After Li Mu said this, can anyone say no? Besides, as Li Mu said, this is a rare opportunity for everyone present. Everyone says that they are joining the event, which means that people like to join in the fun, and they are printed into books in black and white. If their articles can occupy a place on it, it will definitely be a great help to their personal reputation.

Li Mu thought for a moment and wrote a few big words "A gentleman loves money and gets it well."

When everyone saw this question, they gasped. They looked at Li Mu's expression carefully, but they couldn't guess what he meant when he asked such a question. Is this a point of view?

"Everyone starts writing articles." Li Mu signaled to hang his topic, and then let everyone return to their respective tables and starts writing articles. No one thought Li Mu was messing around. How could he be a fool for someone who could break through the siege and win the top scorer in the double rankings?

Seeing that everyone had started writing essays, Li Mu said to Lu Yi and others beside him: "Let's not be idle either, we'll do articles and join in the fun."

"We're going to show off our ugly face." Lu Yi and others naturally did not dare to refuse.

Li Mu nodded, changed to a clean rice paper, and wrote without thinking. I don’t know if he had already written the draft or was really quick in writing and didn’t have to think.

Lu Yi and others also hurriedly sat down, so nervous that their fingers were trembling. Although Li Mu said this was a competition, it was really an exam for them, which was related to Li Mu's opinion of them.

If the views expressed are contrary to Li Mu, then there is no need to elaborate on the consequences of his personality.

A gentleman loves money and takes it in a good way. This sentence is often considered to be "Zi Yue". But in fact, this comes from a sentence in the Ming Dynasty's Zengguangxianwen. The original saying is, "A gentleman loves money and takes it in a good way. A chaste woman loves beauty and accepts it with etiquette. It means that as long as she does not harm others and uses moral and legal methods to obtain money, there is nothing wrong with loving money. Even a chaste woman loves beauty, she must accept it in accordance with etiquette. Everyone has a heart for beauty, and it is normal for a woman to love beauty.

It has a bit of "persuading others".

But in fact, although these words were not said by Confucius, they were indeed derived from Confucius' remarks. There is a passage in "The Analects of Confucius: Liren Chapter" about a gentleman who loves money and takes it with his own principles. It says: "The Master said that wealth and honor are what people want. If they do not get it with their own way, they will not get it with them. If they do not get it with their own way, they will not get it with their own way."

Simply put, everyone wants to get rich, but if they cannot get it through legitimate channels, a gentleman cannot enjoy it. Everyone wants to get rid of poverty, but if they cannot get rid of poverty through the right way, a gentleman will not be safe.

It perfectly explains the core idea of ​​"a gentleman loves money and gets it well".

Although Confucius had explained his views, he did not give an answer to what "Tao" was. Instead, his academic successor Xunzi gave an explanation of Tao.

"Xunzi·Honor of Honor" Chapter: "The great difference between honor and disgrace is the normal body of safety, danger, and interests. Those who are righteous first and then profit are honored, and those who are profit are humiliated; those who are honored are always open, and those who are humiliated are always poor; those who are righteous are often controlled by others, and those who are poor are often controlled by others: this is the great difference between honor and disgrace. Those who are simple and honest are always smooth and those who are violent are often harmful; those who are always happy and easy are always happy, and those who are harmful are always worried and dangerous; those who are happy and easy are always long-lived, and those who are worried and dangerous are often dead: this is the normal body of safety, danger, and interests."

This is human nature. How do others treat people who value profit? Even if a person who values ​​profit gains something, he has lost trust. This is "poor - no way out". The future path may not be possible because everyone is wary of you. If such a person approaches you, you will doubt his purpose, worry about being used, and prevent being abandoned. Therefore, profit first and righteousness cannot work, so he is "poverty and always control others."

Why do "those who are honored always communicate"? Because those who are honored practice righteousness, "the righteousness lies in the place where it is not inclined to power, and ignore its interests. The whole country does not change its opinion, and values ​​righteousness and does not scatter."

The so-called righteousness means doing what should be done. So what is the thing to be done? The most important thing in the world is to "serve the people". Mencius says: "The people are the most important, the king is the least, and the country is the next."

Even if a country is given to him, it cannot change his conduct, or even sacrifice his life for justice. For such a person, if he makes a profit, who will have any objection to the world? If there are people who obstruct the "eigner", they will probably be scolded by the world? This truth is in my opinion: "Those who are good at building will not be destroyed." A building is not built very firmly, but because no one wants to damage it. Why does no one have this wish? Because the person who builds this building is a virtuous person!

If you profit first and then righteousness, you will be able to take it without any principles; if you profit first and then profit, you will be able to take it with no principles.

Lu Yi thought about it and felt that this was a trap set by Li Mu. The title he gave was "A gentleman loves money and gets it well", but what he really wanted to express was that a gentleman cannot compete with the people for profit.

It is to allow families to consciously transfer their interests and prevent the occurrence of clever robbery and gain without effort.

The more Lu Yi thought about it, the more he felt that he had guessed it right. This was in line with Li Mu's usual practice! He was a great scholar with profound knowledge. He finalized his ideas and quickly conceived an article with stern words.

After putting down the pen, Lu Yi rubbed her wrist gently, thinking that she would always leave a good impression on Master Hou this time, right? I have betrayed my own camp and become an echoing licking dog!

...

In the room, Li Mu finished writing the article and looked up at everyone. He happened to see Lu Yi put down his pen and sat upright at him.

"Are you finished writing?" Li Mu asked lightly.

"It's finished." Lu Yi chuckled, feeling at ease, and his thoughts had already coincided with Li Mu. He even said: "It's something that I'm thinking about in my heart, so I've made a draft of it early."

"Pick it up, let me read it." Li Mu waved his hand slightly.

"Yes." Lu Yi brought the article that had not dried up ink onto the big case. Seeing that Li Mu had finished writing, he also asked: "I wonder if I can read the Marquis' masterpiece?"

"What's wrong?" Li Mu nodded, picked up his article, and signaled him to take his own.

The two of them sat down next to the big case and read each other's articles.

When Li Mu wrote an article, he naturally did not have to consider anyone's opinion. He put it in the topic of "The desires of wealth and noble people" and made great efforts to defend his personal desires. He said, "Privateness is the heart of a person. People must have selfishness, and then their hearts will be seen; if they are selfless, they will have no intention."

He believes that selfishness is human nature, and it is the selfish nature that makes people pursue progress.

For example, farmers work hard to produce more food and satisfy their appetites; the business class strives to produce more products in order to satisfy their selfish desires; scholars work hard to study in order to satisfy their selfish desires for promotion and wealth.

Therefore, Li Mu straightforwardly put forward the view that "human desire is the law of nature". Only when people have desires can they "love money" and take it with the truth and still be given afterwards. If people don't even have desires, they will not talk about what will happen later.

In his article, he also said, "Heaven completes the world and communicates with each other", which elevates the exchange relationship between people, that is, commercial transactions to a level that conforms to the laws of nature.

So, as a regulator, how should we promote commercial activities? Li Mu gave the answer, namely, "The ultimate way is inaction, the ultimate rule is silent, and the ultimate religion is silent." The court and the government can only maintain national peace and social stability, and do not interfere or interfere less in the social economic life. Reassure to let everyone move freely in their own way, then people's nature of pursuing wealth and free trading will establish a spontaneous regulation, harmonious and long-term social and economic order.

That is, "because his politics does not change his customs, and he follows his nature and does not violate his ability", it is his ideal "governance of the best". It fully gives every participant space for free choice, and such a business environment can achieve the effect of "taking it with justice". Just like the rule that Lao Tzu advocates, and it is not good to do it deliberately.

...

Lu Yi was confused when he read Li Mu's article.

He couldn't tell whether he was off topic or Li Mu's off topic. Although everyone's strategy and theory is the same topic, and it extends a lot of things, Li Mu's extension is a bit far away.

However, from the perspective of Li Mu, it is reasonable to write such an article to show his attitude. After all, as a commoner, he studies how to take it well, and as a person who makes rules, he should consider how to give an environment that takes it well.

Soon, Lu Yi understood the purpose of Li Mu's writing such an article. As the ruler of Luoyang City, Li Mu wanted to show everyone an attitude, that is, he advocated hard work to get rich, and had to be a way to get rich in accordance with the Tao, and he supported it. Moreover, he did not think that a gentleman's love for money is a bad thing, but he believed it was a good thing and regarded it as the source of motivation for struggle.

This is equivalent to giving some people who want to do business but are concerned about face. At the same time, it has invisibly improved the status of merchants. After all, the Marquis said that a gentleman loves money and gets it well, so a businessman has to comply with the constraints of "Tao" and be able to be gentlemen!

Li Mu is the reason for writing the article together, rectifying the source, and laying the tone of his future governance.

Lu Yi came to his senses and saw Li Mu, who had already read his articles on the other side of the table. When Li Mu saw him coming back to his senses, he said, "Mr. Lu is indeed a great scholar of contemporary times. His articles are very insightful. What do I think is reasonable? Mr. reviews it?"

"It makes sense." Lu Yi said with admiration: "The Marquis is a noble lady, and she is a thousand gold medal. The Marquis' reputation will be remembered forever and will last forever..."

"Don't tell me these useless things to me." Li Mu waved his hand and said, "The articles written by me have some deviations, but it's okay. The questions are for you, and they are not for me. I will do a preface for this article, how about it?"

"The Marquis's mind is like the sea, and it is not ours to reach."

It was a good idea to make Li Mu admit that he had solved the wrong question. "This topic is good, and it is particularly appropriate to discuss it in Luoyang. It can also give guidance to the gentry and the people to correct people's hearts."

While talking, Lu Yi glanced at Li Mu's face with his eyes and saw him showing a look of praise. "It's finished." Lu Yi chuckled, feeling at ease, and his thoughts had already coincided with Li Mu. He even said: "It's something that I'm thinking about in my heart, so I've already made a draft of it."

"Pick it up, let me read it." Li Mu waved his hand slightly.

"Yes." Lu Yi brought the article that had not dried up ink onto the big case. Seeing that Li Mu had finished writing, he also asked: "I wonder if I can read the Marquis' masterpiece?"

"What's wrong?" Li Mu nodded, picked up his article, and signaled him to take his own.

The two of them sat down next to the big case and read each other's articles.

When Li Mu wrote an article, he naturally did not have to consider anyone's opinion. He put it in the topic of "The desires of wealth and noble people" and made great efforts to defend his personal desires. He said, "Privateness is the heart of a person. People must have selfishness, and then their hearts will be seen; if they are selfless, they will have no intention."

He believes that selfishness is human nature, and it is the selfish nature that makes people pursue progress.

For example, farmers work hard to produce more food and satisfy their appetites; the business class strives to produce more products in order to satisfy their selfish desires; scholars work hard to study in order to satisfy their selfish desires for promotion and wealth.

Therefore, Li Mu straightforwardly put forward the view that "human desire is the law of nature". Only when people have desires can they "love money" and take it with the truth and still be given afterwards. If people don't even have desires, they will not talk about what will happen later.

In his article, he also said, "Heaven completes the world and communicates with each other", which elevates the exchange relationship between people, that is, commercial transactions to a level that conforms to the laws of nature.

So, as a regulator, how should we promote commercial activities? Li Mu gave the answer, namely, "The ultimate way is inaction, the ultimate rule is silent, and the ultimate religion is silent." The court and the government can only maintain national peace and social stability, and do not interfere or interfere less in the social economic life. Reassure to let everyone move freely in their own way, then people's nature of pursuing wealth and free trading will establish a spontaneous regulation, harmonious and long-term social and economic order.

That is, "because his politics does not change his customs, and he follows his nature and does not violate his ability", it is his ideal "governance of the best". It fully gives every participant space for free choice, and such a business environment can achieve the effect of "taking it with justice". Just like the rule that Lao Tzu advocates, and it is not good to do it deliberately.

...

Lu Yi was confused when he read Li Mu's article.

He couldn't tell whether he was off topic or Li Mu's off topic. Although everyone's strategy and theory is the same topic, and it extends a lot of things, Li Mu's extension is a bit far away.

However, from the perspective of Li Mu, it is reasonable to write such an article to show his attitude. After all, as a commoner, he studies how to take it well, and as the person who sets the rules,
Chapter completed!