Before Wang Anshi's reform, there was new learning. "New Meanings of the Three Classics" and "Shuo Zi" were both intended to lay a theoretical foundation for Confucian governance.
Why is it necessary to have a foundation of knowledge before reform can be carried out? Because reform is about changing interests, and people's reaction to changes in interests is best to have moral guidance or constraints.
This is the humanistic issue that Yang Tinghe is most concerned about now.
It is necessary to find a theoretical basis for the "human principles" of the new law, to define good and evil in the new legal situation, and to have as many people as possible recognize and agree with it.
Now, they are all thinking about what Zhu Houcong said about practice.
Natural principles, physics, and human principles are just concepts, and the word practice...
They looked at the emperor, and Yang Tinghe asked: "Your Majesty, practice is the eternal truth? All knowledge comes from practice, and practice does not stop, so knowledge is always new. When knowledge is new, knowledge and action must be unified, so the law
Does it really change?"
Zhu Houcong lamented that after all, they were the top smart people in the Ming Dynasty, and they would soon be able to find the most beneficial basis for their current reforms from these new concepts.
He nodded: "That's true. For example, in the early days of the Ming Dynasty, the population was declining and taxes were insufficient, so the army was stationed in garrison systems. Now that the population of the Ming Dynasty has already doubled, the taxes can actually be doubled.
There are even more. The situation has changed, and the system that was in line with the early days of the country may not be in line with today."
For the emperors behind the Zhu family, it was also a constraint that the ancestral system should not be lightly touched.
Now Zhu Houcong also needs a theoretical basis. He went on to say: "Although the law cannot be changed lightly, it cannot be changed. Even if it is the new law that I have discussed with you, there may be some things that are not in line with the current physics and human theory. Practice.
The essence is to think carefully, practice and observe the results, and then improve upon new knowledge."
"Your Majesty, how can the good and evil of the government be made clear to the world?" Yang Tinghe asked him what he was most concerned about.
Even if the reform has a theoretical basis, the reform process will damage the interests that many people have already obtained. What is said to be good governance and bad governance is actually the good and evil in the hearts of the officials and gentry in the world.
"Human principles have one's own selfishness, but also the public principles of the world." Zhu Houcong has been thinking about these issues, "The purpose of Neo-Confucianism to destroy human desires is to obtain the justice of the world. The cycle of natural principles, if human principles violate this world
In accordance with the laws of heaven, dynasties often change. How many officials and gentry of the old dynasty will be able to survive by then?"
"Naturally, that is not a situation that already exists in front of us. It is just a precaution. Everyone should restrain their selfish desires to prevent their family and country from reaching that point. If we expect everyone to eliminate human desires, it is better to restrict them with strict laws and regulations.
The law is constantly changing and suppressing it.”
"As far as state affairs are concerned, it does not mean that there will be no permanent law from now on, otherwise the people of the world will be at a loss what to do? However, from a practical point of view, in each period, we find the main contradictions and disputes that undermine the justice of the world, and we just find ways to solve the main contradictions that have emerged. The state system
The foundation is not changed lightly, but the laws used by the state can change with the times."
"What is the main contradiction of the Ming Dynasty at present? The population is increasing day by day, but the wealth is not increasing. Everyone knows the reason. Wealth and land are concentrated among the wealthy officials and gentry, leaving hundreds of millions of people with almost no place to stand. The laws of nature are just.
Where is it? If this main contradiction is not resolved and history is used as a guide, how far can the Ming Dynasty go from being destroyed?"
He paused and then said: "In fact, everyone understands the truth. If it harms their immediate interests, it is bad government. Every new law is bad government for some people and good government for some people. Everything has advantages and disadvantages.
, there is no perfect good government, this is also the law of nature.”
"The foundation of reform is never perfect goodness, but is like medicine used to treat diseases. It is a medicine that is three parts poisonous, but if you use the right medicine, it can restore your vitality. Why can the restructuring of Guangdong's government offices divide the gentry in Guangdong? The general trend is so great.
"Tang, those who can follow it will prosper, and those who want to go against it will perish."
"Those who wish to override natural principles with selfish desires are like weeds in the field. How can we have a good harvest if we don't get rid of them? Weeding is something that needs to be done every year, and it is something that must be done forever. As long as we uphold justice in the world
, that is, good governance can win the hearts of the people. Once the hearts of the people are won, the world will be safe and worry-free, and history will have its own judgment."
Zhu Houcong does not need to speak clearly.
To govern the world, you need to rely on the officials and gentry, but to destroy the world, you only need to prevent the people from rising up if they really can't survive.
Now the situation is that the officials and gentry are driving the people down that road. Those officials and gentry who cannot accept the emperor and the court's desire to maintain the ruling order, isn't that equivalent to treason?
Yang Ting and others were always worried about the world's reaction and judgment. Reformers and governors in the past dynasties were always obsessed with dividing good governance into bad governance.
How many years have we been arguing about whether human nature is inherently good or inherently evil? It is not that easy to advance your thinking to the point where you learn to look at problems in a comprehensive, connected, and developmental way.
Now, Zhu Houcong is the mentor.
Neo-Confucianism is materialistic, but they are short on methodological guidance.
A simple sentence in Neo-Confucianism is to study things to reach knowledge, and a simple sentence in Xinxue is to reach conscience. Neither of them is systematic enough, and their guiding role is very limited.
Zhu Houcong began to shock them with some small dialectics of materialism through Wang Shouren's letters.
Everything is forever changing and connected, and the law of change is the contradiction between everything.
Opposition and unity, quantitative change and qualitative change, the negation of negation; phenomenon and essence, content and form, cause and result, possibility and reality, contingency and inevitability; about the whole and the part, about individuality and commonality, about relative and absolute...
Finally, it points to the contradiction analysis method.
"... This contradiction will always exist among the officials, gentry and common people in the world. There are many contradictions, so we can only try to find the main contradiction and distinguish the primary and secondary aspects of this main contradiction."
While Yang Tinghe and others were writing furiously and their scalps were itching, Zhu Houcong went on to say: "For now, the main contradiction in implementing the new law is the contradiction between the selfish desires of the officials and gentry in the world and the justice of the people in the world. This is mainly
The main aspect of the contradiction is that those officials and gentry who stubbornly pursue their selfish desires will try every means to hinder the changes in the new tax and servitude law."
Wang Qiong took up the conversation and asked: "Therefore, when formulating the law on the treatment of officials, adopting measures, reforming government offices, encouraging industry and commerce, clarifying the laws and regulations, we must first separate them, and then implement the new tax and servitude laws, the other people will not be able to work together. The power will be single.
With little power, if you follow the rules, will it be no big deal?"
Zhu Houcong nodded in agreement: "The best way to deal with the world's affairs is to have more comrades and fewer enemies. If I don't adhere to this principle, how can the emperor and his ministers in the imperial study be as united as they are today?"
Yang Tinghe and others had complicated expressions. They originally defended Wang Qiong and the others, but later turned the original "enemies" into the new party. Is this the power of dialectics?
Your Majesty said, debate means thinking and arguing for knowledge; proving means practicing and supporting for action.
Only in this way is there a complete unity of knowledge and action.
I don’t know what Wang Shouren’s expression would be like if he were here.
Yang Tinghe said: "Today I feel quite enlightened. Since Your Majesty has already had this method, why did you explain it to your ministers only today?"
Zhu Houcong laughed: "What you see on paper is ultimately shallow. I know that this matter must be carried out. Didn't Lu Fangweng say it a long time ago? We have begun to try out the new method. Over the past year or so, you have faced criticism from the government and the public and have experienced it personally.
, isn’t it easier to understand this method now?”
This is absolutely correct.
In Zhu Houcong's mind, how many people and how many lessons have gradually accumulated these thoughts? How can they be understood by just saying them in vain?
Besides, Zhu Houcong did not have the prestige he does now - in this imperial study room.
At this moment, all the counselors could only look at the emperor inexplicably, as if they were looking at a heavenly being.
Based on their life experience and knowledge accumulation, they are naturally knowledgeable.
The profound thoughts contained in this set of theories can indeed be said to surpass those of the sages.
This dialectical practice method can also be used in state affairs in a big way, in dealing with people in a small way, and even in exploring new knowledge.
The party leader's fortune, life and posthumous name can no longer be separated from the new law. Yang Tinghe left his seat and bowed: "Your Majesty, please give this school a name."
"Oh? Are you going to start promoting it?" Zhu Houcong looked at him and asked with a smile.
"Guangdong has completed the compilation and review of the subject. Starting next year, Guangdong will implement the separation of taxes and servitude, and the rich and poor will share the burden. Yan Weizhong went to Zhejiang, and Fei Zichong was in Sichuan. Although the provinces have not temporarily enacted new laws, they can use the new knowledge as a basis for debate in the world.
topic."
Yang Tinghe paused and then said: "Private interests are just like what your majesty said, and no one wants to talk about it in public. Now that this new learning has appeared, conservative people will refute it by citing scriptures. Through academic disputes, we can easily distinguish who is a new learner.
The main aspect of the main contradiction is that knowledge is, after all, the foundation for the world's gentry to settle down and live their lives."
Confucianism allows scholars all over the world to gain status and accumulate wealth through imperial examinations and the gentry class as long as they study Confucian knowledge.
Now that the official government is promoting new knowledge, those who can accept it and adapt to it will naturally be our comrades, and those who cannot accept it and find ways to oppose it will naturally be our enemies.
Yan Song wanted to clarify local interests in Zhejiang through court performances and prepare for the future.
Now, Yang Tinghe wanted to directly find the enemies of the new law across the country through the debate on the new knowledge.
Zhu Houcong looked at him deeply: "In that case, do you have any intention of changing the imperial examination system?"
Only by showing the desire to take action against the imperial examination is the most powerful weapon to manifest this contradiction.
With new knowledge, the imperial examination will naturally change.
Those stubborn gentry families and scholars who have not yet reached the rank of scholar in the world will all be affected.
Does it count as the new law has been implemented nationwide? No, because the next subject examination will be in the fifth year of Jiajing.
For the new party, it is enough to reveal this idea. Anyway, whether it will really change by then depends on the results in Guangdong.
Yang Tinghe replied: "If there is new knowledge, the imperial examination should be gradually changed. There are already enough officials in Guangdong. From Guangdong onwards, the provincial examination can be conducted once a year to test new knowledge. The salary of officials has been improved. In the future, if they succeed in the imperial examination, they can Officer, why would scholars in the world not do this?"
If the entire Ming Dynasty is like Guangdong in the future, how many official positions will there be in the world? There are only more than 13,000 people in the world. How can 3,000 Jinshi be used?
How many officials are there in the world?
This is an unprecedented initiative.
Those who were damaged were only the small group of stubborn officials and gentry who could not keep up with the times.
Why do you seem to be able to benefit from multiple sources?
Because His Majesty has already given the answer: everything is developing, and the world's wealth can never be said to be fixed. Qiu Jun said in the "Extensions of the University" that wealth is "funded by human power".
The more people there are, the more they understand physics and human theory, and their work will naturally create and accumulate more wealth.
The Ming Dynasty's treasury is becoming increasingly empty because the wealth has been hidden, hidden among today's wealthy officials, gentry, and wealthy households.
Why is Yang Tinghe willing to do this?
First, he became the leader of the party. Now he has a sense of mission to create history, find more opportunities for scholars all over the world, and benefit the people all over the world.
If it can be done, the Yang family will be famous for generations, and there will be no shortage of status and wealth. Yang Tinghe, the Taimiao Temple, the Confucius Temple, and the history books will all laugh and dance.
Zhu Houcong looked at them with a smile, these thoughts flashed through his mind.
"I wanted to wait until the Wanfa Museum has achieved success in physics and then take advantage of the new objects to promote it." Zhu Houcong gave a positive reply, "In that case, let you and others argue with the scholars in the world. As for the name, let's just say Learn well through practice, and the method of learning is dialectics."
After Neo-Confucianism and Psychology, the Ming Dynasty was afraid that this practical science would become its official science from now on.
How can the new law avoid theoretical disputes? Now, under the "leadership" of Fei Hong, the old party continues to criticize the new party from a theoretical perspective and from the views of sages on the way of governing the country.
Fei Hong knew that there was new knowledge, so now it seemed that the new party was unable to resist it - after all, the new knowledge had not yet been made public to the world.
After being frantically criticized for more than a year for "disregarding agriculture and favoring commerce" so that the social customs will never be the same, "treating scholars so harshly" that education will fail, and "badly destroying the old system" that actually harms the country and wields power, the New Party is excitedly preparing to fight back Already.
Dear, there is a whole set of new knowledge here, do you want to experience it?
Zhu Houcong looked at them with a smile: "I only understood the three principles of heaven, matter, and man from your knowledge, and also understood the dialectical method from the unity of knowledge and action. But starting from this practical study, why must we change the method? , that’s what you’ve come to understand.”
This is what Fei Hong said: let the ministers fight, and the emperor should leave room for it.
Therefore, the theoretical ideas that do not involve specific applications belong to His Majesty. Once Yang Tinghe understood the ideas, he would change the method. After the changes, it was really useful, which proved the correctness of His Majesty's ideas!
The "minutes" of this national policy meeting were then locked in a secret box and sent to Sichuan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Zhejiang by dedicated personnel.
By the time these people arrived, it was already mid-December.
The news gradually spread to the entire Ming Dynasty, and scholars all over the world were confused.
After more than a year of collective efforts by the counselors, a new knowledge has emerged in the world: practical science.
The bad news is that this seems to be a suture monster. Neo-Confucianism, Xinxue, and the theories of various schools of thought are all included in it. I heard that in the future, the imperial examination will test practical studies, so how many more books will I need to read?
The good news is: it seems that everything has been sewn together, and the seam is tight and innovative. The Guangdong Provincial Examination will also be held once a year. From now on, it will be divided into senior and deputy rankings as a rule. The chances of becoming an official are increasing.
The most important thing is: the three core theories of heaven, physics, and human principles in the new culture, that set of dialectics, originated from the emperor.
The emperor is not yet eighteen years old.
On New Year's Eve, the banquet in Qianqing Palace was very large.
The counselors, relatives, and worshipers of Wanfa Hall were all honored to be present. The three most talented people in Wuzhong, Wang Wensu, and Alfonso, who had initially learned some Ming Dynasty Mandarin, all looked at Zhu Houcong in shock.
Although there is no such word as thinker now, those who tinker with philosophical thoughts have been the most powerful scholars throughout the ages.
Just as the emperor told him that arithmetic is probably the general outline of the study of all things, Wang Wensu also knew that these ideas were the general outline of the study of all things.
Aren’t the so-called sages also called ancient sages and sages?
"Long live your Majesty! Long live! Long live your Majesty!"
This time, everyone at the banquet paid homage with some degree of sincere awe in their hearts, as if they were paying homage to Biden.
More than two years ago, he ascended the throne and became emperor.
But now, he seems to be ascending the throne and becoming a sage.
The palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful candles, and the candles beside the throne were bright. Zhu Houcong smiled and said, "Everyone is safe."
After tonight, it will be the third year of Jiajing.
On this day and tomorrow's Zhengdan Festival, officials and people all over the world will pay homage to the emperor as a rule.
Those who have read books and have some understanding of knowledge have in their hearts the image of an emperor who is accumulating the aura of a sage.
All it takes is time to prove whether his thinking is correct or not!