Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 388 The Emperor Discusses Learning
After careful sorting and special compilation, what Zhu Changluo said to scholars and officials at the Shandong Academy of the Imperial College has become more systematic.

But what shocked everyone at first was indeed the Emperor's Forum itself.

Zhu Changluo felt it was natural, after all, this was just a very low-level use of sound amplification.

But perhaps it was the blessing of his status as the Son of Heaven, or perhaps it was because what he said was truly thought-provoking, so he could not help but create an atmosphere of preaching that was resounding and awakening.

"The Master does not speak of strange things, supernatural powers, or the gods. The Master said that he did not know everything by nature, but that he loved ancient things and sought knowledge through his quickness. He said that when three people walk together, there must be a teacher, and they should choose the good ones and follow them, and change the bad ones. What is ancient? I think that what has already existed in the world is called ancient; loving ancient things and seeking them is to examine the things that have already existed and seek their principles. The Master loved to learn, and he did not care about the identity of the teacher. The Master taught according to the aptitude of the students, and his three thousand disciples all devoted themselves to various walks of life."

"The closer you are to the Tao, the more you know that the Tao has no end, and the more modest and cautious you become. When you first enter the Tao, it is easy to regard yourself as knowledgeable and talented, look down on all living beings, and despise other knowledge. This sincerity and uprightness after the study of things to gain knowledge is to prevent those who seek knowledge from becoming complacent. The sages of the past taught us earnestly, but now most of the descendants have forgotten the original intention and are trapped in a rut without knowing it. Disciples do not have to be inferior to their teachers. Parents all hope that their children and grandchildren will be better than themselves. How can such a simple principle be used in academic research to favor the past over the present?"

"What I am talking about today is that, in general, the present is better than the past, and the future is better than the present. These principles can be traced back to the past and discussed in the present, from the perspective of what it means to be a human being, the mystery of the world in which humans exist, and how humans can survive and strengthen themselves in the world..."

With Zhu Changluo's own knowledge base, plus his more than ten years of familiarity and accumulation in the Ming Dynasty, he can naturally give his own understanding based on the current academic system.

The issue of materialism and idealism will continue to be debated until the distant future, and why Zhu Changluo is here is actually a mystery.

But for Zhu Changluo, these are not important.

He has his own clear purpose, so he will naturally choose a direction that is beneficial to him.

In order for the Ming Dynasty to make further breakthroughs, its intellectuals must have a more materialistic and objective way of thinking. They should no longer think that the classics of sages are the ultimate theories for studying and governing the world and look down on other miscellaneous studies.

The more people like this, the better.

Song Yingxing sat on the cushion in the main hall, intoxicated.

He listened to the emperor talking about the ancient times, fire, writing, stone axes, pottery... From gathering and hunting like wild animals to farming and animal husbandry, how did the tribe turn into a country...

What was the underlying reason for the Hundred Schools of Thought during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period? The counties that have been passed down to this day have proven that the foundation for governing a larger territory with more effective transportation and other technical means was in place at that time, and the old feudal system could no longer function more effectively. Since there is already a foundation and it is possible, it will definitely become a reality.

The fact that the Han Dynasty eventually conquered the Western Regions and all nations came to pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty is clear proof of this.

As for the imperial examination, papermaking also played a role behind it. Knowledge can be spread more quickly and effectively, so why can only the aristocratic families be regarded as talents for governing the country? The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty was naturally due to the fact that Emperor Taizong of Tang laughed and said that all the talents in the world are within his grasp. How could the poor be full of mediocre talents? It was just that the conditions were not there in the past. If the countries were still coexisting and fighting, how could they still not be able to save their lives? How could they study?

And now?

"In ancient times before the Qin Dynasty, China was no more than the Central Plains. Now Lingnan has been a real territory for many years. During the Han and Tang Dynasties, Westerners and China were like two isolated worlds. Although there was the Silk Road, there was not much communication. But now, they can cross the ocean from tens of thousands of miles away. The ships are familiar with the route and arrive in a few months. So in the future, what is the difference between them and the neighbors of the Ming Dynasty now?"

"Everything in the world has never stopped changing. If one always adheres to the teachings of the ancients, then one is complacent. In the early Ming Dynasty, our firearms were the best in the world, and our ships sailed far to the West. During the Jiajing period, officers and soldiers often said that Western ships were strong and powerful, and that the Ming Dynasty needed to learn from the West. This is not a big deal, just choose the best and follow it. But this has already shown that only reading classics and only studying the Four Books and Five Classics will cause problems."

"Food is the primary need of the people. Agronomy, water conservancy, engineering construction... which one is not important?"

"The country is the protection of the home. Economy, armaments, transportation... which one is not important?"

"The foundation of national economy and people's livelihood is knowledge. Successful academic research can protect people's livelihood, defend the country, and unite the people. This is called managing the family, governing the country, and pacifying the world. Being an official, whether you have a specialty or a comprehensive understanding, you can realize your ambitions. This is not to sell yourself to the emperor, but to be the backbone and brain of the country, so that our Chinese civilization can stand tall in the world for a long time. This is the blessing of all people and descendants of the world for generations to come, not just the blessing of one family or one surname."

"Everyone in the world wants to eat, so they look for food in the fields, so farmers learn how to take care of crops, ambitious people learn to build water conservancy projects, and wise people comprehend the calendar and the weather. Everyone wants to wear clothes, so weaving, printing and dyeing... Rich people all seek it, but in the final analysis, they all want to use all things in the world and produce wealth from them. To produce more, in addition to diligence, what is more important is knowledge? The study of learning cannot be limited to the study of controlling people. How can the great path of learning be without the study of nature?"

In the resonance of the caisson and the water tank, weakly transmitted through the cotton thread to the loudspeaker outside, is the emperor's unquestionable voice.

Song Yingxing looked at the emperor sitting there from afar, and heard him say at the end: "Knowledge is the most important productive force. There are thousands of knowledges, and we must know that when a person stands proudly between heaven and earth, studying things naturally is like being down-to-earth, and this is the foundation."

Inside and outside the hall, officials and scholars stood up and bowed deeply to show their respect as disciples.

"I would like to be taught!"

This was the first time that the emperor publicized his academic approach to so many ordinary scholars other than the officials in the Taichang Temple.

This is naturally very crucial for the entire Ming Dynasty.

The emperor's academic discourse was not abstruse but rather very simple.

There may be some learned people who can still refute some things from some details, but at least the vast majority of people cannot find any flaws.

If one can be self-consistent and coherent, then what else could he be but a great scholar?
After that, the lecture did not end yet, and then the priests of the Institute of Research demonstrated experiments at several places outside the hall.

From the famous "clairvoyance", to the wonderful voice transmission of the podium just now, and the prism that refracts light into a rainbow, including the iron ball falling to the ground, iron floating on water...

The experiment itself is certainly amazing, but "applying what you have learned" is the fundamental thing. The teachers of the Institute of Research will also explain some possible future uses.

At that moment, countless new terms that were currently only circulated within the Institute of Research came out of their mouths, and Song Yingxing was overwhelmed as if he was visiting a temple fair.

Zhu Changluo had already returned to the courtyard of the former royal palace, which was used to house the princes and the queen, behind the library to rest.

This is the last part of the palace that remains.

Now, the accompanying officials and Shandong officials are here.

The most flattering among them was, of course, Kong Shangxian who came from Qufu.

The emperor's next stop would be to go directly to Qufu from the west of Mount Tai. There, he would also visit the Confucius Temple. Everyone knew that the emperor was not trying to honor Confucius, as his knowledge no longer considered Confucius the most holy.

The emperor was merely expressing his approval of Confucius' attitude towards scholarship and his moral standards as a human being. By the way... his descendants were not good and so many things happened to the Confucius family. The emperor was only expressing to the world that what he respected was Confucius himself, the sage, and the scholarship itself, not Confucianism.

"Just call me Master?"

Zhu Changluo smiled, Kong Shangxian knelt on the ground and held up the memorial: "I and my family share the same feelings, and I hope Your Majesty will grant me your approval. Today, I have been taught by Your Majesty about the great principles of learning, which is like listening to the sound of a fairy. I am even more ashamed. If our ancestors are still alive in heaven, I am afraid they would also feel ashamed to see their descendants being so proud of their title as the Great Sage and Teacher of our ancestors."

Zhu Changluo said nonchalantly, "The Master lived in an era when the old system had indeed collapsed, so his knowledge was naturally a great achievement at that time."

"It was a success then, but now I'm afraid it will mislead future students to strive for excellence, and that would lose the original intention of our ancestors who hoped that people all over the world would be knowledgeable and well-mannered." Kong Shangxian still pleaded.

"What do you think?" Zhu Changluo asked Fang Congzhe and others.

Fang Congzhe said carefully: "Duke Yansheng has studied the theory of the extension of knowledge through investigation of things, and everyone in the world knows his advanced learning. Now that the Kong family members have requested this, I think we can discuss it."

"Want to discuss it?" Zhu Changluo looked at him with a smile.

"That's right." Fang Congzhe nodded and said, "Your Majesty is on a tour teaching students all over the country. I'm afraid there are still many foolish people who can't comprehend the essence. The title of Master has been discussed in the capital, and naturally the court and the public will discuss it."

Xie Tingzan couldn't help but look at him: He is a person who understands the emperor's intentions very well, and it is not without reason that he can become one of the eight ministers.

"That makes sense." Zhu Changluo affirmed this opinion, and then looked at Kong Shangxian, "It's a bit too much to make the whole family invite you together. With such a large family, which family wouldn't have some despicable children? The Master's lineage is a big tree that attracts the wind. You are so frightened that some people will say that I and the court are forcing us too much."

Kong Shangxian knelt on the ground with cold sweat on his back and said, "My ministers and my clansmen have truly awakened. This is not only a reflection of our humility in studying, but also a reflection of our strictness in managing our family. For the sake of our descendants, we should guard against arrogance and impatience."

"That's really hard for you."

Zhu Changluo paused and asked him to stand up first.

"If you want to run your family strictly, then you should talk openly and in depth." He was looking at the crowd. "Many things are right and wrong, and there is public opinion. Respecting the ancestors as the most holy and taking the ancestral rules as inviolable, is it because it is right or because it is convenient?"

"..."Everyone didn't know how to respond for a moment.

"It's a trick." Zhu Changluo said calmly, "No one is perfect. The Master is a saint. If the later generations are not well-educated and have flaws in personal morality, it's just an excuse. After all, how many people in the world can be called saints? Scholars all over the world respect the Master as a saint. The old truth is the truth. If you use it to argue, you will be invincible. The emperor can also be wise or foolish. If you use it to advise, even if everyone agrees, you can also restrain the emperor. It's a trick, it works."

Kong Shangxian's body shook visibly.

"That's why I'm sorry. After all, all Confucian scholars in the world hold the Master in high esteem, as if they were members of the same school. The Master's descendants are sometimes employed by the emperor, and sometimes by officials and gentry."

Zhu Changluo pointed out this problem, just as he said, he talked about it openly and in depth.

"However, although the tricks are useful, they can't solve the real problem." Zhu Changluo sighed, "The quarrel between the emperor and his ministers and the misleading of the country and the people are minor matters, but the failure to innovate in academic research, the lack of responsibility as an official, and the belief that one is superior because of having some knowledge, and the belief that one is right because one has always been right, are major matters."

Zhu Changluo pointed at Kong Shangxian and said, "To manage a family strictly, you need to think about this in depth. Even if the ancestors planted a big tree, the descendants should take good care of it, not just hide under the tree for shelter from the wind and rain, and enjoy the shade. There are unexpected changes in the world. If there is a natural disaster or a man-made disaster, it will be too late to regret if the tree falls."

Kong Shangxian knelt down again and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, I will keep your words in mind and make it clear to my clansmen."

"It's difficult for you, and it's difficult for me too." Zhu Changluo asked him to stand up again, and smiled and shook his head, "I am also enjoying the shade under the big tree planted by Taizu. But things are changing all the time both at home and abroad. After the previous emperor's several expeditions, the financial situation is becoming increasingly difficult. Westerners, Tatars, and Jurchens, which one of them is not eyeing us covetously? If I just enjoy my dignity, I can probably live a comfortable life, but my son may not be sure."

These words made everyone feel dazed.

There are not many young guys here, most of them came from the Wanli period.

They all had their own judgment on what the situation was like in the Ming Dynasty ten years ago.

History has shown that a Ming dynasty that had been established for more than 200 years was indeed fraught with hidden dangers. There were also those who had foresight, such as Zhao Zhigao at the time, who concluded that the Ming dynasty would soon be destroyed.

The day when the country will be destroyed is not something that will happen soon, but it is a general trend.

If there is no major change, it will inevitably reach that end, but the way and process cannot be clearly foreseen.

But now, the Ming Dynasty seems to have indeed stopped this trend, so much so that many people are shouting for the revival of the Ming Dynasty.

In fact, what the emperor said here today proves that he does not agree with this judgment, but is preparing to touch on more fundamental issues.

That is how officials and gentry deal with themselves under the new policies and new learning.

The Kong family is just a typical representative of countless large families and households in the world. Some families are the ones whose ancestors planted big trees and opened up the foundation, while some are the ones whose generation has become the big trees and is opening up the foundation.

It is certainly not a bad thing to establish a business; it is human nature.

But the emperor asked for "no shirking of responsibility". Right and wrong will be judged by the public. Violating national laws and evading taxes are certainly wrong. It is also wrong to oppress the people and seize their land. Should these wrongs be covered up by relying on officials to protect each other and suppress the new policies together to maintain the status quo?
The emperor said that it could not solve the real problem.

So how do we solve the real problem?

The answer seems to be that saying: Don't think you are superior to others just because you have some knowledge.

Nowadays, how is this superiority manifested?
The gentry are exempted from preferential treatment, and scholars have special privileges in front of the government!
(End of this chapter)