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If Confucius is the boss in the history of Chinese education, only Zhu Xi dares to call himself the second.

Zhu Xi is the most famous representative of Chinese Confucianism after Confucius and Mencius.

He is the only person who is not a direct disciple of Confucius, but is enshrined in the Confucius Temple.

He integrated Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and transformed and innovated them according to the times.

It is the culmination of the new Confucianism of the Song Dynasty and had an important influence on China's late feudal society.

His Neo-Confucian thought had a great influence on the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, and all three dynasties regarded his Confucian thought as the official philosophy.

For example, the Four Books proposed by Zhu Xi, every imperial examination would look for test points from these four books.

As a result, the thoughts of scholars all over the world were imprisoned by these four books, and they were not abolished until the abdication of Puyi in the Qing Dynasty.

"Zhu Xi was born in 1130 AD, with the courtesy name Yuanhui."

"My father, Zhu Song, was a learned man, and served as a writer and official in the Ministry of Personnel. He was also granted the title of Duke of Yue."

"Zhu Xi, who had a family background in literature, was able to recite the Book of Filial Piety when he was five years old."

“When I was six years old and playing with my friends, I drew the Bagua diagram on the sandbar and asked my father about the heaven and earth.”

“It can be seen that people who achieve great things are different from ordinary people in their childhood.”

"However, Zhu Xi's turning point of happiness came when he was fourteen years old."

"That year, because my father strongly opposed the peace talks between Song and Jin advocated by the powerful minister Qin Hui, he was demoted and transferred to be the governor of Raozhou, Jiangxi."

"Perhaps he was angry and pent up, or perhaps it was due to some other dark forces, he died of illness before he even took office."

"Fortunately, before his death, Zhu Song entrusted Zhu Xi to several very talented friends for education and upbringing."

"In 1147, Zhu Xi, then years old, passed the provincial examination and became a tribute student."

"The following year, Zhu Xi went to Beijing to take the imperial examination and was granted the same status as a Jinshi."

“Although the ranking is not ideal, it is based on historical results.”

“Those who truly achieve great success in life are often not the ones who rank at the top in academic performance. This seems to be the case with Zhu Xi’s life.”

"In 1151, Zhu Xi, then years old, was appointed the chief clerk of Tong'an County, Quanzhou."

"As soon as he took office, he, a young, vigorous, resolute and loyal man, began to implement drastic reforms."

"We have proposed methods to address the local corruption trend."

"Zhu Xi, who was upright and simple, found it difficult to accept the corrupt officialdom and resolutely resigned."

"He then became a disciple of Li Dong, who inherited the orthodox Luo School of the Cheng brothers, and thus laid the foundation for Zhu Xi's later teachings."

"In 1162 AD, Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, said he needed more rest."

"Because Zhao Gou was infertile, he passed the throne to his adopted son Zhao Shen, known in history as Emperor Xiaozong of Song."

"The year before Song Xiaozong ascended the throne, the Jin Emperor Wanyan Liang tore up the peace agreement and launched an invasion of the south."

"When most of the ministers in the court advocated fleeing, the 35-year-old Song Xiaozong took the initiative to write a letter requesting to lead the troops to fight a decisive battle with the Jin army."

"Therefore, Song Xiaozong was a war advocate at heart."

"So in the second month after he ascended the throne, he issued a decree."

"Summon the veteran general Zhang Jun, who is in favor of war, to the court to discuss the plan of restoring the country."

"In May 1163, Emperor Xiaozong of Song appointed Zhang Jun as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition and launched the Longxing Northern Expedition."

Wang Yangming: As the first Confucian scholar after Confucius, Zhu Xi, also known as Zhu Zi, is the culmination of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism.

Zhu Xi is the only Confucian scholar who was not a direct disciple of Confucius but was enshrined in the Confucius Temple.

Zhu Xi inherited and developed previous Confucian thoughts and established a huge Confucian system.

The relationship between reason and qi, the pursuit of knowledge through investigation of things, and the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues are its core ideas.

As a great scholar, Zhu Xi had the great ambition to rule the world.

The important theoretical ideas proposed not only further improved the Confucian ethical and moral system, but also possessed keen insights and had a profound impact on later generations.

As core themes throughout Zhu Xi's philosophy, Li and Qi play an important role and have a complex relationship.

Zhu Xi inherited the concept of Li and Qi from the thoughts of his predecessors, and further innovated on this basis, giving Li and Qi different properties and status.

In Zhu Xi's view, the formation and development of all things in the world are governed by the same principle.

Li is the inherent regulation of the existence of all things, while Qi is the movement and flow that develops all things.

Principle is the essence, principle and Qi are inseparable, principle comes first and Qi comes second.

Zhu Xi believed that reason is metaphysical and has pure supremacy, but Zhu Xi also gave reason the function of Taixu.

This not only strengthens the connection between Li Qi and all things, but also consolidates the ontological status of Li.

The principles expounded by Zhu Xi are metaphysical and far predate natural and social phenomena.

He believes that reason is the basic law that things must follow and is also the basic principle at the ethical and moral level.

In summary, Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucian system draws on the strengths of various schools of thought.

With Principle as the main body and Qi as the subordinate, Principle and Qi together constitute the real world.

Investigating things and seeking knowledge is also one of the main categories of Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism, but it was limited by the educational thinking of society at that time.

Zhu Xi's idea of ​​"investigating things and seeking knowledge" has two sides and had a profound influence on the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties.

The idea of ​​"investigating things and seeking knowledge" first appeared in the Confucian classic "The Great Learning" and has always been highly valued by Confucianists.

Zhu Xi gave a comprehensive explanation of the idea of ​​"investigating things and seeking knowledge", and he believed that the way to acquire knowledge is to understand everything.

That is to say, in order to acquire knowledge, one must first come into contact with things and study their principles in depth.

Zhu Xi believed that the relationship between seeking knowledge and investigating things is unified; they are two different ways of discussing the same thing.

The ultimate goal of studying things and seeking knowledge is to explore the truth of things to the end.

It is also for this reason that Zhu Xi's "investigation of things and extension of knowledge" integrates all things in the world into the same truth.

This Confucian theory that advocates endless learning and self-cultivation has important guiding significance for the development of Ming Dynasty society.

The Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues are synonymous with Confucian political ideas.

The Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues were recognized by Zhu Xi, but he mentioned them less frequently, so their status was not high.

The Three Bonds idea originated in the pre-Qin period and was clearly proposed and initially verified by Dong Zhongshu.

Zhu Xi further elaborated on the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues. The Three Bonds are ruler as the bond between ministers, father as the bond between sons, and husband as the bond between wives. The Five Constant Virtues are benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness.

Zhu Xi believed that the Five Constant Virtues were the foundation, and the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues were derived from them, and that the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues are inseparable.

As we all know, recognizing that all things in the world are uneven is a major characteristic of Confucianism.

However, Zhu Xi's Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues clearly have personal characteristics, and the hierarchy he recognizes is limited to specific roles.

If you go beyond this boundary, you cannot be superior to others.

"Zhu Xi was summoned to the palace. He hated the trend of worshipping Buddha and admiring immortals at that time, so he wrote a letter to denounce this phenomenon."

"Although the Song army in the Northern Expedition has achieved the result of recovering many places in the first month."

"But then, under the counterattack of the superior forces of the Jin army, coupled with the discord among the Song army's commanders, the army's morale was weakened, and the Northern Expedition was hindered."

"When they were withdrawing, they were chased by the Jin soldiers and suffered heavy losses."

"The result was that peace talks with the Jin Dynasty were proposed again, which was known in history as the Longxing Peace Talks."

"Such an outcome was unacceptable to the war faction, and Zhu Xi even wrote a letter to oppose the peace talks."

"At the same time, he suggested that Emperor Xiaozong of Song should improve his internal political affairs and oppose favoring flatterers."

"But Prime Minister Tang Situi advocated peace talks and did not adopt Zhu Xi's proposal to resist the Jin."

"Perhaps Song Xiaozong promoted Zhu Xi to the position of Doctor of Martial Arts in the Imperial Academy in order to improve relations between court officials."

"Zhu Xi, however, resigned and asked to return to Chong'an."

"After retiring, Zhu Xi began to indulge in rereading the works of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, thinking about them from a completely new perspective."

"Later generations have commented that it has epoch-making significance in the history of academic thought, with a profound influence, marking the maturity of Zhu Xi's philosophical thought."

"Although he was occasionally appointed to official positions, most of the time he was not satisfied."

"In his later years, he was even involved in an incident known in history as the Qingyuan Party Ban."

"In 1194 AD, after Emperor Xiaozong of Song died, Emperor Guangzong of Song, who had a conflict with his father, pretended to be ill and did not preside over the funeral."

"The then Privy Council Minister Zhao Ruyu led a palace coup and supported Zhao Kuo, the son of Emperor Guangzong, to succeed him, known in history as Emperor Ningzong of Song."

"So, Song Guangzong was forced to become the emperor."

"At the same time, Han Tuozhou, a palace official who participated in this incident, requested that Zhao Ruyu, the first hero of this incident, appoint him as a Jiedushi because of his meritorious service."

"As a result, Zhao Ruyu opposed it, and resentment arose between the two."

"What turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Zhu Xi was that Zhao Ruyu was a man who venerated Taoism to the core."

"Therefore, Zhu Xi was transferred from other places to the capital Lin'an to serve as a lecturer, that is, to be the teacher of Song Ningzong."

"In a sense, Zhu Xi really achieved great success this time."

"But the good times didn't last long, as the enemy Han Tuozhou secretly made efforts."

"Let the censors write to Emperor Ningzong of Song, saying that Zhao Ruyu is a member of the royal family and holding the position of prime minister is not good for the country."

"After several such incidents, Zhao Ruyu was eventually demoted and exiled, where he died of a sudden illness not long after."

Zhu Di: Zhu Xi resigned from office 27 times in his life, which was actually due to the weakness of the Southern Song Dynasty. Both Zhu Xi's biological father and adoptive father taught Zhu Xi a patriotic sentiment from an early age.

Therefore, as Zhu Xi's knowledge of Confucianism deepened, his ideas of resisting the Jin Dynasty also became more and more resolute.

Because Zhu Xi's biological father was demoted for opposing peace talks and died of depression.

Zhu Xi's adoptive father Liu Ziyu was also a famous general who fought against the Jin Dynasty in the Southern Song Dynasty.

Because he repeatedly opposed Qin Hui's surrender, he was hit and finally resigned.

Zhu Xi passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi at the age of 19, and entered the officialdom of the Southern Song Dynasty.

At that time, he was just a minor official of the ninth rank, but he was well-known outside and attracted the attention of Song Gaozong.

So Song Gaozong summoned Zhu Xi to Beijing to meet him, but Zhu Xi declined due to illness.

Later, Zhu Xi became a disciple of the Neo-Confucian philosopher Li Dong and lived a free life for a period of time.

After Emperor Gaozong of Song abdicated, Emperor Xiaozong of Song, who came to power, adopted a policy of governing the country that was different from that of his predecessors.

Song Xiaozong hoped to change his past weak attitude towards the Jin soldiers and open up channels for communication, so Zhu Xi wrote a letter requesting to go to the capital to see the emperor.

Zhu Xi emphasized to the emperor that fighting against the Jin army was the only way out, but the new emperor still surrendered to the Jin soldiers, ceded territory and paid compensation.

Disappointed, Zhu Xi resigned again.

Later, Zhu Xi was recommended by various parties, and Song Xiaozong wanted him to come to Beijing to serve as an official.

However, Zhu Xi resigned because he had not completed the three-year mourning period for his mother.

Three years later, Zhu Xi's period of mourning ended.

The court sent someone to summon him again, but Zhu Xi resigned on the grounds that the salary was too low.

After that, Zhu Xi rejected several invitations from the court, but he was really afraid of gossip, so he reluctantly accepted Song Xiaozong's order to promote him to secretary.

But not long after, Zhu Xi resigned and returned to his hometown to teach.

Zhu Xi resigned from office 27 times in his life. He refused to resign once and resigned again.

Some even resigned on the pretext of illness.

In this way, Zhu Xi experienced ups and downs in the officialdom of the Southern Song Dynasty for 50 years.

Because he resigned many times, Zhu Xi's political career was intermittent.

But it was also a long period of twenty years, and he did many great things for the country and the people in officialdom.

Zhu Xi resigned not because his virtue was unworthy of the position or because he lacked the ability and ideals to govern the country.

In contrast, Zhu Xi had a strong sense of patriotism.

The greatest ideal in his life was to fight against the Jin army and make the country prosperous.

But the ruler at that time was the weak emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, who did not agree with Zhu Xi's views.

The Southern Song court suffered humiliation and submission in the face of the Jin army.

Even when the Jin army invaded, they changed the capital and continued their comfortable life.

Zhu Xi was deeply disappointed with the weak imperial court.

So Zhu Xi no longer wanted to have anything to do with the court, as he could not stand the corruption in the political arena.

Zhu Xi therefore took a different approach, using his life experience to write books to educate people, and devoted himself to reforming Confucianism.

From Zhu Xi's life, he saw a patriot who served his country and his people.

Zhu Xi could have gone along with the society at that time and enjoyed wealth and glory throughout his life.

But he was unwilling to sink into darkness, so he resigned from his official position and retired many times.

But because of his talent, he was recommended by people around him many times.

Although the fate of the Southern Song Dynasty was ultimately regrettable, Zhu Xi's patriotic spirit has always influenced the world.

"Since Zhu Xi was introduced to the court by Zhao Ruyu, the first target of Han Tuozhou's attack after he came to power was Zhu Xi."

"Anyone who disagreed with him was called a Taoist, and later it developed to the point where anyone who spoke up for Zhao and Zhu was labeled a traitor."

"He denounced Taoism as a false doctrine, and refused to admit any scholar who even remotely touched on moral principles during the imperial examinations."

"In order to avoid the scourge of the rebellious party of the powerful official Han Tuozhou, Zhu Xi and a group of friends came to Wuyi Hall in Lichuan County to give lectures. During this period, a poem he wrote expressed his attitude towards life."

"A half-acre square pond is like a mirror, with the light of the sky and the shadows of the clouds wandering together."

"Why is the water so clear? Because it comes from a source of fresh water."

"Zhu Xi used the fact that the water in the pond is clear because it is filled with fresh water to illustrate that a person must constantly accept new things in order to keep his mind active and progressive."

"However, such a moralist was called a hypocrite in his later years."

"In 1196 AD, when the Censor-in-Chief impeached Zhu Xi for his crimes."

"In addition to accusing Zhu Xi of disrespecting the imperial court, what is even more damaging is that they say Zhu Xi has considerable problems with his conduct as a person."

"First, Zhu Xi took a nun as his favorite concubine."

"Second, my son is already dead, but my daughter-in-law is pregnant without any external reason."

"From the perspective of these two events themselves, Zhu Xi would never do such a thing."

"But the information released by the court at the time was that Zhu Xi had admitted to the above-mentioned crimes and said he would repent and reform himself."

"In this case, Zhu Xi is a hypocrite."

"The Neo-Confucianism that is being promoted is based on the principle of preserving the principles of heaven and eliminating human desires. That is simply pseudo-science."

"In 1200 AD, Zhu Xi, then years old, died of illness during the Qingyuan Party Ban Movement, which lasted for many years."

"Although there was suppression from anti-moral authorities, there were still more than a thousand people attending the funeral."

"Soon after, Han Tuozhou gradually lost the power struggle with Empress Li's party, and Zhu Xi and others were rehabilitated."

"In 1207 AD, Han Tuozhou's party was completely defeated and killed."

"Zhu Xi was further rehabilitated, given the title of Grand Tutor, and posthumously named Duke of Huiguo."

"Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism had a great influence on the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, becoming the official philosophy of the three dynasties."

"Zhu Xi is the only person who is not a direct disciple of Confucius but is enshrined in the Confucius Temple. He is listed among the twelve philosophers in the Dacheng Hall and is worshipped by Confucianism. He is also regarded as another person after Confucius in the history of Chinese education."

Chongzhen: Why Zhu Xi did not fight back when faced with impeachment is an eternal mystery.

The Censor-in-Chief impeached the imperial tutor Zhu Xi and listed ten major charges, some of which were jaw-dropping.

There were charges such as disrespect for the emperor, disloyalty to the country, and insults to the court, and there were even rumors of taking a nun as a concubine.

One stone caused a thousand ripples, and the saliva almost drowned Zhu Xi.

People who complain say that Zhu Xi is a fake Confucianist.

Those who tried to sabotage Zhu Xi called him a hypocrite.

Those who wanted to take advantage of Zhu Xi's misfortune denounced him as a corrupt official.

The most intolerable thing is that Zhu Xi was disrespectful to his elders.

After his son died, his widowed daughter-in-law unexpectedly became pregnant, which raised suspicion of an affair between the father-in-law and the daughter-in-law.

There are also reports that Zhu Xi was lustful and lascivious while he was an official abroad.

He seduced two nuns to be his concubines and often brought them around to show off in public.

Therefore, the Censor-in-Chief suggested to Emperor Ningzong of Song that in order to enforce the laws and political discipline of the country, Zhu Xi should be beheaded as a warning to the public.

At that time, Han Tuozhou, a relative of the emperor, controlled the government.

This so-called impeachment of Zhu Xi is merely a microcosm of the Qingyuan Party Case drama directed by Han Tuozhou.

The two factions engaged in personal attacks in a struggle for power.

By opposing pseudo-learning, he eliminated his political opponent, the powerful official Zhao Ruyu.

Han Tuozhou finally won the victory, and Song Ningzong approved the request and ordered Zhao Ruyu to be demoted to Yongzhou.

Zhu Xi was dismissed from office and returned to his hometown, and at the same time strictly prohibited the spread of Taoism.

The disseminators were regarded as pseudo-learning traitors, and dozens of people were implicated.

After the incident, Zhu Xi admitted a series of crimes in his memorial to the emperor and said he would reform himself.

Of course, there are also many people who believe that Zhu Xi’s so-called crimes.

In fact, it was Han Tuozhou and his gang who made groundless accusations and deliberately framed him.

In his later years, Zhu Xi left his hometown and lived in seclusion in a temple to avoid being framed by political enemies.

What is puzzling to later generations is why Zhu Xi did not defend himself and why he admitted his guilt.

If this matter was fabricated out of nothing, it was a rumor made up by Han Tuozhou based on hearsay.

So why did Zhu Xi submit a petition to admit it voluntarily?

If it was because he was forced by the imperial power and wanted to save his life, he would have resorted to this desperate measure.

But this seems to be very different from Zhu Xi's style of doing things and the Confucian thoughts he upholds.

However, it is worth mentioning that after Zhu Xi died of depression, the imperial court strictly prohibited scholars and officials from going to pay tribute to him.

However, Xin Qiji, a patriotic poet who was a student of Zhu Xi's political enemy Han Tuozhou, traveled thousands of miles to pay tribute. (End of this chapter)