Emperor Ming Dynasty

The Qin Dynasty flourished, and Gu Yanwu taught in Beijing. He had thousands of disciples, hundreds of houses, and more than a thousand acres of land donated to the school.

Shuntian Prefecture even offered to open a school for Gu Yanwu, but he refused, saying that he was unwilling to follow Donglin's old example.

To put it bluntly, I just don’t want to create more party strife and ruin the future of this discipline.

At the local level, Zheng Sen was in Luzon Prefecture, Huang Zongxi was in Zhao State, Wang Fuzhi was in Beihai, Zhu Zhiyu was in Yuyao, Zhejiang, Fang Yizhi was in Zhejiang, Li Ti was in Shaanxi, Sun Qifeng was in Rongcheng, Zhili, etc., and they all promoted Qin studies. .

But in the final analysis, its main idea is to apply the truth to the world, oppose empty talk, advocate both agriculture and business, collect commercial taxes extensively, and put the people first before the king. It can be said that it is the opposite of the Donglin Party.

But everyone has different thoughts on the details. Zheng Sen asked to pay attention to sea trade and reduce tariffs; Fang Yizhi asked to pay attention to geometry and apply it in Western learning; Huang Zongxi emphasized reading history and putting people first; Sun Qifeng asked to be cautious about independence and put the investigation of things into practice. The combination of knowledge and conscience.

Although it is divided into various factions, the development and growth of Qin Xue is needless to say.

It can be said that the vast majority of scholars believe that Qin Xue replaced Neo-Confucianism, just as Neo-Confucianism replaced metaphysics, which is natural.

Because as Gu Yanwu said, Qin Xue was originally born from Neo-Confucianism, and most of the ideas were just sublimated and refined, with some psychological content added.

The most critical step is official recognition, that is, imperial examination recognition.

This step was extremely difficult, and Gu Yanwu even felt that he might not be able to see it again in his lifetime.

Not long after Zhu Zhiyu sat down, someone suddenly came over slowly.

"Ahem! Chu Yu, why are you here?"

Zhu Zhiyu raised his eyes and immediately stood up in surprise. He bowed his hands and said, "Mr. Xia Feng, why are you here?"

"Hahaha, I'm from Zhili. What's the point of coming to Beijing?"

Sun Qifeng laughed loudly, and then sat down without any restraint.

Sun Qifeng was originally a Jinshi, but because he opposed eunuchs, he taught in the countryside and lived in a cottage.

After the fall of the Ming Dynasty in the 17th year of Chongzhen (1644), Sun Qifeng moved his family south to Huixian County, Henan Province because his hometown was occupied by the Qing army.

Xiafeng Village is located at the foot of Sumen Mountain in Huixian County, close to famous springs and hundreds of springs. It has beautiful mountains and clear waters, and a remote and quiet place. Therefore, Sun Qifeng lived in seclusion in Xiafeng from then on.

During this period, the Qing court repeatedly requested imperial edicts, and even offered him the post of imperial wine sacrificer, but was rejected all times. People at that time respectfully called him "Zhengjun".

It takes Lu Xiangshan and Wang Yangming as its foundation, takes caution as its purpose, takes understanding and understanding of heaven as its top priority, and takes daily ethics as its reality.

Therefore, he is strict and severe in self-cultivation.

In terms of thought, he combined "Tao Wen Xue" and "Respecting Virtue" into one. Finally, he summed up the thoughts of "practicing" and "taking note of the world".

He believes that scholars should not be empty talkers, but should pay attention to practice and practical application.

In this way, Sun Qifeng and Gu Yanwu are both called "Sun Gu" in the north, and are also called the second peak in the north, which is difficult to cross.

Even Zhu Zhiyu, who together with Gu Yanwu was known as Northern Gu Nanzhu, did not dare to be presumptuous.

"Today I was visiting friends and I met Zhu Xiaoyou, which was very nice."

Sun Qifeng had a gray beard, but he was in good spirits and looked like he could live for another ten years.

Zhu Zhiyu smiled bitterly and said: "If I knew that Mr. Sun was here, how could I dare to be so presumptuous?"

Several people looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.

Qin Xue Dachang is of great benefit to several of them.

Make meritorious deeds, establish words, and establish virtue.

It’s hard to say what meritorious service has been done. A few people feel that it has no great merit. Virtue is in the eye of the beholder, but it is possible to make meritorious deeds.

Once Qin Xue becomes an official school, then a few people will be the diligent masters of the sect, and their words, deeds and books will become part of the official school.

In this way, it will be just around the corner for him to be passed down through the ages like Zhu Xi.

This is the lifelong pursuit of Confucianism, and no one can escape it.

When it came to Qin Xue, Sun Qifeng had something to say. He stroked his long beard and said:

"Nowadays, scholars regard Donglin as evil, so they do a lot of introspection, which has led to a discipline."

"Exegesis."

"Exegesis?" Gu Yanwu and Zhu Zhiyu were stunned.

The so-called "exegesis" is also called "execution", "gu exegesis", "ancient exegesis", "jiegu", "exegesis". Explaining the meaning of words in popular language is called "execution"; explaining ancient language in contemporary terms is called "explanation". "Exegesis".

The plain explanation is to study the word meaning, grammar, rhetoric, etc. in ancient books before the Han and Wei dynasties.

Its characteristic is to praise the past and belittle the present.

Whether it is articles or poems, the more ancient the better.

"The rise of exegesis can only be attributed to the great prosperity of our Qin school. Some people are not happy with it, so they use the Han Dynasty and the prosperous Tang Dynasty as their aims to refute my school."

Sun Qifeng shook his head and said: "It seems that after imitating the learning of the two Han Dynasties, our Ming Dynasty will be prosperous, so we will defeat our Qin learning."

"It's just that the party agrees and opposes differences." Gu Yanwu said without fear: "When the Xinxue emerged, the great Confucian scholars from the court to the localities all refuted and resisted it, but the Xinxue continued to flourish until today."

"Zhang Jiangling back then was also a successor to the philosophy of mind. Thought is something that cannot be blocked."

Zhu Zhiyu even said without hesitation: "Mr. Sun, the two of us just said that the prosperity of Qin learning lies at the top, not at the bottom."

"The imperial court and the emperor support it, no matter how stubborn the great scholars below are, it will not help."

Sun Qifeng suddenly realized.

Luzon, Zhenhaicheng.

Zheng Sen stood at the top of the city, facing the sea breeze and looking up.

In the port not far away, there are many white sails. A large number of ships are moored at the dock, unloading a large amount of cargo and taking away Luzon's specialties.

There are tens of thousands of people working hard on this port.

However, at the port, a three-story building is extremely conspicuous. The four characters "Customs Yamen" can be seen when looking up. It seems to be a stone sign, suppressing everything on the dock.

Pedestrians passing by walked quickly with fear on their faces.

Zheng Sen knew in his heart that although gold and silver flowed through this port, Luzon could only eat some scraps, and most of them were swallowed up by the customs office.

Luzon's spices, sugar cane, cotton, cinchona, noble wood, and minerals are almost making wedding dresses for the customs.

But there was no way. The Customs Office was the emperor's private office and was the source of internal funds. If he cut off the Customs' income, then tomorrow the Emperor would cut off his future.

After exhaling, Zheng Sen fell into thinking: "I have been in Luzon for two years. In addition to knowing some customs of the Western Yi, I can only change my native land and return to my hometown."

"If I stay here any longer, I'm afraid it won't have any effect. It's time to return to the capital. I can't wait for five years."

The governor of Luzon was elected for a five-year term, enjoying the sea breeze and enjoying high benefits, but these were not what he wanted. Without merit, it was unattractive to him.

"It is better to go back to Beijing, even if it is just Xiao Jiuqing, than to waste time in Luzon."

"Governor!" At this time, a black-haired Xiyi man wearing an official robe made of gauze said respectfully: "The college is about to start."

"Yeah!" Zheng Sen turned a blind eye to his appearance.In Luzon, the Xiyi people accounted for nearly [-]% of the total population, had a lot of land, were active in paying taxes, and actively participated in the imperial examinations.

Whether it's language, customs, or clothing, they are constantly trending towards the Ming Dynasty.

For them, Zheng Sen treated them as naturalized barbarians, impartially, but he was used to it.

Now in the Luzon Governor's Mansion, the Xiyi people account for [-]% of the total number of officials, cooperating with the rule of the Governor's Mansion.

After sitting in the carriage, Zheng Sen closed his eyes and rested.

Due to the humidity and heat in Luzon, both clothing and food and drink have been improved, and carriages are no exception.

The narrow and stuffy carriage became ventilated and cool. Sitting on it, the sun was not shining, but the wind was passing through, which can be said to be comfortable.

After a while, the carriage came to the north of the city.

A college covering an area of ​​about twenty acres appeared in front of us.

Only then did Zheng Sen become more interested.

He naturally agrees with Qin Xue, and at the same time, in order to distance himself from the relationship with the Donglin School, he has always strongly supported Qin Xue.

Because he knew that it was enough for the emperor to support Qin Xue.

Among the scholars, there were only three or five scholars, all in their twenties and full of energy. They all had promising career prospects, so they were not in the officialdom and did not take part in the provincial examinations.

The rest are all children and some scholars.

All people added together only have about [-] numbers.

As soon as the governor arrived, everyone immediately bowed to greet him.

Zheng Sen got used to it. After saying a few words, he wrote the plaque himself:
Luzon College.

For a while, the atmosphere was warm.

Although this is not an official school, it was built with reasonable support from businessmen. It teaches not only Qin studies, but also geometry and other imperial examination contents. It is really a good place for advanced students.

A large number of Western parents are also here, and they are sincerely happy that there is a good school in Luzon.

If you want to succeed in your career, you can't do it behind closed doors without a school.

At this time, the merchants were the most envious, because they eagerly wanted to change their family's family status, from merchants to nobles.

Watching such a scene, Zheng Sen couldn't help but sigh: "Qin's study flourished in Luzon, and it started with Zheng Sen."

……

Zhejiang, Yuyao County.

East of the city, Xie Mansion.

According to legend, the Xie Mansion belongs to the Xie family of Chen County during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. It has been a high-ranking family for generations and is not affected by the changes in the court.

But in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Guanlong clan emerged and monopolized the high-ranking officials in the court. Therefore, the aristocratic families in Guandong declined one after another, especially in Jiangnan.

However, with the Anshi Rebellion, the power of the Guanlong clan declined and they had to give up power to the Hebei aristocratic families. Cui, Wang and other Hebei surnames rose to prominence.

The aristocratic families in Jiangnan are increasingly declining and falling into dust.

It is no longer a hundred years, but hundreds of years, that Xie has fallen to this day.

Xie Anguo didn't know the glorious moment of his ancestors, but he knew that his own had reached an important moment.

In the study, behind a fine Japanese embroidered screen, there is a large bookshelf of hardcover books, with a collection of about a thousand volumes.

Next to it, there was a mahogany chair, covered with silk-covered wool cushions, and a Persian rug that he couldn't afford.

On Xie Anguo's desk, there are a whole row of expensive brushes, including Hu brushes and Langhao brushes. Even the paperweight is made of warm jasper, which is extremely expensive.

The carved windows are covered with green gauze, and the scenery in the garden is looming, like a green watercolor landscape painting.

"Whoa...whoa..." The cold wind blew the leaves outside the window, withering away the last few remaining ones.

It is like some kind of unique rhythm, which is more monotonous than silk and bamboo orchestral music, but more majestic and natural.

Xie Anguo, however, could not calm down while listening to the wind outside the window, holding a pen in his hand.

He has a short beard, neither long nor short. He grew it two months ago, which makes him look a little mature.

Even the clothes on his body are not gorgeous, with gray and white on the body and cloth boots on the feet. In order to show elegance, there is even a pair of glasses placed next to the table.

After all, in the circle of scholars, those who read hundreds of books must be short-sighted and need to wear special glasses to feel comfortable.

I don’t know since when, wearing glasses means reading a lot, and not wearing them means being lazy.

Xie Anguo specially made a pair of eyeglasses that are unobtrusive. Apart from their decorative effect, they have no other impact at all.

At this time, a middle-aged man wearing a cloth robe and a bun came to the screen and said happily: "Young Master, Lord Zhao of the county came to visit me."

Xie Anguo's brows relaxed as soon as he heard this. He thought for a long time, and then said in a tone that was mixed with joy and excitement, but also forced to hold back: "Open the door, hurry up and greet him."

He immediately stopped being in a daze, stood up, picked up the handkerchief, carefully arranged his clothes, thought about it, put on his glasses, and then walked out of the study in three steps and two steps at a time.

When he arrived at the entrance of the hall, he immediately calmed down, slowed down, and bowed hurriedly: "I should have gone out to greet Mr. Zhao, but I had to change clothes because I was disheveled, so I was afraid that you would be waiting outside in a hurry."

"Haha, Mr. Xie, don't stick to those red tapes. You and I have known each other for generations and can be said to be close."

Zhao Zhubo, who has a wide face and black robes, no longer has official authority on his face, looks like a kind uncle next door, smiling happily.

They have an incompatible relationship and never see each other on weekdays, so how can they have any friendship?
Xie Anguo became more and more certain.

"Your county school teacher is a good friend of mine. We play chess together on weekdays. Don't be too outspoken. Just call me Shibo!"

Lord Zhao Bo said in a friendly manner, then looked around and said: "As expected of the Xie family of Chen County, all the noble clansmen for many years. Hundreds of years have passed, and a nail fell in the house. The smell of books on it is even greater than that of my house." It’s thicker.”

"You are ridiculous." At this time, Xie Anguo picked up the cup and said, "Shibo, I wonder if there is any news about the provincial examination?"

"That's right!" Zhao Zhubo was happy, as if he had won the prize: "I came out of the provincial examination, and I am No. 8 in Xian Nephew High School."

As he spoke, he whispered: "According to the rules, the top ten in the provincial examination will be awarded the position of general judge. Now you and I are colleagues."

Xie Anguo was overjoyed.

According to the rules of the provincial examination, the top three are awarded county magistrates, the top three to ten are general magistrates, the top twenty are appointed chief ministers and county magistrates, and the rest are clerks in each house.

Nowadays, in the county government, the chief official is no more than the eighth rank, while the general judge is the seventh rank, and the official rank is still above it.

It can be said that at this moment, Xie Anguo is already his superior.

You can't help but be rude.

"It shouldn't be like this." Xie Anguo said modestly: "The provincial examination has not yet been held, everything is still unknown, so parents should not be too polite."

Zhao Zhubo smiled awkwardly: "Yes, but my nephew has a bright future. Don't forget that I am the uncle."

Xie Anguo felt sick in his heart.