Strictly speaking, Liu Xie's words are very politically incorrect, especially given his status.
He should maintain etiquette more.
The purpose of Zhou Gong's system of etiquette is to safeguard the interests of the ruling group and to allow the monarch and his ministers to settle down in their respective positions in an externalized form. In particular, the ministers should not have any wrong ideas.
Even in the imperial era, the main function of the ritual system is to protect the rights of the superior.
Therefore, Shusun Tong made rituals and made Liu Bang aware of the emperor's nobility, which gave Confucianism a place in the court.
As a person with vested interests, actively abandoning etiquette and denying the status of etiquette is digging one's own grave from a personal point of view.
After all, he asked Yuan Shu to be a thug to deal with old ministers and nobles because their Luoyang residence exceeded the regulations. If Xun Yu really wanted to fight him, he might not be able to argue with Xun Yu.
Fortunately, he didn't want to argue with Xun Yu today, he just wanted to express his attitude, and he could speak more frankly, without worrying about whether there were flaws or loopholes in the theory.
Reality is cruel and is never as beautiful as theory.
That’s why social science experts and economists are often slapped in the face by reality.
Confucius and Mencius were not alone; those who came after them were like crucian carp crossing the river.
Although Xun Yu was mentally prepared, it was obviously not enough. He was stunned for a while and then said uncertainly: "So, your Majesty is worried that... if you forget to fight, you will be in danger?"
Liu Xie smiled, not hiding his sarcasm at all. "It's not like you have forgotten the war now, but you have forgotten who you are fighting for and how to win it. An expert in civil war and an outsider in external war are not the masters of the art of war.
.The soldiers are well-fed and well-fed, and they drink and go to parties, which is not the demeanor that a famous general should have."
Xun Yu's face turned red. "Your Majesty, although it is said that there will be ministers from Guandong and generals from Guanxi, it is not absolute. When they first attacked Dong, Cao Cao and Sun Jian both worked hard for the imperial court and had considerable military exploits."
Liu Xie nodded. "It's a pity that they are not recognized by the gentry and are definitely not the mainstream. Even Xun You, not many people recognize him. If the gentry can fight for the court and the peace of the world like them, and
Only when the battle can be won and Hu Ma dare not invade the fortress can military power be meaningful."
Xun Yu smiled awkwardly and was speechless, but he suddenly realized something in his heart.
Although the emperor was harsh, he pointed out the weakness of the Shandong gentry. The Shandong people's habit of emphasizing civility over martial arts was too strong. They were too superstitious about household registration and financial resources, and thought that they could be invincible if they had more people. Facts have proved that this view is too naive.
Wealth does not equate to strength, and a large number of people does not equate to a powerful one. The result of emphasizing culture over military affairs is that civilization becomes weak. It has no ability to protect itself in the face of barbarism, and can only be eaten by mermaids.
This is what the emperor is most worried about.
If Confucianism cannot change its existing views and truly implement equal emphasis on civil and military affairs, even if the emperor returns military power to the three princes, they will not be able to shoulder their due responsibilities. Once a foreign enemy attacks, the Han Dynasty will have no ability to defend against the enemy, no matter how much wealth it has
They are just trophies of the barbarians.
If they want to take back their military power, they must first prove that they have sufficient ability and responsibility, rather than just caring about their own interests.
The more Xun Yu thought about it, the more ashamed he became, feeling ashamed of himself.
They only want power, but they forget that behind power comes responsibility.
"I'm not saying that everyone must be proficient in martial arts. The territory is getting wider and more affairs are becoming more and more important. It is a general trend that civil and military affairs should be separated. But this cannot be a reason for scholars to be idle and indolent. Without a good body, how can one shoulder the moral responsibility? Furthermore,
Even in the Western Expedition, it was not just the responsibility of warriors, Confucian scholars were also indispensable."
Liu Xie rubbed his mustache and clicked his tongue. "Nowadays, there is no shortage of elite knights, but there is a shortage of Confucian scholars who are good at teaching. There are too few young people like Fu Ya and Xun Yun."
When Xun Yun was mentioned, Xun Yu felt a hint of joy in his heart.
After all, the descendants of the Xun family were different. They were both civilized and military-minded. First there was Xun You and then there was Xun Yun. One was driving out the barbarians in the northern frontier, and the other was civilizing the barbarians in the western regions. Their future prospects were unlimited.
"Your Majesty is so complimentary that a dog is not worthy of it."
"You deserve it, you deserve it." Liu Xie changed the topic and talked to Xun Yu about the Western Regions to lighten the atmosphere.
Although there has been no major progress in the Western Regions in the past two years, Xun Yun, Jiang Qian, Shen You and others have not been idle.
Xun Yun and Ke Bineng took the northern coast of the Caspian Sea and marched westward, heading for their intended target: the prairie on the northern coast of the Black Sea.
But they encountered trouble, not the barbarians as they imagined, but the Han's old enemies - the Huns.
Although those people did not have writing, they still had memories and knew that their ancestors migrated from the east. Some people still remembered the battle flags of the Han Dynasty.
In fact, their understanding of the Han Dynasty far exceeded that of the Han Dynasty. With the restoration of trade routes in the Western Regions, a large number of merchants traveling between Rome and the Han Dynasty, and the remnants of some Xianbei tribes fleeing westward, they already knew that the Han Dynasty was revolting.
An, unless they are invincible, so they have never dared to take any action.
Some people even crossed the Ural Mountains and continued to migrate westward, and clashed with the barbarians on the west side.
This information is consistent with the news Liu Xie received before.
Considering the safety of the trade routes, Xun Yun and Ke Bineng decided to establish a stronghold at the southern foot of the Ural Mountains to control this grassland from a high position and ensure the smooth flow of trade routes.
In addition, Xun Yun also wanted to cut down trees, build ships, and build a sea channel across the Caspian Sea to save time.
Liu Xie did not have a detailed report at hand, so he could only briefly introduce the progress of Xun Yun and others.
Even so, Xun Yu still felt happy and proud of his son's youth and achievements.
Liu Xie then explained to Xun Yu the situation in Rome, such as Severus, whom Xun Yu was concerned about, and answered some questions that Xun Yu was concerned about.
Speaking more carefully, Rome and the Han Dynasty have similarities, such as territory and household registration, but there are more differences.
For example, Rome has never formed a inheritance system with blood as the main line. Even in the imperial era, they were not necessarily passed down from father to son. Nephews, nephews and even sons-in-law may become heirs.
Is this system good or not? Different people have different opinions and wisdom. But one result is obvious, that is, the political situation in Rome is turbulent and extremely unstable.
Compared to Rome, the Han Dynasty's imperial succession was simply too smooth.
Apart from the imperial lineage, Rome was different from the Han Dynasty in another way.
They did not have consistent governance ideas like Confucianism, but replaced it with religion. It used to be polytheism, but now it has become Christianity. What is even more paradoxical is that Christianity is not a local religion in Rome, but was spread from the Middle East. It was still Rome at one time
Forbidden cult.
To use an inappropriate metaphor, this is equivalent to the witchcraft of the Han Dynasty returning to the Huns.
This also shows from another aspect that the cultural achievements of the Romans are really pitiful. They copied the Greeks before, and now they have converted to foreign religions. I don’t know what they think.
Only the more backward Germanic people would regard Rome as their spiritual idol and would often regard themselves as the heirs of the Roman Empire. For the big Han people, not to mention the Germanic people, even the Romans had not washed away the barbaric atmosphere on their bodies.
Enter the civilized world.
"Right now is a rare opportunity." Liu Xie tapped his fingers on the case. "Rome is experiencing frequent civil strife and its collapse is imminent. If the monarch and his ministers can unite as one and be determined to advance westward, they will be able to dominate the world within a hundred years and drink from the Mediterranean Sea to the west of the Green Mountains.
Accept my Chinese attire. Mr. Xun, can you lend me a helping hand and jointly create the foundation for eternity?"