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Text Chapter 59: If you want to correct others, you must first correct yourself

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    The name Fang Shu was just a nobody in the city of Chang'an, where there were so many high-ranking officials and relatives, but his beheading still caused huge waves in the hearts of those wealthy children and princes.

    Fang Shu is unknown, but his identity is so sensitive. He is the grandson of Emperor Taizong, the nephew of Emperor Gaozong, the cousin of the emperor of the current dynasty, and a true grandson of the Phoenix.

    "But there was such a person who cut him off as soon as he was told. Even though the eldest princess of Gaoyang begged, she still couldn't get her son's life back.

    Some people say that Li Xian is too cruel. As an emperor, he would not even protect his own relatives. Of course, the people who say these things are all relatives of wealthy families without exception.

    The Tang Dynasty has been at peace for a long time, and the world is extremely wealthy. Most of the veterans who once conquered the world have passed away, and their children and grandchildren are gradually emerging. These young people have no idea how difficult it was to conquer the world and dominate the world. Since they were young, they have had good clothes and fine food, so they will inevitably have bad tempers.  Pampered.

    In the past few years, I don¡¯t know how many high-ranking disciples have committed illegal acts. Every time they commit crimes, there is a big earthquake in the officialdom. Those intricate networks of relationships, accounts of favors, and accounts of interests seem to have been suddenly exposed.  Just like that, all of them appeared in front of the public at once.

    Those children of high-ranking families, relying on their fathers and ancestors' contributions to the Tang Dynasty, went on rampage. They always felt that even if they broke the king's law, the emperor would take the merits of their fathers and ancestors into consideration.

    But with Fang Shu being executed, they finally understood what it meant that the emperor committed the same crime as the common people.  The bloody facts were right in front of them, and there was no room for them not to be surprised.

    When Li Xian returned to the palace, he still felt uneasy. After all, Fang Shu was the only heir of Princess Gaoyang, and he was beheaded like this. How could he not feel guilty in his heart, and he would inevitably have some complaints against Cui Di.

    Forced by the situation at that time, Li Xian had to promote Cui Di's official position in front of the people watching. However, it was his cousin who died. Even though he was not close to him, he was still a relative. How could he not be angry?

    When Du Rui arrived at the palace and saw that Li Xian was unhappy, he was not in a hurry to persuade him. Instead, he told Li Xian three stories first.

    First, during the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Qi lost its king, and ministers nervously began to plan to establish a new king.  Zhengqing of Qi State was very close to his son Xiaobai since he was a child, so he secretly sent someone to Ju State to summon Xiaobai back to his country to ascend the throne.  At the same time, there were also people who wanted to take the older young master Jiu back to his country to become king, and the state of Lu was also preparing to escort young master Jiu back to Qi, and sent Guan Zhong to lead his troops to intercept Xiaobai on the way home.  When the two sides met, Xiaobai was shot by Guan Zhong with an arrow and hit the copper belt hook on his body, and almost died.  In order to confuse the other party, Xiaobai pretended to be killed by an arrow, took a light car, and drove to Qidu day and night.  Young Master Jiu and the Lu army thought that Xiaobai was dead and that they were sure of victory, so they slowed down their return to Qi and did not arrive until six days later.  At this time, Xiaobai had already been elected as the king of Qi, and when he joined the army, he defeated the Lu army.  Xiaobai ascended the throne of the king of Qi. He was the famous Duke Huan of Qi in history.

    When Duke Huan of Qi became the king, he always wanted to kill Guan Zhong.  When he sent troops to attack Lu, Bao Shuya said to Duke Huan: "If you want to manage Qi well, it is enough for you to have Gao Hou and me. If you want to dominate, you must have Guan Zhong!"

    Duke Huan was magnanimous and abandoned his previous suspicions. He immediately accepted Bao Shuya's advice and sent him to personally greet Guan Zhong, treating him with courtesy and entrusting him with important responsibilities.  After getting Guan Zhong, Duke Huan was like a fish in water, even more powerful than a tiger, and found someone who could help him revitalize Qi.  With the strong support of Duke Huan, Guan Zhong carried out drastic reforms.

    In terms of politics, the system of "participating in one's own country while supporting one's disdain" has been implemented.  Let the people live in their own homes, keep their jobs, and not move into exile at will, so as to develop social production and consolidate rule.

    On the military front, the measure of ¡°sending military orders for internal affairs¡± was implemented.  The source of troops has been expanded and combat effectiveness improved.

    On the economic front, measures to increase state tax revenue were implemented.  It laid the material foundation for Qi to dominate the princes.

    Qi State soon became rich and powerful, and played a major role in the political arena of the Spring and Autumn Period when there were many princes.

    Secondly, during the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Ba could be said to have always been against Liu Bei.  Cao Cao led troops to attack Liu Bei. Everyone else followed Liu Bei south, but Liu Ba surrendered to Cao Cao north.  After the Battle of Chibi, Liu Ba was trapped in Jingzhou. Zhuge Liang wrote a letter to persuade him to surrender to Liu Bei, but Liu Ba still refused and surrendered to Liu Zhang.  Liu Bei and his generals hated Liu Ba very much.  But when the attack against Liu Zhang was about to break the city, Liu Bei issued an order: "Whoever wants to kill Liu Ba, I will kill him among the nine tribes." Because Liu Bei knew that Liu Ba was a rare talent, Liu Ba later became Liu Bei  Shangshu Ling.

    Thirdly, during the reign of Emperor Gaozu, when Wei Zheng was an official of Prince Li Jiancheng, he repeatedly urged Li Jiancheng to kill Emperor Taizong. However, after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Emperor Taizong not only did not kill him, but also gave Wei Zheng a very high official position.  , and relied heavily on Wei Zheng.  Final practiceWith the prosperity and development of the Tang Dynasty, the Zhenguan era emerged.

    Li Xian naturally knew these three stories, and was very surprised as to why Du Rui told him these things. He said in surprise: "I ordered Fang Shu to be killed, but my uncle was worried that I would resent Cui Di and punish Yu afterward."  he!"

    Du Rui smiled and said: "I know that the Holy One has resentment towards Mr. Cui, but I think that Mr. Cui enforces the law impartially and is just doing his duty. The Holy Majesty's resentment is unreasonable!"

    Hearing this, Li Xian couldn't help but feel a little depressed, and said: "Uncle, you are worrying too much. Although I resent Cui Di, I have no intention of punishing him. I also know that what he did was not wrong, but it was my expression that led to his death."  Brother, can't I even have resentment in my heart?"

    Du Rui said: "The Holy One was resentful because Cui Di killed Fang Shu, but if the Holy One did not deal with Fang Shu, then the people should also be resentful! I believe that a king should set an example for the world, be strict with others and be lenient with others.  Treating people is the right way. Now that the Holy One is angry with Cui Di because Cui Di killed Fang Shu, he is naturally a little biased! I heard that a moral person, when getting along with others, because he can strictly restrain himself  He has good words and deeds, and cares about and respects others very well. Therefore, he can also get the care and respect of others. This is what he said: "Those who love others will always be loved by others; those who respect others will always be respected by others."  , and those who like to blame others are a lack of courage and a sign of cowardice. Everyone should always have a heart that understands responsibility and reflection. Only frugality can cultivate integrity, and only forgiveness can be benevolent.  Virtue. Everyone in the world teaches their children to be strict with themselves and to be lenient towards others, but it is indeed not easy to do so. The reason is that most people often only see the dissatisfaction and beauty in the world, and they will feel dissatisfied, uncomfortable, and angry.  The angry heart appears, and they want to blame others and teach others. Therefore, even the stupidest people can see and explain clearly the rights and wrongs of others, but smart people have to reflect on their own problems and shortcomings.  It is nonsense and very difficult. Therefore, the key to moral achievement lies in "responsible for others with a heart of responsibility, and forgive others with a heart of forgiveness for yourself." Seeing other people's problems with your eyes can be used to remind yourself not to make mistakes. If  It is easy for people in the world to make progress if they can ask themselves in this way. It is often easy for a person to forgive himself, but it is very difficult to forgive others. If you can use the same heart to forgive yourself to forgive others, if everyone can do this, you can continue to improve.  Self-cultivation. To be strict with oneself means to be strict with oneself, reflect on oneself at all times, remind oneself, and respect others. Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you. When dealing with others, think twice before acting. Be lenient to others and be lenient to others.  , as long as it is not a matter of principle, don¡¯t seek perfection and blame. Even if others have shortcomings, we must tolerate them as much as possible. No one is a saint, and no one can have faults. In this case, we must learn to understand and tolerate. The Holy Master is  The king of a country and the role model for all people in the world should be like this!"

    Hearing this, Li Xian couldn't help but look sad, and said: "I understand what my uncle said, but after all, Fang Shu is Aunt Gao Yang's only heir, so he was killed by my order, and I feel uneasy!"

    Du Rui said: "The uneasiness in the Holy One's heart is just a personal matter. It is justice to execute Fang Shu and calm the hearts of the people in the world. The Holy One must know that if you want to correct others, you must first correct yourself. If the Holy One cannot uphold justice, how can he ask the people of the world to do so?"  ?¡±

    What Du Rui said was that Li Xian should lead by example, "The Analects of Confucius."  There is a saying in "Zi Lu": "If one's body is upright, he will not do what he is told; if his body is not upright, he will not do what he is told."

    For a country, the emperor is a special figure, and the emperor's behavior often sets an example for the people in the world.  The emperor must set an example, take the lead in setting an example, and take a good lead.  What the emperor asks others to do, he must first take the lead in doing it and do it well, only in this way can he have influence and appeal.

    ??In the Spring and Autumn Period of Jin State, there was a prison officer named Li Li. When he was trying a case, he obeyed his subordinate's remarks, which resulted in a man's unjust death.  After the truth came to light, Li Li was ready to die to atone for his sins.

    Duke Wen of Jin said: "Officials are high or low, and punishments vary. Besides, the main fault of this case lies with the staff below, and it is not your fault."

    Li Li said: "I usually did not tell the people below that we would be this official together, nor did I share the salary with the people below. Now I have made a mistake. If I shift the responsibility to the staff below, I will  How can it be done?"

    He refused to listen to Duke Wen of Jin's advice and died with his sword folded.

    This is to correct others first, correct yourself first, and be a good person before doing things.

    Guan Zi has a saying: "Unlawfulness means that things are impermanent; lawlessness means that orders cannot be carried out; orders that are not carried out mean that they are illegal; laws that are not carried out mean that those who revise them do not review them; review but do not carry out them means that rewards and punishments will be light; and those that do not carry out the laws and regulations mean that rewards and punishments are not believed.  , If you believe but do not do it, you will not follow it by yourself. Therefore, it is said: If the prohibition is better than the body, then the order will be carried out by the people."

    What it means is that if the decree is not implemented in accordance with the law, the country will??There are rules; if there are laws, they cannot be implemented if they are not in accordance with the decrees; if the decrees are issued but cannot be implemented, it means that the decrees are not in compliance with the law; if the decrees are not in compliance with the laws and cannot be implemented, it is because the makers of the decrees did not think carefully; the formulation of the decrees itself is not thorough.  But it still cannot be implemented, because the rewards and punishments are too light; if the rewards and punishments are increased but the decrees still cannot be implemented, it means that the rewards and punishments are not truly realized; if the rewards and punishments are fulfilled but the decrees still cannot be implemented, it is because the rulers have not taken the lead to set an example.  Therefore, bans can restrain the monarch himself, and his decrees can be implemented among the people.

    If a wise king and a wise leader can do this, he will be able to manage the things under his jurisdiction in an orderly and orderly manner.

    Throughout the history of China, those who made the country well governed always set an example to ensure the implementation of laws.

    Although Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period was known as a traitor who "held the emperor to order the princes", he was able to start from himself and lead by example, so that he had the most powerful and combat-effective army, laying the foundation for the future Wei State.  a solid foundation.

    Once, Cao Cao led his troops to fight. During the march, he saw ripe wheat in the wheat fields, so he ordered: Anyone who enters the wheat fields without permission and tramples on the crops must be killed!

    But as soon as the order was given, a group of birds suddenly jumped up from the field and flew in front of Cao Cao's horse. The horse was startled, neighed, and rushed straight into the wheat field, trampling down a large piece of mature wheat.

    Cao Cao was very heartbroken. He immediately drew his sword and was about to kill himself. The generals hurriedly hugged his arms and shouted: "Prime Minister, no!"

    So, Cao Cao looked up and sighed: "I just issued an order. If I can't abide by the laws I made, how can I use them to restrain my subordinates?"

    After saying that, he insisted on killing himself again. The generals urged Cao Cao not to kill himself.

    At this time, Cao Cao pulled his hair, cut off a lock with his sword, and held it up high: "I entered the wheat field by mistake, and I deserve to be beheaded. Just because there is no commander in the army, I will use my hair to replace my head. If it happens again."  Violators will be treated like this."

    So everyone was conscious and marched carefully, and no one trampled on the crops.

    Zhuge Liang, the famous prime minister of the Shu Kingdom, lost his street pavilion due to the misuse of Ma Su, which led to the failure of the Northern Expedition. Zhuge Liang shed tears and killed Ma Su.  After returning to the court, he commended Zhao Yun, the only one who had not lost any troops or generals, and then went to his lord Liu Chan to request that he demote himself to the third level.

    At that time, due to the weakness of Liu Chan, the later leader of the Shu Kingdom, the country's power was weakened, but Zhuge Liang was still able to set an example and "forbidden is better than the body", so that the national laws could be carried out unimpeded, so that the Shu Kingdom could always compete with Wei and Wu.

    In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang set an example by killing his son-in-law and his relatives.  Tea in the Ming Dynasty was the main material used by the country and people from the Western Regions to exchange horses.  To this end, Zhu Yuanzhang formulated the "Tea Law" and set up special agencies in tea producing areas and major passes to manage tea trade matters and strictly prohibited the sale of private tea.  However, Zhu Yuanzhang's third son-in-law, Ouyang Lun, relied on his special identity and status to act lawlessly, selling private tea, seeking windfalls, and instigating his family to plunder and buy large quantities of tea.  Local officials were very dissatisfied with his actions and wanted to report him.

    But instead of restraining himself, Ouyang Lun used his power to bully others and tortured those who wanted to report, forcing them to submit.  Zhu Yuanzhang was furious when he found out about Hou Long Yan. After finding out the situation, he immediately ordered his son-in-law Ouyang Lun to die.  At the same time, the local official issued an order to reward him.  Although Zhu Yuanzhang lost a son-in-law due to the handling of this matter, he won the hearts of the world and made the "Tea Law" more smoothly implemented.  It can be said that "when laws are established and orders are implemented, the people will use them in large numbers."

    In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, society was in chaos.  Although the "Theft Law" was promulgated, the law could not be implemented due to the stupidity and corruption of the officials.  So the monarch Zhao Kuangyin arrested Li Yao, the magistrate of Shanghe County, who was corrupt and violated the law, and beat him to death in the court in front of all civil and military officials. Then he took over a group of corrupt officials one after another, and even the general Sang Jin was also punished.  Bribery was punishable by death.  It was precisely because the rulers of the early Northern Song Dynasty punished corrupt officials so aggressively that all officials had to be cautious and did not dare to act rashly, which led to the prosperity of the early Northern Song Dynasty.

    Shi Que, a great official of the Wei Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period.  Duke Zhuang of Wei had three sons, the eldest Ji Wan, the second Ji Jin, and Sanzhouxu.  Zhouxu was the most favored by Duke Zhuang, and he developed a cruel and violent character. He committed all kinds of evil and became a great harm to Chaoge.

    At that time, Shi Que, an old minister, was an upright man and sympathized with the sufferings of the people.  He urged Duke Zhuang to discipline Zhouxu several times, but Duke Zhuang refused to listen. Zhouxu's evil deeds worsened and he enjoyed the process.

    ?????????????????????????? Shi Que was furious, whipped him fifty times and locked him in the room.  Shi Hou escaped through the window and stayed in Zhouxu's mansion instead of going home. He still followed Zhouxu to do random things every day, causing harm to the people.

    After the death of Duke Zhuang, Ji Wan succeeded to the throne and was called Duke Huan of Wei. Shi Que saw that he was weak and inactive by nature, so he retired and returned to his hometown without participating in government affairs.  At this time, Zhouxu became even more domineering.  In 719 BC, Zhouxu listened to Shi Hou's plan and harmed Duke Huan to seize the throne.  Zhou Xu and Shi Hou were in uniformIn order to establish prestige in neighboring countries, the Chinese bribed Lu, Chen, Cai, and Song to wait for the country, and conscripted young and middle-aged people to attack Zheng, which wasted people and money.  At that time, there was a folk song in Chaoge that went: "One hero dies, another hero reaches the top, singing and dancing become weapons, when will we see peace?"

    Zhouxu was very worried when he saw that the people did not support him.  Shi Hou also asked Zhou Xu to invite his father Shi Jue to come out and take charge of the state affairs.  Zhouxu sent a minister to invite him with a pair of white walls and five hundred bells of white millet.  Shi Que refused to accept the gift, saying that he was seriously ill, so Shi Hou went home to invite him in person.

    Shi Que has long wanted to get rid of the root of the disaster and eliminate harm for the country and the people.  He took advantage of Shi Hou to invite him to participate in politics, and pretended to offer advice, saying that if the new master came to the throne, he would be able to meet the King of Zhou and get a title from the King of Zhou, so that the countrymen would be willing to obey.  Now the king of Chen is loyal and obedient to the king of Zhou, and the king of Zhou appreciates him very much. You should go to Chen with the new lord and ask Chen Huan Gong to intercede with the king of Zhou, and the king of Zhou will meet with him.  Shi Hou was very happy, so he went to Chen with generous gifts and asked Chen to be accommodating to the king of Zhou.

    Seeing this, Shi Que cut his finger, wrote a letter in blood, and sent someone to send it to Chen State in advance.  The blood letter wrote: "We defend the people and make life difficult. It is certainly Zhouxu's fault, but my traitorous son Shi Hou helped Zhou to commit cruelty, and the crime is serious. If the two rebels are not punished, the people will have a hard time. I am old and frail, and I am unable to do what I want. Now the two thieves have driven there.  Your country, this is my plan. I hope your country will execute the two thieves. This will be a great blessing for our country!"

    Zizhen, a senior official in the Chen State, had a close relationship with Shi Que. He saw a blood letter and reported it to Duke Huan of Chen. Duke Huan ordered Zhouxu and Shi Hou to be captured. Just as they were about to behead them, the officials reported: "Shi Hou is Shi Que's biological son, so he should act with caution.  Please Weiguo himself to investigate."

    When Shi Que learned that the two thieves had been captured, he hurriedly sent someone to Xing State to pick up Ji Jin and take his place. He also invited ministers to discuss matters.  All the ministers said: "The leader of the state should be killed, but Shi Hou's accomplice can be spared."

    Shi Que said sternly: "The crime in Zhouxu was all caused by my unworthy son. If I give him a lighter sentence, does it mean that I am favoring personal interests and abandoning my righteousness?"

    In silence, Shi Que's retainer Yang Jian said: "The elders of the country do not need to be angry. I will go to Chen to handle this matter."

    Yang Jian went to Chen to kill Shi Hou. Shi Hou said: "I deserve to be killed. Please take me back to Weiguo and die after seeing my father."

    Yang Jian said: "I was ordered by your father to punish the rebellious son. If you want to see your father, I will take your head back to see you!" Then he was executed.

    The historian Zuo Qiu Ming recorded Shi Que's act of killing relatives for the sake of the country, and it has been praised by the people to this day.  Shi Que's behavior was praised by later generations, and later people called this behavior "extermination of relatives for righteousness".

    What he said is that we must set an example. If we don¡¯t want the upper beam to be out of alignment and the lower beam to be crooked, we must ¡°rectify others first.¡±  Mencius once said: "There is a great man who rectifies himself and everything." People must be self-disciplined and rectify themselves first by rectifying others.

    Hearing this, Li Xian thought that he was still resenting Cui Di for killing Fang Shu, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed and said: "If it weren't for what my uncle said, I would have almost done something stupid!"

    Du Rui nodded and said with a smile: "Your Majesty can understand this, and I am very pleased. Your Majesty is heartbroken that the eldest princess of Gaoyang is lonely and helpless. This is the law of nature and human relations. However, the people's will cannot be violated. Kill Fang Shu and win the world."  In the hearts of all people, this sincerity is a great good!"

    Li Xian straightened his body and cupped his hands and said, "I have learned what my uncle said!"

    After Li Xian was released, Du Rui returned home. Princess Ankang also looked sad. Du Rui knew that she was also sad for Princess Gaoyang.

    "What's the matter? Shu'er also thinks I was wrong in forcing the Holy One to kill Fang Shu!"

    Princess Ankang sobbed: "The fault of the house is your own fault, but it's a pity for Gao Yang. She is still young and has only this son. How will she live in the future!"

    When Du Rui heard this, he was also indifferent. When Princess Gaoyang left that day, the look in her eyes full of hatred still lingers in his heart to this day.

    More than ten years ago, Princess Gaoyang sent away her lover Bian Ji there, and now she has lost her beloved son. For a woman, it is indeed a bit cruel.

    Princess Ankang said again: "Rui Lang! Even if Fang Shu killed someone, does he have to die?"

    Does Fang Shu have to die?

    If he were called an ordinary person, maybe Du Rui would plead for him, but who would let Fang Shu be a relative of the emperor? Although Fang Shu did whatever he wanted, he didn't do anything bad, and he didn't kill anyone.  It is done out of loyalty.

    But Fang Shu's identity is too sensitive. He is the grandson of Emperor Taizong and the nephew of Emperor Gaozong. He is now the emperor's cousin. He has committed a life lawsuit. The eyes of the world are staring at Li Xian to see what he will do.  We will not abandon public service for personal reasons.

    Fang Shu is not guilty of death, but he has a way to die.

    "If Fang Shu is killed, Li Xian will be praised by everyone in the world as a wise king. For the sake of justice and law, he will kill his relatives for the sake of justice. If he doesn't kill Fang Shu, it will be a disaster of alienation."

    Even if the Holy One can show favoritism, how can the Emperor ask others? If all the officials and subjects in the world followed suit, wouldn't it mean that the world would be in chaos?

    "Shu'er! Don't mention this matter again in the future."?, the children at home, you should also give more advice. You must know that the greater the power, the more we have to bear. If they make the same mistake, even if I can't bear it, I won't be able to protect them!  "
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