I run a training class in Shu Han

Chapter 44 The Future Belongs to You

Discussions could be heard from inside the school.

Faced with such a novel question, many students were at a loss.

Qiao Zhou, a renowned Confucian scholar from Yizhou, did not understand its meaning at first.

After Liu Shan's guidance, Qiao Zhou used the logic of Neo-Confucianism to think about the problem and found it to be quite profound.

"Your Majesty's question is excellent. The former refers to the earth, and the latter to people, implying a sense of inclusion."

Qiao Zhou said this to provide students with a way of thinking.

If no one can answer the question, it will make the teacher lose face.

Some bright-minded students have already begun to understand the reasoning behind this.

In the academy, students study; in the clinic, doctors treat patients; in the market, people buy and sell; in the prison, jailers guard; and on the boats, boatmen row. Each group is interconnected.

The "inclusion" that Qiao Zhou refers to means that these people have specific names in specific places.

Now we know the meaning of each group, but what is the connection between them?

"The academy should be similar to the medical clinic; both require learning to achieve success."

"No. Academies are places for learning, while clinics are places for treating illnesses. They may seem similar, but their functions are actually different."

"I think they should be similar to prison guards. Both are directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court."

"The academy is a place for learning, and the prison is a place for punishment; the two are completely unrelated."

The discussion grew more and more lively, with students launching into divergent thinking, and the previously somewhat dull classroom became active again.

"Please be quiet, everyone."

Although the discussion was lively, and even those who guessed the answer correctly were unable to articulate the correct viewpoint.

Confucius said, "To learn and at due times to practice what one has learned, is that not a pleasure?" This means that after learning, one should review and put what one has learned into practice. If one learns without thinking, then one is inflexible.

"Take this topic for example. Everyone is right about one thing: they have an inclusion relationship."

"Students study in academies, doctors treat patients in clinics, jailers work in prisons, common people buy and sell in markets, and boatmen row boats. All the choices seem to fit together."

"But the deeper meaning is something you have not yet grasped."

Everyone perked up their ears.

"The academy is mostly filled with students. So, what kind of people are most frequented at the clinic?"

"They are sick," the students said.

"And what about the prison cell?"

"Naturally, he's a criminal."

"Where's the boat?"

"Tourists."

"And the market?"

"Naturally, it's the common people."

At this point, the answer became obvious, and the students suddenly understood.

The clinic, prison, and boat all correspond to a minority of people, while only the market corresponds to a majority of people, consistent with the fact that the majority are students at the academy.

So this is what the philosophical principles hidden inside are all about.

"This question may seem baseless, but it is actually based on principles and is by no means sophistry. With more thought, one can understand it, and with understanding, one can achieve enlightenment."

"If you can only recite articles without understanding the connections between them, then reading more books will be in vain."

"I have another question for you. If local corruption is rampant, how would you, as prefects of a region, investigate official misconduct and rectify the bureaucracy?"

No sooner had the words been spoken than someone shouted, "Investigate and punish according to the law!"

The other students nodded in agreement, saying, "That's certainly the case."

Liu Shan nodded and walked slowly among the students, saying, "Acting according to the law and using swift and decisive methods are signs of an upright and honest official, and indeed demonstrate the potential to become a good official."

The student held his head slightly high, looking smug.

Such a simple question—whoever answers it first will gain favor with the emperor.

But the next second, Liu Shan changed the subject.

"But this method is only suitable for a small number of officials who commit crimes, and has the deterrent effect of killing one to warn a hundred. But as I just said, local corruption is serious, and it is clear that corrupt officials are deeply rooted and have great power. We must not use such a thunderous method."

The student, unconvinced, stood up and said, "Corrupt officials are guilty of heinous crimes and should be eliminated to give justice to the people and restore order to the court."

These words were spoken with righteous indignation, inspiring the other students and filling them with fervor.

Liu Shan looked at him slowly and deliberately, then continued walking and talking.

"Putting the people first is the goal, not the essence. The essence of being an official is how to maintain the normal operation of the bureaucracy."

"If all the officials, big and small, in a prefecture and county are involved, and all the evil is eradicated, then the entire prefecture and county's officialdom will be paralyzed. How will daily government affairs be handled then?"

The student who spoke was stunned.

He was only thinking about how to act in accordance with the law, and never imagined that his actions would have such a huge impact.

Liu Shan's speech once again silenced everyone.

"As the head of a prefecture, you cannot focus on just one aspect; you must consider the overall situation. The court has entrusted you with investigating official corruption. You must, under the premise of maintaining overall stability, dismantle the corrupt groups from within, crack down on the big ones and let the small ones go, and proceed gradually."

"To put it simply, it's like repairing a carriage. The imperial court needs you to find the damaged parts that are affecting the carriage's movement, and then replace the damaged parts with new ones so that the carriage can continue to move."

"Instead of having you pick up a sledgehammer, smash the carriage to pieces, and then build a new one."

"Therefore, when looking at a problem, we cannot just look at the surface; we must analyze its essence and start from the root cause."

"Now, let's return to the topic. I'm not asking you to understand the meaning of the words, but rather to use the thinking of Neo-Confucianism to find the essence."

These remarks were both novel and profound, earning admiration from the students, who all looked at Liu Shan with reverence.

The student blushed deeply, head bowed, utterly ashamed.

He originally wanted to show off, but he never expected to end up as a clown.

Liu Shan glanced at it, smiled, and said, "What I just said was technique, and technique can be learned."

"But being an upright and incorruptible official is a principle that cannot be imitated."

"Since no one answered the question correctly, how about we settle for second best and reward this honest student?"

The students echoed, "Your Majesty is wise."

One second the student was filled with shame, the next he became the center of attention, his emotions fluctuating wildly, his heart pounding.

"Thank you... thank you for your great kindness."

Liu Shan nodded and asked with a smile, "What is your name?"

"Chen Zhi of Runan pays his respects to Your Majesty."

One of the students shouted, "Chen Zhi is the grandson-nephew of Minister Xu Jing."

"Very well, Chen Zhi, I will remember you."

A hint of wariness flashed in Liu Shan's eyes.

This Chen Zhi was the powerful minister who later became Huang Hao's ally, giving Huang Hao the opportunity to seize power.

However, now that I've taken care of your good partner, he won't be able to cause any trouble in the future.

"Although Your Majesty is young, your knowledge and vision are no less than those of the great Confucian scholars of that time. Qiao Zhou admires you."

Qiao Zhou admired him not only for his knowledge, but also for his inspiring speeches.

To gain the approval of the great Confucian scholar Qiao Zhou was a tremendous honor in the eyes of the students.

Moreover, this was not because Liu Shan was the emperor and he was being flattered, but because he impressed people with his genuine knowledge.

"Master Qiao, you flatter me. I was merely showing off my limited knowledge in front of you, sharing some of my own insights from reading."

"I hope that my learning experience can be of some help to everyone."

"The future will belong to you."

"Long live Your Majesty!"

The students shouted in unison, their hearts filled with excitement.