I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1053: Three parts training, seven parts nutrition, and the remaining ninety parts sleeping.
The reason why Zhu Yijun reprinted this "Examination of the Family of Jinshi" in the official gazette and made it public was to expose a lie: the lie of cultivating virtue in wealth and status.

In the Confucian ideal of a harmonious world, officials of all ranks and social classes are properly appointed, and the order of seniority and age is respected. As long as the order of respecting elders and juniors is followed, harmony can be achieved.

The fundamental basis for this theoretical framework is that the wealthy are virtuous, courteous, and frugal. This means that wealthy families are often more cultured and moral, and therefore, the wealthy and noble are naturally born to govern others.

There are many similar expressions, such as "A virtuous person, when rich, will practice good conduct"; "A petty person, when rich, will use his wealth to his advantage"; "Those who are rich and noble will act accordingly"; "Those who are poor and lowly will act accordingly" and so on.

This interpretation is completely wrong. Zhu Yijun was a very good reader, and he knew that this was a deliberate misinterpretation.

In Confucianism, the term "gentleman" has two meanings: one is a person of great virtue; the other is a ruler.

However, most Confucian scholars deliberately conflated these two meanings when interpreting them, interpreting it as: those who govern others are born with virtue.

Xunzi once said when discussing the inherent evil of human nature: "Even if the sons and grandsons of kings, dukes, and officials cannot abide by propriety and righteousness, they will become commoners; even if the sons and grandsons of commoners accumulate knowledge, rectify their conduct, and can abide by propriety and righteousness, they will become ministers, officials, and scholars."

If the children of princes, nobles, and officials do not understand propriety and righteousness, they are commoners; if the descendants of commoners accumulate enough knowledge, act uprightly, walk straight, and understand the importance of propriety and righteousness, they should become princes, nobles, and officials.

Whether a person is noble or not, and whether he or she is of high moral character, is not determined by his family background, but by his virtue. No matter how good his or her family background is, if he or she has no virtue, he or she is a good-for-nothing. If a person or she has a bad family background but has excellent virtue, then he or she is a gentleman.

This is the true Confucian ideal of fundamentalism.

This idea, which emphasizes personal virtue rather than hereditary status as the determining factor of a person's value, already existed as early as the pre-Qin period.

Because of these views of Xunzi, he was removed from the list of the most revered teachers of Confucianism. During the Ming Dynasty, scholars and officials would always refer to Confucius and Mencius, but rarely mentioned Xunzi.

This pen further exposes the lies of being rich and virtuous, rich and courteous, rich and frugal. It is clear that 96% of families that produce scholars do not last more than three generations. Wealth and virtues such as morality, courtesy, and frugality have no causal relationship. In fact, wealth can even incite evil in people's hearts. Without this kind of wealth, things would not have gotten so bad.

The reaction to the article that His Majesty the Emperor reposted was not very strong throughout the Ming Dynasty. The stronger the reaction, the more likely these matters would be discussed and eventually become widely known. The best way to deal with it was to pretend not to see it, which was a form of silent resistance.

There's not much to refute. After all, this scribe spent five years researching so many families of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) to reach his conclusion, which is based on facts. It's too difficult to overturn his views.

Throughout the Ming Dynasty, both within and outside the court, people gradually discovered that the dynasty could still survive even without Confucianism.

As the most important ruling tool in successive dynasties, Confucianism has always been the most important means of maintaining the stability of imperial power under the prefecture-county imperial system and the imperial power system.

The emperor's demolition of the Confucius Mansion in Yanzhou caused widespread panic, as if the world was about to end. However, soon everyone, from the emperor to the common people, realized that it would not destroy the world. On the contrary, the order of the Ming Dynasty still existed.

During the pre-Qin period, there were so many sages and teachers, not just Confucius and Mencius. There were also Xunzi, Legalists, Taoists, and other philosophers, all of whom had their merits.

Over time, people realized that the various schools of thought had always existed, but they had simply put on a Confucian veneer. Now that this veneer had been removed, they were living with greater clarity.

For example, Xu Zhenming and Ke Yanchang, who were appointed Grand Minister of Agriculture and Junior Minister of Agriculture by His Majesty, openly acknowledged their agricultural background and went further and further down this path. Before, they appeared to be Confucian scholars, but in their hearts they were agricultural scholars.

The emperor once again shattered some of the myths of Confucianism, which meant that the sanctity of Confucianism was further undermined. This was not so unacceptable to the people of the Ming Dynasty.

All the public opinion in the Ming Dynasty focused on Hou Yuzhao's "Deep Turning Over". The theme of the previous article "Turning Over" was still somewhat vague, but the theme of this book "Deep Turning Over" is very clear.

Both the book "Turning Over" and the book "Deeply Turning Over" emphasize one thing: fairness, impartiality, and justice never fall from the sky. Don't expect a benevolent ruler to shower you with blessings; that's a fantasy about a wise and virtuous monarch. True fairness, impartiality, and justice are obtained through struggle.

Justice cannot be obtained without struggle.

Judging from the experience and lessons learned from Zhejiang's return of land to the people and its consolidation, this statement is entirely correct. Changes in production relations and ownership of the means of production do not fall from the sky, but rather are a consensus gradually formed through complex struggles among farmers, tenants, landlords, local gentry, and officials.

After this intention was analyzed and interpreted, it naturally led to a conclusion: Doesn't this mean that we should encourage struggle?

What direction will this encouragement lead the Ming Dynasty in? Will it cause the stable Ming Dynasty to become unstable? These are all questions that need to be considered.

Besides the issue of struggle, there are also the changes in Zhejiang that caught people off guard.

His Majesty's implementation of the land return order in Zhejiang was a punishment, a retaliation for the great fire that struck Renhe County. However, His Majesty's revenge and rage seemed to bring only temporary suffering to Zhejiang, which was then ushered in what can be described as a glorious period of development.

Zhejiang boasts the most workshops, the largest artisan population, and a massive influx of silver like rivers and seas. Its roads are becoming increasingly extensive and paved, making it unparalleled in the Ming Dynasty. Zhejiang is capable of producing all of the Ming Dynasty's goods, including furs.

After the completion of the Zhejiang East Canal, the canal, which was originally thought to have few ships, was filled with cargo ships lined up one after another, covering the entire Zhejiang province.

This leads to another natural question: should we sacrifice the interests of a small group—the powerful and wealthy, the local gentry and gentry who were given back their land—in exchange for overall development?

There's a difficult problem here: if we can sacrifice a small group of people today, we can sacrifice another group of people tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow it will be our turn.

The public opinion in the Ming Dynasty was in an uproar over this, with each side having its own reasons and neither able to convince the other.

"The world is troubled by land annexation. Returning land to the people has never been about sacrificing local gentry and nobles, but about paying off debts! These local gentry, nobles, and powerful figures have countless blood debts in their hands. The fact that the court has not pursued their crimes on behalf of the people is itself for the sake of world stability!"

"If you ask me, let's not implement any 'returning the land' policy or discuss when to return the land. Instead, let's equalize the land! Directly return the land that has been seized to the farmers!" Li Zhi, the famous leader of the liberal faction in the Ming Dynasty, stood on Taibai Tower, his face flushed, and raised his hand to speak forcefully.

Li Zhi felt that returning land to farmers was too mild a method.

However, considering that His Majesty is the heir to the throne, the method of equal land distribution is indeed not appropriate.

Li Zhi and another great Confucian scholar from Jiangnan, Gao Panlong, were debating, and the two were evenly matched in the arena of public opinion.

Especially after Gao Panlong adopted the theory of contradictions in his scholarship and the theory of class, his approach was completely different from that in Jiangnan. He always mentioned contradictions, and unlike most people who held differing opinions, Gao Panlong was very fond of the theory of class and highly praised it.

Gao Panlong believed that the three volumes of Class Theory, including class, distribution, and struggle, were the only way to resolve any contradictions and the fundamental principles of governing a country. He felt that every scholar-official should be proficient in the theory of contradictions, and every official should be proficient in the three volumes of Class Theory.

The debate over "deep reversal" and "turning over a new leaf" sparked a new round of public opinion conflict, leading to a renewed divergence in the views of Li Zhi and Gao Panlong.

"There's no such thing as a free lunch. Returning land to the state is already the best solution the court has come up with. It won't create a bigger social upheaval to bridge the class divide. I don't agree with your idea of ​​equal land distribution."

"Returning land to its rightful owner requires a certain economic foundation, namely, the initial formation of a commodity economy. Discussing the return of land to its rightful owner or the equal distribution of land without this foundation is of no benefit, especially to the common people." Gao Panlong sat in his chair, his tone calm and composed, without any agitation.

Regarding whether further development should be achieved at the expense of a small group of people, namely the landlord class, mainly local gentry and gentry, the two believed it was necessary.

There are two major points of contention between Gao Panlong and Li Zhi. The first is that Li Zhi believed that land should be distributed equally rather than returned to the people. Moreover, he believed that the return of land to the people should be promoted immediately, instead of being done one prefecture at a time as it is now.

Gao Panlong advocated that things should be done slowly and gradually, believing that the land should be returned to the people, and that implementing inappropriate policies in inappropriate places would harm the people.
"Why don't you go to Guizhou to distribute land equally?" Gao Panlong looked at Li Zhi, whose face was flushed, thought for a moment, and then expressed his opinion.

Li Zhi's lips twitched. Gao Panlong was indeed not easy to deal with because of his eloquence. Li Zhi had no choice but to say, "There are many Tusi (chieftains) in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Guizhou, which are not suitable for implementing a land policy based on returning land to the people! They don't even have a land system there."

"What about Gansu?" Gao Panlong continued to ask.

“There isn’t even a landlord in Gansu.” Li Zhi paused for a moment before answering the question directly.

Gao Panlong then stood up and addressed all the Confucian scholars in Taibai Tower: “The Ming Dynasty is vast, with an expansive territory. People from all over the country are different. It is perfectly normal for development to be uneven due to different natural endowments. Therefore, we should adapt to local conditions, rather than hastily promoting the same approach to all parts of the country just because of the success in Zhejiang.”

"I oppose the blind optimism that the success of Zhejiang will lead to the success of the entire Ming Dynasty."

Gao Panlong paused here, looked at Li Zhi, and waited for Li Zhi's reply.

“You’re right, but I still support returning the land to the people.” Li Zhi raised his head, first acknowledging Gao Panlong’s point of view before continuing, “You can naturally consider things from the perspective of the court and the overall situation. I have actually been a farmer, and I know that farmers have reached their limit; they need to stand up and catch their breath.”

"The anger they have been suppressing has accumulated to a certain point, and it has even begun to burn on the land of the Ming Dynasty. If it is not extinguished in time, it will spread like wildfire. By then, it will be too late to put it out."

"They can't wait any longer."

Gao Panlong spoke of reason, while Li Zhi spoke of the will of the people. They argued for a few more minutes, but neither could convince the other.

Zhu Yijun sat in the top-tier private room, watching the two arguing endlessly, and asked, "Sir, who do you think is right?"

Zhang Juzheng now had a lot of free time, so when the emperor wanted to go out and have fun, he would invite Zhang Juzheng along to listen to these discussions.

“Li Zhi’s statement,” Zhang Juzheng said after some consideration, “is actually not complicated. Everyone can give an example of the Rat and Ox, but Li Zhi’s statement is based on considerations of the current situation.”

"Of course, Gao Panlong is right. Some places are indeed not suitable for returning farmland to its original state. Gansu, Suiyuan, Yunnan and Guizhou are still lacking the necessary conditions."

Based on the experience of returning farmland to its natural state in Zhejiang, the implementation of any policy will have a period of growing pains. In areas with a better economic foundation, they can get through it, but in areas with a poorer economic foundation, they really can't get through it.

"It's just a chat." Zhu Yijun leaned back in his chair. He had no intention of consulting Li Zhi or Gao Panlong on the opinions of others when formulating policies for the dynasty.

To be precise, after the Wanli Reforms, the Ming Dynasty's national policies were no longer swayed by public opinion, because most public opinion was deliberately created by people.

The same principle applied to returning land to its original state, the same to the Dinghai school system, and the same to the five-room brick house.

Instead of believing these popular opinions, you'd be better off reading "On Contradiction" and "On Class," because at least contradictions don't lie.

Gao Panlong frowned, knowing that today's meeting would end unhappily once again.

Li Zhi was a favorite of the emperor, a fifth-rank scholar of classics, while Gao Panlong was nothing. He actually wanted to get along with Li Zhi, but Li Zhi's words made Gao Panlong shake his head repeatedly and say, "It's better to stop causing trouble for the people than anything else."

Gao Panlong's words are correct.

At this moment, the Ming Dynasty court was not gloomy, and the ministers in the court were not just petty scum who knew only about factional strife. In fact, the Ming Dynasty's policy of returning land to the people was being implemented continuously.

From Zhejiang to the five prefectures of the Southern Court, and then from those five prefectures to the seven prefectures, and in places like Henan, Shandong, Jiangxi, and Huguang, the collective production system of farms was widely adopted. It seemed slow, but the pace was exceptionally firm, with no intention of giving up halfway. Li Zhi's viewpoint seemed somewhat inclined towards a quick victory.

There's a saying in martial arts: 30% training, 70% nutrition, and the remaining 90% relying on sleep.

Training is important, of course, but without enough meat to support it, practicing martial arts is just a waste of energy, and it will only make your body half crippled. This is the reason behind the saying "the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts." The remaining 90 points depend on sleep. If you don't get enough rest, everything will be for nothing.

This statement also applies to governing a country.

Government decrees are certainly important. The imperial court's policy of favoring certain regions can indeed change the development of local areas. For example, Xuzhou Prefecture benefited from the policy of returning farmland to the people. This was a policy granted by the emperor to Liu Shunzhi to protect people's livelihoods. The Xuzhou Machinery Factory was also a benevolent act.

Government decrees are supported by the imperial court, but without the support of an economic foundation, the Xuzhou Machinery Factory and the land return decree cannot be effectively implemented. In that case, the government decrees are a waste of the people's resources, not only having no effect but also causing great harm.

The problem with Xuzhou Prefecture was that the previous four prefects were somewhat inhumane, focusing solely on pleasing their superiors and neglecting the people's livelihood. After Liu Shunzhi corrected these mistakes, Xuzhou Prefecture had the potential to become a major mechanical hub in the north, with coal, iron, canals, official roads and post roads, and now it also has imperial highways.

Aside from government policies and the economic foundation, the remaining 90 points depend on allowing the people to recuperate and thrive.

Gao Panlong's words, "Less trouble for the people is better than anything else," mean that the people should be allowed to rest and recuperate.

Li Zhi flicked his sleeves, too lazy to argue with Gao Panlong anymore. The two speakers stopped their debate, and one by one, the scholars with different opinions began to take the stage to express their views.

The discussion quickly went astray, shifting from a discussion about returning land to the fields to a discussion about etiquette and law.

Once order is broken, there is no going back. The most terrifying time is when the old Confucian ethics are shattered and no new ethical order is established.

Up to the 22nd year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, the Confucian system remained advanced, complete, and highly feasible in the world.

To put it bluntly, its completeness, universality, and enforceability surpass any known governance system created by any religion, ideology, or culture.

Compared to Confucianism, the contributions of Western theological theories to society and to social governance are like those of a toddler just learning to walk.

The Confucian theoretical system assigns roles to everyone and assigns responsibilities and obligations to each role. Those who violate these responsibilities and obligations are considered to be violating the rites and are thus abandoned by both gods and men. Even the emperor is no exception. Punishing the wicked is a way of correcting the emperor's moral failings.

The theoretical system established by Confucianism is gradually changing as the sanctity of Confucianism fades.

For example, a scholar-official said: For thousands of years, life has revolved around four words: family, country, and the world.

Home is a weakness, a source of worry, and the driving force for struggle; the nation is the social responsibility to be shouldered, to use the weapons at hand to drive away any invading enemy; and the world is poetry and distant places, lofty ideals and ambitions.

Cultivating oneself, managing one's family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world encompass a person's entire life.

Now, with the rise of liberal doctrines, everything is being disrupted, starting with the issue of responsibility. Some powerful and influential families are no longer forming families.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun sat up straight and listened intently.

"Xing Yanqiu, the young master of Mingyi Shoe Shop, is already twenty-four years old and the father of seven children, but he has no wife or concubines, and he doesn't even give those women who have borne him children a proper title." This scholar-official spoke eloquently.

“I asked him why he wouldn’t get married, and he retorted: Why should I get married? I’ve lived my life as long as I’m comfortable. My father asked me to carry on the family line, and I did. When the children grow up, I’ll pass the family on to whoever is stronger. As for whether the children hate me or whether they’ll desecrate my grave after they die, why should I care?”

"I pressed him further, asking why he didn't care. He told me that death is death, just a handful of dust, why bother?"

Xing Yanqiu and Zhu Yijun knew, of course, that the shoes he was wearing were made by Mingyi Shoe Shop and were quite expensive. What Zhu Yijun didn't know was that this kid wasn't even married yet!
Even the somewhat lazy Zhang Juzheng perked up, looking at His Majesty the Emperor with intense unease and anxiety.

Every country has a core base, which is the cornerstone of its survival. Even the Great Brightness Cult has recently found a group of solid foundations for itself.

Even Felipe had his own Mesta Society, an association of shepherds who became the navy of the Invincible Armada, built the Invincible Armada, and became part of the Great Phalanx.

Similarly, this core group is also the easiest and most convenient to be oppressed and exploited.

They are neither like cunning and lawless individuals, nor like powerful and influential figures who have someone backing them up. Every dynastic cycle represents the point where the emperor, the court, government officials, influential local gentry, and other such figures have completely drained the core of their base, leaving it extremely weak.

From a very early age, Zhu Yijun knew that a solid base of supporters, even without needing to reach one percent of the entire population, was enough to maintain the stability of his regime.

Now, the doctrine of freedom seems to be dismantling the foundation of the Ming Dynasty and denying the responsibilities that social identity should bear.

During the ensuing discussion, Zhu Yijun lost interest in listening further, while Zhang Juzheng, on the other hand, was quite enthusiastic. He was no longer in a position to concern himself with politics; he had already retired, and these matters were best left for His Majesty to worry about.

On the contrary, these scholar-officials came from all over the country, and they talked about the local customs and traditions of their respective regions, which greatly interested Zhang Juzheng.

After Zhu Yijun returned to Tonghe Palace, the next chapter took him to Songjiang Prefecture, where he inquired whether Xing Yanqiu's refusal to marry was a common phenomenon in Songjiang Prefecture.

Seven days later, Hu Junde, the prefect of Songjiang, gave His Majesty the Emperor both good news and bad news.

The good news is that this phenomenon is not widespread. There are only three eligible unmarried sons of powerful and wealthy merchants in the entire Songjiang Prefecture, and one of them is a recent widower who has no intention of remarrying.

The bad news is that keeping mistresses is very common in families with assets of over 10,000 taels of silver, and divorce is no longer something to be pointed out or gossiped about; in fact, it is considered normal.

This means that what His Majesty feared is happening: the solid family ethics and systems of the Ming Dynasty are being challenged.

With the all-powerful magic of currencies like gold and silver, and the impact of monetary alienation and the doctrine of liberty, old family ethical relationships suffered extremely severe challenges.

The answer given by the local officials in Songjiang Prefecture was: to ignore it.

Everyone has a scale in their heart, and they will weigh whether their efforts are worthwhile. If they think it is worthwhile, they will do it; if they think it is not worthwhile, they will not do it. Excessive interference will only make the court seem like it is meddling in other people's business.

Administrative power is never omnipotent. Excessive obstruction can lead the way astray. The court can only guide at most. The administrative power of the Ming Dynasty is limited. Specifically, when it comes to the issue of liberals, the court should focus its main efforts on preventing extreme liberals, rather than limited liberals.

"Let's take another look then." Zhu Yijun approved the memorial from Songjiang Prefecture. The great ship of the Ming Dynasty was turning, going further and further down the road of opening up the sea. As the bridgehead of the Ming Dynasty's opening up of the sea and reform, Songjiang Prefecture would naturally be impacted by various ideologies.

It's like a melting pot, where all sorts of ideas and theories go through the process.

These were all inevitable setbacks on the path of reform and modernization.

"I believe that Confucianism will ultimately prevail." Li Yougong had been traveling extensively, even visiting the Kingdom of Jinshan once. Having seen and experienced many places, he felt that Confucianism still had a strong vitality and would triumph in the Wanli Great Debate.

However, the Confucianism of that time was not the Confucianism that the scholars who wanted to revive the past wanted.

Li Yougong even believes that conservatives will continue to hold a firm dominant position around Confucianism, and that Confucianism will remain the mainstream ideology in society.

Li Yougong continued, "The biggest problem with Confucianism is actually the same as the problem before the Ming Dynasty."

"The biggest problem with Confucianism is that its set of principles and social order is invincible in the world, and no one can threaten it. This is similar to the situation in which the Ming Dynasty was invincible in the world at the beginning of the dynasty, with almost no rivals."

“If one remains invincible for too long, one will gradually fall into a dead end of pedantry. Once Confucian scholars feel that their status is threatened, they will seek change.”

Confucianism has never been static; this doctrine will continue to change to adapt to contemporary society, and after drawing on the strengths of others and discarding their dross, it will ultimately prevail.

In fact, Confucianism is changing, and even the idea that the Shang and Zhou dynasties share a common origin is now open to discussion.

What Li Yougong said was actually what the local officials of Songjiang Prefecture wanted to say but didn't say.

The advice given by the Songjiang Prefecture was to ignore it. What they really wanted to say was: this clash of ideas will not harm the imperial power. If it were to reach the point of harming the imperial power, it would probably take hundreds of years to resolve.

Confucianism is a feudal system of ethics that has stood the test of time. Although Your Majesty has destroyed the Confucius Temple and shattered the sanctity of Confucianism, it does not mean that Confucianism has failed. On the contrary, Confucianism has failed more than once in history, but it has always been able to make a comeback.

The powerful vitality of Confucianism stems entirely from its strong feasibility. The most important task for Confucianism now is to adapt to the improvement of productivity and the change of production relations.

Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment and nodded. Confucianism was changing. New interpretations of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants; the shared origins of the Shang and Zhou dynasties; actively embracing the theory of contradictions; and absorbing the methodology of the theory of contradictions. This was a change for Confucian scholars, and also a change for Confucianism itself.

Of course, class theory, which is somewhat opposed to Confucianism, does not receive such treatment.

"Your Majesty, Minister Wang's health may not be good." After seeing that His Majesty had dealt with the memorials of the day, Li Yougong told His Majesty some bad news: Wang Guoguang, the Grand Chancellor of the Ming Dynasty, who was in charge of supervising the distribution of land, inspecting the fields of the whole country, rebuilding the garrisons and distributing military pay, was already getting quite ill.

Li Yougong said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Minister Wang is eighty-three years old this year. It is a joyous occasion for his death."

As His Majesty's study companion and training partner, Li Yougong knew His Majesty very well. His Majesty was never a cold-hearted or ungrateful person; he was a man of deep feelings and true character. Wang Guoguang's age was traditionally a time of joyous death, but His Majesty still felt sorrow and grief.

Zhu Yijun remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Prepare the carriage and go take a look."

When he met Wang Guoguang, Wang Guoguang was lying under a willow tree, staring blankly at the willow tree sprouting new buds. When he heard that His Majesty had arrived, he struggled to stand up, but ultimately failed. He shook his head and said with a smile, "Greetings, Your Majesty. Please forgive my rudeness; I really cannot rise to pay my respects."

"No need for formalities, sit down, sit down, and take good care of yourself." Zhu Yijun took two quick steps and sat down in front of Wang Guoguang.

"Your Majesty has arrived, and it is time for me to depart." Wang Guoguang looked at His Majesty's appearance before smiling and saying, "The Ming Dynasty is truly doing very well now; I wish I could stay a little longer."

Zhu Yijun disliked parting, but even this emperor could not hold back the marks that time left on a person.

On the contrary, Wang Guoguang seemed to be much more open-minded than Zhu Yijun when it came to matters of life and death.

(End of this chapter)