In Chunshu Hutong, Dongcheng, Beijing, Tang Wenzhi and Shen Zengzhi came to the gate of a house with a plaque "Jin'an Residence" hanging in front of them.
"Dong dong dong!" There was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" It was a woman who opened the door.
Tang Wenzhi said: "Is this the residence of Mr. Gu Hongming?"
"Yes. You are looking for a husband, please wait a moment."
Tang Wenzhi once went to Japan to work as a diplomat, and he could tell at a glance that the woman in front of him was different from ordinary Chinese women.
Sure enough, before the woman turned around, Gu Hongming's voice sounded in the house. He said in Japanese: "Sadako, just let them in. I want them to come."
Yoshida Sadako was Gu Hongming's concubine. She was indeed Japanese, and she was redeemed by Gu Hongming in a brothel. However, she was only a performer but not a prostitute, and she was a down-and-out Japanese woman living in China.
Tang Wenzhi and Shen Zengzhi came to the hall, and Gu Hongming came out and said: "Brother Zipei, Marquis Ying, come and sit in the room quickly!"
Gu Hongming's mother is of mixed Portuguese and Malaysian descent, so he has a high nose and deep eyes, which makes him look a bit Western.
After Tang Wenzhi and Shen Zengzhi sat down, they asked, "I wonder what advice Mr. Hongming wants us to come to your house for?"
Gu Hongming was not in a hurry to answer, and first called to Yoshida Sadako: "Sadako, hurry up and bring out the best tea for your two distinguished guests!"
Then he smiled and said: "I heard that you two are writing a book about traveling in the West."
Tang Wenzhi didn't know where Gu Hongming got the news: "What is Mr. Hongming referring to?"
"Hey! There's no need to be secretive. Of course I know it was written by Mr. Zhenbeizi Yao, but I heard that Marquis Ying was looking for a master to polish the book and a knowledgeable person who understood the West to provide materials. I also wanted to help."
Ku Hongming grew up in Malaysia. His adoptive father was British. He later went to England and Germany with them to study for more than ten years. He did not come to China until he was nearly 30 years old. He was a Chinese with a complete Western education background. people.
He was even a British citizen before, although he was only a "second-class citizen".
Gu Hongming translated "The Analects of Confucius" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" into English, and the level is much higher than the versions produced by earlier missionaries.
Of course Tang Wenzhi knew about Gu Hongming's academic background, so he handed over his hand and said: "Zhao Wansheng had this intention, but I heard that Mr. was employed as the deputy head teacher of the middle school in the Capital University Hall and was busy with the exams for the beginning of the semester, so he didn't dare to disturb him."
In this era, university entrance examinations were an absolute big deal. After all, the Qing government did not get rid of the concept of "collecting talents from all over the world for its own use."
Gu Hongming smiled and said: "I have my own sense of responsibility regarding the exam, and I really have nothing to do now. Did you bring the manuscript?"
Tang Wenzhi said: "Of course."
He took out the manuscript of "Yingzhen's Diary" and put it on the table.
Gu Hongming directly picked up the manuscript and read it, but the more he read, the tighter his brows became: "Tsk! Yinghou (Tang Wenzhi's calligraphy), do you really think the West is so good?"
Tang Wenzhi said: "Of course, otherwise why would we put so much effort into learning the West?"
Gu Hongming shook his head and said: "You only see the surface, not the roots. Foreigners are bullshit! We can learn from them, but we cannot copy them, let alone worship them. What is really worth studying deeply is our Confucianism!"
Gu Hongming's statement was very similar to the original Westernization school's idea of "Chinese learning as the body and Western learning as the application", but Tang Wenzhi never expected that Gu Hongming would directly scold foreigners.
Tang Wenzhi said in surprise: "Mr. Hongming, the reality is that we have been defeated by Western guns time and time again. Naturally, the West is strong and we are weak. Since we are weak, of course we must learn from it."
But Gu Hongming said: "This is wrong! Lord Ying, you have to know that Westerners can only bully Chinese people who are kind and don't know how to use firearms, but Chinese people will surpass Westerners sooner or later!"
Of course no one believed this at the time.
Tang Wenzhi felt confused. Why did he feel that Gu Hongming was denying the article he wrote? Didn't he agree to give me some advice?
Could it be that it was written incorrectly and did not catch the discernment of Master Gu?
He asked: "Mr. Hongming, Wansheng certainly hopes that we can catch up with foreigners, but is there any other way besides learning from Western countries?"
Gu Hongming said: "As for the method, I didn't think of it for a moment, but I believe that if we study it deeply according to the moral principles of our Confucianism, we will definitely be able to find a method."
Tang Wenzhi was almost stupid. What method was this?
Shen Zengzhi, who was standing next to him, had been silent all this time. Then he suddenly burst into laughter and said, "It's Hongming who made the mistake! Do you think there are few of us who are proficient in the meaning of the Tao Te Ching? Is it possible that we can surpass the Tao Te Ching by relying on its meaning?" Foreigners? Are they going to take the Four Books and Five Classics and smash them to death on the battlefield?"
Shen Zengzhi was a true Confucian master. He also loved Confucianism madly, but he did not think that he could defeat the Westerners by relying on it.
Gu Hongming argued: "Of course not! I mean that the Chinese people now lack the core of the Tao Te Ching, the essence of Confucianism, and that's why they have ended up in such a disastrous situation."
"Oh? Mr. Hongming, can you tell me what is the core of the Tao Te Ching and the essence of Confucianism?" Shen Zengzhi asked.
Gu Hongming thought for a while and said: "Nature is the spirit of the Chinese people."
Shen Zengzhi continued to ask: "What spirit?"
Gu Hongming said word by word: "docile!"
"Hahaha!" Shen Zengzhi laughed loudly, "I thought Mr. Hongming had lived overseas for a long time and was a famous scholar who was familiar with Western learning. But he said such words without thinking. It really disappoints me!"
Gu Hongming said: "Isn't it? Or do you think you know the West better than me?"
Shen Zengzhi said: "Of course I don't know as much as you do about the West. But when it comes to the "essence of Confucianism" you just mentioned, I'll be honest. In this regard, I understand everything you say; but you have to understand. What I say requires another twenty years of studying Chinese books!"
"Then what I said was wrong?" Gu Hongming continued.
Shen Zengzhi pointed to the bookcase on the side wall, "I see there are quite a few Confucian classics on the shelf. Sir, you can read more before discussing with me."
Gu Hongming was a little genius in debating, and he immediately countered: "Please tell me, Mr. Shen, which book on the bookshelf can you memorize and I can't? Which book do you understand and I don't?"
Shen Zengzhi ignored it and said to Tang Wenzhi: "Marquis Ying, let's go."
Then he stood up and said to Gu Hongming: "The original intention of our coming here is to seek advice from the West. We are not here to study Confucianism with your husband. Besides, hum!"
Of course Gu Hongming knew what he meant by his last snort: Shen Zengzhi and Tang Wenzhi were both serious Jinshi scholars, but he was only an "honorary Jinshi". Shen Zengzhi considered himself to be far superior to him in Confucianism research. .
Although this is indeed the case, Gu Hongming did not think so. He sneered and said: "What a loud tone. I wonder if foreigners have ever read Mr.'s articles?"
Gu Hongming wrote far more English articles than Chinese articles throughout his life, and his fame came from translating "The Analects of Confucius" and "The Doctrine of the Mean" from the West. He also wrote many articles to demonstrate the importance of traditional Chinese culture. Better than Western culture.
Therefore, foreigners think that he is China's most powerful master of Chinese studies, and even said: "You can go to China without seeing the Three Great Halls, but you must see Gu Hongming."
But when it comes to the level of Confucianism, although Gu Hongming loves Chinese Confucian culture very much, he still cannot compare with native scholar-bureaucrats like Shen Zengzhi and Tang Wenzhi.
After all, Gu Hongming became a monk halfway. He only started to study Chinese culture when he was nearly 30 years old. He only has a general understanding of Confucian classics. His articles seem to be using the twelve constellations theory to explain the entire universe. They are relatively abstract and vague, and there is no in-depth discussion. .
Shen Zengzhi sneered: "Sir, do you think foreigners can understand real Confucianism?"
Shen Zengzhi was already more polite. He did not say "you can understand your own article", but directly used the word "Confucianism" in Gu Hongming's mouth.
Shen Zengzhi stopped talking nonsense. There was no point in continuing to argue about Confucianism. What they wanted to do was to finish writing this book introducing the West, so they left straight away.
Gu Hongming was so angry that he blew his nose: "Pedantic, really pedantic!"
In anger, he even accidentally knocked over the teacup.
Yoshida Sadako immediately ran up to comfort him and said, "Husband, please don't get angry. You have to go to the university hall to meet Mr. Zhang in the afternoon."
Shen Zengzhi was very gentle, and later Gu Hongming and Hu Shicai became real enemies. Gu Hongming despised Western learning, while Hu Shi praised Western learning. In the future, the two of them would have many confrontations during the New Culture Movement, and there would also be arguments about Confucianism and Confucianism. .
But when it comes to Chinese studies, there is no need to compare with a true master like Zhang Taiyan. Even Hu Shi and Gu Hongming are at least fifty times behind Xu Zhimo.
Gu Hongming's current level of Confucianism is indeed not something that many people can appreciate. A hundred years later, he suddenly became a "geek" in the eyes of many people in the Internet era and became famous again. Many of them are because of his contempt for the West and his firm belief that China will rise. speech.
Originally, he might have been just an ordinary scholar, a name that did not shine brightly in history books.
But the miraculous thing is that China later became stronger again with blood and sweat and gradually built up its national confidence. Therefore, Gu Hongming's few words a hundred years ago really adapted to the times!
Like a prophet who has seen through hundreds of years.
This is Gu Hongming's luck, and it is also our luck.