Liu Jingxuan opened his mouth in surprise, looked at Liu Yu, and shook his head in disbelief: "Only those with virtue can be admitted. How to determine the standard? Is it possible that it is the same as in the later Han Dynasty, where we need to promote filial piety and honesty and talents?"
Liu Yu said seriously: "The reason why the promotion of filial piety and integrity in the Later Han Dynasty, or the various inspection and promotion systems in our Western Jin Dynasty, finally collapsed was not because there was something wrong with the idea of this model, but because of the people who recommended it.
, the so-called Zhongzheng eventually became powerful local families. They would only recommend their nephews to serve as filial, honest and talented people. Only after they were recommended, they would become officials. In other words, they were theoretically civilians before.
People cannot tell whether they are capable or virtuous. How do you judge the character of a child who has not grown up at home?"
Liu Jingxuan nodded: "That's true, even if this child is naughty, but if he doesn't become an official, others will not know his true character. In the end, the person in charge of the recommendation has the final say. I remember that the Zhongzheng system was first established by
The imperial court sent people to inspect, but relatively speaking, the interests involved were relatively small. Later, the local Zhongzheng, that is, the local powerful family, made the recommendation. This basically blocked the way for ordinary people to rise, and completely became these
There is a reserved quota for the children of powerful families."
Liu Yu sighed: "In the Later Han Dynasty and even in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, this kind of filial piety and integrity often became a tool for manipulation because there was no clear standard for evaluating virtues. Moreover, the Han Dynasty advocated filial piety as the first priority and placed great emphasis on filial piety.
The judgment of virtue is often based on whether the person is filial. For example, Wang Xiang, who was lying on the ice asking for a carp, treated his stepmother like this during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, so he gained a very good reputation, and later helped him to become a high-ranking official.
Let the Langya Wang family develop."
Liu Jingxuan smiled and said: "Yes, Wang Xiang's filial piety not only secured an official position for himself, but also opened the way for the Langya Wang family to have a big family. However, Wang Xiang himself usually only serves as the third elder, Taichang and so on.
His fictitious duty is not to deal with actual government affairs. Are you saying that this virtuous person is also this kind of vacuous and does nothing, and is just a virtuous person to make an evaluation? "
Liu Yu waved his hand and said seriously: "No, in my opinion, this kind of filial piety, whether it is true filial piety or pretended filial piety, is not enough to become the main standard of virtue. In fact, there may even be some truly filial people who are actually filial.
He will become a person without virtue in the country."
Liu Jingxuan's expression changed: "What do you mean by this? Isn't filial piety a noble virtue? Can't we judge whether a person is truly virtuous just because of filial piety?"
Liu Yu sighed softly and said: "Because the moral character I want is public morality towards the country and the people of the world. Of course, filial piety is a very good moral character, but it is only a private morality. Sometimes, this kind of private morality can actually
It will undermine public morality, and am I not the best example?"
Speaking of this, Liu Yu's eyes became dim: "My second brother Liu Daolian has been relatively dull since he was a child. It may be because our family's conditions were not good and our family was poor since childhood. The brothers have never had enough to eat. Daolian
Ever since he was a child, he has liked to beg for food from outside and pick up things that others don’t want and take them home. My mother also praised this child for his ability to take care of the family and asked me and my third brother to learn from him. This may have contributed to his character of taking advantage of others.
, when he grew up, Dao Lian did not have the military talents and martial arts skills of Dao Gui and I, so he could only work as a farmer. For this reason, he always stayed at home, fulfilled his filial piety for me and Dao Gui, and supported my mother.
Before Jianyi, for more than ten years, he had never slacked off at all, and everyone in Jingkou praised him, saying that he was a filial and good man."
Liu Jingxuan nodded: "Yes, even my family has heard this statement. Daolian is indeed a good person when it comes to filial piety, but it's a pity..."
At this point, Liu Jingxuan sighed, and Liu Yu's voice was calm and low: "As an ordinary person, as a farmer's boy, Dao Lian is a good person and worthy of praise. However, after I succeeded in establishing justice, my mother and I
He said, our old Liu family has finally gained wealth. Many years ago, Dao Gui and I served in the army and made meritorious service. Now each of us has become a great hero and became a general. However, Dao Lian is still farming at home. If we don't give
He is looking for some errands. If the three of us brothers cannot share the wealth, then she will not go to Jiankang to live in a big house and enjoy the blessings. She would rather stay with Daolian in the countryside of Jingkou."
"So I had no choice but to let him be a high-ranking official like Peng Cheng's internal history even though I knew that Lian did not have the talent to govern the country and lead the army, and that he might not even be as intelligent as ordinary people. At that time, I was thinking that Dao Lian himself was not capable enough.
, you can match him with some capable children of aristocratic families to assist him in managing politics. Dao Lian is simple in nature, so he should not have any major problems. This was also the need to develop Jiangbei at that time and attract the big families in Jiankang City to release the village heads and tenants.
A deal led by Mu Zhi."
"But I didn't expect that after those children from the aristocratic families arrived in Pengcheng, they went behind Dao Lian's back to steal the land of the local people, and used the looted wealth to bribe Dao Lian, lying that it was the voluntary work of the local people, and Dao Lian was a human being.
You are stupid. You believed these words and accepted these bribes at first. Later, after you got the benefits, your appetite grew bigger and bigger, and you asked for more and more. You turned yourself into a big corrupt official. The people of Jiangbei even made up all kinds of stories.
The nursery rhyme came to curse pity. So much so that when Southern Yan invaded, the local people even helped the Yan army as their guides. This is how bad the people's hearts have been!"
Liu Jingxuan sighed: "I heard a lot of such rumors when I was in Nanyan, and I wanted to remind you. However, we were in two countries at the time and couldn't contact you. But, you really didn't listen to these rumors.
arrive?"
Liu Yu gritted his teeth: "At that time, I was busy organizing the Western Expedition to eliminate the remnants of Huan Xuan, and Jiangbei neglected it. By the time I heard the news, it was already too late. This was a great lesson for me.
In order to be filial and to listen to my mother's words, I was nepotistic and appointed Dao Lian, who liked to take advantage of others, as the internal historian of Pengcheng in Jiangbei. However, the local people thought that Dao Lian was my biological brother and that his raids were instigated by me.
, didn’t even dare to report these things, but instead developed resentment towards me and the court. Ah Shou, tell me, isn’t this kind of filial piety an act of harming the public and enriching one’s private life, for the sake of mother, and not caring about the people?”
Speaking of this, Liu Yu's eyes flashed with sadness: "Even when I wanted to punish Daolian according to the national law in order to restore people's hearts and correct the atmosphere, my mother went on a hunger strike for many days and came to beg me. In the end, I also
We could only let Daolian go, and did not deal with him, but dismissed him from office. Such filial piety, destroying the country because of a small family, is not virtuous, but unethical!" (End of this chapter)