"The small peasant economy is a self-sufficient model. As long as they can produce it themselves, the instinctual impulse of the small peasant economy is not to buy." Chen Ke's voice on the stage was loud; this was the focus of future work. Today, having gained strategic initiative, thinking about establishing a wider base area relies only on political and economic means. In the history of the Party, military means were always the last resort used when there was no other choice. The Party was never keen on solving problems by military means; if a political way could solve it, the Party would adopt a more peaceful way. This is the attitude a mature political party should have.

The comrades below the stage understood this mentality of the small peasant economy, because people of this era more or less had the mentality of the small peasant economy in their thoughts.

"Then the biggest characteristic of the industrialized capital operation model we want to establish now is that the purpose of producing products is for trading! When this model develops to a certain extent, the mantou eaten by every household will be bought from specialized shops."

After hearing this, a burst of surprised laughter erupted in the conference hall. Especially the comrades born in Fengtai County laughed even louder. Buying mantou from outside to eat—how lazy must the hostess of this family be? And this style is a bit too big.

Chen Ke didn't find anything funny at all. He said loudly: "Don't laugh, comrades. The food you eat in the canteen now is just unpaid; if paid, your eating is also considered buying."

As soon as these words came out, the laughter below stopped quickly. This group of people present all ate in the canteen. Although it wasn't that they were very interested in eating in the canteen, in a sense, these people were the first group to join the new system and had to adjust their own lifestyle according to the new system.

Chen Ke really didn't have time to conduct systematic education for these party cadres. The content of this training was entirely theoretical and ideological preparation for the work to be promoted within three months. One of the traditions of the Party is to understand if you can, and gradually understand in the work process if you can't. Although this method would have many problems in the process of work execution, waiting for everything to be ready before starting would mean the day lily is cold [too late].

So under Chen Ke's tough attitude, the party cadres began to experience a very "uncomfortable" concept establishment process. This concept wasn't really that complicated. Chen Ke's first lecture was the concept of money as a "general equivalent." Mentioning money, the comrades' first concept was copper coins and gold and silver. Unifying these monies of different eras, different fineness, and different types into a concept of "currency" in their minds made the comrades work very hard. And refining this already abstract currency concept into the even more abstract concept of "general equivalent" killed many of the comrades' brain cells.

When Chen Ke combined the concept of value with the concept of "general equivalent," most comrades' brains were already a mess of paste.

Fortunately, the study style of the People's Party was very upright. During the discussion time, everyone enlightened each other, explained to each other, and went around countless circles. Finally, they understood one thing: "If there is no labor and transaction, there is no need for currency to measure labor. Manufacturing currency also requires labor, but the significance of currency in social operation itself is just a general equivalent." This seemingly extremely abstract and weird concept made most comrades feel baffled. The comrades looked at Chen Ke, wanting to know what use it was for Chen Ke to spend so much effort to make everyone understand such a "lip service" concept?

Just then, Chen Ke suddenly said, "Let's go eat first? It's already two o'clock in the afternoon."

Lunch time was one hour. Perhaps the excessive consumption of brain power suppressed appetite; anyway, most comrades only felt a kind of exhaustion and lack of appetite. It wasn't until Chen Ke ordered that quite a few people remembered the matter of eating. Under Chen Ke's order, everyone got up to eat.

Chen Ke asked Yan Fu to bring two special personnel to participate in this training. Shen Zengzhi and Feng Xu both wore People's Party military uniforms and mixed in the corner to listen to the class together.

During lunch, Chen Ke and Yan Fu ate with these two special personnel in his office.

"Two gentlemen, please give some comments." Chen Ke said while eating.

Shen Zengzhi and Feng Xu were both well-educated, including Yan Fu; they all advocated "no talking while eating." Watching Chen Ke stuffing things into his mouth while talking without rules, Shen Zengzhi frowned slightly, while Feng Xu accelerated his eating speed. Yan Fu swallowed the food in his mouth into his stomach before saying: "Wen Qing, might as well finish eating before talking. It doesn't matter for this short while."

Chen Ke realized what was going on a moment later. He quickly apologized and began to wolf down food.

After the four finished eating, Feng Xu spoke first: "Mr. Chen, the currency theory you talked about today is really admirable. If the Imperial Court could have a figure like Mr. Chen, it would never have reached the state it is today no matter what."

Chen Ke laughed: "If people like me want to do something in the Manchu Qing court, it is certain death. Although I am not a son of a thousand gold, I don't want to sit under that dangerous wall."

Thinking of his status as a captive, Feng Xu felt it was meaningless to continue this topic, so he changed to the topic Chen Ke mentioned while eating. "Mr. Chen talked about currency; I understand the concept of this currency. But listening to Mr. Chen's meaning, are you preparing to issue currency yourself?"

The vision of old officials like Feng Xu was different, several streets higher than the current young revolutionary cadres of the People's Party. As soon as Chen Ke heard Feng Xu's words, he immediately had the happy feeling of talking to a sensible person. He laughed: "I am preparing to establish a Central Bank that issues currency, and the entire system of operating currency in the base area."

"Can Mr. Chen explain a thing or two?" Feng Xu was also very interested in this.

Unlike the simple explanation and huge effort detailed explanation in the morning class, Chen Ke just outlined a few core points briefly, and Feng Xu, Yan Fu, and Shen Zengzhi understood. The system Chen Ke wanted to establish was simple to put it bluntly: first establish fiat money, and then the new government issues fiat money through control of productive forces and circulating commodities. First establish an internal transaction system, and this internal system operates using a trade barrier model. These issues Chen Ke prepared to talk about for two days were finished in ten minutes by the four people in the room.

Feng Xu had been a local official for decades and understood the concept of the Central Bank mentioned by Chen Ke very well. He clapped his hands and praised: "Wonderful! No wonder Mr. Chen spent so much effort talking about this currency. If one doesn't understand the concept of currency, the subtleties behind it really cannot be understood."

Chen Ke really had no interest in Feng Xu's praise. The morning lecture really exhausted him. Pulling these former high officials to chat at this moment also meant to relieve some worries and sort out thoughts by the way. Seeing Feng Xu just simply joining in the fun, Chen Ke suddenly felt his approach seemed like showing off.

At this time, he heard Shen Zengzhi interrupt: "Mr. Chen is worried that those People's Party comrades of yours can't keep up with your thoughts, right?"

Chen Ke immediately became spirited. This was exactly what he was worried about. Or rather Chen Ke was no longer worried; regardless of whether the comrades could keep up with the thoughts, Chen Ke had to make them keep up.

Shen Zengzhi didn't have the usual cynical look on his face, but a solemn face. "Mr. Chen, you originally said you studied Confucianism; I didn't believe it. Watching your lecture personally this time, I have to believe it."

The three present, Yan Fu, Shen Zengzhi, and Feng Xu, were all from Confucian backgrounds. But because Yan Fu engaged in the naval profession and contacted Western learning a lot, he could no longer be considered a Confucian person. Although Feng Xu was a talent and passed the Jinshi examination, he paid more attention to applying what he learned and did not delve deeply into Confucianism. Among the three, both Yan Fu and Feng Xu recognized Shen Zengzhi as a great Confucian scholar. If the People's Party hadn't appeared in Fengtai County and then captured Shouzhou, capturing Shen Zengzhi, Shen Zengzhi would have been promoted to Anhui Education Commissioner this year. That was an official position by no means inferior to the status of Anhui Provincial Administration Commissioner Feng Xu.

Now Shen Zengzhi actually said Chen Ke was Confucian; both Yan Fu and Feng Xu felt very surprised. They knew their learning of Confucianism couldn't compare to Shen Zengzhi, and dared not expose their shortcomings rashly.

Shen Zengzhi was not polite either. He said frankly: "The Confucianism of the Great Qing talks about the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues. Mr. Chen Ke's People's Party also has its own Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, but they are not the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues of the Great Qing."

The "Three Cardinal Guides" refer to "ruler guides subject, father guides son, husband guides wife," requiring subjects, sons, and wives to absolutely obey rulers, fathers, and husbands, and also requiring rulers, fathers, and husbands to set an example for subjects, sons, and wives. It reflects a special moral relationship between ruler and minister, father and son, husband and wife in feudal society.

The "Five Constant Virtues" are Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, and Trust, which are behavioral norms used to adjust and regulate human relationships such as ruler and minister, father and son, brothers, husband and wife, friends, etc.

Shen Zengzhi said: "I have also read Mr. Chen Ke's book. The Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues advocated by Mr. Chen Ke are centered on productive forces. The Confucianism of the Great Qing talks about filial piety and fraternity, talks about benevolence and righteousness. But Mr. Chen Ke talks about *On Contradiction*, believing that various contradictions are ubiquitous, contradictions exist eternally, and in order to resolve contradictions, there are things like the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues to coordinate contradictions. Mr. Chen, if the world were not chaotic to this extent now, and according to what your book says, contradictions intensified to an unbearable degree, no one would believe your set of things. Everyone actually doesn't believe in this set of words; what everyone believes is just seeing that you can accomplish big things."

Hearing this, Chen Ke, Yan Fu, and Feng Xu all looked solemn. Especially Chen Ke; although he also talked about theory, the purpose of talking about theory was entirely for the practical promotion of revolution. In terms of the theoretical framework of the Chinese revolution, it was neither his forte, nor did he have time to complete the construction in this area. Hearing Shen Zengzhi's words, Chen Ke felt extremely shocked.

Chen Ke didn't know that Shen Zengzhi was a great master of Confucianism. Naito Konan, the founder of modern Japanese Sinology, told his students that they must see Shen Zengzhi when they went to China, because Mr. Shen was "a great person with insight who is versed in all Chinese learning." But even if Chen Ke knew this, he wouldn't care. He had the Grandpa Mao road he wanted to follow. In his view, people like Shen Zengzhi were just Confucian remnants after the poisoning of the Manchu Qing, without any special value. Especially since Shen Zengzhi was usually very impolite to Chen Ke, the struggle of will was also a big problem. Now suddenly hearing Shen Zengzhi speak such reasoning, it made Chen Ke greatly surprised.

"Mr. Chen, the concept of currency you talked about today is very correct. However, I originally thought you were just a fierce and ambitious person [Xiao Xiong] disrupting the world. But after listening to your People's Party's party lesson today, I realized I underestimated you before. Not only are you a fierce and ambitious person, but you also want to be a founding father who integrates ruler and teacher."

Chen Ke originally wanted to hear Shen Zengzhi continue to comment on the theoretical framework, but he didn't expect him to talk about this nonsense, so he was a bit unhappy in his heart. "Mr. Shen, of course I want to overthrow the Manchu Qing; founding the country is just natural. I would like to continue listening to Mr. Shen's words just now."

Shen Zengzhi said calmly: "Seeking truth from facts; ask if you don't understand, learn if you don't know. Without investigation, there is no right to speak. Labor created man himself. Modesty and prudence. And what you repeatedly emphasized: do not make empty promises to the people, do it first before speaking. Especially that the world fears the word 'seriousness' most, and the People's Party is most serious. Mr. Chen, which of these purposes of your People's Party has not been earnestly taught by Confucian sages? You just turned these teachings into vernacular."

After hearing this, Chen Ke and the others fell silent. Shen Zengzhi was right; these words are reflected in the *Analects*. The People's Party founded by Chen Ke just spoke these words in vernacular and then emphasized them repeatedly. Chen Ke knew very clearly that he had never created anything that predecessors didn't have; not only in the past, but it would also be so in the future.

"Mr. Chen, this batch of party members under you is unusual. I have served as Education Commissioner for many years and have never seen so many disciples who can follow the teachings of sages. Today's so-called people in Confucianism, who have read the *Analects*, can only practice 'eating food that is not too refined, living in a house that is not too big' [Note: Actually "Yi Shi Bu Yan Jing, Kuai Bu Yan Xi" - Confucius didn't dislike refined food... Wait, Shen is likely criticizing their lavishness? Or quoting "Shi Bu Yan Jing" - Food never too refined? Actually Confucius said "Shi Bu Yan Jing" meaning he didn't dislike refined food. Shen means they only follow the enjoyment parts? Or maybe he means they can't even do "Ne Yan Min Xing" (slow in speech, quick in action). Let's assume Shen means they fail to follow the good parts]. There are few who can even achieve 'slow in speech and quick in action.' I really didn't expect to see hundreds of disciples who can follow the teachings of sages at once under Mr. Chen's banner. I am quite happy. But thinking that after the success of Mr. Chen's revolution, Confucianism will inevitably decline, I really feel uneasy if I don't say a few words."

Hearing Shen Zengzhi's words, Chen Ke felt he had to come out and say a few words, otherwise it would make him look like he relied on Confucian learning to swindle and bluff. "Mr. Shen, the *Analects* talks about Benevolence, *Xunzi* talks about Ritual [Li]. I talk about productive forces and contradictions. Since the appearance of human beings, for tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of years, they walked and ran, and now they still walk and run. How kitchen knives cut vegetables thousands of years ago, kitchen knives still cut vegetables the same way now. You can't just because Confucian sages said some insightful views, attribute everything to the Confucian school."

regarding Chen Ke's rebuttal, Shen Zengzhi did not oppose either. He nodded. "Mr. Chen, the Sage was a person two thousand years ago. If we treat those who claim to be disciples of the Confucian school now as disciples of the Sage, that is the big mistake. I just saw that Mr. Chen's People's Party actually followed the teachings of the Sage, and had some feelings in my heart. If Mr. Chen's People's Party can continue to work like this, it is only right to seize this world."

Hearing Shen Zengzhi say this, Chen Ke couldn't help asking: "Then is Mr. Shen willing to join our People's Party?"

"That is not necessary. Mr. Chen, there are so many people in this world who read Confucian books and boast of being Confucian disciples, but few can do what the sages said in the books. Being a 'Junzi' [Gentleman/Noble Man] is not so easy to achieve. I'm afraid Mr. Chen will start killing your current subordinates on a large scale in the future. Mr. Chen is unwilling to defect to the Court in order not to stand under a dangerous wall. Although this old man admires Mr. Chen very much, I am also unwilling to stand under the dangerous wall of your People's Party."

This old man Shen Zengzhi's words made Chen Ke have to admire him. Just as he wanted to say something more, he heard the sound of the class bell ringing outside. "Three gentlemen, let's go to class." Chen Ke said.