Chapter 201 Governing a Country is Like Enlightenment

Liu Fu now wants to argue about who is right and who is wrong.

This was understandable for Liu Fu, since although he had taken control of Liaodong and become its king, he actually didn't have much experience as a ruler.

Xun Yu or Zhuge Liang could have seen this, but Liu Fu couldn't. It wasn't that he lacked ability, but simply that he had very little experience outside of his official position.

This has nothing to do with Liu Fu's identity as a time traveler; it's simply due to a lack of experience.

At this moment, seeing Liu Fu suddenly begin to ponder the issues of law and reason and begin to feel confused about them, Zhuge Liang and Xun Yu felt very gratified.

The two of them felt that their previous efforts in assisting Liu Fu had not been in vain, and that everything Liu Fu was now on was the right path.

In the minds of Zhuge Liang and Xun Yu, Liu Fu had finally reached a crossroads. He would face a new choice. It should be said that at this moment, as a monarch and a ruler, Liu Fu was finally about to complete his advancement.

This is no ordinary advancement; it's an advancement from a wise ruler to an emperor of all time.

Everything Liu Fu had done before, from improving people's livelihoods and recovering lost territories to eliminating foreign tribes and finally achieving unification, was only a nominal unification. Other foreign states had not yet been destroyed; they had merely submitted to him and paid tribute.

If one could accomplish all of this, one could be considered a wise ruler, or even a wise ruler for all time. However, in the minds of Zhuge Liang and Xun Yu, there was a difference between a wise ruler and a great emperor for all time.

There can be many wise rulers, but one emperor is unique, and that is a greater achievement.

To achieve all this, of course, many choices must be made in various aspects.

Zhuge Liang, who never overstepped his authority, made the decision on behalf of Liu Fu and issued orders.

"Commander Fang, please stand up. The King will not blame you. In fact, you will be rewarded for this in the future. If there is nothing else, everyone may leave and go about your business."

For a subject to issue orders on behalf of a king or even the emperor is a grave taboo.

Zhuge Liang felt he understood Liu Fu very well; he knew what kind of person Liu Fu should be, even though he was now standing at the crossroads of becoming an emperor.

"How about we handle it this way, Liang?"

Since he's already said that, there must be a reason behind it. Liu Fu knew that a wise man would never do anything excessive, and a wise man like Zhuge Liang would never do anything presumptuous. But since he has done it now, there must be a deeper meaning behind it.

"Perhaps I was wrong. Mr. Zhuge has corrected my mistake, and Hai Rui has submitted a memorial to the throne. So let's do it this way."

Liu Fu did not circumvent the matter, nor did he try to gloss over it for the sake of saving face. He went directly to Commander Fang and said to him:

"I will think about it carefully when I get back. If I have done something wrong, I will definitely apologize to you and give you justice."

"I will not let you down. I will go back and think about this matter carefully. Await my reply."

With such an attitude, even if Liu Fu was truly wrong, how could these officials and ordinary people blame him?

They probably don't even have time to love and respect him more.

As expected, as soon as Liu Fu said this, Commander Fang was moved to tears. Some of the people below also couldn't help but cover their faces and cry. Their tears were not because they had been wronged, but because they had such an extraordinary prince as Liu Fu. He would stand up straight when he was beaten and admit his mistakes. He was so simple and honest.

He speaks his mind directly and never beats around the bush, which is extremely rare.

Liu Fu did not stop the people from decorating and celebrating at the wedding site. They were there to warm up the atmosphere for him. Since Zhuge Liang had already made the decision for him, there was no need to stop them.

But on the way back, sitting in the carriage, Liu Fu asked the question that had been on his mind.

"You just helped me make a decision, and I'm sure you have your reasons. Now I'm a bit confused. Could you tell me your reasons?"

Zhuge Liang then looked at Xun Yu, the two exchanged a smile, and then nodded.

Zhuge Liang first asked:

"May I ask Your Majesty, do you intend to transform Liaodong and the Later Han into a powerful Qin, or into an early Han?"

Liu Fu asked in confusion, "Is there any difference between them?"

Just then, Xun Yu spoke up and hit the nail on the head.

"Of course there is a difference. If Your Majesty wants to transform Liaodong and the Later Han into a powerful Qin, then you must learn from the methods of Shang Yang, strengthen the army and the country. Then you must nail the law to the back, without any human sentiment, and do everything according to the law."

"Then how should I transform Liaodong and the Later Han into the Early Han?" Liu Fu didn't quite understand the differences between the powerful Qin and the Early Han at this time, but he still asked casually.

Zhuge Liang then said, "The first period of the reign of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing was after the founding of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing allowed the people to recuperate and thrive. Although their reputation in history is far less than that of other emperors who were unparalleled, they were all wise rulers throughout the ages. When they allowed the people to recuperate and thrive, the laws they implemented were reasonable and compassionate."

After Zhuge Liang and Xun Yu explained it this way, Liu Fu probably understood a little about the difference between the two.

What made the Qin Dynasty powerful?

To put it bluntly, it was actually Shang Yang's reforms. All the laws in Shang Yang's Law were fixed and had no room for reason or compassion. If one family committed a crime, ten families would be implicated. However, if you killed enemies and made meritorious contributions, you could get a title and official salary.

This did indeed ensure that there were laws to follow, but it lacked any human touch whatsoever. In the end, the mighty Qin Dynasty became a war machine and a gear for slaughter. They did indeed sweep across the six states and achieve a great hegemony, but in the end, they were destroyed by harsh laws and punishments that had no human touch whatsoever.

Because they ignored the living conditions of the common people, had no idea about their feelings, and did not treat them as human beings, but as emotionless expendable resources, when they finally exerted too much pressure on the people, the people were unable to bear it and rose up in rebellion to overthrow them.

When the law is grounded in human compassion, it adapts to human feelings, enabling corrective measures to be implemented. While this may inevitably breed some gray or even black injustices, it can better serve the people.

Ultimately, humans are emotional beings; they are not waste materials, but living, breathing beings with thoughts.

At this moment, it seemed that even Liu Fu realized that he had come into contact with a deeper level of thinking. This was a deeper, more fundamental reflection on the future governance philosophy. At this moment, his decision would begin to determine the future direction of the entire empire and where the Later Han Dynasty would go.

What kind of Later Han state should we build?

Liu Fu understood.