Xie Changjie's life is roughly divided into three stages.
In the first stage, Han Chuang studied hard for more than 20 years, and only in his thirties did he get the top three in high school and become a Jinshi.
After waiting for a long time, the vacancy came. After that, he became the head of the Ministry of Rites, but he also made up for the right chief history of Prince Xing's palace, and his future was cut off. This wasted nearly ten years was the second stage of his life.
During this period of time, he often regretted it and felt that it was better not to dislike the lack of the county magistrate. After all, he was born in the top three, and then it was good to be able to survive until he became the master of the house.
Then fate played a trick on him. Since Zhu Houcong ascended the throne, his life has entered the third stage.
First there was Yuan Zonggao, and then there was Sun Jiao, and Xie Changjie had no choice: who could have caused his heart to break down and do those things after he took office in the palace?
First, he was promoted from the fourth rank, the right-hand censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, to the third-rank, Guangdong right-hand political officer because of his "meritorious service" in the Qian Ning Jiang Bin case. Later, he was demoted to the right-hand censor of the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate because of accepting and demanding bribes. Shibo Division has fallen back to the fourth level. The position assigned to him is still a fifth-grade one, and unlike the Guangdong Shipping Department, he is in charge of promotion.
After running into a case of tribute grabbing and plundering by the Japanese mission, he was now demoted to the rank of Zhejiang Patrol Censor.
But Xie Changjie is happy now.
Although the rank is low, the status of the patrol censor is much higher than that of the city captain. A seventh-rank patrol officer in a province will receive far more courtesy than some prefects or ordinary third- and fourth-rank officials.
He, an old minister from Qiandi, is now patrolling Zhejiang, which means something even more different.
Besides, His Majesty said that he will not care about the past anymore. Now that His Majesty is married and the eldest princess has found her favorite consort, she no longer needs to worry about her dirty thoughts back then.
Xie Changjie bid farewell to Zheng Shoujie, who was demoted to the position of Minister of Household Affairs, and went to the Department of Rites and Guests to receive the batch of Japanese mission "prisoners" who went south to be beheaded.
"Jie Xun was demoted and actually promoted, so Jian is still in the emperor's heart." Zheng Shoujie was really envious because he was demoted to an eighth-rank official, whereas before he was demoted to a sixth-rank official!
Xie Changjie sighed: "Zheng Siwu is just a businessman. Although he is only an eighth-grade Taomo, he is a capital official after all. This time the people of Zhejiang have suffered. Although you and I cannot be the leaders of the Municipal Shipping Department, we can still bear the blame." . Transferred to Teruma of the Ministry of Revenue, he can still make a difference under the new law."
The two chatted about Ryan again. As the eunuch who was in charge of the Shipping Department at the time, Ryan was directly deprived of all grade benefits and was left without the title of Huang Mingji to work under Wei Bin.
The fate of the three people was changed because of the Japanese mission's tribute and robbery incident, and now there are many people whose fate has also been changed because of this incident.
Zhang Qin was originally the deputy envoy in charge of coastal defense in the Inspectorate of Envoys. This time the Japanese mission competed for tribute and looted, and many officials in Zhejiang were affected. The deputy envoy to the inspection, the deputy envoy to the inspection and military preparation, the deputy envoy to the inspection and coastal defense, and the prefect of Ningbo Shaoxing... Now their culpability in this incident will be determined by Yan Song's memorial.
Ouzhu, the former patrol censor, had received a notice to go to the capital to resign, and he came to Sun Xiu, the envoy of Zuobu.
"Futai went to Yuyao?"
Sun Xiu nodded when he heard this: "Where is Wang Bo'an?"
"I don't know what will happen when I go to the capital. Please give me some advice."
Sun Xiu looked at Ouzhu who was saluting and was silent for a moment.
Ryan was dealt with, which made everyone in Zhejiang uneasy, because they didn't know what Ryan said to His Majesty, nor did they know His Majesty's attitude towards Zhejiang.
Sun Xiu had already received letters from Shao Xi and had dealt with Yan Song face to face.
He thought for a while and said to Ou Zhu: "The words and deeds of Futai after taking office are exactly as you and I thought before. Mr. Yang Ge is eager to start a new situation in Zhejiang, but Futai has experience in participating in policy, so there is no need to fully agree with him." Mr. Yang Ge’s intention. Futai is in Zhejiang, and it is more important to proclaim His Majesty’s benevolent name. After the tribute competition, you visited the various governments and provided adequate pensions, and Futai also heard about it. Nisi and Dusi, as well as Ningbo and Shao Xing Er Whether the government is guilty or not, Futai does not seem to be going to war in Zhejiang."
"So, when I come to Beijing to resign, do I think I have another appointment?"
Sun Xiu nodded: "I'm afraid it's a foreign appointment, most likely in Zhejiang. A foreign appointment as a patrol censor, maybe a vassal, a bureaucracy, a councilor or even a political advisor, or a deputy envoy."
Important official officials of the seventh and seventh ranks, such as those in charge of the affairs of the Sixth Section and the censors in charge of patrols, could easily be promoted to the positions of fourth or fifth rank officials in the capital. If they were promoted externally, they would be more likely to directly assume important positions in the third or fourth rank.
Ou Zhu's eyes were a bit inexplicable: "Futai has warned Zhejiang officials and gentry in many places to observe the holy will and relieve the emperor's worries and ensure the people's livelihood. Now Futai hopes that Zhejiang will first declare and pay taxes on its own like Sichuan, but the Municipal Shipping Department has been abolished In the past six months, the wealthy gentry have lost their income, and Zhejiang has not improved the salary of officials. Could it be that Futai hopes that we can help him?"
"Let's see what he says when he comes back from Yuyao. The autumn grain harvest is coming to an end, and if you want to make arrangements for Futai, it's almost about to begin."
Yuyao County, Shaoxing Prefecture, Wang Shouren’s hometown.
Although he was giving lectures in Jiangxi before, but now he has returned to Yuyao to keep his filial piety.
"After more than a year of separation, I am moved by Bo'an's filial piety. Why is he so haggard?" Yan Song looked concerned, "Your Majesty is often worried. I hope Bo'an will take good care of his health!"
Wang Shouren shook his head: "That's not because of filial piety. It's just that for more than a year, I have devoted myself to studying His Majesty's theory of heaven, things, and people. It consumes a lot of energy and is usually unkempt, which made Futai laugh."
"I wonder if Bo'an can gain some insights?" Yan Song was very concerned about this and saluted sincerely, "Now His Majesty has invited many worshipers to study the principles of things in the Wanfa Pavilion. Only Bo'an can concentrate on studying this avenue of knowledge. We will wait for you. But there are many things to do, and there is no time to think deeply.”
Wang Shouren continued to shake his head and smiled bitterly: "It can't be said to be an understanding. What your Majesty said is actually quite inconsistent with what I have learned before. Famous Neo-Confucians can easily incorporate the insights of the mind, but it seems to me that I have once walked into it. Wrong way..."
This is the reason why Wang Shouren is becoming more and more haggard now: his confidence in his own spiritual path has been affected.
Xinxue is regarded as a heretical and final school, and a big reason is the idealism of Xinxue. However, the theory of the three principles of heaven, matter and man proposed by Zhu Houcong clearly still recognizes the materialism of the "natural principles" and does not change according to people's hearts.
So much so that the materialistic attributes of heavenly principles will be clearly demonstrated through physics. On the contrary, the method of cultivating conscience and the requirement of unity of knowledge and action are the core of Xinxue. On the contrary, we can no longer "act according to what we know in our hearts" at will. We must follow and adapt to the unchanging nature of physics, and we must have a new set of humanistic explanations.
It was a rare occasion for Yan Song to come, and Wang Shouren seized this opportunity to stay with him and ask him about their views on this knowledge at the national policy meeting.
Yan Song confirmed that he really didn't seem to have a comprehensive explanation, and then asked him: "Bo'an is in Yuyao, and the Japanese mission's tribute and looting happened between Ningbo and Shaoxing. Why didn't Bo'an make a memorial?" What's the matter?"
He was referring to the secret box given to him when he left Beijing.
Wang Shouren sighed: "Everything in Zhejiang is done by appointed officials. Your Majesty and the court have their own disposal. Why should I say anything? The Japanese pirates came and went very quickly at that time, and the disaster did not affect Yuyao. By the time I knew about this, the Japanese pirates had already returned to Ningbo. I, Ding You, don’t know the inside story at home, so what does the memorial say?”
Yan Song thought for a while and then saluted him: "I am in charge of patrolling Zhejiang, and I still need some capable hands. Bo'an has been in Zhejiang and Jiangxi for a long time. Can you recommend some people?"
Wang Shouren looked at him and asked meaningfully: "Weizhong wants to mobilize a group of people in Zhejiang?"
Yan Song said righteously: "Your Majesty cares about the people. Some local officials are unable to defend the land and cannot bring peace to the people. They should be punished. Now that the Municipal Shipping Department has been abolished, many gentry and wealthy households in Zhejiang have lost their way of making money. There may be changes. Uncle. An Zhibing, it should be clear that the Japanese invasion of Zhejiang is likely to become more serious. The Dusi, Nasi, and even the officials of the coastal prefectures all need people with both ability and political integrity!"
Wang Shouren was silent for a while, and then said: "That's fine. I have many doubts about knowledge, so I might as well ask your Majesty for advice. In addition, I can recommend a few people to Shu."
The two were old acquaintances. When Yan Song was raising his father in his hometown in Fenyi, his residence, Qishan Hall, was filled with famous scholars and no ordinary people. Wang Shouren also made friends with him. After the Chenhao Rebellion, Yan Song "claimed illness" in Jiangxi at that time. Wang Shouren also invited Yan Song to praise military affairs, and they went on a night trip to Nanchang together to write poems and enjoy the scenery.
Now Yan Song wants to form an alliance with Wang Shouren.
In order to implement the new law in the future, there will be no possibility of military chaos, and we will need the help of the three principles of heaven, matter and man.
Although Wang Shouren had only temporarily participated in national policy on behalf of Yang Yiqing, since he had been there before, was a learned man, and knew military skills, he was one of the people with the greatest potential in the future.
The premise is: "You must take good care of your body!"
Yan Song sincerely continued: "When I am in Zhejiang, I can still come to discuss knowledge with Bo'an from time to time. The reason why you are in such a difficult situation is because you have realized that your majesty's words are in line with the truth, right? Your majesty is very talented, so you and I should humbly ask for advice. Help your majesty implement it. If my predictions are correct, I am afraid that the restructuring will begin in the fifth year of Jiajing."
Before then, this new doctrine will naturally be announced.
Now, the advisers can see clearly: His Majesty's theory clearly has something he has not said yet. However, although His Majesty can clearly explain some principles, he is not good at using current knowledge and vocabulary to express it into a complete system. It inherits the writings of sages and sages, and enlightens scholars on new knowledge.
Wang Shouren's secret box and Yan Song's memorial arrived earlier than Ou Zhu.
Over the past year, Wang Shouren's secret box has only come twice.
The last time he heard about the theory of the Three Principles of Nature, Things, and Humans, he debated scriptures with Zhu Houcong remotely through the secret box.
After Zhu Houcong replied to him in many straightforward words, Wang Shouren had no reply for more than a year.
After reading Yan Song's memorial, Zhu Houcong couldn't help but smile and sigh to Yang Ting and the others: "Bo'an studied so hard that he became a lot thinner and haggard. Qing and others have also been working on this knowledge intermittently for more than a year. It is difficult to understand everything about nature and people." The expression is smooth, what do you think is the difficulty?"
Shi Yun was the first to answer: "Your Majesty, the relationship between physics, natural principles, and human principles is rarely mentioned in the writings of sages. I have been studying it for more than years, but I don't know how to express it clearly."
Everyone nodded silently.
Over the past year or so, it has not been without gains. The word physics is actually mentioned by Zhuangzi in the sentence "The beauty of heaven and earth is the reason for all things". In the Confucian classic "Book of Rites·Daxue" and Zhu Xi's annotations, there is also the expression "Studying things will lead to knowledge, and studying things to understand principles".
Regarding the relationship between physics and human theory, Mencius proposed that human nature and physical properties should be studied when doing things and learning. When the calendar was formulated, the laws of observing the sky were summarized from the changes in the starry sky. What is now called the true tradition, isn't it just some kind of "physics"?
Confucianism is actually about logic, so they are very confused now. Because in their view, this knowledge can be called rigorous only if it can find its source from the writings of sages and has the support of many great Confucian scholars over thousands of years.
If it weren't for the fact that Confucianism itself is quite rigorous and has strong materialistic attributes, how could China be the most unfettered in religious thought?
Why are they in such trouble now?
Zhu Houcong frowned: Probably because he admires the sages too much, so he must find the source and evidence from the remarks of his predecessors.
He opened his mouth and said: "The principles of nature are clear, physics remains unchanged, and the knowledge of the sages also comes from studying the principles of things and understanding human relations. For more than three thousand years, generations of people have continued to study knowledge on the shoulders of their predecessors, and paper has replaced bamboo slips , silk and silk, many gains have proved that the knowledge of modern people in physics is better than that of the sages. In terms of human ethics, modern people are also more sophisticated in governing the country and educating the people than the ancients. Why should we blindly favor the ancient and ignore the present? "
Yang Tinghe and others did not dare to be as "rebellious" as he was, thinking that their knowledge exceeded that of the sages.
Zhu Houcong continued: "I'm afraid the difficulty is that you have to understand the real word. Bo'an unites knowledge with action and practices what he knows. I think there are two steps. First, many people have implemented it in practice, so there is Practical knowledge. Once you have practical knowledge, you can further practice it, put it into practice, and gain more experience and knowledge. Practice is done by people and is based on human principles. Then you can continuously improve human ethics; practice in physics , then you can continue to gain true knowledge.”
"This principle of heaven is originally the continuous progress of human principles and physics, slowly tending towards the understanding of heaven's principles. I think the connection between physics, heaven's principles and human principles lies in the word practice. The principles of all things and the principles of human relations are all from the ancients , people today have summarized them through continuous practice. They have a historical aspect and a developmental aspect. I think that if we start from practice, we don’t have to stick to what the ancients said, but we must affirm one thing: knowledge is constantly improving. As long as people today adhere to the role of practice, they can surpass the ancients on the basis of respecting what the ancients gained."
After Zhu Houcong said this, a very subtle silence fell into the imperial study room.
For thousands of years, Confucian disciples have had a shackles in their hearts. They always believe that the knowledge of the sages is the highest and the society in ancient times is the most desirable.
Now, the emperor asked them to respect the ancients and not just respect the ancients.
Do you want to believe that you are better than the ancients?
(End of chapter)
