone to natural disasters, and surrounded by nomadic tribes. Whenever China was weak, it was a time for foreign invasion, the trampling of the Great Wall, and widespread suffering. While there were instances like the Song Dynasty, which became wealthy but ultimately fell, most of the time China was driven to despair by financial collapse and lack of funds.
Most importantly, once people have tasted the sweetness of wealth, who can stop them?
We can't just close our borders and shut the country out, can we?
Therefore, the influx of wealth is unstoppable, and the influx of wealth will have a huge impact on the whole society. When people's values and morals are in disarray under the fierce impact, and the country fails to guide, dredge, and regulate in a timely manner, then it will be a carnival of capital.
Fang Jun spearheaded this trend of global wealth grabbing, expecting that when wealth accumulates to a certain level, it will cause drastic changes and spur social transformation. However, he absolutely cannot stand by and watch wealth evolve into capital and become unscrupulous and domineering.
……
The conversation naturally ended unhappily, but fortunately Li Chengqian still maintained some restraint and did not expel Fang Jun on the spot.
As Fang Jun walked out of Taiji Palace with his oil-paper umbrella, he stopped at Chengtian Gate and gazed at the imperial city in the drizzling rain, as well as the officials who were riding horses or carriages through the streets and alleys. His depression caused by his disappointment with Li Chengqian was somewhat relieved.
I shouldn't have had any expectations.
It was not that Li Chengqian was stubborn and inflexible, but rather that his stance prevented him from allowing imperial power to slip away.
There is no right or wrong, only interests.
As Li Chengqian said, "There are some things I may not need, but I cannot live without..."
That's how imperial power works.
Li Chengqian made every effort to centralize imperial power, not to exercise his own authority over the lives and deaths of all people, but because he could not allow imperial power to fall into his hands, which would be a disgrace for his entire life.
This was unacceptable to an emperor who, from the day he ascended the throne, aspired to be no less than Emperor Taizong.
Fortunately, Li Chengqian did not have much ambition for power.
When one day he is unable to manage and control the country, even if he grits his teeth, he will naturally have to relinquish the imperial power.
Unless he's willing to stand by and watch the vast empire descend into chaos, corruption, and disintegration under his rule...
We boarded the carriage and exited through Yanxi Gate. Although a light drizzle continued, the streets were bustling with pedestrians and carriages. Especially as dusk approached, the gates of Pingkang Ward were filled with fine horses and carriages. Young men from wealthy families, adorned with gold and jade, officials and clerks chatting and laughing, merchants from foreign tribes with strange accents, and heroic generals with swords and straw raincoats...
Fang Jun lifted the carriage curtain, smiling as he observed everything around him.
The lights were turned on one after another, reflecting a halo of light off the rain-soaked ground.
What a magnificent and splendid scene of a prosperous era!