On this day, because of the famous invitation sent by Yang Xun, all Zhao's staff were inexplicably excited. Niu Fude, Su Xiqing, Li Lun and others all expressed their desire to meet with Zhao Junchen to discuss the matter in detail.
Zhao Junchen was quite puzzled by the performance of his staff.
You know, even when Emperor Deqing visited the Zhao Mansion several times before, Zhao Junchen's staff did not pay as much attention to it as they do today.
This is because Zhao Junchen has always subconsciously despised the Confucianism of this era and the so-called "great Confucians", so he does not think at all what the importance of a great Confucian is.
As a time traveler, Zhao Junchen has a vision that transcends the times. This is naturally his advantage, but it also makes him seem a bit ungrounded in many cases.
But soon, Zhao Junchen came to his senses and understood the reason for the excitement of the staff.
It’s not because of anything else, it’s because of Yang Xun’s status as a great scholar!
What is a great Confucian? It means being famous all over the world, famous all over the world, and having peaches and plums all over the world!
Therefore, even if the great Confucian scholars are just white and powerless, their attitudes and stances are still very important, and scholars and people all over the world are willing to believe them.
Although Zhao Junchen is now the most powerful official in the temple second only to Zhou Shangjing, and he took advantage of the "literary disaster" half a year ago to deliberately show his kindness to the great scholars from all over the world, but so far no great scholar has taken the initiative to contact Zhao Junchen
!
But Yang Xun was the first scholar to take the initiative to contact Zhao Junchen, and his attitude was very polite!
This represents the initial recognition of Zhao Junchen by some Confucian forces!
Therefore, this matter may seem ordinary, but its significance is extremely important and far-reaching!
From a certain perspective, Zhao Junchen should even feel flattered by Yang Xun's proactive visit!
It has to be said that because of Zhao Junchen's illustrious military exploits in Shaanxi and Gansu, the world's view of Zhao Junchen has undergone subtle changes, which has also triggered many seemingly inconspicuous but far-reaching chain reactions, such as the former
The sincere cooperation of Ge Lao Huang Yourong, and the proactive contact of the great scholar Yang Xun.
After thinking about these things, Zhao Junchen immediately paid attention to it - although Zhao Junchen despised the Confucianism of this era, he never dared to underestimate the influence of Confucianism in this era.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen also quickly left the small study and rushed to the big study to meet with the staff to discuss matters.
In Zhao Mansion, Zhao Junchen has two study rooms, one large and one small.
The function of the large study room is mainly to receive important guests, or to discuss some temple-related strategies with the staff.
The small study is an important confidential place in the Zhao Mansion. Apart from Zhao Junchen, only Fang Ru, Zhang Yuer, and Xu Qingyan can enter and exit. Not only is there a large amount of core confidential information hidden, but Zhao Junchen's items must not be accessed.
Most of the plans for seeing the light of day are made in the small study.
When Zhao Junchen stepped into the big study, he found that several of his main staff who had stayed in the capital, including Niu Fude, Su Xiqing, and Li Lun, were all gathered in the big study to wait.
After seeing Zhao Junchen's appearance, several staff members quickly gathered around him before Zhao Junchen could speak.
"Zhao Gechen, Yang Xun Yang is a real great scholar of the time. He is by no means comparable to those who are praised by each other in the scholar circles. I hope you will pay attention to him!"
"Furthermore, Yang Daru has a very high prestige in Yunnan and Guizhou. Once you win Yang Daru's approval, most officials and scholars from Yunnan and Guizhou will also recognize you... Although Yunnan and Guizhou and other places are not culturally prosperous,
The total number of officials and scholars from Yunnan and Guizhou is not a small number, enough to make you even more powerful in the future!"
"The most urgent task now is to think carefully about how you can win Yang Daru's favor after meeting him... The student suggested that you can show your sincerity and worship him as your teacher. With Yang Daru's reputation and qualifications,
Your apprenticeship will not be embarrassing, but will become a good story..."
Seeing Niu Fude, Su Xiqing, Li Lun and others giving such eager suggestions, Zhao Junchen could roughly guess their mood at the moment.
After all, they are not only Zhao Junchen's staff, but also scholars. Because Zhao Junchen's reputation and image have always been controversial, and they have always been in an awkward position as scholars, so they eagerly hope that Zhao Junchen can obtain Confucian recognition.
recognition;
What's more, the achievements of several staff members in the imperial examination are not high. After seeing a great scholar like Yang Xun who is famous all over the world, they will naturally worship him subconsciously and feel ashamed.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen did not take it personally. He just raised his hand and gently pressed it to signal the staff to calm down a little, and then said: "I don't know much about the current situation of the scholarly world, although I have heard of Yang Xun's reputation before.
I also know that he is very prestigious in Yunnan and Guizhou and other places, but I don’t know the details, and I don’t know how he is different from other great scholars. Therefore, before meeting with Yang Daru, I hope that some gentlemen can give me a little introduction to this Yang Daru.
The situation of the great scholar."
After hearing what Zhao Junchen said, several staff members introduced Yang Xun's life and achievements to Zhao Junchen.
After learning that Yang Xun specializes in Legal Studies, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but be a little surprised. Although Legal Studies explains and analyzes court laws from a Confucian perspective, it still belongs to the Confucian branch, but after all, the prerequisite is to be familiar with court laws, but
It is much more practical than ordinary Confucianism.
Then he learned that Yang Xun gave up his promising future and took the initiative to return to his hometown to use his life savings to run a school and focus on educating the people of Yunnan and Guizhou for ten years. Zhao Junchen could not help but admire him because Zhao Junchen himself could not do this.
, and even believed that Yang Xun was completely different from those ordinary scholars who only knew how to gain fame and bury their heads in piles of old papers.
After several staff members introduced Yang Xun's life achievements to Zhao Junchen, Niu Fude hesitated for a moment and then continued to add: "However, in recent years, Yang Xun, the great Confucian scholar, has been subject to many controversies among Confucians, and many
Scholars believe that some of Yang Xun's ideas have deviated from the true path of Confucianism and are closer to pure Legalism... But even so, no one dares to deny his status as a great Confucian of the time."
On the other side, Li Lun sighed: "Most of the great Confucians in the world are concentrated in the capital, Jiangnan, and Xi'an. It is because these three places have prosperous culture and there are so many scholars. It is natural that they will be praised by each other.
Fame makes it easy for a great Confucian to appear, and Great Confucian Yang Xun has lived in Yunnan and Guizhou for a long time, and there is not so much mutual praise, but he is still recognized as a great Confucian of the world. This alone is extremely difficult."
In the end, Su Xiqing concluded: "These two points prove that Yang Xun, a great scholar, has profound knowledge and extremely high achievements. Otherwise, he would have been denounced as a heretic by other great scholars."
After hearing these introductions, Zhao Junchen was thoughtful and murmured: "Are certain concepts closer to pure Legalism..."
In Zhao Junchen's understanding, the so-called pure Legalism is the art of herdsmen, which is the combination of power, technique and law. It is the method used by emperors to control their subjects. In some respects, it is very close to the emperor's mental skills.
Already.
"Could it be said that this Great Confucian Yang Xun is just like He Ming, the former Prince's Grand Master and Zhao Shancai's mentor? He is a great Confucian who is good at the emperor's mind? Moreover, his emperor's mind is an extension of the law, so
Is he not only good at strategizing, but also familiar with court laws? If so, this person is really a real talent... If I can have the support and assistance of this person, I will be able to do many things with less effort in the future."
Thinking of this, Zhao Junchen paid more attention to Yang Xun, the great scholar, and discussed the process and details of his meeting with Yang Xun in detail with several staff.
In the end, Zhao Junchen made the decision that as long as the opportunity was right, he could become Yang Xun's apprentice on the spot and completely pull Yang Xun onto his ship.
After the discussion, several staff members left excitedly, while Zhao Junchen ordered someone to find Yang Xun's recent works and read them carefully, thinking that after he became familiar with Yang Xun's works and concepts, he could better devote himself to them.
Good.
However, when Zhao Junchen began to read several of Yang Xun's works, his expression changed continuously.
First it was shock, then admiration, and finally contempt!
Zhao Junchen was shocked because he discovered from several of Yang Xun's writings that his views on law were completely ahead of his time.
Based on these works of Yang Xun, Zhao Junchen can roughly summarize five concepts.
First, the court's current laws are too crude and simple. Comprehensive and detailed legal provisions should be formulated to regulate everyone's behavior;
Second, everyone is equal before the law, and the emperor commits the same crime as the people when he breaks the law;
Third, not only the officials and the people must be bound by the law, but the government and the court should also be bound by the law;
Fourth, after the decree is enacted, the administrative power of the court and government must not interfere with the normal execution of justice;
Fifth, as far as the people are concerned, everything is possible unless the law prohibits it; as far as the officials are concerned, nothing is allowed unless the law allows it;
The combination of these concepts is actually very close to modern legal concepts!
Precisely because of this discovery, Zhao Junchen not only admired Yang Xun more and more, but also paid more and more attention to him.
Such a great scholar whose vision transcends the times is much more valuable than a great scholar who is proficient in both the emperor's mind and the court's decrees!
No matter how powerful the latter is, they are still stuck to the rules and regulations of this era and have too many limitations.
As for Zhao Junchen's disdain, it was directed at the scholars of this era.
"Fortunately, I deliberately took the time to study Yang Xun's works seriously, otherwise I would have been almost misled by them. Where are these ideas of Yang Xun's 'Legalist' ideas? They are completely the 'Legal' ideas of later generations.
Got it!
Oh, the scholars of this era have already had their brains destroyed by stereotyped articles, and they do not understand the legal concepts of later generations. They only see that Yang Xun’s arguments include the following points: act in accordance with the law, have no hierarchy in punishment, and value the stability of the law.
We take it for granted that Yang Xun’s ideas are close to Legalism, but we don’t know that there are fundamental differences between ancient Legalism and later legal schools!
The core of the legalist concept in ancient times was that rulers used court decrees to strengthen their centralization of power, and judicial power must be concentrated in the hands of the ruler. However, the core of the legal concept of later generations was to require rulers to divest themselves of judicial power.
And then using judicial means to limit the power of the ruler...it's a huge difference! But the scholars of this era can't even understand this. It's really ridiculous!"
Thinking of this, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but fall into deep thought, and continued to think: "But in this case, if I want to take Yang Xun for my own use, the methods I just formulated with several staff, whether it is apprenticeship and gifts, or
If you do what he likes, it may not work, and it may even be counterproductive, making Yang Xun feel contemptuous.
Looking at Yang Xun's life and ideas, he should be an idealistic scholar who focuses on learning. If you want to win the recognition and support of such a person, the best way is... to have an academic discussion with him and take the opportunity to ask him
Show your knowledge and ideas!
Moreover, during the academic discussion, it cannot be completely catered to him. The overall concept must be roughly the same, but the subtleties are very different, so that he feels that he has benefited a lot after this discussion... Only then can he gain his true respect.
and recognition!”
Thinking of this, a smile flashed in Zhao Junchen's eyes, and he was slightly excited.
In fact, in his previous life, Zhao Junchen naturally agreed more with legal concepts and believed that power should be caged by legal means, and he did not agree with legalist concepts.
But in this life, perhaps because Zhao Junchen himself has joined the ruling class, as his knowledge and experience increase, he is more impartial about the two concepts of 'Legalism' and 'Legalism'
Already.
However, Zhao Junchen didn't know whether his change of mind was right or wrong, and whether his butt determined his head.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen is looking forward to his meeting with Yang Xun.
*
In this era, people with status like Zhao Junchen and Yang Xun also need a series of procedures when they formally meet.
First, Yang Xun sent someone a post to express his intention to meet; then Zhao Junchen replied to Yang Xun with his post, expressing his agreement to meet. Then he agreed on a time, found out his intention, and officially met.
Because Yang Xun wanted to meet Zhao Junchen as soon as possible, the process was simplified a lot. In the afternoon of the next day, Yang Xun had already led two disciples to Zhao Junchen's house, and Zhao Junchen naturally went out in person to make a grand ceremony.
Welcome.
Next, Zhao Junchen welcomed Yang Xun into the main hall of Zhao Mansion, and the two parties took their seats respectively.
After being polite and sizing each other up, Zhao Junchen did not go around in circles or even inquire about the reason for Yang Xun's visit. Instead, he directly asked someone to bring Yang Xun's works and slowly said: "Yang Daru, since I received your
After your famous post, I have always felt honored. I also read your work all night last night, and I feel that I have benefited a lot, and even felt enlightened..."
After hearing what Zhao Junchen said, several staff members accompanying Zhao Junchen looked forward to it, thinking that Zhao Junchen would take the opportunity to become his disciple next.
Who would have thought that when Zhao Junchen said this, he changed the topic and said: "But regarding some of Yang Daru's views, I have some doubts in my mind, and I hope to discuss it with Yang Daru."
Yang Xun was slightly stunned. He did not expect that after Zhao Junchen saw him, he did not inquire about his purpose at all. Instead, he pretended to discuss knowledge. Naturally, he was greatly surprised.
But then, Yang Xun seemed to think of something, but asked: "Oh? Just a question? Or a question?"
Zhao Junchen thought for a moment and modified his statement, saying: "There are both questions and doubts!"
As Zhao Junchen finished speaking, the expressions of several staff members changed drastically.
But Yang Xun was not surprised, he just nodded and said: "In that case, Minister Zhao, please speak."
In fact, since Yang Xun has changed some of his ideas in recent years, many scholars will argue with him after seeing him, but they all blame Yang Xun for violating the Confucian principles and other clichés.
Yang Xun thought that Zhao Junchen was in the same situation, but he was not surprised, but he was vaguely disappointed.
And then, Zhao Junchen's various insights far exceeded Yang Xun's expectations!