Chapter 512 Trend of Thought

Dong Lun is another year older.

In the cold wind of the first month, the old man was leaning on a chair in the room in the front yard, hugging the fire, watching the falling snowflakes outside the window lattice, and gradually became drowsy.

He was covered with a thick blanket, and there was a book on it, miscellaneous notes of people from the Song Dynasty.

"Last night it was windy and rainy, and the curtains rustled with autumn sounds. The candles were broken and leaked. I frequently hit the pillow and couldn't sit up straight.

Things in the world go with the flow, only to have a dream come true. The road to Zuixiang is stable and should be visited frequently, but it is not possible to travel otherwise. "

The words in the book seemed to turn into the light and shadow of the past, and the world emerged in Dong Lun's muddy eyes, and then disappeared like a dreamy bubble.

Just when this Huangliang dream gradually reached its peak accompanied by a strange and exciting buzzing in the skull.

At this time, there was a knock on the door.

Dong Lun woke up. He didn't speak or look back. He knew that at this time, a servant must have come to call him to eat, but he couldn't eat anything every day. At most, he drank some gruel and ate some soft cakes. .

Seventy years is rare in life. This scholar, who was revered as "Mr. Beizhou" in the late Yuan Dynasty, is already eighty-one this year.

"Tuk-tuk" knocking on the door continued. Although there were only two knocks, it seemed to be getting more and more urgent.

"Come in."

Dong Lun finally couldn't help but turned his chair and looked towards the door.

But what I saw was a familiar face.

The heir to all his political legacy and his most proud disciple, Jie Jin, the minister of Honglu Temple.

Jie Jin had already shaken off the snowflakes on his body outside. At this time, his face was pale and slightly red. Dong Lun knew some medical skills. This was a sign of depletion of Qi and blood and deep thinking.

"You were losing blood to begin with, and now it's burning your heart out."

Xie Jin was startled when he heard this, and then smiled bitterly.

For a person like him who was famous all over the world early but wasted ten years, now that he has gained power and devoted his whole body and soul to the temple, how can he have any extra thoughts to pay attention to his own health?

Just as Xie Jin was about to say something, Dong Lun suddenly waved his hand to stop him.

Dong Lun sighed and shook his head: "If you have anything to say, just tell me. I'll listen. Anyway, it's good to hear a few words from you."

Xie Jin took out two neatly folded copies of Ming Pao.

At this time, the door was knocked again, and the servant opened the door and walked in.

He handed the tray over and silently exited the room.

Dong Lun put on his reading glasses, which are custom-made products from a glass workshop. The labor cost is very high. Because the lenses need to be polished repeatedly, the price will not come down for a while. Now only the rich and powerful can afford them.

There were not many words in "Ming Pao", but Dong Lun read it very carefully, word by word, which lasted as long as a cup of tea.

Later, Dong Lun refused to understand Jin's help. He took a sip of the hot soup in the tray with his trembling hands, and then said slowly: "You should receive the news of writing an article in the newspaper soon, so prepare." stop."

"I can't write."

Xie Jin's answer was very honest, and the honesty was somewhat beyond Dong Lun's expectations.

Dong Lun pointed at Jie Jin with his finger, and then lowered it again: "There is a strange brocade in my belly, my pen is full of words, my tongue is spraying the Yangtze River, even if I teach you a piece of silk, it is hard to pay for it, I don't bother to weigh it with others. You are Jie Jin! What do you have?" Don’t you know how to write articles? Do you mean you can’t write or you don’t dare to write?”

Jie Jin was silent for a moment, nodded, and then shook his head: "I don't dare to write."

Dong Lun raised his head and stared at this disciple seriously.

"I am very talented, but I am dedicated to working hard. The person I am today is not the same person I was yesterday."

Listening to the teacher's comments to him, Xie Jin could only smile bitterly.

Faced with a decision today, he was panic-stricken. He looked around and saw no relatives or friends he could trust. Finally, he went to his mentor's house to seek help. What else could he say?

There are always times in a person's life when he makes difficult decisions.

At this moment, the weakest part of your heart will be fully exposed. You don't dare to make your own decisions, you don't dare to be responsible for your own future, and you worry about gains and losses.

Of course Dong Lun knew Xie Jin's current situation, he knew his disciple very well.

Xie Jin is not a person who can make decisions and make decisions on his own.

He needs someone to guide him.

Otherwise, his ambition is completely inconsistent with his vision and ability, and he can only crash through the south wall blindly, and then fall headlong into the Yellow River and drown.

And there is another allusion here.

Regarding the issue of official governance, Xie Jin's attitude fifteen years ago was completely opposite to that of now.

In April of the 21st year of Hongwu, Xie Jin accompanied Zhu Yuanzhang on a tour and presented "The Western Feng Shi of the Great House". This policy article can be said to be a good reflection of the thoughts of the traditional scholar-officials of Xie Jin at that time. For a while.

The article goes straight to the point. The opening lines of "There is no law that remains unchanged, and there is no one who does not make mistakes every day" and "There is no one who has never heard of a great good deed, and the reward is extended to the world, and the hometown is the same as before.", which points out that Lao Zhu Governing the world is too harsh and punishing, and there is always the problem of role models. Regarding official governance and punishment, Xie Jin's suggestions are: "From now on, if you do not commit crimes and punish officials, do not use the punishment of the cane." "The whole world says that His Majesty allows life and death to endanger life and death at will, but they don't know that all of his ministers lack loyalty."

All we can say is that Xie Jin didn't lose his head because Lao Zhu was in a good mood that day.

The main purpose of this article is to advise Lao Zhu to simplify the laws, not to impose indiscriminate punishments, and to treat the scholar-bureaucrats better. This is the theory of "the king and the scholar-officials jointly rule the world" inherited from the two Song Dynasties. It believes that the relationship between the king and the scholar-officials The relationship is mutual. The king respects and treats the scholar-officials with courtesy, which can provide a better environment for the scholar-officials to use their talents to build the country. At that time, Xie Jin believed that the only way to govern the people at the bottom was to reduce taxes, build more schools, and use poetry. The study of calligraphy and etiquette can declare Mu to be the king, and then achieve great governance in the world.

At that time, Lao Zhu looked at Xie Jin and didn't say anything. He just told the boy to get out of his sight.

Fifteen years later, Xie Jin finally understood why the white-haired Emperor Hongwu, whose eyes were as fierce as a tiger's, suddenly looked at him with a look that was mixed with "pity" and "sympathy".

Along the way, he understood a lot of truths.

The king and the scholar-bureaucrats did not rule the world together, but they had to coexist because they were unable to completely eliminate each other.

If the imperial power treats the scholar-bureaucrats better, what they get in exchange is not clear and honest administration, but a high probability of corrupt administration and a slap in the face.

It is useless to govern the people and reduce taxes. The root problem lies with the subordinate officials at the grassroots level. If the imperial power does not go to the countryside, no amount of tax reduction will be able to reduce the taxes on the people.

Building more schools and promoting poetry, calligraphy, and etiquette will not bring about great order in the world, but paving roads and controlling floods and using more chemical fertilizers can.

Xie Jin knew everything, but looking at himself fifteen years ago, he couldn't slay his inner demons.

That past self, that young self, that innocent and talented self who was the best in the world.

"Watch it, I will teach you one last time."

Jie Jin helped Dong Lun stand up, opened the ink with his own hands, and watched as Dong Lun's large brush was soaked in ink and spread on the rice paper.

Miraculously, Dong Lun's hands and wrists, which had been trembling slightly just now, became unusually stable and no longer trembled at all.

“The law for a country is like managing the body. If the vitality is consolidated, the spirit will rise.

The country's troubles are not from outside but from within. It does not have to worry about the invasion of northern invaders, but only the unclear administration of officials! If the administration of officials is unclear and discipline is weak, the vitality will be depleted day by day and the spirit will be lost day by day.

As the saying goes, "If you want to secure the people, you must pay attention to the officials of the herdsmen." In today's temples, the old custom of pretentiousness and pretentiousness still exists, and the officials of the herdsmen cannot control themselves. How can they spread the blessings of the country and the dynasty to the sea? "

Dong Lun brought the pen to Xie Jin.

"You write the rest. Just write about the style of government. Don't talk about the style of the world or the style of study."

Xie Jin's hand that took over the pen was shaking violently.

When the tip of the pen touched the rice paper, it was twisted, but on the next word, it immediately turned into Dong Lun's font.

"Write your own words and go your own way."

Jie Jin's calligraphy gradually turned into his own style of writing, and while dragons and snakes were flying, the article was completed.

"There are three disadvantages today."

"One is greed for money."

"Those who are greedy for money are blinded in one eye, and those who are not blind are also covered by A Du; the seven orifices are lost, and those who are not blind are only a thin line in the direction of the hole."

"The two are called dredging."

"A gentleman's reputation is to mediate, but the villain's friends are to rely on Yan; a gentleman's talent is to communicate, but the villain's to fill gaps is to rely on Yan."

"The scholar-bureaucrats claim that they have a remedy to save the situation, but they don't know that it is a disease caused by anointed people. If a husband is virtuous, he will advance, but if he is not virtuous, he will give up. Why pretend to mediate? If the government can do it, it can be done, and if it is not, it can be stopped. Why bother to dredge it up?"

"The third one is pomp."

"What is good from above will be effective from below. From the top to the central government, and from the bottom to the state capital, the whole world will strive to flatter you."

"When officials go out on patrol, they all display golden drums and decorate their horses and horses. The people crouch beside the road to pay homage to them, and they are obedient to their promises. It is a great honor for their subordinates to pay no attention to them."

". Peel off the honors offered by others, rush around to ask for recommendations, collect books during the recruitment period, and be sloppy in friendship."

"The ancients said: If the law is not established, there is no need to punish. The country has no prestige to speak of, and it is impossible to distinguish right from wrong since it has no merits and crimes. All of these are not dangerous words."

Jie Jin put down his pen and let out a long breath as if he was suffocated. Beads of sweat were already rolling down his forehead.

"This is Jie Jin."

There was a "pop" sound, and sweat fell on the rice paper, ruining the handwriting.

Xie Jin felt relieved when he read this article, which was a complete break with the "me of yesterday".

After Dong Lun cheered up briefly, he returned to his old look. He raised his hand and waved feebly.

"Go ahead. I have nothing to tell you. I just want to tell you that now that you have decided to embark on this path, don't go back and do it again."

Jie Jin put away a few pieces of paper, bowed solemnly to Dong Lun, and then raised his head. His face, which was originally pale, became much rosier.

Xie Jin came and went in a hurry, and soon left Dong Lun's house.

"Hoho~"

Dong Lun leaned over and took a deep breath, coughed out a mouthful of phlegm into the bronze spittoon, and hit his back heavily on the recliner.

"It's such a great country, I can only lie down and watch it."

——————

In the spring of the second year of Yongle's reign, the smell of gunpowder became stronger and stronger.

As the contradictions in the discussion about the three styles of "official style, world style, and academic style" became public, literary heroes and scholar leaders from all walks of life could not hold back.

Those who are qualified to be published in Ming Pao will engage in public debates; those who are not qualified to be published in Ming Pao will have to criticize them both verbally and in writing at elegant gatherings and poetry conferences.

Unlike his uneducated son, Mr. Hu Jima and Mr. Hu have been living in a high-end society in Nanjing recently.

As the master of Sinology who has been leading the way in Annan for decades, Hu Ji-sao is probably a great Confucian on the same level as Goryeo Prime Minister Zheng Mengzhou. Perhaps in the Hongwu era led by Liu Ji and Song Lian thirty years ago, he might not have been outstanding, but In today's Yongle era, when Confucianism continues to develop but the great Confucians are declining, it is quite advanced.

And even if Mr. Hu can't be called "Annan Cao Cao", he still has to be an "Annan Sima Yi". He can still hold back. He never shows off his sharpness when talking to others, let alone talk about sensitive topics that can cause death. .

What stands out is that a man can hold back and bend!

Therefore, Hu Jishao did not participate in any of the discussions about official style and academic style. Today, Cao Duan invited him to attend a tea party held by Wang Yuli, the head of the Jinhua School. After learning that the discussion was only about worldly style, Hu Jishao happily went to the appointment. .

As mentioned before, the Jinhua School is one of the most important branches of Confucianism today. It is the same lineage of the East Zhejiang School as Ye Shi's Yongjia School. It once served as a mediator and hosted the "Ehu Meeting" between Neo-Confucianism and Xinxue. "It can be regarded as a neutral school that tends to be a little more eccentric, but it still focuses on Neo-Confucianism, mixed with the practical thoughts of the Yongjia School, and is a type that is involved in everything.

This type of school developed through the efforts of two gentlemen, "Renshan" and "Chunxiao", and survived for hundreds of years at the end of the Song Dynasty and the end of the Yuan Dynasty. In the hands of Wang Yuli, a large number of talented people emerged under his disciples, and they played a decisive role in the ideological circles of the Ming Dynasty. status.

Because of this, Hu Ji Ya dared to speak at the tea party.

Otherwise, if the attendees are all those defenders who adhere to Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, it would be fine if they don't speculate, but if they say a few words of ridicule at most, it will be a disaster if they are put on the line.

In fact, this is related to the actual situation in the ideological circles in the early Ming Dynasty. Before the Ming Dynasty, there was nearly a hundred years of rule by the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties. Therefore, in the early Ming Dynasty, the official elite culture completely controlled the discourse power of society, and its main body was Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism since the Song and Yuan Dynasties. During the Hongwu and Jianwen dynasties, most of the most important civil servants around the emperor were famous Neo-Confucianists, such as Song Lian, Liu Ji, Wang Yi, Fang Xiaoru, etc. The academic opinions of these famous Neo-Confucian officials also profoundly affected the establishment of official ideological culture in the early Ming Dynasty. , and finally formed a situation in which "Neo-Confucianism dominates".

The fundamental characteristic of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism is to form a more complete conceptualization and systematic philosophy and belief system from Confucian social, national, ethical and personal life beliefs, and to make it logical, spiritual, abstract and truthful. It has formed the political concept that reason is higher than power and morality is higher than governance.

Therefore, among Neo-Confucianists, it is normal for everything to follow the outline.

The less serious academic thought of the Jinhua School is rare and allows people to relax a little, but it is only relatively speaking. According to Hu Jishen's observation, the Jinhua School also expressed concerns about the evolution of the current world. of.

In fact, this is equivalent to the evolution of Jiang Xinghuo's previous life's academic thoughts in the mid-Ming Dynasty. Because with the rapid development of the commodity economy and the improvement of the literacy rate of ordinary people, the rise of civil society, the right to speak about culture will inevitably shift downwards. The common people at the bottom, including businessmen, scholars, citizens, etc., thus created the prosperous and modern market culture of the Ming Dynasty. The market culture is often opposed to the traditional elite culture. The rise of the market culture represents the elite culture. of decline.

This kind of social and cultural transformation that evolved from the economic structure is certainly inevitable, but in the process of transformation, it will inevitably face counterattacks and suppression by the elite culture that has the dominant power in discourse.

"The revival of Confucianism in the Northern Song Dynasty, Wang Jinggong's new school, Sima Guangshuo's school, Ercheng Luo's school, Su Shi's school of Shu, all started ideological competition around the reform. Today's ideological circles also have the momentum of a hundred schools of thought contending."

Wang Yuli took a sip of tea and said slowly: "Xin Xue and Luo Xue can best embody the temperament of daring to be the first in the world, and are closest to Jiang Xinghuo's thinking today. Sima Guangshuo Xue and Su Shi Shu Xue were both involved in the debate. This is a debate about the ancestral laws of the Song Dynasty. How similar is it to today? Times have changed, but the principles remain unchanged. My Jinhua disciples are doing the same thing today as our ancestors were doing back then."

What Wang Yuli meant by "being like his predecessors" was that he still followed the old tradition of the East Zhejiang School, actively integrated Confucian resources, and deepened his thinking on disciplines, principles, and laws, but tried not to touch other things. The theory of governance was It's safe and high-end. With this kind of road inherited from the East Zhejiang School, why bother looking far away?

The theory of governance has a long history in the Chinese academic tradition. It started from Jia Yi in the Qin and Han dynasties and evolved through the Han and Tang dynasties. It was refined and applied in a systematic form in Lu Zhong's "Lecture Notes on Major Events of the Song Dynasty" during the Lizong period of the Southern Song Dynasty. ” and Qiu Jun’s “Supplement to the Explanation of the Great Learning” have further developed it. During the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the Eastern Zhejiang Confucian scholars Liu Ji, Song Lian, Wang Yi, and Fang Xiaoru continued to advance the thinking on the theory of governance. As the special skill of the Eastern Zhejiang School, it can be said to be a truly smooth academic path that can lead to the world.

The so-called theory of governing the body is the analysis and study of the three aspects of governing people, governing ways and governing laws. From Xunzi's "If there are laws to govern people, there are no laws to govern" to the later "If there are laws to govern, then there are laws to govern people". It is evolving, but regardless of which party is in governing the law, governing people, and governing the way, the framework of governance theory tends to think about the mutual influence and symbiosis between this party and the other two. It can be said that the thinking of governance theory The purpose is to emphasize the overall integration relationship, not the "either/or" diode thinking.

This kind of comprehensive thinking is also the root of the Jinhua School's ability to integrate Neo-Confucianism, Psychology, and Practical Studies into one.

"How does Yuekuan think the world today should be compared to before?"

Wang Yuli turned his attention to Cao Duan.

Cao Duan is now quite famous, and he has inherited the thoughts of Zhou Dunyi. He is already the leader among the younger generation in today's Ming academic circles.

What's more, Cao Duan also has the job of sorting out the context of ancient and modern literary schools. Which school doesn't want to add some disciples to the working group responsible for such compilation and organization tasks? Therefore, Cao Duan is capable and valuable, and Wang Yuli is also very polite in his words, without any contempt for his juniors.

"Changes in the world have their own roots."

Cao Duan's Taoism was inherited from Zhou Dunyi's lineage, and his answer did not surprise everyone at the tea party: "If you want to learn the way of a saint, you must set your feet on the Tai Chi chart. The way is Tai Chi, and Tai Chi is the way. In terms of general practice, it is It is said that Tao is one in terms of non-complexity. How can there be two? However, everything has contradictions, contradictions arise and transform, movement and stillness change endlessly, and naturally it cannot be as stagnant as a pool of stagnant water."

The world monism view of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism was materialistic, but Cao Duan was very enlightened and his philosophical thoughts were progressive. After absorbing Jiang Xinghuo's idea of ​​using contradictions to explain Tai Chi, he fundamentally opposed Zhu Xi's Tai Chi "not It is said that Tai Chi can automatically move and stillness, and it recognizes the active role of Tai Chi (contradiction) in things.

According to the derivation of this philosophical thinking, it is normal for the world to change. If it remains unchanged, it means that Tai Chi has not moved, which is abnormal.

Hu Jiya sat quietly for a long time and got a rough idea of ​​the situation on the field. He waited for everyone to discuss for a while, and then turned to him and spoke: "Scholars today often talk about things that happened in ancient times, and regard divergences as high goals. , trying to use empty words, someone thinks that there is nothing that can be done about the world's affairs. If the law changes with the times, it will be cured, and if the governance is suitable for the world, it will be effective. That's all, there is no need to panic, and there is no need to make a fuss."

"What a good one - when the law changes with the times, governance will be achieved, and when governance adapts to the times, there will be merit!"

Wang Yuli clasped his hands and laughed. He had long thought that Hu Jiyou was a wonderful man. These words had the charm of the theory of governance. The theory of governance studies the management of people, governance and law. The principles are exactly the same.

However, another group of people at the tea party did not necessarily fully agree with their views. This was the Yang family's Guan Xue disciples from Guanzhong.

Guanxue is an academic school founded by Zhang Zai in the Song Dynasty and represents the Guanzhong area. The academic lineage has a long history and has generally gone through several stages. It peaked in the Northern Song Dynasty. Shortly after the Jingkang Incident, Guanshan fell into the hands of the Jin people. From then on, academic studies It was always sluggish, and by the time the Mongols took over the Central Plains, if it hadn't been for the persistence of several generations of the Guanxue Yang family, the inheritance would have been discontinued long ago.

The Yang family is the representative figure of Guan Studies today. Three generations, Yang Tiande, Yang Gongyi and Yang Yin, vigorously advocated the spirit of Guan Studies, made a living by giving lectures, and carried forward the academic ideas that Zhang Zai had always advocated. It is the efforts of these three generations that made it possible It made Guan Xue not speechless in the Yuan Dynasty, and also laid the foundation for the revival of Guan Xue in the Ming Dynasty. However, from the perspective of historical process, the great revival of Guan Xue will happen in the future. According to Jiang Xinghuo's previous life, Feng Congwu, a scholar in the late Ming Dynasty, compiled Guan Xue. The academic pedigree of "Guan Xue Bian", not to mention the famous Sanyuan School in the mid-Ming Dynasty, did not even have a shadow. Even Duan Jian, the border garrison teacher known as "Mr. Rong Si", at this time There are still fifteen years left until birth.

Therefore, Guan Xue is still carrying the banner of Yang's three or two big cats and kittens.

But today's head of Guan Studies, Yang Jingcheng, only has an academic status of his own compared to his ancestors a hundred years ago. Although his name is great, it is difficult to live up to his reputation.

This is also easy to understand. If Guan Xue was really revitalized, how could it be that Cao Duan was "famous in Guan Shaanxi" at such a young age?

To put it bluntly, Zhen Lun's strength is far inferior to that of Cao Duan.

But Guanxue has been passed down, and the main point of Yang's Guanxue now is to worship the ancients.

If we look at it from an academic perspective, the current Guan Xue is definitely not the same as the Guan Xue of the Song Dynasty. Instead, it is more inclined to the theory of Jiang Xinghuo, the master who killed the Shi Clan, that is, Fang Xiaoru.

Fang Xiaoru once described the social customs of the Hongwu Dynasty in the article "Preface to the Continuation of the Scholarship of the Song Dynasty": "Shang Shang studied the past, used the ears and eyes of the new generation to rectify Yilun, restored clothes and hats, made rituals and music, established schools, and all the ancestors. "The classics talk more about practice." It can be easily seen from this that in the Hongwu era, customs were in a retro era.

On the one hand, this kind of restoration is to establish a stable moral society; on the other hand, it is the "de-Huhua" movement advocated by Zhu Yuanzhang. From a legal point of view, Temujin is of course the "destined person" in the desert, and the legal system of the Ming Dynasty is Inherited from the Yuan Dynasty, from an emotional point of view, it is necessary to comprehensively restore the clothes, rituals and music of the Han people. Therefore, the retro style of the Hongwu Dynasty started from the rectification of Yilun and the conduct of the ancestors of the kings. Distinguishing superiority and inferiority and other means to establish an ideological and cultural foundation with the ethics and morality of traditional Confucianism as the core.

It was also the restoration movement that lasted for thirty years and spared no effort in the Hongwu era. It was precisely because Lao Zhu had rectified the Three Cardinal Guidelines and the Five Constant Rules that there were so many loyal ministers who died for Emperor Jianwen during the Jingnan period.

Yang Jingcheng said slowly: "The nature of the ancients was mostly honest, but the nature of today's people has become cunning; the ethos of the ancients was mostly resolute, but the ethos of today's people has become decadent; the ancients loved learning and doing good, but today's people abandon the Tao and like to slander. "The ancients were diligent and thrifty, but today's people are arrogant and lazy. The ancients were loyal and loyal, but today's people are stubborn and litigation. In my opinion, the world today is not as popular as in the past."

It was difficult for Hu Jishao to answer and refute, but Cao Duan had no scruples. He was frank and straightforward, and he only believed in truth and nothing else.

Cao Duan said: "If we talk about ancient people, few can surpass the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, right?"

"But in the Spring and Autumn Period, it can still be called respecting etiquette and respecting trust. By the Warring States Period, it was no longer a word about etiquette and trust. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the King of Zhou was still regarded as the suzerain. By the Warring States Period, he never spoke of the King of Zhou. At that time, there was still "strict sacrifice and heavy employment and enjoyment", but by the Warring States Period, there was no such thing; in the Spring and Autumn Period, clan names and clans were still emphasized, but by the Warring States Period, there was no mention of it; in the Spring and Autumn Period, there were still banquets Composing poems was no longer heard during the Warring States period; during the Spring and Autumn Period, there were still "letters of advice", but by the Warring States period, there was no such thing. This means that the ancient customs of the Spring and Autumn Period did not exist during the Warring States Period."

Because it was a private academic exchange tea party hosted by the Jinhua School, for Wang Yuli's sake, Cao Duan did not continue, but the meaning was obvious. Ancient and modern people, even the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, were not the same. To tell the truth, what Yang Jingcheng said is just an "ancient filter".

Nostalgia doesn't mean that the old one is really that good. If you go back to the past era, you can also find a lot of problems.

The current Yongle era is a critical period of major changes in society and culture. With the development of the commodity economy, social and cultural life has also changed. Thought and culture have begun to change from the conservative and boring period of the Hongwu and Jianwen periods to innovative and active.

Of course, Yang Jingcheng was not so easily refuted. Instead, he sincerely cited two examples.

"As soon as a leaf falls, you know that the world is autumn and the world is declining. I am indeed not an alarmist."

"For example, in Guanzhong Township, I heard from my ancestors that in the past, people who served as officials and returned home empty-handed would comfort each other and show great respect to each other. But today, there are many people who have resigned from office and returned to their hometowns, and the villagers just Isn't this an example of someone who is envious of the gold and silk in his arms, but if he returns empty-handed, he will be laughed at?"

Cao Duan was startled, and then said: "It is for this reason that the Imperial Master wants to rectify the administration of officials."

"Emperor Taizu Gao made strict laws and spared no effort in punishing corruption. Did it finally have the effect of making the scholar-bureaucrats realize their integrity?"

"In prosperous times, the people's hearts are thick, and the thicker they are, the more prosperous they are; in the declining times, the people's hearts are thin, and the thinner they are, the worse they are. The root cause of the official style lies in the world's customs. I believe what Hu Jijiu said is true."

Yang Jingcheng added: "For example, most of today's people are just like what the storybook says. They only care about their clothes and not about meeting people. They wear a few gorgeous clothes. When they go in front of people, they don't talk about it. They just let it go. Come on, everyone is respected, but if you are a master who is extremely capable, but is not well-dressed, and walks in front of people, unless he talks in a very colorful way, he just treats it as if it is just passing by his ears, am I talking nonsense?"

Official style, social style, and academic style are intertwined with each other and cannot be separated separately. Once mentioned, it is inevitable that something will cross the line. Everyone at this tea party is not a bold person, so they all tacitly avoided talking about it.

As the tea party gradually entered the poetry stage, news from outside suddenly interrupted the progress of the tea party.

It's not news from the side, but an edict issued from the palace.

The edict is not long, but the amount of information is very dense.

"In recent years, there has been a steady decline in scholarly conduct and a lack of official admonitions.

Peering into sinuses and cleverly acting as a matchmaker; instigating cliques and squeezing them out of official business.

Therefore, the power of the imperial court's power and fortune is only used as a reward for ministers.

"The Book" says: Without partiality and party, the king's way is chaotic; without party and party, the king's way is mediocre.

When I first succeeded to the throne, I was determined to inherit the legacy of Taizu Emperor Gao. I should be aware of the source of the disease and urgently need to eradicate it.

Those who have officials and guardians, whether internal or external, have their own thoughts; those who have responsibilities to express their opinions should speak out clearly about what is public and what is wrong.

The ministers have the style of uprightness and establishment of the dynasty, while the minor ministers have the habit of retreating from food and self-discipline. Therefore, the dynasty is clear and the government is austere, and the country is prosperous and prosperous. You all hang your fame on bamboo and silk, and your wealth and wealth are used by your descendants. Isn't that beautiful?

If you indulge in the old ways and stick to the old ways, the court may not be able to recite them, and you may not be able to abide by the law. Then my ancestors' constitution is very strict, and I really dare not forgive you. "

What a disaster, you said that Emperor Taizu Gao has so many "ancestral methods", why don't you learn other things? If you want to learn to vigorously rectify the administration of officials, then you should think of the ancestral constitution.

Well, Schrödinger's ancestral method.

But obviously, the edict from the palace is also a signal, which means that with the fermentation of public opinion in "Ming Pao" in the past few days, feedback has begun.

The emperor's intention is also very obvious. Everything else can be debated, but the official style is the theme of this operation. Don't argue about this. Don't think that you can stop the work of rectifying the officialdom by relying on public opinion.

Such a characterization is obviously contrary to the view held by Hu Yan and Yang Jingcheng that "the style of officials is closely related to the style of the world." However, this is a matter for the organizers to set the rules and insist on separating the two. No one dares to say anything anymore.

There are countless academic exchanges of similar nature such as the tea party held by Jinhua School and Guan School in Nanjing these days.

Around this broad social proposition that involves everyone, full exchanges and ideological collisions began between different trends of thought and schools of thought.

And the most important thing is that this year is the year of the imperial examination. The candidates from out of town encountered this kind of thing when they first came to Nanjing. It was really a knife stabbing their butt - it opened their eyes, everything was possible, and it was very lively for a while.

In this enthusiastic atmosphere of "Everyone is gathering firewood and the flames are high, and the burning building collapses and I take pictures", it is not too big a deal to watch the excitement. In a few days, the Imperial College will soon usher in a dispute between representatives of different opinions on "officials". "Fashion, world style, academic style" debate.