Red Mansion Royal Cat

Chapter 534 What is Tao?
"The scholars of the School of Principle are Zen scholars. There was no such thing as the School of Principle in ancient times. The name of the School of Principle has only been used since the previous dynasty. The School of Principle takes the Book of Changes as its main principle, the Doctrine of the Mean as its goal, the rites as its essence, and Confucius and Mencius as its ultimate. Following the ancient rites was advocated, and thus the customs in Guanzhong changed to the ancient ones... However, the current School of Principle does not take the Five Classics, but abandons the sayings of the saints and follows the later Confucian scholars. This is called not knowing the origin."

Jia Cong straightened his hat and bowed to him, advising him: "I am not saying that Zhu Xi's teachings are wrong, but the so-called Confucians of today, for the sake of their own desires, misinterpret the teachings of the ancient sages, practice the ways of the school cliques, imprison the way of China, weaken the souls of the people, and go against the human ethics and the way of heaven. Elder, the country is now undergoing a great change that has not been seen in a thousand years. Where is the way to go? As the head of Confucianism and the prime minister of the country, aren't you worried?"

This sentence, "a major change that has not happened in a thousand years," was the main reason that broke Zhou Jiong's psychological defenses.

Everyone has selfish desires, but as the prime ministers of the country, Zhou Jiong and Wei Qinghe are both wise men who care about the world and protectors of the faith with their mission in mind.

This Tao is not just the Tao of Confucianism.

This Tao is the great Tao of heaven and earth. To sum it up in one sentence, it is to establish a mind for heaven and earth, to establish Tao for the people, to inherit the lost knowledge of the saints, and to open peace for all generations!

People like Wei Qinghe and Zhou Jiong spend their entire lives pursuing their path and then put it into action, even at the end of their lives to pave the way for their successors so that their path can continue.

Having served as the Prime Minister of the Cabinet for several years, Zhou Jiong knew very well that although the new laws seemed to be full of vitality, in fact most of the people who hindered the implementation of the new laws and wished him to die quickly were conservatives in Neo-Confucianism.

The conservatives in Neo-Confucianism are also the mainstream academic factions in Confucianism and Taoism today.

Not to mention anything else, just the tax reform and official system reform alone have affected the interests of countless conservative Neo-Confucianists.

Zhou Jiong's biggest worry is not the fight with these people, but that he is already in his seventies and the successor he has temporarily chosen has not grown up yet.

"Lord... Grand Minister, since ancient times, most reforms have ended when the leaders died. The reforms in our dynasty began with Duke Wen Zheng and flourished under you. But what will happen to the reforms that seem to be flourishing now?"

Jia Cong naturally understood Zhou Jiong's biggest concern. It was Zhou Jiong who single-handedly promoted the Yuanyou Reform, which was his greatest political achievement that would make him famous in history.

He doesn't seek money, but fame!
Anyone who dares to ruin his great cause of reform would be regarded as his mortal enemy by digging up the graves of his Zhou family!

Seeing that Zhou Jiong was obviously determined, Jia Cong threw out his last trump card.

"The most important point is, have you ever thought about whether, in addition to the reforms in the court, our Confucian school should also reform? The sage has been dead for a thousand years, and the various schools of thought are complicated and different. Those scholars, in order to monopolize knowledge, misinterpreted the sage's intentions with their own words... In today's world, the one who can go against the trend and correct the original source, and reinterpret the sage's words for the new law, is none other than you! A hundred years later, you may have the opportunity to be worshipped in the Confucius Temple like the Twelve Sages of the Dacheng Hall!"

……

Jia Cong felt relieved when he left the Zhou family.

But in the Zhou family's study, Zhou Jiong was unable to recover from the future that Jia Cong had described for him.

Being enshrined in the Confucius Temple is a temptation that almost every Confucian cannot refuse.

Moreover, in Zhou Jiong's heart, there was something that was even more difficult for him to accept than being enshrined in the Confucius Temple.

What will be the future of the new law?
What Jia Cong said was very right. Over the past thousand years, all the reformers in successive dynasties had almost no good ending, and even more reforms ended with the death of the leaders.

He raised his hand and looked at the back of his hand. The withered finger bones, the clearly bulging blood vessels, and the wrinkled skin all indicated that he was about to leave this world.

"After I am gone, who will inherit my legacy? Who will continue the new law that I have worked so hard to establish? Jia Cong? No, he is still too young!"

Zhou Jiong couldn't sleep at all.

It was late at night, and his old wife and loyal servant kept urging and reminding him, but failed to get him to come out of the study.

Even on the morning of the second day, Zhou Jiong did not appear at the court meeting for the first time, which surprised all the civil and military officials in the court.

crunch~
The door of the study was pushed open, and the emperor personally went to visit the chief minister of the cabinet who was said to be in a maze.

Zhou Jiong was still writing furiously at his desk as he had been the night before.

"I have tried to persuade him, but he just doesn't want to rest..."

Old Madam Zhou glared at Jia Cong behind the emperor with dissatisfaction. It was this kid who suddenly visited yesterday and made the seventy-year-old Mr. Zhou confused.

Jia Cong had not expected that his conversation with Zhou Jiong yesterday would make Mr. Zhou stay up late to write and even fall into a state of ecstasy.

The emperor walked up behind Zhou Jiong, took a look at what he had written, immediately raised his head in shock, and winked at the big Han general outside the door.

Soon, except Jia Cong, even Old Madam Zhou was asked to leave the study.

The doors and windows were closed, and the sudden dimming of light made Zhou Jiong, who was writing at his desk, feel uncomfortable.

Only then did he realize that next to him there was a corner of brocade embroidered with gold dragon patterns.

"Your Majesty? This old minister..."

Zhou Jiong quickly stood up and wanted to apologize, but after working at his desk all night and devoting himself to it, he had already exhausted all his energy.

When he stood up suddenly, Zhou Jiong felt a black screen in front of his eyes and then he passed out.

If the emperor had not been paying attention and supported Zhou Jiong, the old man would probably have gone to see Confucius.

Fortunately, when the emperor came, he had the foresight to bring several imperial doctors from the Imperial Medical Bureau with him, and they performed acupuncture and injected medicine, and finally rescued Zhou Jiong from Confucius. Otherwise, Jia Cong would have been so guilty that he would have died.

"The principles of nature and human desires, the same actions and different feelings, this is the difference between a millimeter and a thousand miles. From the perspective of conscience, the love of bravery by Wen and Wu, the love of goods by Gong Liu and Tai Wang, are all the principles of nature. If you mix it with private desires, then Huan and Wen's rescue of Lu and Wei, and the expulsion of the barbarians and the pacification of Xia are all human desires."

"There are two kinds of desires: desires that cannot be avoided, and desires that the mind indulges in. As for the desires that cannot be avoided, no matter what desire is to manifest the bright virtue, it cannot be eliminated, and even the desires for sounds, colors, smells and tastes cannot be eliminated for a day. Why? They are all heaven. As for the desires that the mind indulges in, no matter what desire is to manifest the bright virtue, it cannot be eliminated, and even the desires for sounds, colors, smells and tastes cannot be eliminated for a day. Why? They are all obstacles to heaven."

"It is useless to write down the truth on paper, to talk about the truth with your mouth, and to examine the truth with your pen. Everything you do is done out of desire. If you have no desire, then you will do nothing. If you have desire, then you will do something. If you do something, then you will return to the most appropriate and unchangeable principle. If you have no desire and no action, how can you have principle?"

When Zhou Jiong just woke up, he seemed to be still wandering in his own world.

He expressed his views in weak but philosophical words, which made the emperor and Jia Cong stand in solemn silence. Even the imperial doctors who were giving him acupuncture, injecting medicine, and taking his pulse did not dare to speak and were hesitant to disturb this respectable old man.

"Neo-Confucianism is the study of the truth! The truth of the way of heaven, the truth of the way of man, and the truth of the great way!"

It seemed to be the end, and Zhou Jiong finally regained consciousness.

Seeing Zhou Jiong's eyes gradually brighten up, the imperial physician who was taking his pulse finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Zhou is awake!"

"His Majesty?"

Zhou Jiong turned his head and saw his old wife standing by the bed, and the emperor and Jia Cong standing by the table.

"Help me up quickly..."

Just as Jia Cong was about to go over, he saw the emperor quickly step forward and hold down Zhou Jiong who was struggling to get up.

"Master Zhou, why are you doing this? The imperial physician just told me that you have exhausted all your energy and almost injured your body. You need to recuperate for a while."

As he spoke, the emperor did not forget to glare at Jia Cong.

This kid is still rash in his work and almost sent his prime minister to meet the previous prime minister.

Jia Cong said awkwardly: "It's all my fault..."

"I don't blame you. I should thank you for reminding me!"

Zhou Jiong waved his hand stubbornly to let his old wife, children and grandchildren, as well as the imperial doctors and servants leave. He half leaned on the pillow and told the emperor and Jia Cong about his madness and achievements last night.

The manuscripts on the table had been gathered by Jia Cong, and they felt heavy in his hands.

"Have you seen it, Your Majesty?"

The emperor nodded and said, "I just read some of it. Master Zhou is planning to establish a Taoist sect?"

"It's not about establishing a doctrine, it's just about reinterpreting the words of the saints."

The theory of establishing the Tao is too shocking.

Zhou Jiong still felt that it would be better to take the path of moderate reform because he was old and lacked time.

Perhaps Wei Wen Zheng also thought so at the beginning, so in his last days, he used gentle means to suppress the conservatives of Neo-Confucianism and promoted those talents whose doctrines were regarded as heretics in the eyes of Neo-Confucian scholars.

"I didn't expect that time would become my greatest enemy!"

Zhou Jiong faced the reality calmly and said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, Jia Cong is too courageous and needs to be tempered. However, being bold also has its advantages. As the saying goes, a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. What Daxia needs now is a young man with blood, vision, and the courage to fight against the world!"

Jia Cong was a little embarrassed by Zhou Jiong's praise, but the emperor beside him asked solemnly: "Master Zhou, are you saying that this kid is not qualified to take on the responsibility?"

Zhou Jiong nodded, then shook his head: "Now, he can be a general and fight for the country, he can work in the Ministry of Justice to redress grievances for the people, but he can't be a people-friendly official and govern a region!"

"My Lord, you look down on me too much!"

Jia Cong was displeased when he heard this. He knew that with his age and abilities, it was impossible for him to enter the cabinet and become a prime minister to preside over the overall affairs of the country.

But isn't it possible to go to a local place and serve as a people-friendly official?
Other newly-minted scholars can go to the prefectures and counties to become parents. How can Jia Cong, the top six candidates in the imperial examinations and a natural genius, be worse than those newly-minted scholars?
Zhou Jiong smiled at Jia Cong who was feeling wronged and indignant, and asked, "I believe you can make the people of a county rich and happy, but what about a prefecture or a province? There are few wealthy families in a county, but there are many wealthy families in a province. The relationship between them is like a tangled mess, and one move can affect the whole body. Can you, Jia Cong, control your impulse? You must know that governing a big country is like cooking a small fish!"

Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. This sentence is absolutely a wise saying and perfectly explains the qualities and abilities most needed by those who govern.

The main reason why the retired emperor was reluctant to hand over power, apart from his desire for power, was that he knew too well the character of his fourth son.

Given the situation in the court at that time, if the fourth brother had taken power directly, he would have killed everyone in the Fengtian Hall.

It was not until the fourth brother's temper was worn out and he finally started to behave like an emperor that he slowly transferred the power to him in various ways.

At this time, Zhou Jiong looked at Jia Cong as if he was looking at a sharp sword.

This sword is indeed sharp enough, but if used improperly, it will definitely hurt the enemy by a thousand and hurt yourself by eight hundred.

"You like to take risks too much, and you like to win by surprise too much. You can lose, because you have His Majesty's protection. But the people of the world cannot afford to lose. One wrong decision of yours may very likely cause the people of the world to lose everything they have!"

Zhou Jiong's expression became more and more solemn, and he said to the emperor solemnly: "Your Majesty, Jia Cong at this moment is just like you were back then, he hates evil as much as he hates it, and he wants to plow the world clean immediately. Is this possible?"

How can this be?

The emperor now recalled his naive thoughts when he first ascended the throne, and his face turned red.

"Master Zhou is right. This kid is still very immature. He needs Master Zhou and me to teach him well..."

Zhou Jiong shook his head again: "I am not worthy. He is Wei Wenzheng's student, Xu Qingteng's student, and your Majesty's student! But I can scout the way ahead for him..."

"what?"

The emperor and Jia Cong were both a little confused, but Zhou Jiong quickly explained it to them.

He pointed at the thick manuscript in Jia Cong's hand and said with a smile: "Every generation has its own mission. Wei Wenzheng has found a way for the world, and I, an old minister, should remove obstacles for the successors. Your Majesty cannot do this, and Jia Cong cannot do it even more..."

Why can’t we do it?

The emperor cannot make mistakes, and the future successor of the reform cannot make mistakes even more.

"Just as Jia Cong said to the old minister yesterday, the court should change, and Confucianism should also change..."

The emperor remembered the words he had read in the manuscript before, and said in shock: "Master Zhou, this matter needs to be considered carefully..."

"No! I can't wait any longer!"

Zhou Jiong shook his head firmly: "Civil governance comes first, and military achievements come second. Civil officials rule the world, and Confucianism is the main source of civil officials. If the Neo-Confucian scholars always hold on to the way of the sage, how can the officials selected by the court be willing to support the reform? First there is the way, then there is the law. Therefore, this old minister wants to explore the way of the new law and compete with the Neo-Confucian scholars for the ultimate truth in the world!"

There was both admiration and worry in the emperor's eyes.

Zhou Jiong was the chief minister of the cabinet and the helmsman of the reform.

If the old man were defeated by the conservative Neo-Confucian scholars, the new law would definitely suffer an immeasurable defeat.

He wanted to give some advice, but didn't know how, so he could only turn his attention to Jia Cong, who was known for his quick wit.

But Jia Cong's face was filled with excitement, and there was even a gleam in his eyes.

"The old man is so courageous, he is worthy of being the Prime Minister of our dynasty!"

Well, this kid almost wants to rush up first, he can’t be relied on at all!
Zhou Jiong obviously saw the emperor's worries, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, don't worry. I have already thought about it. Before that, I will hold back. After I have arranged everything, I will start the new Confucian and Taoist laws. However, I have a request, and I hope Your Majesty can agree to it..."

Ok?
"Master Zhou, please speak!"

Zhou Jiong said slowly, "I recommend the Minister of Finance Lin Ruhai to join the cabinet to take over from me and lead the great cause of reform!"

Monthly ticket recommendation ticket

　Thanks to Blue Raindrops for the reward!

　　I’ll stop here for today and continue tomorrow. Good night!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)