The first poisonous scholar in Daxia, starting from the abdication of the prime minister

Chapter 314: I am the Prime Minister, how come I got the script of a troll?

Ga?

Emperor Xia's face turned dark. This damn familiar scene happened again!

Whenever he praised Gu Jingzhi, there would always be someone jumping out to object. This was almost becoming a routine. Although he did not like this kind of targeting, as the emperor, he could not even prevent the people from speaking ill of him, let alone the ministers?

However, Gu Jingzhi had already thought of this situation. Merchants had a low status, and his actions in Ningzhou might only be attacked with this excuse.

However, Gu Jingzhi had no intention of arguing with him.

He simply said, "When I govern the local area, my first consideration is whether my people can have enough food to eat, wear warm clothes, and have money to treat their illnesses..."

"Whether it's agricultural policy or commerce, as long as it can benefit the people of Great Xia, how can it be considered lowly?"

"Merchants are obsessed with profit, not understanding etiquette and morality, and have failed the sages. This is..."

"So, this lord believes that merchants should not exist in this world?"

"exactly!"

"If that's the case, why doesn't this sir directly write to His Majesty and advise him to kill all the merchants in the world with the teachings of sages?"

What?

As soon as Gu Jingzhi uttered those murderous words, all the civil and military officials in the court were dumbfounded. Even Emperor Xia looked stunned, as if he had not expected Gu Jingzhi to say such a thing!

The official who spoke pointed at Gu Jingzhi, his lips trembling!

"You, you, you... you've been reading the books of the sages for so long. Don't you know that Heaven is merciful? All I want is to educate them, to make them abandon evil and turn to good. You..."

"What do you mean by 'I'? Why do you want to turn from darkness to light?"

Gu Jingzhi said disdainfully, "Haven't you heard that existence is justified? It's true that merchants value profit, but do they deserve to die?"

"You only see the merchants' pursuit of profit, but have you ever seen their benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness? Merchants are just one of many professions, but ultimately, the root of everything is people."

"Some people are born bad. Even if they read the books of sages and become officials, they will still be corrupt, incompetent... or even full of evil!"

"Some people are naturally inquisitive. Even if they work in what you would call a menial profession, they can still be concerned about the country and sympathetic to the people!"

"This is a human error, not a professional one!"

"As the saying goes, even though I am in a low position, I dare not forget my country. How do you know that all merchants in the world are bad people?"

Gu Jingzhi's barrage of criticism left the man speechless. After all, he had no way of quibbling, right? Gu Jingzhi had even used those corrupt officials as negative examples. Weren't these people well-read in the classics?

All the officials in the court stood quietly on both sides, watching Gu Jingzhi and others quarreling, like a spectator watching the show.

After the man retreated, Song Pu thought for a moment and said, "Gu Hou's words are indeed reasonable, but the people you are talking about are only a minority. Similarly, in this world, those who read the books of sages and become officials... and then commit evil are also a minority!"

"As officials governing the country, we naturally follow the majority rather than the minority. Only in this way can the world be peaceful!"

With just one sentence, the man immediately became energized!

After all, officials who do evil are only a minority, and businessmen who value righteousness are also only a minority. Most people only care about profit. Although the way of governing a country cannot get rid of the evil of a small number of people, it must take the good of the majority. How else can you defend yourself?

"Prime Minister Song's words do make some sense, but I always feel that the truth is only in the hands of a few people!"

Gu Jingzhi said, "The sages' books educate the people, but the sages' words have been passed down for thousands of years. In our Great Xia, these sages' words are still in the hands of a small number of people. I would like to ask Prime Minister Song, where does the education come from?"

"This……"

Song Pu's face changed.

When it comes to this matter, he has experience. The purpose of aristocratic families monopolizing knowledge is to ensure the prosperity of the family for hundreds or thousands of years. Naturally, it is impossible for them to make the knowledge public.

The so-called education is just talk!

Seeing him like that, Gu Jingzhi immediately chuckled and said, "The words of the sages don't reach the ears of the common people. On the contrary, debts must be paid, murder must be punished, and evildoers should be punished... like this law, although the common people may not know its full outline, they do know the simple legal principles!"

"Using laws to regulate the people, they can at least ensure that they are passed down from generation to generation. This can both put a yoke on the hearts of evildoers and protect the rights of the people!"

"The sages' books enlighten the people, while the law regulates their behavior. So...isn't the existence of the law more effective and faster than the teachings of the sages?"

"If merchants are obsessed with profit and commit crimes, wouldn't it be more effective to discipline them with laws than to educate them?"

Gu Jingzhi's words were like thunder.

The whole court was filled with people who read the books of sages. In their view, Gu Jingzhi's words were to overturn the books of sages. Not only Song Pu, but everyone else also frowned.

Even Wei Xuan had a slightly different look on his face.

What about some radical people?

Many people jumped out, pointing at Gu Jingzhi and cursing, "You're talking nonsense! The sage's unique skills are used to educate the people, how can you question them? You..."

For a moment, many people in the court pointed at Gu Jingzhi and cursed him, as if they wanted to eat him alive.

Song Pu and the others looked at it and curled up a barely perceptible smile. He never expected that the eloquent Gu Jingzhi would actually dig such a big hole for himself today!

With these mouthpieces, he didn't have to take any action at all. He just had to wait for Gu Jingzhi to confess his guilt.

Emperor Xia sat on top, feeling somewhat helpless.

Who doesn't understand these things? Yet, you're making things awkward for yourself by saying them in public.

However, Gu Jingzhi cannot give up now, after all, he still has to rely on Gu Jingzhi to do things!

So, Emperor Xia prepared to speak.

However, Gu Jingzhi remained calm.

"Everyone..."

Gu Jingzhi only heard a loud voice saying: "You say that I deny the words of the sages, but which ear of yours heard me deny it?"

Ga?

Everyone was stunned.

this problem……

It seems that Gu Jingzhi did not directly say that the teachings of sages are useless!

An old man didn't care. He said, "You advocate legal studies and say that legal studies are superior to the sages' wisdom. Isn't that a denial?"

"Ah!"

Gu Jingzhi sneered, "If that's the case, then what's the point of the court's laws? Sages teach people about virtue, and the law is the bottom line of morality!"

"The people have no access to the teachings of the saints, so we use laws to regulate them!"

"I just want to tell you that merchants value profit, and there are laws and regulations to constrain it. Why should you treat it with contempt?"

"What's more, merchants have made contributions to the country. If it weren't for merchants, what would the people of this world eat and wear?"

"Farmers can support themselves with their land. We, who ascend to the throne, have salaries to support ourselves. But those in the city who don't work in the fields, who do they rely on for food and clothing?"

"Whose clothes are you wearing?"

"You enjoy the conveniences you enjoy, yet you look down on the people who bring you these benefits. Is this what the sages' books teach you?"

"Everything exists for a reason. You look down on merchants, but do you know how much tax revenue Ningzhou has brought to the court and how much benefit it has brought to the people by promoting the way of merchants?"

“How many people have been employed? How many families have been supported?”

"You've only read a few more books, and you're already speaking arrogantly and disparagingly in front of the Emperor, beneath his throne. I think you've been soaring high and mighty for too long...you've forgotten your roots!"

"I, Gu Jingzhi, am ashamed to be associated with someone who doesn't even understand the principle of remembering his source when drinking water!"

Gu Jingzhi was very depressed. He was a prime minister, so why did he end up being a troll?

Pooh!

Disgraceful to gentlemen!