The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 220 A Great Discussion of the Sages

Only officials of the fifth rank or above could speak, so there were very few officials in front of the Fengtian Hall who could speak up.

Li Xianmu first bowed to the emperor to express his gratitude, and then turned to the ministers.

All eyes were on him, some with excitement, some with disgust, some with indifference, some with complex emotions, and some with curiosity—each with their own distinct feelings.

In the end, those gazes turned into envy and jealousy.

To be able to speak first at this moment is something to be envied. When it spreads throughout the world and is recorded in history, this special status will surely attract attention.

At twenty-seven years old, he was a second-rank official, ranking among the Nine Ministers, and was even about to be promoted to the Nine Ministers. He had a handsome face, was elegant and dashing, and came from a noble family. He was deeply favored by the emperor. The autumn wind fluttered, lifting the hem of his robe.

"His Majesty has ordered me to speak first, and I dare not speak carelessly. Please listen attentively."

Li Xianmu tapped his right hand lightly with his scepter in his left hand, as if deep in thought. "The matter of the Confucian Temple was brought to our present state by my advice to Your Majesty. The reason for this was to suppress the unhealthy trend among scholars and literati who only valued the orthodox tradition and not the state."

But I want to say that the people we have chosen today are, after all, candidates for the Temple of Confucius, not candidates for the Temple of Meritorious Officials or the Temple of Loyal Martyrs.

Some people are naturally loyal and as bright as the sun and moon, but they are military generals who do not study Confucian classics, so they cannot be included here.

Please keep this in mind.

These words were agreed upon by everyone, which is also the biggest difference between the Temple of Literature and the Temple of Martial Arts. The full names of these two temples are Temple of King Wenxuan and Temple of King Wucheng, not Temple of Civil Officials and Temple of Military Generals.

The awkward thing is that the Temple of Martial Arts has truly become a temple for military generals, while the Temple of Literature is a temple for Confucian scholars.

So the more you compare them, the more something seems off. The Temple of Martial Arts is full of true gods, while the Temple of Literature is full of charlatans who are just filling in the numbers.

"Among the Four Sages and Ten Philosophers of the Confucian Temple, those who pioneered the Great Way after Confucius are considered the first, those who achieved immortality despite not pioneering the Great Way are considered the second, and the rest are considered the third. Do you all agree with my statement?"

Li Xianmu looked around at everyone, and someone asked in a loud voice, "May I ask Lord Shouzheng, what is meant by 'creating the Great Way'?"

“Mencius!” Li Xianmu said without hesitation. “Confucius forged the soul of Confucianism, and Mencius forged its spirit. The word ‘righteousness’ has been deeply ingrained in the bones since Mencius, and has even spread to the hearts of everyone in the world.”

"May I ask you again, Lord Shouzheng, when Sima Qian wrote biographies and ranked the philosophers, he only mentioned Mencius and Xunzi together, while Shenzi, Gongsunzi, Shizi, Mozi and others were only listed after Mencius and Xunzi. This is because Mencius and Xunzi have been mentioned together since the late Zhou Dynasty through the Qin and Han Dynasties."

Where should Xunzi be placed?

As soon as these words were spoken, a murmur arose among the crowd. Xunzi was very famous during the pre-Qin, Qin, and Han periods, and his reputation was on par with Mencius. However, with the collapse of Han Confucianism, Xunzi's status plummeted, while Mencius's status rose higher and higher. Especially from the Tang Dynasty onwards, Han Yu greatly praised Mencius, and later Song Confucian scholars took over, gradually elevating Mencius to the status of a second sage.

"Xunzi's doctrines are profound and extensive, and he himself was undoubtedly a great talent in the Confucian school. However, he had two disciples, Li Si and Han Fei, who were both Legalists. This shows that his doctrines were biased and lacked the principle of moderation. His words are not worthy of being compared with Mencius, and he lacked the virtue of dying for his country and the merit of holding the central government. He can be included in the Seventy-Two Sages, but not in the Ten Philosophers." Li Xianmu stated his opinion without hesitation. Many scholars have read Xunzi's classic works, and everyone knows that he was indeed brilliant and first-rate in the Confucian school. But now everyone studies the Four Books and Five Classics.

What are the Four Books?
The Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Analects, and the Mencius—in other words, everyone is a disciple or descendant of Mencius.

No matter how profound Xunzi's learning was, the paths he took were different from those of the other two scholars, so how could he possibly attain sainthood here?

Moreover, Xunzi taught two Legalist giants, one of whom was a Legalist sage who mastered the three aspects of law, tactics, and power. It would be strange if Xunzi were ranked above the Ten Philosophers.

Li Xianmu could not agree, nor could the people of the world agree.

Li Xianmu then remarked with emotion: "Confucius said, 'To achieve benevolence,' and Mencius said, 'To uphold righteousness.' Only when righteousness is fully realized can benevolence be attained."

These sixteen characters encapsulate the essence of Confucian tradition: benevolence and righteousness are one, Confucius and Mencius are one, and the two sages are inseparable!
Therefore, Mencius became a sage by establishing his words. Of the so-called four sages, only this one remains, and the name of the four sages is no longer valid!
The Temple of Confucius is dedicated to Confucius, with Mencius as a secondary figure; this principle must not be changed!
Do you all agree?

A moment of silence fell before the hall, then a series of resounding voices rose and fell like waves, "Indeed!"

The presence of Confucius and Mencius at the top of the Confucian Temple brings some peace of mind to scholars. Even if the temple changes its inhabitants, it is still a temple dedicated to Confucian sages.

After three or five waves subsided, the situation gradually calmed down. The person who had asked the question earlier silently retreated back into the ranks. Li Xianmu glanced at them but did not pay any attention to this strange little episode.

When he listed the first, second, and third, he had a ulterior motive. After Mencius was mentioned as the standard for establishing words, Zhu Xi, who also only established words, was not quite enough. If Zhu Xi wanted to be included in the Ten Philosophers, he would need to use connections. Li Xianmu casually glanced at the emperor's seat. Such a good favor should naturally be reserved for the emperor.

Gathering his thoughts, Li Xianmu continued, "Since you all have no objections to what I just said, then the sages we recommend next must be impeccable in terms of words, deeds, and virtue. Most importantly, they must have a heart devoted to the country and a willingness to die for the sake of the nation."

Here are a few examples—

Zhuge Liang devoted himself to the Han Dynasty until his death, doing what he knew was impossible, and was the embodiment of the integrity of the Han Dynasty's scholar-officials.

Han Yu's remonstrance against welcoming the Buddha's relics would have resulted in his death had it not been for the intercession of the Tang Dynasty's prime ministers. Han Yu's fearlessness despite knowing he would die demonstrates his loyalty to the Tang Dynasty.

Fan Zhongyan, a man of many talents, experienced the ups and downs of official life, rising to the high position of prime minister and also being demoted and forced to wander through various prefectures. Yet, he never slackened in his efforts, writing: "I am not elated by external gains, nor saddened by personal losses. When in high office, I worry about the people; when in retirement, I worry about the ruler. Whether advancing or retreating, I worry. When then will I find joy? Surely I would say: 'To be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures.'"

He is truly an outstanding role model for the world!
Wen Zhonglie was appointed prime minister in a time of crisis. He traversed hardships and dangers, and managed the country amidst upheaval and displacement. He was determined to restore the country and remained steadfast despite repeated setbacks. He was eager to repay the emperor and remained steadfast in the face of danger. When the country was destroyed, he was captured and imprisoned for many years. The Mongol Yuan dynasty tempted him with great opportunities but he did not comply. They threatened him with torture but he did not yield. In the end, he sacrificed his life for righteousness.

His poem "Ode to Righteousness" is a must-recite by all scholars in the world. Those who hear it but do not feel the same way and resolve to serve their country are disloyal!

These four men were loyal to the Han, Tang, and Song dynasties before the establishment of our Great Ming Dynasty, serving in the central government and willing to die for their cause!
To enter the ranks of the Ten Sages, one must first observe these four!
Do you all agree?

(End of this chapter)