The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

In the following days, Zhang Yinghao, besides awaiting the arrival of the diplomatic corps and giving lectures, held numerous meetings with relevant comrades to formulate a plan for key development projects in the liberated areas. After a period of intensive preparation, they finally drew up the first, simplest, joint development plan. The plan emphasized the completion of land reform in the liberated areas and the development of railways, with the swift completion of the Chengdu-Kunming Railway, the Changwu Railway (Changsha to Wuhan section), and the Guizhou-Chongqing Railway. The design and investigation of the Guizhou-Guangxi and Yunnan-Guizhou Railways should be accelerated, with groundbreaking expedited. Furthermore, highway construction was to be undertaken, aiming to connect all provincial capitals. By linking all major cities in the liberated areas by rail or road, the flow of goods within the region would be unimpeded.

At the same time, Sichuan would assist other provinces in developing agriculture, building ten fertilizer plants and renovating farmland and water conservancy projects, striving to increase grain production and address the people's food and clothing needs. All liberated provinces would gradually abolish lijin checkpoints and implement free trade, as had been done within Sichuan. Smoking, gambling, and prostitution would be banned in all provinces. They would all use a unified Renminbi and jointly regulate currency issuance.

Zhang Yinghao knew that in his position, he only needed to tell his comrades what to do and how to do it. The corresponding plans and team formation were executed and completed by the relevant committees. Zhang Yinghao knew that it was crucial to keep his comrades busy and not let them idle, as any idleness would inevitably lead to discussions about the distribution of the fruits of victory, and a fierce struggle for power would ensue.

Zhang Yinghao, having completed his plan, returned to Sichuan Industrial School to continue teaching. While many initially questioned his ability to teach Capital, his lectures have become increasingly popular, and no one doubts his ability anymore. Zhang Yinghao, unfazed, continued teaching his course.

What is capitalism? Simply put, it's an economic system in which capital is owned by individuals and is based on private ownership. Private ownership is the most fundamental element of capitalism; without it, there would be no capitalism. Capitalism evolved from feudal society, and capitalists are not simply merchants. While they make their living by exploiting surplus value, their fundamental purpose is to develop production. In feudal society, landlords leased land to farmers for sowing. During the lease period, farmers controlled the land but had to pay rent and other taxes to the landlords on a regular basis. In capitalism, agricultural workers work on the farms of agricultural capitalists, receive payment, and then leave without controlling the land. In capitalism, the relationship between capitalists and workers is one of employment.

Capitalism refers to the sense in which capital dominates the economy and politics of society. Generally speaking, capitalism is an economic or economic sociological system in which the vast majority of the means of production are owned by individuals, who use wage labor to create value through the means of production.

Created value is divided into five parts: taxes, rent, profit, labor value, and entrepreneurs... Our current era is the transition from free capitalism to monopoly capitalism. This is the inevitable result of the pursuit of profit, the inevitable result of the combination of power and money. Monopoly capitalism will use any means necessary to achieve its goals, even resorting to war, for the sake of profit and the survival of monopoly capital. It is precisely for this reason that artificial barriers such as tariffs serve as a protective shield for monopoly capital, safeguarding the vested interests of these groups...

Zhang Yinghao spoke eloquently at the podium, and many in the audience were mesmerized. However, some people's faces turned pale as they listened to his speech. For the traditional Chinese people who never talk about "profit", this was a fact that was difficult to accept. Finally, Zhang Yinghao finished his speech for the day, and when he didn't hear the bell for the end of get out of class, he said, "Okay, today's class is over. Do you have any questions?"

This is Zhang Yinghao's teaching style. After the lecture, if there is time, he will allow students to ask questions. Remember, these are not Chinese or math classes, and the students here are generally not well educated, so there are still many questions.

However, the atmosphere today was clearly off. Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze towards the people sitting in front. Zhang Yinghao saw one of them sitting there and said, "Teacher Zhang, what's the point of you teaching this? How is it useful for education? You're completely violating the teachings of a sage!"

"Yes, your land reform activities are no different from those of robbers, plundering and robbing. You are misleading the students by giving lectures here."

At this time, the younger middle-aged man next to him added, "Perhaps this supplement is the most important thing?"

Chapter 561: First update!

Zhang Yinghao thought to himself, his eyes fixed on the sudden volley of criticism from the elder and the middle school student. He was genuinely taken aback. The students present, hearing the criticism, immediately piqued their interest. Regardless of what these two men said, right or wrong, their courage to criticize a "big shot" like Zhang Yinghao was truly courageous and exciting. It also showed that they were well prepared. Perhaps there was something interesting to watch.

Everyone looked at Zhang Yinghao with sharp eyes to see how he would answer, and they all seemed eager to try. This was an excitement of challenging authority, and Zhang Yinghao could understand this.

"Haha, you call me Teacher Zhang, but you still sit quietly on the stool. How do you treat a teacher? Is this how you treat a teacher with respect? You've learned the teachings of the sages but nothing has been learned."

Zhang Yinghao spoke first, suppressing the two men's momentum as soon as he finished speaking. The whole class burst into laughter. The old man with white beard immediately flushed, and he was neither sitting nor standing. However, the middle-aged man next to him had a quick wit and said, "Mr. Wang is old, is that why you respect him? Let's talk about it."

Zhang Yinghao turned his head slightly and said, "Mr. Wang, you said I violated the teachings of the sages. So which sage's teachings did I violate? Which sage's teachings did I violate?"

At this time, Mr. Wang coughed and said, "Ahem, you are violating the teachings of Confucius."

"Oh, it's Confucius from Shandong. So, what of his teachings did I violate?"

Hearing Zhang Yinghao call Confucius "Kong Lao Er", the old man's mouth trembled again, and it seemed that he was very dissatisfied with Zhang Yinghao's disdain for the sage. However, the "big thing" was more important, so he finally said: "Your lectures don't have the words of the sage."

Zhang Yinghao knew that arguing with the old man was pointless. Without a clear position, the argument would yield no results. He needed to convince the students in the classroom, so he said with a relaxed smile, "Classmates, I'm confused. If there's no Confucius, then there can be no teaching? Then where did Confucius get his knowledge? Didn't he learn from it? So whether there is Confucius or not has nothing to do with learning, right?"

The students all shouted in unison: "Yes!"

"Students present here who are party members or active members of the party, please raise your hands."

Now, a large group of people raised their hands.

Zhang Yinghao nodded and continued, "I'd like to ask Mr. Wang, are people like Laozi and Xunzi considered saints?"

"Of course, well, at least he's a half-saint!"

"Haha, there's a saying in the Tao Te Ching: 'The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without contention, and stays where others dislike it. Therefore, it is close to the Tao.' Who are we, the Forward Party? We are the vanguard of the proletariat, members of the working people. We are not an exploiting class that can survive by exploiting others. We are people who will starve to death if we don't work..."

Hearing what Zhang Yinghao said, all the students in the class sat up straight immediately. After all, he was talking about them and making a characterization of the comrades.

Zhang Yinghao continued, "We, the proletariat, do the work that other classes are unwilling to do. We already live at the bottom of the world. The things that the exploiting class is unwilling to do, the things they hate, are thrown to us, the working people, to do. History is created by the people, and we, the working people, have created everything. Aren't we, like water, nourishing the entire upper class?"

The fruits of the labor of the working people for thousands of years have been taken away by the exploiting class. We working people do not fight or rob, but work from sunrise to sunset. Therefore, what we do now is already close to the existence of Tao, because we are doing things according to the standards of saints. What language is needed to explain it?

"You, you're just making up stories. You're killing landlords everywhere and dividing their property. Isn't that just robbery?"

"Haha, you claim to have read the books of Confucius. Don't you know what the sage said: 'Without the well-field system, there can be no rule of the Three Kings'?' You people say these things while seizing land and exploiting the working people. And now you're condemning those who just do things according to the sage's teachings. You really sound better than words. You hold the truth in your hands, and you have the final say on the interpretation. To be honest, I really don't know what you are trying to say. Confucius is just a tablet. You can worship him however you want. You have the final say."

"The sages say...the sages say to select the virtuous and capable, to uphold trust and cultivate harmony. You are going against the sages' way by killing people everywhere."

"Ha ha ha ha....…"

Zhang Yinghao suddenly burst into laughter, his mockery so strong that it made Mr. Wang's beard curl up before he stopped and said, "The way of the great Dao is that the world is for all. We have nationalized all the land in the world and distributed it to the people. Isn't this the world for all? Select the virtuous and capable, and uphold trust and cultivate harmony. Therefore, people not only love their relatives and their children, but also ensure that the elderly have a place to live, the strong have a place to work, and the young have a place to grow. The poor, the widowed, the orphaned, the lonely, and the disabled are all provided for. Men have their share, and women have their home. Goods are not to be wasted, so they don't have to store them; strength is not to be used, so they don't have to use it for personal gain. Therefore, conspiracies are not to arise, thefts and robberies are not to occur, and doors are not to be closed. This is called great harmony."

Hearing that Zhang Yinghao had actually memorized the entire passage, he was truly stunned. Old Wang had long known that Chairman Zhang was knowledgeable, but he had never imagined that he had studied Confucius so deeply. It was completely beyond his expectations.

Zhang Yinghao didn't care what others thought and continued, "How many people have been forced to death by the landlords and gentry every year from collecting rent? How many people have been killed by the government from collecting taxes? According to Mr. Wang, the landlords and gentry and the Qing court have failed to live up to the teachings of the sages. Therefore, the landlords and gentry and the Qing court are unjust. In Mr. Wang's mind, overthrowing the landlords and gentry and the Qing court should be a just act, acting on behalf of heaven."

This is completely using one's own spear to attack the other's shield. Didn't you, Old Wang, say that a sage governs the world by selecting the virtuous and capable, and upholding trust and building harmony? Now neither the landlords, the evil gentry, nor the Qing court can do this. That is unjust, and I will overthrow them.

Although this was true, Mr. Wang immediately turned pale with anger when he heard Zhang Yuanhao misinterpret his meaning. He was so angry that his nose was crooked and his lungs were about to explode. If these words were to get out, he would be going against the landlord class. How would he live in the future?

However, Zhang Yinghao showed no sign of stopping. He continued, "So our Forward Party is practicing the great principle, while you are merely talking about it. This is the essential difference between us. Confucius knew that a harsh government is more ferocious than a tiger. You, a sophistry Confucian, a representative of the landlords and gentry, are here preaching your exploitative class theories to us working people. We don't need your theories. You've come to the wrong place."

Hearing these words, the old man was furious and said immediately: "You, you are really a traitor, spreading evil words to confuse the people and bring chaos to the world. You are simply, simply eloquent, making specious arguments, and are unreasonable..."

Zhang Yinghao laughed again after hearing this and said, "Haha, I am a rebel. I will never be a minister of the Qing Dynasty. Even if I am a traitor, I am not worthy of being a minister of the Qing Dynasty."

After saying this, Zhang Yinghao sneered and said, "Haha. Confucius once said: Without Guan Zhong, I would have had my hair untied and my clothes on the left. Even Confucius made a distinction between barbarians and non-barbarians. Look, you still have two whips on the back of your heads. Although we in the Liberated Area don't force you to cut your braids, because it's easy to cut the braids on your head, but it's hard to cut the braids in your heart. However, I think you are really slaves to the Qing Dynasty, right? The barbarians of the Qing Dynasty implemented the hair-cutting order, and the Han people's clothing has been cut off since then. You people who only have money and rat tails, do you know how many of your ancestors who refused to shave their hair were killed? You still claim to have read the books of sages and want to teach me the way of sages? Tell me the principles of sages? If I were Confucius, even if there were only bones left in the coffin, I would crawl out of the grave and beat you unfilial descendants to death with my old bones..."

At this point, Zhang Yinghao suddenly had an idea. What if, after Shandong is liberated, he were to study Confucius's antiquity? Then he could use one of his bones as a hammer to beat these unworthy descendants. Anyone who dared to misinterpret the classics would be beaten, and see if these unworthy descendants dared to fart.

Zhang Yinghao YY for a moment, but after hearing what Zhang Yinghao said, the old man with the white beard, Wang, opened his eyes wide, his mouth trembled, and suddenly his neck tilted, and he actually held his breath and fell into a coma. For more book resources, please add QQ: 775111838. This book is constantly being updated.

Zhang Yinghao didn't know whether the man was truly unconscious or just pretending to be. However, the bell for the end of get out of class rang just then. Zhang Yinghao, who never stayed after class, said calmly, "get out of class dismissed."

Everyone was listening with gusto, and seeing Zhang Yinghao was a bit like Zhuge Liang in his debates, they were all very excited. Suddenly, the bell rang for the end of get out of class, and everyone felt a little unsatisfied.

"stand up."

"Goodbye, classmates." "Goodbye, teacher."

When Zhang Yinghao came out of the classroom, he saw Yan Fu waiting at the door. Zhang Yinghao said nothing and went straight to the office. Yan Fu glanced at the classroom and turned to leave.

"Mr. Yan, what's going on with those two people?"

"Chairman, these two people are newly recruited teachers who are going to teach Chinese studies..."

Zhang Yinghao understood immediately. Although interrupting someone was rude, he really didn't want to listen any further and said, "Okay, no need to explain. I'm too lazy to interfere in school affairs, but I still want to say that we should not recruit teachers like this in the future. We are an industrial university. We study science and are here to work. We don't cultivate boasters or masters. Moreover, cultivating masters of Chinese studies is useless in the Liberated Areas. In the future, my opinion is to better have no one than to recruit unqualified people. Don't recruit such people anymore."

"good."

Yan Fu was also a smart man. Seeing that Zhang Yinghao had no intention of pursuing the matter, he quickly changed the subject and asked, "Chairman, your previous sentence: 'The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without contention, and stays where people dislike it. Therefore, it is close to the Tao. It dwells in a good place, has a good heart, is kind to others, speaks truthfully, governs well, is capable in work, and acts at the right time. Because it does not contend, it has no blame.' The first part is a good translation, but how do you translate the second part?"

"Haha, I didn't expect Mr. Yan to have studied the Tao Te Ching. However, books like the Tao Te Ching and the Art of War are truly incomprehensible to those without dialectical and historical materialism and a firm grasp of their class stance. They're practically just reading the translation, completely unaware of the true meaning. Mr. Yan, how do you translate the words 'Shangshan'?"

"I know this, the Supreme Good."

"Yes, that's how the translation is. So if Lao Tzu had said in his original book that the highest virtue is like water, the highest righteousness is like water, the highest propriety is like water, the highest benevolence is like water, and the highest trustworthiness is like water, wouldn't that be a problem to read it that way?"

Yan Fu read it several times: "The highest benevolence is like water; it benefits all things without contending. The highest righteousness is like water; it benefits all things without contending. The highest propriety is like water; it benefits all things without contending. One who is in the company of others is thus close to the Tao. One who lives in a good place, has a good heart, is kind to others, speaks truthfully, governs well, is capable in his work, and acts at the right time. Because one does not contend, one is free from blame." "It seems that this is indeed the case, Mr. Chairman."

"Haha, there is no problem in the first place. Why should "Shangshan" be translated? It's like the word "Tao". Once translated, it loses its flavor. "Shangshan" does not need to be translated. Just refer to "Shangshan" directly. It is like water. Then Laozi talked about how to do it: "Water is good at benefiting all things without contending, and it stays where people hate it. Therefore, it is close to Tao." So there is actually only one meaning here, "Shangshan is close to Tao." It doesn't really matter what "Shangshan" is. What's important is the following sentence: "Water is good at benefiting all things without contending, and it stays where people hate it. Therefore, it is close to Tao." Laozi just wants people to learn to be like water. In other words, if you can be like water, then you are "Shangshan".

Next, Lao Tzu discusses something that's not quite the Tao, and here we need to apply dialectics. As for the good places, there are good places, and there are bad places; some people have hearts as deep as the ocean, while others are narrow-minded; in giving, we should pursue a reputation for benevolence; in words, we should be trustworthy; there are good governments, while there are also badly governed people and places; as long as some people are very capable at doing things, there will be others who are mediocre; in action, some people can seize the opportunity, while others cannot, missing out...

Lao Tzu's point is that none of these are the highest virtues, but merely "good." Only by ceasing to distinguish between these things, dwelling is dwelling, without good or bad, the heart is there, without depth or lack thereof. Giving is giving, without benevolence or unbenevolence. Speaking is speaking, without faith or disbelief, and doing is doing, regardless of success or failure. Like the proletariat, there is nothing to argue about; I simply do what I feel should be done, and thus, there is no fault.

"Chairman, your explanation is truly unique, haha, unprecedented." "Haha, that's a farcical argument. But that's how it is. Knowledge from books is to be used, not explained and flaunted. No matter how well you translate word for word, it's not true mastery, and it's useless if you can't apply it. Works like The Art of War and the Tao Te Ching, although confined by the historical limitations of Sun Tzu and Lao Tzu, don't have terms like dialectical materialism or historical materialism, but the principles are all consistent. After all, they also contain naive materialism..."

When Zhang Yinghao finished his rest and went to his second class, the guard came over to him excitedly and reported, "Chairman, that annoying old man with a white beard just now died when he was sent to the school infirmary."

Zhang Yinghao didn't know what to say, so he could only say "Oh" faintly. Then he said: "What a pity."

"Chairman, you are really amazing. You actually scolded someone to death."

Zhang Yinghao denied this and said immediately: "If you were not scolded to death by me,

"Yes, maybe it's just age. Look at Mr. Wang, he's quite old, it's normal for him to die at that age."

However, Zhang Yinghao knew that he couldn't explain it clearly, so he didn't bother to say anything more. He picked up the courseware and walked out of the office. But this old man Wang died, which showed that he still had some conscience and some sense of honor.

Little did Zhang Yinghao know that Old Man Wang had died upon being taken to the hospital, solidifying his reputation as someone he had scolded to death. His death at school instantly earned him the same reputation as Zhuge Kongming for scolding Wang Lang to death. This further demonstrated that the content of Zhang Yinghao's lectures was the truth, irrefutable. Later generations filmed this scene repeatedly in television dramas, and Old Man Wang's fame was immortalized, but his infamy was also long-lasting.

Chapter 562: Second update!

Zhang Yinghao didn't care at all about the death of a sour Confucian. It was just a person's death, no big deal. Who knows how many people were killed in every war of the People's Liberation Army, and there was no land reform without casualties. However, when Zhang Yinghao walked into the classroom, he saw that his classmates were very excited, and many female students looked at him with admiration. Zhang Yinghao knew that his classmates all knew and believed that he had cursed someone to death.

Cursing someone to death was indeed a strange thing, but Zhang Yinghao was too lazy to explain. Seeing that the students were about to stand up and salute, Zhang Yinghao raised his hand to suppress them, indicating that the students did not need to stand up, and said directly: "Everyone should have read "Journey to the West", or at least heard of the book "Journey to the West", right?"

"Seen."

“I haven’t finished reading it!” “I know this book!”

"It doesn't matter whether you've read it or not. This class won't cover Journey to the West. The book tells the story of Tang Sanzang and his three disciples, who journeyed to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures through untold hardships. The content is excellent, and it's even better when read backwards. So, for those of you who have read it, think about this: What was the prerequisite for Tang Sanzang and his disciples to obtain the true scriptures from the West? Or, what was the fundamental reason why Tang Sanzang and his disciples were able to obtain the true scriptures?"

Seeing the students were silent for a moment, Zhang Yinghao did not intend to let them answer. He waited for a while before saying, "The fundamental reason why Tang Monk and his disciples were able to retrieve the true scriptures from the Western Paradise is because the true scriptures were there."

Hearing this unexpected statement, the students were stunned. Zhang Yinghao ignored their reactions and continued, "If there is no true scripture in the Western Paradise, can Tang Sanzang and his disciples retrieve it? Let alone going through 81 trials, even if they go through 800 or 9800 trials, if there is no true scripture in the Western Paradise, Tang Sanzang and his disciples will not be able to retrieve it. Isn't that the truth? Do you agree with this?"

"agree!"

Hearing the students' unanimous answer, Zhang Yinghao nodded with satisfaction and said, "Who told Tang Sanzang and his four disciples that there is a true scripture in the West?"

“Avalokitesvara!”

"Do Tang Sanzang and his disciples believe what Guanyin Bodhisattva said about the true scriptures in the Western Paradise?" "Yes!"

Zhang Yinghao laughed after hearing this and said, "Haha, today we're not discussing the question of why Guanyin Bodhisattva's claim that there are true scriptures in the Western Paradise really means there are true scriptures. Guanyin Bodhisattva told Tang Sanzang that there are true scriptures in the Western Paradise, and that's true, right? So, since it's certain that there are true scriptures in the Western Paradise, Tang Sanzang and his disciples all knew about it and were even promised that they would be able to obtain the true scriptures as long as they reached the Western Paradise. And then, Tang Sanzang and his disciples, after going through untold hardships, actually reached the Western Paradise and obtained the true scriptures. What does this prove?"

"This means that as long as Tang Sanzang and his disciples don't get eaten and don't give up, they will definitely be able to obtain the true scriptures when they reach the West."

"That's right. This is just like our communist cause. Marx, through scientific analysis, has proven that communist society exists and is our ultimate development goal. This is like telling us that there are true scriptures in the Western Paradise. As long as we follow the principles of Marxism, combine theory with practice, seek truth from facts, fear no difficulties, and forge ahead courageously, we will definitely be able to achieve something."

“To achieve communism.”

Zhang Yinghao nodded and continued with a smile: "Yes, we will definitely be able to achieve communism in the end. Then, let me ask again, Zhu Bajie is lazy and greedy. When something goes wrong, he will leave with a gift and leave. He lets Sun Wukong return to Huaguo Mountain to be his mountain king, while he returns to Gao Laozhuang to marry a wife, lets Sha Seng return to the Flowing Sand River to eat people, and lets the white dragon horse continue to return to the sea. But did Zhu Bajie finally reach the West?"

"arrive."

"Sha Monk looks so honest, carrying his load, working hard and never complaining, only listening to his master and eldest brother. Did he reach the Western Paradise?"

"arrive."

"That Tang Monk was a mortal, with no other abilities besides chanting sutras, and he was also weak and frail. Did he obtain the true sutras?"

"Got it."

"So, what? On the road to achieving communism, no matter who walks with us, no matter if they are lazy, greedy, or hardworking, as long as they are with us, they can enter communist society. So as long as we keep moving forward, entering communist society is inevitable. Is there any inevitable connection between this and these things in our human nature?"

"No."

"Zhu Bajie, Tang Sanzang, and the demons and monsters along the way might slow down their progress on the pilgrimage to the West, or even tempt them to go down the wrong path. We are no different. We will make all kinds of mistakes and face all kinds of temptations. But as long as we constantly correct our mistakes and persevere toward the goal of communism, we will surely achieve communism. Do you understand that?"

"can."

"Haha, I'm glad you understand. So, in today's class, let's critique the saints in our history. Confucius from Shandong proposed a world of great harmony. We discussed what this world of great harmony is like in the last class. It's nothing more than trusting others, cultivating harmony, and self-denial. So, what are these things? Are they things that emphasize human nature and dictate human behavior?"

"Yes!"

"What kind of world does Lao Tzu describe in the Tao Te Ching? An ideal world where neighboring countries can see each other, the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard, and people live in seclusion until they die. Can this be realized?"

"No."

Zhang Yinghao didn't comment, but continued, "What is the Buddhist Pure Land like? It's described in detail in the Buddhist scriptures, especially in the Amitabha Sutra. It's essentially about the absence of suffering, the enjoyment of pleasures, the utmost luxury, and the experience of all kinds of happiness. For example, one possesses the thirty-two marks of a Buddha, possesses the five eyes and six supernatural powers, and the five senses are extremely sensitive to the world. The mind is at peace and refreshing, and one can attain enlightenment by listening to the Dharma and making offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. However, within this Pure Land, there are so-called borderlands, cities of doubt, and wombs—places that stretch the imagination to the limit. Comrades, please go and see for yourself the details. In short, everything beautiful you can imagine, everything people cherish, everything they need, everything they lack, can be found and enjoyed in the Pure Land. Is such a world possible?"

"cannot!"

"Since none of this can be achieved, have you ever thought about why these unattainable things are still so deeply rooted in people's minds? Why haven't they disappeared until now? Will they even continue to do so?"

Seeing the students fall silent, Zhang Yinghao didn't wait for an answer. He continued, "Then, let's shift our perspective. Enter the world to study Confucianism, retreat to cultivate Taoism, and retreat to worship Buddha. The fundamental reason for the enduring prosperity of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism is that they all define and uphold a social order. What does Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism use to maintain this order? Taoism, virtue, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, kindness, trustworthiness, love, forgiveness, courage, and strictness. Throughout Chinese history, these principles have revolved around controlling human nature, using these rules to constrain and control the people. We've said before that when we reach a communist society, whether the lazy and gluttonous, the greedy, or the shameless, will all enter. However, whether it's the Buddhist paradise, the Confucian world of universal harmony, the Taoist world of small states and few people, or even the Western paradise, they all emphasize that only certain people can enter this world, or they dictate how people should think, behave, and act in order to enter. This is problematic. There is only one world, so these imagined worlds are problematic, ideals that cannot be realized."

“Does the Chairman mean these are bad?”

"I'm not saying it's bad. I'm saying that the words of our traditional sages, those classics, those rules, have stood the test of time and can no longer save China. Furthermore, China's cycles of order and chaos every few hundred years have proven that the order and rules maintained by traditions like Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are ultimately incapable of saving China. But are these rules and order truly useful? They are certainly useful. They are fundamental to maintaining people's lives. Order is always better than no order, and until a new order is discovered, these orders are necessary. For example, the Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist orders are suitable for our agricultural society, but the Han people were unable to rule the grasslands with them. This is because the order is different and cannot be consistently maintained. Therefore, we must adopt a strategy of discarding and negating, retaining what is suitable for the times and discarding what is not."

Zhang Yinghao knew that these words were easy to say but extremely difficult to put into practice. Even after a hundred or two hundred years, there would still be people who would cry out for the old order. Replacing the old order with a new one was naturally painful, but clinging to the old order without progressing would only be more painful.

Zhang Yinghao didn't want to elaborate further, so he continued, "Let me give you a simple example. Fellow scholars, due to historical limitations, few ancient scholars possessed any real strategies for governing a country. In his Han Dynasty essay, Jia Yi's "On the Qin Dynasty," he concluded that the Qin Dynasty's demise stemmed from a lack of benevolence and righteousness, resulting in a different offensive and defensive dynamic. In his Tang Dynasty essay, Du Mu's "Fu on the Afang Palace," he offered the antidote that if the six states each loved their own people, they would be able to resist the Qin. If the Qin state could love its people again, it could rule for three generations, perhaps even ten thousand, and who could possibly exterminate its entire clan? The Qin people had no time to mourn themselves, yet future generations mourned them. If future generations mourn without learning from their mistakes, they, too, will cause future generations to mourn their descendants. In his Tang Dynasty essay, Du Fu wrote in "Song of the Thatched Cottage Destroyed by the Autumn Wind," he said, "I wish I had a thousand mansions... When I could suddenly see this house before my eyes, I would be content to die of cold in my own desolate hut!"

I won't list many other examples, but critical essays like "On the Qin Dynasty" and "Fu on the Afang Palace" attribute the Qin Dynasty's demise to words like "benevolence" and "love." If you close your eyes and imagine that this is indeed the case, it's actually ridiculously wrong. And as influential writers, if later generations listened to their words, read their essays, and thought they made sense and were correct, and copied them, wouldn't that be harmful and doomed? And Du Fu, such a great poet, but asking him to govern the country? That's a joke, no wonder he was demoted. He seems unaware that houses are built brick by brick by the working people, and instead asks, "How can I have thousands of mansions?" Isn't this a joke?

"Didn't the Chairman say to develop productivity?"

"That's right. The fundamental solution to these problems lies in developing productivity. However, productivity requires corresponding production relations. The order and rules we talk about are the essence of these production relations. Without good production relations, productivity cannot develop. However, if productivity develops but production relations are not adjusted, their continued development will be hindered. Productivity and production relations are mutually reinforcing and coordinated. From this perspective, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism require a static society, a society that does not pursue progress, a society firmly bound by order and rules, thus achieving the ideal state of no contradiction in the eyes of the sages..."

"Then, Mr. Chairman, these scholars flattered the Mongols when they came, and knelt before the Qing Dynasty when they came. What's the logic behind this? Why don't these scholars follow the words of the sages?"

Upon hearing this question, Zhang Yinghao clapped his hands and said, "Haha, that's a great question. It gets to the heart of the matter." The Song Dynasty is the only prosperous dynasty in Chinese history to be conquered by force. Well... saying "conquest" isn't quite right, after all, popular resistance never ceased. But the Yuan Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty both had one thing in common before they came to power in the Central Plains: the Sinicization of their political power. Well, actually, the term "Sinicization" isn't quite right; I'd call it reform to adapt to the order of an agricultural society. The Yuan Dynasty was almost entirely founded by a people on horseback, relying on plunder for survival. They still adopted many systems unsuitable for an agricultural society, even attempting to turn the entire Central Plains into pastures. Such a lack of understanding of establishing order and developing production led to their demise within a century. The Qing Dynasty learned from this lesson and became much wiser. They ruled China through bloodshed, but they also quickly established systems adapted to an agricultural society.

Let's talk about whose interests the old-style scholars represented. They definitely represented the interests of the landlord class. Only landlords could afford to study; how could the poor afford to hire teachers? Even if a commoner graduated, they would immediately buy land and become a landlord. And what did the landlord class fear most? Despite their immense wealth, they feared unrest and disorder. Without order, anyone with guns and people could become a tycoon, and the property and lives of the landlord class would be unprotected. Therefore, the landlord class would support whoever could ensure social order and stability, whoever could protect their wealth. This was driven by their own interests; they didn't care whether they were of the same ethnic group or not. And whoever the landlord class supported, the scholars would support. As for the words of sages and orthodoxy, how could they outweigh their own interests? While there were scholars who opposed the Qing Dynasty, they were a minority. This is why we say there are only individuals who betray their interests, not classes that betray theirs.

The Qing dynasty also represented the interests of the landlord class, and the landlord class and the scholars they represented naturally sought to maintain Qing rule. Therefore, the economic base determines the superstructure. The Qing dynasty established a social system suitable for farming, and scholars naturally took the initiative to protect this system, as it served the interests of the landlord class. Therefore, to simply portray scholars as licking the Mongols and kneeling to the Qing dynasty is one-sided and unrealistic. We, the progressive party members, must understand the inherent logic and recognize that interests are the fundamental concern.

Why are we now facing total opposition from the landlord class? Total opposition from the old-fashioned scholars? In fact, it is for this reason. We have destroyed the order that is beneficial to the landlord class, and even forcibly divided up the land of the landlord class. The nationalization of land has cut off the foundation of the landlord class. It is not wrong to say that we are robbing and plundering. The landlord class hates us and wants to kill us. They certainly hope to get rid of us as soon as possible.

But the land revolution is the fairness and justice that we, the proletariat, uphold. No matter how much the landlord class protests, it will be useless. We will not change our political philosophy. Moreover, we solve problems by developing production, not relying on the landlord class or old-fashioned intellectuals, so we can completely ignore the landlord class. However, the state is a tool of class rule. If we don't rely on the landlord class, then who can we rely on? Because as I said before, the development of the bourgeoisie in China is inherently deficient, and the Chinese bourgeoisie can no longer compete with foreign monopoly capitalism. So we can't rely on the Chinese bourgeoisie, so who else can we rely on? Therefore, we must create this new class, dedicated to developing production, to rule China. This class is the most combative and selfless proletariat..."