Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 503: The Nature of the Taoism and Magic

The imperial examination is a complete system. If a pilot project is carried out, it will be equivalent to making a hole in this system. A thousand-mile dike is destroyed by an ant hole. This principle is understood by everyone.

Emperor Chenghui defended Jia Lian, and his true intentions became clear.

Zhang Ting'en was silent for a long time before he said, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Let's make a breakthrough first, even though doing so will put enormous pressure on the cabinet, and Zhang Tingen, the prime minister, will be the one bearing the brunt of the pressure.

Those officials below don’t care whether your actions are in line with national interests. All they think about is how to pull you down. Only when you come down will they have a chance to get promoted.

As for doing this, it doesn’t matter whether you can get on the stage or not, what matters is the opportunity to get on the stage.

Adding sand to the content of the imperial examination is no joke, and scholars all over the world will be in an uproar.

If you trace it back to its source, it is a question of discourse power. The imperial examination, in particular, is related to the future and fate of scholars.

The emperor certainly cannot be asked to bear this pressure. Zhang Tingen has no choice but to take on the responsibility. This is the job of the chief minister of the cabinet, to execute the emperor's will and bear the pressure for him.

Perhaps he felt that it was too unkind to push the cabinet out to bear the pressure, so Emperor Chenghui said in a subtle and calm tone: "I will immediately issue an edict to include Jia's practical learning in the teaching materials of the clan school."

As the name suggests, the Zongren School is a school for the royal family and clan members. In the future, the princes and grandchildren of the emperor will also have to learn the practical learning of the Jia family.

When Zhang Tingen heard this, tears immediately fell from his eyes. He stood up and saluted the emperor respectfully: "Your humble servant will devote all his energy to the service until his death!"

Returning to the cabinet, Zhang Ting'en looked at the ministers who were waiting for news and said, "Please wait patiently."

What happened next was so shocking that all the civil and military officials in the court dropped their glasses to the ground.

Emperor Chenghui issued an edict that the clan school would add courses related to "Jia's Practical Learning" from that day on.

When the imperial edict arrived, the Hanlin scholars who were responsible for teaching the clan members and the princes and grandchildren were furious. They collectively resigned in protest and submitted a petition to the emperor, requesting that the order be revoked.

Emperor Chenghui accepted their resignation without any hesitation and replaced a new group of teachers the next day.

However, the teachers who were replaced continued to disobey orders collectively and refused to accept the assignment. Instead, they asked the emperor to retract his will.

The unity of these Hanlin scholars completely angered Emperor Chenghui, who directly asked Qiu Shi'an to ask these Hanlin scholars a question: Are you disobeying orders and will you be punished with a caning?

Whether it is a Boting stick or not, this statement is actually not important. Both parties in the confrontation know what the real intention is.

In fact, all the ministers understood that after Jia Lian set up a research and development department, the value created was so amazing that it deeply impressed Emperor Chenghui.

When such a thing is placed in front of everyone, everyone can actually see it, but some people will be touched when they see it, while others will see it but pretend not to see it.

Once the clan school incorporates the content of Jia's practical learning and announces it to the world, the entire education system will be questioned by people all over the world.

The collective answer of the Hanlin scholars was as follows: We dare not disobey your orders, but since this is a matter concerning the will of heaven and the foundation of the country, we dare not obey your orders.

This is a superficial statement, but in essence it is a matter of interpretation for an education system.

How did Confucianism defeat the other schools of thought? Legalism was so powerful that it had to change its appearance and hide. Emperors of all dynasties were Confucianists with legalists in their skin. Does any emperor dare to say it out loud?

The main reason why Confucianism won was that it was more willing to engage in education. After it took control of education, the inheritance of other schools of thought naturally ended. In addition, the emperor did need some things from Confucianism as a greatest common divisor. Later on, Confucianism was no longer just a school of thought, but a thought that penetrated every capillary of the entire country.

What Heavenly Dao, National Capital, are all tricks, the real intention is that the car door is welded shut after getting in. Think about it carefully, the car door has been welded shut for 2,000 years, how difficult it is to open a gap.

All I can say is, this hoe is hitting the foundation, who can bear it?
What is even more frustrating is that Jia Lian never talks about any new disciplines, and always uses the banner of Confucianism, which is derived from the study of things to gain knowledge. Whether it is the Confucian school of thought or the school of mind, they are all patchwork. It's just that these theories are stitched together to make sense.

There was also a question of timing. The aftermath of the previous falsification of the Book of Documents was still lingering, and scholars across the country were severely shocked.

It can only be said that Jia Lian's trial by throwing a stone made it possible to fish in troubled waters.

Qiu Shian returned from the Hanlin Academy with a cold shoulder, and the answer he brought back made Emperor Chenghui laugh.

The next day, Emperor Chenghui convened a cabinet meeting and brought the matter to the table.

"How should the Hanlin Academy be punished according to the law for collectively disobeying the emperor's order?" Emperor Chenghui defined it as disobeying the emperor's order as soon as he opened his mouth. All the cabinet ministers were silent for a few breaths.

"Your Majesty, calm down!" Guo Yan stood up to persuade, Ning Ke also stood up, Pan Jixun hesitated for a moment, and then stood up as well.

Lin Ruhai wanted to stand up as well, but when he saw Zhang Tingen's expression as still as a mountain, he sat back down with his butt slightly raised.

Emperor Chenghui looked at his ministers expressionlessly and said calmly, "You always say that the emperor holds the power of heaven and that disobeying his orders is treason. Now you want me to calm down. The reason lies in the mouths of scholars. I am the emperor, and whether my words count or not, it is up to you scholars to decide."

After these words, Guo Yan and Ning Ke trembled like sieves. Pan Jixun was also a little unsteady on his feet. He simply knelt down and took off his hat with both hands: "I am guilty!"

Guo Yan and Ning Ke hurried to follow.

Lin Ruhai and Zhang Ting'en could no longer sit still and stood up. Zhang Ting'en said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the Hanlin Academy's disobedience to the imperial order is a result of a lack of understanding of the Dao and the art. You have confused the Dao and the art. Your Majesty should just explain it patiently. Why get angry?"

This was a perfect opportunity for Emperor Chenghui to step down and said, "I will not argue with a bunch of old scholars who have been studying the classics for a long time. My original intention is to let future generations learn some practical skills."

Lin Ruhai said: "Your Majesty, no matter what, the crime of disobeying orders must be punished."

Emperor Chenghui smiled, looked at Lin Ruhai's serious expression and said, "What do you think should be done?"

Lin Ruhai was still serious and solemn: "On weekdays, these people always talk about educating the world. If that's the case, why not go to the border to educate the barbarians? They are well-educated, so this is just right for them."

Before the emperor could speak, Guo Yan got anxious, stood up and pointed at Lin Ruhai and cursed: "Lin Ruhai, you are a treacherous minister who framed loyal officials!" With one sentence, the relaxed atmosphere became serious again. Emperor Chenghui looked at Guo Yan with a smile: "Master Guo, how do you think we should deal with him? We can't just let it go, right? Or, Lin Qing is a treacherous minister and you are a loyal minister? According to your opinion, you should deal with Lin Qing first, and give promotions to those Hanlin scholars who disobeyed your orders?"

Guo Yan had just stood up when he knelt down again: "Your Majesty, please forgive my recklessness."

Emperor Chenghui said nothing. Ning Ke beside him slowly stood up and folded his hands, "Your Majesty, Lord Guo made a slip of the tongue, which is understandable. How about this, the Hanlin who disobeyed the order will be demoted one level and sent out of the capital."

Pan Jixun, who stood up next, heard this and immediately said, "Lord Ning is such a kind man!"

Ning Ke also became anxious and turned his head to glare at him: "What do you mean by that, Lord Pan?"

Pan Jixun responded calmly: "You have done the good thing, but who will do the bad thing? You have put Your Majesty in an unjust position. Lord Ning is truly loyal to the country."

Seeing that they were about to quarrel again, Zhang Tingen slammed the table and shouted angrily: "Shut up!" Everyone shut up, but still looked angry. Zhang Tingen turned around and bowed to the emperor: "Your Majesty, I am overstepping my authority!"

Emperor Chenghui said calmly, "In an emergency, it is out of the question. My dear minister, please tell me how to deal with them."

Zhang Ting'en said, "There is no problem for the Hanlin scholars to study, so it is better to send them out to teach and educate people. I think Lord Lin's suggestion is good. Now there is a vacancy in Shaanxi and Gansu, and they can be placed."

Emperor Chenghui nodded: "The level still needs to be lowered."

"Your Majesty is benevolent and wise. I will obey your orders." Zhang Tingen immediately responded. Although the other cabinet ministers were unwilling, they also followed suit and expressed their agreement.

The oral instructions from Emperor Chenghui before were not formal imperial edicts. Now that the cabinet has reached a consensus, the formal imperial edict issued is now.

There is a sentence in it: "The learning of the sages combines Taoism and art, so there are six arts for gentlemen. You confuse Taoism and art, and disobey orders with sophistry, so you must be punished. I tell you that Taoism is the main thing and art is the auxiliary, and they complement each other, and Taoism controls art. Jia's practical learning comes from the study of things, so the so-called Taoism gives birth to art, which is practical learning... . "As soon as the imperial edict was issued, a total of eight Hanlin scholars in two batches were packed up and sent to Shaanxi and Gansu provinces to serve as academic officials.

The Hanlin scholars had no room for resistance. When it came time to appoint teachers for the royal family schools, they no longer disobeyed and accepted the assignment obediently.

This one incident was specially reported in the official gazette, and then in the newspapers of the people, causing endless discussions and a great uproar. Under the premise of the official consistent caliber, the quarrels among the people could not cause too much trouble. I don't know which anonymous scoundrel brought up the old incident in the newspaper, using the "Book of Shang" to prove the falsification and making a big fuss.

【The later generations used the name of the saint to write the "Book of Shang", which was also based on the saint's learning. The later sages, Cheng, Zhu, Wang, etc., were also like this. Although Jia's practical learning emphasized technique, it also came from Taoism. To cultivate oneself, learn Taoism, and to govern the country, technique is used. Taoism and technique complement each other and are not contradictory. Officials who do not know technique will be taken advantage of by petty officials. 】

The above paragraph is also included in the article. After arguing for a while, there was still no conclusion.

In any case, Jia's practical learning once again entered the vision of scholars all over the world. Afterwards, the memorial from the Governor of Guangdong came out and the Cabinet published it in the official bulletin, emphasizing that Guangdong was just a pilot project and they would wait and see the results.

In other words, after the issue of adding practical science subjects to the royal school was settled, there was no more controversy in the cabinet, and even if there was, no one dared to raise it.

Afterwards, the emperor issued another edict, stating that there were many vacancies in the Hanlin Academy, and thus the examination for Shujishi was to be held to fill the vacancies.

What's even more blunt is that the imperial edict made it clear that those who failed to meet the requirements in mathematics would not be allowed to enter the Hanlin Academy.

As I said, most educated people are weak at heart. They just complain in private for the sake of their personal future, and have not formed a large-scale wave of protests.

Of course, there were some officials who, when they made memorials against the government, were given a slap in the face by the cabinet without the emperor having to intervene, or were transferred to frontier areas or demoted, without any pampering.

What’s interesting is that despite this operation, no one resigned.

Jia Lian knew that what happened in the capital was all old news. He had received many letters from Lin Ruhai and Zhang Tingen during this period. The wording in the letters was not very polite, and the general meaning was, "You little brat, stop making trouble." Jia Lian just smiled slightly after reading it. If it can promote practical learning, no matter how big the storm is, it is worth a try.

As for the memorial from Guangxi requesting to follow, the cabinet directly replied: No! Do your work well and don't worry about other things.

The aftermath of this incident continued among the people for some time, but not in the capital, but in the two Jiangs.

There are many scholars in this area, so the commotion was quite intense. However, because there are many scholars, there are many ideas. It is not one-sided, but 40% and 60% respectively. A small number of people still support practical learning, thinking that if it is a practical art, why not learn it? Because of this incident, scholars from all over Jiangnan were in a commotion for a long time. From the initial two schools, several schools of thought were derived.

How can I put it? There is a lot of plagiarism in the world, and the same is true for theories. Everyone has a different understanding and cognition of the world. For the same thing, everyone has different views and opinions. When there is authority, there are fewer disputes. When there is no authority, there will be a lot of arguments. Everyone wants to be the leader and be orthodox.

You can understand this by looking at the School of Mind. It was better when Wang Yangming was alive. After Wang Yangming passed away, the school split into many schools, all claiming to be the authentic one.

Does this situation look familiar to you? Which one is more authentic, Wang Lao Ji or He Qi Zheng? Doesn’t a certain religion also have two major sects?

After the emperor and the cabinet made their determination, the scope of the dispute was actually the dispute between Taoism and magic.

According to official certification, Jia's practical learning originated from the study of things, which is the practical learning in Confucianism.

The subsequent debate is actually a dispute over the importance of technique and the right of interpretation.

This kind of debate is meaningless, because this is Jia's Practical Learning, and as the name suggests, there is nothing to argue about. But don't people just like to argue?
In Guangdong, after the imperial edict was issued, there was a burst of cheers, and the trend of praising Jia Lian began again.

The publication of "Jia's Practical Learning" once again ushered in a climax.

All prefectures and counties have forced students to learn Jia's practical knowledge well and take exams.

This matter seems ridiculous, but it is not ridiculous at all.

Because local officials throughout the Zhou Dynasty witnessed with their own eyes that although Jia Lian was not in the capital, he taught officials all over the world a good lesson on how to be a minister that the emperor liked.

It can only be said that this was Emperor Chenghui setting the tone again, continuing a series of previous reforms. It was not as simple as the emperor endorsing Jia Lian's knowledge.

All officials have a clear understanding that the emperor needs officials who can do practical work. Your Majesty, you want to create a prosperous era. What is a prosperous era? How to understand it?
It's very simple. From civil and military administration to internal rectification of the administration of officials, from budget to audit, and then to the full implementation of the performance evaluation system, all officials have a book in their minds. If they don't change, they will have no business getting promoted. They should pretend to be diligent. Externally, they are destined to start a new round of expansion. Looking at the maps of the dynasties, whether it is Anxi and Andong on land, or the former overseas Xuanweisi.

In short, Anxi, which was owned by the Han and Tang dynasties, must be taken back. The Nanyang Xuanweisi, which was founded by the Ming dynasty, must also be taken back.

(End of this chapter)