Cleverness VS Wisdom

By Liu Yunsheng

Cleverness VS Wisdom

By Liu Yunsheng

The principle that prestigious families give to their offspring to prepare them as high-rank officials normally comes in three ways:respect the law, morality, and worldly wisdom. This is the well-known three-inone “emotion, reason, and law” principle.

To speak of it, it is clear and concise, but to really put it into practice is extremely difficult. To do the right thing and avoid evil is something that most of us are able to do.To be able to maintain one’s integrity and values in a diverse and complex political atmosphere, while still taking action to do the things you need to do and preserving one and one’s family involves our senses of reason, cognitive abilities, and good judgment.

Some types of behavior are fair and just, while being completely above the law, but no matter how you look at it, it always seems to come across as somewhat improper, bordering on hypocritical and fraudulent, quite like a ‘scheming civil servant.’

During the Song dynasty, Teng Zijing built the Yueyang Tower, turning Teng Zijing into a household name. Fame,though, does not necessarily equate to a good reputation.

According to records in Sima Guang’s Records of Rumors from Sushui,Teng Zijing didn’t use any of the local government’s funds to build the Yueyang Tower, neither did he distribute the costs among the commoners. Where did the money come from? He suggested that any long unpaid debts of the commoners could be donated, instead, to the government for the construction of the tower. This not only allowed people to pay off the debts weighing heavily on their consciences,but also proved to be an opportunity to do something charitable. People were able to have their names etched into stone tablets, having their name left behind for ages, while also bringing blessings for one’s progeny.

His method was quite effective, with large sums of money flowing in like a steady stream. As a matter of fact, it was quite ingenious of the clever Teng Zijing, just not quite ethical. He took all of the money and kept it locked up tight, by himself, with only him left to be in charge of all revenues and expenditures. There was not even a single digit written down in the accounting books. The Yueyang Tower was constructed magnificently beyond compare and Teng Zijing made a king’s ransom. The average man did not find him to be greedy, instead thinking of him as quite a capable person.

This is our so-called ‘scheming civil servant.’ However you look at it, what he did was fair, reasonable, and lawful, it even amounted to a charitable deed—he made a good name for himself and fattened up his wallet.

This is cleverness, but it is not wisdom,as what he did harmed the integrity and morality of his name.

In the reign of Qianlong during the Qing dynasty, Zhao Dajing became the Vice-president of the Court of Censors,equivalent to today’s Deputy Minister of Affairs at the Ministry of Supervision. His student, Yong Gui, was the governor of Zhejiang. Before taking office he went to bid farewell to his teacher and ask for advice about the proper governance of state.

Vice-president Zhao asked his student:“A new official upon assuming office setsthree fires, what will your first fire be?”

Yong Gui replied: “To punish the corrupt.”

His teacher and vice-president laughed: “Let me give you a suggestion,you must absolutely not touch anyone who already has received any embezzled money or goods.”

The would-be governor dumbfounded:“Then which corrupt am I supposed to be going after?”

The vice-president and teacher began his enlightenment of officialdom: “Current official circles have already become a large web of profit, it is indestructible and you must most certainly not act imprudently. So, just forget about fighting corruption. But, you can’t idle about doing nothing, I would advise you to go after thieves and robbers—they don’t have any backers or supporters. Arresting them will be your contribution to society and count as one of your professional achievements, all without the slightest consequence or risk.”

The vice-president and teacher’s words had Yong Gui on his knees:“But for your advice, how could I know that these official circles are as deep as the oceans—I might mess up and die in the waters without even knowing who’s harmed me?”

Vice-president Zhao was supposed to be teaching his students the way of proper state governance,seemingly combining emotion and reason. In actuality, he is nothing more than a ‘scheming civil servant.’Cleverness does not count as wisdom.It maintains one’s position as a government official and protects the profits it brings, while damaging morality, justice, and conscience.Individually it stands to reason, but for a country it is nothing more than courting disaster.

Are there any government officials that stick to their principles while maintaining a good reputation?Certainly. During the Song dynasty,Qian Ruoshui was famous for his benevolence and filial piety, he viewed avoiding a greedy attitude as a treasure, he treated people sincerely,and was honest and straightforward in his dealings with others. He was the state judge of Tong Zhou and was in charge of judicial administration. A colleague of his once tried borrowing money from a wealthy man, but the wealthy man knew that it would be no more than throwing steamed meat buns to a dog and decided to not lend the money. A little time after, a maidservant of the wealthy man went on the run. This co-worker of his abetted the parents of the maidservant to file a lawsuit against the rich family claiming that it was the father and son who killed their daughter and hid the body. Through torture, the rich man confessed to the false charges and was given the death penalty.

Qian Ruoshui, finding the case to be all too suspicious, bottled it up. His colleague came over to his residence,screaming obscenities claiming that he and the wealthy man have a mighty ambiguous relationship.

Qian Ruoshui laughed and said:“When this knife drops, there will be many beheaded, why don’t you let me have a good look for myself, alright?”

傳統(tǒng)世家大族對于兒孫為官為宦的原則，一般有三：謹遵法度，持理守正，不違人情。這就是有名的“情理法”三合一。

說起來，目標簡單明了，真要踐行落實，卻是千難萬難。如何堅守正道，不走邪路，一般人都能做到。在紛繁復雜的政治生活中，如何堅持正派操守，又能有所作為，還要保全身家，這就涉及到對情理關系的認知和判斷。

有的行為，合情合理，還不違法，但是，怎么看都覺得有欠妥適，近于詐譎一途，比如“巧宦”。

宋代滕子京修了岳陽樓，岳陽樓成就了滕子京的千秋大名。這是大名，未必就是美名。

根據(jù)司馬光《涑水記聞》記載，滕子京修岳陽樓，不動官府一文錢，也沒攤派給老百姓。錢從何處來？他倡議，凡是民間久欠不還的債務，可以捐給官府修樓，不僅清了良心債，還有功德，上榜上碑，自己千秋留名，還可以為兒孫帶來福報。

這一招很管用，源源不斷地集聚一筆筆巨款。說起來這是能干，能干的滕子京，卻不怎么地道：所有的錢，他一把鎖鎖定，收支都他一個人說了算。書面賬目，一個數(shù)字都沒有。岳陽樓修得壯觀無比，滕子京賺得盆滿缽滿。老百姓不以為貪，反以為能。

這就是巧宦，怎么說都合情合理合法，還干了好事，得了美名，肥了腰包。這是智巧，不是智慧，還傷廉德。

清代乾隆年間的趙大鯨，官升左副都御史，相當于監(jiān)察部常務副部長。他的學生永貴，擔任浙江巡撫，上任前拜別老師，請求指點為政之道。

趙部長問學生：“新官上任三把火，你第一把火怎么燒？”

永貴說：“懲治貪腐。”

部長老師笑了笑：“給你提個建議，凡是那些贓款贓物都已經(jīng)到手的人，千萬不能動。”

巡撫學生傻眼了：“那我反誰的貪腐啊？”

部長老師開始官場啟蒙：“現(xiàn)在的官場，已經(jīng)結成一張利益大網(wǎng)，牢不可破，千萬不可冒失。所以，反貪防腐就免了。不做事也不行，建議你抓小偷，這些人沒背景、沒靠山，抓了就是你的功勞和政績，還沒絲毫后患和風險。”

部長老師一席話，說得永貴直接跪下了：“不是您先生指點，我哪知道官場似海深，弄不好怎么淹死在海里都不知道是誰害的。”

趙大部長教學生的為政之道，看似情理兩洽，實際上也屬巧宦一路，多智巧，談不上智慧。保全的是個人的官位和利益，損失的是道義和良知。對個人合情合理，對國家卻是養(yǎng)虎遺患。

Later, Qian Ruoshui secretly sent men to find the run-away maidservant and put the case into the hands of the magistrate, the mayor himself.A case rife with unjust, fake, and falsified charges was thus redressed.The magistrate took off the stocks and chains right then and there, the wealthy man and his family cried bitterly, kowtowing incessantly,overwhelmed with gratitude. The magistrate, not being able to take it anymore said, “It was not I who saved your family, it was judge Qian.” The wealthy family went to visit and pay their respects to Qian Ruoshui, but Qian Ruoshui kept his door shut and did not come out, only passing on the message, “It is all thanks to the mayor’s discerning eye, it does not have even the slightest to do with me.” The wealthy family went around the corner weeping, not being able to leave for a long time.

Later, when the mayor wanted to recommend Qian Ruoshui for promotion he just shook his head and waved his hand saying, “Sir, I only wish to save the innocent from an unjust death, and this is what I ought to do, I never imagined winning and honors or being promoted. If you insist on reporting this case to the upper authority for my promotion, what would happen to my colleague and his family?”

This is the famous historical story of Qian Ruoshui’s discerning injustice. Qian Ruoshui chose to expel the evil with the good,saving lives, protecting justice, and moreso showing solicitude for human nature,having good sense, which not only avoided the calamity of the destruction of the entire wealthy family but also protected the entire family of his colleague’s.

Qian Ruoshui didn’t take road of a ‘scheming civil servant,’ he was not opportunistic and he didn’t make compromises, maintaining both his professional achievements and his morality. He was rational and law-abiding,the perfect example of the three-in-one“emotion, reason, and law” principle.

This is the breadth of a wise man and is more so the magnanimity of nobility. ◆

(From Shenzhen Special Zone Daily,April 11, 2017.Translation:Sam Bowden)

有沒有既堅持原則，又保全名聲的官員？有。宋代的錢若水，以仁孝知名，以不貪為寶，推誠待人，襟懷坦白。他擔任同州推官，主管司法行政。他的一位同僚曾經(jīng)向富翁借錢，富翁知道，這是肉包子打狗，沒借。不久，這富人家的一個女仆逃亡，這同僚就唆使女仆的父母，狀告富家父子殺人掩尸。一頓棍子下來，富翁屈打成招，被判死罪。

錢若水覺得疑點太多，把案子壓下來。同事找上門，就是一頓亂罵，說他和富家有說不清道不明的關系。

錢若水笑笑說：“這一刀下去，幾個人都要人頭落地，我再仔細看看好不好？”

后來，錢若水悄悄派人找到逃亡的女仆，把案子移送知州——市長大人手上，一樁冤假錯案，就此平反。知州當堂解除枷鎖，富翁一家嚎啕大哭，叩頭不斷，感恩戴德。知州受不了，就說了：“不是我救了你家，是錢推官。”富豪一家去拜見錢若水，哪知道錢若水閉門不見，傳話說：“是市長大人明察秋毫，跟我一毛錢關系都沒有。”富豪一家繞墻痛哭，久久不去。

后來，市長要給錢若水請功，錢若水搖頭擺手：“大人，我只想不冤殺無辜，這是本分，從沒想過要立功升官。你要一報功，我那同事一家不就完了嗎？”

這就是歷史上著名的錢若水辨冤。錢若水選擇了以正驅邪，救助了生命，維護了正義，更體恤人情，明白事理，既避免了富家的滅門之災，又保住了同事一家。

錢若水沒走巧宦一路，不投機，不妥協(xié)，事功、德行兩全，無虧情理，堅守法度，是情理法三合一的典范。

這是智者的度量，更是君子的海量。◆

（摘自《深圳特區(qū)報》2017年4月11日）

智巧與智慧

文/劉云生