Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 326 Who's Short and Who's Long (Combined Chapter 4.8K)

"Elder brother, if we want to compete with the world's most prestigious families based on reputation, wouldn't that be using our weaknesses to attack their strengths?"

Upon learning that Liu Bei intended to compile biographies of loyal ministers and records of treacherous ministers, Jian Yong rushed back to try to dissuade him.

Indeed, if we consider things in the conventional way, Liu Bei's current approach would at most result in a lose-lose situation for both sides.

Because Liu Bei could publish his biography throughout the land, so could his enemies.

Although Liu Bei possessed the legitimacy of righteousness and had the emperor's official endorsement, which would have given him a much higher level of trust among the common people, there were still many scholars from prestigious families.

Liu Bei's ability to print large quantities of paper publications gave him a first-mover advantage; however, woodblock printing technology could not be kept secret for long. At most, within two or three years, other powerful families would be able to use the same methods to confuse the public—if Liu Bei could publish a record of treacherous officials, then other powerful families could publish records of powerful ministers, sycophants, and wandering knights…

The result can only be that everyone smears each other, and no one is a good person.

However... Liu Bei knew that a great man had once used this method to defeat a powerful family that had monopolized the military, politics, money, grain, and people, and that he relied mostly on illiterate ordinary people.

"The strength of the enemy is the weakness of the enemy."

Liu Bei had lost his anxious and impatient state of mind: "Xianhe, do you still remember how you got the reputation for filial piety, which was based on your joy at being flogged? Was it because of the fame of noble families or scholars?"

Having received Jia Xu's reminder, Liu Bei has regained his composure and no longer views things based on short-term wins and losses, but on long-term successes and failures.

"...it was passed down by word of mouth among the brothers and neighbors..."

Jian Yong was well aware that his reputation was spread by merchants and wandering knights.

This story was initially spread by Liu Bei's wandering knights in restaurants and taverns as a joke during meals. The neighbors also often teased him about it, always urging Jian Yong's mother to give him a few more beatings...

This kind of humor did not prevent Jian Yong from gaining a genuinely respected reputation for filial piety, and because of his approachable manner, many people followed suit—which of course did not require deliberate promotion by the aristocratic families.

"That's it. We, who are loyal and treacherous, are not attacking the strong with the weak... On the contrary, we are on the side of the majority."

Liu Bei pointed at Jian Yong and himself: "In this world, are there more people from noble families or more commoners and scholars?"

“Then naturally it is the poor scholars… Elder brother’s examination system for selecting officials gives the poor scholars of the world a way to advance, and he will surely win their hearts.”

Jian Yong nodded, but then asked, "But prestigious families are better at spreading their reputation. They make friends with each other, have countless disciples, and each family has a lineage of classical texts passed down through generations..."

"But who are the people who care most about the distinction between loyal and treacherous officials? Who would be more willing to go around debating loyalty and treachery?"

Liu Bei laughed: "Are you a commoner or a family of officials?"

"Of course, it's the common people... The common people can't fight for power and profit, they can only argue about loyalty and treachery to vent their frustrations..."

Jian Yong seemed to understand: "But the common people don't know how to read..."

"Do ordinary people usually associate with poor scholars or scions of noble families?"

Liu Bei asked another question.

Jian Yong roughly understood: "A poor scholar..."

"That's it. We just need to gain the approval of the poor and common people. It doesn't matter whether the famous scholars approve or not. Let them enjoy their own little world..."

Liu Bei patted Jian Yong on the shoulder and said, "I am having Yide publish the biographies of loyal ministers. I am not going to publish written biographies, but comic books, which even those who cannot read can understand. Xianhe, have you not seen Yide's comic books?"

"Ahem...I have seen the art of the bedroom before..."

Jian Yong revealed a wicked smile that any man would understand.

"Hehe... Yide's skill is difficult for ordinary people to learn. In this world, only Yide's art academy can teach it... Yide's painting is actually a war strategy."

Liu Bei also smiled wickedly: "No matter how famous the scholars are, they can't compare to the popularity of comic books... and they can even increase the population of the world because of it."

Jian Yong suddenly realized: "If that's the case... then I'll go and arrange for people to make preparations as soon as possible. When will Yide release the picture album? Brother, remember to save a few good copies for me..."

……

To coerce an enemy, you don't actually need hostages.

Especially when they represent the official lineage.

Fame is the greatest strength of all prestigious families, but it is also their weakest point.

Among these burly men, many were unafraid of death, many were unafraid of punishment, and some even disregarded their parents and children.

But very few are not afraid of being infamous for all eternity.

It doesn't matter if the court considers you a traitor, because only failure makes you a traitor, and history is written by the victors.

However, if someone is considered a treacherous minister by the world before victory is achieved, then even if victory is ultimately won, the stain may not be washed away.

Especially a stain on one's private morality, if widely disseminated, can truly bring disaster to future generations, and the stain can never be washed away...

In those days, recommending people for official positions based on filial piety and integrity was not only a rule for recommending officials, but also a way to obtain a reputation for private virtue endorsed by the imperial court.

Filial piety and integrity certainly do not represent a person's ability, but they can provide a protective shield.

Because people always like to evaluate a person's merits and demerits based on their private morality, and evaluate the group they represent based on their private morality, basically ignoring their actual achievements—this has been the pattern that all prestigious families have maintained for thousands of years.

Especially among the Han people, almost everyone shares this mindset.

A person with poor personal morality is a "bad person," and anything a bad person does will be considered a "bad thing." The group that a bad person represents is certainly not a good person either, and the enemy of a bad person is, of course, a "good person"...

—Most people see things in black and white, and nobody cares what this 'bad guy' actually did.

The best way to smear a person or an event is to find their flaws, especially those related to their personal morality, and then spread them widely.

This approach has continued for thousands of years.

And... it doesn't even need to be real.

Even if someone has no moral flaws, if the story spreads widely enough, people will still believe it.

Sima Qian wrote that King Zhou of Shang "made a pool of wine and a forest of meat, and made men and women chase each other naked in the middle of it, drinking all night long"—the Records of the Grand Historian is so famous that most people believe it, so the story of King Zhou's debauchery has been condemned for all time, and everything King Zhou did has been denied.

King Zhou was labeled a tyrannical and incompetent ruler, and his enemies were naturally all considered to be "ordained by Heaven."

Sima Qian wrote about King You of Zhou "playing with the feudal lords by lighting beacon fires," saying that he was cruel, foolish, and obsessed with women. However, anyone with a little common sense knows that beacon fires can only travel 30 to 50 li at most. Which feudal lord is so close that he is stationed on the next street?
Moreover, beacon towers were built on a large scale during the Han Dynasty to defend against the Xiongnu...

In any case, King You was cursed for all eternity, but no one cared that Marquis Shen (a relative of the emperor) colluded with the Western barbarians to plot a rebellion because of the struggle for the crown prince.

King You of Zhou made Bao Si his queen, and her son Ji Bofu was made crown prince. After Marquis Shen conspired with the Quanrong to kill King You of Zhou, he made his daughter, Queen Shen's son Ji Yijiu, the king of Eastern Zhou.

Why is it called the Eastern Zhou Dynasty?

Because the capital Haojing was given to the Quanrong by Marquis Shen, who burned, killed, and plundered it, Marquis Shen fled with Ji Yijiu to Luoyang and established the Eastern Capital.

Bao Si was the queen, and her child's name contained the character 'Bo'. What does that mean?
Of course, it doesn't really matter who is the legitimate heir and who is the illegitimate heir; the point is that Marquis Shen did indeed collude with nomadic tribes to plot a rebellion... Yes, the nomadic Quanrong who live by killing and plundering.

Marquis Shen sold half of his territory and the capital, Haojing. The Quanrong became the natural culprits, and the truth and the uninformed people were all drowned in the slaughter.

Yes, this is treason and seizure of power, and it's the most heinous kind.

However, such an event could still be packaged as "correcting past wrongs" and hastily glossed over as a "dispute between legitimate and illegitimate heirs," so that very few people in later generations knew about Marquis Shen.

In fact, if King You of Zhou was truly so incompetent, and if Marquis Shen had genuinely gained widespread support, he wouldn't have needed to collude with foreign tribes...

Centuries after the death of King You of Zhou, the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods saw the rise of numerous feudal lords...

The feudal lords, having been freed from the central government's control due to the decline of the royal family, naturally had no intention of clarifying the truth.

Thus, the story of Marquis Shen's treason and subsequent chaos is forgotten, while King You of Zhou is reviled as a tyrannical and incompetent ruler. King You of Zhou was indeed likely incompetent… but in terms of specific actions, who was truly tyrannical?

It's that simple to smear someone. Even if he's a king, as long as you keep saying he's licentious and immoral, and make up a sensational story, you can attract attention.

With official endorsement, most people will believe it.

Whether it's true or not doesn't really matter, since most people lack common sense anyway.

As long as the dissemination is widespread enough and the official endorsement is strong enough, it's really not difficult to create a lasting infamy for someone.

Similarly, it's quite simple to portray a subject as a paragon of loyalty and righteousness...

No real achievements are needed; just make up a few stories, saying that this person is honest and reliable, filial to his stepmother, trustworthy, and incorruptible—that's the way to recommend people for the civil service.

In any case, as long as a person's character is portrayed as good enough, people will think of him as a loyal minister, and a loyal minister will be regarded as a capable minister, and a capable minister will be regarded as a meritorious minister... The human brain has this strange associative mechanism.

Even if a person is mediocre and incompetent, has no achievements as an official, and causes natural disasters and man-made calamities in the place where he serves, making people suffer... as long as he is said to be so poor that he has nothing to show for it, his children almost starved to death, yet he resolutely refuses to touch money, and cries out his sympathy for the poor people in the streets every day—then this person is a loyal minister, a good official, and a benevolent ruler in the eyes of the people.

As for officials who can bring prosperity and peace to a region, freeing people from natural disasters and man-made calamities, and whose local lives are constantly improving... even if they are exceptionally capable and benefit the region, they will still be regarded as corrupt officials if they have flawed personal morality.

That's how it is, people.

……

Zhang Fei is currently working overtime late into the night, leading art students in carving woodblocks for comic strips.

Zhang Fei was in charge of drawing, and the students were in charge of carving.

Several "gifted" students were already able to help Zhang Fei draw sketches—they were all Zhang Fei's trusted subordinates, and through long-term exposure, they had also picked up the habit of drawing illustrations.

After all, this was a training program passed down from Duan Jiong, so Zhang Fei naturally wanted to use it to train his subordinates as well.

One of the masters is named Zhang Da, a native of Pingyuan, who is only eighteen years old. Due to Zhang Da's impulsive personality, Zhang Fei, like Duan Jiong, applied high standards and strict requirements, and Zhang Da's carving skills are already quite good.

The script for Zhang Fei was provided by three generations of gangsters, including Jia Xu, Liu Bei, Jian Yong, and Xu Shu, as well as students from various academies of the Jixia Academy and scholars from poor families across the country.

In fact, neither Jia Xu nor Xu Shu were in Linzi, but Jian Yong set up submission boxes in various counties, and the manuscripts would be transported back to Linzi every day along with the county officials' announcements of official business.

Chen Feng was in charge of selecting manuscripts, and his eyes were tired from all the selection.

The script only requires a brief written biography, and writing a book or biography is part of the examination.

If your submission is selected, it means your policy essay has passed, and you can directly participate in the interview for a clerical position. If you pass the interview, you will immediately start working on propaganda and can choose to be affiliated with the Right General's Office or the Dongge Library Proofreader.

Anyway, just make up stories based on real-life situations... You don't need great writing skills, as long as it sounds plausible.

Even if you don't plan to become a clerk, the remuneration for your manuscript if it is selected is extremely generous, one hundred coins per word, and you can become rich as long as one manuscript is selected.

……

Early May.

With Zhang Fei and others working overtime at full capacity, the first batch of comic books began to be published.

The comic books were distributed one book at a time, one book per person.

The first biography of loyal ministers to be sent out was "Biographies of Loyal Ministers, Volume 1: Marquis of Boyang, Bing Ji".

Released simultaneously with the biography of Bing Ji was "Records of Treacherous Officials, Volume 1: Yuan Shao".

The treacherous official will only issue this one for now; this is purely for the purpose of defining the situation and indicating that more will be issued in the future, to see who dares to cause trouble.

Bing Ji was listed first in the biography of loyal ministers, of course, because Bing Ji's loyalty was undisputed, but placing him first was likely to cause controversy—only when there is debate will there be attention.

Bing Ji was regarded by the Han Dynasty as a 'model of benevolence and virtue'.

Bing Ji came from a poor family and served as a prison clerk in the State of Lu. Later, he was promoted to Right Supervisor of the Court of Justice (a prison official). After being implicated and dismissed from his post, he was appointed as an official, all of which were minor official positions.

At the end of Emperor Wu of Han's reign, during the witchcraft scandal, Bing Ji was in charge of the county prison. At that time, the grandson of the emperor, Liu Bingyi (Emperor Xuan of Han, Liu Xun), was only a few months old. He was implicated by Crown Prince Liu Ju and was left unattended in prison.

At the end of Emperor Wu's reign, people and matters related to the witchcraft scandal were absolutely forbidden to be touched; anyone who did would die.

But Bingji couldn't bear to see the baby die, so he risked his life to save and care for Liu Bingyi, and even paid out of his own pocket to have a female prisoner breastfeed him.

The prison conditions were terrible, making it difficult to raise the baby. Liu Bingyi fell ill several times, and Bingji secretly found people to treat him each time. When the female prisoner who had previously breastfed him was released, Bingji even paid her to continue caring for the child.

After Emperor Wu's death, Huo Guang promoted Bing Ji to various positions, including General Market Magistrate, Chief Secretary to the Grand General, Grand Master of Ceremonies, and Attendant-in-Ordinary. He also sent Bing Ji to welcome Liu He, the King of Changyi, to the throne.

One month after Liu He ascended the throne, he was deposed by Huo Guang and Bing Ji for violating the law.

Subsequently, Huo Guang and Zhang Anshi discussed the matter and had Bing Ji welcome Liu Bingyi, who became Emperor Xuan, to the throne.

After Emperor Xuan ascended the throne, Bing Ji never mentioned his merit in protecting the infant, and neither the court officials nor Emperor Xuan knew about it.

After that, Bingji served as the Crown Prince's tutor and the Imperial Censor.

It wasn't until Bing Ji grew old that Emperor Xuan learned the truth from his wet nurse, who had been his wet nurse. Bing Ji was then enfeoffed as the Marquis of Boyang, and a few years later, he succeeded Wei Xiang as prime minister.

After Bing Ji became prime minister, he was very lenient in his administration. When his clerks were reported, they were usually dismissed before any investigation was conducted. This led to the famous story of "Bing Ji asking about the ox".

This was a rare official in the Han Dynasty who was both clear about his duties and treated both nobles and peasants as human beings.

—Bing Ji, born into a poor family, protected the future emperor and conspired with Huo Guang to depose and install emperors…

Although Bing Ji was listed in the Qilin Pavilion and was one of the eleven meritorious officials of the Qilin Pavilion, very few people really remember him. If Huo Guang and Su Wu are mentioned all the time, people are too familiar with them, and it is not easy to argue about them.

Most importantly, Bing Ji was the only minister in the entire Han Dynasty who rose from humble origins to become prime minister, without exception.

As for the treacherous minister Yuan Shao... Liu Bei didn't make things up, because there was no need to.

He was initially recommended for his filial piety and integrity to enter the capital, but in Luoyang he raised assassins who committed crimes everywhere, harming innocent people and showing disloyalty to the emperor.

While serving as a junior aide to the Grand General, he worked for He Jin, but then secretly attacked the palace, kidnapped Prince Liu Bian, and betrayed and abandoned He Jin, leading to He Jin's death.

After abducting Liu Bian, he nominally served Liu Bian, but then poisoned and murdered his master, abandoning and killing Liu Bian.

After Liu Xie ascended the throne, Yuan Shao incited the Guandong gentry to rebel again, and once again abandoned the leader Zhang Miao and fled... Zhang Miao survived simply because he was lucky.

He was utterly devoid of loyalty from beginning to end. Whoever he served would be killed. He was a complete traitor, and whoever he served would die. He was far worse than a three-surname slave.

This is, of course, an example of a treacherous official.

Moreover, Liu Bei also pinned the blame on Yuan Shao for things such as instigating Zhang Kai to commit crimes, killing Princess Liu Hua, and inciting a rebellion in Linzi with the intention of assassinating the emperor.

In short, if you're going to ruin someone's reputation, you have to ruin it completely. To prevent any fools from thinking, "It's quite something to have the ability to commit such crimes," they even listed scenarios such as stealing a bride, refusing to pay debts, spreading rumors, being ungrateful, shirking responsibility, being greedy for profit, and abandoning those who have helped them.

—These are all true stories, but they have been slightly embellished.

Some of the stories are fabricated, but most are true and can withstand scrutiny.

Moreover, this is a comic book... The originally handsome, rich and powerful Yuan Shao is depicted as somewhat gloomy and lewd, but it doesn't deviate from the original image—he's not ugly, but looking at him makes you feel that he's not a good person.

Liu Bei refused to believe it. If anyone still followed Yuan Shao, what an idiot they would be...

The two volumes, "Loyalty" and "Treachery," each had a print run of 100,000 copies, which were then divided into fifty copies and sent to various counties in the Kanto region.

This isn't meant for intellectuals; it's intended for distribution to markets, taverns, and other places where people gather in various counties.

(End of this chapter)