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In the first year of Jian Shuo in the Wu Dynasty, on September 17th, in Qingzhou, Northwest China, a vote that seemed bizarre and whimsical at the time unfolded in the city of Qingzhou. Search: \(?End?Book?God?Station) to read high-quality literature for free.

Regardless of what praise and groundbreaking descriptions this vote would be given in later generations, most people in the Northwest at the time were actually unclear about the situation. The entire process was roughly like this: First, the Huaxia Army held talks with the Zhong and Zhe families to discuss the voting, statistical, and notarization procedures. Each of the three parties appointed several local elders with high moral standing as a supervisory group. Then, storytellers from the Zhu Family spent about fifteen days giving lectures inside and outside Qingzhou City. Frankly, the process was tedious and boring. Villagers who roughly understood what was going on began to ask for the opinions of elders in their neighborhoods and villages.

On the 16th, small groups of Zhong and Zhe family soldiers hurried over, leading villagers from several places around Qingzhou into the city. After the number of people gathered, they were each given a slip of paper, pressed their handprint on it, and, under everyone's supervision, put it into three boxes painted with different patterns. The whole process lasted three days. The total number of votes later determined was 28,732.

Three days later, the Black Flag Army broke camp and left Qingzhou.

The whole thing happened cleanly and neatly, without any dragging. Until the end of the matter, the world was quiet and desolate, and many people did not understand what had happened.

Throughout the entire process, the Zhong and Zhe families had made a lot of preparations and backup plans, anticipating various possible situations in their minds. In the political arena, the words of big figures are never trustworthy. Ning Yi's words were impassioned, but also beautifully empty like a dream. They had never dealt with Ning Yi before, and trying to deduce from the information spread by scouts from the streets was not accurate. However, while cooperating with this "farce," the Zhong and Zhe families retained a large amount of leeway in their hearts.

Was the other party using a feint to deceive, was this "vote" masking something, was it intended to sow discord, were they going to attack us, or were they going to manipulate the voting process to make the result the same no matter how everyone voted?

If these things happened, they would not be surprised at all.

But nothing happened.

The farce ended, and the Zhong family, who had originally been managing Qingzhou, received more than half of the high votes. At this time, in order to promote the "farce," each of the three parties had transferred a thousand people to Qingzhou City. When the Black Flag Army handed over various items in the city to Zhong Lie's men and broke camp to leave, Zhong Lie was somewhat stunned.

What exactly was this conspiracy?

Killing three warriors with two peaches? Provoking conflict between himself and the Zhe family? Using an entire city to provoke?

Because there wasn't enough food for the winter? Unwilling to take on the mess? Or for the convenience of those so-called "trade routes"? Or worried about becoming enemies with himself and the Zhe family after obtaining Qingzhou—also a joke, an army that had just defeated more than 100,000 Xixia soldiers, even if they wanted to be enemies, who would dare to casually attack in a year or two...

Qingzhou changed hands, and Zhe Keqiu was completely dumbfounded, as if all the absurd things he had seen in his life were squeezed into two or three months. And when leaving, Ning Yi also invited the two families to visit Yanzhou soon, because the other party hoped that the same election could appear in Yanzhou next.

Half a month later, the atmosphere in Yanzhou became tense. To avoid Ning Yi using Qingzhou as bait to lure the Zhong and Zhe families to the scene and then wipe them out in one fell swoop, the representatives of the two families made careful arrangements when they came. At the invitation of the Black Flag Army, two Western Army teams marched into Yanzhou. This time, there were also Xixia envoys sitting at the negotiating table.

Compared to Qingzhou, the situation in Yanzhou was more complicated. In order to ensure that the interests of the Black Flag Army in the Northwest could be guaranteed no matter what happened, there were many things that everyone needed to discuss. Almost all participants watched the Black Flag Army and Ning Yi, Qin Shaoqian, and others with the eyes of someone watching a prodigal son squander a vast fortune: He might really not want to occupy land, he really wanted to give others the right to choose, he really wanted to do business... These things were very absurd, but that was what the other party was doing.

In this process, Xixia envoys such as Lin Houxuan also observed all of this with an almost moaning and desperate attitude, feeling a mix of emotions. Out of consideration for maintaining Xixia's interests, Lin Houxuan also sincerely persuaded Ning Yi once, but to no avail.

From the first time they met in Xiaocang River, there had been quite a few exchanges between the two sides. However, only at this time did he truly feel that hidden beneath the scholar's sometimes gentle and sometimes calm appearance was a madness that no one could understand.

This person is really crazy, then no one can persuade him...

**************

The west wind sweeps the ground, and the grass gradually breaks.

Yanzhou City, Mao Yishan walked out of the empty courtyard. The sun was shining in the sky, but the cold winter atmosphere was gradually approaching.

The old woman he had been taking care of had died a few days ago. In the large-scale vote a few days earlier,

the old woman was unable to get out of bed, but she had heard about it, and after understanding it a little, she asked someone to press her handprint on the slip of paper sent to her home and threw it into the box belonging to the Huaxia Army.

However, the Huaxia Army's departure was already decided.

Dongzhiyuan, the monument commemorating the Huaxia Army's great victory in this place had only been erected for a short time. It stood alone in the wilderness, facing the surrounding withered grass, autumn wind, and declining scenery, seeming to tell the story of the brief arrival of peace in this great turmoil in the Northwest.

The Huaxia Army was about to return to Xiaocang River, and Yanzhou would once again be under the jurisdiction of Zhong Lie. Unlike Qingzhou, according to the agreed-upon conditions, there would be another vote in Yanzhou in three years to determine its ownership, and this would be repeated every three years thereafter. The Zhong and Zhe families regarded Ning Yi's proposed conditions as his method of checks and balances, but ultimately did not refuse. In this world, who could say for sure what the situation would be in three years? No matter who got this place, there would be plenty of ways to go back on their word or cheat after three years.

The returning army took away more than a thousand newly recruited soldiers, and they only left a team of two hundred people in Yanzhou to supervise Xiaocang River's interests in the Northwest from being harmed. During this period of peace, various materials escorted by members of the Overlord Blade Camp from the south began to pass through the Northwest and enter the mountains of Xiaocang River one after another. It seemed like a drop in the bucket, but adding up bit by bit, it was still a considerable supplement.

At the same time, Xiaocang River also began trading with the Xixia side. The reason why it proceeded so quickly was because the first force to come to Xiaocang River and express its willingness to cooperate with the Black Flag Army was an unexpected force: it was the envoy of Tian Hu, the Tiger King of Hebei, who expressed his willingness to respond in the heartland of the Wu Dynasty and cooperate in selling Xixia's saltpeter.

The Wu Dynasty's rule north of the Yellow River and south of Yanmen Pass was no longer solid at this time. The one who took on the important task of running around in this area was the highly respected old man Zong Ze. He ran around persuading the leaders of some forces to fight for the Wu Dynasty. However, when the banner of righteousness was raised, the war was only fought in words. For things like selling contraband and amassing wealth, it was no longer a taboo for these rising grassroots forces.

The reason why Tian Hu's reaction was so fast, the answer to who was planning and presiding behind the scenes could be known without thinking. Lou Shuwan's movements were very fast. As soon as the Black Flag Army defeated the Xixia people, she immediately drafted a list of items that both sides could trade, and submitted the list to Ning Yi. After Ning Yi gave an affirmative reply, the grain and materials were already on the way.

Lou Shuwan had her own reasons for reacting so quickly. Although she was heavily used in Tian Hu's army, she was, after all, a woman and could not make any mistakes. After the Wu Rui Camp rebelled and assassinated the emperor, Qingmu Village became the target of public criticism. Tian Hu's army, which had previously had business dealings with it, severed contact. Lou Shuwan's trip to the Northwest was first to connect with the Xixia King and, incidentally, to give Ning Yi a hard time. However, the Xixia King could not be relied upon, and Ning Yi had clearly become a local tyrant in the Northwest. If she returned in disgrace, things would probably become quite embarrassing.

And when Ning Yi occupied the Northwest, the connection between her side and the surrounding areas could no longer be suppressed. Instead of letting others take advantage, she could only make the "best" choice at the time, which was to first show goodwill to Xiaocang River, so that at least in future business, she would have a head start over others.

What kind of feeling was in her heart when she made such a fast and "correct" decision was difficult to know. And when she received the news that the Huaxia Army had given up Qing and Yan, what kind of emotions were in her heart, whether it was a look of disappointment, would probably be unknown for a while.

And in this October, the saltpeter transported from Xixia and a large amount of supplies from Tiger King's side would be traded for the first time with the participation of the Huaxia Army, which was a good start in a sense.

After the Black Flag Army left, Li Pin went to Dongzhiyuan to see the built stone monument. After being silent for a long time, he laughed loudly. In the midst of the withering sky, the laughter was like crying.

"I understand, haha, I understand. Ning Liheng is so cruel..."

Tie Tianying beside him looked at him in doubt. Li Pin laughed for a long time, gradually calming down. He pointed at the stone monument and tapped it a few times.

"He is... raising Gu, he has no compassion at all! Originally, there were many people he could have saved..."

"Lord Li," Tie Tianying hesitated, "don't think about these things anymore..."

"He..." Li Pin pointed at the monument, "There is not enough food in the Northwest. He initially distributed it per capita, which could have reduced the number of deaths a lot. Returning Qingzhou and Yanzhou to Zhong Lie, Zhong Lie could not refuse, but this winter, the number of people starving to death will double! Ning Yi, he is making the Zhong family take the blame. The Zhong family's power has been damaged a lot, where will they get so much surplus grain? People will start fighting, and when they fight to the extreme, they will always think of his Huaxia Army. At that time, people who have suffered will willingly join his army."

Tie Tianying hesitated for a moment: "He didn't want these two places, he wanted a good reputation, which was originally the right thing to do. And, maybe he's considering that he doesn't have enough soldiers..."

"Should?" Li Pin laughed, "But do you know, he originally had a way. Even if he occupied Qingzhou and Yanzhou, his business with Xixia and Tian Hu was already up and running! The things he transported from the south have also arrived. At least within half a year or a year,

no one in the Northwest would really dare to provoke him. He could have let many people live, but it wasn't enough. Occupying two cities, he has food, is there really no way to recruit soldiers? He just wants these people to understand, not to be muddleheaded!"

"Captain Tie, do you know?" Li Pin paused, "In his world, there are no neutrals. Everyone has to find a place to stand, even these ordinary people who usually don't do anything, have to clearly know where they stand! Do you know what kind of world that is? He is deliberately letting go, forcing people to die! Letting them die with understanding—"

Li Pin's words echoed in the wilderness. Tie Tianying thought for a while: "However, when the world is overturned, who can stay out of it. Lord Li, forgive Tie for speaking frankly, if his world is not good, what is your world like?"

Li Pin fell silent, standing there blankly. After a long, long time, his gaze moved slightly, and he looked up: "Yes, what is my world like..."

He closed his eyes: "Some of Ning Yi's words are right, Confucianism should change... I should leave. Captain Tie..." He turned his head and looked at Tie Tianying, "But... no matter what, I always feel that the world should leave a way out for ordinary people..." This sentence was so faint, like a mosquito's hum, so mournful that it was difficult to restrain himself, like a groan, like a prayer...

Ning Yi returned to Xiaocang River at the end of October, when the temperature had suddenly dropped. Zuo Duanyou, who often debated with him, was also rarely silent. The old man could no longer understand Ning Yi's various actions in the Northwest, the decisions he made, especially those two votes that were like farces. Ordinary people saw a person's madness, but the old man could see some more things.

At the beginning of November, the temperature suddenly began to drop, and there were already some signs of the chaos outside. People only regarded these things as the Zhong family's sudden takeover of the two places and their awkwardness, but in the valley, people began to come here admiringly, hoping to join the Huaxia Army. Zuo Duanyou occasionally came to argue with Ning Yi a few words. In some of Ning Yi's lectures to young officers, the old man could actually understand some of the other party's intentions.

"...After winning one or two battles, the most frightening thing is to feel that you have survived a catastrophe and start enjoying yourself. Several thousand people in the two cities of Qingzhou and Yanzhou will soon have problems, and even if the team of several thousand people is strong, it is inevitable that someone will have ideas. If we stay in Yanzhou, people with ulterior motives only need to prepare to defeat three thousand people, and they may take the risk. Returning to Xiaocang River and leaving two hundred people outside, they dare not do anything."

"...Moreover, Qing and Yan are waiting to be rebuilt, and it will take a lot of time and resources to sort them out, plant seeds, and only start harvesting after a year or two. We can't afford to wait. And now, everything we have earned is safe in our pockets... You have to appease the emotions of everyone in the army, and don't get entangled in the gains and losses of one or two places. After the publicity in Qingzhou and Yanzhou, more and more people will come to join us soon. At that time, what place won't we have..."

However, what really troubled the old man was not these superficial things.

At the end of November, after a long period of running around and thinking, Zuo Duanyou fell ill. The children of the Zuo family also came here one after another, persuading the old man to go back. On this day in December, the old man sat in the carriage and slowly left Xiaocang River, which was already covered in snow. Ning Yi and others came to see him off. The old man dismissed the people around him and spoke to Ning Yi.

"I understand some things here." The old man said slowly with a hoarse voice, "The method of training soldiers is very good, I understand it, but it is useless."

"Hmm..." Ning Yi frowned.

"They... risk their lives, are really people fighting for themselves, the part of them that wakes up are heroes. If there are really heroes born, how can cowards have a place to stand? This method, our Zuo family can't use it..."

Ning Yi nodded slightly.

"There are also many things I can't figure out..."

"Don't think about it, go back and take care of your grandson."

"Hehe..." The old man smiled and waved his hand, "I really want to know if you have any bottom in your heart, they are heroes, but they don't really understand the reason, I have said it many times, you can use this to fight, but to govern the country with this, the things these people will do are not good, do you understand... and that day, you occasionally mentioned that you want to fight the three words 'sentiment, reason, and law'. Ning Yi, is that really what you think in your heart?"

Goose feather-like snowflakes fell, and Ning Yi looked up, silent for a moment: "I have thought about everything, sentiment, reason, and law must be fought, and I have also thought about the core of governing the country."

The old man closed his eyes, holding the quilt, leaning in the car. His body was not well, and his brain could not keep up with Ning Yi's narration, so he could only listen. Ning Yi also spoke slowly.

"The so-called outlook on life, determines where this person will go in his life, what kind of person he will become, is good, just like Confucian people, to establish the heart for heaven and earth, to establish life for the people, to continue the unique learning for the past sages, and to open peace for all generations, doing this is good. And the so-called world view: the world is isolated from the outside, the world view is in the heart of each of us, what do we think the world is like, how do we understand the laws of the world. The outlook on life and the world view are combined to form values, for example, I think the world is like this, I want to establish a heart for heaven and earth, then, what things should I do, these things are valuable for my life pursuit, and it is not valuable for others to do so. This positive and negative recognition is called values."

"And the biggest problem for people in this world is that the outlook on life and the world view often seem to be contradictory and contradictory."

"You and I spend our lives looking at this world, to understand its laws, and after understanding the laws, we know what we can do to make this world better. But many people stop at this first step, like those scholars, after they grow up, they are used to the darkness of the officialdom, and then they say, the world is like this, I also want to join the ranks. For such people, the outlook on life is wrong. And some people, with naive ideas, do not believe that the world is like this until they die, his world view is wrong. If one of the outlook on life and world view is wrong, the values will definitely be wrong, either this person doesn't want to make the world better, or he wants to make the world better, but he is an ostrich, all the choices made by these people are meaningless."

"For example, the people of Qingzhou and Yanzhou, I said to give them a choice, but that is not a choice, they don't understand anything, if fools and bad guys have one of these two items, all their choices are meaningless. When I lied to Zhong Lie and Zhe Keqiu, I said that I believe that giving everyone a choice can make the world better, it is impossible. The first step for people to truly become people is to break through the confusion of the outlook on life and the world view, the world view must be objective, and the outlook on life must be positive, we must know how the world operates, and at the same time, we must have the idea of making it better, the choices of this kind of people are useful."

"And the world is extremely complex, there are too many things that make people confused and can't understand. Just like doing business and governing a country, who doesn't want to make money, who doesn't want the country to be good, if you do something wrong, you will definitely go bankrupt, the world is cold and ruthless, and those who conform to reason win."

Ning Yi paused: "Taking the order of sentiment, reason, and law as the core is a very important thing in Confucianism, because this world has developed from a state of small countries and small people, the country is big, all kinds of small places, mountain ditches, it is more affordable to govern with sentiment than with reason and law. However, at the level of the country, with the development of this millennium, what the court has always needed is reason first. Not avoiding relatives when recommending internally, and not avoiding enemies when recommending externally, what is this, this is reason, reason is the great way of the operation of heaven and earth. Confucianism says that the ruler must be a ruler, the minister must be a minister, the father must be a father, and the son must be a son, what does that mean? If the emperor doesn't do well, the country must pay the bill, there is no fluke."

"But in these years, human sentiment has always been above reason, and there is an increasingly strict trend. When the emperor talks about human sentiment more than reason, the country will be weak, and when the ministers talk about human sentiment more than reason, the country will also be weak, but why hasn't anything happened internally? Because the requirements for human sentiment within the country are also becoming more and more strict, making the inside even weaker, in order to maintain the rule, so it is absolutely impossible to resist foreign aggression."

"Gewu will develop, Lord Zuo, you have no confidence in it, but one day, it will change what you see now tenfold and a hundredfold. Gewu is more cold and objective, it cannot tolerate a trace of human sentiment and wishful thinking, the law is the law. Imagine that a workshop can increase manpower tenfold, a hundredfold, or even a thousandfold, the people who study it talk about human sentiment all day long, he will be confused by human sentiment sooner or later, if the person in charge of this matter talks about human sentiment, then the truly useful people will not be able to come up. A thing, flying into the sky, if there is even a slight mistake, it will fall, what will happen if the person in charge cannot be strict?"

"The larger the country, the more developed it is, the more urgent the requirement for reason. Sooner or later, everyone in this world will be able to read books, they will no longer face the loess and turn their backs to the sky, they want to speak, they want to become a part of the country, what they should understand is objective reason, because—like Qingzhou and Yanzhou, one day, someone will give them the power to be human, but if they are not objective enough when dealing with things, indulge in the harmony of the village, wishful thinking, all kinds of all-or-nothing dichotomies, they should not have such power."

"Lord Zuo, you say that scholars may not understand reason, this is very true, the current Confucian students, read the books of sages all their lives, there are not a few who can understand the reason in them. I can foresee that in the future, when everyone in the world has books to read, there will not be too many people who can break through the unity of opposites between the outlook on life and the world view, limited by intelligence, limited by the way of knowledge inheritance, limited by their usual life experience. Intelligence, that is already determined when you are born, but the inheritance of knowledge can be changed, and the influence of life can also be changed."

"When this world continues to develop and the world continues to progress, I assert that one day, the biggest dross of Confucianism that people face will inevitably be the order of these three words 'sentiment, reason, and law'. A person who does not talk about reason or understand reason, who cannot see the objective operating laws of the world and indulges in all kinds of country-style harmony, his choice is meaningless, if the operating core of a country is not in reason, but in human sentiment, this country will inevitably face a large number of internal consumption problems. Our root is in Confucianism, and our biggest problem is also in Confucianism."

"Whether it is what kind of people are needed, or what kind of country is needed. That's right, I want to knock down sentiment, reason, and law, not not to talk about human sentiment, but the word reason must be first." Ning Yi tilted his head, "Old man, you asked me these things, it may not be meaningful in the short term, but if you say what will happen in the future, this is what I have seen. I may not be able to do it in my life, or maybe I can lay a foundation and plant a seed, how the future will be, you and I may not be able to see it, or maybe, I won't be able to survive the Jin people coming south."

He smiled: "In the past, when Qin Si