Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Northern Donglin Academy?"

Cheng Jiming was startled upon hearing this suggestion.

Because he had once had this idea in his mind: to establish branches of the Donglin Party in various provinces and improve the Donglin organization according to the principle of collective deliberation.

However, since he was not the leader of the Donglin Party, and the emperor showed an attitude of suppressing factional strife, it was not implemented.

Now that Huang Lijie has made this suggestion, he keenly realizes that this might be the emperor's intention, and tentatively asks:
"Is it possible for the Northern Donglin Academy to establish branches in various northern provinces?"

"Should we establish councils at all levels according to the principles of majority rule, individual subordination to the collective, and subordinate subordination to superior?"

Huang Liji was startled, because if these principles were followed, the Donglin Academy in the North would have an execution capacity comparable to that of the government.

If the emperor finds out that he was the one who instigated it, he might be implicated as well.

He hurriedly tried to dissuade Cheng Jiming, saying:

"Are you out of your mind? Don't you know the emperor is suppressing political factions?"

"The various levels of parliaments are not even fully established yet. Are you trying to establish a separate government by using the principles of parliaments to form a party?"

"If you can't let go of your desire to form cliques, don't associate with me again!"

He made a gesture to take his leave, not daring to continue discussing matters with Cheng Jiming, who was forming a faction.

Cheng Jiming was also taken aback, because he did not expect that his plan to form a society based on the principle of collective decision-making would be so serious, and Huang Lijie called it "establishing a separate court".

Even if he did have such thoughts, he wouldn't dare to do so after being reminded by Huang Liji.

He quickly explained to Huang Liji:
"Father-in-law, what's the rush!"

"I was just asking, I had no intention of engaging in partisan politics."

"However, I am genuinely worried that some organizations might use this method to organize themselves."

"How could the other factions in the court possibly compete with them?"

Huang Lijie also realized the seriousness of the matter, and he said to Cheng Jiming:

"This matter cannot be ignored. You can write a memorial and submit it to the Emperor."

"His Majesty already had some doubts about your joining the cabinet because you were suspected of forming a faction."

"If you can clear yourself of suspicion and suppress factional strife, the Emperor will be overjoyed."

"At that time, whoever can use this to attack will surely win the case."

Cheng Jiming, reminded by him, also realized that this was an opportunity.

If he can become the vanguard in suppressing the party and society, who else can attack him for that?
Thinking of this, he immediately invited Huang Lijie to write together and submit the memorial.

Huang Liji declined, saying:
"This is a memorial against forming factions, and it is suitable for one person to write it."

“What kind of talk is it for you and me to co-write? Outsiders will think that you and I are forming a faction.”

He refused the offer, not daring to get too close to Cheng Jiming, lest he be suspected of forming a faction.

He was genuinely afraid that, having already stepped down from his post, this matter would incur the emperor's wrath.

After careful consideration, Cheng Jiming also felt that this kind of article was not suitable for multiple people to write. He said to Huang Liji:
"Then I'd be ashamed to accept this credit!"

"Is it because I wrote this memorial that I am not suitable to establish the Northern Donglin Academy?"

Huang Lijie was also unsure about this and suggested:
"We can ask the Emperor what kind of societies are allowed to exist."

"Social groups are also within the scope of re-establishing rituals and music, and should be incorporated into the new ritual and legal order."

Cheng Jiming now understood that Huang Lijie was just a messenger.

However, his suggestion was indeed very good and resolved his predicament.

He was especially excited when he thought that the association's policies could be related to the restoration of the rites and music. He felt that he could undoubtedly ascend to the position of Grand Secretary based on this merit.

After Huang Lijie left, he immediately wrote a memorial and secretly presented it to the emperor through a silver seal.
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Zhu Youjian was also taken aback when he saw Cheng Jiming's memorial.

Because he never expected that someone would want to use the collective deliberation system for party and community organizations.

He was perfectly aware of the consequences:
Every political party that implements democratic centralism is a very difficult opponent.

Even if a party loses its core members, it can always fill the gaps by replacing them from below.

We must continue fighting until we destroy its organization.

The thought of the consequences of the Donglin Party transforming into this kind of political party sent chills down Zhu Youjian's spine.

He never imagined that the collective deliberation system he proposed based on democratic centralism would be used by some for political parties. At this point, he could only be thankful that he had always suppressed factional strife, and that Cheng Jiming, under accusations of forming a faction, had not pushed this idea forward.

Now that he has transformed into a repressor of the party and society in order to clear himself of suspicion of forming a faction, there is even more to celebrate:
The people in the Ming Dynasty who understand the Party and its organizations best and have the deepest knowledge of them will become the policymakers for these organizations.

Zhu Youjian personally wrote a reply, encouraging Chengji to do his job well, to bring social groups into the order of etiquette and law, and to prevent anyone from using social groups to form factions, especially to guard against forming cliques for personal gain and attacking dissidents.

He was also allowed to form a school as a model organization.

This reply greatly encouraged Cheng Jiming.

Because he had realized that this was not only his path to entering the cabinet, but also an opportunity to be ennobled.

There are quite a few things that can be classified as social organizations. In addition to associations, parties, societies, and groups, gangs, religions, and so on, they can all be considered social organizations.

Newly emerging societies, associations, federations, foundations, etc., are also considered social organizations and are incorporated into Congress, subject to the supervision of various specialized committees.

If he can incorporate all of these into the legal and ethical order, he will surely be recorded in future history books.

Cheng Jiming did not forget to list these long-standing matters; his first priority was to sever ties with the Donglin Party.

Following the emperor's instructions, he planned to establish a school, whose members would mainly be northerners.

Today, the most prestigious academic in the North is undoubtedly Sun Qifeng.

This scholar, who founded a normal school with the emperor's support, became one of the most renowned people in the country after the students of the normal school returned to their hometowns to teach.

With his participation, the society can be established.

Cheng Jiming hoped that this fellow townsman from Beizhili could join him in establishing the banner of the Donglin Party in the North.

Although Sun Qifeng admired the gentlemen of the Donglin Party and devoted himself to rescuing them, he himself was not a member of the Donglin Party and had no dealings with other members of the Donglin Party.

In response to Cheng Jiming's request to establish the "Northern Donglin Academy," Sun Qifeng said:

"The path of sage learning is not limited to Donglin."

"While Mr. Jingyang's scholarship is certainly admirable, Confucianism in the world is not limited to Donglin."

“Zhou Yu, the Cheng brothers, Zhang Zai, Shao Yong, Zhu Xi, Lu Jiuyuan, Xue Xuan, Wang Shouren, Luo Hongxian, and Gu Xiancheng were all inheritors of the Confucian tradition.”

“If we’re going to build one, we should build a Confucianism Society, not a Donglin Society.”

They believed that calling it the Donglin Academy was too narrow and far from sufficient to encompass the learning of sages and worthies.

There are many scholars in the North who do not belong to the Donglin Party; we cannot exclude them all.

Cheng Jiming pondered upon hearing this, and began to understand Sun Qifeng's intention:

Clearly, while Sun Qifeng respected the Donglin Party, it did not mean he would submit to them.

They were even more unwilling for their teachers' college to become a branch of Donglin Academy.

If he wanted to invite Sun Qifeng to join, he could only change it to the Confucianism Society.

Considering his relationship with Huang Lijie, Zhang Woxu and other members of the eunuch faction, Cheng Jiming finally decided to establish the Northern Confucian Society.

They invited Sun Chengzong, Lu Shanji, and other members of the Beizhili Party, as well as Zhang Fengxiang, Liu Ce, Zhai Fengchong, and others from Shandong, to join the society.

He himself cited the establishment of a new learning society as the reason, claiming that he was too exhausted to continue and severed ties with the Donglin Society. He also solemnly declared that he did not belong to the Donglin Party.

The charter of the Northern Confucian Society also clearly states that members of the society's assembly are not allowed to join other societies.

He plans to use the Northern Confucian Society as a pilot program to formulate policies for academic organizations.

Measures such as prohibiting the association from engaging in profit-making businesses and preventing the formation of cliques for personal gain have been written into the association's charter.

Members are equally free to join and leave the association; all citizens have the right to freedom of association.

Members are also allowed to have differing opinions and not follow the association's resolutions. This is to prevent factionalism, impeachment, and the formation of cliques.

These measures were praised by Zhu Youjian, who believed that Cheng Jiming's orders were indeed made with public interest in mind.

He hoped that the gangs in the Ming Dynasty would evolve into modern gangs, but he was also worried that they would become too militant.

Therefore, it was decided that the government would be divided into small parties and multiple organizations forming an alliance, which would make it possible to control the political situation.

To this end, he stipulated the number of branches and the total number of members in each society. Apart from societies that were supervised by special committees of Congress and granted special privileges, any society with more than twenty branches and more than two hundred members was required to split off and establish a new society.

The organization's funds can only come from donations, and members cannot be forced to donate; the amount must be made public.

The funds collected by these societies were also subject to taxes, modeled after religious taxes. The more funds a society had, the more taxes it paid. This was intended to limit the expansion of these societies and bring them under the control of the ruling order. (End of Chapter)