On the second day of February in the fifty-eighth year of Qianlong's reign, the 78-year-old Cangshan lay scholar Yuan Mei and the 67-year-old Zhao Yi met in Yangzhou with Qing Gui, an important minister of the Qing Dynasty who was ordered to go to Zhejiang. After that, they took a boat to Zhenjiang and stayed at The woman Luo Qilan is in a house near Chao'an Temple.
Luo Qilan was one of Yuan Mei's most proud female disciples. She became a widow at the age of thirty, and later moved to Jingkou, where she studied poetry under Yuan Mei and Wang Wen successively. She is one of the rare female literati nowadays who has broken away from the "three obedience" family relationship.
Although Yuan Mei's eldest son Yuan Tong is getting married at the end of this month and has to prepare many things in advance, he is in no hurry to return to Xiaocang Mountain. You must know that the place is crowded with guests all day long, and there are many people and eyes. He came to Zhenjiang this time to wait for someone, a messenger from Beihai Town.
Speaking of Yuan Mei, people in later generations focused on "Suiyuan Food List" and "Zi Buyu", especially the allusion of "women are tigers", which countless people talked about.
In the eyes of many people, this old man who lived for 82 years in history did not only eat, drink and travel around all day long, but also recruited a group of female disciples. He was a model of "not doing his job properly".
However, what Yuan Mei did on the surface was just a helpless response to the high-pressure rule of Manchu culture. He was fed up with the reception and inaction in the officialdom. In his heart, he has always adhered to the idea of "managing the world for practical purposes" in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, which simply means "respecting Zhou and converting to Confucius, and denying Cheng and Zhu". From this point of view, he completely agrees with the views of Wang Zhong, Jiang Fan, Hong Liangji and even Ruan Yuan, the successors of Gu Yanwu.
However, unlike Wang Zhong and others, Yuan Mei was not only a thinker influenced by this trend of thought, but also a practitioner of the lifestyle. However, due to the cultural autocracy of the Qing Dynasty, Yuan Mei did not dare to write any purely theoretical works. All his thoughts on "application of the world" are contained in his lifestyle and literary works, like salt dissolved in water.
As Yuan Mei's old friend, Hong Liangji, who likes to joke, calls him "an old fox who is always drunk and shows off his tail." He seems to be wild and unruly, but in fact he knows it well.
It is said that the trend of thought that took place during the changes of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, criticizing Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism and advocating practical application of the world, was actually a self-reflection movement within Confucianism, and was also called by later Western scholars as "the germination of Chinese modern thought and culture" ”.
True Confucianism is not old-fashioned. Although it has been reduced to a tool of rulers since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it has been seeking changes until Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, which talked about human nature, was officially established as the official orthodox consciousness in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. All in vain.
The purpose of studying is only for the imperial examination, and the imperial examination is for becoming an official. To become an official, you need to be promoted and make a fortune. Intellectuals who were bribed by self-interest fell collectively and became a group of spiritual refugees who had knowledge but no culture, a body but no soul, who only knew self-interest and neglected justice, and had neither struggle, sacrifice nor moral integrity. The most elite part of Chinese civilization has become decadent and decadent.
When the Yuan Dynasty destroyed the Song Dynasty, the real culprits, the Neo-Confucian Scholars and Doctors Group, surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty; during the Jingnan Campaign, the Neo-Confucian Scholars and Dafu Group quickly defected to the Yuan Dynasty; when the Qing army entered the customs, the Neo-Confucian Scholars and Dafu Group, represented by the Donglin Party, surrendered to the Manchu Dynasty on a large scale; when the Revolution of 1911 came, The scholars and doctors changed their vests and became two of the three mountains.
Starting from the Jiajing period, the Confucian introspection movement that started with Wang Tingxiang and became a big phenomenon in the early Qing Dynasty finally formed a grand and powerful system of managing the world and applying it. These include Gu Yanwu's "Bo Tong Guan", Fang Yizhi's "Quality Test and Tong Ji" theory, Yan Yuan's "practical learning, practice and practicality" thought, Fu Qingzhu's research on the pre-Qin scholars, Wan Sitong's "History of the Ming Dynasty" ", and Gu Zuyu's historical geography, etc.
However, in order to realize the ideal of reform within Confucianism, it must be combined with the external political environment. The problem is that the thinking of "managing the world for practical purposes" during the Ming and Qing Dynasties was all based on the rebellion of the Qing Dynasty and the restoration of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, this external condition was completely inapplicable to the Confucian scholars who adhered to this idea. They were unwilling and unable to He would be reused by the Manchus, so he could only become an academic spiritual leader.
Yuan Mei has been pretending to be confused for nearly fifty years. She thought that this would be the case for the rest of her life, but she didn't expect that Beihai Town suddenly appeared.
In early August last year, Wei San, an upper-level figure from the Songjiang Cao Gang, suddenly came to Suiyuan to ask for an audience. Although Yuan Mei was impatient to deal with such people, she still met him to save face. Unexpectedly, after Wei San paid a courtesy visit, he said a bunch of nonsense compliments, then took out a letter and presented it, and then left.
Because there is no signature on the envelope
When the name was signed, Yuan Mei didn't pay attention at the time and put it aside. It took two days for him to think of it. But when he opened it and took a look, he couldn't help but be surprised. It turned out to be a handwritten letter from the child Hong Liangji. No wonder there is no signature on the envelope. There has been no news about this person for several years. It is said that he defected to the Northern Pirates.
Yuan Mei read Hong Liangji's letter several times, and the more he read, the more impressed he became. From the dignified yet free and easy description between the lines, he saw the realization of the idea of "managing the world for practical purposes" in Beihai Town, and he couldn't help but be very excited.
There are no eight-part essay examinations that imprison the mind. What is taught in the schools is the knowledge of the world. The knowledge everyone learns is for practical application. Even a farmer must be literate in order to farm better. No one has time to make unrealistic empty talk. From Zhao Xin to even a small official in a village or town, everything they do is to save the people from misery.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, "Sanban Old Man" Zhao Yi visited Jiangning, and Yuan Mei invited him to a banquet in Suiyuan. However, Zhao Yi was tired of the large number of people coming to Suiyuan to dine every day and it was so noisy, so he wrote: "Fill the name paper on the door to enshrine the altar. Suiyuan has done a great job and wants to reserve a meal. There are five hundred Arhats in Lingshan, and it is difficult for a Guanyin to entertain guests." He sent someone. Sent to Suiyuan.
Yuan Mei couldn't laugh or cry after seeing the poem. After thinking over and over again, she decided to go to Jiangning City to meet the other party in person. During the dinner, he deliberately stood aside and took out Hong Liangji's letter for the other party to read. Zhao Yi was very surprised at first when he read it, and then became very angry.
He wasn't angry that Hong Liangji had defected to Beihai Town, but he was angry that this guy didn't write to him first and actually wrote to an old guy like Yuan Zicai! You must know that Zhao Yi and Hong Liangji are not only fellow villagers, but also have a very good personal relationship. Earlier he joked with Hong Liangji that when I die, you come and write my epitaph. Hong Liangji also jokingly replied, "That gentleman had better pass away early so that I can write."
So after discussing with Yuan Mei, the two decided to write a reply letter each. The main purpose was to test Zhao Xin's attitude, and the second was to ridicule Hong Liangji severely. As for how to send the letter, naturally we have to ask Wei San from the Songjiang Cao Gang.
Speaking of Zhao Yi, although he has been teaching at Changzhou Anding Academy for many years and has been in seclusion, during the "Lin Shuangwen Rebellion" five years ago, he was invited to work as an aide under Li Shiyao to help plan military supplies. , worked for a full year. In his spare time, Li Shiyao once mentioned many secrets in the court, asserting that Beihai Town, under the banner of "King Zhao" of the former Ming Dynasty, was the life and death enemy of the court.
From this, Zhao Yi learned the truth about the fight between the imperial court and Beihai Town, and was shocked that even a figure like Fu Kang'an was used as a "meat ticket" by Zhao Xin, giving Qianlong a hard blow.
Even though Zhao Yi had won the lottery, served in the Military Aircraft Department, and even held the rank of fourth-rank military official, this sixty-seven-year-old man, like Yuan Mei, was also a "practical person" at heart.
Throughout the Kangxi, Yongzong and Qianlong periods, as long as those who were not from the Neo-Confucian school or were Manchurian relatives, the better their official reputation among the people, the more they would suffer political suppression. In the end, they would either resign and go into seclusion or be imprisoned. The reason is that the "Jingshizhipong school" is the enemy of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism and the target that the Manchu regime must suppress!
After Yuan Mei and Zhao Yi replied to their letters, they were like nothing. It was not until the end of the first month of this year that Wei Sancai sent someone to Xiaocangshan Suiyuan again to arrange a meeting. Yuan Mei heard it by coincidence. On the twenty-seventh of the first lunar month, he was going to Yangzhou to meet Qinggui. Zhao Yi would also go there by then, so there would be no delay in finishing the work.
The reason why he went north to Yangzhou to meet Qinggui was because of the relationship between Yuan Mei and his father Yin Jishan, who was both a teacher and a friend. When Yuan Mei was a jinshi at the age of 23, he was selected as a shujishi and entered the shuchangguan for further studies. The person in charge of teaching him was Qinggui's father Yin Jishan. Later, Yin Jishan was transferred to the governor of Liangjiang, and the two had a close relationship.
The two of them lived in Luo's house for four consecutive days. In addition to drinking tea and talking every day, they also told several disciples about poetry and painting, and they lived a comfortable life. In the afternoon of the fifth day, a stranger dressed as a boatman sent a message, asking the two to meet at Yinshan Temple at noon tomorrow. The specific location would be known outside the mountain gate. Yuan and Zhao understood that the other party was afraid of attracting criticism from the owner Luo Qilan, so they did not visit directly. So near noon the next day, accompanied by Yuan Tong, the eldest son of Yuan Mei, and Zhao Tingyan, the fifth son of Zhao Yi, they arrived at the agreed place.
Later generations knew that there was a Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang, but they did not know that there was a Yinshan Temple built in the Yuan Dynasty on the Garlic Mountain in the southeast. It is said that during the Three Kingdoms period, Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang discussed the strategy of attacking Cao Cao with fire.
It is on this mountain, so it is also called "Suan Mountain". In the late Eastern Jin Dynasty, Liu Yu also defeated the pirate Sun En here. In the eleventh year of Xianfeng in another time and space, the entire Suanshan area was classified as a British concession, and Yinshan Temple disappeared since then.
Because it was early spring, there were not many tourists coming to Yinshan Temple. As soon as the four of them arrived in front of the mountain gate, a man who looked like a young master came over with a servant. This person is not tall and looks to be in his early twenties. He is wearing a rain-stained azure robe, a maroon button-up vest, and a royal blue belt around his waist. He has long and handsome features that make people fall in love with him at first sight. . As for his servant, he was very lean and looked at the four of them with his eyes, and then scanned the surroundings vigilantly.
The young man stepped forward to Yuan Mei and Zhao Yi, cupped his fists slightly, bowed and said, "My surname is Shen, and my given name is a noble character. I guess these two are Duke Jian Zhai and Duke Ou Bei, right?"
Zhao Yi nodded slightly, while Yuan Mei smiled and said, "It's the old man. Is Brother Shen from Yangzhou?"
"He came from Yangzhou, but he has been in the north these years." After the young man said it, he raised his hand and said, "My proprietor is waiting in the temple. Please follow me."
Yuan Mei's eldest son Yuan Tong suddenly felt unhappy when he heard that the other party was not the real person he wanted to see. Although Garlic Mountain is not high, my father is nearly eighty years old, and he carried me all the way, so he said coldly: "Your boss is really big."
Shen Gui looked apologetic and said: "It's not that I'm being sincere, but the matters discussed today are actually of great importance. My Majesty has always admired Mr. Cangshan, so I specially sent a confidant here. However, all precautions are paramount. I hope Mr. Yuan will not be surprised." "
Yuan Mei smiled slightly after hearing this and said without any concern: "It's okay, please let Brother Shen lead the way."
Yuan Tongxin said, "Dad, it's easy for you to talk, but the problem is that I am alone!" Then he turned around, half-crouched down, and with the help of Zhao Tingyan, he carried his father on his back and followed Shen Gui up the steps...
Six people entered the temple gate. He walked straight through the various temples, turning a blind eye to the monks coming and going. When they arrived at the door of a Zen room, before Yuan Mei could get off his son's back, the door of the Zen room was opened from the inside. A middle-aged man walked out quickly, bowed to Yuan Mei and Zhao Yi and said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Duke Jian Zhai and Duke Oubei, I'm really sorry! Could you please make a trip? I'm useless."
The speaker was about forty years old, wearing a large gray poplin robe. His fat figure made the clothes a little tight, making him look a little ridiculous. The white and wide face has a pair of beards and two small black eyes, with a carefree and careless look.
Yuan Mei and Zhao Yi were both startled, wondering why Beihai Town had sent such a high-profile person, and they looked at Shen Gui who was not standing next to them. However, due to the prestige of Beihai Town, the two of them still greeted each other and then entered the Zen room and sat down. While tea was being served, Zhao Yi finally couldn't help but ask, "May I ask what your position is as an official in Beihai Town?"
Xu Wuyong said with a smile: "I am ashamed to say that I am the deputy director of the Northern Navy Intelligence Bureau. I am honored to come to meet these two old gentlemen this time. It is because of the king's order and I bring a letter written by the king of Zhao."
Intelligence Bureau? Deputy Director?
Yuan Mei and Zhao Yi looked at each other and wondered what kind of official this was? This has never been heard of in the official system of past dynasties!
By the way, if Ruan Yuan were here, he would definitely be surprised if the other party's name wasn't "Xu Dachun", why did he change his name to "Xu Wuyong"? However, if Liu Quan, the housekeeper of Hefu, saw him, he would secretly curse "***Xu Dayong" in his heart.
That's right, it was Zhao Xin's confidant Xu Dayong who came to see Yuan Mei on behalf of the Northern Navy Intelligence Bureau. And the young man named Shen Gui before was naturally Shen Guisheng.
After Xu Dayong ended his trip to the capital a year and a half ago, he returned to Beihai Town and has been responsible for internal espionage prevention work. He also trained a group of new people for the Military Intelligence Bureau. At the end of the year before last, he got married to his tea girl, and now he is a father with a fat boy.
The peaceful days had gone too long, and Xu Dayong, who had gained more than ten kilograms, couldn't hold it in any longer and began to think quietly again. It happened that Wang Zhong found Wang Changsheng and wanted to send someone to contact Yuan Mei in the south of the Yangtze River. Xu Dayong immediately volunteered and this trip to Zhenjiang took place.
Although this guy has been registered with the Manchu and Qing government, he is from Chongming and has no problem with his Jiangnan accent. He also helped the Songjiang Cao Gang fight against the Suzhou Cao Gang, so he is very familiar with both the Yangtze River and the canal.
The reason why I arranged to meet Yuan Mei at Yinshan Temple this time was because I could go down the mountain immediately and take a boat to escape if something happened.
Xu Dayong did not explain to Yuan Mei and Zhao Yi what the Intelligence Bureau was. He only said that it was a military agency in Beihai Town and was directly under the management of Zhao Xin. This meeting with the two men was of great importance, so he was sent to go south in person. It's a good thing he didn't say anything, otherwise the two old men would have been shocked. Isn't this the same as the Jin Yiwei from the previous Ming Dynasty!
After a while, Shen Guisheng brought the tea and immediately exited the meditation room. Only then did Xu Dayong take out the autographed letters from Zhao Xin and Wang Zhong, and explained that all relevant matters were stated in the letters, and he asked you to read them.
Zhao Yi raised his hand and took the letter from Zhao Xin, and opened it without any explanation. Yuan Mei smiled helplessly and picked up Wang Zhong's letter.
