Zhang Ximeng led a group of people, following the pavilions and pavilions, into the academy.
The founder of Bailudong Academy can be traced back to Li Bo of the Southern Tang Dynasty.
It is said that Li Bo had a white deer that stayed with him all day long, so he was called Mr. White Deer. Later, Li Bo became the governor of Jiangzhou and revisited the old place. He built pavilions and pavilions here, diverted mountain springs, and planted flowers and trees, making it a tourist attraction.
Because the peaks here are round and shaped like a cave, it was named Bailu Cave.
The scenery is beautiful and pleasant, and naturally many literati gathered to talk about poetry, Taoism, scriptures and essays, gradually becoming a place where celebrities gathered.
After the founding of the Zhao and Song Dynasties, due to the prevalence of lecturing, academies sprouted up all over the country. Bailudong Academy, with its impressive heritage, quickly became a model for academies in the world, and a large number of celebrities came from here.
And it was the great scholar Zhu Xi who pushed Bailudong Academy to its extreme.
Since he had cultivated Neo-Confucianism to the level of the Ninth Heaven, he has been preaching knowledge here and attracting many disciples. Later, Lu Jiuyuan, who had the ability to study the Eighth Heaven, also came to discuss and debate.
With the blessing of the two great Confucian scholars, Bailudong Academy became the source of Neo-Confucianism in the world.
Zhu Xi's aesthetics was absolutely first-rate. The academy he left behind was built in a large quadrangle, which is spacious and elegant... This is a feeling that is difficult to describe.
Ordinary large courtyards are well-organized, and the better ones are magnificent, solemn and majestic.
But the academy in front of us is spacious yet unique, elegant yet simple, and ancient yet original.
Zhang Ximeng also saw a nice house by the West Lake. It was built by the Wang family, no expense was spared, and embodies the essence of Jiangnan gardens.
At that time, Zhang Ximeng felt that it was the best place to live.
But when you arrive at this academy, you will immediately understand that the courtyard is still very craftsmanlike and is a bit purposeful to show off your skills.
But Bailudong Academy didn't feel like it at all. The pavilions, pavilions, and lecture halls seemed to be like that, not even close, everything was just right.
Frankly speaking, judging from this architectural pattern, Zhu Xi's level of cultivation is also extraordinary. It would be good if he stopped being a scholar and became a designer instead.
It's a pity that some buildings are already somewhat damaged from the outside, but they are probably even worse inside.
To be honest, before coming to the academy, Zhang Ximeng still had various thoughts about Zhu Xi, and planned to have a thorough whipping and a hearty victory.
Sweep the old thief Zhu Xi into the garbage heap of history and bury Neo-Confucianism in one fell swoop!
But walking in this academy, Zhang Ximeng seemed to feel a friendly atmosphere, as if an old friend was calling in a low voice, the mountain springs were tinkling, the birds were chirping, the wind was sending the fragrance of flowers, and the mountains were glowing.
"This place could be a place where an immortal could live. It deserves to be the best academy in the world!"
When Gao Qi and others saw Zhang Ximeng nodding and praising him sincerely, their eyes widened. Something was wrong!
"Zhang Xiang, do you think this place is very good?"
Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "Isn't it great? If I didn't have to deal with government affairs and deal with so many mundane things, I really want to study and drink tea in the mountains and live freely! Let me tell you, the air in the mountains is fresh
It can prolong life, which is much better than the crowds in Jinling... By the way, how old did Zhu Xi live?"
"Seventy-one years old." Gao Qi answered honestly.
Zhang Ximeng was greatly surprised, "That shouldn't be the case. How could you outlive Confucius and Mencius here!"
Confucius was seventy-three and Mencius was eighty-four. These are the life spans reserved only for sages. In ancient times, they were absolutely old and could be called auspicious. That’s why there is a saying that at seventy-three and eighty-four, the King of Hell would not ask him to go.
Zhu Xi only lived to be seventy-one years old, which was indeed a little short.
At this time, Ye Chen coughed and said: "Prime Minister Zhang, Zhu Xi was involved in party disputes in his later years. Han Yuzhou attacked Taoism, expelled Zhao Ruyu, and dismissed Zhu Xi. The supervisory censor Shen Jizu took the opportunity to make false accusations, listing Zhu Xi's disloyalty, unfilial piety, unkindness, unrighteousness, and injustice. Gong, not satisfied with the six major crimes, but also fabricated the rumor that Zhu Xi seduced a nun, thinking he was doting on his concubine, and asked Ning Zong to imitate Confucius and kill Shaozhengmao... Zhu Xi had a difficult time in his later years. He suffered from foot disease and became blind in his left eye and blind in his right eye. He was almost blind. But even so, he worked hard to write books, just to pass on the Taoism and have successors."
Zhang Ximeng was slightly startled, and then quickly remembered what happened to Zhu Xi in his later years... In fact, just reading this paragraph is quite embarrassing.
As we all know, the Zhao and Song dynasties were full of party disputes, as was the case in the Northern Song Dynasty, and this was the case in the Southern Song Dynasty... However, the literati in the Song Dynasty also liked to give lectures. As a result, lectures were often mixed with government affairs and turned into a pot of porridge.
After Zhu Xizhong became a Jinshi, his official position was not high. He kept moving around, giving lectures, writing books, and teaching his disciples... During this period, Zhu Xi should have been very carefree.
It happened that in his later years, when he was over 60 years old, he was recommended by Zhao Ruyu and entered the court to give lectures to the emperor. As a result, he suddenly stepped into the circle of right and wrong. Not only was he demoted, but the Neo-Confucianism he had worked so hard to build was also classified as pseudo-study and was directly banned.
Zhu Xi was also struggling with illness and died of illness.
The irony is that later generations' disdain for Neo-Confucianism made Zhu Xi disgusted with him, and then they took out the charges that framed Zhu Xi and pinned them on Zhu Xi's head.
Whether Old Master Zhu was unjustly accused or not, I didn’t know how to say it at the moment... He had indeed never committed those crimes, but Neo-Confucianism was carried forward by his hands.
In this way, it turns out that Neo-Confucianism did not become a prominent school all of a sudden. During this period, it was even banned as a pseudo-study. Master Zhu Xi also had a miserable life in his later years.
Zhang Ximeng sighed for a while, and they happened to arrive at a courtyard with an ancient well, a stone table, and a few scattered stone piers.
Zhang Ximeng sat down casually and said to several people: "Do you think this was where Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan debated back then?"
Zhang Ximeng said with regret: "It's a pity that today's schools are desolate and desolate, and there are no famous scholars. Otherwise, it would be interesting to sit here and debate knowledge together."
Yes, Zhang Ximeng and everyone walked into the academy and saw no one along the way.
Obviously, everyone fled to avoid the war, and no one took care of the academy. If in a few years, the buildings collapse and the rubble is everywhere, we may not be able to appreciate the charm of the place where Zhu Xi gave lectures.
Zhang Ximeng even had the urge to rebuild the academy.
Gao Qi and others found that Zhang Ximeng seemed to have changed, and they were a little disappointed, so they said unwillingly: "Xiang Zhang, I didn't expect that the Bailudong Academy would be empty and there would be no one who could debate the scriptures. In this case, it's better than Xiang Zhang." Let’s teach here!”
Xu Bi also said: "Yes, let's finish what I haven't finished on the road. The failure of Bailudong Academy is the decline of Neo-Confucianism. When new learning is about to emerge, Prime Minister Zhang has no shirk of responsibility!"
Sun Yan also hurriedly bowed and said: "They are right!"
"I'm sorry for you!" Zhang Ximeng said rudely: "Any branch of knowledge has its own theoretical basis and has its own system. Although I don't like Neo-Confucianism, but if you let me criticize you for no reason, wouldn't I become a shrew? In the final analysis We still need prophets and governors... If you have time, look around and see if you can find some manuscripts."
What was originally a hasty intellectual debate suddenly turned into a rescue of cultural monuments.
A few people split up and walked around. They found that the academy had indeed been empty for several years. The blue brick building was still there, but the windows were obviously eaten by insects and ants, and the tiles were leaking. It looked okay from the outside. In fact, it is unusable.
They found the library, but found that the books had been emptied out long ago, leaving only a few broken wooden shelves.
I don’t know if it was moved away by people from the academy or if it was taken away by the nearby people. Anyway, there is nothing left.
Several people searched around and brought back a few wooden boards and placed them in front of Zhang Ximeng.
"Zhang Xiang, there is no paper left. Only these wooden boards have writing on them. They seem to be the original school rules."
When Zhang Ximeng heard this, he immediately stood up, walked over, put the wooden board on the stone table, and carefully read the writing on it.
"This is what scholars learn. There are also five steps in the order of learning, and they are as follows: learn eruditely, interrogate, think carefully, discern clearly, and practice diligently. The right is the order of learning. Study, ask, Thinking and distinguishing the four, it is difficult to understand."
Zhang Ximeng has long been accustomed to reading ancient texts, and these sentences are not obscure. In other words, there are five steps in the order of learning. Study extensively, ask questions carefully, think carefully, distinguish clearly, and implement faithfully. This is the order of learning. Learning, asking, thinking, and discerning are the four methods of studying the truth of things.
Zhang Ximeng looked at it for a while and couldn't help but said: "Be knowledgeable, ask questions, think, distinguish, and implement... Isn't this what I have always advocated? Not only study, manage politics and benefit the people, but also have a broad understanding of the situation and ask questions , think and analyze, come up with a plan, and then implement it... Is this really what Zhu Xi advocates?"
Everyone nodded together, "It is indeed what Master Zhu advocated."
Zhang Ximeng couldn't help but look down again, "If you do something sincerely, you will cultivate yourself, deal with things, and take care of things. There are also important points. The differences are as follows: speak faithfully, act with sincerity, punish anger and suffocation, and correct mistakes. "The key to self-cultivation"
These sentences are continued from the above. How to implement them faithfully? We must know the principles of self-cultivation, dealing with things, and dealing with things, and they also have their own methods. Be loyal and trustworthy in your words, be honest and respectful in your actions, control your anger, and restrain yourself. Selfish desire: Correct mistakes and continue to do good. This is the principle of self-cultivation.
Zhang Ximeng looked at it again and again, and to be honest, he really couldn't fault it, and he asked himself, he may not have reached this level yet.
Looking further down, "Keep your own righteousness and do not seek your own benefits. Know your way and do not consider its merits. The key to doing things rightly."
Seeing this sentence, Zhang Ximeng couldn't help but clapped his hands and applauded. Zhu Xi advocated that everything should be done to support justice rather than for personal gain, and to discern the truth rather than for one's own fame. These words really touched Zhang Ximeng's mind. On the heart.
"Look, Zhu Xi said that doing things is for righteousness, not for profit... I would like to ask the scholars in the world, how can they annex land, raise slaves, and avoid land taxes and labor? How can they be greedy for their own selfish interests and let the people suffer? The country is in trouble?”
"I think Zhu Xi is right! People who practice Neo-Confucianism really fail Zhu Xi's teachings!"
Everyone stared at each other, Mr. Zhang, don’t you know what it means to say one thing and do another?