The next day, as the sun had risen, the Imperial Academy in Yongqiu once again exuded a vibrant new energy.
Master Zheng Xuan pushed open his door and paused outside, his gaze fixed intently on the eight characters inscribed on the Imperial Academy's stone classics: "Pillar of the Emperor, Backbone of the Nation"...
As if waiting for something?
Last night, those who came to seek calligraphy from Lu Yu changed in rapid succession, each more distinguished than the last!
Today, the "main guest" should arrive, shouldn't he?
At this moment.
The crisp and hurried sound of horse hooves echoed from the direction of the single-plank bridge. Zheng Xuan craned his neck to look, and through the screen of tree shadows, he saw two horses galloping from afar. As the figures on the horses gradually became clearer, Zheng Xuan recognized one of them as Lu Yu, and the other as a burly warrior with a broad back and strong waist.
He did not recognize him as the "Ancient Tie" who shook the nine provinces – Dian Wei!
"Has the main guest arrived?"
Zheng Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly...
Meanwhile, Lu Yu had dismounted and walked swiftly across the single-plank bridge to stand before him.
"Junior Lu Yu pays his respects to Master Zheng."
"Director Lu, you are here so early!" Zheng Xuan smiled faintly.
Lu Yu also returned a rather radiant smile. "Master Zheng mentioned yesterday that he wished to seek some guidance from your student. This student naturally dares not seek guidance, but... asking for instruction should be done early."
"Haha..." Zheng Xuan stroked his beard... and made a gesture of invitation.
...
A square table.
A few bamboo slips... On either side of the table, Zheng Xuan and Lu Yu were kneeling.
The two were already engaged in conversation, and without exception, they were discussing the Analects, Confucianism, and the Classics!
That's right...
The reason Zheng Xuan came to Xudu was because Lu Yu relied on his "Commentary on the Analects."
And to Lu Yu's surprise, Zheng Xuan had many unique insights into this "Commentary on the Analects," with far more criticism than praise.
Clearly...
Zheng Xuan had severely criticized the author of "Commentary on the Analects," student "Yu Dan," very unceremoniously!
To put it bluntly, Zheng Xuan came to Xudu not because "Commentary on the Analects" was well-written, but because it was nonsensical and poorly written. He was here to criticize it!
It was understandable...
"Commentary on the Analects" interpreted the thoughts of Confucius and the Analects in terms of their necessity for modern people, ordinary people, and modern society.
In the late Han Dynasty, this was still somewhat ethereal and perhaps even... overlooked the most crucial word, the word that Zheng Xuan valued most – awakening!
Fortunately, Zheng Xuan agreed with some of the views...
Profound yet accessible, insightful and penetrating.
Ultimately, his evaluation was – mixed reviews!
However...
In all these years, Lu Yu was the only one who had ever received Zheng Xuan's evaluation of "mixed reviews"!
Of course...
Lu Yu humbly accepted this.
After all, he was facing a master of philosophy, and the only way to defeat a master of philosophy in a debate was through "facts"!
As the saying goes, facts speak louder than words...
And Lu Yu boldly proposed many new questions.
– "Master Zheng? Do you think the Confucian thought, 'tutored' by the sage Dong, is still the same as that of the ancient sage Confucius?"
– "Master Zheng, do you believe the root cause of the Great Han's Yellow Turban rebellion was also the conflict between Confucianism and Taoism?"
– "Master Zheng, if we look from sage Confucius to sage Dong, Confucianism is constantly developing. Then... after sage Dong's 'divine right of kings,' will another sage propose new ideas... such as 'preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires'? And then will there arise the opposing 'investigation of things' and 'unity of knowledge and action'?"
It wasn't as if...
Many of the questions Lu Yu raised seemed absurd to normal people!
Especially regarding the development of Confucianism!
But Zheng Xuan was not a normal person...
He had dedicated himself to Confucianism for decades, and many of his ideas had already taken shape in his mind. Lu Yu's words had awakened his consciousness a bit more.
– "My understanding of the Thirteen Classics includes self-cultivation, self-education, self-restraint, self-supervision, and self-perfection."
– "The academic classics left behind by history are through which we perfect ourselves by learning, becoming individuals with ideal personalities, achieving the ultimate in goodness, sincerity, benevolence, the Way, virtue, sagehood, and the perfect union of external and internal. We gain a thorough understanding of natural laws, allowing us to advance to serve the people, or retreat to cultivate ourselves, leading a contented life."
– "All things in the world cannot escape the word 'law.' Whether it is 'preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires,' 'investigation of things,' or 'unity of knowledge and action' that you mentioned, they are all the result of natural laws. What you mentioned is very bold, but it does not prevent us from continuing to explore these hidden laws!"
Uh...
Whether others understood it or not, Lu Yu certainly did not.
Was this what philosophy was?
It was just like himself attending a philosophy professor's lecture!
Of course, it would be strange if he understood everything when conversing with a great scholar of this caliber!
However...
What Lu Yu did not know was that the 'preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires,' 'investigation of things,' and 'unity of knowledge and action' that he mentioned had silently imprinted themselves on Zheng Xuan's heart.
He used veiled language to avoid discussing the topic.
Because he felt that what Lu Yu mentioned were things that he needed to slowly comprehend.
"Young Master Lu has asked me many questions, and I am curious and wish to ask Young Master Lu a question."
"Master Zheng, please do..." Lu Yu gestured.
Zheng Xuan narrowed his eyes. "Young Master Lu, as the Director of the Imperial Academy, which is the academy of scholars' dreams, what do you think the learning of the present era should be? How should one learn? What are the current drawbacks, and how should they be eradicated!"
Although outwardly, he did not show it...
Inwardly, Zheng Xuan greatly admired Lu Yu, finding him very bold. Perhaps, under his leadership, the Great Han could have hope for reform and a vision for rebuilding!
And precisely this question was now getting to the heart of the matter.
What was said before was all nonsense...
In fact, the only thing Lu Yu wanted Zheng Xuan to truly help him with was this very point.
"Master Zheng asks how the learning of the present era should be done and how one should learn. I can only answer with four words..." Lu Yu's tone became serious. "Serving the world and benefiting the people!"
"Serving the world and benefiting the people..." Zheng Xuan narrowed his eyes, pondering these four words carefully.
And Lu Yu's words continued.
"As for... Master Zheng's question, what are the current drawbacks, and how should they be eradicated?"
"In truth, anyone can see that the current drawbacks are not on the battlefield, but in the aristocratic families! The aristocratic families monopolize land and official positions. Even the warlords, even the imperial court, even the Son of Heaven, dare not easily touch the interests of the aristocratic families when faced with their issues. Let alone ordinary people, who are at their mercy and at their disposal. As for the solution... there is only the word 'awakening'!"
At this point, Lu Yu paused.
And as expected, Zheng Xuan repeated the word.
"Awakening?"
"Yes, awakening, also known as enlightenment!" Lu Yu elaborated. "Master Zheng, imagine the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the first year of Zhongping. What was the reason for the rebellion? It was a succession of droughts, floods, ice storms, locust plagues, and epidemics. Barbarian tribes constantly raided the borders year after year, the people were displaced and had nowhere to go – until husband and wife ate each other!"
"It was the emperor, who claimed the mandate of heaven, indulging in pleasure and entertainment, the noble families, who had read many books, owning thousands of acres of fertile land... it was the powerful eunuchs who extorted the people, the complete disorder, disorder, and imbalance in grassroots governance. Thus, someone proposed, 'The Heavens have died, and the Yellow Heavens shall rise. The year is Jiazi, and the world shall be auspicious.' This was the people's first awakening against the aristocratic families and tyranny! Realizing that life was unbearable and that resistance was needed... and overthrow was needed!"
Phew...
What had started as a casual chat, but Lu Yu's words invigorated Zheng Xuan.
And Lu Yu's words continued.
"Later, some people further realized that the peasant class, due to its limitations, could not lead the revolution to success. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were like this, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion was also like this... But who could overthrow this chaotic world and re-establish order?"
"It was another wave of aristocratic families who did not benefit from the fertile land and did not have the power to extort the people. They were unwilling, and they longed for a reshuffle. Thus... came Cao Sikong's raising an army in Chenliu, came Sun Jian, the Tiger of Jiangdong, eagerly eyeing the imperial seal, came Dong Zhuo's Xiliang army entering the capital, until the imperial capital of the Great Han, Luoyang, was completely engulfed in flames... and these aristocratic families began to rapidly accumulate strength, occupy territories! The warlords contended, and this was the second awakening!"
At this point, Lu Yu paused.
His subsequent words slowed down considerably. "But after these aristocratic families established their territories and the warlords contended, what then? They attacked each other, and the entire Great Han was still suffering from poverty, and the people were still unable to eat enough. Why? This is because the various warlords wanted to rise to power and still relied on the strength of their clans. Looking not far away... take Cao Sikong for example, could his rise be separated from the warriors of Qiao and Pei? Could it be separated from the talented scholars of Yingchuan? Could Yuan Shao's rise be separated from the reputation and connections accumulated by the Yuan family over four generations and three dynasties?"
"Once these warlords held great power and controlled land, how could they possibly act against these aristocratic families who helped them? Thus... even though Cao Sikong's military colonies and civilian colonies in the Central Plains were developing vigorously, the common people were still being oppressed. Eighty percent of the land was still held by a small number of aristocratic families, and a large number of farmers were still reduced to tenant farmers. Although the national treasury's grain and fodder showed some improvement, it had not yet reached the desired level!"
"Therefore, I say that the current drawbacks lie in the monopoly of everything by the aristocratic families, and in the common people being at the mercy of others! And the best way to eradicate this drawback is not revolution, not rebellion, but awakening, the awakening of every commoner's mind, the awakening of their moral concepts. This final awakening, in the final analysis, is the awakening of humanity... it is the awakening that Mencius proposed: the people are the most important, the state comes next, and the ruler is the least important; it is an awakening completely contrary to sage Dong's 'divine right of kings'!"
At this point, Lu Yu stood up abruptly...
He had gotten carried away this time.
Originally... he did not want to discuss the issue of aristocratic families so early, because at present... the northern border was not pacified, and the southern border was not quiet, so it was too early to mention it.
But ultimately, this was a mountain, a mountain that Lu Yu had to overthrow.
Otherwise...
Even if Cao Wei unified the world, it would merely be a repetition of the Great Han's tragedy.
And the one who could solve this problem...
The one who could solve this problem from its root was Zheng Xuan...
In overthrowing the mountain of aristocratic families, his support was extremely precious.
Phew...
Phew...
At this moment, Zheng Xuan was breathing heavily, his eyes instinctively widened. Lu Yu's words had shocked, astounded, and deafened him!
"Aristocratic families, is it?"
Zheng Xuan murmured these four words in his heart. His life had been tumultuous. From being persecuted, to the Party Prohibitions, to fleeing thousands of miles for refuge, in all of which tragic past events, had there not been the sinister claws of the mountain of "aristocratic families"?
But...
Even so, he had never dared to propose the negation of aristocratic families...
This was too grave a charge.
And now, this youth before him, who had not yet reached the age of manhood, was speaking of overthrowing aristocratic families and causing the common people to awaken more intensely...
What kind of noble belief and what kind of incredible ideal was this?
"Young Master Lu? You... what exactly do you want to do?"
At this moment, Zheng Xuan's voice had become a little hesitant...
And Lu Yu's words continued.
"The current Great Han is a decadent Great Han, and it is like an old house, completely covered by aristocratic families, festering, ulcerating, and oozing pus. How can we let the awakened consciousness illuminate this broken house like sunlight? In the past, the common people tried to push down the old house using the simplest method, but even if they pushed down the old house, the rot, the ulcers, the pus would still be hidden inside, and what grew out would still be decadent filth!"
"Because what covers the old house is 'filth'! Therefore, in my opinion, what we must do now is not only to overthrow this old house but also to dig out its corrupt roots! To have a thorough awakening, allowing every commoner to participate, using the metaphor of 'a single spark igniting a prairie fire' to completely dig out these corrupt roots!"
"I believe that to overthrow aristocratic families and awaken countless commoners, there must be six goals! First, to make the common people realize what autonomy is, and what is slavery! Second, to make the common people understand what progress is, and what is feudal conservatism; Third, to make the common people willing to strive forward, rather than retreat; Fourth, to make the common people open their minds to new ideas, rather than being closed-minded and complacent; Fifth, to let the common people gain tangible benefits, rather than illusory ones; Sixth, to let the common people dare to practice, rather than just talk on paper!"
"Six standards, and the first step on the hundred-foot pole, I plan to abolish the military colonies after pacifying the north, and implement 'apportioning the land according to the population,'
Apportioning population into land, and land and population unified, generating population, and never increasing levies, the poll tax is to be apportioned into the land tax and collected, abolishing the head tax! This will completely collapse the mountain of aristocratic families and awaken the self-awareness of the common people! Master Zheng always speaks of 'nature' and 'awakening?' This step of your junior is extremely dangerous, and a single misstep could make him the target of public criticism! But I dare to ask Master Zheng to walk alongside me, together facing these mountains of knives and seas of fire!"
Boom...
Boom boom boom!
Lu Yu's words were like thunderbolts striking Zheng Xuan!
Perhaps before this, his purpose in coming to Xudu was only to restart the Monthly Review of Scholars, at most, to preside over a Monthly Review and offer an evaluation for Lu Yu...
But now, after hearing Lu Yu's words, his eyes were gleaming with a dazzling light.
What kind of forward-thinking mind did this young man possess?
What kind of heroic resolve and ambition did he have?
Did he, Zheng Xuan, truly have the right to evaluate him?
Even, did Zheng Xuan truly have the right to bestow a courtesy name upon him?
– "Yu!"
At this moment, Zheng Xuan could only think of one word: "Yu."
In his opinion, perhaps... the universe was his limit!
"Ziyu," other than these two words, Zheng Xuan could not think of any other words.
"Zi," a gentle and jade-like elegant gentleman!
"Ziyu," a gentleman whose limit was the universe, the cosmos!
"Gulp!"
Zheng Xuan involuntarily swallowed. His eyes were still filled with shock.
"Director Lu's ambition is so great, but awakening the populace is a hundred, a thousand times more difficult than awakening the scholars? Does Director Lu truly wish to tread upon these mountains of knives?"
"Master Zheng..." Lu Yu's tone became even more earnest. "You and I were both born in this chaotic era, and unfortunately, we have both experienced the reasons for its rise. Coincidentally... we both have some reputation and some influence. Therefore... in my opinion, there are only two meanings to living!"
"Either, to tread upon these mountains of knives, and let one's reputation live on."
"Or, to seek a glimmer of hope for the common people in this chaotic era, and contribute to the arrival of the next prosperous age!"
Phew...
Zheng Xuan let out another breath, murmuring Lu Yu's words, "To seek a glimmer of hope for the common people? To contribute to a prosperous age?"
"But... I still say, to awaken the thoughts of the common people is still very difficult!"
"Difficult? Not difficult!" Lu Yu smiled slightly. "In fact, there is a method!"
He looked directly at Zheng Xuan. "If... I tell Master Zheng that there is a kind of paper called a newspaper, which can copy Master Zheng's writings today tens of thousands of times in a single day and transmit them to every corner of the Great Han by fast horse, allowing Master Zheng's thunderous words to awaken the world and enlighten the people? Do you believe it, Master Zheng?"
This...
Zheng Xuan was somewhat surprised.
Was there such a peculiar paper in the world? Was it Cai Hou's paper? But... Cai Hou's paper was very expensive, and because it was too stiff, it was not suitable for retaining ink!
How could it be copied tens of thousands of times in a single day?
Could Cao Ying, no... Lu Yu, truly create such a marvel?
Before Zheng Xuan could speak, Lu Yu continued. "In one month, in just one month... I will let Master Zheng see the divine artifact named 'newspaper' that I speak of today!"
"And the function of this divine artifact, combined with Master Zheng's reputation, can match a million soldiers if one wishes to unify the world... If it is about guiding the world, it can be transmitted for a thousand miles! Awakening the masses, invincible!"
In fact, Lu Yu was about to proclaim that he wanted Zheng Xuan to believe in science... and the power of public opinion guidance.
But ultimately, he did not utter these two novel terms. After all, Zheng Xuan was dealing with the Classics, and the Classics, compared to science, had a somewhat mystical flavor.
At this moment...
With a "swoosh," Zheng Xuan stood up abruptly.
"Good... good, good!"
Three "good" words in a row, Zheng Xuan's eyes were cold. "If it is truly as you say, then I will certainly write an article that will assist you, and assist Cao Sikong in unifying the world, and have it spread throughout the thirteen provinces of the Great Han by you... so that the ideal prosperous age may arrive a day earlier!"
With a single word, he uttered, "Gulp," Zheng Xuan swallowed. Both his hands rested on Lu Yu's shoulders.
At this moment... if he were to evaluate Lu Yu, he could not.
This young man was too mysterious, and it seemed... even after this conversation, his understanding of this young man had just begun.
"Young Master Lu, you have too many things that make me curious! And too many things that I can learn from!"
"I am optimistic about you!"
– "I will certainly not fail my mission!" Lu Yu cupped his fists in return, his eyes becoming much firmer.
Today, he visited Zheng Xuan...
He sought no evaluation, no courtesy name, only Zheng Xuan's support.
And...
Lu Yu knew Zheng Xuan's influence better than anyone...
Zheng Xuan paired with newspapers, conservatively estimated, this would be worth three hundred thousand elite soldiers, simply more... a perfect match, like green tea with fresh plum blossoms!
...
...