After reading "Historical Records: Qin Benji" (3)

There is one last story worth mentioning about Duke Mu of Qin. It can be used as a summary of Qin Mugong's ruling policy

When the King of Rong heard that Duke Mu of Qin was virtuous, he sent a man named Youyu to visit Qin State. This Youyu fled to Rongyi from Jin State, so he could speak Mandarin. Duke Mu of Qin showed him the palaces of Qin and the collection of ritual vessels, and Yu Yu said, "How irritating would it be for ghosts and gods to do this?" If this is done by people, how hard it would be! Duke Mu of Qin thought it was very strange. We in the Central Plains use poetry, books, rituals and music to govern the country, but it is not easy to encounter this troubled time.

From this we can clearly see that what Duke Mu of Qin believed in was still relatively traditional. We can think that this is in line with the "mainstream values", a set of Confucian strategies for governing the country with etiquette that has been inherited from the Western Zhou Dynasty.

Yu Yu was obviously prepared, and said with a smile: This is why the Central Plains are in chaos! It is said that in the past, Huangdi made rituals and music, and practiced them, but they were only small rules. When the emperors of later generations became more arrogant and lewd, they put the laws aside and used criminal law as a means. As time went on, the courtiers all harbored resentment, so they usurped the throne and murdered the monarch, and so on. ( Yu Yu's opinion is still very accurate ) The Rong Yi is different. The ruler is full of honesty to treat his subordinates with courtesy, and the subordinates repay him with loyalty and trust. The politics of a country is united in one person. Those who are ceremonial and utensils govern the world, this is the rule of true saints!

In my opinion, Sima Qian here used Yu's mouth, and Yu Yu used the rule of Rong and Yi to point out the debate between the two factions within Confucianism. One faction is the "pragmatic faction", which takes the line of rites and engages in system construction. The representative figure is Xunzi, and Legalism also occurred here; while the other faction is the "essential faction", which takes the line of benevolence and emphasizes. Ritual is not an end but only a means. First of all, we must start from the core of benevolence. The monarch does his best to radiate benevolence and virtue downward. Ritual cannot be a system, but must be a means of conveying benevolence and virtue. The representative figure is Mencius, and Later generations of various "essentialism" scholar-bureaucrats. This debate is very interesting and important, perhaps running through the evolutionary history of Chinese classical politics. For further observation and discussion.

Going back to the story, after the meeting, Duke Mu of Qin came back and asked his staff: I heard that there are saints in neighboring countries, and they are a disaster for us, what should we do? The staff said: first seduce him and make him fascinated; then we divide Yuyu and the Rong King, and apply for an extension of residence in his name, and then we detain him, so that the Rong King suspects him after a long time. When there is discord between the ruler and the minister, we have an opportunity to take advantage of it. Coupled with the fact that the King Rong was addicted to having fun, he would definitely have no time to govern the country. So Duke Mu of Qin did as he did, kept Yuyu and inquired about a lot of information about Rongyi, and then let him go back a year later. The king of Rong has changed greatly, Yu Yu was heartbroken and remonstrated several times, but the king of Rong did not listen. On the other side, Duke Mu of Qin also dug into the wall many times, and finally Yu Yu had no choice but to go to Qin. Duke Mu of Qin treated him with respect and asked him about the crusade against Rongyi.

This passage seems to be a continuation of the story, but it is also a continuation of the debate, although it is not a verbal debate. Didn't Yuyu say "governance of one country is like governance of one body"? It only takes the monarch himself to be unvirtuous, or the rift and distrust between the monarch and his subordinates to destroy the country. This also points out the weakest point of the "essentialism". Of course, we can achieve many great things by relying on our own morality and will, but the existence of rules and institutions as a limitation can support us to govern the country more firmly, rather than causing chaos. This is the essence of "governing the country by law". However, in ancient China, even if there is a school of legalism that pays attention to legal rules, it is still unable to break the setting that imperial power is above everything else. "Essential faction" obviously lost the upper hand in this confrontation.

Finally came the end of Duke Mu of Qin. Duke Mu of Qin is one of the five hegemons in the Spring and Autumn Period, and his story is indeed very exciting and thought-provoking.

Duke Mu of Qin was finally ashamed after his previous failure to attack Jin; the next year he also succeeded in defeating Rong Yi with Yu's help. After another two years, the Qin state changed.