Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 113 Even the Taoist School of Health Preservation Has Something to Say

Inside the Qianqing Palace, wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner, carrying a hint of calming sandalwood fragrance.

Zhu Youjian let out a long sigh of relief, slumping his entire body into the wide dragon throne. The tension that had lasted for several days finally found a moment of relaxation at this moment.

The heated debates during his lectures, though seemingly a spur-of-the-moment thing, were actually the result of his long-planned strategy.

From the moment Huang Lijie proposed to reopen the daily lecture series, a bold plan quietly took shape in his mind.

During those seven days, aside from reviewing memorials and inspecting the Yongwei Battalion, he spent almost all his time studying Confucian classics.

Of course, this so-called study is entirely utilitarian.

After all, he only needed to find a starting point, a question, but he didn't really need to rely on Confucian classics to govern the country.

Coming from a later era, he naturally possessed his own dragon-slaying skills.

What exactly has he been doing these past few days?
First, it deconstructs and dismantles the main viewpoints of Cheng-Zhu and the School of Mind.

Each mind map, drawn with a calligraphy brush, clearly outlines the origins, core concepts, and even the evolution of the views of great Confucian scholars throughout history in Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind.

(Pretending to have a picture, if I really had 7 days I could draw it, I'm an incredibly fast learner, but unfortunately I don't have 7 days...)
This is not enough.

Knowing yourself and the enemy is the only way to survive a hundred battles.

Whether you can win depends not only on your own strength, but also on the strength of your opponent.

He instructed Gao Shiming to lead the Directorate of Ceremonial to collect all the manuscripts of the thirty-odd people in the Hanlin Academy and the three people in the Cabinet, and to organize their backgrounds, writings, and lineages.

It's finally confirmed, there's no tiger in the mountains, hahaha!

The two Confucian masters he became familiar with in later generations, Huang Daozhou and Liu Zongzhou, are no longer here.

Even the top Confucian scholars of this era, such as Feng Congwu and Sun Shenxing, whom he didn't know before, were not here!
That's the real reason he dared to launch this small-scale attack!

After all, he didn't want to get bogged down in a purely Confucian quagmire; that wasn't something an emperor should do.

What he wanted was "questioning," not "discussion."

Zhu Youjian picked up the teacup on the imperial desk, and the warm tea slid down his throat, dispelling some of his fatigue.

He looked up at Gao Shiming, who was standing quietly to the side. This Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs had been watching quietly from beginning to end, as if he were an outsider.

A thought suddenly popped into Zhu Youjian's mind, carrying a hint of testing and a touch of mischievousness.

"Comrade Gao," he put down his teacup, a hint of amusement in his voice, "what's your opinion on the question I raised during the daily lecture?"

Why did Zhu Xi choose to focus on principle (理) while Yangming chose to focus on the mind (心)?

Gao Shiming bowed slightly, his face bearing his usual peaceful smile.

"I am not well-versed in Confucianism, and dare not presume to discuss the great principles of the sages."

"However, I have some understanding of the Taoist teachings on health preservation. I would like to offer my opinion to Your Majesty in the language of Taoism to resolve this doubt, so that we may gain a broader understanding."

"Oh?" Zhu Youjian immediately became interested. "Taoism? That's interesting. Tell me about it. I'm all ears."

In his shallow understanding, Taoism is nothing more than the theory of Taiji generating Yin and Yang and the harmony of Yin and Yang. What does this have to do with the psychological debates of Confucianism?
Gao Shiming slowly opened his mouth:
The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic states: "Follow the principles of Yin and Yang, and harmonize with the methods of numerology." This means that if one wants to nourish one's body and mind, one must follow the natural order of heaven and earth, supplementing what is lacking and draining what is excessive, without neglecting either aspect.

“Your Majesty, please look,” he said, extending a hand and making a grasping motion in the air, “For example, if a person is weak and afraid of the cold, they need to be treated with warming and tonifying medicines; if another person is hot and dry inside, they need to be treated with cooling remedies. There is no absolute good or bad in the prescriptions themselves; the one that is appropriate for the symptoms is the best prescription.”

Zhu Youjian listened quietly, his gaze slightly narrowed. He vaguely understood Gao Shiming's meaning, but did not interrupt.

Gao Shiming continued, “The Cheng-Zhu school of thought takes the external world as its standard, seeking a ‘rule’ that is universally applicable. This is like building a tall tower and drawing a map for lost travelers, so that they have a way to follow and a law to abide by. This is ‘from the outside in,’ using the principles of heaven and earth to clarify one’s original mind.”

"Lu Wang's approach to seeking the heart is to seek from within, believing that 'the heart is principle.' This is like someone trapped in a quagmire, powerless and on the verge of despair. At this time, even the clearest map is useless; only by stimulating the will to survive within him and allowing him to generate his own strength can he break free from his constraints. This is 'from within,' using the power of one's own heart to sense the universe."

At this point, Gao Shiming smiled slightly and looked at Zhu Youjian. "Therefore, if you tell a lost person about the Lu-Wang school of Neo-Confucianism and let him figure it out on his own, he will probably only become more confused; if you tell someone mired in the mire about the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism and make him follow the rules, he will only feel more desperate. It's like going in the opposite direction."

Gao Shiming bowed respectfully, his voice clear and resonant.

"Therefore, in my opinion, there is no difference in quality between Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi, and between Lu Jiuyuan and Wang Yangming, nor is there any absolute right or wrong."

"The key is that those in power must see clearly whether there are more 'lost' people or 'deeply mired' people in the world today. Should they establish rules to rectify people's hearts or inspire their will to strive for self-improvement?"

"To put it another way, it's a mix of being lost and being mired in a quagmire."

"Scholars seek the truth, so they debate endlessly, striving to exhaust all the truths in the world."

"When emperors seek to employ someone, they must act according to the times and select the best to employ."

"Governing a country is like harmonizing yin and yang, acting in accordance with the times and moving with the trend. The words of sages are also spoken in accordance with the times. As times change and the world changes, clinging to a single word to encompass the whole world is no different from marking the boat to find the sword. Does Your Majesty agree?"

"Brilliant!" Zhu Youjian couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration. "What a fine example of scholars seeking truth and emperors seeking practical application!"

Gao Shiming smiled and shook his head, returning to his original position: "Your Majesty flatters me. The teachings of Taoism are ultimately inclined towards detachment from the world, emphasizing following the natural course and governing by non-action, which is not a philosophy for governing the world. I am merely echoing others' words to amuse Your Majesty."

Zhu Youjian remained silent for a moment, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

He was truly amazed.

It's not difficult to guess what he's thinking.

However, Gao Shiming's words, though not entirely accurate in their explanation of "psychology," stemmed from Taoism, and he did indeed articulate his own reasoning.

The fact that Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism have each shone brightly in Chinese history and endured for thousands of years suggests that each has its own unique strengths.

However, even a eunuch who takes Taoism as his foundation can now offer such insightful views.

So, what kind of answer sheet would the civil officials of different factions and positions in the Hanlin Academy present?

Thinking of this, Zhu Youjian's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

Interesting! A little chaos is fine, as long as the chaos is in the present moment and not in Jiangnan, then everything is still under control.

He pondered for a moment, then instructed Gao Shiming: "In this way, you shall convey my decree. All officials of the Hanlin Academy shall answer my questions today and submit their respective views in a booklet."

"In addition, the entire Hanlin Academy will participate in the daily lecture three days from now."

Upon hearing this, Gao Shiming immediately reminded him, "Your Majesty, if that's the case, the original hall might not be able to accommodate everyone."

Zhu Youjian nodded.
"Then let's move it to the Wenhua Hall."

He paused, then added a sentence

"Furthermore, the message must be made clear—"

"Although there are many people this time, it is still a daily lecture, not a formal academic seminar."

Gao Shiming immediately understood and accepted the order with clasped hands.

The daily conversation is a dialogue between the ruler and his ministers, with a slight focus on family matters.

The imperial lectures were grand court ceremonies, but they were also matters of state.

This young emperor truly governs a large country with the ease of cooking a small fish.

By the way, this saying is also a Taoist saying.

(End of this chapter)