novelcrest Chapter 5427 Food is the Original Sin
Chapter 5427 Food is the Original Sin
Chapter 5427 Food is the Original Sin
Faced with the ministers' praise, Li Yun smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I suppose you all know that I do not possess such talent and strategy; this is all thanks to the Queen. The Queen comes from a family with a strong academic tradition and has been taught by Chancellor Fang and Grand Commandant since childhood. She has exceptional abilities in state affairs. My dear ministers, you need not worry that I am jealous. As you have said, when we are facing numerous difficulties and setbacks, we should work together as husband and wife, and as ruler and ministers, to overcome all obstacles and forge ahead!"
He smiled, took a sip of tea, and continued, "The Queen's talent is my talent. The Queen and I are husband and wife, so why should we distinguish between us? If I were to take credit for the Queen's work, I would feel guilty and unable to eat or sleep properly."
He has self-awareness.
Although he is quite intelligent, he is by no means a wise ruler; he can manage a family, but not a country.
Since he himself lacks the ability to govern a country, why would he feel jealous because his wife is exceptionally talented?
No matter what, he is the ruler of the Jiang Kingdom. His younger sister can't just kill him and then declare herself queen, can she?
Women must always depend on men.
The fact that a female protagonist would rule the court and turn the world upside down is unprecedented in history...
Moreover, given the couple's relationship, such a situation would never occur.
Cui Xianyi praised, "Your Majesty is upright and magnanimous, and I admire you greatly."
Li Yun shook his head: "There's no need for such polite words. Let's continue discussing state affairs."
After a pause, he said, "Besides agriculture and sericulture, we must also pay attention to commerce. Without agriculture, there is no stability; without commerce, there is no wealth. This has been true throughout history. However, we, the emperor and his ministers, need not worry about commerce. Once the docks are fully constructed, the 'Eastern Tang Dynasty Trading Company' will send managers to be stationed in Huajing for a long time to oversee import and export trade. They are professionals and can be completely trusted."
Everyone nodded.
When Chiang Kai-shek married Fang Xiaomei, his "dowry" was indeed very generous.
Whether it was transporting people from Hebei to settle and cultivate the land by ship, exploring the gold mines in the north, or engaging in profitable trade, Fang Jun provided unwavering support. Among the many princes who went overseas to establish their own states, the support Jiang Wang received was unparalleled, unmatched by anyone else.
This also established Fang Xiaomei's status in the Jiang Kingdom, which could not be simply explained by her identity as a "queen".
Cui Xianyi said, "Besides agriculture and commerce, there is another important matter that must be addressed by formulating regulations as soon as possible."
"What is the matter that the Chief Secretary is referring to?"
"The system for selecting officials."
Cui Xianyi said solemnly, "How to select officials not only involves national governance, but also concerns the stability of the country. This is of utmost importance."
The others nodded in agreement.
The selection system for officials is never just a matter of appointing and removing officials; it is the cornerstone of social stability.
For example, the Nine-Rank System was necessary when the foundation of the state was supported by powerful clans; otherwise, the country would be unstable. Even though the imperial examination system was established as early as the Sui Dynasty, it was merely a formality and did not play a decisive role.
Even Emperor Taizong's reform of the imperial examination system focused more on reconciliation than on truly "recruiting talents without being bound by conventions."
It was not until Changsun Wuji and Li Zhi twice coerced powerful clans into mutinies and rebellions, causing them to suffer heavy blows and significant losses, that the imperial examination system was finally fully implemented.
However, whether it is the Nine-Rank System, the Imperial Examination System, or even the more ancient Recommendation System, is its essence really just for selecting talents and appointing people based on merit?
No.
The essence of all official selection systems is nothing more than the pursuit of social stability.
The Nine-Rank System and the Recommendation System fostered and maintained powerful aristocratic families, which in turn protected their interests. These families, in turn, became the backbone of the nation, sharing both prosperity and adversity with the emperor, since the emperor himself was one of these aristocratic families.
The imperial examination system transformed into a different form, breaking the monopoly of political resources by powerful clans and providing a path for the common people to rise in society. Regardless of their background or social status, as long as they had genuine talent and learning, they could become officials. This created a situation where learning flourished and the world was full of scholars.
The path to advancement is open; if you can't get promoted or become an official, it's because you're incompetent, not because of societal problems.
When all the young people are studying diligently, burning the midnight oil and rising at dawn, pursuing the ideal of "not knowing to study hard when young, only to regret it when old age," where do they have the energy to do anything else?
When everyone immerses themselves in their studies, the world will naturally be at peace and the nation will be as solid as a rock.
Otherwise, why would Emperor Taizong have uttered the phrase, "All the heroes of the world are now within my grasp"?
Is the emphasis of this sentence on "heroes of the world"?
It means "all of them are within my grasp"!
Everyone was bound by the system, and no one dared to break the mold.
Of course, there are always exceptions. It is not uncommon for some people to become enraged and rebellious when they fail the imperial examinations repeatedly.
Li Yun then laughed and turned to Fang Xiaomei: "The Queen has already made up her mind about this matter. Why don't we talk to them about it ourselves?"
Several ministers looked at Fang Xiaomei with expectant eyes.
After all, the reform of the imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty was initiated by Fang Jun. With such an elder brother who often gave him advice and guidance, his understanding was naturally deeper than that of others.
Fang Xiaomei smiled slightly, without the slightest hesitation, and said without hesitation: "In my humble opinion, the national conditions of Jiang Kingdom are completely different from those of the Great Tang Dynasty. It is not suitable to copy the imperial examination system of the Great Tang Dynasty. Instead, we should emphasize the investigation of things rather than the study of classics, and prioritize practicality. It will not be too late to change course and return to the study of classics when the country is stable, prosperous and wealthy in the future."
After a slight pause, she explained, "As the saying goes, 'When the granaries are full, people know etiquette.' When the country was newly founded, poor and backward, and the whole nation was struggling to get enough to eat and wear, how many people could devote themselves to learning and studying the classics?"
There's another hidden yet obvious point in this statement: While scriptures can certainly elevate morality, they can't grow rice, weave cloth, build large ships, or win wars... so let's set them aside for now.
Xue Yuanchao fully agreed: "The Queen's words make a lot of sense. The Four Books and Five Classics must be promoted. Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness are the foundation of governing the country and the root of the people's stability. Expanding the people's wisdom is the ultimate pursuit. However, there are priorities in everything, and we should make choices. Everything should be based on stabilizing the foundation of the country."
The others also agreed, and were quite pleased with the Queen's political views. They thought it would be troublesome if she disregarded reality and focused on superficial projects.
Focusing on practicality and down-to-earth approach, rather than being overly ambitious and unrealistic, this queen, at the tender age of sixteen, surprisingly possessed a wise and virtuous demeanor…
Fang Xiaomei smiled and said, "I dare not accept such praise from the Prime Minister. Since it has been determined that the imperial examination of Jiang Kingdom will focus on the investigation of things, then we will build county schools and township schools, and at the same time openly recruit teachers from the Great Tang who are proficient in the investigation of things to teach the students of Jiang Kingdom. Three years later, we will hold the first imperial examination."
Xue Yuanchao said, "Excellent!"
Liu Shenli smiled and said, "Submitting a letter to the Tang Dynasty requesting permission to recruit you would take a long time and we might not even be treated with respect. After all, the Tang Dynasty is currently undergoing construction in all directions and needs all kinds of talents. How could they be willing to send their talents to us for nothing?"
Li Yun asked curiously, "Does the Imperial Physician have a brilliant plan?"
Liu Shenli said, “As a subject in charge of the military and guarding the palace, I should not interfere in matters of state. However, I have dared to offer a suggestion to help Your Majesty overcome your difficulties… Why must Your Majesty seek something far away instead of something closer to home?”
Lou Shide seemed to understand: "Does the Physician mean to ask the Grand Commandant for help?"
"Indeed! The way of investigating things has existed since ancient times. Among those with a long history and outstanding achievements, none surpasses the Mohists. However, even the Mohists now submit to the Grand Commandant, and many of their disciples teach at the academy... Therefore, when it comes to the way of investigating things, the Grand Commandant holds the reins of power. Mathematics, physics, chemistry, and other disciplines were all created by the Grand Commandant. It is no exaggeration to say that he is the 'number one person in investigating things in the world.' All the scholars in the world who are proficient in investigating things are from the Grand Commandant's school. As long as the Grand Commandant raises his arm and calls, there will naturally be a large number of people responding."
"The Imperial Physician's words are quite right! Now that the Grand Commandant is in Jiang State, why not ask him to establish Jiang State's teaching system?"
Li Yun then looked at Fang Xiaomei.
Fang Xiaomei smiled and nodded: "I will ask my brother to take charge of this matter later, and I think he will not refuse."
Li Yun clapped his hands and laughed: "People in the world all talk about self-respect and have always considered it shameful to rely on the wife's family. They often despise, scorn, attack, and slander them. But today I realize how happy and carefree it is to have a virtuous and gentle wife and a powerful wife's family!"
It sounds unpleasant to talk about being a kept man, but it tastes really good!
They were facing difficulties and were at their wits' end, but the Queen could easily solve everything by simply asking her husband's family. What was wrong with that?
The other brothers who also went to sea to take up their fiefdoms must be incredibly envious!
The ministers laughed when they found his words amusing.
Xue Yuanchao said, "It is because the King usually treats the Queen with respect and affection that the Grand Commandant is willing to lend a helping hand. Otherwise, given the Grand Commandant's character, why would he even give him a second glance? Throughout history, countless heroes have relied on the Yue family to achieve great things. The key is not whose power you borrow, but whether the power you borrow can lead to success."
Everyone says "not to judge a hero by success or failure," but how is that possible?
The truth is that "success makes one a king and failure makes one a bandit." It's not about doing bad things, but about not succeeding. Once you achieve great things, you'll have the power to speak, and you can even turn black into white.
Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Er) killed his brothers and forced his father to abdicate. By Confucian standards, he was undoubtedly a traitor who would be remembered with infamy for eternity. However, after ascending the throne, Emperor Taizong first conquered the Turks and unified the world. Then, he worked diligently day and night to govern the country and single-handedly pulled the Tang Dynasty out of the mess at the end of the Sui Dynasty. The country's strength was growing day by day, the country was stable, and all industries were thriving.
Emperor Taizong didn't even need to whitewash his past; all doubts vanished, and everyone rushed to sing his praises...
Food is the original sin; even the most benevolent and righteous morals will be disregarded by later generations.
Even if someone commits countless evil deeds, as long as they achieve great feats and sweep across the world, they are considered a wise and virtuous ruler.
Throughout history, countless historical records have only conveyed one truth: don't be afraid of bad food, just take pictures of it.