Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 101 Whip (Part )
night,

He Bo specifically appeared in Wei Yang's dream, asking him how he felt about being chased and beaten during the day.

He still used Tu Bo's facial features to greet Wei Yang, "Hello, do you remember me?"

Wei Yang said, "I remember you! Where is this place?"

He Bo proudly introduced himself, "I am Tu Bo, who is in charge of the afterlife. This is your dream!"

"What about those people before?"

"They are all dead ghosts!"

Wei Yang was startled, but soon calmed down.

He thought:
Anyway, I am not dead, so why should I be afraid of Tu Bo?

As for having a debate with a ghost?
"If you are really a ghost, could you introduce me to Mr. Li Kui and Mr. Wu Qi?"

Wei Yang became excited.

He Bo shook his head and said, "No."

When Li Kui died, He Bo was still floating in the Zhang River. How could he possibly fish out his ghost?
Not to mention that Wu Qi died south of the Yellow River.

And he came to see Wei Yang for important business!

He Bo recounted the scene he had witnessed today and asked Wei Yang what he thought.

“…There are too many of them!”

Wei Yang was laughed at by the ghosts and gods, feeling ashamed and angry. In the end, he could only say this: "If I had let those people split up and live separately, I wouldn't be chased today!"

"Ah?" He Bo was stunned.

Wei Yang continued, "The reason why they followed the old farmer's advice and came to beat me today is because they are from the same family, and the old farmer is the head of the family."

"As a younger generation, we must obey the words of our elders."

"If their family is split into smaller ones, how many people in charge can be called to come?"

"I brought quite a few servants with me today, but they are not as many as their family members!"

Wei Yang thought that once this decree was implemented, he would definitely not be chased if he encountered something similar to today again!
then,

He felt sorry again!

Because following the line of thought just now,

He felt that he could take advantage of the opportunity to split up the population, increase the number of households, and increase the country's tax revenue.

In today's world, taxation is levied on a household basis.

A household, regardless of the number of people in it, only has to pay one tax.

Therefore, if we divide the big families into small ones, there will be more households and more tax revenue.

Moreover, because the small family is small and weak, it will be easier to govern.

But he does not have power now and has not received the approval of any monarch, so he cannot do this.

Seeing his unconvinced look, He Bo patted his forehead and said with emotion, "You are really a stubborn person!"

But think about it carefully,

In history, people who actively requested reforms,
Most of them have stubborn personalities.

You have to be stubborn to point out the collapse of the original world and then fight against the old carnivores.

As a member of the royal family of Wei,
Isn't there a way to make yourself rich and prosperous for the rest of your life?
However, due to his personality, he was unable to learn from Wei Gongxun's approach and rely on the big country. No matter what happened to the country, he only wanted to preserve his own ancestral temple and wealth.

He has his own dreams.

It’s just that the means were harsh, and in the end I had to bear the bitter consequences.

Wei Yang also said, "The world has become like this. I am seeking my own path and hope to change this chaotic world. Isn't that right?"

"Aren't you afraid of hard work?" He Bo asked him.

"I'm not afraid!"

Wei Yang raised his head with a confident and determined look.

then,

He Bo waved to him and said, "Okay, come and farm with me!"

"what?"

This time, it was Wei Yang who was stunned.

He blinked, and the scene around him quickly changed into an uncultivated wilderness.

He Bo changed into farmer's clothes, swung his hoe and started digging the ground.

"You are a ghost, why do you want to farm yourself?"

Wei Yang was very puzzled.

If ghosts and gods were placed in the human world, they should enjoy the same honorable treatment as monarchs and emperors, and become the superiors who make laws and guide everything.

Why farm your own land?

He Bo asked in return, "Why can't I farm on my own?"

"You can let other people... those damned guys do the planting!" Wei Yang said.

"Yes, now I'm asking you to help me plant it, right?"

He Bo grinned, pulled Wei Yang over and handed him the hoe.

He also asked Wei Yang, "Are ghosts and gods nobler than mortals?"

Wei Yang nodded.

"Do ghosts and gods know more about the human world than mortals?"

Wei Yang nodded again.

"If that's the case, is there any problem with what ghosts and gods do?" Wei Yang shook his head this time.

"Then I'll let you go farm now!" He Bo waved his hand, and a whip appeared and he held it in his hand.

"hurry up!"

……

Some days later,
He Bo came to harass Wei Yang in his dreams every day, dragging him to enjoy the life of a commoner.

He said nothing.

It was only when Wei Yang could no longer bear to say something, or was unwilling to obey,
Give him a whip.

So Wei Yang was in so much pain that he shed tears, but he had no choice but to continue doing it.

And the time in the dream,

Time always goes by quickly.

After Wei Yang had worked hard to harvest the grain, he was immediately asked to pay taxes.

After paying the tax,

He was dragged off to fight again.

The battle was finally over.

He was asked to get married and have children.

Because the ghosts and gods rarely say: He alone is not enough, more cattle and horses are needed.

……

"Are you happy?"

Another dream ended.
He Bo did not bother Wei Yang anymore. He just took him to sit on the edge of the field, looked at the green seedlings in front of them, and then asked Wei Yang.

Wei Yang remained silent.

He Bo said, "Why don't you smile?"

"I have clearly planned your life for you, allowing you to achieve merit on the battlefield and have a good harvest in the fields... Have I not been good to you?"

"So, it must be that you are born not to like to laugh!"

Wei Yang snorted and turned his head away, refusing to look at him.

He Bo stopped teasing and simply produced two bowls of tempting food and handed one to Wei Yang.

Wei Yang couldn't resist the temptation from ghosts and gods, and picked up the bowl.

When he finished eating, his mouth returned to normal and he was able to speak again.

“…This is not what I originally thought.”

He expressed his feelings in a dry voice.

He Bo said, "What's the difference?"

"Am I, as a ghost, not wise enough?"

"Or was my whipping of you not strong enough?"

"...I don't know." Wei Yang lowered his head and didn't want to talk.

He had some realization in his heart.
But I can’t describe it in detail.

So He Bo said, "You said before that wise rulers and ministers only need to implement decrees and whip the world."

"I once asked you, how can you ensure that your policies are correct? Besides, monarchs and social conditions can change."

"Wei Wenhou founded the State of Wei. Wasn't the country strong? But when he was old, he could not help but trust his close and flattering ministers."

“This is something that happened not too long ago.”

"If we look at the past, there are Duke Huan and Duke Jing of Qi. They trusted Guan Zhong and Yan Ying. Aren't they considered wise rulers and ministers?"

"But Duke Huan of Qi starved to death in the palace. Duke Jing of Qi realized that the Jiang and Qi states would be cut off, but he could not stop it, so he could only let the Tian family prosper."

Wei Yang said, "This is because they are not firm in their consciousness!"

"But how many people in the world have a firm consciousness?" He Bo said with a smile, "You claim that saints are rare, so why do you think that wise rulers have always existed?"

Wei Yang pursed his lips and said, "There are so many princes in the world. Can't I meet the wise ruler in my mind?"

"But a monarch who was wise in his youth may not necessarily continue to be wise in his old age!"

"And how will their descendants evaluate them?"

He Bo thought of Wei Hou Ji.

This man has been summoned by ghosts and gods for many years.

Then he said to Wei Yang, "You want to use wise rulers to unite the country, so that everyone can perform their duties and maximize their effectiveness. This idea is not a problem."

“But meritocracy, like morality, is fluid.”

"You refute Ximen Bao's reliance on morality to make the common people work hard, but you hope that there will be eternal wise men in the world to govern the country and use strong laws to make everything permanent. Is this possible?"

"Also, the decree is beneficial to the country, but there are too many people in the country. Who in the country benefits? Where does this benefit come from?"

"I let you experience the lives of the common people on both sides of the Zhang River, just to let you guess whether the country is the beneficiary."

"Are you talking about a country that is ruled by a monarch or a country made up of countless people?"

Wei Yang remained silent.

He Bo is not good at speaking and doesn't want to say too much.

Anyway, Wei Yang has not yet grown into the mean Shang Jun, and he has just left home not long ago.

At the age of sixteen, what's there to be anxious about?

(End of this chapter)