The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 87 Scholars Gather in Eastern Zhejiang, Li Qi Aims to Become a Saint
"Dongming Academy is guilty of treason. I ask you, what other traitors are there besides Dongming Academy?"
The court did not wish to unjustly accuse scholars, but how could rebellious and disruptive words enter the glorious heavens?
From this day forward, all persons from Zhejiang Province are barred from taking the imperial examinations and from serving in the court. Grand Secretary Li Qi of the Wuying Hall is hereby ordered to investigate any individuals connected to this prohibition. This ban will only be lifted after it has been confirmed that they have no connection whatsoever with the Dongming Academy!

This edict, comparable to the Ming Dynasty's Party Prohibition, caused an uproar among scholars. Unlike the disaster of the Party Prohibition in the Eastern Han Dynasty, this edict was well-founded and reasonable.

Even the scholars of eastern Zhejiang dared not say that the emperor was unreasonable.

What's even more remarkable about the imperial court this time is that the scope of the crackdown is extremely small, limited to only eastern Zhejiang. What does this mean?

The number of places in Zhejiang Province has not been reduced. If no one from eastern Zhejiang takes the imperial examination, then western Zhejiang will fill the gap.
Upon hearing the imperial decree, the people of eastern Zhejiang were naturally devastated, but the scholars of western Zhejiang were probably beaming with joy.

In Zhejiang Province, eastern Zhejiang was already superior to western Zhejiang. Now that the imperial court has directly banned eastern Zhejiang, that's really great!
The scholars from Zhejiang were dumbfounded. Li Qi was not lying; the court would not pursue the matter further. They were indeed not in mortal danger, but being unable to take the imperial examinations or become officials was no different from being dead.
After ten years of hard study, being imprisoned is worse than having your head chopped off. Perhaps you can be reborn in another province eighteen years later.

However, these scholars from Zhejiang did not give up completely. The imperial decree stated that as long as Grand Secretary Li Qi believed that their doctrines had nothing to do with the Eastern Ming Dynasty, they could be pardoned.

Urged on by the surging scholars, the bigwigs from eastern Zhejiang, whether they were renowned scholars or officials in the court, could not wait a moment longer and came to Li Qi to plead for mercy.

The visiting cards sent to the princess's residence had flooded the front hall; the scene was beyond description, even the phrase "bustling with activity" was insufficient to describe it.

Ultimately, only one message came from the princess's residence: Li Qi would personally make a trip to eastern Zhejiang, and if there was anything to discuss, it would be at that time.

This unusual news immediately silenced the capital: Li Qi was going to eastern Zhejiang?

Many people in the capital suddenly took leave, and many important figures looked towards Zhejiang, including the emperor, who was also curious about what Li Qi would say there.

For the eternal prosperity of the Ming Dynasty!

……

Many people travel to eastern Zhejiang.

Because Li Qi's actions were too unusual.

Since the Southern Song Dynasty, eastern Zhejiang has been one of the strongholds of Confucianism and has always been a bustling place. But today, eastern Zhejiang is even more bustling because it is a gathering place for scholars from all over the country.

The leader of the Zhejiang West School, having shaken off his initial excitement upon hearing the imperial decree, led many of his disciples down the mountain.

This is an extremely flat area that can accommodate many people at the same time. A stream runs through the middle, and perhaps in ancient times, people used to play the game of "floating wine cups on a winding stream" here.

Among the three provinces south of the Yangtze River, Jiangxi was the most prosperous. At this time, many people came here, the leader of whom was Xie Jin, a Hanlin scholar and one of the most outstanding people in Jiangxi at the time.

There were also many scholars from Yingtian Prefecture, among whom Wang Gen, a disciple of Li Qi, was highly regarded.

Scholars from other southern provinces came here, eager to see how Li Qi, the leader of the northerners, would treat the scholars from Zhejiang, who had always been his enemies, given his already overwhelming victory.

Then the group saw a swarm of northerners arriving. They were very silent. After arriving, they found a place to sit and did not speak.

Such a scene is rarely seen even by a group of great Confucian scholars, because this is not the Imperial Academy, nor is it a gathering place for scholars. Everyone who has come here today has done so spontaneously. Whatever happens today is destined to be a grand event for the Confucian community.

One of the main protagonists of today's events is the arrival of several renowned Confucian scholars from the Zhejiang School, who brought their disciples and followers.

Many of them were Confucian scholars who had retired and were now teaching in their hometowns, and who had once been quite famous in the world.

If we hadn't known that this place couldn't accommodate so many people, even more would have come here. The culture of eastern Zhejiang is so vibrant, with thousands of scholars.

With so many people here, it became quite noisy. Many were chatting with acquaintances, wondering how Li Qi would deal with the Zhejiang School today—whether he would forgive them or give them the harshest punishment.

All the discussion gradually came to a halt as a carriage appeared at the edge of the horizon.

Then everyone saw Li Qi step out of the carriage. The spring breeze gently caressed the hair at his temples and blew his clothes, creating a vibrant scene.

Then everyone saw Li Qi holding up an object high in his hand—an imperial edict.

At the foot of the mountain, where a sea of ​​people had already gathered, they all knelt down to pay their respects, like a surging tide. Li Qi, holding the imperial edict, walked into the crowd. He looked around at everyone and then said loudly, "The matters in the imperial edict have already been read aloud in the capital last time, and will not be read aloud again today. Please rise."

And so the sea of ​​people, which had been like a surging tide, regained its varied colors.

"I never expected so many like-minded people to come today. If Confucius knew of the prosperity of our Confucian school today, he would surely be very pleased."

This was Li Qi's first sentence.

"Without Guan Zhong, we would be wearing our hair loose and our robes fastened on the left."

If Confucius knew the reason why you all and I are here today, he would surely scold the unworthy descendants.

This is Li Qi's second sentence!
One sentence can evoke pride, another can extinguish smiles. The gathering of thousands falls silent. "The Dongming Academy has committed a heinous crime, as you all surely already know. It has offended the late Emperor, but it is more than just offending the late Emperor; it has defied the world!"

Li Qi made the final decision, and what was even more important than offending the late emperor was polluting the lineage of the Dao.

“Since the Yuan History Case, I have been thinking about why such a thing as the Dongming Academy happened, why great Confucian scholars like Song Lian, Wang Yi, and Fang Xiaoru, who are universally recognized, would recognize a thief as their father, why they would not distinguish between friend and foe, and why they would sacrifice their bodies, bones, blood, souls, and spirits to commit such a great sin!”

For a moment, only Li Qi's voice echoed among the mountains and rivers. It was as if he were lecturing at the Imperial Academy, with everyone as his students, or as if he were questioning the voices of all the sages.

"I have thought it through. Just as I have said before, it is because my Confucian tradition had problems during the Yuan Dynasty. Because my Confucian tradition had flaws, such people appeared."

In today's world, among all the Confucian scholars, if I were to claim to be second, I'm afraid no one would dare to claim to be first.

Therefore, I believe that if I don't speak these words, then no one else will!

Li Qi's words caused a stir. They naturally didn't disagree with Li Qi's self-proclaimed number one ranking, since Li Qi's number one ranking was earned through hard work.

In almost all debates on Confucian classics, no one is his match, and now no one even wants to try to confront him. The interpretations of the classics that Li Qi has passed down are profound at first glance; going up to fight him would be like offering yourself up as food.

They didn't expect Li Qi to go this far. He wanted to reinterpret the Daoist tradition, which was tantamount to becoming a saint.
Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty, in a time when Buddhism and Taoism were highly valued and Confucianism was in decline, revived the Confucian orthodoxy of the mid-Tang period, and was thus honored as Master Han.

Then, in the Song Dynasty, a large number of Confucian elites emerged. Zhang Zai was known as Master Zhang, and Cheng and Zhu of the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism were also mentioned. Now, Li Qi is also going to do this!
We must use the events of the Yuan Dynasty and the suppression of the Zhejiang School to re-clarify the lineage of the Way. If we succeed, then we will have to respectfully address him as Master Li.

It’s scary just thinking about it!
It should be noted that most other sages in history became sages only after many years of their deaths, when their students gradually taught and expanded the influence of their schools of thought.

But how many years did it take Li Qicai, from his exile to Jiangpu to his enlightenment and his return to the capital to his rise to fame, to the end of the year? It was only twelve years at most.

It's like a storybook tale: going from an ordinary person to a saint in twelve years.

Li Qi looked around at everyone, then slowly asked, "Are the people from Zhejiang here?"

The people from eastern Zhejiang stepped forward, their faces already somewhat grim. They had just heard Li Qi's words, which seemed to be an attempt to make an example of someone. Was eastern Zhejiang truly doomed to decline?

"Lord Jinghe, we are all here to receive training."

"Lord Jinghe..."

In the crowd, an elderly man with gray hair and wearing an old scholar's robe suddenly broke free from the support of others, staggered forward, and knelt down on the cold ground with a thud.

A handsome young man, about sixteen or seventeen years old, was following closely behind him. He tried to help the old man up, but the old man held him down firmly.

"Lord Jinghe! Lord Jinghe, you are wise enough to see the truth!"

The old man, tears streaming down his face and his voice hoarse, shouted with all his might, "I...I am an old scholar from Shaoxing Prefecture, who has failed the imperial examinations all my life and has long since given up hope! But my grandson...my grandson is different!"

He pulled hard on the boy beside him, as if to show him to everyone. "He knew a thousand characters at three, could compose essays at seven, and could read the classics and history by ten! He was hailed as a child prodigy in the village! He... he has always had the ambition to serve the country since childhood, often saying, 'To establish a heart for heaven and earth, and to establish a destiny for the people!' Lord Jinghe, look at him, his eyes are clear and bright, and his heart is sincere! If he were to enter officialdom, he would surely be an upright and honest official who serves the country and the people! I... my family and I, three generations of our family, are all law-abiding scholars, and have never had any connection with the Dongming Academy! I beg Lord Jinghe to show mercy! I beg Lord Jinghe to have mercy!"

The old man wept uncontrollably, his forehead slamming heavily against the ground with a dull thud, covered in dust: "I...I am willing to be reborn as a servant to Lord Jinghe, to be his ox and horse! I only beg...I only beg for a chance for my grandson! A chance to serve the court! I beg you!"

The boy was already in tears, tightly hugging his grandfather, choking back sobs and unable to speak: "Grandfather! Your grandson... your grandson won't take the exam! Let's go home! Let's go home!"

The people of Zhejiang had seemed relatively normal at first, but following the old man, a continuous chorus of mournful cries arose. This event was a greater blow to eastern Zhejiang than had been imagined.

"The imperial decree requires me to act as a guarantor for the students, but I cannot do so."

Li Qi looked around at everyone. His words caused the faces of the people from Zhejiang to change drastically, while the expressions of the people from other places varied. "The matter of Dongming Academy is by no means an isolated case. I know it, you know it, and His Majesty knows it!"

The room fell silent once again.

In such a serious setting, arguing illogically is naturally useless.

"But you are not as arrogant as the Dongming Academy, who dared to openly insult the late emperor in the Yuan History. Therefore, in order to avoid killing the innocent, His Majesty specially issued an edict to grant you a way out. At this time, you should first face north and kowtow to thank the Emperor for his grace."

Hundreds of scholars from eastern Zhejiang immediately went north to express their gratitude for the Emperor's boundless grace.

Those who had just come from the Hongwu era also sincerely believed that this was a great act of imperial grace. After all, if this had happened during the Hongwu era, at least half of the people from eastern Zhejiang present would be dead.

"His Majesty has instructed me to investigate whether any of you have any connection with the Dongming Academy. To be honest, I cannot do that. After all, you can know a person's face but not their heart. Throughout history, there have been many who are treacherous yet loyal, and loyal yet treacherous. I cannot be entirely certain whether you are treacherous or truly loyal!"

(End of this chapter)