"Xia Qing's meaning, I understand it. You mean, my Datang and Xue Yantuo are just trading this time, and Xue Yantuo paid him a reward, and asked Datang to help him deter the Turks, so that the Turks would not dare to do anything to Xue Yantuo easily. And the tribute is only one of these rewards, but it is far from enough. Li Shimin naturally understood what Xia Hongsheng meant, and said: "Between these countries, how can they be judged by the way of merchants? If Datang does this, it is not moral, who will believe Datang in the future? ”

The Confucian moral system can certainly restrain people's behavior, make people lenient with others, and convince people with virtue.

However, between countries, how can it be judged by the level of morality?

Throughout history, we have never seen a country that has become rich and powerful in the world because of morality.

For a long time, China seems to pay attention to subduing people with virtue between countries, foreign invasions, and after being repulsed, as long as they surrender and surrender, the war will be over. In order to show their generosity and convince people with virtue, the people in power not only will not occupy this place, but will also help those foreigners settle down, cultivate acres of land, release prisoners, and give them some cattle, sheep and horses to show their kindness, so that those foreigners will be grateful to Dade and will not commit crimes in the future.

But the result? It's all known.

So hearing Li Shimin say this, Xia Hongsheng asked rhetorically: "Your Majesty, throughout the ages, has there ever been a country that has not been attacked because of its adherence to morality and has stood to this day?" Since the Zhou Dynasty, the tribes of China (ancient as the righteousness of the Central Plains) and the surrounding foreign tribes have repeatedly attacked each other, but has there ever been a foreign race that has no longer violated because of the morality of the country of the Central Plains? Han Qiangruos has always been morally righteous towards the Huns, and in the end, he didn't rely on Wei Qinghuo and other generals to kill the Huns. This is the end of the idea of the Huns attacking? Your Majesty. There is no real morality between nations. Because behind every country is the interests of the people of countless countries. There is bound to be a conflict of interest. What convinces and obeys other countries is never the morality of saints, but force and hegemony. Between nations, power is even truth. Only a strong country has the right to speak, and a weak country can only submit. So, whether it's Xue Yantuo or Tuyuhun. Or Tibet, or Linyi, or Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje, and Wa Kingdom...... The reason why they surrendered to Datang was not because of Datang's morality, but because of Datang's strength. If one day they become stronger, they will no longer surrender to the Tang Dynasty. Turkic, isn't that exactly the best example of this? During the reign of Emperor Kaihuang of the former Sui Dynasty, the Central Plains was prosperous, and the Siyi were attached, and then the world was in turmoil, and the Siyi took the opportunity to attack. After reaping the benefits, tell them the words of a saint at this time. Will morality be righteous, will they stop? During the Wude period, the Tang Dynasty was first established, and the humiliation suffered by the Turks was great! Why didn't you see morality at that time? Why don't you see the Turkic submission? And why did the Turks surrender now, it is not because the Tang Dynasty is no longer what it used to be, and the Tang Dynasty is stronger than the Turks, at this time, compared to attacking the Tang Dynasty, surrendering to the Tang Dynasty is more beneficial to the Turks, so the Turks want to be ministers in person. ”

That's what it is, between countries, no matter how good the words are and how harmonious the performances are, they can't change the truth behind their own interests.

Xia Hongsheng's words made Li Shimin bow his head and think about it, and the officials of the Honglu Temple were also thoughtful, reminiscing about Xia Hongsheng's words.

Seeing that everyone was already thinking about it, Xia Hongsheng decided to take the opportunity to take the lead again, telling them to abandon the illusory "great power bearing" and not throw aside the interests of the country for the sake of a false face. So he raised his voice and said, "Your Majesty and all of you have hunted, you should know that there are wolves, tigers, pheasants and rabbits in the mountains and forests. Pheasants and rabbits are weak and powerless, and tigers and wolves are extremely fierce. And its pheasant rabbit and the like, when it meets the tiger and wolf, it becomes its belly. This is called: the meat of the weak, the food of the strong! The same is true of the country. The law of the jungle, survival of the fittest! If Datang is a tiger wolf, Siyi will not dare to commit it, and if it is a pheasant, it will become a food in Siyi's mouth! If he is not weakened, he will become a tiger and a wolf in the future, and how can a mountain accommodate two tigers? There will be disputes. Now he has a request for me, so he bowed his head and called his minister, he was strong and strong, and he bit back. Your Majesty, and all of you are well-read in history books, is this kind of thing happening less? If Datang is virtuous today, helps him prosper, and treats him prosperous, he will suffer from his offense in the future, why not Mr. Dongguo, the farmer and the snake? ! ”

Li Shimin, who was listening to Xia Hongsheng's words on the throne and was thoughtful, was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously opened his mouth to ask, "Mr. Dongguo?" Who is it? What about the farmer and the snake? ”

"Uh......" Xia Hongsheng scratched his head, and secretly said in his heart, this mouth ran a train, forgetting that these two stories have not appeared yet!

So he said: "These are two stories that Wei Chen saw from ancient books, in order to warn the world, don't be merciful to bad people. The farmer and the snake say, 'When a farmer meets a snake in winter, he doubts that it is stiff, but he picks it up and warms it with his own body.' The snake was frightened, and Naisu, with his instinct, killed the farmer with sharp teeth. The farmer was on the verge of death and repented: I want to do good, but I have learned a shallow reason, but I have harmed my own life, and I have suffered this evil retribution. This story expresses that we must distinguish between good and evil, and we can only extend our helping hand to good people. Even if the wicked are righteous, their nature will not change. Bad people won't be moved by your zeal. ”

Li Shimin listened, looked at Xia Hongsheng in surprise, and asked with interest: "What about Mr. Dongguo?" ”

"It is said that there was a scholar, called Dongguo, who rode a donkey one day, and met a wolf on the road, and begged for him: I was wounded by the hunter, and fled in pain, and the hunter came to seek to hide it in order to avoid calamity, and then there will be heavy thanks. Dongguo knew that the wolf was a harmful thing, but he couldn't bear to see it crying, so he hid the wolf in the bag, bullied people, and led the wrong way. After the hunter went, Dongguo let the wolf out, but he heard the wolf say again: Sir has saved my life, and I am very hungry at the moment, if good things come in pairs, let me eat Mr. and be full. Dongguo called him ungrateful and refused to resist it. When the peasants resisted the hoe, they asked why, but they sued the peasants and thought it was a judgment. The peasants laughed and said: It is not enough to hold the letter. Try to bag it again, I look at the situation, is it difficult? The wolf gladly obeyed, Mr. Stretch Foot. The gentleman put it back in his pocket, and lifted it on his shoulder, and the wolf didn't know it. Immediately, the farmer swung his hoe down, and the wolf whimpered. Dong Guo said: "Don't hurt the wolf? The peasant smiled and said: "The beast is so gracious, and it is still unbearable to kill, and the son is benevolent, but it is also very stupid!" From the well to save people, undress to live friends, in the other plan to get, if it is like death! What is that sir? Benevolence falls into foolishness, and the solid gentleman does not do it! Xia Hongsheng told Li Shimin this story, and said: "This story also says that you should not pity the wicked like a wolf at all!" Those who are foreigners, why not be like the snake in the farmer's arms and the wolf in the bag of Dongguo?! (To be continued.) )