My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 125 Practical Learning
High-arched houses.

In the study, Gao Gong looked at Su Ze and said coldly:

"You've already asked Zhao Dazhou to write the article, why are you thinking of me again?"

Su Ze's forehead was sweating. Why did Gao Gong's words carry three parts dissatisfaction, three parts sarcasm, and three parts resentment?
Is this because I approached Zhao Zhenji to commission the article first?

Su Ze said quickly:

"The teacher has wronged the student."

Gao Gong snorted coldly and said:
"You know I hate the ostentatious and pretentious style of lecturing the most. Why would I still persuade the Crown Prince to submit a memorial to hold a lecture? This Zhao Dazhou is a master of the School of Mind. I have no interest in debating the meaning of the classics with him and humiliating myself."

Gao Gong disliked the empty rhetoric of the School of Mind, and he disliked the current trend among scholars of constantly talking about "extending innate knowledge," but given the prevailing scholarly atmosphere, Gao Gong alone was powerless to change it.

Of course, Gao Gong's lack of study of the philosophy of mind does not mean that he lacked a solid foundation in Confucianism. Those who could rise from the civil service examinations to the position of Grand Secretary were the best of the best.

Upon hearing Gao Gong's words, Su Ze laughed and said:

"That's why the students started this supplement."

Gao Gong looked at Su Ze with suspicion, only to hear Su Ze say:

“Master, the School of Mind is now very popular, how can it be stopped by simply banning its teachings?”

Gao Gong paused to think after hearing what Su Ze said.

Su Ze continued:

“Master, back then, when Wang Taizhou gathered people to lecture, fishermen, farmers, woodcutters, peddlers and laborers all gathered to listen. His disciples were not there to pursue official careers. How could the government possibly prohibit them?”

Gao Gong nodded slightly. When Wang Gen, the founder of the Taizhou School of Mind Learning, lectured, his audience consisted of ordinary people. Such spontaneous lectures by the people could not be prohibited by the government.

When Su Ze saw Gao Gong nod, he knew that he had succeeded in persuading Gao Gong this time.

The flourishing of the School of Mind was not merely due to its influence on the upper echelons, but rather because it aligned with the trends of the time.

Confucianism in the Ming Dynasty actually went through several stages.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Confucianism largely inherited from Song Dynasty learning, namely Neo-Confucianism of the Song Dynasty.

However, soon, the so-called "Zixue" emerged in the Ming Dynasty, which was a school of thought that opposed the conservative Neo-Confucianism under the banner of restoring Confucianism.

As the critique of Song Dynasty Confucianism deepened, the School of Mind emerged.

In fact, the origin of the School of Mind was not Wang Yangming, but the new Confucianism created by Lu Jiuyuan, a great Confucian scholar of the Southern Song Dynasty, in his critique of Neo-Confucianism.

After being developed by great Confucian scholars Chen Xianzhang and Zhan Ruoshui in the mid-Ming Dynasty, Wang Yangming brought it to its zenith, perfecting the framework of the School of Mind. From then on, the School of Mind began to flourish and quickly became the mainstream academic discipline.

As Su Ze said, when the School of Mind was first established, the imperial court regarded it as a heretical doctrine and repeatedly banned and destroyed it.

However, by the time of the Jiajing Emperor, it was impossible to prohibit it any longer, and the School of Mind had developed to the point that almost all the civil officials in the court were believers in it.

Emperor Jiajing was forced to lift the ban on academies, and the Neo-Confucianism reached its zenith in the late Jiajing period, which led to the Lingji Palace Assembly.

As Su Ze said, no matter how much Gao Gong disliked the School of Mind, once an idea spreads, it cannot be suppressed by those in power at will.

It's even possible that the more books are banned, the more books will be banned.

Gao Gong looked at Su Ze and asked:

"Then what do you think?"

Su Ze took a breath and said to Gao Gong:

“Master, if you are dissatisfied with the current metaphysical and impractical philosophy of mind, you cannot stop it by simply imposing prohibitions. If you want to change the atmosphere of the literati, you must propose a new academic system to critique the philosophy of mind. Only thought can overcome thought.”

Gao Gong remained silent.

Having read extensively in classical Chinese texts, Gao Gong naturally understood the reasoning behind Su Ze's words.

Although Confucianism has been discussed since the Qin and Han dynasties, if a Confucian scholar from the Qin and Han dynasties were to have a conversation with a Confucian scholar from the Ming dynasty, it is likely that neither side would understand what the other was saying.

Confucianism is just a facade; every dynasty has its own new Confucianism, and the development of Confucianism is simply one school replacing another.

During the Han Dynasty, there was a debate between the Old Text School and the New Text School; during the Tang Dynasty, there was a debate between the Classical Studies School and the Doubting Antiquity and Reform School; and during the Song Dynasty, it was a time of great contention among various schools of Confucianism, such as Neo-Confucianism, Luoyang School, Guan School, and Wang Anshi's New Learning, who fought each other so fiercely that it was almost unbelievable.

Gao Gong gave a wry smile and said:
"You're spouting nonsense! How easy is it to become a grandmaster who establishes a sect?"

Gao Gong was self-aware.

He knew his own level of expertise in Confucianism; let alone establishing a school of thought, he might not even be able to win a debate with a master of the philosophy of mind like Zhao Zhenji.

Su Ze makes it sound so easy. In the hundreds of years of the Ming Dynasty, there was only one Wang Yangming who created a new school of thought that could rival the School of Mind.
You might as well say that you, Su Ze, are Confucius.

Seeing Gao Gong's attitude, Su Ze knew he had taken the bait, and he smiled and said...
"Master, in your opinion, how does scholarship come into being?"

Gao Gong paused for a moment; this question was completely beyond his knowledge.

Su Ze didn't keep them in suspense and said directly:

"Students believe that any academic discipline is born from the critique of other doctrines."

"The reason why the philosophy of mind could flourish was that scholars had long been disgusted with the Neo-Confucianism of the Song Dynasty. Only when Master Yangming lectured could he command a huge following, and Confucian scholars from all over the world would flock to him with their provisions, making it a prominent school of thought in the world in an instant."

Gao Gong nodded. Su Ze was right. The birth of a new academic discipline always begins with the critique of the old one.

Su Ze continued:

"Is the teacher's dissatisfaction with the teaching style due to his dissatisfaction with the 'emptiness' of the philosophy of mind? Everyone talks about extending innate knowledge, and scholars are talking about the vague and ethereal 'innate knowledge,' yet they can't even do their daily affairs well."

"If we are to counter 'empty,' then we should use the word 'real.'"

“Master, there are scholars who engage in empty talk and gentlemen who are dedicated to doing things. These gentlemen who are dedicated to doing things, like you, Master, despise the trend of empty talk.”

"If we can raise the banner of 'practical learning' and take 'applying knowledge to practical use' as our goal, and call on those who have long been troubled by the superficiality of the philosophy of mind, we might be able to curb the current frivolous social trend and encourage more people to do things with their hearts."

Gao Gong murmured:

"Is practical application of knowledge the true essence?"

Seeing Gao Gong's expression, Su Ze knew he had succeeded.

Historically, after reaching its zenith, the School of Mind, like any other school of thought, collapsed instantly in the face of the social realities of the late Ming Dynasty.

No matter how good your philosophy of mind is, how did the country end up like this?
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, a group of students who opposed the School of Mind emerged in intellectual circles. Led by Wang Fuzhi and Gu Yanwu, the late Ming literati proposed "practical learning" to counter the School of Mind.

"Practical application" is the core idea of ​​practical learning proposed by Gu Yanwu.

Practical learning, which is the last school of thought in the natural development of Confucianism, reached its peak during the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods, when it was a school of textual research.

Later, the so-called Neo-Confucianism of modern times was nothing more than a Frankenstein's monster, a hodgepodge of various foreign theories, and was no longer the result of the endogenous evolution of Confucianism. Moreover, the proposal of "practical learning" now is actually not early.

Within the cabinet were figures like Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, who disliked the philosophy of mind. In fact, their governing philosophies were close to practical learning, but they did not systematically propose a program or construct a theoretical framework.

What Su Ze provided to Gao Gong was precisely this outline.

Once a framework is established, the development of related theories can be quite rapid.

Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng were both Grand Secretaries, so they had no shortage of talented people under their command. Finding a group of disciples who were well-versed in Confucianism and developing a new doctrine would not have been difficult at all.

The new learning that Wang Anshi promoted during his reforms was something he, along with his son and disciples, came up with.
Su Ze knew that neither Gao Gong nor Zhang Juzheng could resist such temptation.

As Su Ze said, to change social customs, we must start with new ideas.

For politicians like Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, who were committed to reform, proposing a theory that could change the social atmosphere was an immense temptation!

A new theory, in turn, can influence political change.

With such a huge temptation in front of him, how could Gao Gong remain calm?

Gao Gong quickly picked up a pen and wrote the four characters "经世致用" (meaning "to apply knowledge to practical use") on the paper, then said to Su Ze:

"Zhao Dazhou's article will be published first. Once his article is sent to the newspaper office, you should send a copy to my home. I will debate with him in the next issue!"

Gao Gong had already figured it out: he would use this opportunity to debate with Zhao Zhenji in the Yuefu Xinbao to build the theoretical framework for this practical learning.

When the time comes, as long as I promote practical learning, I can naturally reverse the superficial and boastful atmosphere of scholars who talk about metaphysics and empty talk, and at the same time, I can use practical learning to gather a group of officials who are truly committed to reform.

Gao Gong's gaze towards Su Ze changed. From this moment on, Su Ze was already a core member of his faction.

[The relationship with Grand Secretary Gao Gong has reached "close" level; mission 2/3 complete.]

Is it already full?
Su Ze never expected that his words tonight would max out Gao Gong's reputation.

That's right. Gao Gong was a politician who was determined to reform, and for any reformer, a political program is very important.

And academic pursuits are the best way to unite people's hearts and minds.

If Gao Gong can truly develop this practical knowledge, then even if he is dismissed from office and leaves power, his political line can continue to be implemented.

For Su Ze, the fact that the current chief minister was exchanging barbs and clarifying their political ideologies in the Yuefu Xinbao newspaper would not only increase the newspaper's sales, but more importantly, it would generate momentum for the lecture conference.

Now that the newspapers are getting the atmosphere going, the debates at the lecture conference will be more exciting!

Everyone should first publish their views in the newspapers, and then compete for supremacy at the lecture conference. Only then will the conference be truly exciting and the issues discussed be truly profound.

The debates in the intellectual world cannot stop at mere ideas and theories; they will inevitably involve all aspects of society, exposing all the problems in order to find the right direction for change.

After leaving Gao Gong's house, Su Ze thought he should thank his good student, Pang Jun, this time.

If it weren't for Pang Jun's petition, and if he had directly petitioned to hold a lecture himself, the prestige points he had accumulated would definitely not be enough.

Su Ze smiled. His good student was just as good at causing trouble as he was, and his first letter had already caused such a mess.
-
On December 7th, the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) who had been observing the government affairs in the capital concluded their observation period.

After the observation period ended, the head official of the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) observation office would issue a "conclusion report" to the Ministry of Personnel, which was equivalent to an internship report after the internship ended, summarizing and evaluating the work of the newly appointed Jinshi over the past six months.

The Ministry of Personnel would then assign positions based on the results of the written report and the candidates' rankings in the imperial examinations.

Shen Sixiao packed his things and left the Censorate with reluctance.

Although Luo Zun, the censor who admired him the most, had fallen from power, Shen Sixiao had a good reputation in the Censorate, and the Vice Censor-in-Chief in charge of evaluating him also spoke highly of him in his final report.

With the help of his fellow townsmen in the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department, Shen Sixiao had already secured a position as a county magistrate in Southern Zhili.

Southern Zhili was the most prosperous place in the Ming Dynasty, with a large population and developed economy. The population of one county was even more than that of an inland prefecture.

With Shen Sixiao's confidence, as long as he made some achievements after taking office and then used his connections in the capital, he could be transferred back to the capital.

The Ministry of Personnel has informed him to pick up his appointment document this afternoon, so today is Shen Sixiao's last day working at the Censorate.

When Shen Sixiao left, he happened to run into two classmates who had entered the Censorate.

Shen Sixiao recognized that the two were the same age as Su Ze Shen, who had been getting close to him recently.

One of them was named Shen Zao, who was from Zhejiang Province, just like Shen Sixiao. He used to be quite close to Shen Sixiao, but recently, for some reason, he took the initiative to distance himself from Shen Sixiao.

The other person, Wang Renzhong, was noticeably less polite to Shen Sixiao.

“Brother Yiqing (Shen Zao's courtesy name), Brother Qingpu (Wang Renzhong's courtesy name).

Shen Zao was relatively polite to Shen Sixiao, bowing respectfully, but Wang Renzhong was clearly less polite, only giving a perfunctory bow before pulling Shen Zao along as if avoiding a plague and walking into the Censorate.

Shen Sixiao, always adept at social maneuvering, ignored Wang Renzhong's disdainful attitude and instead said to Shen Zao:

"Are you two, both of you, here at the Censorate on business? I, Shen, may take you there."

Shen Sixiao didn't forget to try and establish a connection with his classmate from the same year, but Wang Renzhong coldly replied:
"No need for you to trouble yourself, Brother Shen. We have been appointed as Acting Supervising Censors of Shandong Circuit in the Censorate. The official notice from the Selection Department has already been sent to the Censorate. We have come to pay our respects to the Grand Censor in advance."

Hearing Wang Renzhong say this, Shen Sixiao felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow.

Shen Sixiao then remembered that when the Ministry of Personnel was appointing officials, it would first fill the vacant positions in the capital before assigning them to vacant positions in the localities.

The position in the Censorate was the position Shen Sixiao had always dreamed of.

However, due to the case of Prince Dai, Luo Zun fell from power, and Shen Sixiao was afraid of being implicated, so he dared not seek to stay in the capital.

Shen Sixiao had already accepted this reality, but when he got his dream job in the same year, he still felt a blow to his soul.

Shen Sixiao lost all interest in pleasantries and hurriedly bid farewell to the two before leaving.

But in the afternoon, Shen Sixiao saw the official document from the Ministry of Personnel and looked at Zhang Siwei, the Imperial Academy official, with a puzzled expression:
"The magistrate of Gaomi County, Dengzhou?"

"The Imperial Academy official is busy with official duties," Zhang Siwei said calmly.
"Denglai has just opened its ports, and Governor Tu has requested personnel from the Ministry of Personnel. You should go and take up your post immediately."

Shen Sixiao had a bad feeling, but since it was an official document from the Ministry of Personnel, he had no choice but to accept it.

Dengzhou Prefecture it is, Shandong isn't exactly a poor place.
-
Shen Sixiao's position was naturally arranged by Su Ze.

If we let this kind of person go, he might return to the capital and disgust us again in a few days.

The safest option is to place them in Dengzhou and have Tu Zemin keep them under control.

Once we find out Shen Sixiao's mistakes later, we'll find a way to remove him from his official post.

However, Shen Sixiao's matter was just a trivial matter that Su Ze handled casually.

Looking at Zhang Hong, the eunuch of the Eastern Palace, Su Zecai really had a headache.

Is this Hundred Entertainments Festival absolutely necessary?
(End of this chapter)