The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 182 I request that the Minister meet with the students!
I ask all the students of the world!

How will you students answer me?

Li Xianmu looked around at the people in the Ministry of Rites, but instead of asking them questions, he headed towards the more distant Ming Dynasty.

Why did he ask such a question, putting Li Qi and Zhu Xi to a contest, and where did his confidence come from?

Among the scholars of the Ming Dynasty, there was a saying that circulated: "Since the flourishing of culture and education in the Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi is the closest I have ever heard of to a saint, but Li Zi is the saint I have ever seen with my own eyes who has reached sainthood."

Even the most demanding person could not find the slightest flaw in Li Qi, who lived twenty-four years after the Hongwu reign.

In terms of knowledge, classics, words and deeds, character, ability, and magnanimity, Li Qi adhered to all the world's expectations of a sage, and some even said that "his sincerity seemed hypocritical."

He seemed to be faking it.

Only by fabricating accusations can one be attacked. This is why Li Qi in the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu's reign could, despite proposing the philosophy of mind, still manage to get a group of great Confucian scholars to reluctantly acknowledge his status as emperor.

Only after he died did Hu Ying and his ilk dare to speak out.

The courtyard of the Ministry of Rites fell silent in a daze, so silent that even the rustling of withered leaves falling to the ground could be clearly heard by Li Xianmu.

When the atmosphere becomes stagnant, someone needs to break the deadlock.

Li Xianmu and Zheng Huan, the Left Vice Minister, exchanged a glance, and a resolute look flashed in Zheng Huan's eyes.

Within the Ministry of Rites, his position was slightly above that of Li Xianmu; he was the Left Vice Minister, while Li Xianmu was the Right Vice Minister.

In the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, he could only serve as Li Xianmu's henchman.

Since one has chosen to follow the teachings of the mind, one must have the proper attitude of following them.

Dengdengdeng.

To everyone's surprise, the Left Vice Minister made his move. He strode quickly, and in just a moment, he circled the corridor and stood in front of the Minister's office.

This sudden scene didn't surprise anyone, because no one was able to react in time; only one thought involuntarily popped into their minds—

What is Zheng Huan going to do?
The next moment, everyone knew that Zheng Huan reached out and grabbed the door knocker, let out a soft breath, and then slammed the door of the study open!

The warm and gentle sunlight in the Ministry of Rites courtyard suddenly shone into the study, illuminating the slightly dark room until every detail was clearly visible, and even the smallest particles in the air were clearly visible to everyone.

But that doesn't matter.

The important person was Hu Ying, the Minister of Rites. Hu Ying, who had been hiding for a long time, suddenly appeared in front of everyone.

There was absolutely no preparation.

Be caught off guard.

The shock was still written all over his face.

Zheng Huan opened the door to the Minister's office, but did not stop. He took a deep breath and then shouted in a voice that shook the entire government office: "May I ask Minister Hu, if the students of the Great Ming do not worship the sages of the Great Ming, then what are they supposed to do?"

He called out to Hu Ying.

But what could be heard was the entire government office, and not just this one office.

Li Xianmu remained standing under the willow tree, gently flicking the fallen leaves off his shoulder. "If you want to be a coward, you'll have to ask me first."

Since you don't want to come out.

Then I ask you to see all living beings, and then to see all sentient beings!

It was late autumn in the capital. A gust of wind suddenly swept in from the northwest, stirring up the fallen leaves on the ground and carrying away the heavy breathing of the students.

A look of astonishment finally appeared on the faces of the people who had come to their senses; this sudden turn of events left everyone speechless.

But in an instant, someone burst out laughing, which then led more people to tremble slightly, their expressions clearly showing they were trying not to laugh.

Is there anything more embarrassing in this world than being a coward?
Of course there is, that is, having your turtle shell ripped off in public. You can't hide your head, and you have to face the thorny reality. What's more ridiculous than being embarrassed is being embarrassed twice.

Hu Ying felt like his mind had turned to mush. He had no idea how things had gotten to this point, that Li Xianmu was so shameless.

Forcing someone who doesn't want to show up to do so—where's the gentlemanly conduct? How come you haven't learned any of the demeanor of Li Zhongwen?

And you, Zheng Huan!
Hu Ying glared fiercely at Zheng Huan, the man who had always been so cautious in his presence, now tearing at his flesh like a wolf. He finally snapped out of his daze and gritted his teeth, asking, "When did this happen?"

When are you planning to betray me?
Zheng Huan's previous fawning attitude vanished, replaced by undisguised disgust. He didn't utter a sound, but mouthed two words—"Never!"

I never intended to submit to you.

I was never yours.

I have never respected you.

Hu Ying was furious, but Zheng Huan didn't give him a chance and asked again in a loud voice: "May I ask Minister Hu, if the students of the Great Ming do not worship the sages of the Great Ming, then what are they supposed to do?"

"Where are the sages in the Ming Dynasty?"

Having been pushed to this point step by step, having been verbally abused by Li Xianmu for so long, and then provoked by Zheng Huan's series of provocations, coupled with the current behavior of the Ministry of Rites, how could he not know that he had become a laughingstock? His anger had reached its peak, and coupled with his already extreme dissatisfaction with the School of Mind, he immediately spoke out all his thoughts—

"Li Qi is a false saint, and his philosophy of mind is a heretical path. He is not even worthy of carrying the shoes of the Neo-Confucian school!"
Let alone becoming a textbook for the Ming Dynasty's imperial examinations!
"It would be better for the students of the Ming Dynasty to worship Shang Yang than to have him revered as a saint!"

Shang Yang has always been associated with the tyrannical Qin Dynasty, and his reputation is infamous. Hu Ying's words can be described as extremely contemptuous.

He viciously belittled Li Qi and the philosophy of mind, but the next moment he saw the smile on Zheng Huan's lips, and his heart sank, realizing that something was wrong.

"Grand Minister of Rites, you..."

It wasn't until he saw even his staff panic that Hu Ying realized what he had said, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

There was also a stir within the Ministry of Rites.

Among the previous memorials, there were similar statements, such as some saying that Li Qi's philosophy of mind was unreliable and was poisoning the minds of students, and others accusing the philosophy of mind of being a sorcery.

However, many of those reports were submitted by retired scholars, while others were submitted by low-ranking censors.

The same words spoken by different people can sound completely different.

For example, if an ordinary person says they want to try being emperor, the emperor might just laugh it off. But if an official says the same thing, then their entire family is definitely doomed.

As the Minister of Rites, Hu Ying was required to speak in a moderate and balanced manner. In his memorial, he mainly stated that Li Xianmu's reforms were not working and that the School of Mind could not be ranked alongside the School of Neo-Confucianism.

But now, Hu Ying has said these things in public. The reason why the School of Mind was able to rise to prominence was not only because of Li Qi, but also because these things were promoted when the late emperor was alive. Much of the content of the School of Mind had been read and even annotated by the late emperor.

Of course, Neo-Confucianism received the same treatment. After Zhu Yuanzhang finished reading the Four Books and their commentaries, he made many comments, which is why it became the only official textbook for the Ming Dynasty's imperial examinations.

Regardless of the number of attacks, due to the late emperor, high-ranking officials of the fifth rank and above were limited to certain scope when criticizing the School of Mind.

It's acceptable to prevent the study of mind from becoming a textbook for the imperial examinations, to say that the study of mind is not a very profound subject, and to say that the study of mind is far inferior to the study of principle.

However, it cannot be said that the philosophy of mind is an evil art.
Secondly, there is the attack on Li Qi. Li Qi's status as a saint is universally acknowledged. Even if Hu Ying is shameless enough to overturn the verdict, he still has to consider the thoughts of other great Confucian scholars.

Many people oppose the new theories of mind and Li Qi, but not Li Qi himself; this is what they think.

Li Xianmu desperately tried to completely bind Li Qi and the School of Mind, while many others tried desperately to separate the two.

Moreover, there is another important reason: Li Qi's final step to the throne was personally pushed up by the current emperor. To attack Li Qi on moral and academic grounds in this way would put the emperor in a difficult position.

Hu Ying has now violated these theorems; he has crossed the line!

The staff members all looked ashen-faced. If they had known this would happen, they would have preferred to stay in the room and hide like turtles. Li Xianmu was truly ruthless, actually managing to force people to see the world.

It's too cloudy.

Without thirty or forty years of experience in struggle, and decades of experience working hard at the bottom, one cannot do such a despicable thing.

Even now, the one confronting them is still Zheng Huan, their pawn. Thinking of this, the group couldn't help but be shocked. What benefits did Li Xianmu offer to make a dignified Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites like this?
Even if he were to advance further and become the Minister of Rites, it wouldn't be enough.

Zheng Huan clearly had no intention of explaining things to them; he first laughed loudly and shouted, "Okay!"

Then he abruptly stopped smiling, stared intently at Hu Ying, and said sternly, "I hope that when the Minister arrives before the Emperor, he will repeat those words verbatim."

This matter would eventually reach the emperor's ears. Hu Ying had said and done the wrong thing, and he would inevitably be punished. He might not die, but he would definitely be demoted. Among high-ranking officials of the third rank or above, someone who lacks political acumen would not be able to stay in office.

Zheng Huan's eyes lit up at the thought of Hu Ying's possible future. He had been sitting in the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites for too long, always being suppressed by Hu Ying, which made him resentful. Now he finally had the opportunity to overthrow him.

"Minister Hu harbors such deep resentment towards my late father." Li Xianmu's cold voice resounded in everyone's ears. "To treat a universally recognized sage in this way, I truly don't know if Minister Hu is the only one with discerning eyes who can see what others cannot, or if Minister Hu is so muddle-headed and jealous that he would slander a sacred person and be so treacherous in his heart!"

It no longer matters; all right and wrong will be judged by the Emperor in the palace.

Whether my father, Li Zhongwen, was righteous or wicked, should be clearly determined.

When Li Xianmu's cold and stern voice echoed throughout the Ministry of Rites, it immediately caused quite a stir. Most of the dissatisfaction stemmed from Hu Ying, who criticized the sage who had been enshrined in the Confucian Temple and who had made great contributions to the Confucian school. This was truly inappropriate.

It should be noted that even though Li Xianmu wanted to promote the philosophy of mind and mention his biological father, he did not name him so explicitly, but rather used the general concept of Song Dynasty Confucianism.

This is the bottom line.

If Confucian sages residing in the Temple of Literature can be attacked at will, where is the dignity of Confucianism?

"Enter the palace? Today, his criticism of Li Zhongwen is tantamount to criticizing the late emperor and the current emperor. I'm afraid this will not end well."

"They wore crimson and purple robes before entering the palace, but might wear green robes when they leave."

These voices fell on Hu Ying's ears, making him even more ashen-faced.

"Master Zongbo, if you go to the palace to plead guilty to His Majesty, you may still have a way out. If you resist, the punishment will surely be more severe." Seeing that the situation was beyond saving, the advisor could only whisper to comfort him: "You have students, former officials, old friends and relatives. It is not impossible for you to be reinstated in the future."

Even in his dire circumstances, Li Zhongwen rose to power and seized control of the court, becoming a high-ranking official of the second rank. A sudden reinstatement is not impossible!

Hu Ying felt no comfort whatsoever upon hearing this.

Even though he had just belittled Li Qi, he knew perfectly well that compared to Li Qi, he was like a firefly compared to the brilliance of the moon.

Moreover, Li Qi is the late emperor's son-in-law and the current emperor's brother-in-law. How could he compare to such a close relationship?

But he knew he absolutely had to go to the palace.

From the moment he was exposed to the world in his true form, and from the moment he uttered those words in anger, the tide began to turn towards the abyss.

The conflict between Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind has just begun and will not end because of his failure. Even if Hu Ying is eliminated, the weakness of the School of Mind is due to its inherent limitations and will not change in essence. In his view, the School of Mind will still lose in this contest.

But he was still not satisfied.

Even if Neo-Confucianism wins, what good will it do? His future is ruined here, and his power has vanished. How can he be content with that?

Many people believe that powerful groups are monolithic, but in reality, no one is willing to gamble everything on such groups that are united by mutual interests.

Just like the civil service group that frequently appears in the Tumu Fortress conspiracy theory, just ask one question: Are you willing to give up your power and die in Tumu Fortress for the sake of the great cause of civil service taking power?
No normal person would be willing to do it, let alone those "shady and selfish" civil officials. Where is such a "noble" spirit of sacrifice?

Hu Ying's gaze passed over Zheng Huan's shoulder and landed on Li Xianmu, the instigator of everything. He thought, "You must be very proud of yourself, wanting to kill me, but I won't die."

But when Hu Ying saw Li Xianmu, she was stunned. Li Xianmu's eyes were somewhat hazy, and he did not have a strong killing intent.

Is Li Xianmu pondering?
Is Li Xianmu deep in thought?
Curiosity welled up in Hu Ying's heart, and she wanted to know what Li Xianmu was thinking at this crucial moment.

No one answered him.

Only the sound of the wind remains.

Only after Li Xianmu's eyes cleared did he bow to the crowd and say, "Fellow colleagues, I am about to enter the palace to meet the Emperor."

In the end, she reached the point of entering the palace.

As the purge of Hu Ying, the Minister of Rites, drew to a close, all eyes were on the three key figures in the Ministry of Rites: Li Xianmu, Zheng Huan, and Hu Ying.

Of the three heads of the Ministry of Rites, only Li Xianmu, who also held the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, could conveniently enter the palace to meet the Emperor.

After he left the Ministry of Rites, although the crowd dispersed, the whispers still made Hu Ying feel like she was sitting on pins and needles.

Zheng Huan and Hu Ying exchanged a glance, as if a fierce spark was colliding between them. Their confrontational and competitive spirit was so intense that even a blind person could see it.

The officials in the Ministry of Rites couldn't help but sigh. The former Vice Minister Zheng Huan would never have dared to do such a thing, but now the situation has reversed and things are no longer the same.

The position of Minister of Rites is in grave danger.

Zheng Huan, however, had the opportunity to take charge of the Ministry of Rites and become the new Grand Minister of Rites of the Ming Dynasty!
Feng Shui turns.

There are truly endless possibilities in officialdom!

(End of this chapter)