The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 209 Which is more important?
"If only one day."

Li Xianmu declared, "If the existence of Confucianism hinders the survival of the Ming Dynasty, then I will abandon Confucianism without hesitation."

If one day the existence of Confucianism hinders the survival of the Ming Dynasty, I will abandon Confucianism without hesitation.

If one day, revitalizing Legalism can bring prosperity to the Ming Dynasty, then I will revitalize Legalism.

If one day I had to choose between the Confucian tradition and the survival of the Ming Dynasty, I would choose the survival of the Ming Dynasty without hesitation!

Like a whirlwind sweeping through Fengtian Hall, scattering everyone into disarray, speechless, yet Li Xianmu's words seemed to still echo in their ears.

Almost all the ministers, and even the dukes and nobles, stared in astonishment, their mouths agape.

The words of a madman!

These are truly the words of a madman. Since Emperor Wu of Han dismissed all other schools of thought and exclusively honored Confucianism, Li Xianmu is probably the only Confucian scholar to have uttered such words.

Moreover, after the Song Dynasty, Confucianism flourished to the point of becoming a religion. In such a society, even the emperor dared not question the sanctity of Confucianism, but rather had to subdue it, which is why the Duke Yansheng system existed.

Even the boldest person would never have imagined that Li Xianmu would say such things.

Liu Guan couldn't even believe what he had heard. He was filled with regret. If he had known that Li Xianmu was such a madman, he would never have chosen to confront him.

He shakily extended his scepter and pointed it at Li Xianmu, saying, "Li Xianmu, do you know what you're saying?"

How dare you say that?

Zhu Gaochi was so shocked that the sweat on his face instantly disappeared, but his eyes were full of joyful smiles. He immediately turned to look at the emperor.

As expected, Zhu Di's eyes were also full of smiles. He knew he would never misjudge Li Xianmu's sincerity.

The courtiers in the hall didn't even need to look at the emperor's expression to know that he must be delighted at that moment. After all, what emperor wouldn't like such a loyal minister?

Moreover, if it were someone else, it would inevitably seem exaggerated and hypocritical. But Li Xianmu had been in office for ten years and accomplished so many great things. He had personally carried out almost every task. In the officialdom, everyone knew that as long as it was beneficial to the country, Li Xianmu would always act impartially. Even his enemies thought so. Therefore, Li Xianmu's words were particularly convincing.

Ignoring the complex expressions of everyone in the hall, Li Xianmu stared intently at Liu Guan, even pressing his scepter against Liu Guan's chest. "Liu Guan, this is the biggest difference between me and you all."

You are willing to disregard the survival of the Ming Dynasty for the sake of the Confucian tradition. You believe that dynasties are destined to end, but I do not.

As long as the world can be guided to pass on the sacred tradition, that's enough.

The Han and Tang dynasties a thousand years ago, and the Song and Yuan dynasties that followed, were all vehicles for the transmission of Confucianism; their rise and fall were not important.

But I am not like that.

Confucianism and the Confucian school are unimportant to me; what matters most is that the Ming Dynasty prospers for ten thousand years!

Perhaps it was the pain in his chest from being pressed against the tablet, or perhaps it was the intimidation from Li Xianmu's imposing presence, but Liu Guan retreated step by step, while Li Xianmu pressed forward relentlessly.

Liu Guan was caught off guard and tripped, falling to the ground. The tablet in his hand made a crisp sound, but this comical scene did not elicit any laughter from the hall.

Who has the mind to laugh now? Li Xianmu's words are almost insane, leaving almost everyone speechless.

They found it extremely awkward to hear this. If Li Xianmu had said that Confucianism and the Confucian school were not important, he would have been condemned and remembered for his infamy in ordinary times. But Li Xianmu's words had a core message: he placed the Confucian school and the Ming Dynasty in opposition.

He had no respect for Confucianism, but his loyalty to the Ming Dynasty was as clear as day!
Who would dare to say a word against the emperor?
Under the clear blue sky, in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, they couldn't even stop Li Xianmu; they could only watch as he overwhelmed the entire court.

After Liu Guan fell to the ground, Li Xianmu didn't even glance down at him. Instead, he walked straight past him, stood in the center of the hall, lightly clapped his hands with his scepter, and looked at everyone. The officials were also looking at him with complicated expressions.

Li Xianmu said from the bottom of his heart: "I say that the world is not right now. You ask me, what is wrong with the world now?"
You say I attacked the Temple of Confucius and showed no respect for the Duke Yansheng, and ask me what kind of atmosphere the Temple of Confucius has corrupted?
I can tell you all clearly that what I'm attacking is this attitude of not taking the Ming Dynasty seriously.

The reason I want to renovate the Confucian Temple is to tell everyone!

If the Ming Dynasty were to fall, then there would be no need for Confucianism to exist.

I hope that every Confucian scholar in the future will put the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty and loyalty to the Ming Dynasty first.

Instead of continuing to enjoy wealth and power in a different dynasty like the Duke Yansheng.

The practice of generational reverence and the making of ancestral tablets should never be allowed to continue.

Confucian scholars, sages, the Duke of Yansheng, and countless other Confucian students should all serve the Ming Dynasty as their master.

A dynasty that lasts for a hundred years, Confucius that lasts for a thousand years, and Confucianism that lasts for ten thousand years—starting with my Great Ming Dynasty, this should never happen again!

My words are right here; what do you all think?

"it is good!"

Suddenly, applause rang out in the quiet hall, and the sound seemed to come from the throne at the top.

His Majesty the Emperor is applauding Li Xianmu!
The instant Zhu Di clapped, the eunuch Hong Bao beside him immediately followed suit. This custom of clapping existed as early as ancient times, recorded in Han Feizi, and expressed excitement, exhilaration, and applause.

The fact that the emperor has taken the initiative to do this shows how excited he is.

A chorus of clear, resounding applause came from the head of the hall, echoing throughout the palace. Below the steps in front of the emperor, Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo clapped with a soft laugh, while a group of nobles and military officers clapped along. Some, not wanting to miss out on the excitement, even cheered for the civil officials.

The voices of one person and a hundred people echoed in the specially built hall of Fengtian Hall, as if they were the voices of millions of people, like thunder falling from the sky, resounding in the ears of the officials in the hall, carrying endless momentum!
As if Mount Tai had collapsed, countless rocks and boulders rolled and roared towards the courtiers in the hall. Liu Guan, who had just stood up from the ground, turned pale. It was as if the overwhelming force was surging towards him, making him feel trembling and unsteady on his feet.

Without magnificence, there is no power; without grandeur, there is no momentum!
The resounding chorus seemed to echo the vast will of Heaven.

Li Xianmu, who had been shouting alone, now seemed to be shouting as if countless people were shouting together.

When the applause subsided, Zhu Di rose from the throne for the second time that day, but this time he did not step down. He paced back and forth at the head of the throne, sighing with a sense of leisure.

“I know that over the years, some people have said that I have been too fond of Xianmu, that I have sent him on inspection tours whenever there are important events in the court, and that I have almost always sided with him, saying that I am biased and gullible towards Xianmu.”

But I am an emperor who emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood; I am not a puppet raised in the hands of women in the deep palace.

I have eyes to see and ears to hear. I know who is truly for the Ming Dynasty and who is truly loyal to me!
Which of you doesn't have your own little schemes and calculations in your hearts? I don't care, and I don't want to bother with it. After all, these are human nature. As long as these schemes don't affect the Ming Dynasty, I'll let it go.

But Xianmu is not like that. I have seen his sincere loyalty to the Ming Dynasty. Even my sons, the Prince of Zhao, the Prince of Han, and even the Crown Prince, are not as impartial as Xianmu.

You must all be shocked by what Xianmu said today, right?
But I am not surprised at all; this is exactly how I have always envisioned Xianmu.

Therefore, whenever a decision needs to be made, I choose the option that Xianmu approves of; this is my trust in Xianmu.

Zhu Di stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the assembled officials in the hall. "When Xianmu brought up the matter of re-electing the Confucian Temple today, I hesitated for a moment, but I quickly came to believe that Xianmu would not speak without reason."

And indeed, that proved to be true.

Xianmu spoke very well; he spoke to my heart and made me realize something.

I would also like to ask you all, in your hearts, which is more important, the Confucian tradition or the fate of our Great Ming Dynasty?

With just one sentence, the officials in the Fengtian Hall instantly knelt down.

This is not a multiple-choice question.

It's a matter of life and death.

There is only one answer.

Many people are confused. What exactly happened? Why did Confucianism and the Ming Dynasty become opposing options, and why were they even forced to choose between them?

Before anyone could think, all the voices gave the same answer—"The Ming Dynasty!"

Only the Ming Dynasty!

Only the Ming Dynasty!

In the Fengtian Hall, only Zhu Di stood, his hands behind his back, deep in thought. Many things had happened at the grand court today.

He looked at Li Xianmu, who happened to look up at him as well, his eyes sparkling like obsidian.

"Xianmu, rise and stand below the steps before the Emperor."

Zhu Di only called Li Xianmu to his feet. Li Xianmu quickly got up from the ground and went down the steps in front of the emperor, looking up at the emperor.

Fengtian Hall faces south, and the sun shines from east to south, casting light into the hall and illuminating the kneeling ministers. Before the kneeling ministers, Li Xianmu stands alone with his back to them, ascending the steps to the highest point of the hall, where the emperor sits at the head of the table, looking down upon the assembled officials.

"Xianmu, do you want to change the candidates for the Confucian Temple? And are you quite dissatisfied with the current candidates?"

"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case." Li Xianmu said eloquently, "The so-called saints and sages worshipped in the Confucian Temple today are mainly the students of Confucius."

The Supreme Being said that a sage has three things that are immortal: establishing virtue, establishing merit, and establishing words.

However, none of Confucius's students have had their virtues recorded in history, their achievements recorded in history, or their words recorded in the world.

Only some words in the Analects reveal that such a person once existed in history.

Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty, Fan Zhongyan of the Song Dynasty, and my late father were all great Confucian scholars who achieved the three immortalities. Which one of them is not worthy of being listed among the Four Sages and Ten Philosophers?

Which one should fall behind these people?

What kind of spirit did the imperial court want to convey to scholars across the land by offering sacrifices to these people?

What is it that you want all Confucian scholars to emulate?

(End of this chapter)