Chapter 6 A Thousand Scholars, a Thousand Confucius
Zhang Juzheng has a handsome face, quite handsome, slightly thin, with only one pair of eyes, with a faint flash of light, standing there, not It's not obvious, but it gives people a sharp feeling.
In the first year of Wanli, Ming Dynasty had entered old age, and it was the time when the sun was declining.
The government is lax, the country is weak, the discipline is weak, and the military equipment is weak. The number of the Beijing camp is only 50,000 to 60,000, all of whom are old, weak, sick, and disabled; the country's finances are in huge losses, and the tax base has completely withered; the internal party is in full swing. , there are countless redundant personnel, and the officialdom is unprecedentedly corrupt; the people are struggling to make a living and the Ming Dynasty is already on the verge of collapse.
At this time, only someone who can save the world can eliminate the long-standing shortcomings and extend the life of the Ming Dynasty.
Yan Song couldn't do it, Xu Jie couldn't do it, and Gao Gong couldn't do it.
In front of Zhu Yijun is Zhang Juzheng, the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty. He has the means, determination, ability and talent. Can he do it?
In fact, he didn't do it. Ten years was too short, and Ming Dynasty was too seriously ill. In the tenth year of Wanli, after Zhang Juzheng passed away, Ming Dynasty's last chance to correct its mistakes was to counterattack. In the wave, it disappeared without a trace.
The chief assistant in front of him, who was dedicated to the country but poor in his career, was the biggest reason why Emperor Wanli could not go to court for thirty years, and even though most of the officials in the court still neglected government and acted recklessly!
As long as what Zhang Juzheng is doing is beneficial to the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yijun will never stop him in the slightest.
It is Zhu Yijun's unswerving wish to make the Ming Dynasty great again.
Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng, and Zhang Juzheng was also looking at the little emperor.
Yesterday, the assassin killed the king. The assassin broke into the Qianqing Palace and stabbed the bed with a knife. How would this young king react when he suddenly suffered such a disaster? Was he scared out of his wits and became submissive? Or are you worried that you will be killed? Or is it the sadness of not being able to guarantee his own safety after the death of the late emperor?
Zhang Juzheng didn't even see it. He only saw calmness and a trace of amusement.
Looks cannot deceive people. In the eyes of the Ming Emperor, there was no fear, no panic, no sorrow, no worry.
"Yuan Fu, can we start the feast?" Zhu Yijun asked. According to his past memory, he was going to say a long and literate speech.
The main idea is: I am still young, and I am deeply worried that my virtue will not be able to support the people. According to the expectations of the late emperor, today according to the ancestral method, I hope that the ministers in the court can recite scriptures well, teach me the principles, and govern this country well. nation.
This long paragraph is like chanting sutras. The memory of other things I learned has long been faded, but this paragraph is particularly memorable.
Zhu Yijun was testing whether he could hold this Sutra banquet if he refused to say so.
“I will obey the holy order!” Zhang Juzheng was stunned and bowed his head in agreement.
In fact, the sutra feast can be started without chanting sutras.
Twenty-seven ministers and ministers of the Ming Dynasty, who were extremely powerful, served Zhu Yijun to read alone. The emperor did not even need to turn the pages of the book when he was reading. Naturally, the bookkeepers turned the pages. There were also attendants and lecturers who served Zhu Yijun to read. Responsible for laying out paper, grinding ink, and recording the words and deeds of the bachelors who gave lectures.
You don’t even need to take notes when reading, you just need to listen.
When the Master of the Banquet entered the hall, Zhu Yijun had to stand up and return the greeting before he could start his lecture. The content of the lecture was the Four Books and the Five Classics. The Master of the Banquet had his own division of labor, and he broke apart each word and crushed it into pieces. Yes, feed it into his mouth.
Zhang Juzheng was not idle, let alone wandering around, but was watching Zhu Yijun study very seriously.
Zhang Juzheng has no political heir, and he cannot have one. He is arbitrary in his dynasty. If he had a political heir, Empress Dowager Li would have trouble sleeping and eating. Abandoning a high arch is a waste, and abolition of Zhang Juzheng is also a waste.
For Empress Dowager Li, it is Empress Dowager Li's responsibility to maintain the emperor's exclusive management.
Zhang Juzheng can only have one successor, and that is the emperor on the platform, so he is teaching the emperor Xiang Xue very carefully.
Zhu Yijun really wanted to study hard and make progress every day, but as he listened, he gradually figured out something was wrong. He suddenly said: "Stop."
"Yuan Fu, I have doubts." Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Juzheng: "These banquet scholars obviously said the same thing, but they all have their own opinions. Who should I listen to?"
""The Analects of Confucius·Wei Zheng" said: Attacking heresy will only cause harm."
"Scholar Wang Xilie and Wang said: If you delve into heresy, it will be extremely harmful; Scholar Chen Jin said: Criticizing incorrect Speech, the harm will be eliminated; Hanlin Academy editor Wang Borsun said: It is very dangerous to attack speech that is inconsistent with your own views. "
"Yuanfu, what do you mean by this sentence? One sentence has three meanings."
This question asked by the little emperor stumped Zhang Juzheng for a while.
It is easy to determine the outcome in a martial arts competition, but it is difficult to distinguish between friends through literature. There is no first in literature, and there is no second in martial arts. This is the truth.
Literati have looked down on each other since ancient times. For a sentence of Confucius, there are a thousand Confucius among a thousand scholars. Various annotated versions emerge in endlessly. Various schools, schools and even everyone have different opinions.
Who is right? Who is wrong? Who do you listen to?
No matter who Zhang Juzheng listens to at this moment, he has completely offended other bachelors. Zhang Juzheng is not afraid of offending people. If he was afraid of offending people, he would not want to implement the examination method.
The way to succeed in the examination is to put a halter on the officials, whip the whip, and set performance appraisals for the officials. This is most offensive to people.
Zhang Ju is thinking about how to teach the emperor well.
Zhang Juzheng was silent for a moment and said: "I think that attacking means studying for specialties; heretics are not the way of saints but are one of the other ends." Buddhism, claiming to be Bodhidharma, will inevitably lead to the death of the country, and will be laughed at by future generations, and the heresy will cause harm. Isn’t it something that should be avoided for all generations?”
Zhu Yijun picked up the pen and wrote about Song Huizong and Liang Liang. Emperor Wu asked with six words: "Zhang Yuanfu means that these religious teachings are heresy?"
"Of course." Zhang Juzheng did not hesitate to dislike Buddhism and Taoism, the most important thing was What's more, the tax base is shrinking. The land under the jurisdiction of these temples does not receive money and food, and many gentry are affiliated with them.
Under the Ming Dynasty, people harbored filth and did not pay taxes. This is one of the silverfish in the future of the Ming Dynasty.
The learning of various schools of thought is not heresy, that is knowledge, but the evil spirits that deceive people's hearts are the real heresies. Zhang Juzheng is a Confucian scholar, but he is not a pure Confucian scholar. How can a pure Confucian scholar come up with such a thing as the examination method?
Zhu Yijun couldn't help but nodded and said: "I understand, Zhang Yuanfu talks about governing the country, and the bachelors talk about principles."
"I dare not be worthy of my honor. "When Zhang Juzheng heard this, he hurriedly said something modest. Although he was modest, he did not have any humility. He stood up straight and was a little arrogant. Several bachelors did not dare to refute.
Gao Yi is dead, Gao Gong was expelled from the cabinet, Zhang Juzheng's methods are overbearing, what if he refutes it and is deposed tomorrow because he stepped into the Chengtian Gate with his left foot?
Zhu Yijun was a little impatient with this scripture feast. The speeches of these great scholars were just like the speeches of leaders of various conferences in previous lives. They were all reasonable nonsense and correct principles.
But it has nothing to do with governing the country.
It’s all nonsense!
He looked at Zhang Juzheng and suddenly thought of an idea. He asked with a smile: "Yuan Fu is also a scholar."
Zhang Juzheng didn't know why the emperor asked. He was not a scholar. He could stand here? He replied with some confusion: "I was born in a military household in Changning, Jingzhou Prefecture. I am not talented. I was ranked ninth among the top 20 Shujishi in the 26th year of Jiajing."
Zhang Juzheng was born in a military household in Changning. , ranked ninth in the second division.
Zhu Yijun continued: "Yuan Fu is a very good reader. I think he also annotated the Four Books and Five Classics."
Zhang Juzheng somewhat understood what the emperor meant and replied: "I have annotated it."
Zhu Yijun then stated his purpose: "I think that now that Yuanfu is the chief assistant of the Wenyuan Pavilion of the Ming Dynasty, he is naturally the most powerful scholar, so I will use the Four Books and Five Classics annotated by Yuanfu to read."
"The twenty-seven ministers of the Ming Dynasty were extremely busy with official duties. They were all waiting outside the palace for meetings, promotions, and affairs, waiting for me to read alone. This reading lasted for several hours. All internal and external matters were dealt with. No need to discuss? ”
"Yuan Fu gave me his annotations of the Four Books and Five Classics, and set aside one day every month for Hanlin and bachelors to take the exam. If he fails to pass, it won't be too late no matter how many people stare at him, right?"
< br>"You are discussing under the platform, and I am studying by myself on the platform. We will not delay."
Twenty-seven courtiers were waiting outside the door, and the ceremonial officer held up the embroidered spring knife. , staring at them, they couldn't even stand properly, let alone whisper and discuss state affairs.
Zhu Yijun's idea saves each other's time, increases efficiency, and avoids the confusion caused by the intellectual conflicts among many bachelors.
Isn’t the core of the examination method to save time, improve efficiency, and reduce the rigidity within the Ming Dynasty system?
Zhang Juzheng pondered for a moment, turned over his sleeves, took out a copy of "Direct Interpretations of the Four Books" and handed it to Zhang Hong, who was waiting beside him, and said loudly: "Your Majesty is wise."
Agree?
Zhu Yijun thought that the opinion of his little emperor was not important, but seeing Zhang Juzheng agreeing so readily, and looking at the "Direct Interpretations of the Four Books" that he had prepared long ago, he knew that Zhang Juzheng had been prepared for this.
The monarch and his minister actually peed into a pot.
Zhang Juzheng said quite solemnly: "After the court meeting, I will stay alone for an hour to answer your Majesty's questions."
Since Emperor Longqing's grand ceremony, the Sutra Feast has been going on for six months. What is the result of the emperor's study?
The result is zero.
Zhang Juzheng passed the exam, but the little emperor didn't read it at all, not a single word, and he just hesitated when he asked questions.
It’s surprising that a ten-year-old child can read such a big battle.
On the other hand, various great scholars, in order to speak word for word, turned over and over again, each had their own opinions. These opinions were mixed together, let alone the ten-year-old emperor, even Zhang Juzheng Everyone was a little confused when they heard it. The father-in-law said that the father-in-law was right, and the mother-in-law said that the mother-in-law was right.
Annotation on Confucius, who is right?
He has been thinking about how to teach the emperor well.
First of all, the courtiers cannot be allowed to miss the emperor. The high-gong affairs are still vivid in their minds. The court meeting in the Wenhua Palace is the place to discuss state affairs. This involves the four words that the emperor is in charge. The little emperor must be there. Secondly The little emperor must also succeed in his studies.
The most important thing is not to let Empress Dowager Li misunderstand that Zhang Juzheng, the chief minister, wants to usurp the throne!
You teach well, but suddenly you are not allowed to be taught by a bachelor. What is your intention, Zhang Juzheng?
After thinking about it, Zhang Juzheng came up with a solution, which was almost the same as what the emperor said, except for one more thing. After the court meeting, he stayed for an hour to preach and resolve doubts.
"This is very good, very good!" Zhu Yijun flipped through the "Direct Interpretations of the Four Books" written by Zhang Juzheng. This one is just annotations on the Analects of Confucius.
The most important thing is that all the annotations are written in vernacular. When the bachelors speak, they are too literate and difficult to understand.
"The Direct Interpretation of the Four Books" can be called a popular reading of the Four Books and Five Classics, but popular does not mean crude.
Take the Analects of Confucius as an example. Confucius said a certain sentence in what context, to whom he said it, why he said it, what does it mean for the governance of the country, and what does it mean for the current Ming Dynasty? What is the significance of learning from it? The explanation is simple and profound.
"I will retire." Several bachelors looked at me and I looked at you, and they could only bow their heads and retire.
Zhang Juzheng usurped imperial power. Not only did the emperor not take precautions, he also gave him away. What can the bachelors do?
The day when the emperor on the throne is no longer named Zhu, will His Majesty know how to repent!
Twenty-seven courtiers began to go to the palace, sat on both sides of the long table, and began to discuss state affairs.
The first thing is the case of assassinating the king and killing the driver.
Please pursue reading, please recommend, please support me, please support. Pursuing reading is very important. Pursuing reading involves the recommendation position. Nowadays, it is really easy to support yourself by reading books. Please pursue reading, ow! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
(End of this chapter)