The capital,
The Yan residence.
The eerie silence that had enveloped the entire city had not abated in the slightest. Everyone dared not linger on the streets, nor visit each other’s homes. Though the fortune-tellers had vanished overnight, their prophecies had taken root in everyone’s hearts.
Jiajing’s strategy was to handle the matter with indifference; the more he appeared to care, the more pervasive the eerie atmosphere would become. Therefore, in the past few days, he had ordered Lü Fang to recall all of the Eastern Depot’s spies. However, the curfew and martial law in the capital had not been lifted, and once darkness fell, the streets were deserted.
At this time,
Discussion group 563743675
In the study of the elder Yan Song, a sense of agitation prevailed. The ministers had been preparing for several days and finally felt a modicum of confidence.
Seeing Yan Song still writing and Yan Shifan in a relatively good mood, Zhao Wenhua thought it best to deliver the bad news now. He respectfully said,
“Young Grand Secretary, I inquired with Yan Ne, as well as Wu Peng, Guo Pu, and Yuan Wei. They all served as ministers and vice-ministers in the Ministry of Rites… Uh, everyone said that if we are to offer sacrifices to Confucius, we cannot go to Qufu, and it is impossible to go at present, so we might as well hold the ceremony in the capital. Guo Pu suggested the Imperial Academy’s Confucius Temple, but Yuan Wei deemed it inappropriate, and it remains undecided…”
Hmph,
Yan Shifan toyed with a piece of ivory, a hint of displeasure on his lips. He raised his eyes and said,
“Is there that much to it? Is it not the same wherever it is?”
Zhao Wenhua coughed lightly and quickly replied, “Minister Yuan said that the Imperial Academy’s Confucius Temple is where the royal family offers sacrifices to Confucius. Which subject would dare to go there?”
Luo Longwen, seeing a trace of anger in Yan Shifan, quickly intervened, “Guest House Book Pavilion
“Young Grand Secretary, I believe Minister Yuan’s words are pertinent… Although offering sacrifices to Confucius is a common practice, and it could even be held at a study academy… this time is different. Lu Bing’s men have confirmed that Prince Yu intends to go to Qufu to offer sacrifices to Confucius on the twenty-seventh of August, Confucius’s birthday. Given the current situation, we must get ahead of them, or the hearts of the people will not be united…”
Yan Shifan nodded and said,
Discussion group 563743675
“I am aware of this. But the issue is that we cannot find a suitable location.”
Luo Longwen actually had an idea, but he dared not voice it yet. Seeing Yan Song cast a subtle glance his way, he cleared his throat,
“Young Grand Secretary, I believe we should hold the ceremony at the Altar of Heaven…”
The Altar of Heaven?
Is that not where sacrifices to Heaven are offered?
How can the ceremony to Confucius be held at the Altar of Heaven?
Everyone was momentarily bewildered.
Yan Song, however, paused, gently placed his brush on the brush rest, and slowly sat on the couch, closing his eyes as if in thought.
Luo Longwen continued,
“Young Grand Secretary, everyone, offering sacrifices to Confucius was originally established by Emperor Gaozu of Han according to the rituals of sacrificing to Heaven… To offer sacrifices to Confucius, one must use the rites of sacrificing to Heaven; that is the true sacrifice…”
Reader ID-563743675
At this moment,
Yan Song suddenly said,
“Longwen, explain it in more detail…”
“Yes.”
Luo Longwen cleared his throat and said again,
“This time, His Majesty is afraid. By publicly rejecting the Grand Secretary’s poems, he has announced to the world that he has completely sided with Zhu Mo and the Qin law… He also fears that the world will say that his Zhu family does not respect the ways of the sage, which is why he is sending Prince Yu to Qufu to offer sacrifices to Confucius…
Young Grand Secretary, if we get ahead of Prince Yu in offering sacrifices to Confucius, we will be shutting the mouths of the Zhu family, solidifying the reality of Qin law and Qin politics, and they will never be able to turn back. To achieve this, we must hold an unprecedented sacrificial ceremony… Uh, I believe this can be accomplished at the Altar of Heaven.
Firstly, it is where the royal family sacrifices to Heaven. If we carry the memorial tablets of Confucius there and offer them, and the officials and scholars come voluntarily, it will be a declaration to Heaven: the Zhu family disrespects the sages, has lost the Mandate of Heaven, and Heaven’s protection is gone. Secondly, by offering sacrifices to Confucius there, we can borrow the will of Heaven, which will allow us to overpower Prince Yu…”
Good!
Good!
Site: Tower Reading Novels *, . Welcome to download <
Good!
* * * * *
Yan Song clapped his hands repeatedly, nodding,
“That’s the idea… Longwen, Shifan, you two go and make arrangements immediately. Don’t delay, and don’t be afraid. They, the Zhu family, dare not move against us now… Hmm, you also go and find Yuan Wei, Guo Pu, and those other old fellows, and have them offer more advice… Do it privately, without making a fuss. At the time, do not coordinate, do not take the lead. At the agreed-upon time, the officials and the students from the academies will gather there… Cough, cough…”
Yan Song did not listen to others’ discussions and made a decision as soon as he spoke, which was unprecedented. Everyone felt the gravity of the situation.
Yan Shifan, being exceptionally intelligent, naturally understood that although this act lacked the name of rebellion, it was in reality an act of forcing the court. He dared not contradict him.
Thus, he said with a stern expression,
“So be it! Old Luo, and Wenhua, you two go personally to find Guo Pu and Yuan Wei. Everyone else will follow the lead of these three. Whatever needs to be done, do it… I’ll say it upfront, if this is botched this time, all of us will be sent directly to the Imperial Prison!”
…
Site: Tower Reading Novels, ~ Welcome to download ^
That night,
At Zhenhai Guard, a sense of unease pervaded, an ominous premonition gripping his entire body. It was like the Hua Ting battle last time, when Zhu Mo had a premonition that something had already gone wrong! Jiajing’s character was too cautious, too focused on striking only after the enemy had made their move, and he underestimated Yan Song, and even more so, he underestimated the reverence of people throughout the realm for Confucius and Mencius.
One must know,
Confucius and Mencius are entirely different from Neo-Confucianism. This crucial distinction would only become evident after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, when Huang Zongxi, Gu Yanwu, and Wang Chuan Shan, after deep reflection, arrived at their true insights—
Confucius and Mencius represent the Way of Kingship, while Neo-Confucianism represents the Way of Sages. Confucius transmitted without innovating, whereas Cheng-Zhu fabricated out of thin air. Even the Han Confucian scholars lectured on the Spring and Autumn Annals, while Cheng-Zhu expounded on metaphysics. These are fundamentally two different matters.
But in the Jiajing era, whom could he turn to discuss this principle?
After much thought,
He dared not delay any longer. That night, he rode his fast horse away from Zhenhai Guard. The next afternoon, he arrived in Hangzhou. He immediately summoned Li Zhi and Lü Kun, and together they went to Wansong Academy.
At this time, Wansong Academy and He Xinyin had been lecturing on the King Yao and King Shun’s Mind Learning for more than half a year, earning the deep affection of the people in the four provinces. Many scholars, though busy with the imperial examinations, also secretly found time to listen. Furthermore, the new elementary education textbooks had long been promoted to private schools, and King Yao and King Shun’s Mind Learning was straightforward and simple, thus gaining widespread popularity. It complemented Zhu Mo’s reforms, and within half a year, people’s hearts had greatly changed.
As the three revisited the old grounds, there were already five to six hundred scholars and commoners seated on the ground, and bursts of lighthearted and joyous laughter occasionally erupted from the scene.
Original text from Tower & Read Novels ~ &
Li Zhi and Lü Kun, also scholars, were even more astonished by this scene.
Lü Kun said,
“Brother Zhuo Wu, Mr. He is indeed the foremost figure after Yangming… If Confucianism were all like this, I, Lü Kun, would have no prejudice…”
Hmm, hmm,
Li Zhi sighed, “Yes, directly pursuing the great Way of Yao and Shun, this is true sincerity, true Confucianism.”
Zhu Mo, who had been extremely anxious, became calm at this moment. He suddenly realized that changing people’s hearts was a very long process, but even a small change would reveal immense power. If this continued, within three years, people’s hearts would be firmly rooted in the Way of Yao and Shun and would no longer be swayed by minor doctrines or tricks. By then, if the Yan family still played such games, there would be no room for them.
However, this was a period of transition, and any carelessness could lead to great chaos among the people. Not only would the reforms fail, but the Zhu family themselves might also be in peril; even if they could suppress the Yan family by force, the situation would have changed, and the Great Ming could directly plunge into an age of decline…
Having experienced many storms, Zhu Mo was now very steady, knowing that the more urgent the situation, the less he could afford to be hasty. He immediately sat down and listened for over half an hour.
He Xinyin greeted the scholars and the commoners, and after telling a few jokes, he finally arrived late.