The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 490: Defeating the Kong Family Store
In Qufu County, the people were excited and cheering because they were about to get the land they had longed for.

Among these cheers, there were also a few shrill cries. They were the ones who instigated the trouble, and now that the trouble had not yet broken out, they would naturally be punished.

Moreover, the case was not held in the high-level Three Courts of Yingtian Prefecture, but in Qufu County, where a beggar's version of the Three Courts was formed by three officials of the sixth or seventh rank: a doctor from the Ministry of Justice, a judge from the Dali Temple, and a clerk from the Experience Department of the Censorate. The trial began the next day.

I can't wait any longer!

He was eager to overthrow the old ones immediately, and then push the new Confucian scholars that the emperor would like onto the stage.

Still, the pavilions and towers standing in Qufu are like the imperial city.

No, it’s not called Yiru Imperial City, but apart from the real imperial palaces around Shuntian Prefecture in Beijing, no other mansion can compare with Yanshenggong Mansion, which is directly a building of the scale of an imperial palace.

This grand Yanshenggong Mansion was built bit by bit by the conscripted people of Qufu carrying things on their shoulders and hands.

"Let's go, brothers. If the Confucius Mansion can set an example for your majesty's new Confucianism, or even blaze a new trail, it may have a chance to shine again in the future."

Kong Guangsen was a registered disciple of Yao Nai, and his father-in-law was also the famous philosopher Dai Zhen. Dai Zhen had a very good relationship with Yao Nai, so after hearing about what happened in the Kong Mansion, Yao Nai specially sent his eldest son Yao Jingheng to comfort Kong Guangsen.

Kong Guangsen also knew how much face Yao Nai, known as Mr. Xibao, had on the emperor's side. After all, the emperor relied on him and Yuan Mei to ruin the reputation of the disobedient literati in the world.

Therefore, he was very grateful for Yao Jingheng's arrival. This was a great favor. "Brother, don't worry about me."

"I'm glad you think so. His Majesty is very magnanimous. As long as you follow His Majesty's ideas, you will have no worries about your future."

Yao Nai's eldest son Yao Jingheng agreed and said that these were what he felt from his father Yao Nai.

After Dayu returned, the status of scholars like Yao Nai increased by more than a hundred times, so they naturally supported Mo Zibu very much.

Kong Guangsen took a last look at the Yanshenggong Mansion. He knew that the emperor was not far away, or rather, the emperor's will was not far away.

Because the emperor not only wanted to publicly try those corrupt guys, but also wanted to establish a new Yansheng Mansion that could promote new Confucianism.

And he pardoned a few direct descendants of the Kong family like him, allowing them to take the lead in traveling around the countries, setting an example and inspiring people all over the world to study the new Confucianism.

"Brother, I have thought about it for a long time and have understood what His Majesty wants us to do specifically to study things and gain knowledge." Thinking of this, Kong Guangsen suddenly said to Yao Jingheng in front of him.

Yao Jingheng turned around and asked expectantly, "Zhongzhong, what should we do?"

Kong Guangsen cleared his throat and said, "The idea of "investigating things and seeking knowledge" proposed by Dai Sheng of the Han Dynasty was actually about learning.

He hopes to observe the essence of things through the study of things, thereby obtaining the beauty of their inherent nature and the true moral character, so that those who study these things can achieve self-realization and reach the state of unity between heaven and man.

Kong Guangsen paused as if reminiscing, and said, "I have read the speeches of Your Majesty at the Yingtian Imperial College, as well as the articles of Western sages translated by the Interpretation Department of the Honglu Temple.

The pursuit of knowledge through investigation of things advocated by Dai Sheng and Zheng Xuan seems to be something that can only be attributed to the philosophy that Your Majesty is talking about.”

Yao Jingheng also thought for a moment, then nodded, "That's indeed the case. That's why when Mr. Yangming was young, he studied bamboo so hard that he almost drove himself crazy."

Kong Guangsen also nodded. After all, he was a mathematician, so he was different from Yao Jingheng who only read the Four Books and Five Classics. He saw something else and said immediately:

"But the pursuit of knowledge through investigation of things that Your Majesty advocates is not about investigating the truth, goodness, and beauty of a thing, but about studying why it exists and why it has its ever-changing external and internal characteristics.

For example, why does gunpowder burn violently, why does it explode when sealed, and why refined sugar and refined white flour are delicious foods but can actually enhance the effect of gunpowder.

Even why do objects explode? What exactly causes this phenomenon?

Westerners say that this is because the world is full of phlogiston, but His Majesty personally wrote an article to refute it.

I think this is your Majesty's true pursuit of knowledge through the study of things. It is not about seeking the truth, goodness, and beauty of things from a philosophical perspective, but about seeking the reason why things exist from a scientific perspective."

If Mo Zibu were here, he would be extremely pleased. Over the past ten years, he had the Honglu Temple translate a large number of Western books. The Chongwenyuan, or Imperial Library, alone had two branches built in Yingtian Prefecture, one in Suzhou Prefecture, one in Hangzhou Prefecture, one in Fuzhou Prefecture, one in Guangzhou Prefecture, and one in Shenglong Prefecture.

Recently, there are plans to build another one in Changsha, Wuchang, Xuzhou, Luoyang and Kaifeng.

All of this was paid for by the emperor himself at the Chongwenyuan, and it did not count as official salaries, as these were paid by the court.

Just building the academy, translating books, printing books, etc., cost 300,000 taels of silver. If the salaries of court officials, maintenance and other expenses are included, the annual cost will increase by about 20,000 taels.

This took ten years and cost more than 200,000 taels of silver.

Moreover, Chongwenyuan also stipulated that as long as you were a student, that is, you had entered school but had not even passed the examination for the title of scholar, you could borrow and study at Chongwenyuan. Officials of Chongwenyuan would also convene study and discussion sessions every ten days.

As long as the poor scholars certified by the local area can complete a set of exercises, they can go to Chongwenyuan to receive lunch every day at noon within ten days.

To this end, over ten years, more than 70,000 taels of silver were spent to introduce a large number of practical research routes from philosophy to science in Europe to the public.

This total investment reached 800,000 silver dollars, and today, some results have finally been borne.

Yao Jingheng suddenly understood what Kong Guangsen said. He shouted, "I understand. What you said is at a higher level. In fact, what His Majesty wants is more direct.

That is to use the science you mentioned to produce more coal and iron, more guns and cannons, and more large ships for our Dayu. It should be practical and not just empty talk.

I also heard from my father that His Majesty once revealed to him that the Westerners had invented a steam engine, a machine that could equal the power of dozens of war horses and was a vital national weapon that would determine the future of all nations.

After saying this, Yao Jingheng took Kong Guangsen's arm and said, "When I came here, my father said you had the best vision and could accomplish things. Zhongzhong, take me with you on this study tour to Western Europe. I'll go with you."

"Ah!" Kong Guangsen looked at Yao Jingheng in shock. In fact, in his heart, although he understood what the emperor wanted to do, he still regarded studying in Western Europe as semi-exile.

Therefore, when they heard that a great scholar like Yao Jingheng, the eldest son of a great scholar who was highly trusted by the emperor, chose to go to Western Europe with him, they were extremely shocked.

Seeing Kong Guangsen's stunned expression, Yao Jingheng smiled bitterly and said, "Zhongzhong, it may be difficult for you to understand. Although I was born into a top cultural family in Jiangnan, and my father is a world-renowned Confucian scholar respected by both the Emperor and the Retired Emperor, I really have no talent for the Four Books and Five Classics.

At the age of thirty, if I can't even pass the imperial examination, if I continue to waste time, I will not only continue to embarrass my father, but I have to do something since I am here in this world.

So I want to go to Tethys Europe to see if there is the truth I am looking for."

Kong Guangsen nodded sympathetically. It was indeed a very stressful thing to have a father like this and not have made any achievements in the imperial examinations himself.

He thought for a moment and said to Kong Guangsen, "Brother, don't be discouraged. I think since Your Majesty has brought up the topic of New Confucianism, there will definitely be some changes in the future imperial examinations.

Perhaps when we return from the West, subjects like Gewu, Danhua, and Mingsuan will also be added to the imperial examination system. Originally, the Jinshi subject was just one type of imperial examination."

Yao Jingheng's eyes lit up as he listened. "Okay, Brother Zhong, let's go find like-minded people together and go to Europe next year, just like the sages of the Warring States Period two thousand years ago."

The two men walked away hand in hand happily. They did not wait for the final outcome. According to the emperor's character, he would probably issue an edict immediately after Kong Zhaohuan's death to abolish the hereditary title of Duke Yansheng and replace it with an official who worshipped the Great Sage Teacher to take over the Duke Yansheng's mansion to worship Confucius.

. . . .

On this side, after ten years of spending money, Mo Zibu finally started to bear some fruit, while the battle on the other side was also continuing.

Mo Zibu summoned the generals and officers of the Aisin Gioro clan who had pledged their allegiance and killed them, and after appeasing them, he led them to continue their march northward from Linqing Prefecture.

At the same time, the Dayu Navy fleet led by Danjiaer had arrived at Weihaiwei with the help of the southeast trade wind. After a rest, they would be able to land in Tianjin Prefecture within seven days.

Another fleet of seven warships led by Rear Admiral Mo Zhengquan, a descendant of the Mo family, has also arrived at the Miaodao Islands. It will reach Shanhaiguan within three days and cut off the retreat route of the Qing Dynasty bannermen stationed in Beijing.

(End of this chapter)