Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 397 Donglin's New Destiny
Donglin Academy was once very famous in Jiangnan.

In this Ming Dynasty, Donglin Academy was already taking a completely different path.

At first, Donglin Academy had not yet been built, and Gu Xiancheng taught in his hometown, still using the old way of thinking.

When Donglin Academy was first established, scholars discussed politics and criticized court officials and state affairs. The governor of Yingtian impeached Gu Xiancheng and Gao Panlong, and both were summoned to the capital and lectured before the emperor along with the other two:

The greatest means of a country is to fight violence with violence. If one does not understand this principle, crosses the red line of the true public sentiment, and attempts to influence the court with the opinions of the opposition, then that is tantamount to treason.

If you want to teach, you should teach well, talk about knowledge, reason, and being a good person. As for how to be an official, the imperial court has Jinxianyuan and Tongzheng Academy.

Zhu Changluo's words to them were very clear, so Gu Xiancheng did so after he came back. He was very clever, and was one of the first people in Jiangnan to organize the study of the emperor's theory of "investigating things and seeking knowledge" in the name of academic research. He saw the opportunity of the expansion of officials in the new dynasty and the turmoil in the officialdom, and helped some scholars enter the officialdom in recent years.

Then came the big turmoil at the end of the previous year. From the time when the Khan's army attacked the border wall of Jizhen to the time when the border wall of Jinzhou was breached, there was indeed an undercurrent in Jiangnan.

At that time, Gao Panlong was ready to make a move again, and even said that Tian Le should be killed.

Gu Xiancheng was much more serious, and during that period he tried his best to suppress the discussions of his students within the academy.

After the turmoil, Niu Yingyuan impeached and punished officials and gentry in Jiangnan. The reason why Donglin Academy escaped the turmoil was actually that they had a great influence in studying new learning in Jiangnan.

At this point, Gu Xiancheng's authority in the academy naturally became more solid, and Gao Panlong had to be grateful to Gu Xiancheng for his foresight, otherwise they would definitely have been thrown into jail by now.

Now, the emperor was going to Donglin Academy to give lectures. This was the first private academy the emperor had visited along the way.

Donglin Academy will naturally become more famous.

Only Gu Xiancheng, Gao Panlong and other senior academy officials were trembling with fear.

The scenery in the south of the Yangtze River is beautiful. The scenery of Donglin Academy is also beautiful. After entering the academy gate, there are monasteries, mountain houses, dining halls, and temples scattered around.

Zhu Changluo toured the place and finally went to Gu's house to take a look, but he did not rest there first.

Walking out of the gate of Gu’s house, there is a small pond on the south side, and a not-so-big study is set up beside the pond.

"Just sit here, the view is nice."

Gu Xiancheng hurriedly led the way: "This is Gao Cunzhi's study. Cunzhi likes to live by water, so he named this study 'Ke'."

"Ke Lou, Ke Zhai." Zhu Changluo nodded and glanced at Gao Panlong standing beside him. "It is consistent. 'Something is possible and some is not possible, just like being in harmony with things.' Gao Panlong, this sentence in your article "Ke Lou Ji" is consistent with what I understand that everything has two sides."

"…My humble and clumsy writings may be disrespectful to Your Majesty. My sentimental words cannot compare to the profound and far-reaching ideas of Your Majesty."

Although Gao Panlong said this, there was a hint of anticipation in his eyes when he looked at the emperor.

The emperor not only knew that he was in Kelou, his hometown, on the shore of Qi Lake, but also knew that he had written an article for Kelou.

The building has windows on all four sides, with mountains and lakes to the south, farmhouses to the north, plains to the east, and Jiulong Mountain to the west. "You can enjoy the cool breeze, the warmth of the sun, the guests and the moon, and you can spend the rest of your life in leisure.

So he was named Ke Lou, which means that he was satisfied and thought it was enough.

But the article immediately recounted the ambitions of youth and discussed contentment and discontentment. It said that discontentment in one’s aspirations is because “something is impossible”. If everything is possible, then naturally there will be no dissatisfaction, and no unhappiness.

Finally, if there is something that can be done, there must be something that cannot be done. "From now on, I will forget what is possible and what is not possible, and then this building will become redundant."

But there is not only the Kelou, there is also a Kezhai here.

Gao Panlong always kept this "burden" in his heart and he couldn't let it go.

Zhu Changluo walked into his study, and when he reached the window overlooking the lake, he continued, "I heard that when you were studying, you advocated useful learning, which coincides with what I advocate. The ideas of benefiting merchants and being considerate of merchants are in the same direction. But what is benefit and what is compassion? The teachers and students of Donglin Academy have always been keen on analyzing the gains and losses of government affairs and criticizing them. What do you think?"

Gu Xiancheng's heart was in his throat.

The emperor seemed to admire Gao Panlong, and he also vaguely brought the topic back to the admonition he gave them several years ago.

Gao Panlong was silent for a moment, then said, "I advocate practical learning in my studies. Now that I am teaching in the academy, I naturally want to cultivate useful talents. Most of the students come here to study and hope to take the imperial examinations and serve the court in the future. I think it is good and useful for students to analyze the gains and losses of government affairs and criticize them from the perspective of practical learning."

Seeing that he only insisted on this position and did not express specific opinions on the court's commercial policy, Gu Xiancheng didn't know whether to be happy or worried.

"Politics is also a subject. It is good and useful to observe, summarize and debate in the academy." Zhu Changluo unexpectedly said this. "As long as you don't think you are right and incite the government and the public to oppose the national politics, then there is no problem. Therefore, you can speak boldly."

Gao Panlong was encouraged and said, "Your Majesty is wise! I think the people who should be benefited should be the industrial and commercial enterprises, not the large families. There are many people who have lost their land, and they can make a living by working as workers or merchants. The people who should be sympathized with are the servants employed by the shops. Farmers have land deeds, and the common people in the shops are no different from slaves."

Zhu Changluo turned around and looked at him unexpectedly: "Do you always think so?"

"Of course!" Gao Panlong answered firmly, then hesitated a little, but said, "I and the students of the academy are far away from the government, so it is inevitable that we don't know everything and don't think carefully about some things, so we are angry about the gains and losses of the government. However, our sincere hearts for the country and the people are evident to all. Donglin Academy does not shy away from saying that what it seeks is to educate and recommend talents, and to apply knowledge to the world. This is also the way of learning for me!"

Gu Xiancheng is already quite old and his energy is gradually declining. In recent years, Gao Panlong has actually been in charge of the daily affairs of the academy.

After listening to this, Zhu Changluo silently looked at the acre of square pond outside the window.

Everything is not so pure, but perhaps not so complicated either. It is only when it is involved in a bigger and bigger vortex that things will gradually become more and more complicated.

Just like Wang Yangming's study at that time, when he was still alive, he also wanted to use his heart to learn to achieve conscience and unity of knowledge and action. In Zhu Changluo's memory, Donglin Academy may indeed have been built with passion at the beginning. After all, in the next twenty years of Emperor Wanli...

It’s just that later on, different opinions began to arise on the School of Mind, with some people using it as a tool; the same was true of the Donglin Academy, which later became a platform with a mixed bag of good and bad people.

Zhu Changluo wanted to come to Donglin Academy to see how they were studying and teaching the theory of "investigating things and extending knowledge" in Jiangnan. Was it a shortcut or a lucky choice or was it out of his own heart?

Hearing Gao Panlong say this, Zhu Changluo felt a little touched.

"Can and cannot be forgotten, nor should they be forgotten." He turned around and looked at Gao Panlong, "Knowing that it is difficult, we should face the challenge head-on. The Master said that at the age of forty, one has no doubts, which means that one already has his own principles. Not only do we know the reasons for what is possible and what is not possible, but we can also deal with it calmly. Therefore, at the age of fifty, one can know the will of heaven. In the court and the wild, in the temple and the rivers and lakes, human knowledge is more difficult to comprehend than the knowledge of nature. The times, opportunities, and human hearts are all incalculable. The students are young, and the most difficult thing is to teach them how to face their lives in the future." Gu Xiancheng immediately said: "The theory of knowing through investigation of things is a wonderful method, so we regard it as a treasure and study it diligently, hoping that the students can improve their knowledge and talents."

Zhu Changluo nodded.

If the Imperial College Hundred Schools Academy was a special academy established to focus on natural sciences, then in the entire Ming Dynasty, apart from the Tongzheng Academy which was for officials to come for short-term training in political science, only the Donglin Academy had a clear purpose: it was a "government management academy" specifically established to prepare officials for the imperial examinations.

It not only teaches people how to take the imperial examinations, but also teaches them how to govern in the future, and even provides a new platform for official relations.

For Zhu Changluo, this was not a bad thing as long as they did not still stick to the old Confucianism.

Donglin Academy was still in a transitional period during this period. Students who came here to study, such as Gu Xiancheng and Gao Panlong, were more or less enlightened by the old Confucianism. There may be utilitarian purposes in preaching the theory of "investigating things to gain knowledge", but it is not bad to have this start.

Gao Panlong's "practical learning" is not as good as combining theory with practice. Therefore, they are very keen to discuss the current government affairs.

But in a place like this, we cannot just let them grow wildly among the people.

Especially: They are in Jiangnan.

"Draft an imperial decree to change Donglin Academy into a university under the Ministry of Culture and Education, with a president of the fourth rank. The Imperial College and its branches in various provinces, as well as the prosperous private academies in various places, shall all follow this system." Zhu Changluo said, looking at Gu Xiancheng and Gao Panlong, "The most fundamental thing for the court is people. Teaching and educating people is a long-term plan. Since the establishment of the imperial examination, the court has attached more importance to examination and selection. Since I have set up a special Ministry of Culture and Education, and the examination and selection belong to the Jinxian Academy, I want to attach importance to both."

After saying that, he looked at Gao Panlong and said, "Draft an imperial decree to reinstate Gao Panlong, the Jinshi of the 17th year of Wanli. I specially appoint him as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Education, concurrently the title of the Academician of the Ministry of Rites, in charge of the operation of the university under the ministry."

Gu Xiancheng and Gao Panlong both trembled all over and then prostrated themselves.

"Your Majesty, I… thank you for your grace! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long, long live Your Majesty!"

"Stand up." Zhu Changluo nodded with a smile, "Let's go, let me see how knowledgeable the students in the academy are."

The emperor's lectures remained the same as before, and the students of Donglin Academy felt the emperor's spirit of scholarship up close.

With Zhu Changluo's theoretical level and so many years of practice, he can naturally handle many aspects of students' problems with ease.

The lectures at Donglin Academy were more like a "court politics press conference" than a pure theoretical discussion.

After all, Donglin students like to discuss state affairs. They usually have a lot of discussions and doubts about the establishment of ministers in the court, the major changes in the central government offices, and many new policy directions.

Zhu Changluo did not shy away from these questions. On the contrary, Donglin Academy was in Wuxi, in Wufu, and in Jiangnan.

Through their mouths, through the emperor's sudden grace bestowed on Donglin Academy, and through the future main direction of the Ministry of Culture and Education announced here, the court's attitude on many issues could be conveyed.

Compared with Gao Panlong’s emotional direction of “benefiting businesses” and “caring for shops”, the new policy is much more detailed and specific in its systematic and long-term framework.

The last time they met the emperor, they were just scolded in front of him.

This time, now that they had become officials again, they listened to the emperor talk about the Ministry of Culture and Education, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Government Property, the Ministry of Frontier Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security... Behind so many new government offices was actually the emperor's deeper and more essential understanding of this huge state machine.

He was filled with indignation when he was in the opposition, but now that his identity has changed, he feels a little uneasy.

In fact, they seem to be out of date. They still think that adhering to certain principles and directions can bring about major changes in government affairs. In fact, they seldom consider how to implement and coordinate each link.

Now, the Minister of Culture and Education Xu Guangqi is standing next to him.

"Minister Gao, His Majesty agrees with the educational philosophy of Donglin Academy. After taking office, the ministry will organize a meeting, and the presidents of the provincial branches of the Imperial College and the heads of private academies will be summoned to Beijing. At that time, Minister Gao will introduce the experience of Donglin Academy... Oh no, Donglin University in running a school."

"Your Excellency is so kind. I will definitely prepare well."

Xu Guangqi just smiled and said nothing more.

The emperor brought him all the way south just to take a walk around first.

The culture and education of the Ming Dynasty will indeed be completely changed. From now on, all official and private schools will be managed by the Ministry of Culture and Education.

How can there be any Confucianism that is independent of the imperial court and transcends the family and the country? The imperial court should naturally be in charge of everything.

Literacy, reading, and going to school, and then either taking the imperial examinations to become an official or graduating to work in various fields. Xu Guangqi thought about the beauty of changing the written language of fame and status into what Your Majesty has called "diploma".

Take it easy.

Xu Guangqi's more important mission as the Minister of Culture and Education was to arrange the natural science subjects that Your Majesty valued more into the entire cultural and educational system, starting from elementary education.

As for classics, history and humanities... Gao Panlong is indeed more suitable to handle it.

More importantly, this special promotion will definitely send a signal to Jiangnan.

Don't say there are talented people in the wild and the court can't use them. As long as you respond to the new policy, the court's door will be wide open.

Or in other words, don't make waves in the water unless you get on the boat.

Donglin Academy preached the new learning, which was a merit. Merit would be rewarded, and it was also the number one example of becoming a third-rank official.

Now that the central government offices have undergone major changes, reforms in the provinces are also imperative.

There are many official positions, and if you enter the officialdom, you will have your own treatment. If you say that you want to study, cultivate yourself, manage your family and serve the country, but in the end you are just a local gentry who has to be treated with caution by the government because of your literary background, what is that?
Those who have made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty can be accommodated in the new Ming Dynasty officialdom.

Don't come in? Then when the preferential treatment is revoked, those on the ship will only have the treatment of officials, and those who remain in the water will be injured.

After all, seeking fame and then looking for a job, isn't that also seeking a good job?
Why should I get paid if I don’t work? Exemptions are my salary!
(End of this chapter)