February twenty-four.
Xiyuan, Wanshou Palace, it will be night time.
The Wanshou Palace was brightly lit, and Zhu Yijun was sitting in front of the royal desk, holding a red pen and making circles on the last test paper.
The examination has ended for nine days.
On the ninth day of the second lunar month, scriptures were written, on the twelfth day of the second lunar month, judgments and edicts were discussed, and on the 15th day of the second lunar month, historical policies were discussed, a total of three sessions.
As for the release of the rankings, it will be within these four or five days.
At the Ministry of Rites, they had finished reviewing the test papers of the four hundred candidates yesterday, and now they are waiting for the results of the eight court officials who were personally checked by the emperor.
Because of the tight schedule, Zhu Yijun had to work overtime and work hard.
It was already night before I knew it.
Fortunately, once the last test paper was approved, everything was over.
Soon.
Zhu Yijun picked up the ink pen and drew the last circle.
He put down his pen, picked up the test paper with both hands, and blew lightly.
After examining it for a moment, he nodded with satisfaction, feeling like he had finished his homework.
He glanced at Wang Jiaping, who was still beside him. Fortunately, he had finished reviewing before the lock was locked, otherwise the Hanlin bachelor on duty would have had to get off work.
Zhu Yijun divided the eight fake test papers into three stacks and placed them on the desk.
Then he called Wang Jiaping to come closer and said: "Wang Qing, please send the test paper to the Ministry of Rites."
"The group on the left is from my Gongsheng students, and the group on the right is from those who almost failed. Let the Ministry of Rites clear their names and put them together again to see if I have made any mistakes."
Although only eight people's papers were approved, Zhu Yijun's meticulous professionalism was still there.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jiaping silently stepped forward and packed the two stacks of test papers separately.
Then he looked at the pile in the middle: "Your Majesty, is this?"
Zhu Yijun heard this and opened the test paper in the middle.
He turned to a certain page, pointed to one of the places, and tapped lightly: "This is the one that has no taboo and was deposed."
According to the system, candidates who were dismissed without taboos need to be listed separately and clearly marked, so Zhu Yijun was separated separately to facilitate the distinction of the Ministry of Rites.
The taboos of the Ming Dynasty were actually not strict.
The storyteller talks about Journey to the West all day long, "I am an old pig" and "I am an old pig", and there is never any trouble from the servants.
It's even okay to have a name that has the same character as "emperor", as long as both characters don't overlap.
But I will try something different.
As the most important scripture, it naturally follows fundamentalism. The Spring and Autumn Period is a taboo for the venerable, a taboo for relatives, and a taboo for the wise.
Not only the emperor's name should be avoided, but also the parents should avoid it, and even the Ming Dynasty should avoid it - there are also some specific notes that will be publicized before the exam.
The methods to deal with it, such as "change the word method", "change the name method", "empty word method", "missing stroke method", etc., are all conventional methods and are also items that candidates must master.
It's the same as not being able to have one's name appear in future generations. It's something that is repeated before the exam.
Therefore, when Wang Jiaping heard this, he couldn't help but be startled.
After all, the disciples of Tang officials were admitted to the Imperial College in Yin Shen. Before the Imperial College exams, they were often given repeated instructions to pay attention to. We were not studying in a remote province like Yunnan, so how could we make such a mistake?
He frowned and looked at where the emperor was pointing. It was the original text of the Analects of Confucius: "Although people want to die, why should they hurt the sun and the moon?"
This is not a taboo to avoid the Ming Dynasty!
This taboo is too harsh.
Wang Jiaping frowned slightly, hugged the test paper and left.
Zhu Yijun saw Wang Jiaping's reaction in his eyes, and he couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
Wang Jiaping felt that this candidate was crude, but Zhu Yijun was praising that Zhang Jingxiu was so sensible that he deliberately violated taboos - this test paper was of course Zhang Jingxiu's.
Is Zhang Jingxiu’s level enough to win the ranking?
To be fair, I'm still not quite ready to reach the peak of Dzogchen Dzogchen in half a step, it all depends on my performance on the spot.
Judging from the answers in this volume, Zhu Yijun would have deposed him even if he had not violated a taboo.
Zhang Jingxiu obviously also knows that his level is still somewhere between the two.
If the emperor lowered his standards and allowed him to go to high school, he would definitely not be able to convince the public. Most of the outsiders would also doubt whether the title of his policy discussion was "My Chief Minister, Father", and even suspect that the emperor was playing favoritism.
But if you are deposed by the emperor...
Zhang Jingxiu understands himself, and obviously also understands his father.
Historically, after Zhang Jingxiu ascended the throne, Zhang Juzheng was still a little dissatisfied and complained to Zhang Siwei, "I quoted from Puzhou, why should I be stingy with Yijia and not give it to my son?"
In his father's mind, Zhang Jingxiu was obviously at the top level - this is recorded in Zhang Han's notes, which is much more reliable than Wang Shizhen's essay.
So if Zhu Yijun is deposed by Zhang Jingxiu, it's hard to say whether the old man will feel depressed.
It can be said that the best way is to give up the exam, wait until the level is stable in three years, and then pass the exam in one fell swoop, saving all the trouble.
However, whether Zhang Jingxiu takes the exam or not this year is no longer up to him after what happened last time. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is being roasted on the fire.
So this trick of committing a taboo in the examination room is really clever.
At the same time, he is extremely sensible!
Zhu Yijun thought of this, summoned Zhang Hong, and ordered: "Send someone to comfort Zhang Jingxiu, and then ask him if he is willing to test himself as a scholar."
Those who share your father's worries should be blessed with good luck.
In order to show recognition to Zhang Jingxiu, within the scope allowed by the rules, we can allow him to start accumulating qualifications from now on, instead of wasting three years.
Zhongshushe people are divided into "actual teaching Zhongshushe people" and "examination Zhongshushe people".
The state and dynasty set up subjects to obtain scholars, and those with official positions who entered the first-class stream were not allowed to take the examination. Those who were in the seventh-grade middle school were not allowed to take the examination, regardless of actual teaching or examination.
However, after Emperor Xianzong showed favor outside the system and allowed the son of his cabinet minister Lu Yuan to be admitted to the examination as a scholar in the imperial examination, later generations came up with a new ancestral law - allowing those in the imperial examination to be admitted to the examination.
As the saying goes, first enter the official position, and then take the incomplete Jinshi examination. Qualifications and academic qualifications should not be delayed.
Hearing this, Zhang Hong hesitated for a moment and asked: "Your Majesty, would it be better to wait until the results are released before going to comfort him?"
It's a relief not to release the list. Isn't this news leaking? It's hard to say what will happen to the outside world.
Zhu Yijun came to his senses after being reminded.
I am getting busier and busier, and I almost make mistakes.
He looked at Zhang Hong with admiration, nodded and said, "We'll go after the results are released."
Zhang Hong then stepped aside in relief.
…
It's half past Xu hour.
Zhu Yijun still had no intention of taking a break.
He took Yin Zhengmao's memorials and opened them for reading.
It is said that the pirate Lin Fengfu harassed Chaohui and came to Qian'ao (Chaoshan, Huizhou). He asked for help and asked whether he should be exterminated or recruited again.
After Zhu Yijun made some remarks, he handed it over to Zhang Hong and ordered his cabinet to discuss it.
Then he followed the same pattern and dealt with several memorials.
Since he issued an edict to select his concubine, more and more memorials have been sent from the cabinet.
There are big and small matters, involving all aspects of military affairs, personnel, finance and taxation.
After he made corrections, he sent it back to the cabinet for discussion and drafting of votes. If there were different opinions, sometimes the process would go back and forth for several rounds.
These memorials were obviously sent to me by the cabinet for practice, so that I could progress step by step over a period of time.
Zhu Yijun naturally cooperated well.
He turned to Ni Guangjian's memorial and seemed to remember something, so he asked casually: "I heard that General Secretary Ni Guangjian was almost beaten during the court meeting today?"
The General Affairs Department is a department that should be very powerful in theory. After all, it delivers memorials to the emperor.
However, after the emperors of all dynasties had no intention to deal with the memorials for a hundred years, their status plummeted and they were no longer qualified to serve at the table - the court councilors were often not even called general ministers.
Zhu Yijun will definitely handle the memorials properly in the future.
Therefore, after He Yongqing became an official, Zhu Yijun specially added the fictitious title of Minister of Rites in order to allow Ni Guangjian to serve at the table, and he was still in charge of General Administration.
As a result, the meal was not finished at the table, and the court was almost beaten today.
Isn't this bullying Xinchen Danzi?
Hearing this, Zhang Hong carefully explained: "Your Majesty, there was no fight, just a pull or two."
Zhu Yijun has become accustomed to courtiers who are full of martial virtue.
His expression remained unchanged as he asked, "What's the reason?"
Zhang Hong thought for a moment and then said: "Your Majesty, Ambassador Ni Tong and Yushi Huo Du have been entangled for a while because of the shift."
Then, as a witness at the scene, he told the emperor the reasons one by one.
Ni Guang recommended that the General Secretary, who took office in January, has been in the court for more than a month. In fact, it cannot be said that he is not familiar with it, but he has some dogma.
The so-called dogma is that according to the "Ritual Rules", after Ni Guang recommended the title of Minister of Rites, his shift should be before the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
Therefore, after he took office, he always stood in front of Ge Shouli in a grand manner.
Ge Shouli was an honest man and didn't think anything was wrong.
But today, Ge Shouli, the censor of the left capital, did not attend the court meeting because of something else. The one who came from the Imperial Procuratorate was Huo Ji, the censor of the right capital.
When Yushi Huodu saw the general ambassador standing in front of him, he immediately became excited and dragged Ni Guangjian behind him.
After Ni Guangjian was dragged and staggered, his blood surged and he glared angrily. He stood in front of Huo Ji and refused to move even though he said anything.
The two of them tugged and almost came to blows, but thanks to the cabinet and ceremonial officer Xu Wenbi coming to make peace, they were separated.
"Afterwards, the two of them argued with the ceremonial officer separately."
"Ni Tongzheng envoy said that he was given the title of Minister of Rites. According to the "Etiquette Rules", the ministers of the ministry and academies have the same rank, and if there is a hierarchy, Yamen is the order. The Minister of Rites should stand in front of the Metropolitan Procuratorate."
"The censor of Huodu said that although Ni Tongzhengshi was of the same rank as him, he was still in charge of political affairs and wanted to be superior to him. Therefore, the general administration was added to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, which was not a system."
"It was difficult for Duke Xu and the cabinet to distinguish each other for a while, so he had the authority to arrange the two of them on the left and right, waiting to catch up."
After Zhu Yijun heard this, he was silent for a long time before uttering a sentence: "Fighting will not be allowed in the future."
Later, they were fined for one month's salary for disobedience in front of the palace, which was regarded as a beating each.
Logically speaking, what Huo Ji said is more reasonable.
But Zhu Yijun, as the one who encouraged the General Secretary to come to the table for dinner, naturally wanted to go astray.
Zhang Hong heard this and wrote it down silently.
Then he looked at the time and reminded softly: "Your Majesty, it's almost time to rest."
Xu Shi has been gone for more than half of the time, and it's time for the emperor to go to sleep.
Zhu Yijun closed the memorial and put it aside. Then he rubbed his eyebrows a little sleepily: "It's time to rest. I will go get the Xinbao and Donglin Journal."
Zhang Hong had no choice but to obey orders, hoping that the emperor would finish his work and rest soon.
After Zhang Hong took a stack of newspapers and placed them on the table.
Zhu Yijun waved his hand: "Go and get ready, I'll take a rest after I finish writing this."
The emperor wants to sleep, so there is a lot of preparation work, not to mention that the emperor now has a choice of attendants to serve in the Longevity Palace.
Zhang Hong had no choice but to bow and say he was leaving.
Zhu Yijun waved his hand and was speechless.
Zhang Hong bent over and slowly exited the hall.
When he arrived outside the palace, he took a lantern from the young eunuch's hand and was about to go to the bedroom.
Just at this time, in the direction of the bedroom, several lanterns came from far to near.
Only when he got closer did Zhang Hong see the person coming clearly, and he quickly saluted: "Li Xuanshi."
The other eunuchs and guards were half a step behind, and they all followed the same example of saluting.
Li Baiyang signaled everyone to get up and explained: "Your Majesty has worked so hard, I specially cooked a bowl of soup for you."
After saying that, she stepped aside slightly, revealing the soup in the hands of the maid behind her.
Zhang Hong was startled: "Did the waiter do it himself?"
Li Baiyang nodded.
Seeing this, Zhang Hong said calmly: "When choosing an attendant, follow the rules of the palace..."
Before he finished speaking, Li Xuanshi nodded helplessly: "I know."
After saying that, she picked up the spoon, put a spoonful in her mouth, and swallowed it.
Then he looked at Zhang Hong calmly: "Zhang Dajue, is it okay?"
Zhang Hong didn't answer, just apologized, stepped forward and took a sip himself.
After a while, when he saw that there was no abnormality in his body, he apologized again and again with a smile: "This is the rule of the palace. If I offend you, I will choose the attendant to please you."
Li Xuanshi didn't embarrass him, nodded, and walked past everyone into the Longevity Palace.
Zhang Hong looked at his godson Zhang Cheng and his close guard Jiang Keqian.
The latter two understood and hurriedly followed, taking the wooden plate from the palace maid's hand diligently.
…
Zhu Yijun looked at the half bowl of soup left in front of him and looked at Li Baiyang speechlessly.
Even though the cook didn't steal or harvest the grain, he didn't see anyone drinking to the bottom of it like this.
Li Baiyang pursed his lips: "Your Majesty, my daughter came in all the way and passed five levels to kill six generals. You take one bite and I take one bite, and there is only such a small bowl left."
Zhu Yijun looked strange and corrected: "Since I have been appointed as a servant, I'd better call myself a minister."
He felt strange when his daughter called herself herself.
Although he knew that this was a characteristic of the times, people called themselves old women, I, Yu, slaves, and so on.
When he read Sanyuan's notes, he also saw concubines in the harem calling themselves daughters of Chongzhen.
But Zhu Yijun still felt a little guilty when he saw Li Baiyang's childish face.
Li Baiyang didn't know what he was thinking. Hearing this, he showed a hint of joy and Congshan Ruliu immediately changed his words: "I understand."
Zhu Yijun then came over from Tongtai and got down to business: "There are rules for imperial meals. Why don't you cook more next time?"
It is impossible to change the process. If Supervisor Shang is not watching the process, he will not dare to drink it if he tastes it one by one along the way.
It is better to do more to be practical.
After saying that, Zhu Yijun took half a spoonful and took a small sip.
As soon as it entered his mouth, Zhu Yijun subconsciously stuck out his tongue.
It's cold.
He calmly put the bowl aside and said, "Let me finish my work first."
Li Xuan's attendant knew what was going on and said, "I'll take my leave now."
Even the supervisor of the two palaces did not dare to step into the Wenhua Palace for court discussions, so she naturally knew the benefits and disadvantages of the harem not being allowed to interfere in politics.
If I accidentally see the emperor's memorial, I'm afraid I'll have to go to the cold palace tomorrow.
Zhu Yijun waved his hand: "It's not a political matter. Since you're here, just wait for me to come with you. I happen to be a little tired, so please give me a try."
The memorial was taken away by the Chief of Ceremonies, so there was no trouble. We just left it for chatting. After all, we were roommates, and it was necessary to get familiar with each other.
Li Xuan heard the words and responded softly.
He immediately walked around behind the emperor, placed his slender fingers on the emperor's shoulders, and started to rub them.
He routinely advised: "Since it is not a political matter, Your Majesty might as well take a rest early."
Zhu Yijun moved his neck and did not answer. Instead, he asked: "Have you studied the classics and its meaning at home?"
Li Xuanshi nodded proudly: "I have learned some."
In this context, it would be immodest to directly reply that I have learned something.
Zhu Yijun didn't find it strange.
After all, Li Chunfang is a great Confucian of the time, and this kind of person loves to educate his family members on three outlooks.
He handed Li Xuanshi a stack of newspapers: "Now there is a fierce quarrel in the capital about the debate on scriptures. Have you heard about it?"
Li Baiyang reached out to take it and put it back on the table. While pressing the emperor's shoulders, he replied: "Your Majesty, I read every issue of the newspaper that Uncle Gu'an brought to Concubine Chen."
Zhu Yijun leaned back and asked curiously: "Oh? Who do you think is more reasonable now?"
Li Xuan thought for a while, then shook his head in embarrassment: "Your Majesty, although I have learned some classics and meanings, the debate between Master Li and Master Xue is indeed a bit profound, and I can no longer understand it clearly."
Zhu Yijun snorted secretly, thinking he was a master.
Yes, before the examination, Donglin Journal changed its chief writer on the grounds that Gu Xiancheng was preparing for the examination.
The one who is now debating with Li Zhi is Xue Yingqi, the great Confucian at that time who entered the Zhejiang Temple of Zhejiang.
When heavyweights take action, they naturally become more and more profound.
It involves a lot of prerequisite knowledge, Confucian professional terms, mind, reason, mind, knowledge, knowledge, behavior, color, emptiness, desire, conscience, ontology, kung fu...
Even if Xinbao deliberately translated it in vernacular, it was still beginning to deviate from the point where ordinary people could eat melons.
This is inevitable, but it cannot be allowed to develop like this.
"After Master Li proposed his ontology, I thought that what Master Li said made sense. The ontology of conscience should be universal. Even though the progress and fairness proposed by Master Li were a bit narrow, my grandfather's idea of ​​helping the world
Isn't it true that ideals or the caution of a concubine and a concubine who live their lives are the common conscience in the world?"
"This just proves that Master Li's ontological foundation is enough to support the platform of Confucianism with many schools of thought."
"Well...of course, it's just my humble opinion, your Majesty, please listen to it."
"But after Master Xue passed away, I felt that what Master Xue said made sense."
"Master Xue said, Master Li is using human principles to prevail over heavenly principles."
"The so-called essence and conscience in general must first exist in the innate, such as in the representation of objects. Take away what the understanding thinks about the objects, such as entities, and the innate feelings of hot and cold. This is the so-called heavenly principle."
"Then combine it with the human way, and choose what belongs to the senses, see, hear, and know."
"If you look at the direct sunlight or touch a stone, it will be hot. How can you see the cause and effect?"
“Therefore, there is innate talent and acquired talent, and only then does the existing conscience become widespread in the world.”
"Although Master Xue went too far when he accused Master Li of being a demon who confuses all sentient beings, I still feel that what Master Xue said seems to make sense."
Zhu Yijun quietly listened to the feelings from the perspective of passers-by and sighed silently.
This is the drawback of reaching such a high level of intellectual debate that the common people can no longer understand it.
I just think both sides are right.
As a Daily Practitioner, Li Zhi abstracted the essence among all living beings and came up with universal values.
After Xue Yingqi came out, he directly argued on the basis of the difference between the two - epistemology.
Since you, Li Zhi, have abstracted the ontology into the world and the times, you have confused the relationship between the way of heaven and the way of humanity, and you have lost your precise positioning.
The sun shines on a stone and the stone becomes hot when touched. This is what people see. So who sees the causal relationship between the two?
Isn’t this what humans, as the subject, get by understanding the way of heaven?
Otherwise, even if you talk about the causal relationship between everything, how can you understand it?
Therefore, Xue Yingqi believes that there is heavenly principle first, and then human understanding. People's own cognitive abilities should also be innate and do not need to be cultivated, just like being able to feel hot and cold.
It is not like Li Zhi, who was influenced by the outside world and passively understood the essence of conscience.
That person is not enough to be called a human being, there is no difference between him and a monkey.
"You can still understand it from here."
"Later, Master Li and Master Xue began to discuss the relationship between heavenly principles and human nature, and my concubine's head became a mess."
Li Baiyang puffed up his cheeks and moved his face from side to side awkwardly, puffing out the air in his cheeks.
When Zhu Yijun saw her finish speaking, he grabbed her hand and asked her not to press it again: "That's why Wang Shizhen wants to hold a literary meeting to watch the guests and answer questions for you and me."
The latter part is indeed too profound.
That’s why the slang of Confucianism needs to be sorted out and translated before it can continue to be promoted.
Li Xuanshi was stunned for a moment: "Alliance Leader Wang also wants to participate in the debate?"
Zhu Yijun nodded: "Not only Wang Shizhen, but also the two direct disciples of Yangming, the Three Masters and Seven Certificates, and the direct descendants of the Kong family are all here to join in the fun."
Li Xuan hesitated for a moment and couldn't help but ask: "Your Majesty, is my concubine and grandfather here?"
Zhu Yijun laughed: "He is a disciple of the Taizhou School, and is a direct disciple of Wang Gen. Naturally, he comes to support Li Zhi."
Immediately, he looked at Li Baiyang and smiled slyly: "How about it, do you want to join in the fun?"
Li Baiyang groaned, rubbed the corner of his clothes and muttered: "No...that's not good. Your Majesty was reprimanded by Empress Dowager Li last time."
Zhu Yijun shook his head: "No, this time it was Wang Shizhen who invited me, so of course he did it openly."
After all, he didn't care whether Li Baiyang agreed or not, he made his own decision and said: "Okay, that's it."
"Grind the ink for me, and I also need to prepare a greeting card for the literary society."
Only then did Li Baiyang realize what the emperor said was not a political matter, and that he was only interested in leaving the palace to join in the fun.
While she was polishing ink for the emperor, she wondered: "Why do I still need to ask for an invitation from His Majesty?"
Zhu Yijun picked up his pen and shook his head: "It's not that he wants to pay homage to me, it's that such a grand event cannot have an opening worthy of being remembered in history, and at the same time, it can also take care of spectators like you who don't study Confucianism."
After saying that, he spread out a piece of paper and started writing slowly.
Li Baiyang polished his ink and looked at it curiously.
A few big characters of "Duan Zheng" appeared on the paper in "Literature Review of Debating the Classics".
Below is a line of subtitles unique to the emperor - "Pure Reason and Practical Reason: The Origin of Dissent in Various Schools"
Chapter completed!