Chapter 5395 Everyone's Contribution

Chapter 5395 Everyone's Contribution
Night fell, and the wind and snow intensified.

The servants lit candles in the flower hall, and the father and son drank tea and chatted.

Unlike the current custom of "fathers and sons being jealous of each other," the Fang family father and son often sat together and chatted. Their topics ranged from changes in the court and the implementation of policies to astronomy, geography, music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and even the advantages and disadvantages of the country and the various aspects of life. They often went on and on without any clear purpose, rambling on about things that were completely unrelated to the main topic.

The father and son were both very happy and content.

"The reason why fathers are strict with their children is that they hope their children can avoid arrogance and impetuosity, and not become arrogant and disdainful of others just because of a little achievement. Humility brings benefits, while pride invites loss. This is the safest way to educate children."

“But our family is different from other families. Your achievements have even surpassed those of your father. You may seem to act recklessly and arbitrarily, but in reality, you are determined and have a clear purpose. You will not be complacent or impatient because of your achievements, nor will you be discouraged or give up on yourself because of temporary setbacks. In your father’s heart, there is only pride that comes from you.”

Fang Jun was very happy. His actions were considered too "unconventional" by the world and many people could not understand them. At this moment, he received affirmation from his father, which gave him a sense of joy and relief, like "finding a true friend in life".

After all, this is Fang Xuanling, who ranks among the top prime ministers throughout history!
"Father, rest assured, your son is self-aware. He knows exactly what he is good at and what his weaknesses are. He always tries to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses. He would never do anything stupid that he knows is impossible. Your son has big ambitions."

"Whatever you want to do, as long as you weigh things carefully and make up your mind to do it, that's fine. Even if I don't always understand everything, I will always support you."

Fang Xuanling was greatly pleased. As he grew older, he inevitably became verbose and prone to sighs: "I really can't accept your transformation. If you were born with knowledge, that would be one thing. There are countless child prodigies and geniuses in the world, and no matter how gifted you are, it wouldn't be an exaggeration. However, when you were young, you were naive and ignorant, dull-witted, no different from a piece of rotten wood. But then one day you had an epiphany, and you became so knowledgeable and brilliant. The difference between before and after is like the difference between clouds and mud, which is puzzling."

Fang Jun scratched his head, unsure how to explain.

Fang Xuanling chuckled and said, "Later I also realized that the world is so vast, what wonders are there? In short, it's a good thing. I, Fang Xuanling, have lived a life of integrity and made great contributions. It is a blessing that there are successors in the future!"

Taking a sip of tea, and with the conversation flowing freely, he said, "Do you know that when His Majesty wanted to betroth Princess Gaoyang to you, I strongly opposed it?"

Fang Junqi asked, "Father, is there something you dislike about His Highness?"

Although Princess Gaoyang has a notorious reputation in history, Emperor Taizong of Tang was only of marriageable age when he arranged her marriage. How could he have foreseen her future character?
Fang Xuanling shook his head and said, "I have no complaints. Even if Your Highness has some shortcomings, we should just be patient. After all, not everyone can have the honor of marrying a princess. The benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Let her do whatever she wants."

"Why is that?"

"I'm worried about unrest at home!"

Fang Xuanling sighed: "Your elder brother is a foolish and stubborn person, and it will be difficult for him to support the family business. As a princess, Your Highness is bound to be strong-willed. If I were to pass this title to your elder brother, Your Highness would surely harbor improper thoughts. But if I were to pass this title to you, where would that leave your elder brother's family? While I am here, I can keep them in check, but if I am not here, I fear that internal strife will ensue."

Fang Jun remained silent.

History has proven that Fang Xuanling's concerns ultimately came true.

Fang Xuanling laughed and said, "So you can imagine how happy I was when the imperial edict conferring upon you the title of Duke of Yue was delivered to my home!"

He raised his hand and patted Fang Jun on the shoulder, slightly tipsy despite drinking tea: "Good lad, worthy of being my son, Fang Xuanling!"

Sensing Fang Xuanling's ease and joy, Fang Jun couldn't help but laugh as well: "Even Emperor Taizong once said, 'A son should be like Fang Yi'ai.' I imagine that when Father heard this, he was also very proud and gratified!"

"Ha ha!"

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and laughed heartily, looking extremely pleased.

Each stage of life has different pursuits and different meanings. Holding the power of prime minister and assisting the emperor is already a thing of the past. Even if one holds great power and controls all affairs, it is nothing more than fleeting clouds and passing moments.

For Fang Xuanling now, a successor who can inherit his political legacy and govern the family to prosperity is far more important than any meritorious title or peerage.

Consider how many of the founding heroes and meritorious officials of the same era as him suffered family calamities and disgrace because of their unworthy descendants and lack of successors.
Having such an outstanding son is his greatest achievement in life.

My only wish is to live a few more days, to do my utmost to complete the compilation of the Cihai dictionary, and leave a magnificent masterpiece for future generations. Then I can close my eyes in peace and ask for nothing more.

The father and son then discussed the content and process of compiling the Cihai dictionary, and Fang Jun then recounted in detail his meeting with Li Xiaogong that day.

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuanling remained silent for a long time before letting out a heavy sigh: "Has the world really developed so rapidly?"

In the eyes of their generation, the term "imperial power" not only means majesty and obedience, but also loyalty and willingness to die for it. "Loyalty to the emperor" and "patriotism" are the same thing. If a person cannot be "loyal to the emperor", how can he talk about "patriotism"?
However, as times have progressed to this day, imperial power has become a stumbling block to national development.

The supreme imperial power meant barbarity, slaughter, and disorder, which ran counter to "civilization".

Fang Jun poured out the tea leaves from the pot, brewed a new pot of tea, and filled the teacup in front of his father with tea. The tea soup was amber in color, clear and bright under the candlelight, and exuded a rich tea aroma.

"In times of chaos and war, when empires are first established, the supreme imperial power can concentrate all forces to break through the decay, create a nation from the ruins, and unify the world. The people, suffering in dire straits, wholeheartedly submit and are willing to follow in the footsteps of the emperor. However, when the nation's strength recovers, the world is at peace, and a golden age arrives, imperial power becomes a stubborn obstacle to the nation's progress. Continuous reforms are needed to correct and evolve a series of drawbacks... If the power structure cannot be optimized and the interests cannot be redistributed, the problems will only deepen and eventually become incurable."

There is no perfect system in the world, and there is no such thing as a one-time solution; there is only the need to keep pace with the times.

What were good policies and strategies yesterday may not be so tomorrow.

Fang Xuanling remained silent.

Although he had always supported his son in doing things he didn't understand, he still felt somewhat bewildered when he heard his son talk about "power optimization" and "profit distribution."

It's not that he wasn't shrewd; it's just that times were changing too fast.

However, upon closer reflection, one can understand the principles contained within these simple words. By learning from history, one can generally grasp their meaning.

Ultimately, the reason why these different eras—the beginning of a nation, the arrival of a golden age, the end of a dynasty—have undergone earth-shattering changes lies in the fact that the power structure, the distribution of interests, and so on, are either in line with reality or outdated.

The trend is overwhelming and irresistible, but it is not achieved overnight. It is the result of many seemingly insignificant trickles eventually converging into a vast ocean.

After pondering for a long time, Fang Xuanling finally said in a deep voice, "It is true that no one can get rich without merchants, but the structure of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants cannot be changed. The policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods is not without reason, and we cannot underestimate the wisdom of our ancestors. Merchants can enrich the country and facilitate trade, but their profit-driven nature is a scourge to national turmoil. Therefore, merchants must be suppressed. After all, no matter how much the law is upheld and how much the king is subject to the law, the moral bottom line must still be maintained. When a country only pursues profit and does not abide by morality or trust, even if it is powerful for a time, it will eventually fall apart."

He understood that Fang Jun's "subtle influence" and "foundation building" were essentially about using merchants to accumulate wealth and attempting to achieve a bottom-up transformation by piling up wealth.

He was unaware of the consequences of such actions, but he knew that if the status of merchants were elevated indiscriminately, it would inevitably lead to the moral collapse of the entire country.

So what if the Tang Dynasty was the richest in the world and the most powerful in the universe?
Wealth has never been the foundation of Chinese civilization.

Culture and morality are the real issues.

Without these two things, China would be like a tree without roots or water without a source; its so-called golden age would be nothing more than a fleeting moment, and it would eventually fall into dust.

Fang Jun accepted the instruction with utmost respect and deeply agreed with it.

It is not without reason that merchants have been suppressed from beginning to end. How can we not pay attention to and avoid the lessons of merchants betraying the country in history?
The profit-driven nature of most merchants means they have no sense of national responsibility, only pursuing profits without any moral bottom line, and their harm to society is immeasurable.

"Father, rest assured, your son knows what he is doing and what he should avoid. Wealth has never been the foundation of China; culture and morality are. Without these two, China is like a tree without roots or water without a source. Any so-called prosperous era is nothing but a fleeting moment, and it will eventually fall into dust."

Fang Xuanling smiled and said gently, “I have always advised you to uphold morality, but sometimes you can’t be rigid and inflexible, drawing a circle around yourself and becoming complacent. The change of power at the national level has never been related to morality, and restricting imperial power is by no means disloyal to His Majesty. After all, this world belongs not only to His Majesty, but also to all the people. When imperial power restricts the development of the empire and becomes a stumbling block for the people, then it can only be removed.”

Imperial power is of course supreme, but what in this world is truly supreme?
The universe cycles and turns, and all things in the universe are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining. There is only one law governing the operation of all things in the heavens and on earth—following the natural course.

Whether one needs supreme imperial power and centralized authority, or one needs to restrain imperial power and govern the country by law, one should sacrifice personal interests for the greater good, compensating for the prosperity of the nation with the loss of personal interests.

The distinction between "self" and "other self" is not absolute; sometimes it can refer to ordinary people, and sometimes it can refer to emperors.

When everyone can contribute to the country, that is true national prosperity and strength, and a harmonious world, rather than a supreme emperor who only takes and uses the resources of the entire nation to support one person...