Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

After arranging the affairs of the Citizens' Committee, today's audience finally came to an end.

As was customary, Liu Zongzhou and others copied the daily records of the emperor's activities, noting down the tasks the emperor instructed them to perform.

Chen Jiru looked on with great curiosity and asked:

"Is this how the Emperor always summons his ministers?"

"The arrangements were so meticulous, down to the smallest detail."

Chen Renxi explained to him:

“This is not usually the case, but for important meetings, especially those concerning the restoration of rites and music, it is necessary to copy the daily records of the emperor’s activities.”

"Otherwise, forgetting His Majesty's arrangements will be considered incompetent, disregarding His Majesty's instructions, and resisting the restoration of rites and music."

"You should know why Liu Hongxun was dismissed, right, Master Mei?"

Chen Jiru had heard about this incident and knew that Liu Hongxun was dismissed from his post and reduced to commoner status because he had told others that "the emperor is ultimately a capricious ruler."

He used to think the emperor was being petty, but now it's clear there's more to the story.

If all officials underestimated the emperor like Liu Hongxun did, the emperor's plans would be impossible to implement. The restoration of rites and music would be mere empty talk, utterly impossible to carry out.

This reminded him to be mindful of his behavior in front of the emperor.

Qian Qianyi, who was standing nearby, said:

"The daily records now not only document His Majesty's daily life, but also important court meetings."

"After that, Mei Gong got used to it, and from now on, the daily records will be present when the National Assembly meets."

"His Majesty also intends to change the name, calling the Daily Records the Secretary."

The word "secretary" immediately struck a chord with Liu Zongzhou.

He put down his brush and said solemnly:
"The Secretariat was first established by Emperor Huan of the Later Han Dynasty. It was under the jurisdiction of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and was responsible for managing books and records."

"The name 'Secretariat' was first established during the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, and it became one of the five provinces and six ministries of the Sui Dynasty."

"During the Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Lantai and Lintai, and the Hanlin Academy was also established."

“In the early years of the Hongwu reign of this dynasty, the Secretariat was established, which was under the jurisdiction of the Hanlin Academy and was in charge of the books in the inner palace. In the thirteenth year of Hongwu, it was merged into the Hanlin Academy’s records.”

"If Your Majesty establishes a new Secretariat, it will certainly be different from the past."

Qian Qianyi said with a smile:

"That's naturally different."

"Nowadays, the imperial court values ​​secrecy, and the Secretariat should be responsible for confidential documents."

“The daily records are meant to document His Majesty’s words and actions. It would be illegitimate to have them leave the palace to take meeting minutes.”

"Set up a Secretariat Director in the Hanlin Academy, and let them do these things."

This is the thought of many officials; they don't want to be recorded in the daily log.

After all, the purpose of establishing the daily records of the emperor was to regulate his words and actions, so what is this all about now?
If the daily recorder were replaced by a secretary, their lives would be much easier.

However, Liu Zongzhou shook his head upon hearing this idea and said:
“There’s nothing wrong with setting up a secretariat, but it can’t be called a supervisory body.”

"His Majesty, on the grounds that the various bureaus belonged to the inner court, transferred the Imperial Observatory to the inner court, and the Imperial Academy was almost transferred as well, but was eventually changed to the Imperial University."

"The secretariat cannot be called a supervisory body, nor can it be under the jurisdiction of the inner court."

We are very sensitive to this and strongly oppose it.

In particular, he thought of the Secretariat Directorate, which differs from the Secretariat Directorate by only one character and still retains the title of Secretariat Directorate today.

If the emperor were to establish these two institutions in the inner court, the distribution of power in the court would undergo a major change.
-

As Chen Jiru and others listened to their discussion, they sensed the dangers of reconstructing the rites and music.

The institutional arrangements they casually discussed could affect the distribution of power between the inner and outer courts, potentially causing various upheavals in the imperial court.

But to the two of them, this was merely a topic of frequent discussion. There were countless other matters of far greater importance.

Chen Jiru thought about how he was now in charge of the Citizens' Committee, which not only had four secondary committees under it, but also civil organizations such as the Men's Association, the Women's Association, and the Maternal and Child Health Association. The emperor even allowed him to set up such organizations as needed to assist the Citizens' Committee in its operation.

This made him feel a great sense of responsibility, and at the same time, he realized what power truly meant.

"A single action can influence the world."

"The Emperor has truly delegated power to his subjects!"

He deeply admired the current emperor, and at the same time was pleasantly surprised by his own circumstances.

How many people throughout history have risen from commoners to high-ranking officials?

If the National Assembly's Advisory Council and Consultative Council are equivalent to the two houses of the imperial court, then his position as the director of the National Assembly's Citizens' Committee is at least equivalent to a minister of the third rank, holding a position similar to that of a minor minister.

This made him feel elated, and he even felt that he would die for someone who understood him.

But before that, there was one more thing he needed to resolve, Liu Zongzhou said:

"When Mei Gong takes charge of the Citizens' Committee, he must not be prejudiced."

"Your statement that 'a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent' is indeed easy to misunderstand."

"I hope you can resolve this matter soon and become a member of the National Assembly, so that you can gain a foothold in the National Assembly."

This was his advice, or rather, his request, made in his capacity as head of the preparatory office for Congress.

Today's Congress is different from what it used to be; it's no longer just a handful of people. The establishment of fifteen specialized committees has attracted a large number of talented individuals.

It includes scholars and officials like Qian Qianyi, as well as scholars and commoners like Sun Qifeng.

Although Chen Jiru was well-known among the common people, now that he had come to serve in the imperial court, he had to abide by the rules of the court.

No one said anything about him serving in Parliament as a commoner, because Parliament is where the people discuss matters, and commoners can naturally do so as well.

However, if he doesn't even have the status of a scholar, he will definitely be questioned when he is preparing for the establishment of the People's Committee.

It can be said that the emperor's order to him to resolve the saying "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent" was both an order and a requirement.

If Chen Jiru cannot resolve this issue, his position as emperor will be precarious.

Therefore, Chen Jiru could only say:
"These are all quotes from ancient people, I never expected them to cause such a big uproar."

"Rest assured, Mr. Jishan, I, Chen, will definitely resolve this matter."

"If we want to resolve this issue, who should we go to in the capital?"

This is what hurts him the most.

Before coming to the capital, he thought he needed to persuade the Empress, and he made many preparations for this.

However, after being summoned by the emperor, he realized that it was the emperor: the current emperor was the one who promoted gender equality and protected women's rights.

The emperor needed him to eliminate the negative influence, a request that seemed simple but was actually quite troublesome to fulfill.

Chen Jiru now needs a mediator to help him overcome the woman's hostility.

Upon hearing this, Liu Zongzhou said:
"Mei Gong was ordered to set up a civil affairs committee and also to establish a women's association."

"The most renowned woman in the world today is General Qin. You may invite her to participate."

"We ministers should not arbitrarily form alliances with military generals; this matter must be left to Lord Mei himself."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiru expressed his gratitude and said he would definitely go and invite Qin Liangyu.

Zhang Pu spoke up from the side:
Fang Yizhi's aunt, Fang Weiyi, is currently in the capital.

"She was appointed as the deputy head of the women's college because of her achievements in teaching Fang Yizhi. She also painted a picture of Guanyin Bodhisattva giving a child to the Empress, which was highly praised by women in the capital."

"If she were to step forward, she would be able to persuade the woman."

Chen Jiru knew this person. He also knew that she was a famous talented woman and an opponent of the idea that "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent."

The articles published in the Women's Journal that denounced him were not without Fang Weiyi's involvement.

The group chattered amongst themselves, discussing famous women in the capital. Chen Jiru needed to persuade them in order to successfully establish the women's association.

Chen Jiru was completely bewildered, realizing that the power of the Citizens' Committee was truly difficult to obtain.

If it's this troublesome to set up a women's association, what about the other associations?
But no matter how difficult it is, he must do it, unless he gives up now and resigns to return to Jiangnan.
-

The following day, accompanied by Chen Renxi, Chen Jiru met Fang Yizhi through Zhang Pu's introduction.

Fang Yizhi had long admired this renowned scholar from Jiangnan and had long wanted to get to know him.

Upon hearing Chen Jiru's purpose, he patted his chest and said:

"If Master Mei is willing to retract the saying 'A woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent,' Aunt will be very happy to know."

"Unfortunately, she went to the palace to paint for a noble lady."

"You may come another day. I will tell my aunt about the Women's Association."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiru repeatedly expressed his gratitude, while Chen Renxi asked:
"Going to the palace to paint?"

Is some important person pregnant?

Fang Yizhi said with a smile:

"No new princes were born in the palace last year, until the Empress gave birth to her second son this year."

"Now the Empress has two sons, and her position is extremely secure."

"She advised the emperor to take more concubines to bear children, and now there are several noble ladies in the palace who are pregnant."

"My aunt was invited by the Empress, who hoped she would give birth to several princes."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately understood.

After consolidating her position, the Empress displayed magnanimity by generously inviting Fang Weiyi to the palace to paint a picture of Guanyin bestowing a child for the pregnant concubines. She was not at all worried that other concubines giving birth to princes would threaten her position.

Fang Weiyi was summoned to the palace for this reason, but whether there were other matters, no one knew.

However, considering what happened in Qianqing Palace yesterday, the Empress should know about it and may have mentioned it to Fang Weiyi.

After discussing these matters, Chen Jiru and the others were about to take their leave when Fang Yizhi suddenly said to Chen Renxi:

“Master Zhitai, I heard that you are well-versed in the Mozi and have even written commentaries on it.”

"Do you have time to give a presentation at the Wensi Institute?"

Chen Renxi was very surprised and asked curiously:

"An explanation of the Mozi?"

"Are there still people in the Wensi Academy studying the works of the ancient philosophers?"

I find it incredible that the artisans appointed by the emperor studied the works of various philosophers.

Fang Yizhi, because of his research on vehicles, had many exchanges with engineers in the capital and even participated in the Zhuge Club they organized.

This led to his acquaintance with Bo Jue and others, and it was Bo Jue who requested that he find someone to explain the "Mozi".

He explained to Chen Renxi:

"Bo Gong established the Optical Research Institute at Wensi Institute to study items such as telescopes and lenses."

"When he met His Majesty, he heard that there was a lot of optical knowledge in the Mozi, so he devoted himself to studying it."

"However, there are still some points that are not clear. I would like to invite you, esteemed scholars, to the Wensi Academy for explanation."

Chen Renxi's study of the Mozi focused on the texts and principles within it, but he did not have a deep understanding of the optical knowledge contained therein, and he did not even understand it.

Unwilling to embarrass himself or associate with the artisans of the Wensi Academy, he instinctively wanted to refuse the invitation.

Unexpectedly, Chen Jiru volunteered from the side:
"Many people in Jiangnan have studied the book 'Mozi'. I once wrote a piece called 'Mozi's Selected Sayings'."

"If you don't mind, young friend, I'd like to go with you and we can exchange ideas and learn from each other."

Present your lectures as exchanges and take the initiative to go to them.

Fang Yizhi was overjoyed upon hearing this, and was so happy that he didn't know what to say.

Compared to Chen Renxi, the name Chen Jiru is truly renowned.

When such a renowned scholar visits the Wensi Academy for exchanges, the academy's artisans are more than happy to welcome him.

So he immediately said:

"Master Mei is joking. Who would dislike your lectures!"

“I’ll tell Engineer Bo right away that you should come over.”

He immediately sent a servant on horseback to deliver the message.

He then ordered someone to prepare a car and insisted that Chen Jiru sit in his car.

After Chen Jiru boarded Fang Yizhi's four-wheeled carriage, he realized that there was more to the carriage than met the eye.

This car was much more comfortable than the one he had arrived in. It was also much larger, big enough to lie down inside.

This amazed him with Fang Yizhi's expertise in vehicles, and gave him more confidence for the trip.
-

Chen Renxi and Zhang Pu, who were sitting in another carriage, were extremely puzzled by this.

Chen Jiru could certainly talk to people from all walks of life, but why would a renowned scholar like him actively befriend artisans and officials?
This is not something to be proud of; many civil officials are hostile towards them.

Aside from occasional unavoidable exchanges, artisan officials were basically isolated in the officialdom.

Zhang Pu frowned and said:
“Wen Si Yuan and Mu Zhai Gong were quite close. The method of investigating things in practical learning was discovered at Wen Si Yuan.”

"Does Master Mei intend to devote himself to practical learning and study the scholarship of Qian Qianyi?"

This is what he doesn't want to see.

Qian Qianyi's influence was already great enough, and now with the addition of Chen Jiru, it is estimated that scholars all over the world will flock to the practical school of thought.

How could his science stand on its own, and how could he become a sage?
Chen Renxi pondered his relationship with Chen Jiru and shook his head, saying:

"Absolutely not!"

Even if Mei Gong were to devote himself to the practical school of thought, he would not start with the Academy of Literature and Thought.

"I think that after His Majesty encouraged practical learning and drew upon various schools of thought, Master Mei wanted to compile his own knowledge from among them."

"Perhaps I want to start by explaining the Mozi at the Wensi Academy this time."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Pu seemed to be deep in thought, recalling Chen Jiru's 41-volume work, "Selected Sayings from Ancient and Modern Times".

Chen Jiru studied almost all the famous sayings of the various schools of thought and famous figures throughout history.

In terms of drawing from various schools of thought, he certainly has the qualifications.

Even Chen Renxi, who was standing next to him, wrote "Appreciation of the Wonders of the Philosophers," commenting on the scholarship of the various philosophers.

Having figured this out, Zhang Pu became excited and started thinking about how to develop science:
"My reputation among scholars is still somewhat lacking, insufficient to rival that of Liu Zongzhou and Qian Qianyi."

"But even if we include scholars like Chen Jiru and Chen Renxi who studied various schools of thought, would we still be able to extract and absorb the essence of each school?"

"If successful, wouldn't science advance rapidly?"

Just as Qian Qianyi wanted to use the knowledge of various schools of thought to strengthen practical learning, Zhang Pu also had the same idea after hearing the emperor's explicit instruction.

His science originated from Xu Guangqi's Western learning, and he initially intended to supplement Confucianism with Western knowledge.

After the emperor changed the name, science became the study of mathematics, one of the Six Arts of Confucianism, and the way to understand the world.

However, the idea of ​​supplementing Confucianism with Western ideas has not been abandoned.

If Western learning can be used to supplement Confucianism, why can't the learning of other schools of thought do the same?
Compared to Western learning, the Hundred Schools of Thought represent the ancient Chinese learning.

The concept of "supplementing Confucianism with the works of a hundred schools of thought" first appeared in Zhang Pu's mind.

He intends to base his teachings on science and draw upon knowledge from various schools of thought. (End of Chapter)