The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 23 The Great Way of Investigation
"How could it be interpreted this way?"

"Isn't this just sophistry?"

"Nothing to say."

"But isn't this Meng Sheng's true intention?"
Mencius said that at the beginning of life, human nature is inherently good.

Mencius said that those who are wicked are not human, but beasts, and should be killed. Doesn't Grand Scholar Li's statement agree with Mencius's?

Since the Yuan Dynasty reorganized the Confucian legal system, Mencius was considered the second sage after Confucius, and his words had the same effect as Confucius's.

While proposing the theory of the inherent goodness of human nature, Mencius added an unparalleled supplement: those who are born evil are beasts and should be killed.

Based on this, Li Qi put forward an unprecedented argument: how bad must a person be to need to keep learning to improve their morality?

Is that still a human being?
Such a born bad seed should just be killed; why bother with education?

What a resounding question!
"I have nothing to say about what you have said, and I am completely convinced."

"Professor Li, please continue your discussion on the psychological distinctions. Your student is eagerly awaiting the next installment."

"Yes, Master Li, please continue your sermon."

Several voices suddenly rang out in the hall. The learned scholars on both sides had different expressions, but all of them had a solemn look on their faces.

This premature discussion came to an end, and Li Qi resumed his discussion of psychological debate.

"Zhu Xi emphasized the investigation of things to acquire knowledge in order to understand the principles of Heaven. However, I imagine that after reading many books, students will have the same question: they do not know how to investigate things, nor have they acquired any understanding of the principles of Heaven. Over time, they may even have doubts about the teachings of the sages."

As soon as Li Qi said this, a commotion broke out in the Imperial Academy.

All the Hanlin scholars looked at Li Qi in shock, never expecting that he would dare to raise such a pointed question.

The Neo-Confucian school had been developing rapidly for over a century, and they were certainly aware of this flaw, and had even questioned it, but no one could solve it. In the end, almost everyone gave the same answer: "The reason we haven't grasped the principles of Heaven is because our investigation of things wasn't sincere, because our innate talents were insufficient, because..."

In short, there are countless reasons why investigating things to acquire knowledge is not wrong; after all, how could a sage be wrong?

Zhu Xi said, "All things in the world have their own principles. By investigating one thing, one can understand its principles. This is indeed a profound and wise saying!"

“Since the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, there have been sages who observed the stars and determined the yin and yang calendars by observing the trajectories of the sun and moon. This is the way of investigating things. The sages investigated the sun and moon and thus obtained the principles of the sun and moon!”

"Water flows downhill; this is the principle of water, and it is also something we can learn from investigating things."

"Each item in the grid has its own logic."

"Teacher Li, you just said that investigating things is not about improving morality, so what's the use of the principles that are investigated?"

"good question."

Li Qi looked around at everyone in the hall who were all staring intently at him and said, "By understanding the principles of the sun and moon, we can accurately formulate a calendar to aid agriculture. Isn't this the way to bring peace and prosperity to the world?"

In ancient times, Yu the Great controlled the floods and dredged the land, wasn't that applying the principle that water flows downhill?

"If one is extremely talented, one can even integrate and apply their knowledge."

Realizing that not only does water flow downhill, but rocks also fall from high places to low, and things in the sky always fall to the ground, the underlying principle is actually the same.

"The more you investigate things and acquire knowledge, the closer you get to the Dao."

If one can further utilize reason to accomplish feats like Yu the Great controlling the floods and establishing a calendar, and possess lofty moral character, then such a person is worthy of being called a sage.

The Zuo Zhuan says, "The highest achievement is to establish virtue, the next is to establish merit, and the next is to establish words. These will not be forgotten even after a long time; this is what is meant by immortality."

This is the path to sainthood that I have discovered!

There was little sound in the Imperial Academy, except for the lingering echo of Li Qi's voice, which seemed to still resonate in the rafters.

Inside the lecture hall, hundreds of Confucian scholars sat stiffly like clay or wooden sculptures, and almost no one was seen whispering to each other.

There wasn't even a person panting heavily.

Xie Jin's folding fan froze, the ribs trembling slightly, as if a great bell and drum were constantly resounding in his mind. The Imperial Academy Chancellor's lips were half-open, but he couldn't utter a single word. His eyes were red-rimmed, a thousand words stuck in his throat, his eyes wide open, and he gripped his Confucian robe tightly at his knees.

At this moment, the wind stopped, the trees were still, and even the birds fell silent in the Imperial College.

The bronze bells on the eaves remained motionless, as if everything in the world had been stunned by Li Qi's words.

An elderly scholar with white hair, an instructor at the Imperial Academy, slowly closed his eyes, and two streams of tears rolled down his cheeks silently, landing on the desk and raising a tiny speck of dust.

Most of the young scholars who were hostile to Li Qi were initially excited, but then turned pale.

The brush in my hand had broken at some point, and ink dripped from my fingertips, spreading a dark patch on the rice paper, but I was completely unaware of it.

Throughout the lecture hall, no one whispered, no one coughed or cleared their throats, and even the rustling of robes disappeared.

"How exquisite!"

"The key is clarity."

At this moment, silence was more deafening than any cheer.

Never before has anyone so clearly pointed out a path to sainthood, a path so broad and solid, no longer those illusory sayings mixed with Zen, no longer those ghostly words of yin-yang sorcerers.

Instead, it is about truly investigating a thing, understanding a principle, doing something, achieving something, and then realizing one's way!

It was so clear, so exquisite, that even for a short time, they couldn't find any flaws because it looked so perfect.

Li Qi was not surprised by the reactions of the crowd.

Neo-Confucianism is an extremely complete and logically rigorous doctrine. The only problem is that Zhu Xi's knowledge was limited to the ancient worldview, and he was unaware of the vastness of heaven and earth and the breadth of the universe. Li Qi, who came from a later generation, was able to fill this gap.

Is it not incredible that the legacy of great Confucian scholars, combined with the wisdom of later generations, could give rise to a great thinker who is no less than any sage throughout history?

The students from the north, recovering from their shock, almost simultaneously shouted, "Clap!"

"A wake-up call!"

"Hear the Great Dao!"

"Master Li should be regarded as a saint!"

"It should be the best in the world!"

Who dares to challenge the enemy's might?

Every word and sentence is filled with the highest praise for Li Qi.

Even more direct than such cheers are the system messages.

Your reputation among the scholars has greatly increased by 5 points, bringing your current reputation to 70.

Your reputation brings honor to the entire clan. Clan reputation +10, current reputation -20.

These are just the scholars in the academy. If their teachings spread throughout the world, their reputation will reach the highest level!
Even with the sins of his family on his shoulders, he was probably still invincible among the great Confucian scholars at that time, and might even have achieved the status of a half-saint!

He is the foremost Confucian scholar in the world!
Li Qi looked around at everyone, then focused his gaze on the group of Hanlin scholars, and said with a sigh, "Today's lecture on the classics ends here. Now it is time to discuss the principles. Who among you will come forward and debate with me?"

A true struggle over the Dao!
The hall was silent.

Their eyes met, and for a long time, you could hear a pin drop.

Reasons—

The hall was filled with learned scholars, yet not a single one dared to accept the challenge!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Three thousand Confucian scholars reside in the hall; who will reign supreme after Confucius and Mencius?" The intellectual world of the early Ming Dynasty was utterly lifeless, like a desolate, silent ocean, or a pitch-black night. Until Li Qi appeared, raising his torch, becoming the sole light in this dark age! — *A History of Thought*

(End of this chapter)