Seventeen: Foolish Loyalty and True Loyalty
"What the prince said is unheard of, but it has opened my eyes. However, this conversation must not be leaked to the emperor's ears, or else it will bring great harm to the prince."
When Lu Zhi came to, he stared at Liu Bian in front of him as if he was looking at a treasure. He knew that this young prince had the courage that an emperor should have, and more importantly, he had a unique idea, which was the people-oriented thought of Confucianism, the most ideal candidate for the throne in Confucianism. So, the idea of protecting him immediately arose in his heart.
"Thank you, Minister, for reminding me. However, since this conversation is between us, I'm sure it won't reach the Emperor's ears. Although the court is filled with sycophants and eunuchs like the Ten Attendants, Liu Bian also knows that there are still loyal and righteous officials like yourself, Minister. Therefore, I hope you can support me and help me with a matter."
"The Crown Prince has given an order, and I will certainly do my best to assist him."
"This time Liu Bian made an excuse to find a teacher, originally he wanted to ask the Emperor to let him take Cai University as his master, does the Minister know what Liu Bian is thinking in his heart?"
"The prince clearly wants to make Cai a teacher, could it be that he wants to use this as an excuse to let the emperor bring Cai back from Lingnan to the capital?"
"Heh heh, not bad, but Father Emperor was unwilling to agree, so that's why we need Minister Lu's help this time."
"This move by the prince is a very good one. All scholars in the world will be grateful to you for this, and after Cai University returns to the capital, he can also threaten those petty people, so the lower officials must fully support the prince."
"Your Excellency, Lu Shangshu, Liu Bian is indeed young and weak at present. He wants to change the situation in the world, but he has more ambition than power. If Liu Bian has the opportunity to take control of the Han Dynasty in the future, I hope that no matter what the situation is, you will pay attention to preserving your useful body and assist Liu Bian in the future."
"Don't worry, Your Highness, from now on I will follow your orders only."
After Lu Zhi left, Liu Bian checked his personal interface and found that Lu Zhi had indeed pledged allegiance to him, as Lu Zhi's loyalty towards him had already reached 90%.
Three days later, unexpectedly, the Spirit Emperor sent another teacher to Liu Bian, who was none other than the Remonstrance Great Officer Liu Tao, and also a distant relative of the imperial family, just like Liu Bei, whose bloodline was no longer pure.
"Lord Liu, please take a seat. Liu Bian has long heard that you are a man of great talent and have a thorough understanding of people, and that you are also deeply loyal to the imperial court. Therefore, I have a question that I would like to ask for your guidance, Lord Liu. If you can satisfy my query, I am willing to pay my respects to you as my teacher."
Liu Bian's opening remarks were quite appreciated by Liu Tao, the Remonstrance Counselor. They had long heard that Emperor Ling was not too fond of this Crown Prince because his behavior was somewhat frivolous. However, upon seeing him today, Liu Tao found that the prince's expression was solemn and he did not appear to be an ignorant child at all.
"What problem does the Crown Prince have? I will definitely try my best to solve it for you."
"Liu Bian wanted to ask Liu Daren, what is true loyalty?"
"What is true loyalty?" Minister Liu Tao's expression changed upon hearing this, and he couldn't help but glance at Liu Bian, only to find him staring intently at himself. He replied:
"Zhōng, as a Confucian classic, can be divided into two types: great loyalty and small loyalty. Small loyalty refers to filial piety, being obedient to one's parents and elders, which is the heart of small loyalty. Great loyalty, on the other hand, means being loyal to the Son of Heaven, sharing his worries, and seeking welfare for the people."
"May I ask, Lord Liu, if the Son of Heaven does not practice benevolent governance, what would you do as a remonstrating official?"
"If the Son of Heaven does not practice benevolent ways, I, a humble minister, will certainly exert my utmost efforts to remonstrate with the Son of Heaven, striving to correct his mistakes and devote my whole heart to it."
"If the Son of Heaven not only does not listen to advice, but also harms loyal and good people, and is deceived by petty men, with flattery prevailing, then what should Lord Liu do?"
"I, your humble servant, will certainly die for my remonstrance, I will not spare this body of mine, and use my own blood to awaken the Son of Heaven, nothing but death."
Facing Liu Bian's repeated questioning, Remonstrance Great Officer Liu Tao did not hesitate in the slightest and replied with a stern expression. However, Liu Bian shook his head at him and said softly to him:
"Confused, confused."
Liu Tao, the Grand Master of Remonstrance, was stunned as soon as he heard this. Throughout his life, what he had learned and thought about was to die for loyalty to the imperial court and to the emperor. He had indeed done so in history. Later, along with Chen Min, the Minister of Works, they were imprisoned by Emperor Ling for their remonstrance and eventually died at the hands of the Ten Eunuchs.
But today, Prince Liu Bian scolded him for being muddle-headed, which really made him feel a bit muddled. He couldn't help but look at Liu Bian with an uncomprehending expression on his face:
"I, your humble servant, am willing to die in loyalty to the great Han and faithful to the Son of Heaven. What confusion is there? I still hope that the imperial son will have a way to instruct me."
"Liu Bian may be young and ignorant, but he also understands that the word 'loyalty' is not divided into small loyalty and great loyalty as adults say, but rather into foolish loyalty and true loyalty."
"What is foolish loyalty? What is true loyalty?" Adviser Liu Tao was deeply moved by these words and hastily asked.
"Blind loyalty refers to being extremely devoted to a particular person, without distinguishing between good and evil, right and wrong, with blind devotion, even to the point of sacrificing one's own life to demonstrate one's loyalty. Although this may seem to show loyalty on the surface, it may also leave a lasting legacy."
But he is a foolish man, an unwise man, because the object of your loyalty is not worth your loyalty. True loyalty means clearly identifying the object of one's loyalty and then resolutely supporting anything that benefits that object, while also preserving one's own useful self, in order to do even more useful things.
"What did the prince say is the object of a person's true loyalty?" Liu Tao asked.
"Ordinary foolish husbands and wives, the objects of their loyalty in their hearts are often their masters, so everything they do is for their masters; but for someone like Governor Liu, a high-ranking official of the imperial court and a great scholar of the land, can't he even tell who he should be loyal to? Mencius once said: 'The people are the most important, the altars of the soil and grain come next, and the ruler is the lightest.' So, Governor Liu, do you think the object of your loyalty should be the Son of Heaven or the common people of the land?"
Liu Bian's last words were like a thunderclap, shocking Liu Tao, the Remonstrance Official, and making his mind reverberate for a moment before suddenly clearing up, as if he had found direction from a mass of confusion, as if he had found a path from the edge of a cliff, leaving him both drenched in sweat and invigorated.
Moreover, Liu Bian's natural talent and majestic demeanor once again played a role, causing the Remonstrance Counselor Liu Tao to see in him the appearance of a future Son of Heaven. In his heart, he couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence for Liu Bian, which also made up his mind as he had been wavering about which imperial son to support.
