on the canal.
Zhang Zhou sailed ahead. After passing Shandong, he met Kong Chengyuan and Kong Hongbi's uncle and nephew, Kong Chengyuan and Kong Hongbi, who came to work as lobbyists from the Kong family at the inn along the way.
Kong Chengyuan is the uncle of brothers Kong Hongxu and Kong Hongtai, and Kong Hongbi is the eldest son of another uncle Kong Chengze, who is also the cousin of Kong Hongxu brothers.
But it is said that Kong Hongxu’s grandfather, Kong Yanjin, was married to the Xia family and had a son, Kong Chengqing, who was the father of Kong Hongxu and Kong Hongtai. Jiang's son Kong Chengji also died young.
The Guo family had a son, Kong Chengze, and the Ya family had a son, Kong Chengyuan.
After the death of Kong Yanjin, should the elder Kong Chengze inherit the title, or should the eldest son of the late Kong Chengqing, Kong Hongxu, inherit the title. In the patriarchal system, naturally there are eldest grandsons and eldest grandsons to inherit, and the uncle has to step aside. Even at that time, Kong Hongxu He was only eight years old and was also succeeded by Kong Hongxu. For this reason, the Jiang family filed a complaint against the court, saying that Kong Hongxu was too young and weak to hold a funeral for his grandfather Kong Yanjin, so the court sent the Ministry of Rites to attend the funeral.
Originally, Kong Hongxu's lineage had been passed down. Even if the title was passed on to Kong Hongtai for some reason, the title would still be passed back because Kong Hongtai had no children.
But now that Kong Hongxu committed two crimes, the emperor wanted to change the inheritance rules of the Confucian family. Kong Chengyuan and Kong Hongbi came to see Zhang Zhou, saying that they were lobbyists for the Confucian family, rather than seeking their own interests.
Zhang Zhou didn't want to meet him at first, but the two men came with great sincerity. They gave Zhang Zhou a lot of books, which they said were collected by the Confucius family. At the same time, they wrote a letter explaining their preparations on the grounds that Zhang Zhou's literary name was very famous. Zhang Zhou's name was engraved on the Confucius Temple to show Zhang Zhou's contribution to the Confucius family's construction of palaces and temples.
To put it bluntly... I just try my best to please him.
As a result, Zhang Zhou was embarrassed to disappear.
The main reason for meeting was to create some trouble for the Kong family, which was in the emperor's interest.
"Students pay homage to Bachelor Zhang." Uncles and nephews Kong Chengyuan and Kong Hongbi were very respectful when meeting Zhang Zhou, and they both called themselves students directly. As for others who liked to call Zhang Zhou Guogong, they preferred to call Zhang Zhou Bachelor.
Although Zhang Zhou's "Bachelor of the Hanlin Academy" is now in a state of being deprived of his position.
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "You two are from high families, so there is really no need to be so polite. I, Zhang, are being polite."
Then Zhang Zhou asked the two of them to sit down, and left one person alone to accompany them, that is, Tang Yin, who went south with Zhang Zhou.
Tang Yin looked at Zhang Zhou with an unusual look. He could probably feel that the Kong family must have no good intentions in finding Zhang Zhou. They were either lobbying for Kong Hongxu's lineage to obtain the title, or they were here to seize the title. In short, they had bad intentions. .
After taking a seat.
Kong Chengyuan emphasized the benefits promised to Zhang Zhou in the previous letter, and finally added: "The Kong family has a certain number of people in Qufu and the court. If you want to send Xuesheng Zhang in the future, just let me know. "
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "You two made a mistake. Firstly, I am not a bachelor. Secondly, I have nothing to do. I can't interfere in the affairs of the Kong family. You see, I am going back to Nanjing. Will I return to the capital soon?" It’s hard for me to interfere in the affairs of your Yanshengong clan.”
Before Kong Chengyuan could say anything, Kong Hongbi said, "You can do it."
Zhang Zhou said: "The inheritance of titles is based on the patriarchal system. Your Majesty has always emphasized filial piety, righteousness and etiquette. The patriarchal system is immutable."
These words were meant to test the attitudes of the uncle and nephew.
Do you want to give the title to Kong Hongxu's son Kong Wenshao, or do you want to pursue it yourself? Show your cards.
Kong Chengyuan said: "The patriarchal law cannot be violated, but the national law cannot be violated either. Your Majesty has issued a decree that the heirs of those who violate the national law will not be allowed to inherit Juelu. The previous decree has been sent to Xuansheng Temple and displayed in front of the temple. The meaning of this ...The Kong family also understands and hopes that you, Bachelor Zhang, can do it for you..."
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "It seems that you two are not here to intercede for Kong Hongxu?"
In the past, Kong Hongxu's name was not something that ordinary scholars could address directly.
But after all, Zhang Zhou is the Duke of Lai State, not to mention that Kong Hongxu is just the Holy Duke of Qianyan. Even if he is the Holy Duke of Xianyan, he can be called directly. Who makes the hierarchy no different?
Kong Chengyuan looked embarrassed and said, "This is for the inheritance of the authentic Dharma."
"Oh." Zhang Zhou nodded knowingly.
Tang Yin, who was next to him, frowned and said: "Since it is a matter of inheritance of the patriarchal clan, you should also know that this should be decided by the imperial court and personally handled by your majesty. Why are you looking for Duke Lai Guo? Do you want Duke Lai to make comments and disrupt the inheritance of the patriarchal clan?" ?”
"This Tang Zhongcheng, please... calm down." Kong Chengyuan was quite polite to Tang Yin.
After all, Tang Yin is now a well-known figure in the Ming Dynasty. The name of the founding father of Korea is not for nothing. In fact, Kong Chengyuan is also thinking that you, Tang Yin, have the nerve to accuse others of "challenging the patriarchal law" when you carry out a coup in Korea, which is also a vassal of the Ming Dynasty. inherited"?
Do you still want to be embarrassed?
Zhang Zhou said: "Oh, speaking of which, Duke Yansheng, also known as Mr. Dongzhuang, has no heirs yet, which is really worrying. In fact, the key to who inherits the lineage of Xuansheng is whether he will have any heirs in the future. , if not, adopt that person’s son into his name.”
Kong Chengyuan nodded and said, "That's right."
Even the Kong family understands this.
After all, Kong Hongtai is not dead yet, nor is he terminally ill. Kong Hongtai did not adopt a son before because he wanted to ensure the inheritance of the Kong family.
But now he is forced to adopt a son. Whether he adopts his brother Kong Hongxu or adopts a son from the same clan... such as the descendant of Kong Yanjin, who is closest to Kong Hongtai, is very important.
Kong Hongbi couldn't help but said: "Didn't it mean that the son of a criminal has no inheritance rights?"
The implication is that no matter how many sons there are on his cousin Kong Hongxu's side, they cannot be adopted to Kong Hongtai.
Zhang Zhou said: "That's all I can say about it. If it is adopted, from a clan point of view, it will no longer belong to the original branch, and it does not mean that it is not qualified to inherit."
"Isn't there room for negotiation?" Kong Chengyuan said.
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "Your Excellency, your nephew came to tell me, I understand, but you came to me to say that you also want to seek a title? You two..."
"Ahem..." Upon hearing this, Kong Chengyuan couldn't help but cough in embarrassment.
Can you say this directly?
Tang Yin said as if provoking trouble: "You two must have joined forces to seek this title, right?"
"Well……"
The uncle and nephew looked at each other, and they could see that Zhang Zhou was born as an alchemist in the Ming Dynasty. Even if he was the number one scholar, his speaking and doing style were very different from those traditional civil servants.
Kong Chengyuan said: "To be honest, we are indeed here for Ming Zhengshuo. When my eldest nephew Nanxi inherited the title, many people in the clan opposed it. He did not think about the emperor's favor and did things that were against the ethics and national laws. His younger brother, my nephew Dongzhuang, is of excellent character, but he has no children. Now in this situation, my third nephew, the son of Hongbi, should be regarded as the Only then can we show the clan lineage."
"Haha." Before Zhang Zhou could react, Tang Yin next to him was already laughing.
That smile probably means that the imperial court has not yet decided on the clan issue, but you two uncles and nephews of the Kong family seem to have decided it for both the imperial court and the Kong family.
Your faces are so big.
"It makes sense." Zhang Zhou pointed at the uncle and nephew and said to Tang Yin, "Bohu, what do you think?"
Tang Yin frowned.
You say it makes sense, and you ask me what I think? Are you asking me to follow your lead and say that this matter makes sense and analyze it by the way?
Tang Yin said: "I speak softly and do not dare to discuss the inheritance of Yansheng without permission."
I am just a scholar, and you want me to discuss the inheritance of the Confucian family, the ancestor of the scholar? Even if what I say is right, some people will think that I am causing trouble out of nothing, and I, Mr. Tang, will not take the initiative to cause such trouble.
Zhang Zhou sighed: "Actually, what Tang Zhongcheng said is what I want to say. If you say that I, a scholar, talk about such things on my own, I will be looked down upon. Even if His Majesty is not sure, he will let the court decide. Now the relevant court matters The meeting has not yet taken place, and I am not in the capital, so what guarantee can I give you?"
You come to me, I understand, you may think I can speak.
But this matter is never something I, Zhang Zhou, can decide. The emperor will definitely discuss the succession through court discussions in the future, either before Kong Hongtai's death or after his death.
"But..." Kong Chengyuan hesitated.
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "You want to ask me for help. I can understand your feelings, but you still have to refer to the clan law, preferably a legal case. Do you have any?"
"There is no need to make it a legal matter to adopt someone else's son." Kong Hongbi said next to him.
Zhang Zhou said: "You mean to adopt anyone as an adopted son, right?"
Kong Hongbi said hurriedly: "This is not what the student meant."
Zhang Zhou shook his head and said: "Theoretically speaking, if Duke Yan Sheng wants to adopt an heir, it is most appropriate to adopt him from his elder brother's family. If the eldest son cannot succeed, the second son will succeed him. This is also one of the patriarchal laws. In this way, he can be adopted as his heir. But if the memorial is based on the principle that the Sin Sect cannot continue, then you have to choose from other branches, and then you have a chance."
"Yes." Both uncle and nephew's eyes became eager.
Zhang Zhou said: "Let's be honest, why do you think that His Majesty will adopt a child from a side branch instead of a son from the eldest son's direct grandson? Give me a reason."
"This..." Kong Hongbi said, "Didn't you tell me everything? The Sin Sect cannot have an heir."
"This is just a rhetoric. You still have to convince the senior ministers in the DPRK that my power alone is not enough." Zhang Zhou said, "Or put it this way, you have to set the rules. Why should what you two say be effective? ? Are the entire Kong family willing to sign a joint name with you? Are the scholars in the world willing to agree? Will Your Majesty and the ministers in the DPRK agree?"
"ah?"
The uncle and nephew of the Kong family didn't seem to understand it thoroughly.
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "Patriarchal matters are also determined by convention. The imperial court's decree cannot dispel the opinions of the world. Who will succeed in the end depends on who has the most support within the Kong family, and also depends on the public opinion of the literati. What's going on? Now you have to exert your influence in the clan, win over more people to support you, and win the respect of scholars..."
"You should know about me. I am only responsible for calculating God's will, not human affairs. Clan-related matters must be resolved within the clan in accordance with national laws. Do you understand?"
Kong Hongbi asked: "What exactly is this..."
"I understand, I understand." Kong Chengyuan quickly gave Kong Hongbi a hand and agreed proactively.
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "Very good, I'm not wasting my words in vain. Then you can go back and prepare. I hope to see more memorials to support your statement. I need a lot of people to sign on."
"Yes, yes." Kong Chengyuan stood up and said respectfully, "In the future, I will need your help, Academician Zhang, when discussing this important matter. The Kong family will definitely be grateful and will give you generous gifts."
…
…
Send away the uncles and nephews of the Kong family.
Tang Yin was also a little confused and said: "Will anyone in the Kong family really support them? Or are you just perfunctory? In fact, there is no need to meet?"
"Who said that?" Zhang Zhou asked, "Why do you think I was so verbose just now? Why didn't I come out to join in the fun just to create some internal conflicts among them?"
"Contradiction?" Tang Yin frowned.
Zhang Zhou's thinking is still different from others.
Zhang Zhoudao: "If everything in the inheritance of the Kong family is in accordance with the patriarchal law, then what should the court do? Do scholars respect His Majesty, or do they respect them? Now a Duke Yan wants to marry the daughter of a great scholar... Based on the example of a scholar As for Zi Zi, do you think His Majesty is pleased with them?"
"This..." Tang Yin also wanted to say that you should be careful about what you say.
Zhang Zhou sighed: "Bohu, it is because we are from the same sect and there is nothing to avoid, so I am telling you this. You must understand that all people and things that affect the authority of the imperial power are not tolerated by your majesty. We also We should share your worries for Your Majesty."
Tang Yin frowned and thought to himself, you really think about the emperor. When you are a minister, you are so unprincipled that you don't even care about the patriarchal laws and rules and only care about fulfilling the imperial power.
Are you not afraid that the iron fist of imperial power will fall on you one day?
Have you heard too much about rabbits dying and dogs being cooked?
Tang Yin had been with Zhang Zhou for a long time, and he seemed to be a straight man, so he asked, "Senior brother, have you never considered yourself?"
"What? Is the rabbit dead and the dog cooked? If you want to consider it, you should make plans early?" Zhang Zhou smiled and patted Tang Yin on the shoulder.
Tang Yin was still wondering why Zhang Zhou patted me on the shoulder when he said, "Make plans early."
In fact, Zhang Zhou's meaning is very obvious. If I don't plan, if I don't want to let the rabbit die and the dog cook the bird, the bow will be hidden, why should I let you build the ship? Do you really think that those who are close to sycophants in power will be favored throughout their lives?
Now that the emperor needs me to check and balance the civil servants and military officials, and to help him level the grasslands, he will naturally be obedient to me, but who knows what will happen in the future?
rebel?
You also need capital.
As a time traveler, shouldn’t accumulating capital start by clicking on the technology tree? The technological products brought to Ming Dynasty must be advanced step by step, while the technology brought to ourselves can be developed by leaps and bounds.
Tang Yin would not understand this when told to a Ming native like Tang Yin, so all Zhang Zhou could say to Tang Yin was "do the job assigned to you well" or "build the ship well".
The indigenous people had different ideas from Zhang Zhou, and the only people who could help him were those who worked hard.
…
…
on the canal.
Zhu Houzhao and his party were also heading south.
Along the way, many Jinyi guards could be seen looking for the whereabouts of the prince, but Zhu Houzhao was very smart and got acquainted with the scholars who went south first.
Get to know three first, and then develop from three into a group.
After all, not everyone who went south knew that they were looking for the prince. They probably only knew that they were looking for "a child and four slave-like adults" and took this as their goal. When they saw a group of people on the boat, It's hard to imagine how this has anything to do with the person you're looking for above.
What's more important is that Zhu Houzhao was relatively high-profile on his way south. He often walked with Sun Che, Hu Feng and Gong Yeping, and even attended cultural gatherings along the way, so that Jin Yiwei didn't think about him at all.
This day we entered the ground in Shandong.
In the Ming Dynasty, Shandong, as the hometown of Confucius and Mencius, was highly praised by scholars from all over the world. When you go to Shandong, you will visit some scholars. Coupled with the support of the Nanjing Literary Society, scholars from all over the world are gradually gathering.
"...the most important thing in this mind science is that there is nothing outside the mind, the mind is the reason, the unity of knowledge and action, and the development of conscience."
"What do they all mean? In other words, all the principles in this world are understood from the heart. What you know and do must be consistent. What's more, you must have a pure heart and not go down the wrong path."
In the cultural gathering, Zhu Houzhao claimed to be a "great disciple of Xin Xue", so he naturally wanted to brag about it.
The content he preached was all improvised. In fact, he couldn't understand any of the teachings of mind.
But he had a classic book on the study of mind that was given to him personally by Zhang Zhou, which was written by Zhang Zhou himself, with some annotations... From the beginning when Zhang Zhou relied on the royal family to promote the study of the mind, he had thought about asking Zhu Houzhao to lead and lead the study in the aspect of the study of the mind. develop.
I did not deliberately recruit this boy as a disciple. I can only say that it will pave the way for Zhu Houzhao to promote Xinxue in the future after he succeeds to the throne.
Zhu Houzhao was going south to Nanjing this time, so he also took Zhang Zhou's "cheat sheet" with him to show off.
The people at the cultural gathering were a little confused. The truth seemed to be the same... but it seemed that this young man of about ten years old had a very different opinion from others.
A scholar named Lin said: "Young master, you have a very unique view. It turns out that cultivating conscience is more about keeping people from going astray. This is actually similar to the distinction between good and evil advocated in Neo-Confucianism. I admire you. admire."
"Haha, it's just a superficial view." Zhu Houzhao felt very happy when he heard other people's praise.
It’s better to keep a cheat sheet with you, it’s much more useful than just cramming in and out.
Someone next to him said: "Everyone, I have seen the original copy of the classic "Xin Xue" published by Mr. Zhang. It seems that there is a saying that 'the heart is reason'. This young man may seem to be wearing ordinary clothes, but his knowledge is extraordinary."
"Where is it?" Zhu Houzhao continued to ask.
This reflects the shortcomings of people in this era pursuing academic ideas.
Not everyone is qualified to buy a complete set of spiritual classics and study them at home. Some of them are copied by hand, while others are relayed by others.
Many people actually don’t understand what the theory of mind is at all. They just follow the crowd. It sounds nice to follow the trend, but in fact it’s just “following the trend”. Knowing that Zhang Zhou is favored now, and Zhang Zhou’s theory of mind is endorsed by the emperor, then naturally Come closer this way.
Just like when Zhaijiao and Qingci are popular in the future, no matter what it is, a bunch of scholars will join in. The principle is the same.
"Young master, what's your surname?"
"My dear Zhu Shou."
"Master Zhu, you are young and your future is limitless. You will definitely be able to take the imperial examination and become an official. There will be no disadvantages in every possible way."
"Ha ha."
Zhu Houzhao suddenly felt that it was very satisfying to brag in front of such a group of scholars without having to meet Zhang Zhou when he went south.
(End of chapter)
