RPAGF Chapter 1077 Neat and tidy
Chapter 1077 Neat and tidy
Studying history makes one wise. Looking at the dynasties throughout history, once someone leads a rebellion and establishes himself as king, many others follow suit!
Although he had a vague premonition, the day still came much earlier than Zhang Ping'an had expected. After a moment of silence, Zhang Ping'an spoke again to confirm, "Is it Zhong Zheng?"
"That's right!" he nodded in response, his expression serious and worried.
Having just survived a fierce battle, I feel truly old and somewhat powerless after a full meal. But the world seems to be turning bad again, which is truly worrying. I'm not worried about myself, but about my descendants and other clansmen far to the south.
Having served Zhang Ping'an for so many years, I've long understood that in times of chaos, ordinary people are the first to suffer, while high-ranking officials and powerful families are not greatly affected.
Regardless of who is the emperor, the court will always need talented people to help govern the country.
On the other side, Xiaoyuer wasn't much better off. He had also contributed a lot in the fierce battle to receive the supplies, and in the end, he had also vented his anger.
Just as she returned to her room to change her clothes, she entered the study and heard the news. After a moment's pause, Xiaoyuer raised an eyebrow, gave a knowing laugh, and then said, "He really has some nerve!"
“He’s certainly bold, but I don’t believe he has no one backing him,” Zhang Ping’an said thoughtfully.
Finally, he shook his head, waved to the man who had finished eating, and ordered, "What's meant to come will come. Send those provisions and wages to the Northwest as soon as possible! They can't wait there!"
"Yes," he replied, bowing respectfully after finishing his meal and then withdrew.
The father and son were left in the study.
Zhang Ping'an had been sitting for a long time and his back was aching. After rubbing his wrists, he simply walked to the window, picked up the watering can, and started watering the orchids.
In the fiery red glow of the setting sun, Zhang Ping'an's expression remained calm.
Seeing her father's nonchalant expression, Xiaoyuer couldn't help but follow him over, casually fiddling with the flowers and plants by the window, and asking, "Dad, you still have the mood to water the flowers? Shouldn't we do something to prepare them in advance?"
“We have made all the necessary preparations over the past few years. All that’s left is to wait. Many things are beyond human control. Even the smartest person cannot accurately predict what will happen next,” Zhang Ping’an replied with a faint sigh.
"So what do you think about Zhong Zheng's matter, sir?" Xiao Yu'er thought for a moment, then changed the subject and asked again.
"Him?" Zhang Ping'an smiled faintly and said slowly, "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. I'm afraid he won't have the last laugh!"
"Oh? Why do you say that? It seems you don't have much faith in him," Little Fish teased.
“You are also a well-read person who has studied the classics and historical texts. Tell me, how many of the first people in history to lead a rebellion actually ended up sitting in that chair? Most of them became cannon fodder and were just stepping stones for those who came after them.”
At this point, Zhang Ping'an lost all interest in watering the flowers. He put down the watering can, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, turned around and sat down next to the chessboard, calling to his son, "Come, play a game of chess with your father."
"Okay," Xiaoyuer said. It had been a long time since he had played chess with his father. Hearing this, he became interested and went over to sit down.
While playing chess, Zhang Ping'an slowly analyzed the situation of the court to his son. In his view, once someone took the lead in a rebellion, it would be difficult to stop.
This is not accidental, but the result of multiple factors, including institutional flaws, social structure, and group psychology.
This process can be imagined as a dam bursting. It may start as a small hole, but under the impact of enormous pressure, it will soon evolve into an unstoppable flood.
Ultimately, there are three main reasons. First, the rebels shattered the myth of imperial rule, namely, the divine right of kings and the mandate of heaven.
In times of peace, ordinary people tend to obey authority, but the emergence of rebels is like a needle piercing this myth, proving through their actions that the emperor is not unchallengeable.
If someone successfully raises the flag of rebellion and it is not immediately suppressed, it will trigger a chain reaction.
Observers will discover that the government is not invincible and its authority can be trampled upon.
This is different from the previous refugees and rioters. This time, it is a legitimate army under the rule of the emperor that has rebelled. The shock and impact on ordinary people and other officials of the court will be much greater.
Secondly, the power vacuum and collapse of order create a power vacuum. In any core area of rebellion, the existing management, taxation, and security systems will quickly collapse, creating a power vacuum.
In order to protect themselves and obtain supplies, clans and people in various places would spontaneously organize themselves. When people realized that it was better to actively follow the rebels to plunder government offices or wealthy households than to passively wait for death, the movement had the motivation to expand spontaneously. In the face of survival, moral constraints would become very weak, and the people could only be coerced.
This is also the main reason why the rioters in the southeast region were able to snowball and grow bigger and bigger.
Thirdly, it was the ultimate eruption of social contradictions. In ancient times, the common people at the bottom of society actually had a very strong ability to endure, and they rarely rebelled because of temporary dissatisfaction.
Rebellions usually occur when social injustices have reached a critical point, such as severe land annexation, heavy taxes and corvée labor, or frequent natural and man-made disasters. This is like a house hollowed out by termites; it may look fine on the surface, but it is actually rotten inside and will collapse with the slightest touch.
The Great Zhou Dynasty currently has all these problems, it's just that the conflict broke out a little earlier than Zhang Ping'an had anticipated.
It was only a little early!
It's only a matter of time before it happens.
In conclusion, Zhang Ping'an slowly summarized: "In general, a rebellion is like a huge avalanche. It is the accumulation of countless snowflakes that creates the critical state of imminent collapse. The person who led it only shouted that one word. What really made everything unstoppable was the complete collapse of the entire situation after the already fragile balance was broken."
"Dad, you kept holding me down and wouldn't let me move. Were you worried that I would become someone else's cannon fodder?" Xiaoyuer asked, looking up after placing a piece.
"I can't say whether your idea is right or wrong. It's always been like this: the strong prey on the weak, and only the fittest survive. If the world really turns bad, there's nothing wrong with having more power in your hands. But there are so many smart people, how can you guarantee that you will be the final victor? And to be honest, it's lonely at the top. If you really reach the top, it may not be easy!"
Since being hunted down by Zhou Pu's men when he took office in Huainan a few years ago, Zhang Ping'an had lost faith in the imperial court.
He was no longer as blindly loyal as before. He was generally aware of his son's thoughts, but he did not obstruct or suppress them as he had in the past.
It's really not appropriate to make judgments about paths he hasn't walked, let alone provide guidance for his son.
He only hoped that no matter what the world was like, his family could always be together.