"Why don't you, sir, fight with the students to revive all schools of thought?" Yang Shiqi showed joy on his face, and he walked a few steps to Song Lian's feet. "Sir, you are a man of insight. You naturally know that today, our country, the Ming Dynasty, is undergoing a change that has rarely been seen in thousands of years."
"If Confucianism is allowed to continue to flourish and dominate the government, in the future, after we are gone, my new learning will probably be short-lived."
"The student has been ignorant since he was a child. He has studied the books of sages for more than ten years. It was not until he entered the Imperial College that he knew what the truth of the world is and what the aspirations of the nation are. Without the teacher and the master Jijiu, I am afraid that the student will not be able to rank among the imperial classes in this life. , just like other Confucian scholars, they are just a paper-paper craftsman to paper this ancestral family business, and they have no idea how to make progress and develop."
"But it will never be possible to see a heavenly sage like Lord Jijiu! Now that we have learned the new science, we can't help but do our best to make the foundation of the new study permanent."
"Even if I die nine times, I still won't regret it! If because of our retreat today, the new learning in future generations will be misinterpreted and attached to it like the learning of Confucius, we will be responsible for it for eternity!"
"Students are stupid and have been thinking about it for a long time. Only by ordering the court to reopen hundreds of schools and select scholars based on the knowledge of hundreds of schools can we weaken the foundation of Confucianism and let me learn many new disciplines and become prominent schools."
"Finally enter the palace and support my foundation of China!"
Yang Shiqi was so impassioned that even Song Lian couldn't help but be moved. He stretched out his callused hands from holding pens and books, and patted Yang Shiqi's shoulder. "I know what you mean, but you are too hasty."
He stood up tremblingly, and Yang Shiqi quickly stood up to support him.
"You despise Confucianism and think that Confucianism will definitely become an obstacle to my new learning. But you don't know that our new learning is based on Confucianism and the knowledge of many ancestors."
"If there were no ancestors in front of me, even if His Highness is gifted by nature, how could he create so much knowledge out of nothing?"
Yang Shiqi was stunned.
"Confucianism has been rooted in China for thousands of years. Without Confucianism, there would be no heroes like Prime Minister Wen and Yue Wumu who could be so impassioned in times of crisis to save the building from collapse. Without Confucianism, when His Majesty rose up in the Yuan Dynasty BC, , and there were not so many Chinese people who sacrificed their lives to accompany them, and finally expelled the Tartars and restored the Han family."
"Praising new learning is never meant to overthrow Confucianism, but to be inclusive and learn from the strengths of others. His Highness the Fifth Prince also once said: I don't see farther than others, but I stand on the shoulders of giants. It is precisely because there are many sages. It was only in the past that the new learning emerged today.”
"It's not that it's not good for a hundred schools of thought to contend, but that although Confucianism has shortcomings, it still has useful original intentions. Although a hundred schools of thought have their strengths, they also have incurable flaws."
"For example, Mohism advocates 'non-attack'. If you want to raise hundreds of schools, if there are disciples of Mohism who are appointed to the court and advocate the idea of 'non-attack', then in the future we will have to guard ourselves cautiously and never cross the country's gates." step?"
"Another example is a farmer's school that emphasizes self-sufficiency. All people in the world produce and use themselves and never share what they have with each other... If this is the case, how will the Taxation Department of the Ming Dynasty collect commercial taxes? In the future, people with ulterior motives will collude with farmers' children to attack the Taxation Department. , so what should we do?”
"This..." Yang Shiqi didn't expect this. When Song Lian said it, he broke into a cold sweat. He already knew his mistake.
Song Lian saw his appearance in her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "It's a good thing that you already know."
"It is definitely not a good thing for the court to choose scholars not based on Confucianism, but to use the words of hundreds of schools of thought... The reason why Confucianism flourished and the reason why hundreds of schools of thought fell are all due to causes and consequences. Confucianism is obsolete, so aren't the hundreds of schools of thought not obsolete? At least Confucianism can be passed down to this day, but the early death of hundreds of schools in the pre-Qin period is enough to show that the hundreds of schools of thought are outdated, even more so than Confucianism."
"If scholars from hundreds of schools are promoted to the court, don't say that my new school will become its own school. I'm afraid that it will become the norm for officials from hundreds of schools to criticize each other."
"When the internal strife continues, how will our Ming Dynasty have the energy to expand its territory?"
"Students... students have no status, it is students who act like meng Lang..." Yang Shiqi, sweating through his spring clothes, knelt down towards Song Lian again. "So, doesn't it mean that the students are acting recklessly and harming China's plan?"
"Student... I dare to ask sir, is there a good way to make up for this leakage? Even if the student goes through fire and water, he will not hesitate!"
Song Lian leaned over and helped Yang Shiqi up. "I know you are sincere. You just ran an errand with good intentions. The news of your entry into the capital and Wanminshu has spread throughout the Ming Dynasty. It is no longer possible to back down at this time."
"Shenggong Jiyan is coming with such force that we can no longer avoid it... Fortunately, the current Holy Master is not a pedantic person. To be honest, he can even be said to be a hero who is willing to help us promote new learning."
"With the Holy Spirit here, naturally I will not agree to your request to reopen the Hundred Schools. Alas, it is just to let the Confucius Mansion temporarily seize the initiative. My new school is a brilliant and righteous way. Even if it fails temporarily, it will always prosper."
In the end, the only option was to let things go. Hearing this, Yang Shiqi was even more ashamed. He felt that he had caused such a big trap for Xinxue and was really not a son of a man. But now I have no choice but to do this. I will need to work harder in the future and redouble my efforts to spread the new learning, so that the day when the new learning will flourish will come faster.
That’s all.
Yanshenggong Kong Xixue finally arrived in Yingtian. As Duke Yan Sheng came from afar, great scholars gathered in Yingtian and gathered in a stormy gathering. Great Confucian scholars who became famous in the Yuan Dynasty, such as the Three Elders of Pingyang and the Sihao of Huangshan, all gathered here. A few days later it will be His Majesty's Longevity Festival. This year, for some unknown reason, His Majesty the Emperor, who has always been frugal, actually announced that he would have a rare and grand celebration. The joy of the death of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty made Yingtian Mansion even more lively. On the official level, there was an endless procession of scholars, officials, and foreigners who came to Beijing to celebrate Lao Zhu's Longevity Festival.
"Since Duke Yansheng entered the palace to greet His Majesty on the day he came to Beijing, he didn't make any move. He just had a drink with many envoys from foreign vassals at Honglu Temple. I wonder what his intention was?" In the cabinet, Prince Zhu Biao summoned Liu Bowen, Song Lian and others discussed matters. Zhu Biao looked at the news reported by Honglu Temple in his hand and frowned with some worry.
"Now the new learning has become a thorn in Duke Yan Sheng's side and a thorn in his flesh. If the new learning is not eliminated, the inheritance of the Confucius family will become uneasy. The Confucius family has always closed the door and acted arrogantly. Now that it has taken the initiative to leave Qufu, it must be a powerful force. In Bide. Many great Confucian scholars in the city have been giving lectures in recent days, and there are signs of reviving the old school. Most of these people are highly virtuous, and even the newspapers can't suppress all the public opinion they stir up." Liu Bowen said.
"It seems to me that they have learned the lesson from the beginning and understood the importance of public opinion. Therefore, they first used public opinion to suppress my new learning among the people, and then they could strike with thunder from behind. What the veteran is confused about is what he, Yan Shenggong, has. What means can be used to get His Majesty to agree to ban the new learning?"
"How can Duke Yan Sheng not know about His Majesty's temper? What methods did the Kong Mansion have to risk His Majesty's thunderous wrath by coming here?"
"It really makes people curious."
"It doesn't matter, stand upright and you won't be afraid of the torrent." Song Lian said. The old man had a resolute look on his face, full of determination. "New learning is the learning that revitalizes the country. Even if Yan Shenggong is a descendant of a saint, he cannot shake our great way."
"I'll wait and see. Even if there are overt and covert attacks, I will not hesitate to sacrifice my life for the rise of China."
As time goes by, the undercurrents in Yingtian City are surging, but the surface is always calm. Until September 48th.
The Longevity Festival of Emperor Hongwu has finally come.
(End of chapter)
