Chapter 97: The Current Situation (Part 3)

"If we let go, bang, the Wu Dynasty, this country... it'll all be gone."

In the room, Ning Yi made a hand gesture imitating an explosion. Li Pin furrowed his brows. "How could that be?"

Ning Yi was silent for a moment. "Li brother, have you ever thought about why Confucianism, over thousands of years, keeps repeating that merchants pursue profit?"

"The sages advocate for virtue and oppose selfish, profit-seeking behavior. Isn't that only natural?"

"Part of it is indeed true." Ning Yi nodded. "But the other part lies in the fact that the merchant's way is not conducive to governance. Three words: difficult to control. A person's life—if you're in a mountain village farming, it's simple enough, following the ways of your ancestors. You marry, have children, and when you die, you're buried in the mountain. But one day, you enter the county town, and you see all the colorful things. Then one day, you enter the provincial capital and see even more things that take you by surprise. It's like seeing a piece of clothing you want, and you go figure out how to get it... Greed..."

Ning Yi smiled. "Of course, in most cases, you'll earn the money to buy the clothes honestly by working hard. But once you have desire, if there's an opportunity, you'll find a way to take it. Li brother, who do you think is easier to control? A farmer who spends his whole life with his back to the earth, working honestly, or a person who already has desires? Among our country's tens of millions of citizens, Li brother, how many do you think the legal system can really control? How many of them are living honestly like that? If business continues to grow, how much more desire will emerge?"

"This is actually a very interesting system. Since the Hundred Schools of Thought, there's been a debate between rule of law and rule by virtue. The rule of law should theoretically take precedence, but if you look back through history—Qin, Han, the Three Kingdoms, the Two Jin Dynasties, the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Sui, Tang… and so on, you'll notice one thing: How many people did the law actually control back then? Heh... Actually, most relied on self-discipline. The people were simple, and in small villages, as long as there was a set of local rules, that was enough. But if you took present-day Jiangning and placed it in the Qin Dynasty, Li brother, do you think the laws and methods of that time could keep this place peaceful for long? Maybe the Qin Dynasty was harsh, but Jiangning… there are too many clever people here, too many loopholes to exploit…"

"Confucianism is a great thing. Over thousands of years, Li brother, the benefits of merchants were not discovered only by the Wu Dynasty. If merchants were liberated, the flood of profits would certainly not be something that's only been recognized today. The example of Tao Zhugong is there for all to see. But why, for thousands of years, has the world suppressed merchants? The deeper reason is that they saw the consequences. The rule of law just couldn't keep up."

"Our dynasty is the same. Ideology." Ning Yi tapped his forehead. "The more desire the people have, the harder it is to predict their actions. The more susceptible they are to temptation, the more they seek profit. If there's an opportunity, they'll take it. Our country doesn't suppress merchants, and it has its benefits. But civil officials are greedy for money, military officials are afraid of death, the people are poor and weak, and officials are just getting by. Who knows, maybe it's some of the sweet benefits that caused this outcome? Actually… at least it's partly responsible."

Li Pin stared, stunned, and for a while, didn't even think about asking what "ideology" meant. The parts he understood were enough to shock him. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Does this mean, according to you, that the merchant's pursuit of profit is the main reason the Wu Dynasty is weak?"

"No." Ning Yi took a sip of tea. "That's definitely not it. It's a kind of development. Our country has the foundation now, and as merchants develop, the legal system develops alongside them. It's a mutually reinforcing process. The problem is that many things haven't kept pace, and that's the real problem. It's too complicated... To solve the current issues of the Wu Dynasty, if we keep focusing on merchants and currency, hoping the state can intervene in the economy and double or triple the state income, thinking that will make the country rich and strong and solve all our problems... That's impossible. We can't just keep focusing on business because we're benefiting from it. If we do, the whole balance will only become more distorted. It's too unnatural, and something will inevitably go wrong…"

Ning Yi shook his head, and Li Pin thought for a long time. "So, what do you think is the key to solving this?"

"If we're talking about real action, I don't know. But if we're joking and being irresponsible... Heh." Ning Yi smiled. "Why not start with Confucianism?"

"Confucianism... Are you referring to the current surplus of bureaucrats?" Li Pin thought for a moment and then laughed. "I've often discussed with people that the root cause of our country's problems might be that there are too many scholars and officials. It's a huge problem, but... if we want to solve this, it might be even harder than solving the issues with business..."

"If I said... it's not that there are too many, but that there are too few?"

"Huh?"

Li Pin blinked, confused. Ning Yi turned and gestured towards the classroom.

"Li brother, do you think what these students learn could actually help them do anything in the future?"

"From your teaching methods, not only will they gain knowledge, but they'll also learn how to observe things and make decisions. A few of them will definitely be able to become capable officials."

Li Pin said this seriously, and Ning Yi couldn't help but laugh, sipping tea and clapping his hands. Li Pin was puzzled. "What do you think they can do?"

"Among them, Su Wenyi could probably become a small official. His grades are poor, but his personality is the most outgoing, and he's good at socializing. The others... I actually teach them more as if they were shopkeepers or clerks. Of course, if they've studied and have the chance to become officials, they can try it. After all, being an official has great benefits..."

Ning Yi counted off on his fingers: "A salary, rice and salary money, official funds, spring and winter clothes, personal attendants' clothing and food, tea and wine, kitchen supplies, firewood, livestock feed... In these times, once you become an official, your clothing, food, housing, and travel expenses, along with the expenses of your family and staff, are all covered by the state. The state will even grant you good farmland. The work is light, punishment doesn't apply to scholars, and you're not penalized for speech. If you don't make any major mistakes for three years, you'll be promoted. Who doesn't want to become an official?"

Li Pin was silent for a long time. "You're saying that these students can only become shopkeepers?"

"It's not that they can only become, but rather that they're suited to become. Most of their personalities are dull and honest, making it difficult for them to hold office. The way of governance, the most important things are to judge the time and situation and interact with people. If they also have ability and ambition, they can become capable and good officials. Virtue, knowledge, and the ability to handle situations—if they possess the ability, ambition, and a sense of judgment, they can be good officials. But most of them are not capable of this. These things are not simple."

Ning Yi shook his head: "Wealthy citizens, strong soldiers, and then we need to recruit scholars. The way to recruit scholars can actually be solved by specializing—why can't we open specialized schools? Anyone with a skill need not hold onto it too tightly. We could arrange for people to learn carpentry, learn metallurgy, learn cooking, learn management—basically, become shopkeepers. The most important thing is that we can arrange for people to study military strategy, study water conservation, and study mining…"

Li Pin obviously disagreed and was confused: "If people have the money to study, who would want to learn these things?"

"This is the problem," Ning Yi said. "Being an official is such a good thing. Anyone who has the chance to study aims to become an official. In books, there are thousands of bushels of rice, and in books, there are golden houses. But why are there so many redundant officials now? In ancient times, only a small number of people had the opportunity to study, and not many were literate. For knowledge to be passed down, the country needed these people to govern. It was hard to find a scholar, so they were treasured. They were too busy: for the hearts of the heavens, to establish the fate of the people, to continue the legacy of the sages, to open the path for future generations—such a busy life…"

"But now?" Ning Yi continued. "Thousands of years later, the world is evolving… Take the current situation, there are many things waiting to be done. There's one that's most important, and we first focus on that. So we keep advocating for it. But now, De Xin, there are already too many people doing it. I'm not talking about Confucianism, but about being an official. Why can't we assign some to do other things? If they have studied, they will think. Now, with the flood issues reaching such extreme levels, if there were professionals studying water conservation and organizing a set of theories for future generations to continue, wouldn't we have fewer flood problems every year?"

"Specialized people for specialized jobs would greatly improve efficiency, avoiding many detours. For example, in the past, when weaving, the mother would teach her daughter. Those farmers at home would use a machine to weave slowly, with varying speed and quality. Now, every fabric shop has a workshop that hires women workers. Someone teaches them how to use the machine, showing them the techniques to work faster. Moreover, someone is even considering how to improve the looms. One person can do the work of several people, with uniform quality and efficiency multiplied several times. If we could increase efficiency like this in all areas, what would the Wu dynasty look like today? Wouldn't it be easy to have a strong army?"

"Of course, this is just a joke. The difficulties are beyond imagination. You say there are too many scholars, I say there are too few people who can study. If we truly had specialized people, it would be extremely rare. As you said, people with the ability to study won't learn these business or craft skills. Confucianism wouldn't allow such a move, as it would lower its status. But since we're already saturated, and the number of scholars is high, if the Wu dynasty truly wants to take a step forward, it might have to consider starting here—gradually building public opinion, first raising urgent issues like military strategy and water conservation, resisting external pressures, and ensuring the people's livelihood. When people aren't suffering so much, and when more people have access to education, then we can consider specialization. This is unlike those rigid strategies to strengthen the military, where once their position is secured, capable people will naturally take over. Right now, other fields lack that kind of status, so everyone can only study…"

The room was quiet, and Li Pin lowered his head, deep in thought. Outside the room, the siblings squatted, resting their chins and looking troubled. Ning Yi took the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Confucianism is a great system. In addition to self-cultivation, it is also about governing people and balancing relationships. With hundreds of thousands of students, so many officials, and, on an invisible level, millions of citizens, it is all balanced and controlled by Confucianism. Especially in our dynasty, with redundant officials already greatly exceeding the required number, the impact of Buddhist, Taoist, and other doctrines, it's only after a slight shift in Confucianism that the rules of this game have been created. Not only does it balance the interests between these many officials, but it continues to expand, attracting countless students who rush toward it. After ten years of hardship, they become famous, known throughout the world. It's almost a perfect balance…"

He took a deep breath of tea, savoring the fragrance: "I admire this kind of scholarship. Regardless of its merits or faults, it's a way of recording how certain people lived in a certain place, which can be called art. Confucianism is absolutely one of the most magnificent and intricate arts in history. Such a vast land, so many people, all unified under one set of rules in such an extreme yet harmonious way. Thousands of years of wisdom, awe-inspiring…"

He raised his cup and clinked it lightly with Li Pin's: "It's a fitting occasion; let us taste it together."

The fragrance of the tea had already faded, but Li Pin was still deep in thought. He stood up, stepped back two paces, and deeply bowed. Ning Yi had no choice but to stand up in return.

"What you said, Li Heng, I have not yet fully understood. However, based on what I have understood, you are far ahead of me in this matter. I must pay my respects to you."

"It's just a joke." Ning Yi returned the bow and then smiled: "If it weren't for the fact that our dynasty doesn't punish speech with crime, and you and I are of no significant consequence at the moment, I wouldn't dare to talk to you about this… It's just idle conversation…"