No wonder Wang Daokun was shocked.
What is "one morality"? That is to provide people with moral standards.
Zhu Xi's "Great Learning Chapters" proposed the Three Cardinal Guidelines and Eight Objectives for scholars to conduct themselves, and provided moral standards for scholars.
The three principles are clear virtue, closeness to the people, and ultimate goodness.
The eight eyes are used to investigate things, achieve knowledge, sincerity, upright mind, self-cultivation, order the family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world.
This provides moral standards for scholars all over the world and a direction for their efforts.
Zhu Xi became Zhu Zi.
Under Zhu Xi's standards, Wang Yangming put forward the theory of conscience, and also put forward the standard of "inner sage and outer king", which further provided the moral standards for scholars, so Wang Yangming became a new sage.
As Su Ze said, what Zhu Xi and Wang Yangming gave were moral standards for scholars, but they did not say what the industry and businessmen should do.
That's why Wang Daokun was shocked, because what Su Ze wanted to do was what a Confucian saint wanted to do.
No, what Su Ze wants to do is even more powerful than the previous sages. He wants to set a moral standard for everyone in the world.
This is the so-called "mixed morality"!
After being shocked, Wang Daokun was frightened.
He took Su Ze's hand and said seriously: "Rulin, you haven't said this to anyone else, have you?"
Su Ze shook his head and said, "I came up with this feeling after reading the teacher's manuscript, and I never told anyone else."
"It's fine that I haven't said it. It's fine that I haven't said it. You don't need to say it publicly or write it down."
Wang Daokun really regarded Su Ze as his student. He said:
"You can think about morality and practice it silently, but it's not something you can tell the world about now. Do you understand?"
Su Ze has great ambitions. He wants to set up moral standards for everyone in the world. This is what a saint does.
The Ming Dynasty did not need another saint.
Wang Yangming only improved Zhu Xi's scholarly ethics, but was feared by the Ming court for decades.
Wang Yangming had meritorious service in quelling the rebellion, and was even awarded a title as a civil servant. However, the Ming court never allowed him to enter the court, or even go to the capital, because they were afraid of his status as a new saint.
During Wang Yangming's lifetime and for a period of time after his death, Xinxue was suppressed.
Only now that the study of the mind has become a knowledge recognized by scholars, the imperial court has relaxed its restrictions on the study of the mind, because it can no longer be restricted.
And Su Ze's ambition is even greater. Once completed, he will be the master of the world. What is that? That is the Holy Master!
No emperor can tolerate a living saint.
Wang Daokun pulled Su Ze and said:
"What Ru Lin said is very good. It will be more beneficial to the people of the world if you wait until you are in the imperial court in the future."
Wang Daokun also really felt that Su Ze's words were reasonable.
He noticed the new class represented by Ximen Qing, whether they were merchants, brokers, or workshop workers, they all stepped away from the shackles of the land.
Without the shackles of land, there would be no harbor for the traditional land clan system. They could not comply with the standards of agricultural land ethics. Although they controlled wealth, they became the target of social criticism.
The moral dilemma of the new class also makes them willing to fall.
Wang Daokun stood up and said: "Rulin, you are only twenty-three years old, and you will take the national examination next year. You can still take two imperial examinations before you are twenty-seven, and you can enter the Hanlin Academy as a second-class Jinshi."
Wang Daokun said: "When you become a cabinet minister in the future, you can say this again."
Su Ze sneered in his heart, let alone the cabinet minister, even if he became the regent minister, the emperor would never tolerate him saying these words.
Morality is so powerful that it is not just a matter of sanctification.
Once Su Ze really puts forward a new moral standard that is recognized by the whole people, it means that he becomes the leader of all new classes, and he will naturally become the spokesperson of the new class.
The imperial power of the Ming Dynasty could not even tolerate the prime minister, so why should it use cabinet ministers to decorate its appearance? How could it tolerate a living saint?
However, Su Ze is not stupid enough to publicly promote his theory now.
He has not yet thought about how to "one morality" specifically. This is not just to put forward a standard, but to have people from other classes recognize this moral standard.
Especially for the Confucian scholars who have the right to speak to recognize this set of standards, Su Ze's current reputation and strength are far from reaching this point.
The reason why I told Wang Daokun was that Wang Daokun was my room master and my natural political ally, and Wang Daokun was indeed an aspiring scholar.
After Wang Daokun finished his instructions, he felt extremely excited again.
The "Jin Ping Mei" he wrote lamented and sympathized with the fate of the characters in the book, but as Su Ze said, as the author, he didn't know why the protagonists encountered such problems, and in the end he could only use the theory of heaven and reincarnation. Explain from the Buddhist point of view.
But Su Ze's words were like an enlightenment, making Wang Daokun think about the fate of the characters in the book again.
When Su Ze saw Wang Daokun's lost look, he knew that he had agreed with his theory.
Ideological enlightenment is something that will inevitably happen with the emergence of a new class.
Nowadays, the Taizhou School, which is becoming more and more influential, proposes that "the common people's daily use is the Tao", which is actually the last step.
The Taizhou School, based on Mencius's people-friendly thoughts, proposed the concept of civilian Confucianism and had considerable influence among the people.
Wang Gen gave lectures to traffickers and footmen, and recruited craftsmen, merchants, servants, and hawkers as disciples. One of them implies the future expectation that "everyone is like a dragon."
Although the Taizhou School did not clearly put forward the goal of "one morality", nor was it aware of the changes in social classes, it only started from the people-oriented idea and naturally proposed to spread Confucianism among the common people.
However, the imperial court also realized the power of the Taizhou School. After Wang Gen's death, his disciples Yan Jun, He Xinyin, and Li Zhi were all excluded from the government.
Later, He Xinyin was executed by Zhang Juzheng, who was in power, and Li Zhi also died in prison. Since then, Ming Confucianism has no direction to change.
Academics became a tool of party struggle, and various "gentlemen's parties" emerged one after another, cleaning up the vast white land of the Ming Dynasty.
As for the scholarship of the later Qing Dynasty, let’s not talk about it.
Su Ze has found a new direction. The proposition of "one morality" is too big! He not only needs to put forward the theory himself, but also needs someone to help him practice it, and his mentor Wang Daokun is the first person he influences.
This night talk had an impact on Su Ze no less than "Longchang Enlightenment".
"Rulin came to see me today. Is there something wrong?"
Only then did Su Ze remember his purpose. He raised his hands and asked:
"Teacher, I heard that the court is searching for ambergris?"
Wang Daokun sighed and said, "Yes, your Majesty ordered the Ministry of Household Affairs to purchase a hundred catties of ambergris. The Ministry of Household Affairs issued a document to the coastal provinces, requiring each province to pay tribute to the ambergris. The Chief Envoy is having a headache."
Emperor Jiajing's love for ambergris reached the point of obsession. This was not the first time he asked for tribute of ambergris, but it was really hard to find. Not even a hundred kilograms, not even ten kilograms, had been collected.
Su Ze said with prepared words:
"Teacher, I know a Ryukyu man. He said that they have ambergris in their hands."
Wang Daokun looked at Su Ze in surprise and asked, "Seriously?"
Su Ze nodded and said: "Disciple has seen it before, and it is indeed as described in the book. The taste is meaningful and unique."
Wang Daokun stood up and said, "Where are the Ryukyu people?"
Su Ze said: "He is in Fuzhou City, but he is a close confidant of the Ryukyu Kingdom. This time he brought ambergris to ask the court to reopen Ryukyu tribute."
Wang Daokun was stunned, but after thinking about it, it made sense.
Ryukyu has always wanted to reopen tribute. Perhaps the Ryukyu people in Fuzhou heard the news that the emperor collected ambergris, so they notified the leader of Ryukyu, hoping to use ambergris to persuade Emperor Jiajing to restart the tribute trade.
That's why they approached Su Ze as a lobbyist, and as the governor of Fujian, he was one of the few officials in Fujian who could submit inscriptions to the court.
Thinking about it carefully, it seems that there is no harm in restarting the Ryukyu tribute.
Wang Daokun was born in Huizhou Prefecture, where there were many Huizhou merchants, and many people in his family were engaged in business. He was not opposed to maritime trade, and even felt that if business was well established, the country would be rejuvenated.
Ryukyu has always been submissive to the Ming Dynasty, and is considered quite obedient among the vassal countries.
Wang Daokun said immediately:
"I think this is like an inscription for the imperial court!"
Su Ze quickly said: "Teacher, if this is a cabinet meeting, I'm afraid it will be rejected."
Wang Daokun immediately understood what Su Ze meant.
Regarding Emperor Jiajing's search for ambergris, on the surface, the cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue were determined to complete it. In fact, the emperor did not know how much work was done in it.
Otherwise, after a few years, Emperor Jiajing would not be so anxious as to send eunuchs to search the coastal areas.
If Wang Daokun had submitted this question book, he might have been blocked directly by the cabinet.
"I understand, then I'll go to the secret revelation!"
Finally convinced Wang Daokun, Su Ze's plan was more than half successful.
Next, given the urinary nature of the Daojun Emperor, the Ryukyu tribute trade will definitely be restarted for this ambergris.
With the tickets for the tribute trade in hand, Su Ze can openly use Ryukyu skins to conduct legal large-scale East Asian trade.
Among bulk trade, although smuggling trade is highly profitable, it is far less profitable than legal large-scale trade.
The reason is also very simple. In bulk trade, efficiency takes priority. How much raw silk can one smuggling ship transport?
The legal raw silk trade's one-time cargo volume is hundreds or thousands of times that of sporadic smuggling. Even if the profit margin is a little lower, the volume will naturally make more money.
In Su Ze's time and space, after the Longqing switch, many small and medium-sized smuggling bases declined rapidly. This was the reason why big businessmen preferred to use official channels with higher taxes.
The Ryukyu tribute port was Fuzhou, which was not far from Changningwei. Once the Ryukyu tribute trade started, the money Su Ze earned from the shops in Nanping County was no longer the same.
With money, you can start building ships and buying cannons.
Wang Daokun agreed to reveal the secret and reopen the Ryukyu tribute trade.
After all these discussions were finished, Wang Daokun said: "Rulin will be imprisoned after the new year. Where are you going to go?"
After passing the examination, it was customary to go to the Imperial College to report. The Ming Dynasty had Imperial Colleges in the north and south of Zhili, located in the capital and Nanjing respectively. Even if you don't go to the prison to study, you still need to go through the motions.
Su Ze originally didn’t want to take part in the examination, so he naturally didn’t want to go to the Imperial Academy of the Capital. He said:
"Students are going to Nanjing Imperial College."
Wang Daokun nodded and said: "That's fine. Next year's examination is too hasty. With Rulin's talent and learning, he can wait for the next examination four years later. If he can win the second grade, he can still participate in the selection."
Wang Daokun thought that Su Ze chose to go to Nanjing to be imprisoned because he did not want to participate in next year's general examination. This is also the normal operation of many candidates.
The rankings are determined by the imperial examination and there is no chance of re-examination. The first, second, and third grades are clearly distinguished. The backgrounds of shujishi, Jinshi, and fellow Jinshi are vastly different. Therefore, some scholars would rather take the imperial examination in one session at night in order to get a high ranking in the imperial examination.
Su Ze is from Fujian Jieyuan. According to Wang Daokun, it is not a big problem for Su Ze to directly participate in the imperial examination. However, if you want to get a high rank in the imperial examination, you still have to rely on luck. It is better to wait for four years and then take the exam again.
Wang Daokun handed a letter to Su Ze and said:
"I have an old relationship with Nanjing Imperial College. If you hand this letter to him, he won't make things difficult for you after entering the prison."
The teaching level of the Imperial College is hard to describe, and it may not be as high as Su Ze's level of education.
There are very few scholars who actually study in the Imperial College. This letter from Wang Daokun can save Su Ze from the trouble of being imprisoned.
Wang Daokun continued: "It is also good for you to go to Nanjing Imperial College. There are many academies in the south, and Rulin can travel and study. If Rulin wants to establish a message that will last forever, he will naturally have to travel thousands of miles."
Su Ze also agreed with Wang Daokun's idea. The academy is a Ming Dynasty specialty and must be tasted.
Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Fujian are all the holy places for kings in the Ming Dynasty today. There are many academies. In addition to studying for imperial examinations, these academies will also debate Confucian classics and discuss the political situation of the court. If a scholar wants to become famous in the scholarly world, he must be in the circle. Make a name for yourself.
Studying abroad is the best way. Just like Yanping Academy, the academies in these places will also invite traveling scholars to give lectures. Su Ze is already a Fujian Jieyuan, so he is naturally qualified to give lectures.
Wang Daokun was not the kind of scholar who was obsessed with studying. He himself had a wide range of interests and had passed the imperial examination. For Su Ze, his favorite student, he did not advise Su Ze to study hard, but advised him to travel more and accumulate experience.
After learning about Su Ze's ambition of "One Morality", Wang Daokun encouraged him to travel around the world and absorb other people's academic opinions to improve himself.
Su Ze respectfully expressed his gratitude to Wang Daokun, and then left the governor's residence with satisfaction.
In the next few days, he continued to move around Fuzhou City and visited his acquaintances in Fuzhou City.
As expected, Yu Zongyuan passed the martial arts examination, and now he has been awarded the position of Fuzhou Left Guard Deputy Qianhu. However, military positions in the Ming Dynasty were of low value. Su Ze was the Fujian Jieyuan at a young age, and his future prospects were limitless.
This time Yu Zongyuan acted like a younger brother, but Su Ze still treated him as before and even asked Yu Zongyuan to invite his colleagues to drink together.
Originally, when Yu Zongyuan boasted about knowing Su Ze in the military camp, everyone laughed at his bragging. Now, seeing the close relationship between Su Ze and Yu Zongyuan, everyone can only envy him.
Jieyuan has a bright future in the province, and if Su Ze has the opportunity to join the cabinet and become prime minister in the future, Yu Zongyuan will be a big fan.
Those who left letters to Fang Wanghai, including Fujian Chief Envoy, Fujian Deputy Inspector General, Fujian Tixue, and Su Ze also sent valuable gifts, and their skills increased a lot.
With the introduction from Fang Wanghai's letter, Su Ze and Miss Fang were already engaged. Naturally, all the gifts from his nephew were accepted as ordered. Everyone praised Fang Wanghai for finding Chenglong's son-in-law.
In the blink of an eye, November came, and the urgent secret disclosure from Fujian was delivered to the Secretary of Ceremonies.
(End of chapter)
