The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 179 Trap (Fifth Update)

"Isn't Minister Li worried that he might retaliate and cause trouble later by deliberately provoking the Minister?"

"I'm afraid he won't try to trip me up."

These days, the matter raised by Li Xianmu has already stirred up a great deal of turmoil in the capital. Li Xianmu is certain that Hu Ying must be the mastermind behind it all.

Rather than letting these opposing forces continue to accumulate, it's better to expose some of them directly. He doesn't believe Hu Ying can still sit still now.

A commotion suddenly broke out outside the carriage, followed by the coachman's slightly panicked voice, "Young master, there are students blocking the road ahead."

Li Xianmu first frowned, then slowly relaxed, a hint of disdain showing between his brows. It was the same trick again, always the same trick, inciting these scholars to mobilize public opinion.

This tactic cannot be said to be useless; rather, it is very effective. Throughout history, the power of public opinion has been second only to military power, and even a strong public opinion can undermine military power.

After all, an army is also made up of people.

However, in ancient times there were not many media outlets, and the power of public opinion relied on word of mouth, and was controlled by scholars who were relatively well-educated.

This is a huge flaw.

A double-edged sword can hurt others, but it can also hurt the user!

Li Qi had used public opinion to punish the other party several times before, and now Hu Ying was using the same tactic again.

"We demand that the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites come out and give us an explanation!"

Li Xianmu did not hide. He stepped out of the carriage and looked down at the official, asking in a loud voice, "I am here. What are you scholars doing obstructing an official appointed by the court?"
I am not an official of the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review. If you have any grievances, please go elsewhere. I will not accept any inquiries from you.

Scatter immediately.

what?
The scholars were all taken aback by Li Xianmu's attitude. This was the first time they had encountered a high-ranking official who treated them in this way. Other high-ranking officials, even if they did not want to meet him, would not refuse him so explicitly.

After all, a single scholar might just be a poor student, but a group of scholars represents public opinion.

After being preemptively challenged by Li Xianmu, the scholars were bewildered and their morale weakened by three points, but at least they did not forget why they had come today.

"Minister Li, there is a widespread rumor in the capital that the provincial examinations next year and the metropolitan examinations the year after will be based on the classics of Li Zhongwen. Is this really true?"

Li Xianmu remained calm and said, "So what if I have it? So what if I don't?"

His nonchalant attitude thoroughly enraged the scholars. One of them pointed at Li Xianmu and angrily said, "We scholars have endured ten years of hard study. Is Vice Minister Li going to squander it all for his own selfish gain?"

Li Xianmu's brows darkened noticeably, and he shouted sternly, "What do you mean by selfishness? Isn't Lord Li Zhongwen a saint of our time?"

Isn't Li Zhongwen listed in the Temple of Literature?
Should the teachings of sages be kept out of the world and forgotten by people instead of being disseminated and used to educate them?
Is this your attitude towards the teachings of sages?
Are you seeking the Great Way, or merely seeking official positions?
If your aim is to seek the Way, then study the teachings of the sages of our time. If your aim is to become an official, then as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, I must question your motives!
"Those who seek official positions for the sake of officialdom, blinded by greed, how can we allow them to truly achieve top honors in the imperial examinations? Dismissal would be far better!"

Li Xianmu's series of questions were like heavy hammer blows to the hearts of all the scholars, making them pale, bloodless, and speechless.

Confucianism is a school of thought that prioritizes morality, emphasizing being a good person before doing anything else, and even being ashamed to talk about profit.

How dare they say that studying is only for becoming an official, and how dare they say that they have no interest in seeking the Great Way?

If you don't say it, you'll fall into Li Xianmu's linguistic trap. Since it's about seeking the Dao, then Li Zhongwen's learning points directly to the Great Dao, so you can go and learn from him.

Li Xianmu surveyed the expressions of the crowd, a cold smile playing on his lips. These mere scholars were easily manipulated, leaving them with no recourse but bitterness.

"Why have you suddenly fallen silent? Don't you even dare to utter the words 'seeking the Way'? How could the sage have descendants like you? It's truly a misfortune for Confucianism!"

“Minister Li, we are naturally seeking the Way, but Lord Li Zhongwen also said that knowledge and action should be one. If we do not serve as officials and practice the Way of the Sages, how can we know the correctness of the Way we seek?”

"Yes, Minister Li, moreover, sharing the Emperor's burdens is something we all want to do. Does the Minister intend to deprive us of this sincere desire?"

Li Xianmu turned his gaze to the scholar who had spoken first. This was indeed a talented man. Li Xianmu attacked him with morality, and he responded with morality in return.

Li Xianmu finally took a liking to it and asked meaningfully, "Since you know that Li Zhongwen Gong practiced the unity of knowledge and action and are prepared to put it into practice, then why do you oppose using the Chuanxi Lu as the answer for the exam?" "I have studied Zhu Xi's teachings for twenty-five years. If I suddenly change my mind, I will surely fail the exam. I did not have the opportunity to study Li Zhongwen Gong's teachings in the past. Now that I have entered the Imperial Academy, I realize that there is such a illustrious school of thought in this world. Unfortunately, I have the exam to take before me and cannot study it."

However, I recently heard that Vice Minister Li wanted to abolish Neo-Confucianism and establish the School of Mind. Therefore, I have come here today to beg Vice Minister Li to show leniency and open a path for students like myself.

These words were spoken neither servilely nor arrogantly, and were reasonable and well-founded, which made Li Xianmu feel a little favorably disposed towards them. It turned out that not all of these students were incompetent fools, and these words were actually quite interesting.

Although he didn't know if it was sincere, it sounded much better. Li Xianmu then looked at the other students.

Seeing that the anger on Li Xianmu's face lessened, the students immediately knew that this method was effective. Since they could not force him with the way of the sages, they would try to move him with their emotions. There were so many students in the world studying Neo-Confucianism. Would Li Xianmu really risk the world's condemnation and prevent countless students from achieving their goals in the imperial examinations?

"I once heard a saying, 'He who hears the wind believes the rain,' and now it seems that this applies to you lot."

Li Xianmu lamented, "The idea of ​​abolishing Neo-Confucianism and establishing the School of Mind—where did this rumor come from? I have never heard of it, nor have my colleagues."

This is a very important matter.

Why do you think that I, a mere Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, am in charge of this?
Even if His Majesty wanted to abolish Neo-Confucianism and establish the School of Mind, he would still have to convene a group of ministers to discuss it. Not to mention the current sage emperor, even if Emperor Wu of Han wanted to abolish all other schools of thought and exclusively honor Confucianism, he would still have to discuss it with many ministers. And now you actually believe that a mere Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites can do such a big thing.

In my opinion, people of your intelligence are better off not entering officialdom.

The last sentence was pure contempt, but without a trace of mockery; it was full of sincerity, which made everyone break down.

But Li Xianmu's words were so clear: the idea of ​​abolishing Neo-Confucianism and establishing the School of Mind was completely fabricated; it was a complete and utter rumor.

"Minister Li, is what you just said true? Is there really no such thing as abolishing Neo-Confucianism and establishing the School of Mind?"

"Of course not. Even if you don't believe what I'm saying, you should think about what I just said. This is a major event that affects hundreds of thousands of scholars in the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty. Even if His Majesty trusts me, how could he risk the turmoil of the country by letting me make a decision on his own?"

"If only you had thought things through, you wouldn't have made such a spectacle of yourselves before my carriage today, becoming a laughingstock for the people of the capital. You are supposed to be students of the Imperial Academy, pillars of our Great Ming Dynasty, and you are truly disappointing."

The student's face had turned cold with anger. He came from a poor family and had worked hard and relied on a lot of luck to get to where he was at the Imperial Academy. He was determined to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi in order to repay his hometown. So when he heard about this, he was blinded by fear.

But now that he had come to his senses, he was filled with regret and deep anger towards the mastermind behind the murder. Forcibly suppressing his anger, he asked in a loud voice, "Minister Li, there's no smoke without fire. I believe it's impossible for such rumors to arise out of thin air, yet you speak with such certainty. Is there some hidden story behind this?"

Li Xianmu glanced at the student again; this was a talented individual.

Moreover, he always gets to the heart of the matter. “I do intend to promote the philosophy of mind. After all, it would be a waste to leave the teachings of the sages on a high shelf or to treat them only as family learning.”

Therefore, it was decided that in the provincial examinations of the eleventh year of Yongle and the metropolitan examination of the twelfth year of Yongle, candidates would be allowed to choose answers from the sayings of Zhu Xi or the transmitted records.

Students choose whichever answer they agree with, or whichever answer they understand.

Therefore, it's not about abandoning Neo-Confucianism and establishing the School of Mind, but rather about pursuing both simultaneously. Zhu Xi was a sage, and Li Zi was also a sage. Which one a scholar chooses to learn from is entirely up to their own discretion.

After Li Xianmu finished speaking, the scholars present understood completely that the rumors circulating were far from the truth!

The difference is like night and day!

Although Li Xianmu was clearly promoting the School of Mind, it was not a coercive measure. Scholars who had studied diligently for ten years could still use Neo-Confucianism to participate in the imperial examinations, and those who had studied the School of Mind could also enter officialdom through their expertise in it.

As the number of scholars of the School of Mind grew, Li Xianmu's reforms were actually in line with the times and were an inclusive move.

Although the most conservative faction of Neo-Confucianism would certainly be greatly dissatisfied and there would be further twists and turns in the future, at least for these scholars who only cared about passing the imperial examinations, there was no longer any need to besiege Li Xianmu.

"I just don't know how this rumor got out. It's only been circulating within the Ministry of Rites and the Cabinet, but my colleagues in the Cabinet all know the truth. Could it be that someone in the Ministry of Rites leaked this information by being vague?"

Li Xianmu's expression gradually darkened. "I wonder where you students learned of this news?"

Now it was the scholars' turn to be bewildered. They felt as if they had touched something extraordinary and become someone's pawns.

Some people were slow to realize it, while some scholars had already felt a chill run down their spines; the matter seemed to be of great importance!

(End of this chapter)