Di Ming

Chapter 99 The Poet

It turned out that he was a storyteller.

A large audience gathered around.

Just as Zhu Yin thought he was about to say, "The only heroes in the world are you, my lord, and Cao Cao," the storyteller said instead:
Cao Cao said, "I would like to ask you, dear readers, to donate a few copper coins..."

Then, two children walked past the onlookers carrying bowls.

Zhu Yin and the others smiled and took out a few copper coins, throwing them into the bowl.

After listening to the storyteller for a while, the group went inside.

The screen wall at Confucius Temple was built in the third year of the Wanli reign. It is 33 zhang long and 3 zhang high, making it the largest screen wall in the world.

Behind the screen wall is the semi-circular pool, a unique feature of the Confucius Temple. The water in this pool is clear and deep, fed by water from the Qinhuai River.

On the large stone pillars to the east and west of the temple square, it is inscribed with the words "Civil and military officials must dismount here." Behind them stands another large cypress archway.

Behind the archway is the Coffin Gate.

The Coffin Gate is shaped like a Huabiao (ornamental column), with six pillars and three gates. The central gate was the exclusive passage for the emperor to enter the temple to worship Confucius; it was forbidden for officials and commoners to use and was usually kept closed.

Therefore, Zhu Yin and other tourists could only enter through the left and right side gates.

Fortunately, I saw the sundial in the square. It was 8:30 a.m., which was still early and not yet the peak time for people to enter. It was easy to get in.

Zhuang Shu said that when the lights come on at night, the place is so crowded that people have to queue to get in.

On either side of the Coffin Gate were two large archways, one inscribed with "Virtue Matches Heaven and Earth" and the other with "The Way Surpasses Past and Present".

Beyond the Coffin Gate lies the magnificent and solemn halls of the Confucius Temple.

After passing through the Coffin Star Gate, there are three more gates ahead. The tallest and most imposing one in the middle is the Great Achievement Gate, also known as the Halberd Gate.

There are four ancient steles in front of Dacheng Gate, which are relics from the Southern Dynasties.

Zhu Yin and his entourage entered through the Chijing Gate on the east side, descended the stone steps to the Danchi Terrace, and found long corridors on both sides, where the memorial tablets of the seventy-two disciples of Confucius were enshrined, incense smoke swirled, and pilgrims thronged the area.

Those memorial tablets are like statues of gods in a temple, where people offer incense and worship.

Inside the corridors, various sacrificial vessels and ritual objects were also arranged in order.

The Temple of Confucius, the Temple of Confucius, truly lives up to its name as a temple.

Besides Confucius, other people who enjoy sacrifices at the Confucius Temple are divided into three categories: those who are enshrined alongside Confucius, those who are worshipped alongside Confucius, and those who are worshipped as attendants.

Inside the east and west corridors were the third-rank attendants.

Zhu Yin and the others wandered around the east wing for a while, looking at the familiar names of the Confucian school from history.

Suddenly, at the fifty-eighth memorial tablet, a special one was discovered: the First Confucian Prince.

"Prince of the First Confucian Scholars" is the honorific title of Wang Yangming, isn't it?
His surname was Wang, so he was respectfully addressed as "Prince".

Zhu Yin knew that in the twelfth year of the Wanli reign, Wang Yangming, along with Chen Xianzhang, another great Confucian scholar of the School of Mind, were enshrined in the Temple of Confucius and became sages.

That is, three years ago.

Therefore, the prince's memorial tablet is relatively new. The memorial tablet of Mr. Baisha, Chen Xianzhang, next to him, is also relatively new.

The memorial tablet above Wang Yangming's is that of Lu Jiuyuan from the Song Dynasty.

The memorial tablets of three masters of the School of Mind were thoughtfully placed together.

Of the four great Confucian scholars of the Ming Dynasty who were enshrined in the Temple of Confucius and received sacrificial rites—Xue Xuan, Wang Yangming, Chen Xianzhang, and Hu Juren—two were prominent scholars of the School of Mind.

What does this show? It shows that at least in the early Wanli period, the School of Mind was still a prominent school of thought.

However, the Donglin Party later drastically altered and exploited the philosophy of mind, turning it into a tool of late Ming politics, which led to the complete decline of the philosophy of mind after it was ruined.

As a result, the philosophy of mind flourished both domestically and internationally, and was inherited by Japan, becoming a powerful philosophical tool in modern Japan.

Tang Rong personally offered incense to Wang Yangming's memorial tablet and said with emotion:
“My grandfather (Tang Shunzhi) greatly admired Mr. Yangming and considered himself his disciple and grand-disciple.”

"It's a pity that my grandfather passed away long ago and never saw the prince's memorial tablet enter the Confucius Temple."

"Three years ago, the imperial court issued an edict that princes should be enshrined in the Temple of Confucius. My father also made a special offering to our ancestors during the ancestral worship ceremony to comfort their spirits."

Zhuang Shu solemnly said, "My father also reveres Master Yangming, so I will also offer a stick of incense."

She had barely finished speaking when someone said:
"The Wang family's doctrine is that everyone can become a sage through trials and tribulations. If everyone could truly attain innate knowledge, what would be the use of rites and teachings? What would be the use of our studies? This is clearly wishful thinking."

“If Wang Xue uses it to cultivate himself, it has some merit. But if he uses it to educate the common people and save all mankind, then it is like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree or trying to catch a horse by Tang Si.”

Zhu Yin and the others turned around and saw several young scholars dressed in brocade robes looking at Wang Yangming's memorial tablet in a somewhat frivolous manner.

Another scholar laughed and said, "The Buddhist school says everyone can become a Buddha, while the royal school says everyone can become a saint. Why is the Buddhist school flourishing while the royal school is declining?"

The third person shook his head and said, "It's simple. For Buddhists, seeking externally is easy. But seeking innate knowledge is difficult. Besides, what use is it for people to become sages if they are only driven by self-interest?"

"Well, in the end it's still heresy and won't help anything. The fact that Wang Yangming was able to be enshrined in the Grand Temple will inevitably draw criticism from the public."

Zhu Yin was speechless upon hearing this.

Everyone says scholars are arrogant, and now I've finally seen it for myself.

If Wang Yangming was not qualified to be enshrined in the Temple of Confucius, then was Zhu Xi qualified to be enshrined in the Temple of Confucius?
However, these individuals are clearly disciples of Zhu Xi's school of thought, so it is not surprising that they slander the philosophy of mind.

Both belong to the Confucian school, with Neo-Confucianism focusing on the physical world and Neo-Confucianism on the abstract realm. They are almost two extremes.

Neo-Confucianism had its progressive significance in the Song Dynasty. But things were different in the late Ming Dynasty.

What would have happened if Neo-Confucianism had replaced the School of Mind in the late Ming Dynasty?
Zhu Yin suddenly realized that the problem of Chinese ideology and beliefs might not lie in Confucianism.

It's also possible that... Confucianism hasn't reached the level of a faith, and Confucius isn't deified enough?

If one is too worldly and too utilitarian, it will be difficult to heal people's hearts.
This is also the most frustrating thing for Confucianism: it wants to engage with the world, yet also wants to avoid it, and has been caught in this contradiction for thousands of years.

If Confucianism strengthens "wisdom" and "courage," cuts off the poison of corrupt scholars and conservatism, transforms and sublimates, and is reborn from the ashes, could it become the orthodox religion of the world?

Confucianism, which puts people first, is the true path to good governance for future generations.

The reformed Confucianism, under the banner of humanism, is fully capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with Christianity and other religions!

This is also the problem that Wang Shouren, Li Yun, Wang Fuzhi, and others have been striving to solve.

Unfortunately, neither of them succeeded.

Tang Rong and Zhuang Shu were talking about how their elders revered the philosophy of mind when someone openly criticized it. If they remained silent, it would be considered unfilial.

"Gentlemen, are you all outstanding students from the prefectural school?" Tang Rong asked in a cold tone, showing no intention of bowing.

"May I ask, what is the meaning of criticizing the teachings of the prince in front of his memorial tablet at the Confucius Temple?"

She noticed that the three scholars all wore ebony academic badges around their waists, and knew that they were all students of the prefectural academy.

Ten-year-old Zhuang Shu also solemnly said, "This humble servant also wishes to ask for your guidance."

The scholar who spoke first was at most twenty years old. He sneered:
"Do you two young girls deserve to be talked to?"

He looked arrogant and refused to take the bait.

The other two scholars, not yet twenty, simply smiled and remained silent.

The man in the lead shook his head and said, "Whether there are treacherous officials in the court or not, just look at the Grand Temple. Alas, I am at my wit's end."

Zhu Yin knew that what he lamented was the current collapse of social order and morality.

The late Ming Dynasty was a period of decline for Neo-Confucianism. The decline of Neo-Confucianism led to rampant human desires, a decline in social morality, and the collapse of the traditional ethical code.

If the Manchus hadn't entered the Central Plains, Neo-Confucianism wouldn't have made a comeback.

Just as Tang Rong and Zhuang Shu were feeling awkward, someone suddenly shouted from the west, "Dr. Zhou has arrived!"

As soon as he finished speaking, many pedestrians in the corridor looked east and saw a group of Confucian scholars escorting a scholar in a blue robe as he walked over.

The surrounding pedestrians knelt down in a chaotic manner, saying in unison, "This humble subject pays respects to the esteemed Doctor!"

The scholars, however, did not bow. They had the right not to kneel.

Left with no other choice, Zhu Yin and the others also prepared to kneel down.

The Ming Dynasty law is worthless now. Nowadays, ordinary people have to kneel before officials, regardless of what the Ming Dynasty law stipulates.

The Imperial Academy Doctor was an eighth-rank official, a proper court official.

If you don't have any official rank or title, you have to kneel!
However, Zhu Yin and the others were lucky. Before he and Ning Caiwei could kneel down, Dr. Zhou, who was about fifty years old, raised his hands in a gesture of support and said:
"In the Temple of Confucius, before the spirits of the sages, one may kneel before the saints, not before me! No need for formalities!"

Zhu Yin straightened up as soon as his knees bent.

Immediately, a group of people quickly made way and respectfully invited Dr. Zhou over.

But Dr. Zhou was thin and wiry, with a refined face and three wisps of beard under his chin, giving him a scholarly and elegant air.

He first lit incense for the memorial tablets of Lu Jiuyuan, Wang Yangming, and Chen Xianzhang, and then said:
"Today, I have come to the East Wing to pay my respects to Master Lu, Master Wang, and Master Chen, representing the Taizhou School, to collect their poems."

When it came to collecting poems, Zhu Yin and other clever people understood.

This isn't a poetry gathering activity; it's the Taizhou School of Neo-Confucianism taking advantage of the holiday crowds at the Confucius Temple to promote its philosophy of mind.

The Imperial College Doctor also participated in the management of the daily sacrificial rites at the Confucius Temple. Although he was not a temple keeper, he was not considered an outsider at the Confucius Temple.

Such a prominent figure, rarely seen by ordinary people, has actually come in person to collect poems. It is evident that he has condescended to do so in order to promote his doctrines.

And this Taizhou School is now the number one school of thought in the philosophy of mind.

Zhu Yin knew that the Taizhou School had a tremendous influence and was the first truly enlightened school of thought in Chinese history.

Dr. Zhou stopped there, displaying his composure, and said no more.

Leaders often start by saying the first thing, and then they won't ramble on; someone else will do the talking for them.

A student from the Imperial Academy standing next to Dr. Zhou said, “Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, so there will be many tourists. I imagine there will also be quite a few scholars and students coming to pay their respects at the memorial tablets of the Three Dukes in the East Wing.”

"By order of the Doctor, I have been asked to compose a poem on the theme of the various schools of thought of mind! Any poem selected will be printed and published by the Imperial Academy!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin was immediately tempted.

Zhu Yin did not want to publish a book to gain fame, but rather to get to know Dr. Zhou, who was only an eighth-rank official!
It's important to understand that although the Imperial Academy had long since declined, the Southern Academy of Imperial Sciences still had three thousand students. And how many Doctors of the Five Classics did the Southern Academy of Imperial Sciences have?
Five!

If he could win the favor of a scholar of the Five Classics, things would be much easier after he entered the Southern Academy.

Opportunities are created by people. To create opportunities is to scheme and plot.

Should we give it a try? Zhu Yin immediately recalled the stories about the School of Mind and the Taizhou School, and began to formulate a plan in his mind.

The faces of those few scholars from the prefectural school turned much uglier.

The temple keeper of the Confucius Temple was the professor (principal) of the prefectural school, and the prefectural school of Yingtian was the one in charge of the Confucius Temple.

We, the students of Yingtian Academy, are the true people of the Confucius Temple.

You, a PhD who advocates the philosophy of mind but neglects your proper work, disregard your dignity and honor, and come to the Confucius Temple under the guise of collecting poems to promote Taizhou studies. Isn't that going too far?

The three men, their expressions turning slightly cold, used their scholar status to bow to Dr. Zhou, apologize, and then left the place.

They certainly didn't just leave; they went to invite professors from the prefectural academy.

Zhu Yin suddenly stepped forward and said, "Sir, I have a short poem to offer, and I dare to present it to you!"

"Oh?" Dr. Zhou was quite surprised, not expecting that the first one to step forward would be a child.

The child was at most ten years old, yet he behaved properly and had a composed demeanor, clearly not an ordinary child.

Dr. Zhou immediately felt a sense of goodwill and said gently, "Alright. Please recite it for me."

His expectations were not high.

Zhu Yin recited the poem in a very proper manner:
The Four Hearts of Mencius
My heart is like the universe, as Lu Jiuyuan observed. Seven days of studying bamboo, as Wang Yangming did.
He attained enlightenment in Longchang and passed away in Nan'an.

Mr. Baisha, Chen Xianzhang
For ten years I have sat quietly on the Spring Terrace.

Even the most foolish man and woman understand this.
Dissatisfied with his teacher Wang Xinzai.

The vision of the legendary emperor Fuxi and the rule of the three dynasties
In Huainan, the first step in investigating things is to rectify oneself.

Every gentleman is far superior to the Five Hegemons.
What fear is there of dying in prison, what heart is there to hide?

He Xinyin, a leading figure of the Taizhou School, was arrested on Zhang Juzheng's orders and died in prison after being beaten. He Xinyin's reputation grew even greater after his death, and he was long since exonerated. Zhu Yin was naturally unafraid to speak well of him.

Dr. Zhou was momentarily stunned upon hearing the poem.

Although he was not a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), he was still a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial imperial examinations). How could he not understand the way of poetry?
But he never expected that a child of about ten years old could write such a poem.

This poem, in itself, is merely average and not particularly good.

What's remarkable is that he has a very good understanding of the School of Mind and the Taizhou School!
That's already quite an achievement.

Could this young friend also be a fellow traveler?
"Good, good! Not bad!" Dr. Zhou was actually just using the collection of poems as a pretext to promote the philosophy of mind and the Taizhou School, but he didn't expect to actually collect any poems.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this nice poem, written by a child.

"At your age, to possess such poetic talent and insight is truly remarkable! Child prodigies throughout history have never surpassed this. Rare indeed."

Zhu Yin quickly clasped his hands in a salute and said:
"Your son, Zhu Yin, is flattered by Doctor Xie. I am but a Qilin-like creature and a Liaodong pig. I am unworthy of your praise."

Dr. Zhou stroked his beard and smiled, nodding with increasing satisfaction, saying, "Your son is precocious and mature beyond his years. There's no need for modesty with such a precious child."

"I ask you, do teachers also study the philosophy of mind?"

Zhu Yin replied, "My late father studied the philosophy of mind and took it as his guiding principle."

Dr. Zhou then asked, "Do you have any intention of taking the imperial examinations? Have you ever taken the county-level examinations?"

Zhu Yin honestly replied, "No."

Dr. Zhou said, "Study hard."

Those around him were quite surprised to see Zhu Yin compose a poem on the spot, which caught the attention of Dr. Zhou.

This child is only ten years old, right?

Child prodigy!
Ning Caiwei was not surprised at all; she knew that Zhu Yin liked literature and history, and had a background in it.

Zhuang Shu wasn't surprised; on the contrary, she was a little smug.

The better Zhu Yin performs, the more it proves that her judgment was correct.

Tang Rong opened her mouth slightly and gave Zhu Yin a deep look.

She also writes poetry and has some understanding of the philosophy of mind and the Taizhou School, but she really can't write this kind of poetry.

But Zhu Yin was able to.

She really is a child prodigy. Sure enough, Zhuang Shu's eye for talent is still as sharp as ever.

Just then, a commotion broke out again from the east. A group of students from Yingtian Prefecture escorted a plump official in a green robe.

He was the professor (principal) of Yingtian Prefectural School and the temple keeper who was in charge of the Confucius Temple on a daily basis.

They were both academic officials of the eighth rank.

Behind him were none other than the three students from before.

"Brother Zhou!" The prefectural school professor said with displeasure, "Is it appropriate for you to come to the east wing of the Confucius Temple to promote Taizhou studies instead of teaching and imparting knowledge at Nanyong?"

He has always been hostile to the philosophy of mind. As for why he is hostile, that is something he cannot tell others.

Many people despise the philosophy of mind, but their reasons differ. Conversely, many also support it, but their reasons are largely the same.

The professor bowed slightly and said, "I will go to the Imperial Academy another day to apologize to Brother Zhou. It is inconvenient to visit the temple today due to the festival, so I will not see you off."

They actually issued an order to leave, completely disregarding the rules of officialdom.

It is extremely rare for two important figures in the eyes of the people to confront each other in public, which is unbecoming of officials.

Zhu Yin was not surprised at all.

To be fair, the Imperial Academy was the superior institution of the Yingtian Prefectural School, but the ideological struggles among academic schools in the Ming Dynasty were extremely intense. This professor was only an eighth-rank official, so he could completely disregard Dr. Zhou's authority.

Dr. Zhou is indeed an official of the superior unit, but the professor of the prefectural school is the head of the subordinate unit.

This is similar to a university president ignoring the director of the Ministry of Education.

Dr. Zhou's expression was cool, but he politely cupped his hands in greeting. "Brother Shi, this Confucius Temple belongs to all the scholars and common people of the land, not to you, the temple keeper, for your private property. Am I not allowed to come?"

Professor Shi shook his head. “He can come. But it’s inappropriate for Brother Zhou to come here to promote Taizhou studies! Don’t forget how He Xinyin died.”

Dr. Zhou glanced at Professor Shi calmly, then suddenly nodded. "Alright. I'll be going then."

After saying that, he turned and left without saying another word.

Zhu Yin quickly followed.

"Sir, I'll see you off!"

Dr. Zhou turned around and smiled, "You're a good kid, I like you. Don't see me off, have fun at the Confucius Temple. You can find me at the Imperial College later."

"I have remembered your poem."

"Yes!" Zhu Yin bowed and saw him off. "Take care, Doctor! Your son's name is Zhihu!"

Dr. Zhou chuckled in surprise, “So young, yet you already have a courtesy name. I’ll remember it.”

After seeing Dr. Zhou off, Zhu Yin turned around and saw the scholars looking at him with disdain.

Such scheming at such a young age reveals his character.

After seeing that Dr. Zhou had left, Professor Shi, with his large belly protruding, also left.

He never once looked at Zhu Yin.

"Let's go see the Dacheng Hall," Zhu Yin said to the group.

After this incident, he unconsciously became the backbone again. Even Tang Rong couldn't help but follow his lead.

Stepping out of the east wing, one looks up and sees a tall terrace.

This is the unique dance and music stage of the Confucius Temple. According to tradition, the dances and music for the grand spring and autumn sacrifices are held on this large terrace.

Incense burners and lampstands were placed at each of the four corners of the terrace. Sacrifices were often performed at midnight, and the lampstands illuminated the surrounding area as bright as day.

Beyond the terrace lies the magnificent and solemn Dacheng Hall, with its double eaves soaring upwards, interlocking brackets, a height of five zhang (approximately 10 meters) and a width of nine zhang (approximately 33 meters), exuding an imposing aura.

Inside, in the center, is a bronze statue of Confucius, the Great Sage and Teacher.

The bronze statue stands guard at the gate, standing thirteen feet tall, its surface gleaming with gold. Although it is a bronze statue, it is painted with gold lacquer.

The four figures enshrined on the left and right are: Yan Hui, Zeng Shen, Kong Ji, and Mencius.

Next are the twelve consorts: Zilu, Ran You, Zhu Xi, and the other twelve sages.

Inside the main hall, a halberd is also displayed, representing martial prowess. On the east and west sides, fifteen kinds of musical instruments used in Confucian rituals, including chime bells, chime stones, drums, zithers, and se, are also displayed, and elegant music is played regularly according to the new moon and full moon.

There were many people here, and Zhu Yin observed his surroundings while listening to his surroundings.

However, after searching the vicinity for half an hour, he found no trace of the buried explosives.

If any area has been recently altered, it's hard to escape his sharp eyes.

He even examined the water tanks used to prevent fires.

No.

Am I being too sensitive, harboring suspicions, and overthinking things?
After thinking about it, Zhu Yin still couldn't shake off the lingering shadow in his heart.

He dared not give up.

If there really is a conspiracy, then it won't just be one or two lives lost.

Seeing that it was only morning, Zhu Yin took out the travel permit to enter the city and said to Meh:

"Go back to Qingqiaoli on horseback and bring Black Tiger here. I'll be waiting for you under the East Archway."

Mech accepted the order and left.

Zhu Yin made an excuse, agreed to meet at the Panchi at noon, then parted ways with Zhuang Shu and Tang Rong, and left the Confucius Temple with Ning Caiwei and Ding Hongying.

About half an hour later, Meh arrived with the still underage Blackie.

"Wah!" Little Black wagged its little tail, showing great affection to Zhu Yin.

Zhu Yin, holding the now-heavy Xiao Hei, said to Ning Caiwei, "Go buy some firecrackers, I need them."

Before long, Ning Caiwei bought firecrackers.

Zhu Yin came to a secluded spot by the roadside, squatted down, disassembled the firecrackers, poured out the gunpowder, and let Xiao Hei smell it.

Then, with Xiao Hei, they returned to the Confucius Temple.

Ning Caiwei was incredibly clever and immediately guessed what Zhu Yin was doing.

Is someone planning a bombing at Confucius Temple?

Today is Mid-Autumn Festival, so many people…

"Caiwei, don't go in. Wait for me here," Zhu Yin said. "Mehe will escort me inside. You and Hongying wait for me outside."

“You…” Ning Caiwei was about to object, but Zhu Yin uttered two words: “Be obedient.”

“Uh…” Ning Caiwei looked at Zhu Yin’s serious little face and could only nod. “Then you must be very careful.”

Looking at Zhu Yin's small figure from behind, Ning Caiwei couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat.

"What happened? What's wrong with Uncle Tiger?" Ding Hongying couldn't help but ask.

Ning Caiwei shook her head. "It's nothing. Maybe he wanted to go to the temple fair with those two girls and found me in his way."

"Huh?" Ding Hongying looked surprised. "Really? Uncle Hu isn't that kind of person. Besides, how old is he?"

……

Zhu Yin led Xiao Hei and Meh back into the Confucius Temple. Soon, Xiao Hei led him close to the tall bronze statue of Confucius.

You can't get any closer. The temple staff will refuse you entry.

Visitors cannot get too close to the statue; they can only admire it from the bottom of the steps.

But Zhu Yin already knew what was going on.

His cooperation with Black Tiger was already incredibly seamless.

The brother who couldn't speak told him that there was something wrong with the icon.

Zhu Yin squinted at the statue and suddenly realized that it was very new.

The gold paint on it looks like it was just applied a few days ago.

Such a tall statue, if filled with gunpowder, could probably hold several thousand kilograms, right?
Thousands of pounds of gunpowder, sealed inside a tampered icon, could suddenly detonate in a crowded area, causing a massive fire…

In a daze, Zhu Yin seemed to hear a deafening roar!

P.S.: This follow-up subscription writing is really boring. Please don't skip subscriptions, my book is interconnected, skipping subscriptions will only confuse you. If you're used to keeping a book running in your mind, please turn on auto-subscription, okay? That's all for today. So sad…

(End of this chapter)