0p0 Chapter 568 Pure Conversation of the Wei and Jin Dynasties
Chapter 568 Pure Conversation of the Wei and Jin Dynasties
"The so-called pure talk refers to the philosophical discussions and debates on life, society, and the universe conducted by nobles during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, with the Book of Changes, Laozi, and Zhuangzi as the main content."
“Take our Sima Yu for example. He’s a big fan of philosophical discussions and often holds these meetings, which can last all night long. The food has to be reheated repeatedly.”
"During the Wei and Jin dynasties, people were particularly fond of discussing metaphysics and immersing themselves in the spiritual world. For example, there are many anecdotes about Sima Yu himself. To give a small example, when he went out, he saw straw but did not recognize it. He had to ask his servants to find out."
"After pondering it at home for three days, he finally said, 'How can someone rely on it to make a living without understanding its essence?!'"
The common people of the Jin Dynasty: ...°?°...
What are you talking about? What is philosophy? If it weren't a bit impolite, they'd really say they're just bored and have nothing better to do!
Can discussing philosophy reclaim the north? Can discussing metaphysics drive away the barbarians? Or can it bring a stable life?
They really don't understand the point of philosophical discussions; they're barely surviving, so why bother with philosophy!
……
"If Sima Yu, or any other scholar of idle talk, could channel that same dedication into practical matters, what couldn't they accomplish?"
"However, Huan Wen was quite annoyed by Sima Yu's dawdling and often encouraged him to hurry up. It seems he also has a procrastination problem, and he even made excuses for himself: with thousands upon thousands of items piled up together, how can he possibly finish quickly!"
"So how could Sima Yu, who was 'busy with affairs of state' every day, possibly agree to Huan Wen's northern expedition in such a short time!"
The diligent emperor: By the time he agrees, it'll be too late!
"In the end, the court did not trust Huan Wen. They would rather entrust the Northern Expedition to relatives of the emperor such as Chu Pou and Yin Hao than give Huan Wen any power."
The people of Wanchao: They want the horse to run, but they don't want it to eat grass.
"In 349 AD, Chu Pou was the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Jin's Northern Expedition plan. The Later Zhao was embroiled in internal strife, and thousands of people surrendered to him every day. It can be said that the situation was very favorable."
"It seemed that with one more step forward, the restoration of our land would be just around the corner. Everyone in the court and the public believed that this wave of advantage belonged to Jin. However, fate was not on Jin's side, and a change occurred."
"At that time, five hundred households of people in Lu County rebelled against Later Zhao and asked Chu Pou for help. This place was not far from the capital of Later Zhao. Chu Pou, who thought he had the advantage, did not think much about it and immediately sent three thousand men to rescue them."
"However, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Even though the Later Zhao was in chaos, it still had troops. So these three thousand men were eventually wiped out."
"But what I never expected was that one defeat would cause Chu Pou to lose all his confidence. He was so confident before, but now he was dejected and greatly affected. With the commander in such a state, how could we talk about the Northern Expedition? So not long after, the whole army retreated."
"As a result, the Eastern Jin's northern expedition failed completely, and the poor people flocked to surrender to the Jin."
People of the Southern Song Dynasty: We understand their cold hearts!
"For example, taking advantage of the chaos in the north, 200,000 refugees crossed the Yellow River and sought help from the Eastern Jin Dynasty day and night, constantly searching for the Eastern Jin army that was about to launch a northern expedition."
"The result was heartbreaking. The imperial army was nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately, all that remained of the people was the iron cavalry of the barbarians. They were eventually caught up and slaughtered."
"As for Chu Pou, perhaps the loss of 200,000 lives was too tragic. Guilt and shame tormented him day and night, and he soon died in grief and indignation."
"Perhaps, in the lost north, they looked south many times, waiting for a long time, before finally finding a chance to return to their homeland. The Yellow River surged, but their determination never wavered. Unexpectedly..."
"But the Eastern Jin court turned a blind eye, as if it were just a trivial matter, and handed over the Northern Expedition to Yin Hao."