Overview
The term "people-based" first came from "Song of the Five Sons" in "Shangshu". The original sentence is: "The emperor has a lesson, the people can be close, but not down." The people are the foundation of the country, and the foundation is solid and the country is peaceful. " is a poem written by Xia Kang's younger brother to exhort Xia Kang. It means that the people are the foundation of the country. As a ruler, you must respect the people, value the people, love the people, recognize the power of the people, self-discipline, and cultivate good virtues. Handle civil and state affairs carefully. .
People’s Livelihood
Zi Gong said: “What if we can give to the people and help everyone? Can it be said to be benevolent? Confucius said: What is necessary for benevolence, it must be holy! Yao and Shun were still sick! "("The Analects of Confucius·Yongye") Whoever can make the people live a good life is a saint who is stronger than Yao and Shun. Confucianism advocates that the monarch should be a sage. Whoever can make the people live a good life is a sage. The rule of the country by sages is the Confucian ideal. .
On the contrary, if the ruler does not make a living for the people, he is a sinner. " ("Mencius: King Hui of Liang, Part 1")
Mencius said: "From this point of view, if the ruler does not practice benevolent government and becomes rich, he will abandon it to Confucius. How about fighting for it? If you fight for land, you will kill people to fill the fields; if you fight for a city, you will kill people and fill the city. This so-called taking advantage of the land and cannibalizing human flesh is a crime punishable by death. "("Mencius Li Lou Shang")
Confucius once said to Zigong: "Enough food. Foot soldiers. The people trust it. "(As a last resort) Go and eat." Death has existed since ancient times, and people cannot stand without faith. But Wang Chong objected. Wang Chong thought: "If you rule the country without food and the people are hungry, you will abandon etiquette and justice; if etiquette and justice are abandoned, trust and security will be established?" It is said: "A man with a solid warehouse knows etiquette; a man with sufficient food and clothing knows honor and disgrace." Let people be born with more than enough, and strive to be born with less. ’ If you stop eating now, will your faith be fulfilled? During the Spring and Autumn Period, during the Warring States Period, people were hungry. They changed their sons to eat, and dissected their corpses to cook. They were hungry but did not eat, and had no time to care about kindness and righteousness. I believe in the kindness of my husband, father and son. Hungry and abandoning faith, he feeds on his son. How about Confucius teaching Zigong to eat and keep his faith? "If you give up your faith and save food, even if you don't want to believe it, faith will be born on your own; if you take off food and keep faith, even if you want to be a believer, your faith will not be established" ("Lunheng·Questioning Confucius"). For most people, the storehouse is a real thing. It is the premise of knowing etiquette. The moral requirements of Confucianists cannot be universal.
Confucianism believes that the people should be relieved of their economic burden. As long as the people are rich, the country cannot be poor.
Civil rights
In Confucianism, the people are the whole people. Civil rights are regardless of status and rank. Civil rights are first and foremost the right to survival, and secondly the right to personality.
Democracy
Confucian "democracy" is to make decisions for the people and to make decisions for the people fairly. The monarch's responsibility is to govern the country well and manage the people well, which is different from today's people-centered characteristics. Democracy, but it is far more meaningful than the "democracy" advocated by liberals.
"Tian Weishi seeks democracy, so he died in Chengtang and died in Xia" ("Shang Shu·"). "Multiple Directions")
"Only if people are born with desires, and there is no master, there will be chaos. " ("Shang Shu·Zhong Hui's Edict").
Confucianism is guided by people-centered doctrine, thinking about people's livelihood and civil rights, being a good home for the people, being a good master, and rejuvenating the country with glory. People-centered care runs through the whole process of governing and rejuvenating the country.
In "Book of the Later Han·Cen Peng Biography", Guangwu wrote to Cen Peng with emotion: "Every time I send out troops, my hair will turn white. "This was because he was intolerant of the difficulty of survival for the people, so after the unification of the country, he firmly opposed the aggressive plan of war against the Huns. He said: "Today there is no good governance in the country, disasters continue, the people are panicked, and people are not at ease. "Bao, but if you want to go far and far away, you will go beyond the borders." "If you can sincerely raise half of the world to destroy the big bandits, wouldn't it be your ultimate wish? If it's not the right time, it's better to stop people." "The starting point is still to consider the people's livelihood, fearing that during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the phenomenon of excessive military force and wasting most of the country would be repeated.
Emperor Guangwu governed the country and family frugally. He lived frugally. "The clothes are well-trained. Color without color. The ears do not listen to the voice of Zheng and Wei. Do not play with pearls and jade in your hands" ("Book of the Later Han·Biographies of Xunli"). It is strictly forbidden to offer strange smells and advocate thin burials. In the edict, he said: "I have no benefit to the people, just like the emperor Xiaowen's system, I must obey the province..." (" "Emperor Guangwu"), he still remembered the people before his death. How could the people not miss such a person? How could the people not welcome such a person as the leader of the people?
Open the people's discussion
Only by hearing the truth from the people can we realize the principle of serving the people. Therefore, Confucius and later generations of Confucianists have always opposed blocking the people's mouth and "the road is based on the eyes." , "Dare to be angry but dare not speak" has long been an idiom for Chinese people to demand freedom of speech. "Do what the people like. Whatever the people hate, do it. "("The University"), in this case, how can you know the likes and dislikes of the people by blocking their mouths?
The people value the king, but the king is established for the people
The social politics proposed by Mencius Thought. It means that from the perspective of the world, the people are the foundation and the foundation, and the people are more important than the king. It is the core of Mencius’ theory of benevolent government and has a great influence on later Chinese thinkers. Mencius asked King Hui of Liang): "If it is not contrary to the farming season, the grain will not be enough to eat; if a few grains of grain are not brought into the pond, the fish and turtles will not be enough to eat; if the ax and ax are brought into the forest at the right time, the wood will not be enough to be used." The grain, fish and turtles cannot be eaten, and the forest trees cannot be used. This is to ensure that the people can live and die without regret. Maintaining one's health and losing one's life without regrets is the beginning of the king's way. A five-acre house with mulberry trees can be used to clothe the house if it is fifty years old. Chickens, dolphins, dogs, and pigs are all animals that have not lost their season. Those who are seventy years old can eat meat. If you don’t take away a hundred acres of land, then a family of several people will not be hungry.
I sincerely follow the teachings of Xiangxu, apply the meaning of filial piety and brotherhood, and award the white ones to live up to the road. Those who are seventy years old can wear silk and eat meat, and the people are neither hungry nor cold. However, there is no such thing as a king. Dogs eat human food but don't know how to check it, and they don't know how to eat food when they are smeared with hunger. When a person dies, he says: "It's not me, it's Sui." ’ How is this different from stabbing someone and killing them, saying: ‘It’s not me, it’s a soldier. ’ When the king was innocent, all the people in the world were here. "("Mencius, King Hui of Liang, Part 1")
There is fat meat in the kitchen, fat horses in the stables, the people are hungry, and there are hungry cats in the wild. This is how animals eat people! Beasts eat each other, and People are evil; if they are the parents of the people, the government will inevitably lead the beasts and eat people. Is it evil that they are the parents of the people? ("Mencius: King Hui of Liang")
King Xuan of Qi asked: "Tang When Jie was released, King Wu defeated Zhou, what happened? Mencius said to him, "It is in the Chuan." Said: "Is this your king okay?" Said: "Those who thieves benevolence are called thieves, those who thieve righteousness are called cripples, and those who cripple thieves are called husbands." I heard that Zhou was going to execute a husband, but I haven’t heard of it? You are the king. " ("Mencius: King Hui of Liang")
Mencius said: "When Jie and Zhou lost the world, they also lost their people; those who lost their people also lost their hearts." There is a way to win the world: if you win its people, you will win the world. There is a way to win over the people: to win their hearts, this is how you win the people. There is a way to get to his heart: get together with him if you want, and don't do anything to him if you want to do him evil. The people's return to benevolence is like water flowing down and beasts running away. Therefore, those who drive fish in the deep are like otters; those who drive nobles in Cong are like egrets; those who drive people in Tang and Wu are Jie and Zhou. ("Mencius Li Lou Shang")
Mencius said: "The people are the most noble, the country is second, and the king is the least. Therefore, it is the people of Qiu who become the emperor, and the emperor who becomes the princes. The princes are great officials. When the princes threaten the country, they will change it. After the sacrifice is completed and the rice is abundant, the sacrifice will be timely. However, if there is a drought and the water overflows, the country will be replaced. "
The rule of the monarch is based on the people. Thoughts
On the basis of drawing on and developing the research ideas of a group of senior scholars, I focus on analyzing the ideological system and proposition combinations, examining individual cases one by one, and proving the theoretical structure of "respecting the emperor - sinning against the emperor" with facts ubiquitous. Except for the kingless theorists, there are no exceptions in the works of famous ancient Chinese thinkers. Therefore, I call it the “cultural paradigm” of traditional Chinese political thinking.
"The people are more important than the monarch" is one of the most wonderful ideological propositions in ancient China. Its core concept is: in the original sense of political power, the people are more important than the monarch. It was the in-depth study of this proposition that made me realize a more exciting proposition of "establishing a monarch for the people". Important schools such as Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, and Legalism generally agree with this proposition, among which the theoretical contribution of Legalism is particularly prominent. Shenzi's "establishing the emperor as the world" and Shang Yang's "establishing the emperor as the world" are the forerunners of Mencius' theory of "the people are valued more than the emperor". Based on this, I not only found a breakthrough to re-understand the ancient Chinese political theory system, but also saw that many of the statements of modern Confucianists are contrary to historical facts.
In the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Mencius, which wrote "the people are valued and the monarch is valued", was the main carrier of official doctrine. Faced with assertions by Chen Duxiu and Hu Shi that they are not democratic, modern Confucian advocates insist on the argument that they are democratic or anti-authoritarian. Not only did they repeatedly emphasize that the democratic spirit of Pre-Qin Confucianism was tampered with, castrated, and suppressed by Post-Confucianism and the emperors, they also often used Ming Taizu's deletion of "Mencius" as an important argument. However, this statement cannot stand the test of facts. Here are only three types of examples.
The first is the two verandas of the hall where the big book is revealed. Taizu of the Ming Dynasty once ordered people to read "The Great Study" and "the two verandas of the hall where the great book is revealed". This "Emperor's Study" is a must-read for emperors and princes of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. It contains a passage specifically explaining Mencius' "people are valued more than kings".
Second, many emperors agreed that "the king is the least important"
For example, Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty agreed that "the king regards the people as the heaven", and Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty flaunted that "the world is not dedicated to one person, "One person rules the world." Tang Taizong's argument that "the king depends on the country, and the country depends on the people" all put the people in a relatively important position. Xu Heng discussed government affairs based on "the people are the most important thing and the king is the least important", which was highly praised by Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty. Yingzong of the Yuan Dynasty warned his ministers: "I think about it, the people are the most important thing and the king is despised. If the country is not the people, how can the general be the king?" Ming Dynasty Emperor Chengzu restored the original appearance of "Mencius", promulgated the "Complete Collection of Four Books", and imperially produced the "Advocate of the Great Learning" 》. Qiu Jun wrote "The Supplement to the Explanations of the University", citing "the people are more valuable than the monarch" to discuss the way of peace. Emperor Xiaozong and Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty wrote a preface for it and ordered it to be published. Emperor Kangxi wrote an article praising Wen Tianxiang for supporting Duanzong of the Song Dynasty based on "the emperor is light" and "implementing the words of a loyal minister for thousands of years." Emperor Qianlong once recited the poems "I know the king is light when I look down on him" and "I know the king is light from the past". In the "Qin Ding Si Ku Quan Shu", there are countless words such as "the people are the most precious", "the people are the most important" and "the ruler is the least".
The third is that the imperial examination requires people to be more important than the king. For example, the imperial examination document "Yi Ren Yue" written by Huang Hongxian, a Jinshi in Longqing of the Ming Dynasty, wrote that "the people are the most important, and the country is second." The answer sheet of Yuan Zongdao's policy examination in the Wanli Bingxu Examination said that "the destiny of the emperor and heaven is dominated by the hearts of the people", explained that "heaven establishes the emperor for the people, and the emperor respects the people for the sake of heaven", and advocated that the emperor "dare not think about one thing, and do it by himself" He puts himself first before the people, he is noble but untouchable, he is brave but weak and ignorant of the people, he is smart but ignorant of the people." He also used passionate words to criticize the tyrants who "excessive scruples" and "act as they please". This answer sheet won high praise from the examiners, who wrote the comment "You must be loyal and loyal, and look forward to those who have wings." In the fourth year of the Apocalypse, Ai Nanying's imperial examination document titled "The People Are Noble" was based on "Heaven established the emperor for the sake of the people" and gave an in-depth interpretation of "the people are more important than the emperor". Articles by Huang Hongxian and Ai Nanying were included in the "Four Imperial Books" compiled under the order of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, as a measure of balance.
From this, it is not difficult to understand why, since "Mencius" was listed as a required reading for the imperial examinations, it has become more and more common for people to quote "the people are more important than the monarch" and its basic ideas in court and in writings. Under certain circumstances, courtiers would even establish a new emperor based on the principle of "the emperor is insignificant".
Following this clue, I found that a number of important Confucian propositions have always been at the core of ruling thought, forming the theoretical basis of official doctrine. For example, the "connection between heaven and the people" which is said to be "anti-authoritarian", "the people's heart is the heart of heaven" which is said to be the "people's subject", the "Tangwu Revolution" which is said to be "non-procedural civil rights", and "democratic thought" "The world is for the common good" and so on. Just by briefly reviewing the "Four Imperial Books", it is not difficult to find that anyone who wants to take the imperial examination career must understand these principles.
The Responsibility of the Monarch
Mencius said, "No king is benevolent, no king is unjust." According to Qian Mu, it is a political system based on deontology. Not considered a public servant? "The Book of Rites" even says that "the king of the country will die of the country, the officials will die of the system, and the scholars will die of the people", which also emphasizes the obligations of the superior. In the Analects, the descriptions of some so-called hierarchies are only superficial expressions of rituals and sacrifices. Confucius did not believe that the king could enjoy arbitrary and absolute rights.
Guangwu was no exception. He inherited the idea of ??people-centeredness. In his reply to Zang Gong, he said: ""Huangshi Gongji" therefore says that a virtuous king will delight others according to what he does; You, please enjoy yourself. Those who enjoy others will enjoy themselves for a long time, and those who enjoy themselves will soon die.
"Book of the Later Han Dynasty·Biography of Kaixiao" Weixiao published a petition against Mang, saying that it is the king's responsibility to protect the people, "The people are in exile, and the responsibility lies with the king. Since his career is safe, there is no responsibility." ."
Lu Xun has a very influential passage. In "Comments under the Lamp", Lu Xun criticized traditional Chinese society, "Chinese people have never earned a higher price than others. At most, they are just slaves." China's history of thousands of years is an era of "temporarily stable slaves and those who want to be slaves but cannot". But after we understand the above-mentioned people-centered thoughts of the ancients, we should clearly point out: Lu Xun’s remarks are very inappropriate. Slavery and servility are not the original image of the Chinese people. The servility of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties is by no means something that the Chinese people have always had. Lu Xun's argument has been misleading for nearly a century and is very bad. If we regard the ancients as slaves or minions, then we will not have any affection for them, nor will we be proud of Chinese civilization, but will only have contempt. So much so that today's Chinese people cannot distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and traitors become heroes. The hero becomes the sinner. Never before has a nation or country ruined its history so much.
“The people own the world, and sovereignty rests with the people.” On the Mandate of Heaven
“Whatever the people want, Heaven will follow.” The ancients were superstitious about the Mandate of Heaven, but Confucian people-oriented doctrine clearly points out: “ The destiny of the people lies with the people." God regards everyone as equal. God is always on the side of the people. The people's thoughts are God's thoughts. The monarch serves heaven and loves the people on behalf of heaven.
“The sky is wise, and the people are wise; the sky is fearful, and the people are mighty.” ("Shang Shu Gao Tao Mo").
"Heaven cares about the people, and whatever the people want, God will follow it" ("Tai Oath").
"Only God benefits the people, but only provides for (the king) to serve Heaven." ("Thai Oath").
"Heaven sees me and the people see me, and God listens to me and the people listen. If you caress me, you will be the queen, if you abuse me, you will be hostile." ("Tai Oath").
"The emperor and heaven have no relatives, but virtue is their assistant. The people's hearts are uncertain, but they only have the kindness to support them." ("Shang Shu·Cai Zhong's Order").
"All peoples are born of Heaven. Heaven loves his children as parents love their children." ("Book of the Later Han·Biography of Zhuolu, Wei and Liu")
"Wang Si Respect the people; it is not Tianyin, and the sacrifices are not as rich as the nickname." ("Gaozong Xiri")
The Neo-Confucian scholars of the Song and Ming Dynasties all believed in the common world. They believed that "the world is the same as the world." , is not the private property of one person" ("Mencius Annotations: Wan Zhang I")
The idea that "Heaven sees itself and the people see it, and Heaven hears it and the people listen", under the play of Dong Zhongshu in the Han Dynasty, developed into a form of heaven and man. induction. To use the will of heaven to restrain the monarch, he must listen to the public opinion.
As to whether the land, mountains and rivers belong to the monarch, Mencius explained: "Is it the king's land in the whole world?" Mencius explained: "It is a poem, not a right thing; to work on the king's affairs, and You can’t support your parents.” He thought this was a complaint made by a petty official and could not be interpreted to mean that everything in the world belongs to the monarch.
Wang Fuzhi of the late Ming Dynasty said: "If the earth is the earth, then the heaven and the earth are inherent. Kings rise and fall, but the mountains and rivers do not change their old state. They produce hundreds of grains to nourish people, and the kings also need to be nourished. There is nothing It is a matter of waiting for the king, and the king cannot do it but is good at it." ("Du Tongjian Lun")
The idea that "the people own the world and sovereignty lies with the people" also became orthodox in the Han Dynasty. "Book of the Later Han Dynasty·Wang Changzhuan" talks about Wang Chang's advice to other green forest heroes: "The people's praises and chants of the Han Dynasty do not last for a day, so my family is worthy of it. Whatever the people complain about, heaven will go; If you think about it, it is God's will. If you do great things, you must obey the people's will and achieve the goal. If you rely on strength and desire, you will lose the world again. "Zhang Mao and others were killed. These people regarded him as the staunchest leader of the peasant uprising. After hearing these words, they all said: "General Wu Wang, my family has been involved in injustice for many times. I would like to respect and learn from you." People-centeredism was originally the motto of all classes in the Han Dynasty society. * Knowledge is also welcomed by the peasant class.
Since the sovereignty lies with the people, Mencius said in front of King Xuan: "If the ruler has serious faults, he will remonstrate. If he repeats his advice and refuses to listen, he will change his position.
”
Man can conquer nature
In view of the “favour of heaven” advocated by rulers, the impermanence of heaven is even more accepted. Just like "high banks are valleys and deep valleys are mausoleums", it is "the way of heaven" ("Zuo Zhuan, 32nd Year of Zhaogong"). The ancient people-centered people also proposed that "man can conquer heaven", which was the first to refute it. From "Longzhou Collection Xiangyang Song" by Liu Guo of the Song Dynasty: "Man is determined to conquer the sky, and the sun and moon have been missing for a long time." "Yi Zhou Shu·Wen Zhuan" also has: "A strong soldier can defeat a man, and a strong man can win." sky. "The idiom that is similar to "man's determination conquers heaven" but appeared earlier is "the crowd conquers heaven". "Historical Records·Biography of Wu Zixu" says "I heard that the crowd conquers heaven, and heaven's determination can also conquer man."
People and God
Since destiny can be changed according to public opinion, people-centered people do not think that God is trustworthy at all, and the people are the masters of God. It is better to listen to the people than to listen to God.
“When a country is about to prosper, there must be good fortune; when a country is about to fall, there must be monsters. "("The Doctrine of the Mean")
Ji Liang said: "The people are the masters of gods, so the saints first become the people and then devote themselves to gods. "("Zuo Zhuan Huan Gong Sixth Year".)
Shi Xiao said: "When a country is about to prosper, it depends on the people; when it is about to perish, it depends on the gods; gods are wise and upright, and they depend on people. OK. "("Zuo Zhuan Zhuang Gong's Thirty-Two Years"
Those who win the hearts of the people will win the world
People-centered doctrine advocates: "He who wins the hearts of the people will win the world." Mencius said: "Those who win the hearts of the people will win the world." If you win the people with the Tao, you will win the world; if you win the people with the Tao: if you win their hearts, you will win the people" ("Mencius: Li Lou Shang"), "If you win the people of Qiu, you will become the emperor" ("Mencius: Jinxin Xia" "" "Book of Rites of Dai": "If you respect the country and love the people," you will be able to "be powerful without moving in battle, and be gentle without using advantage."
"Conquer the world by doing an injustice and killing an innocent person." , none of them do it." ("Mencius Gongsun Chou")
"Those who win with Dao are emperors; those who win with virtue are kings; those who win with strategy are Bo; those who win with strength are Strong." ("Taibai Yin Jing·Zhu You De")
When Liu Xiu ascended the throne, the generals made it clear. As a general, I am afraid that I will be incompetent." ("Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Emperor Guangwu") In the eyes of people at that time, whoever has high virtue and becomes a saint should win the world. What is a saint? A saint wins the hearts of the people. Confucius believed: "Giving generosity to the people and being able to help others must be holy!"
"A single man who suffers from the power of floods is your feud." ("Shang Shu·Tai Oath") "Take care of me. Later, if you abuse me, you will get revenge." ("Shang Shu·Tai Shi"), King Wu of Zhou used people's ideas to arouse everyone's hatred for King Zhou.
Mencius said: "Jie and Zhou lost the world. If you lose your people, you will also lose your heart." ("Mencius Li Lou Shang")
"If you want to be a king, you want to be a king, and if you are a minister, you are a minister." The law is just that of Yao and Shun. If Shun does not serve Yao and his king, he will not respect his king; if he does not treat the people as Yao did, if he abuses his people, he will commit regicide... If the people are great, they will be killed and the country will be destroyed; if they are not great, they will be harmed and the country will be destroyed." ("Mencius Li Lou Shang")
The king must fulfill the rule of the people. If the monarch harms the people and abuses them. , then it is a husband, killing a husband is not regicide. What is a single husband: "Cai Zhuan" says: "The destiny of heaven is gone, the human heart is gone, but a single husband has an ear."
If you are not benevolent, you will lose the world
p>Mencius said: "Three dynasties gained the world through benevolence, and lost the world through inhumaneness. The same reason why countries were destroyed, prospered, and perished. The emperor was unbenevolent and did not protect the world; the princes were unbenevolent and did not protect the country; the ministers and officials were unbenevolent. If you don't protect the ancestral temple, if you don't protect the four bodies, you will die. If you hate death but are unkind, it is like being drunk and drinking too much." ("Mencius Li Lou Shang")
Confucius said: "If a country has Tao, then it can be an official; if a country does not have Tao, it can be carried out with care." ("The Analects of Confucius: Wei Linggong") "Tao" is naturally the Tao of Confucianism. In thought, Mencius said that killing Jie and Zhou was not regicide, but killing a single husband. In the eyes of Mencius and other Confucianists, the king is not the "king" in real political life, but the "king" in line with Confucian ethics, which is what Westerners call "philosophy." "King". Once one loses moral integrity or loses moral principles in politics, he loses his status as "king". The king who cherishes life, Mencius said: "He who does not like to kill can be one. Today, among the people in the world, there is no one who does not like to kill. If there is a person who does not like to kill, then all the people in the world will lead and look forward to it. . It is true that when the people return to the river, who can control it?" ("Mencius: King Hui of Liang")
Whether a war is fought or not depends on the will of the people. When the King of Qi asked Mencius, could the State of Yan be conquered? Mencius said to him: "If you take something that pleases the people of Yan, then take it. If the ancient people practiced it, King Wu did it. If you take it and the people of Yan do not like it, don't take it. If the ancient people practiced it, King Wen did it." That's right. It's just like using water and fire to increase the depth of the country. It's just like using water to increase heat. ·Under King Hui of Liang"). Mencius was not an anti-war activist. The war Mencius hoped for was a war to relieve the suffering of the people. Mencius said: "King Wen brought peace to the people of the world in a fit of anger. Now the king also brings peace to the people of the world in a fit of anger. The people are afraid that the king will not be brave enough." ("Mencius Gongsun Chou")
Mencius Said: "Tang Yizheng started from Ge. The whole world believes in it."
When we marched to the east, the barbarians from the west complained; when we marched from the south, the Di from the north resented us. They said, 'Are you going to challenge me? ’ The people look to it as they look to the clouds during a severe drought. Those who return to the market will not stop, but those who work the fields will not change. Kill the king and hang the people. If rain falls, the people will be happy. The book says: "After you came to me, you later became Su." ’” ("Mencius: Duke Tengwen")
He denounced wars launched for the monarch's selfish interests, saying that "taking advantage of the land and eating human flesh is a crime punishable by death." ”
“Anyone who does not practice benevolent government and becomes rich will abandon Confucius.” How about fighting for it? If you fight for land, you will kill people to fill the fields; if you fight for a city, you will kill people and fill the city. This so-called taking advantage of the land and eating human flesh is a crime punishable by death. "("Mencius Li Lou Shang")
Most people don't believe what Mencius said after reading it. Only after reading "The Book of the Later Han Dynasty", they believe it. In the "Book of the Later Han·Cen Peng Biography" Guangwu wrote to Cen Peng with emotion: "Every time I send out troops, my hair and beard will turn white. " He considered the suffering that the war would bring to the people and should fight with caution. Facing the harassment of the Xiongnu and Wuhuan, the northern border residents were displaced, but he still stopped Ma Wu and others' attack plan. He believed that the time was not ripe and he could not let the war bring harm to the people. More people suffered disasters, so cultivation and survival were still the priority.
Ban Chao returned eastward from the Western Regions. The locals believed that he had been abandoned by the Han court. Some officials committed suicide to stop Ban Chao, and the Huns died. People's pear faces were bleeding. Ma Yuan captured Jiaozhi, and Zhuge Liang's "seven captures of Meng Huo" brought advanced civilization to the local area. This is the war that Confucianism wants.