I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 666 Li Zhi’s Fighting Power
Li Wanyi looked at Geng Dingxiang in surprise.

Most academies will have a Jingyi Pavilion, a pavilion-style building, which houses the tablets of Confucius and other sages such as Zhu Xi and the Cheng brothers.

This was the layout of the Imperial College in the north and south before.

Geng Dingxiang asked this question deliberately to make things difficult and full of malice.

He was a senior Jinshi and had served as a fourth-rank official. He was one of the most famous people in Hubei.

Li Wanyi only graduated from the Imperial College in Beijing, but he had a good foundation in knowledge. He was not only good at Chinese literature, but also learned mathematics quickly. In the first year of Longqing, he passed the official recruitment examination and entered the official career.

He has been working hard on the "education front" and served as the principal of a naturalized Jurchen school in Liaodong for several years. He is diligent, capable and courageous.

In the first year of the Wanli reign, the cabinet implemented new policies, one of the important ones being the vigorous promotion of public schools.

Funding can be allocated to build schools, but teachers and principals require time to train and be carefully selected.

The teacher is easy to say.

From the 41st year of Jiajing, Zhu Yijun began to cultivate him secretly.

Starting from the first year of Longqing, open training was carried out.

After six or seven years, a number of talents who had studied "miscellaneous subjects" such as mathematics and the study of physics were accumulated. Some of them were selected, trained intensively, and assigned to teach in various new public schools.

At the same time, in the first year of the Wanli reign, the Ministry of Rites established academies specifically for training new-style teachers, the Beijing Normal College and the Nanjing Normal College, which were registered under the names of the Imperial College in the north and south, and had independent admissions, separate management, and different allocations, but shared the same teaching staff.

Li Wanyi had worked hard in Liaodong for more than three years. He was a "backbone of the education front" who was capable of fighting "hard battles". He was selected and trained intensively at Beijing Normal University as a candidate for principal.

During the training period, Prime Minister Zhang Juzheng and Minister of Rites Pan Sheng personally gave lectures to these prospective principals and placed extremely high expectations on them.

During Zhang Juzheng's lecture, Li Wanyi understood the real intention of the cabinet's implementation of the new education policy.

The imperial court is trying to reform the imperial examinations, and is preparing to completely change the way the court selects talents. As the way of selecting talents changes, the way of education must also change.

Cabinet Prime Minister Zhang meant to abolish private schools over a three-year period and convert them all into public schools. The court also wanted to gain control over the source of talent education for selecting and recruiting scholars.

If the previous talent education method was still followed, the students who could take the exam would all be graduates of private schools, and all they had learned were the Four Books and Five Classics, and the reform of the imperial court's talent selection would be in vain.

However, Li Wanyi discovered that halfway through the training, the cabinet and the Ministry of Rites changed their tone, saying that the court vigorously promoted public schools and did not prohibit private schools, as an effective supplement to the newly reformed education system of the dynasty.

According to well-informed classmates in the training class, the cabinet's education reform plan to abolish private schools and make all schools public was sent to Xiyuan and changed by the emperor.

The emperor's revision suggestion is that we cannot prohibit people from studying the Four Books and Five Classics for personal interest, nor can we completely abolish private schools. Because there are always places in the world that the court cannot take care of, and private schools can take care of them.

For example, private schools for enlightenment are a good supplement and can provide high-quality students for county schools.

The emperor's ideal is to realize "compulsory education" so that all boys aged six or seven in the Ming Dynasty can have free access to books.

Upon hearing this ideal, Li Wanyi and his classmates were in awe.

But the emperor also said that the Ming Dynasty was not yet rich enough, so only those with conditions could go first. For example, factories, mines, farms, ranches and other units could realize universal enrollment of boys and receive compulsory education.

The countryside needed to rely on donations from "philanthropists" and subsidies from the imperial court to set up small but good schools such as private schools.

Therefore, the emperor believed that private schools should not be treated as one-size-fits-all and must be retained, but private schools must teach according to the Ministry of Rites' educational syllabus.

Of course, if you are willful and insist on maintaining tradition and continue to study the Four Books and Five Classics and Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, the court will not care about you. However, the court's selection of talents will not tolerate you and will test you as you should.

When Li Wanyi heard this, he couldn't help but laugh secretly.

The emperor really likes to use the method of destroying people's hearts.

Wenjin Academy, presided over by Geng Dingxiang, was previously the largest and most famous academy in Hubei. It still insists on teaching the Four Books and Five Classics and studying Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism.

But the number of students inside has decreased visibly.

In the past, there were thousands of students, all of whom were talented people selected from all over the country, as well as children of noble families and officials who were invited in through various channels.

It’s good enough to have two hundred people together now.

The children of noble families and officials who had previously tried every means to enter Wenjin Academy were the first to run away.

His purpose of studying is very clear, which is to become an official.

They were well-informed and could immediately sense any change in the court's direction. They would then make various requests and get their children admitted to the prefectural schools.

Li Wanyi held a handful of "eight-line letters" in his hand, some of which were from retired ministers and some were from great scholars, all of which were requests for favors from local aristocratic families and children of officials in Wuchang.

It is true that the world is bustling with people, all for the sake of profit; the world is in turmoil, all for the sake of profit.

As long as you put the benefits there, people will naturally gather around you.

Now hearing Geng Dingxiang's malicious question, Li Wanyi could understand his anger, but he was unable to refute the question for the time being.

Although the imperial court secretly abandoned Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, it had not yet issued an explicit decree to abolish Confucianism as well.

Looking around, Li Wanyi saw many faces that were gloating.

Many guests were discussing in low voices.

"We still need to worship Confucius. We must not forget our roots."

"Yes, we can't abandon our ancestors."

Traditional ideas are so stubbornly entwined in people's minds.

Li Wanyi looked at Cao Guozong.

Councillor Cao, I have just been assigned to be the principal of my hometown Hubei. I haven’t yet figured out the social customs and practices in Wuchang. Now I’m facing such a direct criticism. You have to support me!
Cao Guozong was also in a difficult situation.

He is a man in officialdom, and seniority is one of the important principles.

Geng Dingxiang was a veteran in the imperial examinations and had once served as the Right Censor-in-Chief, a position not lower than his own. Although he resigned and no longer enjoyed the benefits of his official rank, he had a great influence among the scholars in Hubei.

I am in the governor's office, and one of my responsibilities is the etiquette department, including the education department. If I confront him today, it will be detrimental to my future work.

But if Geng Dingxiang was allowed to act with all his might, Jiangxia Public School would suffer a heavy blow before the school even opened. Where is the authority of the Education Department and the Ministry of Rites? Where is my authority?

Cao Guozong cleared his throat and was about to speak when Li Zhi spoke.

"I'll answer that question."

Everyone turned around when they heard the voice, and more than two hundred pairs of eyes looked at him.

"Mr. Chu Tong asked, where is the tablet of Confucius?" Geng Dingxiang stared at him with ill intentions, and his momentum became stronger. "That's right, I want to ask why Jiangxia Public School doesn't have a tablet for Confucius?"

Li Zhi stood up and answered: "Why does Jiangxia Public School have a tablet for Confucius?

The tablet of Confucius is naturally enshrined in the Confucius Temple. Jiangxia Public School was established by the imperial court, not a private school, so why should it enshrine the tablet of Confucius? "

Geng Dingxiang's face changed drastically.

The Wenjin Academy, which he presided over, was located in the old Zhucheng area of ​​Wuchang Prefecture (Xinzhou District).

During the Western Han Dynasty, a stone tablet was unearthed in the area, with eight large characters in Qin Li (literally “Confucius sent Zilu to ask for directions”) engraved on it. So Liu An, the King of Huainan, built a Confucius Temple at the site of the tablet and renamed the local mountain Confucius Mountain.

In the Former Tang Dynasty, Du Mu was appointed as the governor of Huangzhou. He changed the Confucius Temple into Wenxuan Temple and began to give lectures here. In the Southern Song Dynasty, it was called Confucius Temple School, and Zhu Xi once gave lectures here.

In the early Yuan Dynasty, Long Renfu, the supervisor of Confucianism in Huguang, lived in seclusion in Confucius Mountain in his later years. He built a school on the right side of the Confucius Temple, established an academy for lectures, and officially founded the academy.

In the Ming Dynasty, it was renamed Wenjin Academy, and it was the most stubborn "fortress" of Confucianism and Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism in Hubei.

Li Zhi's answer not only explained the legitimate reason why Jiangxia Public School did not have a tablet for Confucius, but also implied that Wenjin Academy started as a school affiliated with the Confucius Temple. This was just one person's opinion and was not worth mentioning.

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Geng Dingxiang's eyes were blazing with anger. "A public school, a public school that doesn't have a tablet for Confucius, what kind of knowledge does it teach, and what kind of people does it educate?"

Li Zhi's answer was powerful: "Public schools teach knowledge that will strengthen the country and enrich the people, and they educate students who will serve the country and the people, so they are called public schools!"

The world belongs to all!

Everyone was in an uproar.

Scholars who have read the classics of sages can all recite the famous sayings from "Book of Rites. Li Yun".

"When the great way is practiced, the world is for all, the virtuous and capable are selected, trustworthiness is emphasized, and harmony is cultivated. Therefore, people not only love their own relatives, not only love their own children, but also ensure that the elderly have a place to live, the strong have a place to work, and the young have a place to grow. This is called great harmony."

Jiangxia Public School is determined to serve the world and the people, so it is understandable whether or not they worship the tablet of Confucius.

After all, there is the emperor and the people in this world.
Geng Dingxiang was so angry that his face turned black: "Where did this heresy come from?

The Four Books and Five Classics all talk about the principle of governing a country with universal peace. For thousands of years, countless people of noble character and lofty ideals have devoted their lives to studying the classics and working hard to achieve universal peace. How come you say it so unbearably? "

A scornful smile appeared on Li Zhi's lips. "For the sake of world peace, you have spent your whole lives studying the Four Books and Five Classics, and have devoted your heart and soul to it for thousands of years. Let me ask you, has it ever been realized?"

Geng Dingxiang had a mouthful of phlegm stuck in his throat, which made him roll his eyes and fall backwards. Geng Dingli, who was standing behind him, quickly supported his brother and patted him on the back.

It took a long time for Geng Dingxiang to spit out the phlegm and slowly recover.

Li Wanyi, who was standing next to him, almost laughed out loud.

When Lord Zhuo Wu takes action, there are no taboos.

Li Wanyi studied at the Imperial College in Beijing and was a student of Zhuo Wu. He knew that when Zhuo Wu proposed the new school of thought, he was subjected to countless criticisms and attacks, and almost most of the scholars in the world were his enemies.

The fact that Lord Zhuo Wu has been able to persist until now and become a world-renowned grandmaster, turning the new school into a well-known school, is not only due to the emperor's strong support and the secret support of the new forces in the southeast, but also to his own efforts.

During the most difficult times, he was surrounded by countless famous scholars and was almost overwhelmed by endless accusations and insults.

But Zhuo Wugong was not discouraged. While debating with others, he summarized his own theories, taking the essence and discarding the dross.

At the same time, he also discussed with like-minded scholars, such as Xu Wei, Pan Yinglong, Wang Yi'e and others, learned from everywhere, and absorbed the essence of it and made it applicable in a grand manner.

According to Zhuo Wugong himself, he was able to perfect the new learning, and the core part came from the dialectical materialism theory he learned from the emperor.

At that time, he asked the emperor many questions in Xiyuan, and the emperor answered them off the cuff, with every word being precious and every sentence being profound.

Zhuo Wugong said that he was greatly inspired and perfected the new learning. The emperor also compiled the texts he wrote during the discussion with Zhuo Wugong and turned them into "Dialectical Materialism", which became a hot topic in the public school and the Imperial Academy.

After Zhuo Wugong received the blessing, he began to stun the famous scholars who besieged him. After becoming famous, he tried his best to promote the new learning.

The new school of thought not only has solid theory and is convincing, but also has a brand new look. It is in line with the pulse of the times of striving for progress and prosperity. It was soon sought after by young students, spread rapidly, and became a prominent school of thought.

Li Wanyi had seen how Lord Zhuo Wu debated with a group of scholars in the Imperial College and made more than a dozen famous scholars feel so ashamed that they ran away with their faces covered.

Those famous scholars were all much more capable than Geng Dingxiang.

Today, Lord Zhuo Wu did not provoke you to the point of spitting out three pounds of blood. He was already merciful. He probably did not want the opening ceremony of Jiangxia Public School to turn a happy event into a funeral.

"Everyone, we have finished touring the cafeteria. Now please move to the cultural and sports hall. There, students can learn musical instruments, practice vocal music, and learn swordsmanship, fighting, and archery."

Geng Dingxiang struggled to sit up and shook off Geng Dingli's support.

"I don't need your help, I can still fight for the orthodox doctrine! Li Zhuowu, let me ask you, do you have any basis for spreading materialism?

If there is no basis, stop spreading such nonsense. Shao Yong, a sage in the early Song Dynasty, said that the heart is Tai Chi, and all things and changes are born in the heart. Mr. Xiangshan even said that the four directions and the up and down are called the universe, and the past and the present are called the universe.

When my mind arises and perishes, the universe arises and perishes. Therefore, the universe is my mind, and my mind is the universe!

What the universe is based on matter, it's ridiculous! "

Geng Dingxiang did study Zhuo Wugong's new learning and found that the foundation of the current new learning is based on dialectical materialism, especially materialism. As long as materialism is destroyed, the foundation of the new learning will be destroyed.

But Mr. Chu Tong, your complacent words were already clichés a year ago. You have been away from the capital for more than a year, and the times are changing too fast for you to keep up.

Li Wanyi felt sad for Geng Dingxiang for a few seconds, then turned to look at Li Zhi.

Li Zhi smiled, lifted up his collar, and sat down leisurely.

"I didn't expect that there are still stupid people in Chu. I will waste some more words on this. It is said in "Zi Hua Zi. Confucius' Gift" that the Tao has no fixed form. It condenses into one Qi and spreads into all things. The universe is the place where the Tao is carried and passed on.
What does this mean? Tao is Qi and matter, and the universe is the place where these substances can be transmitted and moved. In other words, moving matter is the essence of the universe.

When a person dies, his consciousness is gone. Does the universe end? No! Instead, the body of the person decays and returns to dust, earth to earth, and then to the universe.
"The heaven and earth have no beginning or end, but you can only do it with selfishness. How foolish! If selfishness is the cause, how can we seek the common good and the unity of the world?"

Geng Dingxiang's face first turned red, then blue, and then black. His eyes were about to burst, and his mouth trembled for a long time. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "I am a Jinshi of the Bingchen year selected by Emperor Shizong in the 35th year of Jiajing. What achievements do you have that dare to lecture me in front of me!"

Everyone was shocked. Mr. Chu Tong was defeated in the debate and even acted like a rogue!
But this scoundrel is playing tricks that make people helpless.

After all, the value of Jinshi degree is still very high and it is highly respected.

Among all the people present, even Cao Guozong, who had the highest official position and fame, was only a Jinshi in the 38th year of Jiajing, a complete junior.

Although Li Zhi was the Minister of Rites, his achievement was only that of a juren, which was not good enough at all.

How to break?
The scene froze there for a moment.

(End of this chapter)