Mention of "pit Confucianism" people will immediately think of: destroying culture, massacring scholars. In fact, this is a big mistake. Confucianism was not caused by someone writing a book and cursing Qin Shihuang, nor was it caused by scholars expressing different opinions. "King Confucianism" was because a group of warlocks embezzled the royal government's scientific research funds, punishing corruption crimes, and was an anti-corruption storm set off by Qin Shihuang according to law. The hateful thing is that the literati after the Han dynasty wanted to fight for freedom of speech and did not dare, so they turned their fingers at the sanghuai. Later generations of experts and literati did not use their brains to make mistakes, and the lie became the truth. It is really sad!
In fact, as long as we carefully read "Historical Records", it is not difficult for us to draw the following conclusions:
First, the "pitting of Confucianism" happened not because scholars gave opinions to Qin Shihuang, or scholars spread their doctrines, but because sorcerers Hou Sheng and Lu Sheng used the name of studying the elixir of life to defraud the state of huge amounts of funds, and then It was used for profit, squandering, and finally absconded with the money. Pay attention to the word "treacherous profit", which means illegal profit.
Second, the people who Qin Shihuang was angry and dealt with were the followers who followed Hou Sheng and Lu Sheng, and those who participated in defrauding huge sums of money and making illegal profits, rather than the Confucian scholars and scholars in the general sense (the alchemist wanted to practice for strange medicine).
Third, Qin Shihuang handled the matter according to law. He referred the case to the relevant officials for trial, instead of making his own decision (so he asked Yushi to learn the case and ask the students).
Fourth, officials investigated Lu Sheng and others in accordance with the law. This group of people defrauded scientific research funds, illegally profited, and made meritorious deeds, or did not participate in crimes seeking innocence, and they exposed each other. Therefore, the court arrested 460 lawbreakers in accordance with the law, and Qin Shihuang approved the beheading of them in Xianyang, where they were not allowed to be collected in a pit. Those who are not guilty will not be held accountable.
Fifth, what Qin Shihuang killed was not a scholar, but a magician who defrauded the state's money and embezzled huge scientific research funds. Even if there are scholar Confucian scholars, and the prince commits the same crime as the common people, scholars of Confucian scholars should be no exception.
Sixth, should the sorcerers who embezzle national scientific research funds be killed? They should be killed, regardless of the dynasty. Even today in modern civilization, some Western countries have abolished the death penalty. For such crimes, the highest penalty should be imposed. Life imprisonment. What is the crime of Qin Shihuang's anti-corruption?
Seventh, Qin Shihuang did not kill the warlocks ever since, but treated them differently. For warlocks who have not committed crimes, they are allowed to continue to engage in research activities, but they are not banned. For example, Xu Shi was scolded by Qin Shihuang, but Qin Shihuang did not order Xu Shi to be punished. In the 37th year of Qin Shihuang's eastward tour, he summoned Xu City again, and he did not punish him for spending huge sums of money to seek medicine for nothing. It can be seen that Qin Shihuang's "pit warlock" move is not a silly generalization. There is a clear distinction between what is a corruption crime and what is a fruitless scientific research. Such an emperor is rare in ancient and modern times.
Eighth, should Qin Shihuang use state funds to research and find medicine for longevity? Yes. It is human nature to hope to live a long life. Even today, when I hear that food can lead to longevity, don't all the officials and people rush to it? If there is no tireless exploration in the past, where can we get the profound and profound Chinese medicine today?
There is one point that needs to be explained in particular: In the eyes of today's people, warlocks seem to be synonymous with pretending to be haunted and deceived. Therefore, believing and tolerating warlocks is considered ignorance. In fact, not all. Almost all of the early scientific research of mankind originated from a group like sorcerers. Astronomy, medicine, biology, metallurgy, chemistry, etc. may be pretending to be haunted at first, but gradually science has emerged. Alchemy and alchemy gave rise to early metal smelting and chemistry; wizards’ divination and worship of heaven gave rise to astronomy; hope for survival and immortality gave rise to medicine and biology.
Whether you can tolerate what you don't understand, and whether you can still be sober-minded and act in accordance with the law under anger, reflects the mind and tolerance of a king. Qin Shihuang's 35 years of anti-corruption and slaughter of corrupt criminals did not evolve into the ban and massacre of the entire class of warlocks. This is an amazing thing.
