Xie Changjie's life is roughly divided into three stages.
In the first stage, Han Chuang studied hard for more than 20 years, and when he was over 30 years old, he won the top three in high school and became a Jinshi.
After waiting for a long time, the vacancy came, and then he became the head of the Ministry of Rites, but he also made up the right chief of the Xingwang Palace, and his future was cut off. These wasted nearly ten years were the second stage of his life.
During this period of time, he often regretted it and felt that it was better not to dislike the lack of the county magistrate. After all, he was born in the top three, and it was good to be able to survive until he became the leader of the house.
Then fate played a joke on him. From the time Zhu Houcong ascended the throne, his life entered the third stage.
First there was Yuan Zonggao, and then there was Sun Jiao, and Xie Changjie had no choice: who could have caused his heart to break down and do those things after he took office at that time?
First, he was promoted from the fourth rank of the Metropolitan Procuratorate to the right to participate in politics in Guangdong because of his "meritorious service" in the Qian Ning Jiang Bin case. Later, he was demoted to the right rank of the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate to participate in politics because of accepting and demanding bribes.
The Shipping Department of the City has fallen back to the fourth rank. The post assigned is still the rank of the fifth rank, and unlike the Shipping Department of Guangdong, it is managed by promotion.
After running into the Japanese mission's tribute-grabbing case, he has now been demoted to the seventh rank of Zhejiang's censor.
But Xie Changjie is very happy now.
Although the rank is low, the status of the patrol censor is much higher than that of the city port official. A seventh-rank patrol censor in a province has far more courtesy than some prefects or ordinary third- and fourth-rank officials.
He, an old official from Qiandi, is now patrolling Zhejiang, which means something even more different.
Besides, His Majesty said that he would not care about the past anymore. Now that His Majesty is married and the eldest princess has found her favorite consort, there is really no need to worry about her dirty thoughts back then.
Xie Changjie bid farewell to Zheng Shoujie, who had been demoted to the post of Minister of Household Affairs, and went to the Department of Host and Guest Qing Li of the Ministry of Etiquette to receive the batch of Japanese mission "prisoners" who went south to be beheaded.
"Jie Xun was promoted after being demoted, so Jian is still in the emperor's heart." Zheng Shouxie was really envious because he was demoted to an eighth-rank official, whereas he was demoted to a sixth-rank official before!
Xie Changjie sighed: "Zheng Siwu is just a businessman. Although he is only an eighth-grade Taomo, he is a capital official after all. This time the people of Zhejiang have suffered. Although you and I cannot be the leaders of the Municipal Shipping Department, we can still bear the blame."
.Transferred to Teruma, the Ministry of Revenue, he can still make a difference under the new law."
The two of them talked about Ryan again. As the eunuch who was in charge of the Shipping Department at the time, Ryan was directly deprived of all the benefits of his rank, and was left to work under Wei Bin as Huang Mingji.
The destinies of the three people were changed because of the Japanese mission's tribute-grabbing incident, and now there are many people whose destinies have also been changed because of this incident.
Zhang Qin was originally the deputy envoy in charge of the coastal defense road of the Imperial Guards Department. This time the Japanese mission was competing for tribute and looting, which affected many officials in Zhejiang.
The second prefect of Ningbo Shaoxing... Now their culpability in this incident will be determined by Yan Song's memorial and what punishment they will receive.
Ouzhu, the former patrol censor, had received a notice to go to the capital to resign, and he came to Sun Xiu, the envoy to the left.
"Futai went to Yuyao?"
Sun Xiu nodded when he heard this: "Where is Wang Bo'an?"
"I don't know what will happen when I go to the capital. Please give me some advice."
Sun Xiu looked at Ouzhu who was saluting and was silent for a moment.
Ryan was dealt with, which made everyone in Zhejiang uneasy, because they didn't know what Ryan said to His Majesty, nor did they know His Majesty's attitude towards Zhejiang.
Sun Xiu had already received letters from Shao Xi and had dealt with Yan Song face to face.
He thought for a while and said to Ou Zhu: "Looking at Futai's words and deeds after taking office, it is as you and I thought before. Mr. Yang Ge is eager to start a new situation in Zhejiang, but Futai has experience in participating in policy, so there is no need to fully agree with him. Mr. Yang Ge meant that Futai is in Zhejiang, and it is more important to publicize His Majesty's benevolent name. After the tribute competition, you patrolled the various governments and provided adequate pensions, and Futai also heard about it. In the case of Futai, all the officials went up and down to Ningbo, Shao Xinger Whether the government is guilty or not, Futai does not seem to be going to war in Zhejiang."
"So, when I go to Beijing to resume my duties, do I think I have another appointment?"
Sun Xiu nodded: "I'm afraid it's a foreign appointment, most likely in Zhejiang. A foreign appointment as a patrol censor, maybe a vassal, a bureaucracy, a counselor or even a political advisor, a deputy envoy."
The six subjects are all assigned, and the important official officials of the seventh and fourth ranks, such as the inspector censor, can easily be promoted to the fourth and fifth ranks of Beijing officials; if they are promoted externally, they are more likely to directly assume the important positions of the third and fourth ranks.
Ou Zhu's eyes were a bit inexplicable: "Futai has warned Zhejiang officials and gentry in many places to observe the holy will and relieve the emperor's worries and ensure the people's livelihood. Now Futai hopes that Zhejiang will first declare and pay taxes on its own like Sichuan, but the Municipal Shipping Department has been abolished In the past six months, the wealthy gentry have lost their income, and Zhejiang has not improved the salary of officials. Could it be that Futai hopes that we can help him?"
"Let's see what he says when he comes back from Yuyao. The autumn grain harvest is coming to an end, and if you want to make arrangements for Futai, it's almost about to begin."
Yuyao County, Shaoxing Prefecture, Wang Shouren’s hometown.
Although he was giving lectures in Jiangxi before, but now he has returned to Yuyao to keep his filial piety.
"After more than a year of separation, I am moved by Bo'an's filial piety. Why am I so haggard?" Yan Song looked concerned, "Your Majesty is often worried. I hope Bo'an will take good care of his health!"
Wang Shouren shook his head: "That's not because of filial piety. It's just that for more than a year, I have devoted myself to studying His Majesty's theory of three principles of things and people. It took a lot of effort and was usually unkempt, which made Futai laugh."
"I wonder if Bo'an can gain some insights?" Yan Song was very concerned about this and saluted sincerely, "Now His Majesty has invited many worshipers to study the principles of things in the Wanfa Pavilion. Only Bo'an can concentrate on studying this avenue of knowledge. We will wait for you. But there are many things to do, and there is no time to think deeply."
Wang Shouren continued to shake his head and smile bitterly: "It can't be said to be an understanding. What your Majesty said is actually quite inconsistent with what I have learned before. Famous Neo-Confucians can easily incorporate the insights of the mind, but I feel like I have once walked into it. Wrong way..."
This is the reason why Wang Shouren is becoming more and more haggard now: his confidence in his spiritual path has been affected.
Xinxue is regarded as a heretical and end-of-life school, and a big reason is the idealism of Xinxue. However, the theory of the three principles of heaven, matter, and man proposed by Zhu Houcong clearly still recognizes the materialism of "the principles of heaven" and does not change according to the human heart.
As a result, the materialistic attributes of heavenly principles will be clearly seen through physics. On the contrary, the method of cultivating conscience and the requirement of the unity of knowledge and action can no longer be arbitrarily "acted according to the knowledge of the heart", but must be followed and adapted to the laws of physics.
If it remains unchanged, there needs to be a new set of humanistic explanations.
It was a rare occasion for Yan Song to come, and Wang Shouren seized this opportunity to stay with him and ask him carefully about their views on this knowledge at the national policy meeting.
Yan Song confirmed that he really didn't seem to have a comprehensive explanation, and then asked him: "Bo'an was in Yuyao, and the Japanese mission's tribute and robbery happened in Ningbo and Shaoxing. Why didn't Bo'an make a memorial?
What's the matter?"
He was referring to the secret box given to him when he left Beijing.
Wang Shouren sighed: "Everything in Zhejiang is done by appointed officials. Your Majesty and the imperial court have their own affairs, so why should I say anything? At that time, the Japanese pirates came and went very quickly, and the disaster did not affect Yuyao. By the time I knew about it, the Japanese pirates had already returned to Ningbo.
I, Ding You, don’t know the inside story at home, so what does the memorial say?”
Yan Song thought for a while and then saluted him: "I'm in charge of Zhejiang and I still need some capable hands. Bo'an has been in Zhejiang and Jiangxi for a long time. Can you recommend some people?"
Wang Shouren looked at him and asked meaningfully: "Weizhong wants to mobilize a group of people in Zhejiang?"
Yan Song said righteously: "Your Majesty cares about the people. Some local officials are unable to defend the land and cannot bring peace to the people. They should be punished. Now that the Municipal Shipping Department has been abolished, many gentry and wealthy households in Zhejiang have lost their way of making money. There may be changes. Uncle
An Zhibing, the Japanese invasion of Zhejiang may become more serious in the future. The capital, the superiors and subordinates, and even the officials of the coastal prefectures all need people with both ability and political integrity!"
Wang Shouren was silent for a while, and then said: "That's fine. I have many doubts about knowledge, so I might as well ask your Majesty for advice. In addition, I would like to recommend a few people to you."
The two were old acquaintances. When Yan Song was raising his father in Fenyi's hometown, his residence, Qishan Hall, was full of Confucian scholars, but no white people came and went. Wang Shouren also made friends with him. After the Chenhao Rebellion, Yan Song was in Jiangxi at that time.
Wang Shouren also invited Yan Song to discuss military matters, and together they traveled to Nanchang at night to write poems and enjoy the scenery.
Now, Yan Song wants to form an alliance with Wang Shouren.
In order to implement the new law in the future, there will be no possibility of military chaos, and we must have the help of the three principles of heaven, matter and man.
Although Wang Shouren only temporarily participated in national policy on behalf of Yang Yiqing, since he has been there before, is a knowledgeable person, and knows military skills, he is one of the people with the greatest potential in the future.
The premise is: "You must take good care of your body!"
Yan Song sincerely continued: "When I am in Zhejiang, I can still come to discuss knowledge with Bo'an from time to time. The reason why you are in such a difficult situation is because you have realized that your majesty's words are in line with the truth, right? Your majesty is extremely talented, so you and I should humbly ask for advice.
I will help His Majesty implement it. If my predictions are correct, I am afraid that the restructuring will begin in the fifth year of the Jiajing Conference."
Before then, this new theory will naturally be announced.
Now, the advisers can see clearly: His Majesty's theory obviously has something he has not said yet. However, although His Majesty can clearly explain some principles, he is not good at using current knowledge and words to express them.
It has become a very complete system. It inherits the writings of sages and sages and inspires new knowledge from scholars.
Wang Shouren's secret box and Yan Song's memorial arrived earlier than Ou Zhu.
In more than a year, Wang Shouren's secret box has only been visited twice.
The last time he heard about the Three Principles of Nature, Things, and Humans, he debated scriptures remotely with Zhu Houcong through the secret box.
After Zhu Houcong replied to him in many straightforward words, Wang Shouren had no reply for more than a year.
After reading Yan Song's memorial, Zhu Houcong couldn't help but smile and sigh to Yang Ting and them: "Bo'an studied hard and became a lot thinner and haggard. Qing and others have also been working on this knowledge intermittently for more than a year, and it is difficult to understand the three things of nature and people."
What do you think is the difficulty in expressing it smoothly?"
Shi Yun was the first to answer: "Your Majesty, the relationship between physics, natural principles, and human principles is rarely mentioned in the writings of sages. I have been studying it for more than years, but I don't know how to express it clearly."
Everyone nodded silently.
Over the past year or so, it is not without gains. In fact, the word physics was mentioned by Zhuangzi in the sentence "The beauty of heaven and earth can be understood as the principle of all things." In the Confucian classic "Book of Rites and Great Learning" and Zhu Xi's annotations,
There is also the expression "Studying things leads to knowledge, and studying things to understand principles".
Regarding the relationship between physics and human theory, Mencius proposed that human nature and physical properties should be studied when doing work and learning. When formulating the calendar, observing the laws of the sky and summarizing them from the changes in the starry sky are now called true traditions.
Some kind of "physics"?
Confucianism is actually about logic, so they are very confused now. Because in their view, the source can be found in the writings of sages, and many great Confucian scholars have provided supporting evidence for thousands of years, so this knowledge can be called rigorous.
If it weren't for the fact that Confucianism itself is quite rigorous and has strong materialistic attributes, how could China be the most unfettered in religious thought?
Why are they in such trouble now?
Zhu Houcong frowned: Probably because he admires the sages too much, he must find the source and evidence from the remarks of his predecessors.
He opened his mouth and said: "The principles of nature are clear and physics remains unchanged. The knowledge of the sages also comes from studying the principles of things and understanding human relations. For more than three thousand years, generations of people have been studying knowledge on the shoulders of their predecessors. Paper has replaced bamboo slips.
, silk and silk, many gains have proved that the knowledge of modern people in physics is better than that of the sages. In terms of human ethics, modern people are more sophisticated in governing the country and educating the people than the ancients. Why should we blindly favor the ancient and neglect the present? "
Yang Tinghe and others did not dare to be as "rebellious" as he was, thinking that their knowledge exceeded that of the sages.
Zhu Houcong continued: "The difficulty lies in the fact that you have to understand the word "real". I think there are two steps for Bo'an to combine knowledge with action and practice what he knows. First, many people have put it into practice, so there is
Practical knowledge. Once you have practical knowledge, you can further practice it, implement it in practice, and gain more experience and knowledge. Practice is done by people, and practice in human theory, then you can continuously improve human ethics; practice in physics
, then you can continue to gain true knowledge.”
"This principle of heaven is the continuous progress of human principles and physics, slowly tending to the understanding of heaven's principles. I think the connection between physics, heaven's principles, and human principles lies in the word practice. The principles of all things and the principles of human relations are all from the ancients
, people today have summarized it through continuous practice. They have a historical aspect and a developmental aspect. I think that if we start from practice, we don’t have to stick to what the ancients said, but we must affirm one thing: knowledge is constantly improving.
As long as people today adhere to the role of practice, they can surpass the ancients on the basis of respecting what the ancients gained."
After Zhu Houcong said this, the imperial study fell into a very subtle silence.
For thousands of years, Confucian disciples have had a shackles in their hearts. They have always believed that the knowledge of the sages was the highest and that the society in ancient times was the most desirable.
Now, the emperor wants them to respect the ancients and not blindly respect the ancients.
Do you want to believe that you are better than the ancients?