PFC Chapter 412 Braid
Chapter 412 Braid
Inside the Liangyi Hall, vermilion pillars stand tall, and the caisson carvings on the roof are intricate and exquisite.
Li Chengqian was wearing a dragon robe and sitting upright on the throne carved with dragon patterns. He looked deeply ahead and was holding a meeting with cabinet members regarding the future direction of the Tang Dynasty.
Small meetings are held for big things, and big meetings are held for small things.
The cabinet has gathered here to discuss this matter, so it's no small matter.
Mr. Qi was wearing a plain robe, with a calm and peaceful expression, standing quietly by the side.
Wang Gui was wearing court robes and an official hat. His brows were furrowed and his eyes revealed deep worry.
Ma Zhou was thin, but his face showed a bit of determination. At this moment, his face was full of worry, and his hands were clasped together, as if he was thinking about how to word himself better to express his point of view.
Chen Fusheng and Zhao Fusheng stood side by side, exchanging glances from time to time, the uneasiness in their eyes clearly visible.
Di Renjie was dressed in a black official uniform, with a solemn expression and deep eyes, as if he was thinking about something, and the tablet in his hand was tightly grasped.
Wu Meiniang had a graceful figure, but also a solemn expression, with her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Standing among a group of ministers, she exuded a unique aura.
As for the topic being discussed today, except for Mr. Qi who still maintained a calm demeanor, everyone else had frowns on their faces and heavy expressions.
It’s because what Your Majesty said today was so shocking and completely beyond everyone’s imagination.
Your Majesty actually intends to restore the grand occasion of the Hundred Schools of Thought during the Spring and Autumn Period.
Looking back to the past, Emperor Wu of Han vigorously promoted "abolishing all schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone". Since then, Confucianism has been like an invisible but supreme spiritual emperor, deeply rooted in the souls of the people and becoming the spiritual ruler of the entire society.
The Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues, Heaven, Earth, Emperor, Parents and Teachers, these core Confucian concepts are like invisible chains that tightly bind people's words and deeds, and also constitute the basic rules for the long-term stable operation of the court.
Every cabinet member present knew that Confucianism was the emperor's subtle means of controlling the empire and controlling the people's hearts. Despite this understanding, they were forced to adhere to the various cumbersome rules and regulations set by Confucianism, daring not to violate them in the slightest. This was the awe-inspiring, even fear-inspiring, power of Confucianism.
But now, His Majesty wants to personally break up this "emperor" who has stood in people's spiritual world for thousands of years. In the eyes of everyone, this is undoubtedly a dangerous act of cutting off one's own arm.
At present, the territory of the Tang Dynasty is constantly expanding outward, and people of all kinds live on this vast land.
At such a critical juncture, Your Majesty's authority and influence must be like the roots of a towering tree, deeply and firmly rooted in the minds of the people. Only in this way can we ensure that the foundation of the Tang Dynasty is solid and will not fall into chaos and turmoil.
However, if we rashly start a situation of a hundred schools of thought contending with each other at this time, allowing various doctrines to flourish, contend with each other, and conflict with each other, then people's hearts will inevitably fall into confusion and chaos, various potential contradictions will be intensified, and a situation of chaos in the world will probably be inevitable.
"Your Majesty," Ma Zhou was the first to break the silence. He stepped forward, his face sincere, his eyes full of earnestness, and said, "I think that such a major matter as the reform of thought can be put aside for the time being.
Today, our Tang Dynasty has added five new regions. However, the situation in these areas is still unstable, and the forces of various parties are complicated. We have not yet been able to completely control them.
Under such circumstances, if Your Majesty is too eager to reform his thinking, I am worried that it will cause more unforeseen problems, so I think it is better to wait for the right time."
Li Chengqian listened quietly to Ma Zhou's words. He did not respond immediately, but closed his eyes slightly and fell into deep thought.
After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze slowly swept over the other people in the cabinet, and asked softly, "Do you all think so?"
Everyone looked at each other in confusion. No one answered for a moment. After a while, they looked at each other, and finally they all bowed and said in unison: "Your Majesty, we second the motion."
Mr. Qi stood aside, watching all this quietly, and never expressed any opinion.
Li Chengqian's gaze fell on Mr. Qi and he asked, "Master Qi, what do you think of this?"
Mr. Qi sighed softly, shook his head slightly, and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that this ideological reform is by no means as simple and easy as imagined. It is definitely not like cutting off a piece of meat and then it's all over."
"Confucianism has been passed down for thousands of years and has long since cast an extremely solid lock in people's minds. Your Majesty's desire to unlock this lock all at once is unsatisfactory to me."
Li Chengqian listened to Mr. Qi's words, nodded silently, and said, "Please continue, Grand Master Qi."
Mr. Qi cleared his throat and continued, "Your Majesty, this lock has been around for far too long. The keyhole has been corroded by rust and is almost gone."
"Even if there were a key that looked like it would be suitable, it would be extremely difficult to insert it into the lock, let alone twist it open."
"Your Majesty, I understand the method you're describing, but in my opinion, it's like using a key to open a lock. Even if the key is inserted, it won't turn even a little bit. It may seem unlocked, but in reality, there won't be any substantial change."
"I believe that if we want to truly remove this shackle that is deeply rooted in people's minds, there is only one way, and that is to melt it with fire."
"Only by melting it with a raging fire can we break this thousand-year-old bond."
"But this fire will inevitably bring great pain, and the whole process will be full of hardships and suffering."
"So, my opinion is both the same as and different from others. At present, I also do not agree with ideological reform, but as for the future, I believe that the gradual approach is not suitable."
"If we were to implement thorough reforms, the Tang Dynasty would inevitably be plunged into earth-shaking turmoil. Given the current situation, the Tang Dynasty simply cannot afford such a price."
"Your Majesty, the time has not come yet!"
Li Chengqian listened quietly to Mr. Qi's words for a long time without saying a word. He realized that he had indeed thought the matter too simply.
This made him think of the scenes in later generations. The braids did not just grow on people's heads, but clearly grew deeply in their hearts.
Even though the braids on people's heads were forcibly cut off, the braids in their hearts still stubbornly existed, and many people believed that the Qing Dynasty had perished.
But what they didn't know was that they were reborn in an invisible place early in the morning.