What are Lv Buwei's allusions from speculators to politicians?

What's the difference between doing business well and running a country well?

Please look at the political history of Lv Buwei, a big businessman, and the Spring and Autumn Annals of Lushi edited by him.

A wealthy businessman in Puyang

In today's northern Henan and southern Hebei, there was a vassal state in the pre-Qin period: Wei. This place used to be the center of the Yin Dynasty. Later, when the Zhou Dynasty was established, the Duke of Zhou implemented the enfeoffment system, and Kang Shu was sealed here, which was called "Wei" in history.

Weiguo was a big country at first, but then it gradually declined and its territory became smaller and smaller. By the mid-Warring States period, it had become a small country at the mercy of others. The fatuity and incompetence of the monarch and the corruption and darkness of aristocratic politics led to the outflow of outstanding talents. And the more brain drain, the more hopeless the country is. Among them, representatives are Wu Qi, Shang Yang and Lv Buwei.

Lv Buwei was born in Puyang, the capital of Weiguo (now southwest of Puyang, Henan). Puyang, located on the bank of the Yellow River, has very convenient transportation: the upper reaches can reach Luoyang (now Luoyang, Henan Province), which was once the political center of the Zhou Dynasty and remained one of the few prosperous cities in China during the Warring States Period; Downstream, it can lead to the hometown of Qi and Lu (now Shandong) rich in fish, salt, millet, beans and wheat; Crossing the Yellow River to the north can reach the northern metropolis Handan (now Handan City, Hebei Province); To the south, the Yellow River water is connected with the chasm water system and the Huaihe River Plain waterway transportation network. Such a superior geographical environment has prepared good external conditions for Puyang people to get rich in business, thus creating a group of businessmen, and Puyang has thus become a quite prosperous commercial city.

Lv Buwei's father is a big businessman in Puyang.

In Lv Buwei's life, defending the country became the key field of struggle between Qin and Wei, Zhao and Qi. Wei sought protection from Wei and survived under Wei's wings. Defending the country has nothing to boast about and be proud of. On the contrary, its customs are often ridiculed by other countries. Some people call a kind of music popular in Wei and Zheng, not far from it "the voice of Zheng and Wei", which is classified as a kind of lewd sound and a kind of mixed sound.

Under the influence of the surrounding environment, Lv Buwei developed a shrewd mind, seeing and hearing in all directions. He inherited his father's business and made a living by doing business. He traveled back and forth between Puyang, Handan and Yangzhai (a Korean city in Yuxian County, Henan Province) and became a wealthy businessman.

Of course, Lv Buwei's heart can't be left behind by the country's declining fate and ups and downs. He is going to the outside world to achieve earth-shattering career.

Second, Handan's "strange goods can live"

Handan is far more prosperous than Puyang. It is not only the political center of Zhao, but also the transportation hub of Zhengzhou and Weifang in Nantong, Yan and Zhuo (now Beijing and Hebei) in the north and Qi and Lu in the east. It is one of the largest commercial cities in Shandong. The capital of Zhao was built in 386 BC, with a large scale and strict layout. The north and east are urban areas and houses, and the west is the imperial city. The length of the city is1475m, and the width is1387m, which is magnificent. At that time, it was the largest city in all countries. It is said that men who come out of this big city like this city and have different tolerance. In particular, their walking posture and gait make young people everywhere eager to imitate. The story of "learning to walk in Handan" has become a joke that has been passed down through the ages.

In this big city with guests from all directions and scenery from all directions, Lv Buwei is looking for a profitable business.

One day, Lv Buwei rushed home and asked his father mysteriously, "How many times is the benefit of farming?" The father replied, "Ten times." He asked again, "How many times have businesses benefited?" A: "A hundred times." He asked again, "If a king is established, how many times will it benefit?" The father puzzled his son by such a stupid question. It was a long time before he spit out a few words: "countless times."

The son smiled and said to Laozi word by word: "In today's world, we work hard to farm and work hard. In the end, you can only eat and wear warm clothes. If I can buy off the monarch and make him listen to me, I will not only enjoy prosperity in my life, but also benefit future generations. I will do such a business. "

It turned out that Lv Buwei took a fancy to the grandson of King Zhao of Qin State, and he worked as a "quality" in Zhao State. The so-called "quality" is the hostages exchanged when the vassal States form an alliance. They are often sons and princes. When hostages break their promises in their own country, they will be punished. This stranger is the illegitimate son (not the wife's son) of Wang Zian Guo Jun in Qin Zhao. Ann has more than 20 sons, ranking in the middle among different people. His mother is not favored, so she was sent to Zhao as a hostage. Because foreigners have no position in China, and Qin has repeatedly attacked Zhao, Zhao is not kind to foreigners, which makes him in a very difficult situation.

However, Lv Buwei, with his keen sense of smell, realized that this was the place where "strange goods could live". He decided to make a risky but profitable political investment.

Lv Buwei tries to make friends with strangers and get along well with them. One day, he said to a stranger, "Now that the King of Qin is old, Prince Ann Guo Jun loves Mrs Huayang. Only Mrs. Huayang can establish a prince, but unfortunately she has no son. You have more than twenty brothers, and you are in the middle, and you are not favored. You have been a hostage in Zhao for a long time. After a Guo Junren inherits the throne, you have no hope of becoming a prince. " The stranger saw this clearly for a long time and said in dismay, "What can I do?" Lv Buwei immediately offered to help aliens return to China to inherit the throne.

He was overjoyed, and now he agrees with Lv Buwei. If the task is completed, they can catch Qin.

In order to win the hearts of strangers and let them do whatever they want, Lv Buwei intends to "send" one of her beautiful lovers to strangers. Handsome and rich Lv Buwei fell in love with a girl named Evonne in Handan. Evonne is not only beautiful, but also good at singing and dancing, which is very popular in Lv Buwei. But Lv Buwei is not the kind of person who can make men and women fall in love and tie their hands and feet.

One day, he invited different people to dinner. Among them, he invited Evonne to sing and dance. Evonne winked at him, and frequently raised his glasses to fascinate him. After drinking, he grabbed Lv Buwei's hand and asked Lv Buwei to marry Evonne to him. Lv Buwei pretended to be angry, and the stranger begged, so Lv Buwei pushed the boat with the tide: "Since you love it so much, I can only give up my love and give it to you." Make thousands of Xie Wan Xie, more and more grateful.

Later, a boy named Zheng was born, the later Qin Shihuang. About Zheng's biological father, some say it is, and some say it is an alien, so I won't go into details here. But in any case, there is an unusual relationship between Lv Buwei and Ying Zheng, because of the experience of Lv Buwei and others and Evonne.

Third, Xianyang conspiracy: a stranger is a son.

Lv Buwei is determined to turn from business to political speculation. He said to the stranger, "Although my family is poor, I will try my best to get a daughter and persuade you to go to the State of Qin, so that Ann Guo Jun and Mrs. Huayang can make you a prince."

I made friends in Handan, gave 500 gold, and used 500 gold to buy rare treasures for Qin activities. When he arrived in Xianyang, he went to see Mrs. Huayang's sister and brother, gave them a generous gift, and then asked them to dedicate rare treasures to Mrs. Huayang. Lv Buwei also sent a message to Mrs. Huayang through them, saying: "Different people are wise, make friends with all the guests in the world, and miss the prince and his wife day and night."

Mrs. Huayang was very happy to hear that. Lv Buwei continued to send messages to Mrs Huayang through her sister and brother: "I heard that anything that is loved by beautiful people will not last long. When people get old, no one will like them anymore. Today, the wife is deeply loved by the prince, but she has no son. We should choose a virtuous and filial son as the wife's son among philosophers as soon as possible. In ancient times, the eldest son inheritance system. In this way, when her son succeeds to the throne, the wife will not lose power and influence. Now I am very filial to my wife, and he knows that because he is in the middle, he cannot inherit the throne. If the wife makes him a son, the stranger will have a country without a country, and the wife will have a son without a son, and everyone will be happy. Aliens will be more filial to their wives, and their wives will be loved by Qin for life. "

This is very effective and deeply touched Mrs. Huayang's heart. So Mrs Huayang said to Ann Guo Jun, "I am lucky to be loved, but I have no son. I think I would like to make the most sage my son. So that I can rely on it in the future. " Ann Guo Jun agreed, and made a solemn covenant with Mrs Huayang, engraved with jade symbols, to show that she would never break her word.

It is natural to have a son. His social activities in Zhao were more frequent, he made many guests from all over the world, and his reputation gradually spread. Ann Guo Jun and Mrs Huayang asked Lv Buwei to be their teachers, and he was always ready to help and support them.

In 257 BC, Qin attacked Handan, and the relationship between Qin and Zhao was tense. Lv Buwei said to makes, hurry back to the state of Qin, so as not to stay in the state of Zhao. Lv Buwei used 600 Jin of gold to break through the joints and escape from Handan. The alien's wife Zhao (that is) took her son to hide in Zhao's rich family.

When the stranger returned to Xianyang, Lv Buwei said to him, "Mrs Huayang is a Chu woman. Since you are her son, you should wear Chu clothes to see her. " As ordered, he dressed in Chu clothes and went to visit Mrs. Anhe Huayang. Mrs. Huayang was very happy to see the stranger wearing this suit. She said: "I am Chu, you are my son, and I am very happy that you wear Chu clothes." Ann Guo Jun said, "My son can be named Zi Chu." Make people thank you From then on, it was also called Zi Chu.

Fourth, the return on investment: Lv Buwei as prime minister.

In 25 1 year BC, Zhao Haoqi, the monarch of Qin State for 56 years, died. At that time, 53-year-old Prince Guo Jun succeeded to the throne. This is Qin Xiaowen. Mrs Huayang is the queen and Zi Chu is the prince. Zhao Pai's wife, Zhao Shi, and her son returned to Qin.

I don't know if it's because I'm too excited to wait for the throne, or because I've been happy for a long time. Once in North Korea, I was knocked down by complicated government affairs. King Xiaowen died suddenly only three days after he ascended the throne.

Lv Buwei is complacent about Zi Chu being made a prince. Unexpectedly, more amazing news followed. According to the laws of Qin, Prince Zi Chu succeeded to the throne. Over the years, Lv Buwei took great pains, not for this purpose? But he never imagined that this day would come so quickly and suddenly.

Zi Chu acceded to the throne, is for ZhuangXiang king. The new king didn't break his word. The first order he issued after he ascended the throne was specifically issued for Lv Buwei: "Take Lv Buwei as the prime minister, seal the imperial edict, and take Lantian (now Lantian County, Shaanxi Province) as the food city." (Later changed to Luoyang, Henan100000 households. )

The minister of civil and military affairs of Qin was stunned by this order. Because, among the officials of the dynasty, no one has this honor. Even in the history of Qin, there are only two people who are prime ministers and Hou at the same time. Lv Buwei humble cloth, neither martial arts, nor achievements, what virtue does he have, how can he rise so high, and set the officer, jue, fief in one?

Lv Buwei knows that this is only the return of his investment in Handan many years ago.

The first thing Lv Buwei did when he came to power was to forgive sinners, reward the heroes of the former king, and show some small favors to the people. Although this is a set of conventions after kings came to power, as a ruler, Lv Buwei had to do this old routine because the new king ascended the throne. However, for Lv Buwei, it still has a purpose, or it contains profound significance.

Lv Buwei knew that before he became prime minister, he had nothing in political achievements and martial arts; There is no way to talk about influence and status. Therefore, it is very important to implement "moral politics" and use "virtue" and "righteousness" to motivate and win over subjects. Moreover, judging from Lv Buwei's later words and deeds, "virtue" and "righteousness" did occupy a more important position in his ideological system. As a result, it has brought new ideological color to Qin, who has always advocated "heavy punishment and heavy law"; In the way of governance, changes have also taken place.

King Xiang of Zhuang died after only three years as monarch, and Prince Zheng, who was only 13 years old, ascended the throne. Lv Buwei continued to serve as prime minister, assisting the imperial court as "Guan Zhong". So until the ninth year of Wang Zheng, that is, in 238 BC, the age of Qin Wang's rule was 2 1. During the 12 years when Lv Buwei was the prime minister of Qin State, the military and political power of Qin State was in his hands.

Five, excellent martial arts

During the reign of Lv Buwei, the State of Qin expanded steadily in the Central Plains, and finally established the initiative and dominant position of the whole war situation at the end of the Warring States Period.

First of all, the Qin Dynasty perished in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and it was a small country living in the commons (now Gongxian County, Henan Province). The Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty were two small countries divided in the territory of the Zhou royal family in the early Warring States period. In 256 BC, Zhao Haoqi of Qin destroyed the Western Zhou Dynasty. In the same year, he died, and the nominal week no longer existed. But the Eastern Zhou Dynasty still exists, and its ruler is Duke Zhou. Although the Duke of Zhou was not called the "son of heaven", he was a remnant of the Zhou royal family, so his existence was regarded as a major obstacle to the unification of China by the rulers of the Qin Dynasty. But destroying him for no reason will be morally condemned.

In 249 BC (the first year of King Zhuang Xiang), the Eastern Zhou Dynasty overreached itself and conspired with the vassal states to attack the State of Qin. Lv Buwei seized this opportunity, led his army to conquer the Eastern Zhou Dynasty easily, and incorporated his territory into the territory of the State of Qin. Lv Buwei also ordered the Duke of Zhou to be moved to Yang Ren (now Linruxi, Henan Province) so that he could make sacrifices and continue the famous and powerless clan of Zhou people.

This move shows that Lv Buwei's political vision is different from that of previous kings: to destroy the entity of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, not just to worship, which is in line with the Confucian ideal of "prospering the country, succeeding the world, and benefiting the people". For more than a hundred years, Qin conquered the eastern countries by force, which left a very bad impression on the eastern countries. People often condemn it as "the country of tigers and wolves", "benevolence and righteousness are not applied" and "brutality and tyranny". Lv Buwei's move not only eliminated the political obstacles to reunification, but also established "courtesy" and "righteousness" for himself. Implement the image of "prosperity and decline" and "continuation and decline". This image is of extraordinary significance for winning the favor of scholars all over the world and attracting them to the state of Qin. Lv Buwei is extraordinary.

In the same year that the Eastern Zhou Dynasty perished, a general was sent to attack South Korea, and Han Huanhui was forced to cede the State of Qin to Xingyang (both in Xingyang, Henan). Qin set up Sanchuan County there. Elevation and Xingyang have always been a battleground for military strategists. When Qin obtained them, it seized the important road from Kansai to Kanto vassal States, and also opened up a solid frontier for Qin's eastward advancement. At this time, the eastern border of Qin has approached Liang, the capital of Wei (now Kaifeng, Henan), and the edge of Qin Jun can be pointed to the heart of Wei from Sanchuan County.

The following year, in 248 BC (the second year of King Zhuangxiang), Lv Buwei took advantage of Zhao and Wei to attack Yan, and when the rear was empty, he sent Meng Ao to attack Zhao and Wei. Soon, Zhao's Taiyuan (now Taiyuan, Shanxi), Wei's (now Jincheng, Shanxi) and Jixian (now near Jixian, Henan) were captured. Subsequently, a large-scale offensive was launched in the western part of Zhao, and 37 cities including Yuci (near Yuci, Shanxi), Xincheng (near New Town, Shanxi) and Langya (north of Yangqu, Shanxi) were successively won.

In 247 BC (the third year of King Xiang of Qinzhuang), Lv Buwei ordered the general Wang Bi to attack Shangdang County in South Korea (now the northwest of Shaanxi Province), occupy it all and rebuild Shangdang County. At the same time, Taiyuan County was established in Taiyuan, the hometown of Zhao State, and a large area of land nearby.

From the death of King Xiang Zhuang to the Qin Dynasty, Lv Buwei still carried out the general plan of "near attack", that is, North Korea, Zhao and Wei were the main targets. In 245 BC (the second year of King Qin), Qin captured the volume of Wei State (now the north of Wucheng, Henan Province) and beheaded 30,000 people. From 244 BC to 243 BC, Qin Jun successively captured 65,438+03 cities in South Korea and Tianyi and zhecheng county in Wei. In 242 BC, the army invaded Wei, and successively occupied 20 cities including Zao, Yan, Xu, (both in Changyuan), Changping (northwest of Henan), (Qiliang of Henan) and (southeast of Jiaozuo of Henan), and established Dong Jun here. The following year, Qin captured the state of Wei (now Qixian County, Henan Province). At this point, most of Korea, Wei and the western part of Zhao belong to the territory of Qin.

In the meantime, Qin also destroyed Wei, a small vassal state of Wei (Records of the First Qin Emperor: "Six years, ..." According to another record, Wei was destroyed by Wei several years ago. Lv Buwei moved Wei Junjiao from Puyang to Wang Ye (now Qinyang, Henan Province), where he continued to maintain the nominal throne. This treatment is obviously similar to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, showing a kind of "kindness" and "power" ruling strategy, which is different from the Qin Dynasty's past practice of killing things blindly. However, in his attitude towards Wei Jun, Lv Buwei seems to have some complicated old country complex.

In 24 1 year BC, Zhao, Chu, Wei, Han and Yan joined forces to attack the state of Qin again. However, the five-nation allied forces were vulnerable and quickly disintegrated after being countered by Qin. From then on, the eastern countries could no longer fight back, only waiting to be eliminated by Qin.

In 238 BC (the ninth year of the King of Qin), he launched a multi-channel attack on the State of Wei, occupying the city wall, Puyang (all in today's Shaanxi) and Yan (north of today's Zhengzhou, Henan). Wei, once a vast territory, now only has a small area east of the defeated soldiers and girders.

The success of intransitive verbs

If we say that Qin's military victory during Lv Buwei's administration was based on the past decades, and a considerable part of it was due to the heroic struggle of Qin Jun soldiers, then at the same time, Qin's achievements in civil affairs are closely linked with Lv Buwei. Created a brand-new situation of Qin ideology and culture, and wrote a glorious chapter of Qin ideology and culture. It can be said that without Lv Buwei, such a glorious page would probably be lacking in the history of Qin State.

Lv Buwei pays attention to sandwiches, which are generally manifested in the following aspects:

1. In governing the country, in addition to advocating the rule of law with heavy punishment and heavy law, it also advocates strengthening the education of etiquette and righteousness. In Lu Chunqiu, the editor-in-chief, there is an article called Suntech, which says: "For the world and the country, there is no so-called virtue, and there is no so-called righteousness. Virtue is righteous, people are advised to be unpaid, and evil is not punished. " It means that guiding the world with "virtue" and "righteousness" can achieve the effect of returning people to good and evil without "reward" or "punishment". This idea of combining morality with punishment is quite different from the tradition of full-time punishment in Qin State. Reflected in the strategy of the merger of the six eastern countries, a combination of rigidity and softness was formed: just like the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the defending of the country, in addition to being completely wiped out by force, sometimes it was used to woo and appease.

2. Change the past policy of cultural blockade and introduce a large number of cultures from eastern countries, especially their talents. Although Qin has a tradition of employing foreign talents, for a long time, the people welcomed by Qin are mainly those with legalist views, which makes Qin's culture very simple and poor. After Lv Buwei became Qin Xiang, he extensively absorbed and introduced talents from the East and was welcomed by hundred schools of thought. For a time, people all over the world were "brilliant" (originally referring to the mistakes in the five colors, which are described as grand occasions here) and fought against Qin. It is said that there are as many as 3000 guests gathered at the entrance of Lujia, including Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, Yin and Yang, Buddhism, army, agriculture and famous disciples. These scholars have formed a huge talent pool around Lv Buwei and played the role of a think tank. Like Li Si, who later made important contributions to the unification and establishment of the Qin Dynasty, he was originally cast under Lv Buwei.

3. Take the essence of a hundred schools of thought, and establish a theoretical system that draws on others' strengths. During Lv Buwei's administration, the signs of national unity were very obvious. At that time, some thinkers and politicians were studying the military and political strategy of reunifying China and how to govern a unified country. Lv Buwei is also thinking. However, he adopted a compromise method to construct his theoretical system. He thought, "Everything has its ups and downs." So are people. Therefore, a good scholar can make up for his shortcomings by being dumb. Therefore, dummies have the world. "("Lv Chunqiu Xia Meng Ji Yongzhong ") Lv Buwei knows that people and things have their own shortcomings and their own strengths. Only those who are good at absorbing and using the strengths of others to make up for their own shortcomings can succeed and win the world. So, he organized his guests, gave full play to what everyone had learned, wrote a book, and compiled his masterpiece "Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals".

Qin was first located in the west of Qishan, where Rong and Di lived. Due to the influence of geographical and ethnic factors, a social habit different from that of the Central Plains has been formed: strong men are martial. In addition, it is located in the west and has little communication with other countries, which has also caused a backward situation in ideology and culture. For example, none of the contending figures in the Warring States period was cultivated on the land of Qin. Therefore, it is a great feat and event in the history of the development of Qin culture that Lv Buwei accepts talents from all over the world and is eclectic. The emergence of Lv Chunqiu, a miscellaneous work reflecting the infiltration of various schools of thought and the confluence of a hundred schools of thought at the end of the Warring States period, made ideological and cultural preparations for the reunification of Qin State. Thanks to Lv Buwei's cultural work, Qin can undertake the great cause of reunification without shame.

Next, I will focus on Lv Chunqiu.

Seven, the origin and general situation of Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals.

Biography of Historical Records of Lv Buwei describes the origin of the compilation of Lu Chunqiu: "Wei Xin, Chu Youchun, Zhao You and Qi You were all corporal and welcomed guests. Lv Buwei was ashamed of Qiang Qin, but also attracted scholars and met them cordially, with 3,000 diners. At that time, the princes were all eloquent, such as Xun Qing's disciples, who wrote books and made statements that spread all over the world. Lv Buwei made his guests know that the theory is' Eight Views',' Six Theories' and' Twelve Dynasties', with more than 200,000 words. "

Xin, Chun and He were called the "Four Childes" in the Warring States Period. They are all famous for their manners, corporal and many diners. After Lv Buwei was appointed as Qin Xiang, he realized that although Qin was powerful, there were many warriors and few scholars, so he was at a disadvantage compared with the eastern vassal states. He attracted guests and imitated the writing style at that time, which enabled them to compile Lv Chunqiu with more than 200,000 words. These records in Historical Records give us a general understanding of Lu's writing of Chunqiu. However, it is necessary to add two points:

1. "Four sons" foster scholars mainly to expand their own power, and foster scholars have deeper intentions (for example, let him compile Lu Chunqiu), which is not as good as "Four sons". Wang Chong of the Han Dynasty said: "The people of the six countries are light when they are United, but heavy when they are separated. When they arrived in Chu, they were finished by Zhao Zhao who rebelled against Wei." (on balance and effectiveness). It means that during the Warring States period, scholars turned against each other, which is of great significance to the success or failure of a country. Lv Buwei, from the East, certainly understood that Qin did not have an advantage in this "battlefield" for talents, so he wanted to recruit scholars extensively to make up for the lack of Qin culture and prepare for the unification of culture and talents (of course, he also had the intention of recruiting talents to expand his power). Judging from the later history, Lv Buwei's talents were indeed used by Qin Shihuang and became the pillar of Qin State.

2. Before Lv Chunqiu was written, although many works with a hundred schools of thought were published and distributed all over the world, it was the first time that Lv Buwei wrote an anthology in an organized and planned way. Moreover, among the existing works of pre-Qin philosophers, the genre like Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals is unique. In this sense, the compilation and publication of Lv Chunqiu is a great pioneering work in China's ideological and cultural history.

Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals is divided into three parts: Twelve Dynasties, Eight Views and Six Theories. Because it is a planned organization, it is very neat in form. Its original features are: Meng Chun, Midspring, Ji Chun, Xia Meng, Midsummer, Late Summer, Qiu Meng, Midautumn, Qiu Ji, Mengdong, Midwinter and Jidong in the 12th generation. Eight readings are beginning, filial piety, prudence, knowing first, detailed analysis, careful thinking, deviating from the customs and relying on the monarch, with 8 articles each. The "six theories" are spring theory, caution theory, directness theory, detail theory, conformity theory and tolerance theory. Each theory has six articles: plus the preface (that is, the preface), * * you 1665438+. However, there is a phenomenon of loose loss in circulation. Therefore, there are only seven "You" in Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals, and there are not many articles left in the preface.

Eight, a carefully selected sage's words

Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals is neat in style and complicated in content. Ban Gu, a historian in the Han Dynasty, said it was a "combination of Confucianism and Mohism", while Wang Zhong, a scholar in the Qing Dynasty, thought it was a "combination of philosophers" in the pre-Qin period. Indeed, scholars who participated in the compilation of Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals came from all directions and brought different schools of thought. However, a careful analysis of the contents of Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals still has its distinct tendency. It did not mechanically copy the original views of Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Nongjiale, militarist and Yin-Yang family, but made some choices and reforms according to the political needs at that time. Of course, there are traces of patchwork.

Ding introduced some of these viewpoints here.

Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals agrees with the Confucian concept of "the righteousness of monarch and minister" and cites two historical facts to illustrate this truth. First of all:

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhi Bo, a nobleman in the State of Jin, was victimized, and a part of the State of Jin was carved up by Zhao. Yu Rang, a vassal of Zhi Bo, was determined to avenge Zhi Bo. He shaved his beard and eyebrows, was black all over, broke his limbs and hands, put on rags and went home to beg his wife.

His wife looks like a beggar, but she sounds like her husband, which is suspicious. Look here. After Yurang left, she swallowed charcoal and destroyed her voice, making her wife unable to distinguish her voice. After the success of the disguise, Jade Jean intends to assassinate Zhao Xiangzi.

At this time, a good friend of Yurang saw that he had caused so much harm to himself and asked him, "How can you have such an idea?" Yurang replied, "I want to avenge Zhi Bo." "But," said the friend, "you have suffered for nothing, and nothing will come of it. Your spirit is commendable, but it is extremely unwise! " The friend continued to advise, "Take your talents to Zhao Xiangzi, and Zhao Xiangzi will certainly make good use of you. How easy will it be for you to take measures to kill him? "

"This statement is not good!" Jade let retorted, "If you say so, you will betray new friends and repay old friends. What could be more serious than harming the new master for the sake of the old king and violating the righteousness of the monarch and his subjects? This runs counter to my original intention of revenge. The reason why I want to avenge Zhi Bo is to maintain and carry forward the righteousness of the monarch and the minister, not to take any shortcuts. "

Second:

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Chu's uncle Zhu Lishu was a minister of Gong Ao. Uncle Zhu Lishu found that Ju didn't trust himself, so he decided to resign. However, one day, it was reported that Zhu Gongao was besieged by the enemy, which was very crucial. Uncle Zhu Lishu immediately bid farewell to his friends and prepared to go to the Aogong mansion to die with him. Someone advised him to say, "You left because Zhu Gongao didn't trust you, and now you are going to die with him. Is there no difference between trusting you and not trusting you? "

"Otherwise!" Uncle Julie sternly retorted, "Before, I left him because he didn't trust me. Now he is in trouble. If I don't go, it will only prove that he is right not to trust me. I'm going to have a hard time with him at this moment. I'm going to use this action to warn those monarchs who can't identify loyal subjects and make them feel guilty and blame themselves. In this way, the loyal ministers of later generations will not be misunderstood like me. If the loyal minister is not misunderstood by the king, then the king's position will be stable forever. "

Lu Chunqiu also developed and applied the Taoist thought of "governing by doing nothing". It said, "Ancient kings did little, but there were many reasons." . Because of your skill, for the people, I also. Lv Chunqiu also believes that as long as the monarch works hard on employing people, other things can be "inaction": "The sage works hard on asking for people and only works hard on governing things." ("Dong Ji Ji Shi Festival")

There are many Mohist viewpoints in Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals, which advocate the ideas of "Shang Xian", "non-attack" and "saving the burial".

Legalists advocate seeking truth from facts, "king after law" (that is, paying attention to the current reality), and oppose empty talk about "king before law" (imitating king before law). In Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals, these viewpoints are expounded in Li Yu, History of the Party, Cha Jin and Bu Er. Legalists advocate the unity of law and discipline, and the monarch must control power and be proficient in politics. The chapters in Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals, such as Visiting the Capital, Shen Shi, You Ju, Shu Ren, Farewell and Du Zhi, are all devoted to the art of governing the country according to law and the south by the people.

Nine, the meaning of saints

Lv Buwei, as the prime minister of Qin State, once again appeared as a saint, which shows that he realized that it is flawed to govern the country only from the viewpoint of a certain faction. It is impossible for Qin to rule by legalists alone. Therefore, he put forward the political strategy of uniting various schools of thought, especially advocating the integration of Confucianism and law to facilitate rule and management. Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals is actually a policy agenda.

It's a pity that "Lv Chunqiu" was published not long after, and it was put in the cold by Qin Shihuang. One of the reasons is that there are serious differences between Lv Buwei's policy agenda and the ideas of the government of the King of Qin (this issue will be discussed in "Ying Zheng Governing the People Alone" below).

no