Daming: At the start of the showdown, Lao Zhu was stunned

Chapter 417 The Original Confucianism
"True Confucianism, false Confucianism..." Seeing Fang Xiaoru intoxicated, Zhu Su was also thoughtful.This statement is not bad, it can clearly divide the ranks of literati.

Zhu Su is already considering whether to spread these two words to the world, so as to cause literati to attack each other.

Now that he was able to persuade Fang Xiaoru successfully, Zhu Su immediately sent someone to drive him into the palace.Whether it will be successful or not, you have to ask Lao Zhu for instructions.

It was already noon at the palace gate, and Lao Zhu rarely had some free time. He was playing in the pavilion in the imperial garden with Empress Ma and Prince Zhu Biao, accompanying the emperor's grandson Zhu Xiongying.

"So, the fifth younger brother wants to restore the original Confucianism of Confucius' time, attack Confucianism with Confucianism, and release the confinement of Confucianism on thought?" Zhu Biao frowned and thought. "Confucius is the sage of Confucianism. Restoring his old system is indeed easier for Confucian scholars in the world to accept."

"It's just that, isn't it all from the beginning? The original Confucianism was poor after all. How can we guarantee that there will be no other Confucian scholars still looking for chapters and excerpts from these old papers and tinkering with new ones? Confucianism that harms the country and the people?"

Zhu Su nodded: "Brother's words are very true, so we promote the original Confucianism, not just preaching the original Confucianism."

"While propagating, we should also draw a bottom line for it, one is 'practicing the world', and the other is 'understanding the nature of Confucianism'."

"The original meaning of the so-called 'practicing the world' is that Confucianism must have its practical significance. It is necessary to pay attention to the reality, face up to the contradictions, never apply mechanically, and oppose those so-called 'reasons', 'qi' and other empty studies. .”

"And 'Ming Confucianism sees nature' is to put an end to taking meaning out of context and copying it mechanically. For example, 'Zilu Wenzheng' is talking about 'inquiring about politics', and it should not be related to virtue, integrity, heaven and earth, and rationality. From reality To set out, clarify the master's heart of teaching students according to their aptitude, not to copy superficial methods mechanically, but to explore and penetrate the original intention of why the master said so, so as to "not only observe his behavior, but also see his nature."

Zhu Biao groaned for a while, and then praised fiercely: "Wonderful! What a man of the world and practical, Ming Confucianism sees nature!"

"In this way, Confucianism can be regarded as truly eternal. Once there are those who practice reality and stick to the rules, they can't be regarded as Confucianism!"

"Yes." Zhu Su nodded and smiled. "In addition, the method of science can be paralleled with Confucianism. Science arms the hands and Confucianism arms the mind. The scientific logic can also make people feel down-to-earth and less likely to think about those illusory things. Moreover, only internal and external cultivation can be achieved. The real China that never changes forever."

"Su'er is right." Empress Ma, who usually seldom expresses her opinion in the discussion, also spoke while hugging Zhu Xiongying.He said to Zhu Biao: "Mother has not read many books, but she also knows that this science is a good knowledge that can really benefit the people. If nothing else, just talk about the wool. Who would have thought that wool would be rinsed with water and spun into thread , the clothes we wove are actually warmer than cotton clothes?"

"Those Confucian scholars always look like they know everything. I don't think they can figure out such a reason. Thoughts and hands, how well do you say that? I think that in the Song Dynasty, it was because I cut off my hands, and my thoughts If you get it crooked, you will become so useless. In the end, you will be invaded by a foreign race, and the entire country of China will be sent out."

Ever since she learned of Chongzhen's death, Empress Ma, who had always been virtuous and virtuous, also became hostile to the civil servants.Moreover, she has always been kind and caring, and she has always spared no effort to support science, a knowledge that can truly benefit the people.

"We understand what Lao Wu means." Seeing Lao Zhu who had been pondering all the time, he spoke.Zhu Su and the others fell silent. "But we still have two doubts."

"First, if Confucianism goes back to the original intention of Confucius, shouldn't even the three cardinal guides and five permanent principles, the interaction between heaven and man, and so on should not exist?"

"There is another thing. What we want is that those civil servants no longer only focus on fighting with the emperor, but divert their goal of 'wanting to share the world with the emperor'."

"This point, we don't seem to see how to transfer it?"

Old Zhu looked directly at Zhu Su and said.

As an emperor, what Lao Zhu cares about is not whether the inheritance of Confucianism can be accepted by others, and he doesn't even care what kind of content it has.

What he cares about is whether such a theory can become the help of Ming Dynasty, prove the legitimacy of Ming Dynasty's rule, or whether it will become a hindrance to the imperial power in the future.

"You have learned a lot from your old wisdom. It can be considered that someone has asked the core." Zhu Su first smiled and sent a flattery, which made Lao Zhu, Zhu Biao, and Empress Ma laugh.

Under the urging of Lao Zhu's laughing and scolding "Stop talking out your mouth", Zhu Su said: "Actually, your two doubts are already in what I just said, 'Ming Confucianism sees nature'. The so-called Ming Confucianism sees nature is to wear Look at the essence through the appearance, and understand what Confucius is trying to teach people.”

"Brother, you have read a lot of books. Tell me, Confucius traveled all over the world and created Confucianism. He spared no effort. So what is his fundamental goal?"

"The fundamental goal?" Zhu Biao was slightly taken aback.Under the watchful eyes of Lao Zhu and Empress Ma, he thought for a while, and then said: "Confucius's lifelong desire is nothing more than the words 'Rejuvenation of Zhou Li'. Could it be that what you are referring to, Fifth Brother, is Zhou Li? "

"Brother is right and wrong. 'Zhou Li' is still just a means of expression. What Confucius wants to achieve is a polite, orderly, strong, and rich China behind the 'Zhou Ri'!"

"Three cardinal guides and five constant principles, the relationship between heaven and man. It seems to strengthen the imperial power, but in fact it is illusory and has long lost the power of deterrence. The change of the sky is a natural phenomenon, but every time the sky changes, the scholar-bureaucrats of the Song Dynasty often gather together to write a letter to refute the emperor in the name of heaven. The policy is clear, to protect one's own interests."

"Is this general rule strengthening or weakening the imperial power?"

When Zhu Su said this, Old Zhu was thoughtful.At the beginning of the founding of the country, he wanted to promote Neo-Confucianism. What he valued was actually Neo-Confucianism, which emphasized the preservation of the principles of nature and the elimination of human desires, the three cardinal principles and the five constant principles, in order to suppress officials for the emperor's family and maintain the society as it was.

However, knowing the situation of Daming in the future, he has completely understood that the implementation of Neo Confucianism alone cannot suppress all officials.After all, the so-called great Confucian scholars are from the same school as the civil servants, and how many of them will really believe in the so-called son of heaven, the three cardinal principles and five constant principles?
If you want to use their knowledge to restrain Confucian officials, that is to let them manage themselves.By the way, he also handed them a knife, a knife that could stab the imperial power.

Looking at Emperor Zhengde and Emperor Chongzhen, etc., you can know how much the emperor will suffer in the hands of civil officials.

"Father, you started from the humble beginnings, expelled the Tartars, and won the country's righteousness. The world is unrivaled. The reason why you are called emperor is not because of the three principles and five constant principles, but because you follow the people's will. If you really want to follow the so-called ruler as a subject, you were still the same in the past. The subjects of the Great Yuan. After all, wouldn’t they be traitors?” Zhu Su said.

"If you want to use this set of arguments to subdue thieves and bandits, it's untenable."

"Since this is the case, why not use a more tenable statement, 'respect the king and reject the barbarians'!" Zhu Su said.

(End of this chapter)