My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

Ying Zheng left, leaving only Chen Mo, Zhu Biao, and Fusu in the inn.

Chen Mo's gaze swept over the two of them, he pondered for a moment, and then smiled slightly.

"Gentlemen, since you have nothing better to do here, why don't you talk about governing the country and being a ruler?"

Zhu Biao and Fusu exchanged a glance.

"I would like to hear the details." Zhu Biao cupped his hands in a humble manner.

"Please enlighten me, Brother Chen," Fusu quickly replied.

"I wouldn't dare offer any advice; we were just having a casual chat."

Chen Mo smiled and brought out three chairs from inside the house.

"Let's not talk about grand theories yet, let's talk about something practical."

"If you encounter a tricky situation, like... um~!"

Chen Mo thought for a moment, then continued.

"You have an officer under your command who is very capable and has a proven track record, but recently it has been discovered that he may be involved in a shady financial matter. Will you immediately arrest him based on rumors, or pretend you know nothing and continue to utilize his talents? Or is there a third option?"

Fusu pondered for a moment before replying.

"We should send someone to investigate thoroughly. If the evidence is conclusive, we should deal with it according to the law. However, since he has made contributions, we may consider reducing his sentence to show our benevolence."

Zhu Biao's considerations were more comprehensive.

"This matter requires caution. If we investigate rashly, we risk discouraging capable officials; if we condone it, the discipline will be ruined."

"I think it might be better to issue a private warning first and observe the effect, while at the same time accelerating the training of replacements in case of emergency."

"Finding the truth and stabilizing the situation must go hand in hand."

Chen Mo nodded, but did not immediately judge right or wrong. Instead, he asked a question.

"So, what do you think is the right way to judge a situation, and what are the standards?"

"Is it the words of sages in books? Is it past precedents? Or... something else?"

Fusu and Zhu Biao exchanged a glance and remained silent for a moment.

Fusu spoke first.

"We should take the teachings of sages and virtuous men as our guide and learn from history."

"We also need to consider the current situation and the will of the people."

Zhu Biao added.

"What you're saying makes sense."

Chen Mo smiled and changed the subject.

"But what if one day you find that the content in the book is no longer applicable, or that the situation you encounter is completely different from what the book describes?"

Chen Mo looked at Zhu Biao and Fu Su.

"There are indeed successful cases around us, but those are in other countries and on other people."

"Should we continue to act according to the book's content and learn from others' successful cases, or should we act according to our own actual situation?"

"The books contain the teachings of sages and saints; they are things written by authorities."

"But you find that your situation seems to be completely opposite to that of authority?"

"So, at this point, should we continue to copy it verbatim, or make some changes?"

Fusu and Zhu Biao remained silent.

They don't seem to have seriously considered this issue.

Seeing the two deep in thought, Chen Mo felt that jumping directly to modern thought was too fast, so he decided to proceed step by step and start with Wang Yangming's concept of the unity of knowledge and action.

"A great sage in later generations put forward the view that knowledge and action cannot be separated into two things."

"True knowledge necessarily implies action, and true action itself is a manifestation of knowledge. Everyone has a conscience; just follow your conscience in your actions and judgments."

Chen Mo paused.

"That is, the unity of knowledge and action."

"Unity of knowledge and action?"

Fusu and Zhu Biao's eyes showed a thoughtful glint.

"That's right."

Chen Mo nodded and thought for a moment.

"For example."

Chen Mo snapped his fingers.

"When someone says that they know that being filial to their parents is a virtue, that is knowledge."

"But if he is indifferent or even disobedient to his parents in practice, can we say that he truly understands filial piety?"

"He knows it's wrong, but he deliberately doesn't do what he knows; this is a disconnect between knowledge and action."

"His knowledge is false; it's superficial."

"True knowledge will surely motivate him to practice filial piety."

"Conversely, in the specific acts of serving his parents, he will also continuously deepen his understanding of filial piety. This is the unity of knowledge and action."

He glanced at the two thoughtful figures and continued exploring.

"This is just a metaphor; it can refer to more than just filial piety, but to other things as well."

"This leads to the conclusion that if you want to acquire real knowledge and find the best way to solve problems, you can't just rely on reading in isolation or daydreaming."

"You must hone your skills on specific tasks and verify and adjust them in practice."

A glint of light flashed in Chen Mo's eyes as he spoke his true thoughts.

"And that is the essence of 'practice makes perfect'."

"Like the question I just asked,"

Chen Mo points to the initial assumptions about official corruption.

"The words of sages in books and historical precedents can give you direction and principles, but when it comes to a specific person or matter, how do you strike the right balance and find the most suitable path..."

"This requires you to experience and grasp it through concrete practice."

"This process of grasping is 'doing,' and the wisdom of handling things 'just right' that is gained from it is true 'knowing.'"

Zhu Biao frowned.

He understood what Chen Mo said, but it also seemed like he didn't quite understand it.

It was as if he was trying to grasp something mysterious, but he couldn't.

Zhu Biao turned to look at Chen Mo and asked.

"Brother Chen just mentioned that you learned this during your journey. So, what should I base my actions on when I begin?"

Fusu also looked at Chen Mo, clearly wanting to know the answer to this question as well.

Chen Mo smiled slightly.

That's a really good question.

Chen Mo cleared his throat.

"Brother Biao is right. So here's the question: when you face a complex situation, such as a local civil unrest or a cold case, how should you begin your practice? Should you rely on your imagination and guesswork, or listen to the one-sided accounts of those around you?"

Fusu and Zhu Biao both shook their heads; it was clear that neither of these methods was advisable.

Seeing this, Chen Mo's smile grew even brighter.

"Therefore, before taking any real action, there is one crucial task, which was summarized very succinctly by a great man in later generations."

Chen Mo paused for a moment, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"No investigation, no right to speak."

Fusu and Zhu Biao were slightly taken aback, as if something had suddenly become clear in their minds.

Chen Mo continued.

"If you haven't conducted an in-depth and detailed investigation into the actual situation, you're not qualified to make judgments or decisions about this matter."

"This is actually the most concrete manifestation of the unity of knowledge and action in the initial stage - your actions must start with solid investigation, and the knowledge gained from this is reliable knowledge, so that your subsequent actions will not go astray."

Chen Mo looked at Zhu Biao and Fusu, and seeing that they still didn't quite understand, he continued to speak.

"For example, a county reports a poor harvest and requests a tax reduction or exemption."

"As the decision-maker, do you approve it directly, or do you send someone to investigate?"

"As for what kind of investigation?"

Chen Mo smiled again.

"You need to go to the fields yourself to see how the crops are growing and ask the farmers about this year's weather and pests."

"We need to go to the official granary to check the inventory and look at the accounts from previous years."

"They might even go undercover to conduct incognito visits, listen to the true stories of ordinary people and low-level officials, and see if local officials have lied about the disaster or lined their own pockets?"

"Only by thoroughly understanding all these circumstances can you determine whether it's a real disaster or a false one!"

How severe is the disaster?

"Do we need tax reductions or exemptions?"

"If necessary, how much tax reduction would be appropriate, enough to help disaster victims without causing excessive damage to the national treasury?"

"The foundation of all these decisions comes from the dirt on your feet, from the investigations you have seen and heard with your own eyes and ears."

"Instead of the court officials saying things like, 'Your Majesty, please provide disaster relief funds,' or 'Your Majesty, please reduce taxes!'"

"Then the money was spent, but the disaster relief wasn't done, the people didn't have enough to eat, and all the money ended up in the hands of certain people."

"We've spent money and reduced taxes, yet the people are still resentful. Whose fault is that?"

"Of course, it's the fault of those who lined the pockets!"