Wanli Ming Emperor

Chapter 210: The strong prey on the weak, survival of the fittest

In response to He Xinyin's remarks, Zhu Yijun did not respond for a moment and took a sip of tea leisurely.

The opposition party’s propositions should naturally be different from the court’s current approach, otherwise it would not be called an opposition party.

Just like Wang Shizhen's Literary League, although it was a literary society, it also repeatedly advocated the restoration of the past in politics, using poetry and songs to express dissatisfaction with the current system and social customs, which strongly reflected the desire of some scholar groups for the system of the Three Sovereigns and the prosperity of the Han and Tang Dynasties.

And the Donglin Society, which was formed in advance by Gu Xiancheng with the instigation of several great Confucian scholars such as Qian Dehong and Xue Yingqi before their death. On the surface, it only discussed metaphysical theories and perfected Taoism, but it still could not avoid putting forward its own ideas among its private agenda. He has published the appeal of "cancelling arrears of rent and withdrawing the central envoys" in newspapers more than once, which widely echoed the interests of the big families and wealthy county residents in the world.

Others include the Shanxi Merchants Chamber of Commerce representing the interests of northern merchants, Fenggan Society and Baiyu Society representing the interests of Wujiang's emerging handicraft groups, and so on.

As the world has evolved to this day, the desire of scholars, workers, and businessmen to participate in politics has grown day by day, and various associations representing their respective demands have emerged one after another, forming the current political situation - with the development of productivity, the Zhou system has experienced thousands of years of abandonment and has made a comeback in a different guise.

As one of the leaders of associations throughout the world, He Xinyin proposed that friends communicate with each other and that people all over the world form their own "associations". He attempted to shoulder the responsibility of the world's proletarians and responded to the demands of the poor people.

That is, the "universal love" he proposed after abandoning the "love for one's relatives and respect for elders" in "Benevolence and Righteousness", as well as the "equality" of the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues as teachers and friends to each other as mentioned in "Lun Zhong".

This is certainly a huge improvement.

This is also the reason why Zhu Yijun praised He Xinyin's conscience without reservation.

But in practice...

Zhu Yijun couldn't help but shook his head when he thought of this.

After a moment of silence, he finally turned his gaze to He Xinyin and said ambiguously: "Liang Ruyuan, if I really care about the people, what do you think? If I am just like you said, still an emperor or a general, and sincerely despise the people, what do you think?"

Seeing that the emperor did not give a direct answer, He Xinyin only sighed and pleaded again: "Your Majesty, I don't want to do anything, and I can't do anything."

"I am now sixty-three years old, and my days are numbered. I just can't let it go, and I just want an answer."

Zhu Yijun still did not comment: "I have read your theory."

He Xinyin's heart sank when he saw that the emperor did not answer. Now, when he heard that the emperor admitted that he had read his theories, his heart sank even more.

He lowered his head silently: "In front of the great master, I am embarrassed to be laughed at."

When one has studied the classics to a certain level, it becomes difficult for outsiders to influence one’s mind.

It would be fine if the emperor had not read his scriptures, but he could still sell one or two to the emperor.

But since the emperor had already read it, he had no room for preaching.

He Xinyin could only wait for the emperor to express his feelings, and there was nothing he could do other than that.

Zhu Yijun extended his hand to signal He Xinyin to sit down: "I started reading from "Original Learning and Original Lectures". You have a very good discussion on people."

He Xinyin sat back opposite the emperor again and listened attentively.

Zhu Yijun turned the teapot around and let He Xinyin do what she wanted. He continued, "You said that people are divided into innate and acquired. In terms of innate nature, their appearance, vision, hearing, and desires are no different from those of animals."

There are two extreme opinions about He Xinyin in the public opinion.

Supporters call him "the greatest chivalrous man" while opponents call him "the greatest thief in human ethics", which can be seen from his doctrines.

He Xinyin had nothing to hide and frankly admitted: "Its naked shape, its humming sound, similar to the shape and the sound."

Zhu Yijun nodded and continued, "In the future, you wrote "The Original Man", saying that man is benevolence, with the heart placed in the world and the body hidden in the family. Only when you gather a human heart in the web of the big family and the small family can you be called a man."

"In other words, man is a moral being, man is a social being, and the essence of man that distinguishes him from animals is the sum of all ethical relationships."

He Xinyin sat like a wooden sculpture.

Looking up at the emperor's young face, a sense of amazement rose in his heart uncontrollably.

The masterly demeanor that shone through the emperor's words was almost as dazzling as the sun.

Fortunately, there are still some ignorant and useless people in the market who think that there is really someone behind the emperor who is writing for him. They really should see the emperor in person.

Zhu Yijun continued in one breath: "On the basis of hiding in the family, you extended it and proposed that the small family is just a small world based on blood relationship."

"In order to establish virtue and become an adult, one should spread it and practice it in the world, that is, to gather the so-called 'association'."

"Scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans should all form their own 'associations'. The imperial court is just a type of 'association'."

"Although this passage is unorthodox, it is very good when you read it carefully. I always find it interesting and I can't put it down."

Like Li Zhi, He Xinyin also has the potential to become a saint.

During the Jiajing period, they restrained themselves somewhat and set up a Juyitang within the clan. During the Longqing period, they started to set up a brotherhood. During the Wanli period, they openly announced that they would establish a mutual aid society - no wonder they died in prison in history.

He Xinyin couldn't tell what the emperor was thinking, but he was extremely sensitive to the word "heresy" and looked displeased.

He met the emperor's gaze with a serious expression and corrected himself, saying, "I have not deviated from the classics, nor have I betrayed the doctrine. What I have written is the orthodox classics of Mencius and the doctrine of Confucianism since ancient times."

"The so-called 'meeting' is nothing more than an innovation based on the words of the sages. There is absolutely no intention of violating the authority of the court."

This is really sensitive.

He Xinyin could die, but he must not let any criticism come out of this place, otherwise his life's work would probably become a banned book.

Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "As for the matter of changing the system by referring to the past... Liang Zhuqian should not be shy about it in front of me."

“History is made by people all over the world, but it is not made at will, nor is it made under conditions chosen at will, but under the conditions they have experienced, given, and in the past.”

“When you create something new, people always panic.”

"In order to avoid confusion, we have to invite the dead to borrow the thunderous names of the saints, put on the clothes that are worshipped by the world, and interpret new history."

He looked at He Xinyin, his smile not diminishing: "If Liang Zhuqian doesn't open up to me, how can I answer your questions?"

After these words were spoken, there was a long silence.

He Xinyin pressed hard on his thighs so that he could sit upright calmly.

At this moment, he could more or less understand why the saying "the emperor is wise enough to reject remonstrance" was circulated both inside and outside the court.

I don’t know how much resentment the court officials felt was contained in it.

At this moment, He Xinyin truly felt the same way.

In front of the emperor, the master, all the polite words and pretense are just self-humiliation.

It really is like being stripped naked!
There was silence in the hall for a moment.

I don’t know how much time passed.

He Xinyin finally finished a long and thoughtful deliberation. He took a deep breath and responded solemnly: "Your Majesty has a sharp eye. I am indeed a heretic."

"The officials of the imperial court are corrupt and cruel, and the people of the country are in great sorrow and misery, with no one to turn to. It is the end of the world, and there is almost no hope for salvation."

"It has been like this for thousands of years."

"The noble families, the powerful families, the wealthy clans, the officials and gentry, one after another, have been governing the country and enjoying a good life, but the common people have been reduced to prey, wailing every day, and have never seen a day of recovery."

"The imperial examination recruited the common people but not the common people, and now the 'association' created by the common people can give opportunities to all those who are willing to govern the country. Isn't this in line with the progress of history?"

He Xinyin came out with the tray with confidence.

What's wrong with association? We must form associations! What's wrong with party members? We must have party members! What's wrong with gatherings? We must gather!
For thousands of years, the right to participate in politics and affairs of state has flowed from top to bottom like water. Why can't we go a step further on the basis of the imperial examination system and allow the common people to participate as well?
Zhu Yijun hummed softly and said, "That's why you want to see me. You want to ask me how I view the demands of the hundreds of millions of people that you claim to be shouldering."

He Xinyin nodded silently after hearing this: "Your Majesty's philosophy is beyond the previous generations, and he is willing to tie up his own hands and feet in the inner court. He must be different from others."

Zhu Yijun shook his head and laughed.

He Xinyin didn't understand why.

After a while, the emperor finally laughed enough.

He looked at He Xinyin and said disappointedly: "Liang Zhuqian, this is why you will never achieve anything."

He Xinyin frowned, not knowing what was going on: "Your Majesty..."

Zhu Yijun raised his hand to interrupt him and said seriously: "Since you keep saying that the emperor is a traitor to the people."

"Since you say that the imperial court is beyond salvation, the old system that has lasted for thousands of years has reached its end."

"Since I am the emperor of the old system, I am the emperor of the imperial court, and since most of the fat of the wailing people is used on me, Liang Zhuqian..."

"Why do you believe in the emperor?"

He Xinyin was stunned when he heard this, and was immediately caught off guard.

He opened his mouth to speak, then slowly closed it.

After a while, He Xinyin could only remain silent.

Zhu Yijun leaned forward and stared at He Xinyin: "You hate the old system, but you have no system; you have theories, but you have no principles; you talk a lot about the people, but you indulge in the literati."

"You claim to be progressive, but you place your hopes on me, a symbol of the old system."

"Liang Zhuqian, you are no different from those Confucian scholars. You only talk about nature and reason, but you are strong on the outside but weak on the inside!"

He and He Xinyin looked into each other's eyes, only a fist's distance apart, and felt a strong sense of oppression.

Faced with the emperor's relentless pressure, He Xinyin felt extremely angry and upset.

I tried to think of words several times, but was defeated by the bloody facts.

The emperor was right. If he did not trust the emperor, he should not place his hopes on the emperor.

Just as he said before, what about Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and what about Emperor Shizong of today? How can we pin our hopes on the emperor's perfect will?

But what can he do!?
Doesn't he want to use his own abilities and knowledge to realize his dreams and build his own world?

He has no extraordinary talent.

There is no unlimited financial resources.

There is no extra life left.

At the age of sixty-three, what else could he do except hope that the emperor would overthrow him?

An endless feeling of powerlessness came over him, and he had no time to tell whether the emperor was humiliating him or scolding him angrily.

I just feel like I have been running around for half my life, and all kinds of scenes are passing by in front of me.

He formed societies and held meetings, expelled Yan Song, traveled around giving lectures, and invited like-minded people... were he just a rootless duckweed, entertaining himself?
He Xinyin had no intention of making excuses, and almost groaned as he muttered to himself: "What can a pedantic and incompetent person do to me?"

As soon as I said this, my nose felt sore.

He almost couldn't control his expression and lost his composure on the spot.

Just at this moment, the emperor's voice was heard again.

"Then try to overthrow me."

He Xinyin's overwhelming sorrow suddenly came to an abrupt end.

The world suddenly became silent.

Everything seemed to be taken away.

The air began to suffocate.

The cold wind makes people shiver.

Under the emperor's shadow, they began to act in an indescribable manner.

He Xinyin looked up in surprise and stared at the emperor in a daze.

In the Wenhua Hall, the four looked at each other, and only the sound of hot and anxious breathing was heard.

"Since you claim to be progressive, then sweep me into the garbage dump of history." Zhu Yijun looked at He Xinyin sincerely, without any joking: "The court belongs to me, and the world belongs to everyone in the world. If you think the Zhu family's court is not good, then try to overthrow me."

He didn't call me "Zhen" anymore.

He Xinyin looked at the emperor's increasingly aggressive gaze and subconsciously leaned back in his chair.

He tried to meet the emperor's gaze, but subconsciously looked away.

His lips opened and closed several times, and he actually started to tremble.

He seemed to understand what the emperor meant, but also seemed not to understand.

His heart was in turmoil, but he could only respond mechanically: "Your Majesty, I have never conspired to rebel..."

"You are weak because you don't have the intention to rebel!"

Zhu Yijun interrupted He Xinyin again.

He suddenly stretched out a hand and pressed He Xinyin's shoulder, forcing him to look at him.

"Progress should weed out the backward, just as the imperial examination weeds out the filial and honest."

"You don't even dare to rebel, how can you be so confident as to call yourself progressive!"

"Don't pin your hopes on me. I am a wise ruler now, but I may not be one in the future. If I am a wise ruler in the future, my prince may not be one either. Since you claim to be progressive, then come and overthrow the old system!"

He Xinyin was struck by lightning!
I just felt like my heart was being squeezed and my breathing was becoming difficult.

He almost groaned and said in shock: "Your Majesty can even tolerate treason!?"

Zhu Yijun looked at the sixty-year-old man in front of him who seemed extremely immature in the tide of the times.

He took a deep breath and shook his head grimly: "Why do you have to let me do this?"

"If you think the imperial court is hopeless, then go ahead and overthrow it. I think the Zhu family's Ming Dynasty can still be saved, so I'm going to give it another try. Why should I make way for you?"

"If you want to be the enemy of the court, you must calmly accept the court's pursuit and interception; if you want to sweep me into the garbage dump, you must endure my inhumane killing; if you want to create a new system, you must not be afraid of being shattered!"

"Use your progress to call on the common people, use your doctrine to unite the scholars, and use your 'association' to destroy my 'court'!"

"If you don't even dare to do this, then your 'knowledge' is not as good as Bai Lian's 'teaching'?"

Zhu Yijun slowly stood up, bent down, and approached He Xinyin who was almost leaning against the back of the chair: "Liang Zhuqian, use facts to prove your truth."

Clang.

Tea cups spilled and chairs overturned.

He Xinyin retreated repeatedly and eventually fell to the ground.

At this time, the emperor was supporting the tea table with both hands, and his figure leaning forward happened to be covered in He Xinyin's eyes. He was indescribable, like a ghost or a demon, which made people shudder!

"Why do you kneel down and bow when you don't agree with something?"

Zhu Yijun was startled when he saw this, and quickly came over from the table and offered his help considerately.

As soon as he stretched out his hand, he noticed that He Xinyin was sweating profusely, and his whole body was wet as if he had been fished out of the water.

Zhu Yijun's eyelids twitched and he wondered if he had used too much force.

Just when he was hesitating whether to say something to comfort her and ease the atmosphere.

He Xinyin barely straightened the chair and slowly stood up.

"I lost my composure."

Facing the emperor's concerned look, He Xinyin gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I appreciate your words."

When he met the emperor, he was shocked beyond words.

The emperor taught He Xinyin a good lesson with courage that he had never seen before.

He finally stopped worrying about the emperor's true intentions and just said he would learn from him.

As for what I have been taught, I am afraid it is not enough to describe in words.

Zhu Yijun looked at He Xinyin's face again and again, and was relieved to see that he was indeed fine. "In this case, does Liang Zhuqian have any other questions?"

He Xinyin shook his head silently: "It used to be there, but now it's gone."

He slowed down, bowed and saluted: "I, your humble servant, please take your leave."

Zhu Yijun did not let him go easily.

"Liang Zhuqian has no more questions, but I still have something to discuss with you."

He Xinyin paused, but the emperor reached out and supported him.

The former looked up in confusion.

The latter said calmly: "According to your classics, all people in the world who share the same ideals can gather together..."

"Liang Zhuqian, how about I have a meeting with you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, He Xinyin's body went limp and he almost stumbled again.

He took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty just regarded my ideas as heresy and called for killing me."

He Xinyin had met Emperor Shizong, been sent by Xu Jie, and debated with Zhang Juzheng, so his experience must have been rich.

Only now that the emperor was in person, every word she said was like a fairy from heaven, always beyond his expectations.

Zhu Yijun shook his head calmly and said, "You are wrong again. You are the one who claimed that the Ming Dynasty was corrupt. You must bear the backlash from the imperial court. It is not that I want to kill you."

"Similarly, I feel that the court can still be saved, so I will naturally use all means to implement reforms. Now I want to experience these twisted theories of yours firsthand to see if there is anything to be gained, so that I can be a king who maintains the status quo."

He Xinyin's expression was uncertain and no one knew what he was thinking.

After a while, he finally managed to squeeze out a few words from between his teeth: "Your Majesty, I, a commoner, kill people and set fires not in order to become a Buddha instantly."

He was punished for murder and arson by imperial decree, but He Xinyin had his own pride and did not want to be like Song Jiang.

Zhu Yijun glanced at He Xinyin and said, "You have been punished for multiple crimes. You will definitely be stripped of your status as a juren. Do you still want to be an official? I'm afraid you think the court is a mountain of maggots and a sea of ​​feces."

There was a hint of contempt in the emperor's tone and his words were extremely impolite.

Being humiliated by this, He Xinyin's face flushed: "Then what is the conclusion that Your Majesty is referring to?"

Zhu Yijun patiently explained: "You are the leader of the opposition, widely admired by the people, the scholars regard you as an idol, and there are many of your followers in the court. I have to acknowledge your status in the arena."

"Just like you said, the red people are wailing everywhere, suffering so much that they have no one to turn to..."

He paused and sighed, "I was thinking, could you, a commoner, occasionally come to the palace to see the emperor and complain to me on behalf of those common people?"

"Similarly, I will also make three rules with you."

"You are the only one allowed to do this. You have no official position and no duties. The only relationship between you and me is in the 'Association'."

"You are only allowed to speak. Whether it is the people's grievances or specific requests, it is my business whether to listen or not. It is only for reference."

Only then did He Xinyin understand what the emperor meant.

He thought the emperor was going to issue an imperial decree to pacify him, just like he did to Li Zhi, but he didn't expect this to be his intention.

If that's the case, he was lost in thought...

Seeing that He Xinyin did not answer, Zhu Yijun spoke again: "Since you said, 'hui' means the gathering of like-minded people."

"Now you and I are gathered under the banner of the Red People."

"Then even if I am pretending to be powerful at this moment, Liang Zhuqian will be willing to be my eyes and ears and give the people of Chi a glimmer of hope, right?"

He Xinyin kept thinking and was hesitant.

He instinctively rejected this kind of thing.

It’s not that He Xinyin didn’t have the opportunity to become an official. He had ranked first in the local examination and was the top student in the province. There was no way he was hopeless in the imperial examination.

It was just that he had no interest in fame and gave up the Four Books and Five Classics.

Even now.

Even though he was only a juren, relying on the reputation he had accumulated in the court and the country, if he wanted to become an official, it would only be a matter of nodding his head. Some people would recommend him - whether it was Xu Jie or Shen Shixing, they would welcome him.

But he still remains a commoner and calls himself a commoner, simply because he is disgusted with this hopeless officialdom.

With this mentality, he became entangled with the emperor and inevitably felt extremely conflicted.

But then again…

As the emperor said, even if he is just pretending, he should still hear about the current situation of the people.

Since it is beneficial to the people, how could he bear to refuse it.

Moreover, to take a step back, forming an alliance with the emperor would also be more conducive to the spread of his doctrines.

No matter how you think about it, it is a matter of great benefit to Yu Da Yi with no harm at all.

After much hesitation, He Xinyin finally made up his mind.

He looked at the emperor and bowed, "I would like to be your friend, so that you can understand what universal love and equality are."

When he said this, he had already made up his mind to sacrifice himself to feed the tiger.

Sooner or later, his behavior will lead to his head being separated from his body - even if the emperor is magnanimous, the people around him and even the entire court will not tolerate him.

Zhu Yijun remained calm and nodded calmly: "I will choose the name of the club?"

He likes the naming the most.

He Xinyin naturally had no reason to refuse: "It is only natural for me to be the first to propose the name."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun pondered for a long time and gently touched his chin.

After a while.

He seemed to have a flash of inspiration, clapped his hands and laughed: "How about calling it a joint consultation meeting on governance?"

He Xinyin smacked it for a while and couldn't help but praise it: "Good."

Seeing that the matter was accomplished, Zhu Yijun turned around and waved to the eunuch.

Then he turned around and said, "It just so happens that I have something to discuss with my friends."

He Xinyin was startled, then looked at the emperor warily: "Your Majesty, please speak frankly."

Zhu Yijun took the case file handed over by the eunuch and handed it to He Xinyin with a sigh: "It's about the family of Duke Yansheng, and the matter of occupying land."

"I was just at the critical juncture of measuring the land, but I found out about Confucius' family, which put me in a difficult position."

"The family of the eternal saints, personally appointed by the imperial court to be the leader of the Confucian scholars in the world, all the civil and military officials in the court are students of Confucius Temple, and they can't bear to betray their teacher and ancestors. In addition, they interfere in the harem and collude with the rich and powerful. For a while, no one can expose this matter."

"On the contrary, Comrade Liang is a lone man in the wild, yet he is a powerful figure; he is a commoner, yet he shoulders great responsibilities; he has friends all over the world, yet he has no worries."

He looked at He Xinyin and said sincerely, "Even Comrade Liang dared to make a remonstrance against my imperial estate. Can you also speak up for the Confucius family?"

After saying that, Zhu Yijun handed over Kong Chengde's confession and the document that sent He Xinyin to serve as a tax soldier under Shen Li.

Carrying the great expectations of the people and confronting the sage family, how could the emperor not support it?
Zhu Yijun smiled and looked at He Xinyin quietly.

(End of this chapter)