Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 112 Run! The Daily Lecture is a Trap! (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
"...This means that a nation does not consider profit as its own, but rather righteousness as its own."

After reciting the last sentence of "The Great Learning," Zhu Youjian turned his gaze to Ni Yuanlu.

"Minister Ni, is there any mistake in the punctuation of what I recited?"

Ni Yuanlu quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty is exceptionally intelligent, has a photographic memory, and reads sentences clearly without making a single mistake."

Zhu Youjian nodded noncommittally: "It's not difficult to memorize an article of over a thousand characters. The difficulty lies in understanding its true meaning. There are some parts of this article that I don't understand, and I hope that Minister Ni and the other gentlemen will not hesitate to enlighten me."

coming!

Ni Yuanlu took a deep breath, and the weight that had been hanging over her heart seemed to grow even heavier.

Daily lectures are not the same as formal lectures.

During lectures, lecturers could bring their own lecture notes. The official who unrolled the notes would turn to one page, and the lecturer would then lecture on that page.

To put it bluntly, it was a public lesson, all done in a strict and predictable manner, with no surprises whatsoever.

However, lecturers are not allowed to bring their own lecture notes inside. The question-and-answer session depends entirely on improvisation, which is a great test of the lecturer's knowledge and adaptability.

"Your Majesty, please speak. We will tell you everything we know."

Zhu Youjian slowly began to speak: "The Great Learning begins by saying: 'The way of great learning consists in manifesting one’s bright virtue, in loving the people, and in abiding in perfect goodness.'"

"However, when I read Zhu Xi's 'Collected Annotations on the Four Books,' I found a statement that 'loving the people' should be interpreted as 'renewing the people.' Why is that?"

Upon hearing this, Ni Yuanlu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

This issue is one of the core arguments of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, and every official who came from a legitimate imperial examination background knew it.

But... since Your Majesty has read the "Collected Annotations on Chapters and Sentences" and has naturally seen the annotations, why ask questions you already know the answer to?

The thought flashed through Ni Yuanlu's mind in an instant, and he didn't have time to think it over. He cupped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty is wise. I will try to answer this question for Your Majesty."

He cleared his throat and said loudly:

"When Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi changed 'qin' to 'xin', it attracted a lot of questions at the time. Some people questioned Zhu Xi back then, saying, 'Is it not the proper way to pass on the classics if you lightly change the text according to your own opinion?' However, Zhu Xi had his own thorough considerations."

Ni Yuanlu's tone became solemn and dignified, as if she had returned to the scene of her teacher lecturing in the classroom years ago.

"One of Zhu Xi's arguments lies in 'interpreting the meaning through the text.'"

"The way of the Great Learning begins with 'manifesting one's bright virtue,' which is self-cultivation and is the path to inner sagehood."

"After attaining inner sagehood, one must then become an outward king, extending one's own virtue to others, so that the people may be renewed, and all the people of the world may also be able to understand one's bright virtue."

“If it is interpreted as ‘being close to the people,’ then it is somewhat different from the meaning of ‘manifesting one’s bright virtue.’”

"However, if it is interpreted as 'renewing the people,' meaning to enable the people to reform their old habits and renew their virtues, then it is consistent with the meaning of 'manifesting virtue' mentioned earlier, which is a necessary principle."

Zhu Youjian nodded. From this perspective, it is not difficult to understand why Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism gradually became a prominent school of thought.

With the emergence of the New People, the concept of manifesting virtue transformed from self-cultivation into the foundation for promoting the cultivation of others, echoing the subsequent themes of self-cultivation, family management, governance of the state, and bringing peace to the world in the Great Learning.

In the past few days, while studying it, he couldn't help but marvel at the flawless theory.

Ni Yuanlu took a deep breath and continued.

"Secondly, it lies in 'examining it by its literary style'."

Zhu Xi believed that the entire third chapter of the Great Learning was dedicated to explaining the meaning of "renewing the people".

Ni Yuanlu recited the original text of Chapter Three word by word:
The inscription on Tang's bronze vessel reads: "If you can improve yourself one day, improve yourself every day, and keep improving yourself." The Kang Gao says: "Make new people." The Book of Poetry says: "Although Zhou is an old state, its mandate is ever new." Therefore, a wise ruler will spare no effort in pursuing his goals.

“All three of these are characterized by the word ‘new’. If the program is ‘close to the people’, then the later parts will be disconnected from the earlier parts. Only when the program is ‘new people’ can the text be integrated and the overall structure be coherent.”

At this point, Ni Yuanlu straightened her back slightly, and her voice became louder.

"Even more so, if we examine the origins of the characters, the two characters '亲新' were often interchangeable in ancient times."

"For example, Lu Deming's 'Classic Interpretation' points out that the original text of 'new rebel' was 'welcome in person'."

"It is clear that replacing 'close' with 'new' is not a mere arbitrary alteration, but rather an attempt to restore the original meaning of the text!"

Ni Yuanlu concluded his speech by saying:
"Therefore, in Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi's view, the way of the Great Learning is to first clarify one's own bright virtue, then to renew the people, and finally to reach the highest good together. This is what is called the Three Cardinal Guides of the Great Learning!"

After finishing his speech, the rigor of his logic, the thoroughness of his research, the citation of classical texts, and the progressive nature of his arguments made it irrefutable.

This is Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, the pinnacle of Confucianism.

Its system is so perfect and flawless that its "new kinship reform" alone is enough to demonstrate its excellence.

After he finished speaking, Zhu Youjian did not make any judgments, but instead raised a second question.

“What Minister Ni said is indeed the correct interpretation of Zhu Xi’s teachings.” Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, but his gaze suddenly sharpened. “However, I recently read the ‘Record of Teachings and Practices’ and saw that Wang Yangming insisted that it should be ‘loving the people’ rather than ‘renewing the people.’ What do you think is the interpretation of this statement?”

This simple question caused the atmosphere in the hall to suddenly become tense.

Ni Yuanlu felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.

Is this question difficult to answer?
What a load of rubbish! He's from Shangyu, Zhejiang, and the Wang family of Zhejiang is right next door. How could he not understand Wang Yangming's philosophy!

The real challenge lies in the implications behind the emperor's question in this context!
Although Wang Yangming's philosophy was widely circulated, it was the first time in the Ming Dynasty that it was mentioned in the imperial court, especially in occasions such as lectures and daily discussions, and even asked questions about it alongside Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism!
What does this actually represent?
He glanced at the chief minister Huang Lijie subconsciously, only to find that the other man remained indifferent, looking down as if he were a clay or wooden sculpture.

The atmosphere inside the main hall grew increasingly heavy.

Zhu Youjian did not urge him, but simply sat upright, looking at him calmly, waiting for his answer.

Ni Yuanlu took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Yangming's theory is indeed different from Zhu Xi's judgment."

Ni Yuanlu composed herself, her voice becoming more steady, and began to systematically explain Wang Xue's viewpoints.

"Master Yangming believed that the ancient version of the Great Learning was the old version passed down by Confucius's disciples, and there were no omissions or errors. Therefore, it should be followed as it was. Thus, 'loving the people' should not be changed to 'renewing the people'."

"Firstly, Mr. Yangming believed that the 'making new people' in the Kang Gao was to enable the remnants of the Yin Shang dynasty to 'renew themselves' so as to become new people of the Zhou dynasty."

"What Zhu Xi meant by 'renewing the people' was actually the ruler's moral education to 'renew the people.' The former is something the people do themselves, while the latter is something the ruler causes; they should not be confused. Based on this, in Mr. Yangming's view, there is a suspicion of misattribution."

Secondly, Mr. Yangming believed that, after reading the entire text of "The Great Learning", from "governing the country and bringing peace to the world" onwards, all of it is an explanation of the meaning of the word "kinship".

“Such as ‘A gentleman values ​​the virtuous and cherishes his relatives,’ ‘Like protecting an infant,’ ‘What the people like, he likes; what the people dislike, he dislikes,’ all express the idea of ​​being close to and loving the people, and do not introduce any new meaning to the word ‘new’.”

Therefore, Mr. Yangming argued that "loving the people" is the same as Mencius's saying "loving one's relatives and being benevolent to the people," meaning that loving one's relatives is the same as being benevolent to the people.

"As Confucius said, 'Cultivate oneself to bring peace to the people.' 'Cultivating oneself' is the same as 'manifesting one's bright virtue,' and 'bringing peace to the people' is the same as 'loving the people.' Saying 'loving the people' already implies education and cultivation. If we say 'renewing the people,' then we are going astray."

Zhu Youjian listened without commenting.

Frankly speaking, Wang Yangming's arguments, in terms of wording alone, are far less logically rigorous than Zhu Xi's.

But if you know it's difficult to distinguish, why bother trying?

"Approaching the people" and "renewing the people"—a difference of just one word, yet representing two distinct ideologies.

What exactly are they debating?
Zhu Youjian naturally had his own opinion on this, but he also wanted to see what the academic community of the late Ming Dynasty thought.

Then, he simply threw out his third dagger.

"Then, Minister Ni, why do you think they have different opinions?"

He paused, as if afraid that Ni Yuanlu might misunderstand, and then added a sentence.

"What I asked was the root cause of their differing viewpoints, not who was right and who was wrong."

At first, no one realized what was going on when these words were spoken.

After chewing it carefully, the entire hall was immediately astonished.

Even Huang Liji couldn't help but raise his eyelids, looking at the young emperor on the throne with surprise and uncertainty.

What a brilliant approach – not asking about right or wrong, but only about the root cause!

This transcends the superficial meaning of scriptures and refers only to the Great Way.

How could a 17-year-old successor to the throne ask such a question?!

What exactly did he read at the Prince Xin's residence?
Ni Yuanlu's mind completely went blank. He opened his mouth, stammering for a long time, unable to utter a single word. His worries about the impending academic dispute, his speculations about the emperor's thoughts, his fear of the unknown future... countless thoughts mixed together, completely robbing him of the ability to speak.

Zhu Youjian waited for a moment, and seeing that he could not answer, he did not get angry, but simply glanced at the rest of the crowd.

"My esteemed ministers, is there anyone who can enlighten me on this matter?"

No one answered.

This is no longer a question of whether or not we dare to answer, but rather whether or not we are capable of answering.

Ni Yuanlu was provoked by the emperor's slight glance, and a surge of scholarly fervor rushed to his head.

He must never become the second "ignorant Grand Secretary"!
"Your Majesty!" He suddenly looked up, not caring about anything else, "Your subject's knowledge is shallow, but I am willing to give it a try for Your Majesty!"

Zhu Youjian turned his head, a slight smile on his face: "Very well, please speak, my dear minister."

Ni Yuanlu's mind raced, organizing her thoughts into words, as if all the knowledge she had acquired over the years had suddenly come together.

He spoke slowly, buying himself time to think.

"Your Majesty, to resolve this doubt, we must trace its origin..."

"The great masters Cheng and Zhu changed 'loving the people' to 'renewing the people.' Their intention was that after a gentleman has manifested his virtue, he should extend this virtue to others, remove the old stains of the people, and make them new every day. This is the meaning of 'making new people.'"

"This is the result of education, which is a process from top to bottom, using the virtue of one person to renew the people of the world. It emphasizes the investigation of things and the extension of knowledge, seeking knowledge from the outside, using reason as the guide to regulate all people."

"Therefore, the word 'new' is used to signify the purpose of educating the people."

He paused briefly, observed the emperor's expression, and seeing that he showed no sign of distress, continued:
"As for Mr. Yangming, he strongly advocated restoring the ancient principle of 'being close to the people'."

He believed that the word "kindness" already contained the meaning of "newness." If one is kind to someone, then one should love them; if one loves them, then one should teach them.

“When the people feel the affection of their ruler, they will naturally turn away from evil and do good, and renew themselves every day. If we only talk about ‘renewal,’ then it seems that there is a layer between the ruler and the people, and that the benevolence of unity is lost.”

"The teachings of Master Yangming emphasize the extension of innate knowledge and the search for truth within oneself. The gentleman and the people are one, and loving the people as one's own children is the manifestation of innate knowledge, not something that is deliberately done."

"Therefore, the word 'kin' is used to signify nurturing the people."

He spoke more and more fluently, and his initial tension and fear had completely transformed into a calm and confident exposition of his knowledge.

"Therefore, Your Majesty asked why we have different viewpoints. I believe it is not a dispute over the wording, but a difference in our fundamental approaches."

"Cheng and Zhu emphasized external principles and used reason as the standard, hence the word 'new,' which implies rules and regulations; Yangming emphasized internal principles and used the heart as the foundation, hence the word 'closeness,' which implies a blood-related bond."

"Their fundamental intention is to serve the country and its people, and to reach the state of 'perfect goodness.' Just as the Doctrine of the Mean says, 'All things grow together without harming one another, and different paths run parallel without contradicting each other.' This is what it means."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ni Yuanlu bowed deeply and prostrated himself on the ground.

"This is my humble opinion."

Inside the Wenhua Hall, all was silent.

Zhu Youjian clapped his hands and exclaimed sincerely, "Brilliant!"

Ni Yuanlu was overjoyed and was about to say a few words of modesty.

Zhu Youjian's ultimate question arrived as expected.

“What you said, Minister Ni, is quite insightful. However, I have another question.”

"The essence of learning lies not only in knowing what is, but even more importantly in knowing why it is."

Zhu Youjian's smile carried a chilling undertone that sent a shiver down Ni Yuanlu's spine.

"Then why is there such a fundamental difference between the two schools? Why did Zhu Xi seek to apply his teachings to 'principle,' while Yangming sought to apply them to 'the mind'?"

Ni Yuanlu's smugness came to an abrupt end.

He raised his head blankly, looking at the smiling emperor on the throne.

why?
Zhu Xi represents principle, and Yangming represents the mind... This has been the case since I began my formal education; it is a matter of course.

Why... why is there any reason for this?
Seeing his bewildered expression, Zhu Youjian stood up with a smile.

"Perhaps this issue can be addressed by broadening our perspective further."

He looked around at the cabinet ministers and lecturers, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

Why did Confucius establish the doctrine of "benevolence"? And why did the Old Text School of Confucianism replace the New Text School of Confucianism during the Han Dynasty?

He looked at Ni Yuanlu, who was completely stunned, and smiled:
"Don't rush, Minister Ni."

"You don't need to answer this question now."

He surveyed the entire room, his gaze deep and meaningful, and said:

"The daily lectures will be suspended tomorrow. They will resume three days later. I hope that by then, my beloved ministers will be able to resolve my doubts of today."

After saying this, he bowed slightly to the assembled officials and said, "Please, gentlemen, have some soup and rice."

This is the conventional closing remark for daily lectures and sutra recitations, similar to serving tea to guests as a farewell gesture.

All the cabinet ministers and lecturers present, no matter how turbulent their hearts were, could only kneel down and pay their respects.

"Your Majesty, we thank you for your kindness."

……

In the cabinet duty room.

Huang Lijie, Li Guopu, and Shi Fenglai held their hot teas, but none of them spoke first.

The oppressive silence was filled with an inescapable sense of shock.

After a long silence, Huang Liji finally broke it with a long sigh: "Today, I forgot to ask His Majesty to practice calligraphy."

Shi Fenglai replied with a wry smile, "Brother Shi Si, His Majesty probably no longer needs us to teach him calligraphy."

He paused, his voice lowering further: "I'm afraid His Majesty only needs a pretext for this lecture today. Otherwise, I'm afraid there would be no need for lectures every day."

Indeed, an emperor who could ask "Why did Confucius establish the doctrine of benevolence?" had already transcended the limitations of the classics.

Although these people have studied for many years, they have also been involved in politics for many years, so how could they not understand the meaning behind this question?

Huang Lijie had not anticipated this scene.

A few days ago, he asked a Japanese scholar to give a lecture, which was just a routine procedure for a new emperor's ascension to the throne. Who would have thought that he would ask such a groundbreaking question?

He pondered for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "Could it be... that there really is such a thing as divine gift in this world?"

Silence fell again in the duty room.

After a moment, Huang Liji looked at Li Guopu, who had been silent all along: "Guopu, why are you not saying a word?"

Li Guopu seemed to have just woken from his deep thoughts. He put down his teacup and said with a solemn expression, "Your Majesty is... about to start a new school!"

—You've been thinking about this for so long? Anyone can see that!

Shi Fenglai pressed further, "The new school of thought? In your opinion, is it Cheng-Zhu school? Lu-Wang school? Or is it inclusive and eclectic?"

Li Guopu shook his head, his face full of bitterness: "I don't know. I only know that the debate over the interpretation of the classics has never been a matter of words, but a matter of the very foundation of the state. Your Majesty's question today is earth-shattering. Of the three of us, which one is a great scholar of the classics? How can we possibly offer any new insights?"

He looked out the window and murmured, "I really don't know what the lecturers will be able to say in three days."

Upon hearing this, all three fell silent.

That's a rather veiled way of putting it.

Three days later, the lecturer will be speaking.

It was clear that this new ruler was eager to try his hand at something and was just waiting to say something.

(End of this chapter)