Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 114 The fence-sitters should die first!

Outside the Hanlin Academy, compared to the quietness of other government offices, this place seemed somewhat unusual.

Suppressed arguing could be faintly heard from inside the courtyard wall, like boiling water muffled behind a thick pot lid.

Two officials passing by slowed their pace.

One of the younger men, listening to the commotion inside, whispered to his colleague beside him, "Did you hear that? These pampered nobles from the Hanlin Academy are arguing again about the Cheng-Zhu-Lu-Wang school of thought. They've been arguing for two days now, and they still haven't reached a conclusion?"

The other person was a bit older, and upon hearing this, he merely glanced indifferently at the high courtyard wall.

He slowly shook his head: "Scholarship? This is hardly a discussion of scholarship."

The young official was taken aback: "What are they talking about?"

The older man gave a meaningful, cold smile: "His Majesty asked Zhu Xi, Yangming, Confucius and Mencius, about the changes in classical studies throughout history. He seemed to be asking about scholarship, but in reality, he was asking about the world today!"

He sighed softly, his gaze becoming distant.

"Let's go. This has nothing to do with us. Instead of worrying about this, we should go back and read Xue Jingshi's article again."

"I estimate... this trend will soon extend beyond just the few matters related to the new policies in the capital."

"Within the six ministries, who knows when they will all be pushing this damn policy document."

The young official nodded, and the two were about to leave.

"Squeak-"

The tightly closed door was suddenly pulled open from the inside, and the previously faint sounds of arguing instantly surged forth like a flood bursting its banks, accompanied by a wave of heat, the volume increasing several times over.

A figure rushed out, accompanied by a gust of hot air; it was Ni Yuanlu, a compiler at the Hanlin Academy.

His face was flushed, and fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. His usually meticulously combed hair had come loose, with a few strands hanging down beside his ears, trembling slightly with his rapid breathing.

The two officials were gossiping about others behind their backs when they were caught red-handed. Feeling a little embarrassed, they quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Editor Ni."

Ni Yuanlu was in a state of turmoil, but she still forced herself to remain calm and returned the greeting with a serious expression.

He himself didn't realize that his official hat was crooked, which, combined with his flushed face, made him look somewhat comical.

The two officials exchanged greetings and then hurriedly left.

Watching the two officials walk away quickly, Ni Yuanlu stood still, closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths, as if trying to expel the frustration in her chest.

He paced back and forth, muttering to himself.

"Different paths lead to the same destination, they all originate from the same source... so why can't this be explained?"

"Reason is the rule, and heart is the motivation. Rule and motivation are both indispensable... Yes, indispensable!"

Ni Yuanlu clapped her hands suddenly, as if she had finally figured out a key point, and her eyes regained their light.

Without further hesitation, he turned around abruptly, straightened his slightly disheveled robes, and charged once again toward the house that resembled a battlefield.

Just as they reached the door, the curtain was lifted, and the tutor Wang Zuoyuan came out from inside with a dark face.

The two bumped right into each other.

"Humph!"

"Humph!"

Almost simultaneously, the two let out a heavy snort from their noses, neither looking at the other, and passed by.

Ni Yuanlu didn't even bother to address him as "Scholar Wang" anymore. He simply lifted the curtain and strode in, like a general returning to his position.

The scene inside the house was even more chaotic than when he had come out.

The floor was littered with crumpled drafts, and the teacups on the table were overturned and empty.

The thirty-odd Hanlin scholars were almost divided into two factions, clearly separated. They were all red-faced and spitting as they spoke, completely devoid of their usual gentle and refined demeanor.

Zhu Jizuo, a key figure in the Neo-Confucian school and editor, took over Wang Zuoyuan's position. He spoke sternly and passionately, while Ma Zhiqi, Shi Yazhu, and others behind him were all righteous and indignant.

"...Therefore, it is not that Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi deliberately sought reason, but rather that the development of Confucianism to this point inevitably leads to reason! This is the culmination of the Confucian tradition!"

Zhu Jizuo flicked his sleeves and gave a summary, then changed the subject, pointing the finger directly at Sui Shi, Fu Guan, and others of the School of Mind.

"On the contrary, people like Lu and Wang steal the teachings of Buddhism and Taoism. Instead of investigating things and exploring principles externally, they seek them internally and talk about 'the mind is the principle.' How absurd!"

"The mind is fickle and unfathomable. If the mind is taken as the foundation, everyone can consider themselves a saint. Where will the moral order and ethics be? Wouldn't the world be in great chaos? This is a deviation from the orthodox tradition and a heretical doctrine!"

Upon hearing this, Sui Shi, a lecturer of the School of Mind, immediately sneered, pushed through the crowd, and stepped forward.

"Editor Zhu has quite the arrogance! He talks about the orthodoxy all the time, yet he doesn't realize that he has already strayed far from the truth and gone against the original intent of Confucius and Mencius!"

He looked around and said loudly, "Why did Confucius define 'benevolence'? 'Benevolence' is nothing other than the source of 'conscience'!"

"Confucius was the first to discover this innate moral power, which is the origin of the philosophy of mind! You, on the other hand, separate human nature from the principles of Heaven, dare not believe in your own conscience, and instead seek an objective 'principle of Heaven' externally. How ridiculous!"

Fu Guan stepped forward, his words becoming even more vehement: "Empty talk harms the country, and idle talk harms the emperor! I only ask you, Editor Zhu, the Ming Dynasty is currently beset by internal and external troubles, and scholars are indulging in empty talk. If we do not use the strong medicine of 'unity of knowledge and action' to sweep away the accumulated evils and temper people's hearts, how can we achieve great things? How can we save the crisis?"

He pointed outside the door, his voice sharp and stern: "Can your so-called 'heavenly principles' fill the stomachs of disaster victims? Can they wipe out the Jurchen invaders beyond the Great Wall?"

"Did Master Yangming quell the rebellion of Prince Ning by relying on what you call 'heavenly principles,' or on his sincere heart of 'extending innate knowledge'?"

"Such sophistry!" Ma Zhiqi, a scholar of the Neo-Confucian school, was so angry that his face turned purple. "This is a dispute over the orthodox tradition, how can it be confused with temporary achievements!"

"Why did the Old Text School of Confucianism replace the New Text School during the Han Dynasty? Precisely to correct the errors, eliminate falsehoods and preserve the truth, and ensure the purity of the orthodox tradition! If we allow your School of Mind to flourish today, we will be destroying our own Great Wall!" "No, no!"

"Scholar Ma's words precisely illustrate that the classics are not immutable, and their meanings need to be carefully elucidated and interpreted by later generations!"

Wang Tingyuan of the School of Mind immediately retorted, "Without the judgment of one's own mind, clinging to old books, how are you any different from a pedantic scholar? His Majesty's question is precisely to ask us to break down sectarian barriers and seek practical solutions for governing the world, yet you are still here clinging to outdated ideas and refusing to adapt!"

Just as the two groups were arguing more and more fiercely and were about to come to blows, Ni Yuanlu's loud voice broke in.

"The struggle over the great principles is about seeking common ground while reserving differences. But the struggle over people's hearts is a never-ending battle."

He had just figured things out outside and was now in high spirits.

He walked between the two factions, bowed deeply, and said loudly, "Fellow colleagues, please hear me out!"

The room fell silent for a moment as everyone's eyes were fixed on him.

Ni Yuanlu cleared her throat, adopting a fair and impartial stance.

"In my opinion, whether it is Cheng-Zhu's approach of 'reason' or Lu-Wang's approach of 'mind', both are necessary for the times and lead to the same goal through different paths."

"Confucius's concept of benevolence is the source of all virtues and the root of Confucianism. The philosophy of reason and the philosophy of mind are just different branches that grew from this great tree."

He paused, then continued, "During the Song Dynasty, it was necessary to rebuild the social order, so Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi emphasized 'Heavenly Principles' to establish rules. Their method was from the outside in, through investigating things to gain knowledge, so that scholars could find the principles of behavior."

“Our dynasty has accumulated deep-seated problems, and people’s hearts are restless. Therefore, Master Yangming emphasized ‘the study of mind’ in order to revitalize the nation. His method is from the inside out, through the extension of innate knowledge, and putting morality into practice in practical work.”

"'New Citizens' and 'Loving the People' are two sides of the same coin; one is to educate the people, and the other is to inspire introspection. Your Majesty is wise and has combined the strengths of both, which will be a great achievement in governing the world!"

After he finished speaking, he thought he had grasped the core of the problem, reconciled the conflict, and flattered the emperor—a perfect solution.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, he was met with the combined anger of both factions.

"Trying to smooth things over!" Sui Shi was the first to speak out, pointing at Ni Yuanlu without any politeness. "Editor Ni, even at a time like this, you're still using your old conciliatory techniques!"

"What His Majesty seeks are strategies for governing the country and effective remedies for saving the world, not a bland and predictable article! The philosophy of mind and the philosophy of reason are two different things: one is a panacea, the other is empty talk. How can they be confused?"

Zhu Jizuo glared back angrily: "Ni Yuanlu! You can't distinguish right from wrong, you can't tell black from white! The School of Mind is a heretical doctrine, a deviation from the orthodox path, how can it be compared with the orthodox path of Zhu Xi!"

"Are you trying to lead His Majesty astray with these words? What are your true intentions!"

“I…” Ni Yuanlu was stunned.

He couldn't understand how his "fair words" had turned into a lose-lose situation of "playing peacemaker."
"What do you mean, 'you'? You're such a fence-sitter!"

"A hypocrite is a thief of virtue!"

In an instant, the two opposing factions suddenly united, unleashing all their firepower on Ni Yuanlu.

Just as the room was filled with noise and the arguing was about to lift the roof off.

In a corner unnoticed by anyone, Qi Xinxiao sat calmly.

The books around him were neatly stacked, a stark contrast to the chaos in the room, like an invisible wall that shut out all the noise.

Those heated debates were nothing more than the annoying chirping of cicadas outside the window to him; he was focused only on the ancient book in his hands.

An uncontrollable itch welled up in his throat, and he turned to the side, covering his mouth with his sleeve, and let out a series of low coughs.

A sickly flush spread across his already pale cheeks, causing his thin shoulders to tremble slightly.

After his cough subsided, he finally raised his head and looked at the faces in the hall that were contorted with excitement. A mocking sneer slowly crept onto his lips.

Ridiculous and sad.

His Majesty asked "why," but these people didn't dare to talk about "why" at all.

As they argued, they ostensibly answered "why," but in reality, they were still discussing "right and wrong."

Is it that they truly cannot see through the key to this, or that they simply dare not reveal it?

The sarcasm in Qi Xinxiao's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a scorching light.

Whatever.

Whether you can't see through it or you dare not speak out.

Let me handle it!
Such an important matter is something I, Qi Xinxiao, can handle myself!
Once this thought arises, it spreads like wildfire and can no longer be contained.

With a "snap," Qi Xinxiao slammed the book shut.

He stopped looking at his colleagues who were still arguing in vain, stood up as if no one else was there, and spread out a sheet of clean white Xuan paper.

Grind the ink, and begin writing.

The pen tip is fully dipped in thick ink, and the writer writes swiftly on the paper.

The wind blew in through the window, brushing past his back as he wrote furiously, and also stirring the book that had just been closed beside him.

The pages were blown open with a "whoosh" and then slowly fell back down, repeating this several times before finally coming to a stop.

It stopped right on the cover.

Several large, ancient-style characters in clerical script were clearly visible in the bright light—

The History of Song Dynasty, Biographies, Volume 86.

(End of this chapter)