Donglin Hall was to be taken over by the imperial court for official use and transformed into Donglin Academy. For the Gu family, it was like a bolt from the blue.
Therefore, Gu Yuncheng stood up in shock, asked in disbelief, and then looked at Gu Xiancheng.
Gu Xiancheng looked gloomy and said:
"I thought that the emperor would demolish my Donglin because of this, but I didn't expect that he would take my Donglin into a government office and use it as an important place to preach new etiquette and practice in the south of the Yangtze River!"
"Today's decisions are always unexpected. Just as Zhang Taiyue's transgressions are nothing in his eyes, it seems that the decentralization of power advocated by Donglin Hall is nothing in his eyes, so it is not to eliminate Donglin, but to You must dominate Donglin yourself.”
"One Xingming Academy is enough to give people a headache. Adding another Donglin Academy, or the Donglin Academy in Jiangnan, isn't it equivalent to a knife being inserted into our hearts?"
"That's what my brother said!"
"The temple's tactics are extremely vicious!"
Gu Yuncheng also gritted his teeth and started talking, and then suggested:
"Why don't we destroy Donglin Hall ourselves first and set it on fire so that the imperial court cannot establish Donglin Academy!"
"In this case, even if the court wants to take it back, it can only take back a piece of land full of ruins. They can't find out which gentlemen in Donglin have come here to leave handwritings and articles and handouts. Naturally, they don't know how many there are. People advocate the separation of human masters and human saints.”
"That's okay. Donglin Hall is like the beauty that our Gu family worked so hard to raise. If we can't keep it as our own, we can't let others have it. We'd rather destroy it!"
Gu Xuancheng echoed.
Gu Xiancheng looked up at his two younger brothers and said:
"Let's consider this matter in the long term. Donglin Hall is easy to destroy, but the emperor is not that easy to bully. If you don't let him get Donglin Hall, my Gu family may really die without a burial place."
"this……"
Gu Yuncheng and Gu Xuancheng couldn't help but glance at each other for a moment, and then they had no choice but to say nothing more.
The news that Donglin Hall would be taken over by the government as a government-run academy and directly managed by the academic department soon spread like wildfire.
Many bureaucrats and scholars who supported or sympathized with Donglintang's thoughts were shocked, panicked and even angry.
The reason for this is naturally that they all understand what it means for Donglin Hall to become a government-run Donglin Academy.
"Mr. Donglin, we must demolish Donglin Hall immediately. We cannot allow the imperial court to use the opportunity of taking over Donglin Hall as the official Donglin Academy to find out how many people advocate that there should be a saint besides the one king in the world, and that the king and father should obey the world. Public opinion."
"It's best to start the fire directly!"
"In this way, the imperial court will not be able to fully find out how many people support Donglin Hall's proposition, and it will also have to spend longer time to build Donglin Academy because Donglin Hall was burned down. It can even delay His Majesty's forgetfulness through deliberate delay. The establishment of Donglin Academy."
Wu Jiong, a scholar who supported Donglin, came all the way from Huating to Wuxi and told Gu Xiancheng about the matter.
Gu Xiancheng said: "My brother-in-law also advocates burning down Donglin Hall. I also have this intention, but now is not the time. After all, it is not easy for Donglin Hall to survive today. I am trying to find a way to contact old friends in Beijing and ask them to come forward. Protect me, Donglin Hall, and don’t let Donglin Hall become a government-run Donglin Academy.”
"Mr. Donglin!"
"A letter came from Yang Butang in Nanjing, asking us to demolish Donglin Hall immediately!"
"Mr. Donglin!"
"The letter from Jiangxi Chen Fuyuan also suggested that Donglin Hall should be burned down as soon as possible, so as not to reduce the number of officials with official background in the court!"
At that time, as soon as Gu Xiancheng finished speaking, many scholars came to see him, and successively expressed to him that many bureaucrats who supported Gu Xiancheng's ideas wanted him to take the initiative to burn down Donglin Hall.
Gu Xiancheng only said: "Wait a little longer, wait a little longer, and there will be a turn for the better."
"Where's the turning point?"
Scholar Wu Jiong couldn't help but ask, and then said to Gu Xiancheng: "Mr. Donglin, the imperial edict has been issued, how can there be any change!"
Gu Xiancheng said with a smile: "There will be, there will be."
Gu Xiancheng is indeed looking forward to a turning point.
Because he had already written letters to many officials in Beijing.
"Zhao Mengbai's letter said that we should act in accordance with the imperial court's will and make Donglin Hall an academy that truly benefits the country and the people, and does not need to be a private hall for one family."
Soon, the Gu family received a letter from Zhao Nanxing who was reinstated as the Prime Minister of Taichang Temple, and Gu Xuancheng told Gu Xiancheng about Zhao Nanxing's reply.
After hearing this, Gu Xiancheng's face suddenly fell, and then asked: "Where is Guo Hanlin?"
"Guo Hanlin said that building more government-run academies is a national policy. You have to be willing if you don't want to. There is no reason not to support it!"
Gu Xuancheng replied again.
After hearing this, Gu Xiancheng slapped his palm heavily on the table, stood up, and said with a sullen face: "Everyone of them doesn't care at all about the life and death of Donglin Hall!"
"Now it seems that because the number of officials in the court is less than before, the officials in the court have to be more cautious and protective, and are not willing to lose their official positions for other things. We are really We can no longer expect the gentlemen of the court to protect Donglin Hall!"
Gu Yuncheng started talking at this time, and then looked at Gu Xiancheng:
"Brother, make up your mind to burn down Donglin Hall and prevent the imperial court from succeeding!"
Wu Jiong also stood up at this time and said: "Yes, Mr. Donglin, if we don't burn down Donglin Hall, it will be too late!"
"Mr. Donglin, there is only one Donglin Hall. At worst, we will build another one in the future!"
"That's right, keep the green hills and don't worry about running out of firewood. Mr. Donglin, burn them!"
"Burn it, Mr. Donglin. Donglin Hall has really become Donglin Academy!"
…
Many officials and gentlemen who supported Donglin Hall spoke excitedly at this time.
Keng!
"Fuyuan is here!"
At this time, the sound of gongs and the shouts of soldiers came from outside.
"Li Zhuowu is here!"
Gu Yuncheng was shocked on the spot.
"This treacherous villain became a Fuyuan by joining the Jinyi Guards. He is simply a scum of our scholars! Now that he has come to Wuxi, it is definitely not a good thing!"
Wu Jiong couldn't help but curse at this moment, and then looked at Gu Xiancheng: "Mr. Donglin, if you don't burn it, it will be too late. This Li Zhuowu must be here for Donglin Hall."
"It's better to go out and greet him first. After all, he is Fuyuan."
"As for burning down Donglin Hall, let me act accordingly."
Gu Xiancheng replied.
Wu Jiong and others couldn't help but look at each other.
At that time, Gu Xiancheng had already come out first, and the others had to follow.
After seeing Li Zhi, Gu Xiancheng hurriedly raised his hands and said, "I wonder what Fu Yuan is suddenly visiting my humble residence. What's the matter?"
"Our academy received an urgent message from the court to ensure that Donglin Hall is intact before it is transformed into Donglin Academy. Therefore, we first came to ask Mr. Gu if he would be willing to dedicate Donglin Hall to help the imperial court's education?"
Li Zhi replied.
(End of chapter)
