After seeing Wanyan Qingjue, Zuo Wenhuai and a group of companions left the military camp, boarded a carriage charged by the station, and entered Chengdu before the sunset.
The four Huaxia Army soldiers who passed by with him were actually all surnamed Zuo, but they were children who entered the Huaxia Army to study one after another under Zuo Duanyou's arrangement. Although there is a main family and a separate family in the Zuo clan, those who can survive the high-intensity war of the Huaxia Army to this moment are already considered to be talents who can stand on their own.
"I asked about it before I came. Uncle Clan came here this time, maybe he wanted to call us back."
"After so many years in the Huaxia Army, my family has settled down, what are you going to do when you go back?"
"You can't say that. The third grandpa taught us to come here, and he also pointed out that we could go back."
"Where to go back? Wu Dynasty? It's all rotten like that, and there's no hope."
"Wenhuai, what do you say?"
"I think... Let's listen to Uncle Quan's words before making calculations on these things."
The spacious carriage entered the city all the way, and in the peeling sunset, several children of the Zuo family who gathered also briefly discussed topics of concern. When it was getting dark, they saw Zuo Xiuquan, who had been waiting for a long time, and two brothers from the Zuo family who had arrived earlier in the garden in the guest house.
Everyone greeted Zuo Xiuquan, and then greeted each other, and then sat in the dining room arranged in the guest house. Since the Zuo family paid, the dishes were prepared more abundantly than usual, but not too extravagant. After being seated, Zuo Xiuquan asked everyone about their position in the army, details of the battles they had participated in, and then also remembered a few Zuo children who died in the war.
"... When the third uncle sent you to the Huaxia Army, there have always been various discussions in the clan. Fortunately, I am very pleased to see your expressions today. The children of that year are all grown up today, and the third uncle's spirit in the sky can be It's a consolation. Come, for your third grandfather... Let's toast him together."
After some reminiscence, speaking of Zuo Duanyou, Zuo Xiuquan, with tears in his eyes, paid tribute to the long-sighted old man with everyone.
After that, Zuo Xiuquan told everyone about the current situation of the Zuo family.
When the Wu Dynasty was still intact, the root of the Zuo family was in the Central Plains. When the Jurchen went south and the Central Plains were turbulent, the Zuo family followed the Jianshuo court to the south. During the ten years of Jianshuo Joseon Huahuajin, although the Zuo family had a lot of relations with various parties and also had a lot of connections in the court, they did not expand their economy like others, but based on their knowledge, Provide information and insightful support to all parties. In the eyes of many people, it is actually a low-key support.
Of course, on the other hand, after the Battle of Xiaocanghe, the Chinese army moved to the southwest and the Zuo family played an important role in the process of reopening business. At that time, the news of Ning Yi's death came out. The Huaxia Army had just arrived in Liangshan, and its foundation was unstable. The Zuo family acted as a broker. On the one hand, it sold a lot of arms for the Huaxia Army to the outside world. Support the recuperation of the Huaxia Army.
This kind of behavior was inevitably criticized at the beginning, but the Zuo family’s long-term support and low-key restraint some people’s words. When the Huaxia Army started business with the outside world, the Zuo family became the most important middleman between the Huaxia Army and the outside world. one. Their service is good, the fees are not high, and their integrity as a scholar is guaranteed, which makes the importance of the Zuo family in the Wu Dynasty rise steadily. There is no favoritism, but he is willing to maintain a good relationship with the Zuo family no matter what. As for the accusations against the Zuo family on the stage, it has been swept away and gone.
When the Jurchen went south for the fourth time, Xi Yin originally thought about killing the Zuo family living in Longxing (now Nanchang, Jiangxi), but the Zuo family had already prepared and left in advance, but the nearby warlords such as Yugu Sheng, Li Touhe and others later surrendered to the Jurchen. Of course, with the progress of the Battle of Changsha, several warlord forces were greatly affected, and the Zuo family re-entered Longxing.
At this time, although there were not many troops under the Zuo family, due to his long-standing neutral attitude, all parties had to give him a face. The guilty is likely to be more pro-Fuzhou little emperor Zuo Jiyun.
In this way, even under the background of the Huaxia Army defeating the Jurchen West Route Army with a great victory, the Zuojia faction alone does not need to be so servile in front of the Huaxia Army. Just because they were in extremely difficult circumstances, they were already considered to be completely equal allies with the Huaxia Army. It can even be said that in the early days of Liangshan in the southwest, they were a force with kindness to the Huaxia Army. This is Zuo Duanyou's life. Bonuses for all-or-nothing bets in the final period.
After the Jurchen broke through Jiangnan, countless people fled, and naturally some members of the Zuo family died in such chaos. Zuo Xiuquan briefly talked about all the situation, and then began to discuss with the juniors to get down to business.
"… The third uncle had a certain judgment about the Jurchen's going south. He asserted that the Jurchen going south was inevitable, and the Wu Dynasty might not be able to resist this attack, but the Jurchen wanted to overthrow the Wu Dynasty or control Jiangnan, Absolutely impossible... Of course, even if such a situation occurs, it is your third grandfather's advice to not be in charge of the army at home and not directly get involved in military affairs."
Zuo Xiuquan looked at the people around the table, and then said: "Unless the Zuo family can compare to the Huaxia Army in terms of military training, unless they can train an army like the Huaxia Army. Otherwise, no army can be used as a reliance. If you go, you can run away if you should, and the possibility of surviving may be even greater.”
"The third grandpa is wise." Zuo Wenhuai at the table nodded.
"But the next road, how will you go, you third grandfather, you can't tell." Zuo Xiuquan looked at the crowd and smiled, "This is also one of the purposes of my coming to the southwest this time."
"Do you want us to go back?"
"I discussed this with Mr. Ning, and he nodded." After Zuo Xiuquan said this, he tapped his finger on the table lightly, "Also, not back to Longxing, nor back to Zuojia—of course Going back for a walk is also a way to go—but mainly, to go back to the Wu Dynasty.”
After he said this, the room fell silent, and everyone was thinking about this. Zuo Xiuquan smiled: "Of course, I will try my best to consider your opinions."
"There is no hope for the Wu Dynasty," said the young man sitting under Zuo Wenhuai.
"In the future, it must be the Huaxia Army. We defeated the Jurchen. This is the first step. In the future, the Huaxia Army will conquer Jiangnan, the Central Plains, and the Jin Kingdom. Uncle Quan, how can we not be here? I don't want to. Walk."
"Yeah, Uncle Quan, only the Huaxia Army can save this world, why should we go to the Wu Dynasty?"
The three people in the seat expressed their positions one after another, and the others were silently pursing their lips like Zuo Wenhuai. Zuo Xiuquan smiled and listened to them: "So, you have to consider your opinions. However, for this I have my opinion on this matter, and your third grandfather also had his own opinion. If you have time today, would you like to hear it?"
Zuo Wenhuai said, "Uncle Quan, please speak bluntly."
Zuo Xiuquan nodded: "First of all, it is the new imperial court in Fuzhou. You should have heard of it. The new emperor is very bold, and he is different from the emperors in the past. There is a drastic innovation over there, which is very interesting. Maybe we can find a better way. And this new gentleman was once a disciple of Mr. Ning, if you can go there, you will definitely have a lot to say."
He said this with a smile, and many people disapproved of it, but after practicing in the Huaxia Army for so long, no one was in a hurry to express their opinions. Zuo Xiuquan glanced at everyone and nodded approvingly.
"Secondly, there are now a group of people in Fuzhou, headed by Li Pin, who are doing some kind of Neo-Confucianism. Although they have not achieved too amazing results, they were also approved by your third grandfather back then. I think he It is very likely that something will be done here. Even if it is difficult to turn the tide in the end, at least the seeds can be left behind, or it can indirectly affect the future Huaxia Army. Therefore, on their side, we need a group of people and a group of people to understand You will be more suitable for those who think of the Huaxia Army, but in fact, only you can go."
Having said that, someone finally replied with a smile: "They need it, but it's not necessarily that we have to go."
Zuo Xiuquan nodded: "Of course these two points seem trivial at first glance, but in front of what I'm about to say next, it's nothing. This is what your third grandfather wanted to ask when he was dying. Yours… "
He said, "Is Confucianism really that bad?"
This sentence was simple and direct. There was silence in the hall for a while, everyone looked at each other, and no one spoke for a while. After all, such a question really needs to be answered, it can be simple or complex, but no matter how you answer it, it seems a little superficial at this moment.
"You don't need to answer." Zuo Xiuquan tapped his finger on the table, "This is what your third grandfather left before his death, and it is also what he wants to tell everyone. Everyone knows that your third grandfather went to Xiaocang back then. He and Mr. Ning have had many debates, and at the end of the debate, no one could convince the other. As a result, Mr. Ning used the facts to speak about the war. About the matter, your third grandfather left some thoughts... "
"For Confucianism, I know what kind of attitude the Huaxia Army has, and of course I also know what you will think of it after staying in the Huaxia Army for so long. Even if it is not heinous, at least it must be said that it is out of date. But there are One thing you should pay attention to. From the very beginning, Mr. Ning's attitude was very firm. He also put forward the four peoples, put forward the examination of things, put forward the overthrow of the law of reason and so on, which is very reasonable. I have never been very aggressive.”
"... He didn't actually say that Confucianism is evil. He has always welcomed Confucian disciples' criticism of the Huaxia Army, and he has always welcomed genuine scholars to come to the southwest to discuss with everyone, and he has always admitted that there are some good things in Confucianism. . This matter, you have been in the Huaxia army, you said, is that true?"
Someone nodded: "After all, although Confucianism has many problems, it has entered a dead end... but there are indeed good things."
Zuo Xiuquan pointed his finger at him: "But, with his prestige today, it could have been said that Confucianism was heinous. Today, you think that this measure is very reasonable, that's because Mr. Ning deliberately kept it, but he is in the officialdom. , Chaotang, there is a saying that has always been there, it is called correcting the wrong must be done first. Mr. Ning did not do this. The proportion in the middle is actually intriguing. Of course, you all have the opportunity to meet Mr. Ning directly, I guess you can Ask him the reason for this directly, but it may be similar to what I said today."
Everyone looked at him, Zuo Xiuquan smiled slightly and said: "There is nothing in this world that can be accomplished overnight, and no innovation can be so thorough that no foundation is needed. The problem, it has been planted in the minds of people in this world for thousands of years. One day you say it is not good, you can throw it away?"
"It was just thinking about these things that Mr. Ning's later actions became more peaceful rather than more urgent. There are many details that can be said, but for the whole world, your third grandfather's opinion is that the best thing Most of them can’t be realized immediately, and the worst thing is of course out of date, so take the middle. The road that will work in the end, when the Huaxia Army and the New Confucianism, the more mutual confirmation and trade-offs are made, the more successful this road will be. The easier it is to walk, the fewer people die, the more good things will be left in the future.”
Zuo Xiuquan said this calmly: "This means that the road of the Huaxia Army may not be clear. The so-called innovation of new Confucianism in Fuzhou may not really turn Confucianism upside down, but the two sides can communicate. Mr. Ning welcomes Confucian disciples to come and debate. If the things of the Huaxia Army can stay in the east, the east can also do better. At that time, if the two better things can confirm each other, the future will be better. Go a little better."
"As for Confucianism. What is Confucianism? Is the Confucianism of the most holy master the same as today's Confucianism? What is the difference between the Confucianism of the sages of Confucius and the Confucianism of Mencius? In fact, Confucianism has been changing for thousands of years. From Confucianism to the Han Dynasty, it has already merged with the doctrine of Legalism, and the emphasis on internal saints and external kings is already different from the benevolence of Confucius.”
Zuo Xiuquan smiled: "The sage Confucius paid attention to educating all the people back then. He alone has three thousand disciples and seventy-two sages. Think about it, he has educated 3,000 people. If each of these 3,000 disciples goes to educate dozens more Hundreds of people, within a few generations, the world is full of sages, and the world is of great harmony. But if you go forward, this will not work. When you reach Dong Zhongshu, Confucianism is used for the body and the law. Mr. Ning said that if the people are not easy to manage, then castrate their blood. This is an expedient measure. Although it is useful for a while, the court is slowly dying from foreign aggression... Wen Huai, today's Confucianism is in the mouth of Mr. Ning. But what is Confucianism?"
He looked at Zuo Wenhuai and looked at everyone else: "Confucianism originated from the sages of Confucius, and it has changed countless times for more than two thousand years. Our learning today is not so much Confucianism as it is 'practiceable' 'Learning, once it doesn't work, it will definitely change. It looks bad today, but it's hard to overthrow it. Just like Mr. Ning said, it's a matter of reason and law. It's like this, you suddenly say no, you'll bleed..."
"Mr. Ning also knows that he will bleed." Zuo Xiuquan said, "Once he takes over the world and starts to carry out reforms, many people will bleed during the reforms, but if everyone is more prepared before this, maybe the blood will be shed. A little less. This is the truth of the new rulers of the Wu Dynasty and the new Confucianism I mentioned earlier... Maybe one day, the Huaxia army will indeed take over the world, and the Jin Guo, Wu Chao, Wu Qimei, Dai Mengwei and other clowns will disappear. At that time, the reform of the examination of things, the four peoples, and the reform of qing, rational, and law will not go smoothly. If we already have some good things in New Confucianism, we can use them. At that time, you say, then Was the Confucianism of the time still the Confucianism of today? Was the Huaxia of that time necessarily the Huaxia of today?"
The hall was quiet for a while.
Zuo Xiuquan sat there and rubbed his hands lightly: "This is the greatest hope of the third uncle to send you to the Huaxia Army. You have learned good things and send them back to the Wu Dynasty, and let them fight in the Wu Dynasty. Turn, and send back the good things that the Wu Dynasty can still use to the Huaxia Army. It may not be useful. Maybe Mr. Ning is amazing and brilliant, and solved all the problems directly, but if it doesn't, don't forget it. Stone, you can attack jade."
"The old man has paved the way for this matter. Right now, only the Zuo family is the most suitable to do it, so I can only rely on you. This is your responsibility to the world, and you should take it up."
The autumn wind passed through the hall, the candles flickered, and everyone was silent in these words.
The Zuo family is a big family, and it was originally a Confucian family that pays attention to superiors and inferiors. A group of children were sent to the Huaxia Army, and their views were insignificant. However, after several years of training in the Huaxia Army, including Zuo Wenhuai, who experienced killings, and was baptized by many Ning Yi's ideas, he actually didn't pay so much attention to the authority of the clan.
If Zuo Xiuquan gave them an order bluntly, even in the name of Zuo Duanyou, who was most respected by everyone, it would be hard to guarantee that there would be no problems, but he did not do so. Returning to the solemn command: "This is your responsibility to the people of the world, and you should take it up."
After a moment of silence, Zuo Xiuquan still tapped the table with a smile: "Of course, I'm not in such a hurry, these things, you should think more about it next. My idea is that you might as well talk to Mr. Ning. But back to This family matter is not for the rise and fall of my Zuo family. This time, there will be a big transaction between the Huaxia Army and the new ruler of the Wu Dynasty. My opinion is that I still hope that you will definitely participate in it... Well, today That's it for the business. The day after tomorrow, let's watch the military parade together as a family."
Zuo Xiuquan smiled and stood up from his seat. Later, some young people from the Zuo family got up: "I am in the team the day after tomorrow, and my uncle is watching from above."
Someone answered: "Me too."
Everyone laughed, and Zuo Xiuquan showed an old man's smile and nodded again and again:
"Okay, okay, there is something promising, something promising, come on, let's talk about the war..."
The autumn wind was slightly drunk, and the lights were flickering inside and outside the guest house. Many people came and went in and out of the vicinity, and many of the offices of the Huaxia Army were still brightly lit.
Even in the courtyard where Ning Yi works, people come and go one after another, and people still have their own jobs. In their busy work, they are waiting for the arrival of the golden autumn in August.
In the camp outside the city, Wanyan Qingjue looked at the stars in the sky and imagined her hometown thousands of miles away. At this time, most of the Jurchen troops returning from the north had returned to the territory of the Jin Kingdom. Wu Qimai died a few days ago. The news has not yet spread to the southern land and the territory of the Jin Kingdom, so there is another battle. A storm is brewing.
Zuo Wenhuai and others spent a day in Chengdu looking for friends and visiting friends. Then came August.
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