Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

When the emperor demanded the orthodox doctrine in the court, many people didn't care.

They even treated it as a joke.

Because they believed that the orthodox tradition could not be obtained through begging.

If the emperor tries to take control by force, it will only make him a laughingstock.

Now that they have read "On Mind and Matter," they understand that the emperor has the right to control the orthodox tradition.

It's not even about seeking the Confucian orthodoxy, but about establishing a new orthodoxy.

This has caused panic among many people, who feel a real threat:

"The emperor already holds the power of governance; if he were to also hold the power of morality, wouldn't the entire world be under one supreme authority?"

"If a tyrannical emperor emerges, how should he be restrained?"

They believed that the orthodox tradition should not be relinquished, and that the emperor should not be allowed to exercise the power of judgment.

Otherwise, their efforts to restrain imperial power would fail, and they would be unable to stop the tyrannical emperor from running rampant.

Despite all that Zhu Youjian did, many people still believed in him.

Chen Zilong then defended the emperor, saying:

"To constrain the emperor with the orthodox teachings passed down by sages, and to expect the monarch to become a ruler like Yao or Shun, is like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree."

"His Majesty acknowledges that most emperors were of average character, and Scholar Cheng also said that one cannot force an emperor to become a saint."

"Only those who practice the ways of sages are qualified to criticize the emperor using the standards of sages."

"Are you sages? What right do you have to use the orthodox tradition to restrain the emperor?"

After asking the man a series of questions, Chen Zilong replied decisively:

"The idea of ​​using the orthodox tradition to restrain the emperor is wrong; very few people throughout history have succeeded in doing so."

"If you really want to restrain the emperor, you still have to rely on etiquette and law."

"His Majesty has made it clear that the emperor must also abide by etiquette and laws, and must publicly swear an oath before his subjects."

"This is the right way to restrain monarchical power, not some vague and illusory tradition."

This statement is widely accepted.

They generally approved of the emperor's use of ritual and law to govern the country.

In particular, the current emperor has clearly stated that he will abide by the rules of etiquette and law, thus keeping imperial power in a cage.

In contrast, many people could tolerate the emperor's erratic behavior in some matters.

Most people did not want to anger the emperor and cause the restoration of rites and music to be abandoned halfway.

Having gained the support of these people, Chen Zilong continued:

"Where does the tradition of Taoism come from?"

"It comes from the way of the former kings."

"Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, Zhou, and Confucius—except for the latter two, all of them were rulers."

"Moreover, the Duke of Zhou, as regent, was in effect a king."

"The tradition originally came from the kings and then spread to the people."

"His Majesty's merits and words are no less than those of the late kings. Why can't he uphold the orthodox tradition and restore the prosperity of the Three Dynasties?"

These words were well-reasoned and supported by evidence, and they expressed the hope for a return to the prosperous reigns of the Three Dynasties, which drew widespread approval and made people less opposed to the emperor's rule over the orthodox tradition.

Yes! The orthodox tradition was originally held by the monarch; the scholars taking control of the orthodox tradition came after Confucius.

Now that the emperor wants to restore the rites and music and recreate the rule of the Three Dynasties, why can't he establish the orthodox tradition?
Those Confucian scholars who were convinced by the emperor's theories supported Chen Zilong, believing that the emperor was qualified to rule the orthodox tradition and that the orthodox tradition was not the exclusive domain of scholars.

Even Qian Qianyi viewed this younger man with new respect. He even felt threatened, worrying that the emperor would value this person more.

He addressed the crowd:

Mencius said: “Every five hundred years a king will rise, and in between there will be those who are famous in the world.”

"This king does not refer to a monarch, but also to a sage who can be called a king without a throne."

“From Yao and Shun to Tang, more than five hundred years passed; from Tang to King Wen, more than five hundred years passed; from King Wen to Confucius, more than five hundred years passed.” “From Confucius to Yang Xiong, to Han Yu, to Zhu Xi, more than five hundred years passed each year.”

"Now, more than five hundred years have passed since the time of Zhu Xi."

“A sage king should emerge to take charge of the orthodox teachings of the sages.”

"Besides His Majesty, who else could take this position?"

No one can answer this question:
They could not possibly say in broad daylight that the emperor was unworthy to be called a sage king or to be in charge of the orthodox tradition.

Even if some people want to bring up Liu Zongzhou, they clearly know that:

Liu Zongzhou gained such influence because he was appointed by the emperor to reform the rites and music.

The power to reshape the rites and music has always been in the hands of the current emperor. If the emperor does not control the orthodox tradition, who else is worthy of it?

Qian Qianyi's words silenced everyone, making them realize that it was inevitable that the current emperor would seize control of the orthodox tradition.

Of course, whether subsequent emperors would be able to maintain control is another matter.

After all, a sage king appears only once every five hundred years, and not every emperor is qualified to take control of the orthodox lineage.

Chen Jiru, adept at reading people's expressions, keenly sensed their thoughts and seized the opportunity to mediate:
"His Majesty is now in charge of re-establishing rites and music, and the orthodox tradition must be firmly in His Majesty's hands."

"In this way, future emperors will have a method to follow when revising rites and music."

"Future subjects should take Your Majesty's teachings as the standard to judge morality and merit."

It clearly states that the current emperor should be supported in upholding the orthodox tradition, and that his words and actions should serve as a constraint on future emperors.

Otherwise, if later emperors arbitrarily changed the rules of etiquette, what would they use to restrain them?

You can't oppose the current emperor while demanding that future emperors abide by the rules and regulations left by him.

If that were the case, future emperors would surely rebel and would not take the demands of their subjects seriously.

Chen Jiru's words were meant to make it clear to everyone:

If you are willing to support the restoration of rites and music, and support the rites and laws established by the current emperor.

Then we must elevate the current emperor to a supreme position.

That way, the Chongzhen Emperor's rites and laws would continue, instead of being ignored like the Taizu Emperor's "Great Proclamation".

This made everyone realize that, throughout the course of time, they and the current emperor were one entity:
Only by supporting the current emperor can the rites and music jointly established by the emperor, his subjects, and the people of this era be preserved.

Like Yi Yin and Jiang Shang, they became virtuous ministers under the guidance of wise and sagacious rulers.

Many people's attitudes toward the emperor changed after thinking about this.

They began to realize that they shared common interests with the current emperor.

Qian Qianyi, who aspired to become a sage through the help of the current emperor, understood this saying even more deeply.

He greatly admired Chen Jiru's quick wit and complimented him profusely:
"What Master Mei says is absolutely right!"

“As Mei Gong once said: Scholars and officials should have a heart that is concerned about the country, but they should not utter words that are concerned about the country.”

"This is the behavior of a true scholar-official!"

Therefore, he addressed the crowd:

"Your Majesty is aware of your concern for the country."

"But if one criticizes the emperor and his officials indiscriminately because of concern for the country, and makes irrelevant and dubious comments, then that is not the case."

"That is not beneficial to the country, but rather disrupts the government."

"Your Majesty's establishment of the National Assembly and the Great Harmony Academy are both to give scholars and common people the opportunity to express their opinions."

“Your concerns about the country can be submitted to the National Assembly or sent to the Datong Academy. I will help you submit them.”

"One must not make careless remarks in the name of concern for the country, lest it affect the unity of the court."

"This is why Your Majesty wants to seize control of the orthodox tradition."

"Reconstructing the ritual music is a war against the old ritual music; it requires unity of purpose from top to bottom." (End of Chapter)